CN119156160A

CN119156160A - Vacuum cleaning system comprising a vacuum cleaner and a docking station

Info

Publication number: CN119156160A
Application number: CN202380038235.7A
Authority: CN
Inventors: M·古加拉; G·莫里斯
Original assignee: Dyson Technology Ltd
Current assignee: Dyson Technology Ltd
Priority date: 2022-05-06
Filing date: 2023-05-03
Publication date: 2024-12-17
Also published as: GB2618413A; WO2023214166A1; KR20250006956A; GB202302856D0; EP4518729A1; GB2618413B; GB2618379B; GB2618379A

Abstract

A vacuum cleaning system includes a vacuum cleaner and a docking station, wherein the docking station includes a dirt storage chamber and an interface configured to mate with a dust bin of the vacuum cleaner such that dirt discharged from the dust bin through a bin opening is discharged into the dirt storage chamber of the docking station. The system also includes a vacuum generator configured to expel air from the dirt storage chamber when the vacuum cleaner is docked with the docking station. The system is configured to operate in a dust bin emptying mode, including operating the vacuum generator to generate a partial vacuum in the dirt storage chamber and, once a sufficient level of negative pressure has been generated, opening a door of the vacuum cleaner, and operating the air valve arrangement to allow air pulses to enter the dust bin of the vacuum cleaner, thereby discharging dirt from the dust bin through the bin opening and into the dirt storage chamber. The invention may also be expressed as, and thus include, a method of operating a vacuum cleaner system.

Description

Vacuum cleaning system comprising a vacuum cleaner and a docking station

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaning system comprising a vacuum cleaner and a docking station with which the vacuum cleaner can dock in order to empty dust from the vacuum cleaner into the docking station.

Background

Hand-held vacuum cleaners and "stick vacuum cleaners" are popular household machines because of their light weight and good maneuverability as compared to larger powered cylinders and upright cleaners. Useful portability is typically achieved at least in part by battery powered, and for convenience many such machines are now bagless, such that the collected dirt is stored in an integrated dust bin. Often hand held machines are used for frequent spot cleaning tasks, but with improvements in battery technology, the trend is for longer cleaning operations. The trend of hand-held vacuum cleaners becoming the cleaner of choice for many households means that some users may prefer a larger dust bin so that the cleaner can hold more dirt and debris between empty dust bins. Emptying the dust bin may be a messy operation, which means that the user prefers to do so as little as possible. However, a large dust bin on a handheld machine is also undesirable because it makes the machine heavier and more cumbersome.

Attempts have been made to provide a docking station for a hand-held vacuum cleaner, which empties the dust bin in a more hygienic manner. An example is shown in US11134818, which discloses a cleaning device comprising a vacuum cleaner having a dust bin configured to be docked with a docking station. The docking station includes a suction device configured to draw air and dust from the dust bin into the docking station for storage. While this cleaning device provides a convenient way for a user to empty dust from the vacuum cleaner, it requires the use of a powerful motor (over 1000W) to suck the dust from the vacuum cleaner. In addition, the motor used in the docking station is a motor other than the motor used in the vacuum cleaner. There is a need for a more efficient method and it is in this context that the examples of the invention are designed.

Disclosure of Invention

In a first aspect, the invention provides a vacuum cleaning system comprising a vacuum cleaner and a docking station, wherein the docking station comprises a dirt storage chamber and an interface configured to mate with a dust bin of the vacuum cleaner such that dirt discharged from the dust bin through a bin opening is discharged into the dirt storage chamber of the docking station. The vacuum cleaner includes a vacuum generator and is configured to exhaust air from the dirt storage chamber when docked with the docking station. The system is configured to operate in a dust bin emptying mode, including operating the vacuum generator to generate a partial vacuum in the dirt storage chamber and, once a sufficient level of negative pressure has been generated, opening a door of the vacuum cleaner, and operating the air valve arrangement to allow air pulses to enter the dust bin of the vacuum cleaner, thereby discharging dirt from the dust bin through the bin opening and into the dirt storage chamber.

The invention may also be said to consist in a method of operating a vacuum cleaner system comprising a vacuum cleaner and a docking station, wherein the docking station defines an interface configured to mate with a dust bin of the vacuum cleaner such that dust discharged from the dust bin through a bin door is discharged into a dirt storage chamber of the docking station. The vacuum cleaner includes a vacuum generator and is configured to exhaust air from a dirt storage chamber of the docking station when docked with the docking station. The method includes creating a partial vacuum in the dirt storage chamber, opening a door of a dust bin of the vacuum cleaner, and allowing pulses of air to enter the dust bin of the vacuum cleaner such that dirt stored in the dust bin is discharged into the dirt storage chamber of the docking station.

An advantage of the present invention is that it enables the use of a single vacuum generator to discharge dirt and dust from a vacuum cleaner into the dirt storage chamber of a docking station. Furthermore, the vacuum generator is part of the vacuum cleaner, not part of the docking station. This reduces the energy usage for tank emptying operations, thereby improving system efficiency. The air pulse function causes a high velocity air flow through the dust bin to ensure that the dust bin is effectively emptied and that dirt adhering to the interior surface of the vacuum cleaner is removed during the emptying process.

Preferably, the dust bin is associated with a centrifugal or cyclone separator, which involves a circulating flow of air that separates entrained dirt from the airflow. In this case, in one example, the air valve arrangement is configured to generate a swirling airflow through the dust bin. The swirling or rotating airflow increases the efficiency of cleaning dirt from the dust bin compared to airflow that is generally directed axially through the dust bin. In addition, this type of air flow again prevents dust from getting stuck in a localized area within the dust bin.

In one example of the invention, the vacuum cleaner may be configured such that the received air pulse flows directly through the dust bin and out the bin opening. Advantageously, however, the vacuum cleaner may be configured such that during the dust bin emptying mode, high speed air pulses pass through or over at least one separation system of the vacuum cleaner to clean dirt from the respective separation system. The separation system may include at least one of a surface filter and a depth filter. The surface filter may be a shroud within the dust bin cyclone. Using a pulsed air flow in this way means that the separation system of the vacuum cleaner can be cleaned more regularly than would be the case if the user cleaned the separation system of the vacuum cleaner.

