DE102020122628A1 - vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a vacuum cleaner with a drive assembly container (10) and a separator container (1) having a carrying handle (2), the drive assembly container (10) and the separator container (1) being detachably connected and the carrying handle (2) being attached to the separator container (1 ) is arranged such that it can be rotated in such a way that when the carrying handle (2) is lifted in rotation, the separator container (1) is released from the drive unit container (10) and can be removed upwards, relative to a direction of travel of the vacuum cleaner.

Description

The invention relates to a vacuum cleaner. In particular, the invention relates to a vacuum cleaner having a power unit container and a separator container which is detachably connected to the power unit container and has a carrying handle for being removed and carried by the power unit container.

In the EP 2 459 044 B1 describes such a vacuum cleaner, wherein the separator container is arranged perpendicularly to a direction of travel of the vacuum cleaner and can be removed and inserted vertically. The separator tank can be removed from the drive unit tank by means of the carrying handle. However, a direct removal of the separator container is blocked by another carrying handle, which is arranged on the drive unit container. This must first be folded away so that the carrying handle of the separator tank can be raised. Only then can the separator tank be removed from the drive unit tank. A device-safe pulling out of the separator container is also not sufficiently given.

The invention therefore faces the problem of providing a vacuum cleaner that provides a secure and intuitive self-positioning of the separator container with the drive unit container and a user that can easily and comfortably detach and release the separator container, without affecting the stability of the vacuum cleaner.

According to the invention, this problem is solved by a vacuum cleaner having the features of patent claim 1 . Advantageous refinements and developments of the invention result from the following dependent claims.

The advantages that can be achieved with the invention consist, in addition to a very simple, self-explanatory removal of the separator container from the drive unit container, in its intuitive, self-locating positioning in and/or on the drive unit container. An ergonomic and user-friendly solution for removing and inserting the separator container in and/or on the drive unit container is provided.

The invention relates to a vacuum cleaner with a drive assembly container and a separator container with a carrying handle, the drive assembly container and the separator container being detachably connected and the carrying handle on the separator container being arranged such that it can rotate so that when the carrying handle is lifted in rotation, the separator container is released from the drive assembly container and is removable upwards, based on a direction of travel of the vacuum cleaner.

As a result of this construction, the separator container can be separated from and removed from the drive unit container by actuating the carrying handle in an end position in which the separator container is connected to the drive unit container in the ready-to-operate position. This does not affect the stability of the vacuum cleaner and the power pack container.

The easily recognizable and directly accessible carrying handle is preferably designed in such a way that it enables one-hand operation both for inserting and for removing the separator container from the drive unit container. Position and direction information relate to a direction of travel of the vacuum cleaner.

The drive assembly container preferably has a container unit, in which a drive assembly is accommodated, and a receiving unit, in and/or to which the separator container can be detachably connected.

In a preferred embodiment, the drive unit container has guide tracks along which the separator container is guided when the carrying handle is lifted in rotation. By lifting the carrying handle in rotation, the separator container slides up on the guideways and can be easily removed while being guided by the guideways. This ensures that the vacuum cleaner remains stable when the separator container is removed.

The drive unit container preferably has lateral fixing elements which are designed to fix the carrying handle in the end position and from which the carrying handle detaches when it is lifted in rotation. Due to the rotational lifting of the carrying handle, the separator container is pushed upwards on the guideways and the carrying handle is preferably unlocked from the fixing elements of the drive unit container attached to the sides. The fixing elements are preferably designed as latches, more preferably as snap hooks. In the end position, in which the separator container is connected to the drive unit container in the ready-to-operate position, the separator container and the drive unit container are locked in place in such a way that the required tightness of the air flow guide is provided.

All mechanically movable fixing and/or locking elements are preferred for fixing and/or locking the separator tank to the power pack tank located at the top of the power pack tank and on the separator tank carrying handle. The arrangement of all mechanically movable fixing and/or locking elements at the top of the vacuum cleaner ensures a high degree of insensitivity to dust. A trickling of the dust is thus ensured due to the upper positioning. The direct, fixed connection of all fixing and locking geometries to the rotatable carrying handle also guarantee a high degree of robustness and insensitivity to dust. Further movable transmission elements in the form of slides for locking the separator tank with the drive unit tank are not necessary. When removing the separator tank, all locking points and guide contours are freely accessible and can be cleaned if necessary. In order to fix the separator tank in and/or on the drive unit tank, it preferably has the lateral fixing elements and horizontally acting locking devices, which are arranged at the top of the drive unit tank.

In a preferred embodiment, the carrying handle has rolling elements on the side walls, which are arranged above an axis of rotation and which change their angular position when the carrying handle is lifted off in rotation. The rolling elements are preferably arranged radially above the axis of rotation. The rolling elements are preferably supported on the side walls of the carrying handle on the drive unit container. The angular position changes when the carrying handle is rotated. The change in angular position, in turn, forces the separator tank out of its final position when operatively connected to the power unit tank. In the end position, which is preferably determined by the achievable gripping height of the carrying handle, the rolling elements preferably remain on the contact surfaces of the drive assembly container. By further lifting a separator container that has been detached from the drive unit container, it can be removed on the guideways.

End stops on the separator container and end stops on the carrying handle preferably limit the angular position. As a result, the raised position of the carrying handle is preferably also limited. Uncontrolled tipping over of the separator tank when carrying is also prevented. The carrying handle preferably remains in the center of the emptying of the separator tank. The separator's own weight keeps the carrying handle in another end position during carrying. This significantly improves the handling and control of the separator tank for emptying.

