WO2008014796A1

WO2008014796A1 - Vacuum cleaner

Info

Publication number: WO2008014796A1
Application number: PCT/EP2006/007543
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jürgen Weiss; Maic Hensel; Steffen Layer
Original assignee: Alfred Kärcher Gmbh & Co. Kg
Priority date: 2006-07-29
Filing date: 2006-07-29
Publication date: 2008-02-07
Also published as: DE502006006920D1; ATE466513T1; US20090193612A1; EP2046181B1; CN101489459B; DK2046181T3; CN101489459A; EP2046181A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a vacuum cleaner (10) with electronic control (48) and a dirt collection container (12), which has a suction inlet (18) and is flow-connected through a suction hose (26) with a suction unit (16), which is connected through at least one air conduit (58, 61) with at least one air outlet (22). To develop the vacuum cleaner further so that, by means of simple construction, noise can be minimized and heat-sensitive elements can be protected against damage, it is recommended according to the invention that at least one air conduit be sealed by means of a noise-insulating sealing mat which is made of a fire-retardant material and covers the electric control unit.

Description

vacuum cleaner

The invention relates to a vacuum cleaner with a control unit and a dirt collecting container, which has a suction inlet and is connected via a suction with a suction unit in flow communication, which is connected via at least one air duct with at least one air outlet.

By means of such vacuum cleaner dirt and preferably liquid can be sucked by applying the dirt collector using the suction unit with negative pressure, so that forms a suction flow from the suction inlet through the dirt collecting through the suction to the suction unit. From the suction unit, the sucked air can be passed through an air duct to an air outlet of the vacuum cleaner.

To control the vacuum cleaner, an electronic control system is used, which in many cases has heat-dissipating power semiconductors and / or electromechanical relays.

The operation of the suction unit is associated with a certain noise, which should be kept as low as possible, and the use of the control electronics is associated with a certain heat generation, which should also be kept low, and in the case of excessive heat to ensure that heat-sensitive components of the vacuum cleaner will not be damaged. Object of the present invention is to develop a vacuum cleaner of the generic type such that in a structurally simple manner the noise can be kept low and heat-sensitive components can be protected from damage.

This object is achieved in a vacuum cleaner of the type mentioned according to the invention that at least one air duct is sealed by means of a sound-insulating sealing mat, which is made of a flame-retardant material and covers the electrical control unit.

In the invention, the idea flows in that the noise of the vacuum cleaner can be kept low by at least one of the suction unit outgoing air duct is sealed by means of a sound-insulating sealing mat. The sealing mat not only makes it possible to design the air channel flow-tight and compensate for example, manufacturing tolerances in the manufacture of the air duct, but in addition, the sealing mat forms a fire protection in the event of heavy heating of the control electronics. For this purpose, the sealing mat covers the control electronics and is made of a flame-retardant material.

The sealing mat thus assumes several functions. It forms a sound insulation, so that the noise of the vacuum cleaner is reduced. In addition, it allows a flow-tight completion of the air duct, whereby manufacturing tolerances of the air duct can be compensated. In addition, the sealing mat forms a fire protection, which ensures that with a strong warming of the control electronics of the vacuum cleaner does not easily start on fire. The sealing mat can be simple Be mounted so that the vacuum cleaner according to the invention can be configured in a structurally simple manner such that it shows a relatively low noise and has a reliable fire protection.

Preferably, the sealing mat is elastically deformable. This gives the possibility of compressing the sealing mat during assembly, where it is then eager to take their original shape again and thereby creates a fluid-tight against adjacent walls and edges of the vacuum cleaner.

It is advantageous if the sealing mat is made of a foamed Duroplast- material. Thermosets are cross-linked plastics that do not melt even at relatively high temperatures. According to the invention, the sealing mat covers the control electronics, so that reliable fire protection is ensured in the case of a strong heating of the control electronics due to the flame-retardant property of the sealing mat.

In a preferred embodiment, the sealing mat is made of a foamed thermoset material from the group of aminoplasts. Alternatively, foamed thermosets based on PUR material (polyurethane material) could also be used.