The air valve arrangement may be located in at least a portion of the dust bin wall remote from the bin opening. This helps to ensure that the airflow through the dust bin is most efficient through the dust bin during bin emptying operations to remove the maximum amount of dirt and dust.

The air valve arrangement may be operated by different methods. In one approach, the air valve arrangement may be electronically controlled and, as such, may be configured to communicate with a control system of the vacuum cleaner, which commands the air valve arrangement to open and close intermittently in order to achieve the desired air pulse or pulses. The time interval for controlling the opening and closing of the air valve arrangement may be set at a predetermined time period. Alternatively, the time interval may be controlled by a control system which senses the pressure within the dirt storage chamber of the docking chamber and activates the air valve arrangement when a sufficient negative pressure is detected. However, in another example, the air valve arrangement is configured to operate by a pressure differential between the dust bin and the surrounding environment.

Although a single pulse of high velocity air through the vacuum cleaner dust bin may be sufficient to expel a substantial portion of the dust, dirt and debris, it is preferred that the air valve arrangement is configured to operate repeatedly during continued operation of the vacuum generator, thereby allowing a plurality of successive pulses of air to flow through the dust bin. This is envisaged in order to more effectively drain dirt from the dust bin, and in particular to clean the dirt separator of the vacuum cleaner more thoroughly.

The dirt storage chamber may include a first chamber portion and a second chamber portion separated by a one-way valve. Advantageously, this allows dirt to enter the second chamber portion and then be trapped in this position by the valve. This reduces the tendency for dust to blow back from the docking station, especially when the vacuum cleaner is disengaged from the docking station.

The second chamber portion of the dirt storage chamber may be removable or have a removable portion, such as a tank, tub or container, which allows dirt stored therein to be removed. One option is to provide a removable air-permeable dust bag in the second chamber portion, which operates similar to a conventional vacuum cleaner bag. Thus, when the docking station needs to be emptied, the user can simply remove the bag. Since the docking station need not be portable, the bag can be made much larger than a typical vacuum cleaner bag, thus eliminating the need for frequent emptying, thereby providing special convenience to the user.

In one example, the dirt storage chamber may include one or more airflow apertures to allow air to flow therein during the dust bin emptying mode. This provides a flow of clean air to enter the dirt storage chamber during the tank emptying cycle, thereby inhibiting blowback of dust. Conveniently, one or more airflow apertures are located in the first chamber portion.

To improve the cleaning efficiency of the airflow in the dirt storage chamber, the one or more airflow apertures are configured to create a swirling airflow around the dirt storage chamber.

The vacuum generator may draw air from the dirt storage chamber through the vacuum cleaner itself, creating a negative pressure level in the dirt storage chamber, as in normal vacuum cleaning operations. It is envisaged that the system works particularly well with vacuum cleaners having a vacuum nozzle, i.e. the suction inlet of the vacuum cleaner, which is at least partially surrounded by a door. This means that the door is engaged with the docking station and the vacuum nozzle enters the interior of the dirt storage chamber to expel air therefrom. However, other configurations are also acceptable. In this case, the interface between the vacuum cleaner and the docking station may be reconfigured so that it can be selectively mated with the second vacuum cleaner. The docking station may then be used with a different vacuum cleaner owned by the same user.

In another aspect, the invention provides a vacuum cleaning system comprising a vacuum cleaner and a docking station, wherein the docking station comprises a dirt storage chamber and an interface configured to mate with a dust bin of the vacuum cleaner such that dirt discharged from the dust bin through a bin opening is discharged into the dirt storage chamber of the docking station. The vacuum cleaner includes a vacuum generator and is configured to exhaust air from the dirt storage chamber when docked with the docking station. Thus, the system achieves tank emptying only by using the vacuum generator of the vacuum cleaner.

In another aspect, the invention relates to a vacuum cleaner comprising a dust bin, at least one separation system, and a suction generator that sucks a dirty airflow through the separation system so that dirt is collected in the dust bin. The vacuum cleaner further comprises an air valve arrangement configured to allow air pulses to enter the vacuum cleaner to pass through or past the at least one separation system and through the dust bin to assist in draining dirt from the dust bin.

Features described in connection with the first aspect of the invention are equally applicable to the second and third aspects of the invention and vice versa.

Drawings

Figure 1 is a side view of a hand-held vacuum cleaner;

Figure 2 is another side view of the hand-held vacuum cleaner of figure 1 showing internal details;

figure 3 is a view showing how the dust bin of the hand-held vacuum cleaner of figures 1 and 2 is emptied in a known manner;

Figures 4 and 5 are side views of a vacuum cleaner system comprising a handheld vacuum cleaner and a docking station, wherein in figure 4 the handheld vacuum cleaner is in an undocked position and in figure 5 the handheld vacuum cleaner is in a docked position;

Figures 6, 7 and 8 are schematic illustrations of the valve arrangement of the hand-held vacuum cleaner of figures 4 and 5, illustrating the principle of operation thereof;

figures 9 and 10 show two phases of the bin emptying mode when the hand-held vacuum cleaner is docked on the docking station, wherein figure 9 shows the operational phase of the hand-held vacuum cleaner exhausting air from the docking station, and wherein figure 10 shows the hand-held vacuum cleaner exhausting dirt from the dust bin of the vacuum cleaner into the docking station;

figure 11 is a schematic view of another example of a vacuum cleaner system including another construction of a hand-held vacuum cleaner docked on a docking station.

Detailed Description

Examples of the present invention relate to a vacuum cleaning system comprising a vacuum cleaner that can be mated, engaged, assembled or docked with a corresponding docking station. Typically, if the vacuum cleaner is battery powered, such a docking station is used as a power source for charging the vacuum cleaner. However, the docking station and vacuum cleaner of the present examples are configured to facilitate removal and storage of dirt and debris emptied from the vacuum cleaner into the docking station. The vacuum cleaner may be battery powered which is advantageous as it provides portability advantages, but this is not required.

