Vacuum cleaner
AssigneeDiversey, Inc.
InventorThomas KELLER
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vacuum cleaner (1) comprising a container (2), a suction unit (60), an air channeling unit (25), operative between the container (2) and the suction unit (60), wherein the air channeling unit (25) comprises: a collector (26) having a suction mouth (27) at an intake side of the air channeling unit (25), a deflector (28) positioned at the intake side and radially extending at least over a central portion of the suction mouth (27), the collector (26) and the deflector (28) delimiting a suction channel (29) connecting the suction mouth (27) to an inlet port (22) of the suction unit (60).
Claims19
Vacuum cleaner (1) comprising:
- a container (2) delimiting an inner collection volume (3);
- a suction unit (60) provided with a motor (20) and an impeller (21) coupled with the motor (20), the suction unit (60) having at least one inlet port (22), at an impeller inlet side, and at least one outlet port (23), at an impeller outlet side;
- and
- an air channeling unit (25), operative between the container (2) and the suction unit (60), having an intake side facing the inner collection volume (3),
- wherein the air channeling unit (25) comprises:
- a collector (26) having a suction mouth (27) at said intake side of the air channeling unit (25),
- a deflector (28) positioned at said intake side and radially extending at least over a central portion of the suction mouth (27), the collector (26) and the deflector (28) delimiting a suction channel (29) connecting the suction mouth (27) to the inlet port (22) of the suction unit (60).
The vacuum cleaner of any one of claims from 2 to 3, wherein the suction channel (29) comprises a first tract (36) starting at the suction mouth (27) and upwardly developing between the side wall (33) of the deflector (28) and the peripheral wall (30) of the collector (26), wherein the first tract (36) delimits a respective airflow volume of tubular shape and—proceeding in the flow direction—presents a continuously decreasing fluid passage cross section.
Vacuum cleaner in accordance with any one of the preceding claims, wherein the impeller (21) and the motor (20) are arranged one behind the other in an axial direction defining a central axis of symmetry (100) and wherein the first tract (36), the second tract (37) and the third tract (38) are positioned and configured such as to be symmetric with respect to an ideal plane of symmetry passing through said central axis of symmetry (100).
Vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims from 7 to 10, wherein the first tract (36), the second tract (37), the third tract (38) and the inlet port (22) are concentrically positioned, conferring to the suction unit (25) a compact axial size with maximum axial extension defined by a maximum axial extension of the peripheral wall (30) of the collector (26).
Vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims from 7 to 11 wherein the suction channel (29) presents a first width (A1) of first tract (36), a second width (A2) of fluid flow transition over the end of side wall (33) and between first tract (36) and second tract (37), a third width (A3) of second tract (37), a fourth width (A4) of fluid flow transition over the end of an exterior wall portion (35a) of inner wall (35) and between second tract (37) and third tract (38), a firth width (A5) of interior wall portion (35b) of inner wall (35), and a sixth width (A6) of inlet port (22), wherein the ratio of first and second widths (A1/A2) is 1.3 or higher;
- the ratio of third and second widths (A3/A2) is 1.3 or higher;
- the ratio of third and fourth widths (A3/A4) is 1.3 or higher;
- the ratio of fifth and fourth widths (A5/A4) is 1.3 or higher;
- the ratio of fifth and sixth widths (A5/A6) is 1.3 or higher.
Vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims from 7 to 12, wherein the first tract, the second tract and the third tract (36, 37, 38) are concentric and intersect a horizontal plane common to the inlet (22).
Vacuum cleaner in accordance with any one of claims from 7 to 13, wherein the suction unit (60) is configured and positioned relative to the air channeling unit (25) such that—when the motor (20) is operated—the impeller (21) causes a suction flow which sequentially follows the following flow path:
- from the inner collection volume (3) through the suction mouth (27),
- then upwardly through the first tract (36),
- then downwardly through the second tract (37),
- then upwardly through the third tract (38),
- then upwardly through the inlet port (22) of the suction unit (60), the impeller (21) and along an outside of the motor (20).
Vacuum cleaner according to any one of the preceding claims comprising an exhaust unit (39) including:
- a collection chamber (40) defining a substantially annular airflow volume concentric with said suction unit (60) and positioned around one or more outlet ports of the suction unit (60) to collect air coming from the impeller (21) and convey collected air to an outlet port (41) of the collection chamber (40),
- two symmetrically opposed exhaust channels (42), each of the two channels surrounding a respective portion of the collection chamber (40) and having an intake end (43), in correspondence of the outlet port (41) of said collection chamber (40), and an outlet end (44), opposed to the intake end (43) to discharge air drawn in by the suction unit (60),
- wherein the outlet end (44) of each of the two exhaust channels (42) is separate and spaced from the outlet end (44) of the other of the two exhaust channels (42) thereby forming two distinct and spaced apart air discharge openings,
- optionally further comprising:
- an alveolar pad (46), optionally a foam pad, covering an inner surface (40a) of the collection chamber (40) surrounding the suction unit (60), and
- a further alveolar pad (47), optionally a further foam pad, at least covering inner surfaces (42a) of said two exhaust channels (42) facing the collection chamber (40).
Vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims from 5 to 15, wherein the inner wall (35) of the collector (26) comprises a radially inner terminal portion forming an annular seat, of U-shaped cross section, configured to receive a foot portion of an annular support body (48), optionally made in elastomeric material, having a head portion supporting a first axial end the suction unit (60), and wherein a further support body (51), optionally in elastomeric material, has a foot portion received in an auxiliary seat of the air exhaust unit and a head portion active on an second axial end of the suction unit axially opposite to the first axial end, the head portion of the of the further support body—in cooperation with the head portion of the annular support body—maintaining the suction unit (60) above the container.
Vacuum cleaner according to any one of the preceding claims from 5 to 16, wherein the deflector (28) is suspended in the middle of the suction mouth (27) and supported by a number of connecting elements (55) active on a side of the deflector (28) opposite the collection volume (3) whereby the first tract (36) and the second tract (37) form together a continuous and constantly tubular airflow volume, which—proceeding radially from outside to inside—defines an upwardly and then downwardly directed continuous and unobstructed flow path,
- wherein the connecting elements (55) connect the deflector (28) to the inner wall (35) of the collector (26), optionally wherein the connecting elements (55) connect the deflector (28) to a radially inner terminal portion of the inner wall (35).
Vacuum cleaner according to any one of the preceding claims from 2 to 17, comprising a suction hose (5) configured to be connected at an aperture (6) of the container and a collecting bag (8) configured to be housed inside the container and presenting an inlet opening (5a) configured to be tightly engaged at the aperture (6) present in the container (2) such as to receive the debris collected via the suction hose, and wherein the collector presents an indent (26a) reducing an axial length of the peripheral wall (30) at least for a portion of a peripheral wall perimeter.
The vacuum cleaner according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a head assembly (9)—including at least the suction unit (60), the air channeling unit (25) and optionally the exhaust unit (39)—removably coupled to a main opening (10) of the container (2), and a filter (14) extending across the main opening (10) of the container (2) and interposed between the container (2) and the head assembly (9), further wherein the filter (14) includes a support structure (15) carrying a filtering membrane (16), wherein the support structure (15) presents a peripheral frame (17) coupled, optionally detachably coupled, to the head assembly (9), and a grid portion (18) fixed to the peripheral frame (17) and presenting a plurality of trough apertures (19), and wherein the filter (14) has a basket like overall conformation such that, when the head assembly (9) is coupled to the container (2), the filter (14) extends at least in part inside the collection volume and presents a concavity directed towards the head assembly (9).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.