In order to achieve a particularly effective fire protection, it is favorable if the sealing mat has a thermal conductivity of less than 0.04 W / mK, in particular less than 0.035 W / mk. The thermal conductivity is measured at a temperature of 10 ° C and is determined according to the DIN standard 52612. It has been found that a sealing mat with such a thermal conductivity value is particularly suitable for protecting the remaining components of the vacuum cleaner against damage in the event of a strong heating of the control electronics.

In a preferred embodiment, the vacuum cleaner on a housing part with a hood which covers a partition wall part, wherein the partition wall part has a bottom, projecting from the spaced apart two partitions defining therebetween an air duct, and wherein the sealing mat between the hood and is arranged the partitions. In the region of the air channel, the partition wall part may have a U-shaped profile, which is formed by the bottom and the two partitions and which is covered by the cover with the interposition of the sealing mat. When mounting the vacuum cleaner, the hood can be snapped onto the partition wall part or screwed with this. Occurring manufacturing tolerances can be compensated by the sealing mat, which is arranged between the hood and the partition wall part. The sealing mat forms a fluid-tight seal of the air duct, wherein it extends not only over the air duct, but also beyond the control electronics of the vacuum cleaner.

The control electronics are preferably arranged laterally next to one of the partitions outside the air duct. It can comprise at least one printed circuit board on which electrical components are arranged. The circuit board can be fixed to the partition. It is particularly advantageous if the control electronics are connected to at least one cooling element, for example a cooling plate, which protrudes into the air duct. For this purpose, the partition, on the outside of the control electronics is arranged, have an opening which is penetrated by the cooling element.

It is particularly advantageous if the suction unit is covered by the sealing mat. In such an embodiment, the sealing mat not only extends over the air duct and the control electronics, but also covers the suction unit. This makes it possible to keep the noise of the vacuum cleaner particularly low. It is advantageous if the suction unit is arranged in an upper part of the vacuum cleaner, which can be placed on the dirt collecting container.

Advantageously, the suction unit comprises a forced-air-cooled electric motor, which is connected via a first air duct with a cooling air outlet, and a suction turbine driven by the electric motor, which is connected via a second air passage with a Saugluftauslass, wherein the sealing mat seals the first and the second air passage. By means of the suction turbine, which is rotated by the electric motor, a suction flow to the suction unit can be achieved starting from the suction inlet through the dirt collecting container and the suction line. The sucked air can be discharged via the second air duct to the Saugluftauslass the vacuum cleaner. For cooling the electric motor this is supplied independently of the suction air cooling air, which can be discharged via the first air duct and the cooling air outlet to the environment. The suction unit can thereby have a considerable suction capacity. Since the sound insulating sealing mat seals both the first and the second air duct and the air ducts preferably covered over the entire surface, the flow of cooling air and the suction air can be optimized in terms of the lowest possible noise of the vacuum cleaner.

It is advantageous if the electronic control system is electrically connected to at least one electromagnetic closing valve, which closes a forced air inlet, wherein the external air intake, the side facing away from the dirt collector side of a filter arranged in the flow path between the dirt collector and the suction unit for impingement with external air is abruptly acted upon. Such a configuration allows a filter backwashing, in order to replace dirt particles that accumulate during the suction operation on the dirt collecting container side facing the at least one filter.

For cleaning, the outside of the dirt collecting container side of the filter can be acted upon by external air by the electromagnetic closing valve is opened, so that via the outside air inlet foreign air can flow into the suction. The filter cleaning is controlled by the control electronics, which therefore has a not inconsiderable heat development. The risk of damage to components of the vacuum cleaner in case of improper overheating of the control electronics is kept low by the present invention used for use sealing mat.

In a preferred embodiment, by means of the control unit, an electromagnet for closing the closing valve can be acted upon with electricity, wherein the power supply is timed interruptible. During normal suction operation, the electromagnet of the closing valve is acted upon by the control unit with an excitation current, so that a magnetic field is formed, which holds the closing valve in its closed position. If a filter cleaning be made, the excitation current is interrupted by the control unit for a short time. This has the consequence that the magnetic field of the electromagnet breaks down and thereby opens the closing valve. Foreign air can then act suddenly on the side facing away from the dirt collector side of the filter and thereby mechanically shake the filter. In addition, it can be flowed through in the counter-current direction, that is, in contrast to the prevailing during the normal suction suction flow of external air, thereby effectively to be cleaned. During normal suction operation, therefore, an exciter current is permanently provided by the control unit. This can result in a considerable heating of the control unit. Since, however, the control unit according to the invention is covered by the flame-retardant sealing mat having a low thermal conductivity, there is practically no risk that the heat development of the control unit will impair other components of the vacuum cleaner.