Advantageously, the vacuum cleaning system of the present example provides vacuum assisted tank emptying functionality without the need for an additional vacuum generator in the docking station. This results in lower overall system cost and higher energy efficiency.

Fig. 1-3 illustrate various views of a battery powered or wireless handheld vacuum cleaner 2 that may be used in the system of the present invention, thereby providing the reader with a useful background.

Referring first to figures 1 and 2, a hand-held vacuum cleaner 2 comprises a main body 4 having an elongate handle 6, a cyclonic separating unit 8 having a longitudinal axis X, and a cleaning tool 10 in the form of a nozzle, the cleaning tool 10 being secured to the cyclonic separating unit 8. The cleaning tool 10 is detachable from the hand-held vacuum cleaner, which means that it can be used for different cleaning tasks. In fig. 1, the cleaning tool 10 is in the form of a crevice tool. However, in other examples, the cleaning tool 10 may be in the form of an elongate tube or "wand" having a floor tool attached to an end remote from the vacuum cleaner 2. Thus, the cleaning tool 10 in this configuration allows the vacuum cleaner to be used as a stick vacuum cleaner. The particular form of the cleaning tool 10 used with the vacuum cleaner 2 is not critical to the concepts of the present invention, but is shown in these figures for the sake of context and integrity.

The cyclonic separating unit 8 extends away from the handle 6 such that the cleaning tool 10 is located at the end of the cyclonic separating unit 8 furthest from the handle 6. The cleaning tool 10 extends away from the cyclonic separating unit 8 along the longitudinal axis X of the cyclonic separating unit 8.

The body 4 further comprises a suction generator 11 and a battery 14, the suction generator 11 comprising a motor 12 and an impeller 13 located above the handle 6 and towards the rear of the handle 6, the battery 14 being located just below the handle 6. An actuator in the form of a finger-operated trigger 16 is provided at the upper part of the handle 6. A trigger guard 17 extends forwardly from the handle below the trigger 16. The handle 6 is arranged at an angle θ1 relative to the longitudinal axis X of the cyclonic separating unit 8 such that the handle 6 is in a grip handle configuration. In the embodiment shown, the handle axis H is arranged at 110 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis X of the cyclonic separating unit 8. The angle is the angle between the longitudinal axis X extending in front of the handle 6 and the portion of the handle axis H extending through the handle 6.

The cyclonic separating unit 8 comprises a primary cyclone 18 and a plurality of secondary cyclones 20 located downstream of the primary cyclone 18. The primary cyclone 18 is adjacent a first end of the cyclonic separating unit 8 and the secondary cyclone 20 is adjacent a second end of the cyclonic separating unit 8 opposite the first end. The secondary cyclones 20 are arranged in a circular array extending about the longitudinal axis X of the cyclonic separating unit 8.

The primary cyclone 18 comprises a separator body 22 in the form of a box having a cylindrical outer wall 24 and an end wall 26. The cylindrical outer wall 24 defines a cyclonic separating chamber 28. In the embodiment shown, the axis of the cyclonic separating chamber 28 defines the longitudinal axis X of the cyclonic separating unit 8. A central conduit 30 extends from the end wall 26 to an inlet 32 of the cyclonic separating chamber 28.

The cleaning tool 10 includes a connector portion 33 and a nozzle portion 34 that define a conduit 36 along the cleaning tool 10. The outer diameter of the connector portion 33 is smaller than the inner diameter of the portion of the central conduit 30 adjacent the end wall 26 so that the connector portion 33 can be inserted into the central conduit 30 (as shown) to ensure a rigid connection between the cleaning tool 10 and the cyclonic separating unit 8. However, such a configuration is not required, and the connector portion 33 may be otherwise configured to mate the cleaning tool 10 to a vacuum cleaner.

The cleaning tool 10 is provided with a retaining feature (not shown) that engages the central conduit 30 to secure the cleaning tool 10 to the central conduit 30. The cleaning tool 10 further includes an annular collar 43, the annular collar 43 abutting the end wall 26, thereby maintaining the end wall 26 in a closed position and thus preventing the end wall 26 from accidentally opening when the cleaning tool 10 is attached. The cleaning tool 10 has a manually operated catch 44, the catch 44 being actuated to disengage the retaining feature from the central conduit 24, thereby removing the tool 10 from the cyclonic separating unit 8. Also, it should be noted that these mechanical details are merely exemplary, and thus, the cleaning tool 10 may take other forms, and the cleaning tool 10 may be otherwise attached to the vacuum cleaner body 4.

The central conduit 30 and the conduit 36 through the cleaning tool 10 together define an inlet conduit 30, 36, the inlet conduit 30, 36 extending coaxially with the longitudinal axis X and through the end of the cyclonic separating unit 8 furthest from the handle 6. I.e. through the end wall 26 of the separation unit. As shown here, the end wall 26 is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis X of the machine.

The inlet 32 of the cyclonic separating chamber 28 is spaced from the end wall 26 and is located towards the end of the primary cyclone 18 opposite the end of the cyclonic separating unit 8 to which the cleaning tool 10 is attached. Thus, the cyclonic separating chamber 28 extends around a portion of the inlet duct 26, 30 formed by the central duct 30. The first portion of the central duct 30 leading from the end wall 26 extends along the axis X of the cyclonic separating chamber 28. The second portion of the central conduit 30 extends from the first portion to an inlet 32 of the cyclonic separating chamber 28. The second portion extends in a direction having radial and circumferential components relative to the cyclonic separating chamber 28 so as to facilitate rotational flow within the cyclonic separating chamber 28 during use.

The end wall 26 and the portion of the cylindrical outer wall 24 adjacent the end wall 26 define a dust collector 38, the dust collector 38 being in the form of a dirt collection bin or more simply a "dust bin" in which dirt separated from the incoming flow by the primary cyclone 18 is collected.

The end wall 26 is connected to the cylindrical outer wall 24 by a pivot 40 and is held in a closed position by a user operable catch 42. The end wall 26 is movable from a closed position, in which dirt is retained within the dirt container 38, to an open position, in which dirt can be removed from the dirt container 38 by releasing the catch 42 and pivoting the end of the end wall 26 away from the cylindrical outer wall 24. Thus, the end wall 26 may be considered a door or dust bin 38 that closes the bin opening 27 of the dust bin 38.

A cylindrical shroud 45 is centrally located within the cyclonic separating chamber 28 and extends coaxially with the axis of the chamber 28. Apertures 46 provided through the shroud 45 define fluid outlets of the cyclonic separating chamber 28.

A conduit 48 formed in part by the shroud 45 provides fluid communication between the outlet of the cyclonic separating chamber formed by the apertures 46 and the inlet 49 of the secondary cyclonic separator 20. Each secondary cyclone 20 has a solids outlet 50 at one end which communicates with a fine dust collector 51 extending along the side of the primary cyclone 18. The fluid outlet 52 at the end of each secondary cyclone 20 is opposite the solids outlet 50.

The cyclonic separating unit 8, the suction generator 11 and the battery 14 are intended to be the heaviest components of the vacuum cleaner 2. The center of gravity of the decoupler 8 is forward of the trigger guard 17, thus creating a clockwise moment about the trigger 16 and trigger guard 17 (as viewed in figures 1 and 2). The center of gravity of the battery 14 is behind the trigger guard 17. Thus, the battery 14 applies a counterclockwise moment to the trigger 16 and the trigger guard 17. The suction generator 11 also has a center of gravity located behind the trigger guard 17. The cyclonic separating unit 8, the suction generator 11 and the battery 14 are positioned such that the net moment of all components of the vacuum cleaner 2 about an axis extending perpendicularly relative to the longitudinal axis X of the handle 6 and the cyclonic separating unit 8, which axis passes through the region directly below the trigger guard 17, is zero. Thus, the centre of gravity of the vacuum cleaner 2 is located in the area below the trigger guard 17, so that when the trigger 16 is released by the user, the hand-held vacuum cleaner 2 remains balanced around a point below the trigger guard 17, so that the rest of the user's fingers can be easily supported on the handle 6, and the upper finger rests against the trigger guard 17 without tilting forward or backward. In addition, the vacuum cleaner 2 may be supported on the battery 14, the battery 14 forming a base of the vacuum cleaner 2 without tipping over. While these aspects provide ergonomic benefits to the user, it should be noted that they are merely exemplary and that the vacuum cleaner may be configured in other ways.

In use, the hand-held vacuum cleaner 2 is activated by a user pressing the trigger 16 with the index finger. Dirty air is drawn into the cyclonic separating chamber 28 by the suction generator 11 through the inlet ducts 30, 36 and through the inlet 32. The rotational flow facilitated by the second portion of the central conduit 30 within the cyclonic separating chamber 28 creates a cyclonic action which separates relatively heavy or large contaminants from the air. Cyclone vacuum cleaners having a dual cyclone system or a plurality of cyclone systems are well known in the art. Accordingly, this discussion is provided for the context and shows one type of vacuum cleaner suitable for use in the examples of the present invention.

Typically, the vacuum cleaner 2 is held such that the cyclonic separating unit 8 is directed downwardly from the handle 6. Thus, dirt separated in the cyclone chamber 28 falls into the dust collector 38 under the influence of gravity. The partially cleaned air passes through apertures 46 in the shroud 45 and is drawn into the secondary cyclone 20 along a duct 48. Smaller and lighter dirt particles are separated from the air by the secondary cyclones 20 and discharged through respective solids outlets into a fine dust collector 51. Clean air exits the secondary cyclones 20 via the respective fluid outlets 52 of the secondary cyclones 20 through the suction generator 11 and exits a vent (not shown) in the rear of the main body 4.

Figure 3 shows a vacuum cleaner 2 emptied in a known manner. To empty the dust collector 38 and the fine dust collector 51, the user first separates the cleaning tool 10. The user then directs the vacuum cleaner 2 to a suitable container (e.g. a dustbin or a garbage bag) into which dirt is to be poured while holding the handle 6. The user then releases the catch 42 and the end wall 26 pivots from its closed position to its open position. Because the cyclonic separating unit 8 is pointed away from the user, the user does not need to adopt a different grip or posture than during normal cleaning. Here, it should be appreciated that the catch 42 is positioned near the end of the case. However, in other configurations, the catch 42 may be operated from a remote location by using a suitable linkage operated by an activation switch (not shown in this example).

In an alternative arrangement, the inlet duct may be spaced from the axis of the cyclonic separating unit 8. However, the cyclonic separating unit may be arranged to extend partially around a portion of the inlet duct, or to extend completely around a portion of the inlet duct. For example, the inlet duct may be recessed into the side of the cyclonic separating unit such that the duct extends within the profile of the cyclonic separating unit when viewed along the axis of the cyclonic separating unit.

When emptying the vacuum cleaner 2, it will be appreciated that dirt and dust is discharged from the dust container by gravity. It is also known to include a mechanical agitator, such as a piston, to push dirt out of the dust collector. However, in the emptying operation, fine dust tends to float upward, which is undesirable to the user. Examples of the present invention aim to address this problem.

Turning now to fig. 4 and 5, a schematic view of a handheld vacuum cleaner 2 is shown, the handheld vacuum cleaner 2 being dockable with a docking station 60, thereby defining a vacuum cleaning system 62. The vacuum cleaner 2 shown in figures 4 and 5 is similar in construction to the vacuum cleaner shown in figures 1 to 3. Thus, the same reference numerals will be used to refer to the same or like parts.

In fig. 4, the hand-held vacuum cleaner 2 is spaced apart from the docking station 60, while in fig. 5, the vacuum cleaner 2 is docked on the docking station 60. As will become apparent from the discussion below, the vacuum cleaner 2 is operable in a canister emptying mode of operation in which dirt contained in the dirt container 38 is drawn into the docking station 60 due to the vacuum created therein by the vacuum cleaner 2.