The following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention serves in conjunction with the drawings for further explanation. Show it:

Figure 1: a schematic sectional view of a vacuum cleaner according to the invention; Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the vacuum cleaner with the hood removed; and

3 shows a sectional view along the line 3-3 in Figure 2.

In the drawing, a vacuum cleaner 10 is shown schematically with a dirt collecting container 12, on which an upper part 14 is placed, which receives a suction unit 16. The dirt collecting container 12 has a suction inlet 18, to which a suction hose, not shown in the drawing, can be connected. At the free end of the suction hose, a suction nozzle can be connected. Alternatively it can be provided that the suction hose is connected to a machining tool, such as a drilling unit or a milling unit, so that dust that accumulates during operation of the machining tool, can be sucked.

The upper part 14 forms a suction outlet 22 for the dirt collecting container 12. At the suction outlet 22, a pleated filter 24 is held, to which a suction line in the form of a suction channel 26 connects. About the suction channel 26 is the pleated filter 24 with the suction unit 16 in flow communication. The dirt collecting container 12 can be acted upon by the vacuum unit 16 with negative pressure via the suction channel 26 and the pleated filter 24, so that a symbolized in Figure 1 by the arrows 28 suction flow, under the action of dirt in the dirt collector 12 can be sucked. By means of the fold filter 24, the dirt particles from the suction flow 28 can be deposited. Above the pleated filter 24, a closing valve 30 is arranged in the upper part 14, which comprises a stationary in the upper part 14 positioned valve holder 32 which forms a valve seat and cooperates with a movable valve body in the form of a circular valve disk 34. The valve disk 34 is acted upon by a closing spring 36 with a closing force in the direction of the valve holder 32. The closing spring 36 is clamped between a plate-like, a plurality of flow passages, fixedly arranged in the upper part 14 filter holder 38 and the valve plate 34.

In a central region, the valve holder 32 carries an electromagnet 40 with a solenoid 42. On the valve plate 34 is a solenoid 40 associated magnetizable element in the form of an iron plate 44 which abuts the front side of the electromagnet 40 in the closed position of the closing valve 30. For this purpose, the electromagnet 40 is acted upon via connecting lines, not shown in the drawing, from an electronic control unit 48 illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, so that a magnetic field is formed and the iron plate 44 is subjected to a magnetic holding force. If the filter 24 to be cleaned, the power supply of the electromagnet 40 is interrupted. This has the consequence that the valve disc 34 lifts off from the associated valve seat due to the pressure difference acting on it, which results from the pressure of the external air supplied via a lateral opening 51 to the closing valve 30 and the negative pressure prevailing in the suction channel 26. Thus, external air can flow from the side opening 51 to the side facing away from the dirt collecting container 12 side of the filter 34 and this act on a pressure surge. The valve disk 34 is returned to its associated state by the closing spring 36 after only a very short time, preferably after a time of less than 0.5 s. Neten valve seat fed back, so that the further supply of external air can be prevented and the normal suction operation can be resumed.

The control electronics 48 is arranged as well as the suction unit 16 in the upper part 14 of the vacuum cleaner 10. As can be seen in particular from FIG. 3, the upper part 14 comprises a partition wall part 53 formed integrally as a plastic molded part, which forms a bottom 54, from which an inner partition wall 55 and an outer partition wall 56 project upwards at a distance from one another. The partitions 55, 56 have a labyrinth-like course and form on one side of the vacuum cleaner 10, a first air passage in the form of a cooling air passage 58, which opens into a cooling air outlet 59, and on the other side of the vacuum cleaner 10 define the two partitions 55 and 56 between them a second air channel in the form of a suction air duct 61, which opens into a Saugluftauslass 62. The Saugluftauslass 62 is disposed on the cooling air outlet 59 opposite side of the vacuum cleaner 10.

The suction unit 16 includes a suction turbine 64, which is rotated by a fresh air-cooled electric motor 65 in rotation.