Reference will first be made to the docking station 60. In this example, the docking station 60 has a generally cylindrical body 64 and a height that is greater than a width. More specifically, its vertical height (as oriented in the figure) is about three times its width (i.e., its diameter). It should be noted that the geometry shown herein is merely exemplary, and thus, the docking station 60 need not be cylindrical and may be a different shape.

The body 64 of the docking station 60 is defined by a thin wall 66 having a bottom end 68 and a top end 70. The bottom end 68 rests on a floor (not shown) and is stabilized by a flared stand 72 or foot. The feet 72 may be removable from the docking station 60 and are optional.

The top end 70 of the docking station 60 provides an interface 74, the interface 74 being configured to engage with the vacuum cleaner 2. In principle, the interface 74 may be configured in various ways, but it should provide the function that the central conduit 33 of the vacuum cleaner 2 is able to communicate with the interior of the docking station 60 and that the pivotable end wall 26 of the dust collector 28 is able to open into the interior of the docking station 60, thereby exposing its contents.

In the example shown, the interface 74 is configured as an annular closure on the top end 70 of the docking station 60. The interface 74 may be secured to the body 64 of the docking station 60 so as to be removable and/or pivotable relative to the body 64. Alternatively, the interface 74 may be fixed, such as an integral part of the docking station 60, such that it cannot be removed, although this is currently considered not preferred. The removable interface 74 may allow for replacement of a differently configured interface that is suitable for use with a differently configured vacuum cleaner, as will become apparent later.

The annular shape of the interface 74 defines a central opening 80 of a size comparable to the size of the separator body 22 of the vacuum cleaner 2. Thus, the central opening 80 receives the separator body 22 of the vacuum cleaner 2. Preferably, the central opening 80 has a suitable sealing arrangement (not shown), such as a rubber lip seal, sealing against the outer surface of the separator body 22, although this is considered optional.

Turning now to the interior of the docking station 60, in fig. 4 and 5, it will be appreciated that in this example, the docking station 60 has a partitioned interior volume. In particular, the docking station 60 is configured to define a dirt storage chamber 82 and an intermediate or front chamber 84. The two chambers 82, 84 are surrounded by an interior volume 85, the interior volume 85 being defined by the outer wall 66 of the docking station 60. The intermediate chamber 84 provides a volume of space from the interface 74 of the docking station 60 to the dirt storage chamber 82. The intermediate chamber 84 has a chamber wall 86, the chamber wall 86 being shaped in the form of a conical chute and thus having a larger upper portion 87, the upper portion 87 resulting in a narrower throat 88. In the illustrated example, the vertical height of the throat 88 is less than the vertical height of the upper portion 86. However, in other examples, the length of the throat 88 may be longer than this, which may provide benefits in preventing backflow of dirt from the dirt storage chamber 82.

The lower end of the throat 88 terminates in the dirt storage chamber 82. In this example, the dirt storage chamber 82 may depend or hang from the intermediate chamber 84, and more particularly from the throat 88. Accordingly, the dirt storage chamber 82 may be removably clamped or otherwise attached to the intermediate chamber 84. Valve 89 separates intermediate chamber 84 (and more specifically throat 88 thereof) from dirt storage chamber 82. In this example, the valve 89 is a one-way valve or "check valve" configured to allow dirt from the intermediate chamber 84 to enter the dirt storage chamber 82 under the influence of a vacuum, as will be explained below. Once the pressure has normalized, the valve 89 closes to prevent dirt or dust from returning from the dirt storage chamber 82 to the throat 88.

The dirt storage chamber 82 is shown here as being generally elliptical in cross-section. However, this is for convenience only, and thus the form of the dirt storage chamber 82 may be rigid or flexible. For example, it is contemplated that the dirt storage chamber 82 may be defined by a porous bag. The porous bag may be a woven or nonwoven fabric, as may be used in conventional bag vacuum cleaners known in the art. Due to the porosity of the dirt storage chamber 82, dirt and debris may be drawn therein due to the vacuum in the interior volume 85, and dirt and debris is trapped inside as air may pass through the pores of the walls of the dirt storage chamber 82. Instead of a porous bag, it is contemplated that the dirt storage chamber 82 may have a more rigid structure, such as may be achieved by a porous fabric stretched over a skeletal frame or a porous fabric treated to have some rigidity. In either case, it is contemplated that the dirt storage chamber 82 may be removable from the docking station. In this way, the dirt storage chamber 82 may be emptied, for example in an external trash can, or may be replaced with an empty dirt storage chamber 82. Although not shown, a suitable door may be provided in the wall 66 of the docking station 60 so that the dirt storage chamber 82 may be removed and replaced.

The upper portion 86 of the intermediate chamber 84 is provided with a set of holes 90 that allow air to enter the intermediate chamber 84 from the interior volume 85 of the docking station 60. This assists in creating a vacuum within the docking station 60 by the vacuum cleaner 2, as will be described.

The aperture 90 may be valved to allow air to flow in only one direction, from the interior volume 85 of the docking station 60 to the interior of the intermediate chamber 84. In the illustrated example, the holes 90 may be configured to impart a vortex to the air flow as it passes through the holes 90 into the intermediate chamber 84. For example, the valve of the aperture 90 may be in the form of a slit valve of a flap valve.

As can be seen in the illustrated example, the intermediate chamber 84 is sized such that it allows the dust bin door 26 to pivot fully outwardly and to sag vertically within the intermediate chamber 84 in the direction of the drawing.

As described above, the vacuum cleaning system 62 is configured such that the vacuum cleaner 2 is operable when docked on the docking station 60 to create a vacuum within the intermediate chamber 84 and the dirt storage chamber 82 that is capable of drawing dirt and debris from the dust bin 38 of the vacuum cleaner 2. This function is implemented in the tank emptying mode of operation. Such a mode may be a manual operation performed by a user, or may be an automatic operation without substantial user intervention. In broad terms, during the tank emptying mode of operation, the vacuum cleaner 2 generates a partial vacuum in the dirt storage chamber 82 of the docking station 60, as compared to the ambient pressure level. For this purpose, air within the dirt storage chamber 82 is drawn into the intermediate chamber 84 through the internal volume 85 and through the aperture 90, and air is drawn from the intermediate chamber 84 into the vacuum cleaner 2. During air venting, the door 26 may be in an open position, but is preferably closed. The opening of the door 26 may be accomplished by a suitable door opening mechanism 92. In fig. 4 and 5, the tank opening mechanism is shown as an actuating member 94 slidably attached to the separator body 22. The actuating member 92 includes a push rod 96 that engages a portion of the door 26. Sliding movement of the actuating member 94 drives the push rod 96 downward, as shown, which unlocks the door 26 so that it can drop open under the influence of gravity and due to a pressure differential across the door 26. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the bin opening function may be implemented in other ways. For example, an electronic system may be provided in which the servo actuator is operable to open the door 26 in response to a user's button press, or a pneumatic device may be provided that uses the low pressure in the container to generate sufficient force to unlock the bin catch 42.

Once a sufficient level of negative pressure is created, the air valve arrangement 100 of the vacuum cleaner 2 is operated to allow air pulses to enter the dust bin 38, which has the effect of exhausting dirt from the dust bin 38 through the bin opening 27 and into the intermediate chamber 84. Dirt passes downwardly through the throat 88 into the dirt storage chamber 82 where it is captured by the porous walls. The airflow path within the vacuum cleaner 2 may be configured to ensure that the air pulses create a high velocity airflow through the machine that effectively expels dirt from the dust bin 38.

Although the air valve arrangement 100 is generally shown in fig. 4 and 5, it is shown in more detail in fig. 6, 7 and 8.

In a broad sense, the purpose of the air valve arrangement 100 is to allow a controlled jet or pulse of air to flow into and through the dust bin 38 and out the bin opening 27. As shown in fig. 6 to 8, the air valve arrangement 100 comprises one or more apertures 102, the apertures 102 being defined in an upper portion of the separator body 22, adjacent the secondary cyclone 20 (not shown in fig. 6, 7).

Here, the apertures 102 are shown extending in a circumferential array around the separator body 22. Other arrangements are acceptable, but the array as shown provides even distribution of air into the dust bin 38 about the axis X of the separator body 22.

The open state of one or more apertures 102 is controlled by valve member 104. The valve member 104 is movable between an open and a closed position. In the closed position, the valve member 104 covers the apertures 102 such that air cannot flow through them. In the open position, the valve member 104 opens the apertures 102 to allow air to flow through them. Fig. 6 shows the valve member 104 in a closed position, while fig. 7 shows the valve member 104 in an open position.

In the illustrated embodiment, the valve member 104 is configured as a collar or sleeve extending around the exterior of the separator body 22. As shown, the valve member 104 covers the aperture 102 in the closed position and is movable downward (in the direction shown in the figures) a distance sufficient to expose the aperture 102 so that air can flow through the aperture. The valve member 104 may be biased to the closed position, such as by a suitably configured biasing spring (not shown).

As shown in fig. 8, the apertures 102 may be configured to impart a rotational trajectory or swirl to the air flow entering the separator body 22. To this end, the apertures 102 may be defined by a series of vanes or grids 106 extending through the wall of the separator body 22, thereby defining apertures 104 in the spaces between the vanes 106. The blades 106 extend in a direction that is angled with respect to the radial direction of the central axis X. Here, the blades 106 are shown at an angle of approximately 45 degrees, although it should be understood that this is merely exemplary.

The movement of the valve member 104 may be manually controlled by a user of the vacuum cleaner 2. Alternatively, they may be controlled by a suitable control system. The following discussion will focus on manual control of the valve member 104.

Having described the features of the docking station 60 and the vacuum cleaner 2, a discussion will now focus on how to operate the vacuum cleaner 2 to perform a canister purge operation, focusing on figures 9 and 10.

In figure 9, the vacuum cleaner 2 is shown docked on the interface 74 of the docking station 60. The vacuum cleaner 2 is running, i.e. the vacuum cleaner has been turned on by the operator/user, so that the suction generator 11 draws air along the inlet duct 30 of the vacuum cleaner 2, the inlet duct 30 draws air from the intermediate chamber 84 and from the internal volume 85 of the docking station 60, and the docking station 60 draws air out of the dirt storage chamber 82. It can be seen that air flows from the interior volume 85 through the aperture 90 in the intermediate chamber 84, which aperture 90 imparts a swirling motion to the air flow as it circulates around the intermediate chamber 84 and into the inlet duct 30 of the vacuum cleaner 2.

When sufficient negative pressure is generated within the docking station 60, the dust box door 26 of the vacuum cleaner opens. This may be accomplished by a user activating the bin opening mechanism 92. It is presently contemplated that the bin emptying operation may be accomplished with the dust bin door 26 open while the air in the docking station is being evacuated. However, it is believed that with the door closed, the best results will be obtained until a sufficient vacuum is created in the docking station 60.

The vacuum level that is considered to be effective will depend on the power of the suction generator 11 and the volume or air within the docking station 60. However, it is envisaged that a sufficient vacuum level will be reached between 0.5 and 2 seconds. This may be accomplished, for example, by pumping about 20 liters of vacuum generator per second to reduce the ambient pressure within the docking station from about 100kPa to about 75kPa. This means that the pressure drop is between 20 and 30kPa, more preferably between 23 and 28 kPa. While these pressure drop values are believed to provide good results, it is still possible to achieve good function with a slightly lower pressure drop.