The cooling air of the electric motor 65 can be discharged to the environment via the cooling air passage 58 and the cooling air outlet 59, and the suction air sucked from the suction turbine 64 through the suction inlet 18 and the dirt collecting tank 12 and the suction passage 26 can be supplied through the suction air passage 61 and the suction air outlet 62 the environment will be delivered.

The control electronics 48 comprises a plurality of electronic components 74, which are arranged on a printed circuit board 76. The printed circuit board 76 is on the outside side of the outer partition 56 is positioned. A cooling element in the form of a cooling plate 72 protrudes into the cooling air channel 58 through an opening, not shown in the drawing, of the outer partition wall 56. The cooling plate 72 is thermally conductively connected to components 74 of the control electronics 48 and enables effective cooling of the components 74.

The partition wall part 53 of the upper part 14 is covered by a hood 68. This becomes clear in particular from FIG. Between the partition wall part 53 and the hood 68, a sound-insulating sealing mat 70 is arranged, which is made of a flame-retardant material, namely of a foamed thermoset material from the group of aminoplasts. The sealing mat 70 extends over the suction unit 16, the cooling air channel 58 and the suction air channel 61, and also extends beyond the arranged on the outside of the outer partition 56 control electronics 48. It is elastically deformable and allows a structurally simple way, manufacturing tolerances between the partition wall part 53 and the hood 68 compensate. In addition, it reduces the noise of the vacuum cleaner 10 and ensures that with a strong heating of the control electronics 48 there is no risk that other components of the vacuum cleaner 10 are affected. The expansion of the sealing mat 70 is particularly clear from Figure 2, in which the sealing mat 70 is shown hatched. Figure 2 illustrates a plan view of the vacuum cleaner 10 in the region of the suction unit 16, wherein the hood 68 is removed, so that the position of the sealing mat 70 can be seen.

Claims

1. Vacuum cleaner with control electronics and a dirt collecting container having a suction inlet and is connected via a suction with a suction unit in flow connection, which is connected via at least one air duct with at least one air outlet, characterized in that at least one air duct (58, 61) by means a sound-absorbing sealing mat (70) is sealed, which is made of a flame-retardant material and covers the electrical control electronics (48).

2. Vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, characterized in that the sealing mat (70) is elastically deformable.

3. Vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the sealing mat (70) is made of a foamed thermoset material.

4. Vacuum cleaner according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sealing mat (70) is made of a foamed thermoset material from the group of aminoplasts.

5. Vacuum cleaner according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sealing mat (70) has a thermal conductivity of less than 0.04 W / mK.

6. Vacuum cleaner according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the vacuum cleaner (10) has a housing part (14) with a hood (68) which covers a partition wall part (53), wherein the partition wall part (53) has a bottom (54). has, spaced from each other, two partitions (55, 56) projecting therebetween defining an air duct (58, 61), and wherein the sealing mat (70) between the hood (68) and the partitions (55, 56) is.

7. Vacuum cleaner according to claim 6, characterized in that the control electronics (48) is arranged laterally next to a partition wall (56) outside the air duct (58).

8. Vacuum cleaner according to claim 7, characterized in that the control electronics (48) with at least one cooling element (72) is connected, which projects into the air channel (58).

9. Vacuum cleaner according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the suction unit (16) of the sealing mat (70) is covered.

10. Vacuum cleaner according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the suction unit (16) comprises a foreign-air-cooled electric motor (65) which is connected via a first air channel (58) with a cooling air outlet (59), and that the suction unit (16) a suction turbine (64) driven by the electric motor (65), which has a second air channel (61) with a Saugluftauslass (62), wherein the sealing mat (70) seals the first and second air channels (58, 61).

11. Vacuum cleaner according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control electronics (48) is electrically connected to at least one electromagnetic closing valve (30) which closes a forced air inlet (51), wherein via the outside air inlet (51) the dirt collecting container (12 ) facing away from a in the flow path between the dirt collecting container (12) and the suction unit (16) arranged filter (24) for cleaning jerky with external air can be acted upon.

12. Vacuum cleaner according to claim 11, characterized in that by means of the control electronics (48), an electromagnet (40) for closing the closing valve (30) can be acted upon with electricity, wherein the power supply is timed interruptible.