In fig. 10, the door 26 of the vacuum cleaner 2 has been opened. Thus, the interior of the dust bin 38 is exposed to the vacuum present in the docking station 60, and more specifically the vacuum present in the intermediate chamber 84. Further, in this example, it will be noted that the vacuum generator 11 has been turned off by the user/operator. At this point, the air valve arrangement 100 is open, as can be seen by the valve member 104 being shown in a lower or open position. This means that ambient air is drawn forcefully into the dust bin 38 through the aperture 102, causing a pulse of air to flow into the dust bin 38 to expel the contents of the dust bin 38 into the docking station 60, as shown in fig. 10.

Air flow from the dust bin 38 into the docking station 60 flows through the intermediate chamber 84 and opens the valve 89 into the dirt storage chamber 82. Accordingly, dirt and debris discharged from the dust bin 38 of the vacuum cleaner 2 is captured by the dirt storage chamber 82. Although the valve 89 is optional, its presence in this example of the invention ensures that dirt and debris is trapped within the dirt storage chamber 82 and does not return towards the vacuum cleaner 2.

In this regard, it should be noted that the open area or aperture 102 should be configured to provide a high velocity air flow into the dust bin 38. The negative pressure present in the docking station should also be taken into account when configuring the open area of the aperture 102. It is believed that an open area between 3500mm ² and 4500mm ² will provide a suitable airflow, more preferably about 4000mm ². To ensure that the high velocity airflow maintains a flow rate through the dust bin, one consideration is to ensure that the open area of the aperture 102 is no greater than the minimum cross-sectional area of the internal volume of the dust bin 38 when taken in a plane perpendicular to the axis X of the separator body 22. If the cross-sectional area of the dust bin 28 is greater than the opening area of the aperture 102, this will cause the air flow to slow as it passes through the dust bin 38, which will reduce the efficiency of the air flow to remove dirt and debris from the dust bin 38. Accordingly, it is preferable to configure the opening area of the hole 102 to be not less than 0.5 times the cross-sectional area of the dust box 38

Due to the high pressure differential between the dust bin 38 and the interior of the docking station, and the large enough bleed area through the aperture 102 of the air valve arrangement, the air pulse entering the docking station has a very high flow rate, but only for a short time. For example, it is believed that the above parameters enable peak flows of about 200L/s with pulse durations below 0.1 s. This results in peak flow rates above 200 m/s. This has the effect of reducing the flow rate through the dust bin 38 if the flow area of the aperture 102 is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the dust bin 38. However, even though the cross-sectional area of the dust box is approximately twice the flow area of the holes 102, a flow rate of more than 100m/s can be achieved.

It should be noted that fig. 9 and 10 show only a single "pulse" of air by first operating the suction generator 11 to establish a negative pressure within the dust bin 38 (as shown in fig. 9), then closing the suction generator 11 and opening the door 26 and air valve arrangement 100 (as shown in fig. 10) to create a high velocity air flow through the dust bin 38. However, to provide a more efficient and complete tank emptying operation, the operation may be performed more than once. It should be appreciated that operation of the air valve arrangement 100 may be repeated when the door 26 is in the open position, and that the door 26 need not be closed between actuations of the air valve arrangement 100. Furthermore, while it is envisaged that the vacuum generator 11 should be cycled on when the air valve arrangement 1000 is closed and cycled off when the air valve arrangement is open, it is believed that this is not important for acceptable performance of the tank purge. Thus, acceptable functionality can be achieved by opening and closing the air valve arrangement 100 while the vacuum generator 11 is in operation.

In the above example, the suction generator 11 and the air valve arrangement 100 are envisaged to be manually controlled by a user in order to achieve a tank emptying operation. However, the vacuum cleaner may be configured to automatically perform the tank emptying operation under the control of the control system. For example, a suitable user operable button or trigger may be provided on the vacuum cleaner 2 which the user may press in order to actuate the canister emptying operation. Accordingly, the control system of the vacuum cleaner 2 may be configured to electronically control the operation of the door 26, the air valve arrangement 100 and the suction generator 11 in the appropriate sequence to generate the desired high speed air pulse or pulses through the dust bin 38.

In another example, it is contemplated that the valve arrangement 100 may be responsive to pressure within the dust bin 38. For example, once a negative pressure has been established in the dust bin 39 and the door 26 has been opened, the valve arrangement 100 may be configured to open when exposed to a pressure differential between ambient pressure outside the vacuum cleaner and the negative pressure inside the dust bin 38. Such a pneumatic drive system would increase the energy efficiency of the system as it does not require any electrical energy to drive.

The above discussion has explained some variations and modifications to the illustrated examples that may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims. Other variations will now be described.

In the above example, the air valve arrangement 100 is embodied as an envelope or collar-shaped valve member 104 surrounding the separator body 22 to selectively open and close the aperture 102. However, it should be understood that this particular configuration is merely an example, and that the air valve arrangement may be implemented in different ways. Essentially, the function of the air valve arrangement 100 is to allow a controlled flow of air into the dust bin 38 to flush away debris. Any configuration that allows this functionality is acceptable. For example, it is contemplated that a reverse airflow may be allowed through the cyclone system, exiting the cylindrical shroud 45 (see FIG. 2) into the dust bin 38. This has the advantage that the reverse airflow will assist in removing agglomerated dust that may partially clog the apertures of the shroud 45. Thus, it will be appreciated that the airflow through the dust bin 38, whether flowing directly into the dust bin 38 through the apertures 90 or through the cyclone separator and shroud 45 (which is a surface filter), can be considered to perform a cleaning action on at least one of the separation systems of the vacuum cleaner 2. The reverse airflow through the machine may also be configured to flow through one or more fibrous filters of the vacuum cleaner 2, such as through a HEPA filter or depth filter of the vacuum cleaner.

Fig. 11 shows another example of a vacuum cleaning system 62 according to the present invention, including an alternative configuration of a docking station 60 and a vacuum cleaner 110. In fig. 11, the docking station 60 is substantially the same as that described in the above example, so only the differences are described herein for the sake of brevity.

Turning to the vacuum cleaner 110, it should be appreciated that the vacuum cleaner is a cyclone or "bagless" vacuum cleaner, as has been described in the previous examples. Thus, the vacuum cleaner 110 of this example has a main body 112, the main body 112 including a suction generator 114 and a handle 116. The handle depends downwardly from the body 112. The cyclonic separator 118 is detachably attached to the main body 112. The cyclonic separator 118 has an inlet duct 120, the inlet duct 120 extending therefrom, and dirt and debris is drawn into the vacuum cleaner 110 through the inlet duct 120. The cyclone 118 is oriented along an axis Y about which a circulating airflow is established during operation, as is well known in the art. Notably, the separator axis Y is transverse to the axis Z defined by the elongated inlet conduit 118 and, in this example, is vertical. This is in contrast to the vacuum cleaner 2 described in the above example in which the axis of the inlet duct is aligned with the axis of the cyclonic separator.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the vacuum cleaner 110 shown in fig. 11 is of the same general construction as Dyson Technology Ltd commercially available vacuum cleaners, for example, referred to as "DC16", "DC30", "V6" and "V8".

The docking station 60 has an interface 122 configured to dock with the vacuum cleaner 110. The interface 122 in this example performs the same function as the interface 74 in the previous example of the invention, but is configured to adapt a differently configured vacuum cleaner 110 to the docking station 60.

As shown, the interface 122 includes a receptacle 124, the receptacle 124 being sized to receive the lower end of the cyclonic separator 118 and to allow its door 126 to be opened into the docking station 60. Because the inlet duct 120 is oriented transverse to the axis Y of the cyclonic separator 118, the interface 122 further includes an inlet duct connector 128. An inlet conduit connector 128 extends from the top of the interface 122 and is coupled to the front end of the inlet conduit 120 of the vacuum cleaner 110. Thus, when the suction generator 114 is in operation, air is drawn from the docking station 60 through the interface 122 and the inlet conduit connector 128, through the inlet conduit 120 and into the cyclone 118. This enables the tank emptying operation to be performed in the same manner as described above.

In the above example, the suction generator as part of the vacuum cleaner achieves an advantage such that only one electric motor is required to drive the vacuum cleaner, and the drive tank is emptied. However, it is contemplated that in other examples, a separate suction generator may be positioned in the docking station to drive the bin emptying operation. In addition to the suction generator within the vacuum cleaner itself, a separate suction generator is also possible. Thus, in such an example, the suction generator in the docking station may operate in the same manner as the suction generator in the example described above, while the valve arrangement in the vacuum cleaner operates to generate a pulsed airflow through the vacuum cleaner to assist in emptying the tank.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaning system comprising a vacuum cleaner and a docking station, wherein the docking station comprises a dirt storage chamber and an interface configured to mate with a dust bin of the vacuum cleaner such that dirt discharged from the dust bin through a bin opening is discharged into the dirt storage chamber of the docking station,

Wherein the vacuum cleaning system further comprises a suction generator configured to exhaust air from the dirt storage chamber when the vacuum cleaner is docked with the docking station, wherein the system is configured to operate in a dust bin emptying mode, the operations comprising:

Operating the suction generator to create a partial vacuum in the dirt storage chamber,

Once the level of negative pressure has been created, the dust bin door of the vacuum cleaner is opened and the air valve arrangement is operated to allow air pulses to enter the dust bin of the vacuum cleaner, thereby expelling dirt from the dust bin through the bin opening and into the dirt storage chamber.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the air valve arrangement is configured to generate a swirling airflow through the dust bin.

3. The system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the vacuum cleaner is configured such that during the dust bin emptying mode, the allowed air flow pulses pass through or over at least one separation system of the vacuum cleaner to clear dirt from the respective separation system.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the one or more separation systems comprise at least one of a surface filter and a depth filter.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the surface filter comprises a shroud filter located in the dust bin.

6. The system of any of the preceding claims, wherein the air valve arrangement is located in at least a portion of a dust bin wall remote from the dust bin opening.

7. The system of any of the preceding claims, wherein the air valve arrangement has a total area configured to be no greater than a minimum cross-sectional area of the dust bin.

8. The system of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the air valve arrangement is configured to operate by a pressure differential between the dust bin and the surrounding environment.

9. The system of any of the preceding claims, wherein the air valve arrangement is configured to operate repeatedly during continued operation of the suction generator, thereby allowing a plurality of consecutive air pulses to flow through the dust bin.

10. The system of any of the preceding claims, further comprising an intermediate chamber upstream of the dirt storage chamber.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the intermediate chamber and the dirt storage chamber are separated by a one-way valve to allow dirt from the intermediate chamber into the dirt storage chamber.

12. The system of claim 10 or 11, wherein the intermediate chamber includes one or more airflow apertures to allow air to flow into the intermediate chamber during the dust bin purge mode.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more airflow apertures are configured to generate a swirling airflow around the intermediate chamber.

14. The system of any of the preceding claims, wherein the dirt storage chamber comprises a porous dirt bag.

15. A system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the suction generator draws air from the dirt storage chamber through the vacuum cleaner, thereby creating a negative pressure level in the dirt storage chamber.

16. The system of any of the preceding claims, wherein the vacuum cleaner comprises an inlet nozzle at least partially surrounded by a door.

17. The system of any of the preceding claims, wherein the docking station comprises two or more interfaces, each interface configured to mate a different type of vacuum cleaner with the docking station.

18. The system of any of the preceding claims, wherein the suction generator forms part of the vacuum cleaner.

19. A method of operating a vacuum cleaner system comprising a vacuum cleaner and a docking station, wherein the docking station defines an interface configured to mate with a dust bin of the vacuum cleaner such that dirt discharged from the dust bin through a bin door is discharged to a dirt storage chamber of the docking station, wherein the system further comprises a suction generator configured to discharge air from the dirt storage chamber,

Wherein the method comprises:

Creating a partial vacuum in the dirt storage chamber;

Opening a door of a dust box of the vacuum cleaner and allowing air pulses to enter the dust box of the vacuum cleaner so that dirt stored in the dust box is discharged into a dirt storage chamber of the docking station.