In a preferred embodiment, the guide tracks are designed in such a way that the separator container can be placed vertically on the drive unit container. In addition to a container unit in which the drive unit is accommodated, the drive assembly container preferably has a contour that is open at the top. The connection of the separator container to the drive assembly container is preferably initially effected by inserting the separator container into the contour that is open at the top. The guide tracks are preferably integrated on the side of the drive unit container and are designed like a funnel. The guide tracks are preferably designed in such a way that the separator container can initially be placed onto the drive unit container in a comfortable, user-friendly vertical position. The guide tracks are preferably designed in such a way that the separator container's own weight and/or the separator container being pushed along on the guide tracks causes the separator container to slide with its carrying handle into a catch position of the drive unit container. If the carrying handle is arranged in the catching position, a counter bearing of the separator container is preferably arranged in the bottom of the drive unit container.

An incline of the guide tracks preferably increases with increasing depth in the drive assembly container. The movement kinematics required for inserting the separator container into the drive assembly container are preferably such that the separator container can be removed and inserted almost vertically in and/or on the drive assembly container standing on the ground and seals to contact points. Preferably, the slope of the guideways in the drive assembly container initially runs flat. As the depth increases, the slope increases. The sequence of gradients in a counter bearing on the separator tank is complementary. In a lowermost, first contact point, the guide tracks preferably have curves on a removable and a fixed latched side flap of the separator container, the steepest and towards the end a decreasing incline.

As a result, an inserted separator container that has been tilted backwards is always initially positioned in a vertical normal joining direction and only then slips into the catch positions of the drive unit container. As a result, a U-shaped shaft is formed in the drive unit tank as a receiving unit for the separator tank. A front edge of the U-shaped shaft and a front side of the separator tank preferably delimit the foremost joining position of the separator tank in the drive unit tank. The drive unit container preferably has upwardly extending side walls of the Schachtes, which allows the user in conjunction with a complementary wedge shape of the separator tank the greatest possible targeted insertion of the separator tank in the drive unit tank. The self-locating separator positioning in the end position of the drive unit container, which is not directly visible, is provided by the centering of the separator container, which increases in depth, and the design of the trajectories of the guideways relative to one another. The carrying handle is preferably designed in such a way that folding it in in the end position results in the separator container being locked in place with the drive unit container.

The drive assembly container preferably has step buttons. The step buttons are preferably arranged at the top in the middle. The push buttons are preferably arranged and designed in such a way that the separator container in the end position sits partially below the push buttons arranged at the top center of the drive unit.

In a preferred embodiment, the separator container has guide domes which are connected to the fixing elements of the drive unit container in the end position. The connection is preferably in the form of a latch, more preferably an audible snap latch. The guide domes preferably have rear cylindrical surfaces and are arranged and slotted on the side. The cylinder surfaces of the guide domes are preferably supported on the cheeks of the carrying handle in the offset drive unit container contour. As the angular position of the carrying handle becomes flatter, the separator container, when inserted into the drive unit container, is pushed forward against the air ducts of the drive unit container to be sealed and under a horizontally acting locking geometry of the drive unit container. The lateral fixing elements, preferably in the form of snap hooks, are preferably designed in such a way that they snap into the slotted contour of the guide dome when the carrying handle is folded down in order to reach the end position. Not only does the consistently uniform design line of the visible upper carrying handle surface to the separator tank show the user the correct end position of the separator tank in the drive unit tank, but also the audible snapping of the snap connection signals this. The latching of the separator tank in and/or on the power unit tank not only prevents the separator tank from falling out during a post threshold test, i. H. a re-enactment of obstacles to be driven over, but also with an upside-down vacuum cleaner. It is therefore possible to rotate the entire vacuum cleaner by 180° without the separator container falling out. The separator container can only be removed from the drive unit container by deliberately loosening the carrying handle. This instant release mechanism prevents the entire vacuum cleaner from being lifted by the carrying handle.

The carrying handle is preferably mounted on hemispheres. These ensure self-centering and sealing against dust. It is preferably followed by a shank that decreases crowned. The following cambered decreasing shank transports any dust that may have penetrated away from the bearing point. This very precise, stable and dust-resistant bearing enables the separator container to be positioned precisely in the drive unit container.

The separating container has a collection area in which sucked-in material is collected. It also has a central filter that is designed as a fine filter. The central filter is preferably a final filter stage before an air flow generated by the drive assembly during operation flows to the drive assembly located in the drive assembly container.

The separator tank has the front, back and sides. When the separator tank is connected to the engine tank, its front side faces the engine tank while its rear side faces away from it. The sides preferably each have a side flap. One of the side flaps is preferably permanently installed in the separator container, while the other side flap is preferably designed to be removable. The side flaps preferably have further guide tracks that are complementary to at least some of the guide tracks of the drive unit container. The separating container preferably also has a bottom flap, via which the collection area in which the sucked-in material is collected can be emptied. The separator container preferably has an actuating element for opening and locking the bottom flap. The actuating element is preferably arranged on the rear side of the separator container and is therefore clearly visible to the user. A bottom flap of the separator container that is still open is preferably closed automatically by being inserted into the drive unit container. While sliding on the lateral guideways, the open bottom flap is in contact with a closed bottom plate of the drive unit container. The bottom flap preferably has skids which are designed to push the bottom flap upwards by pressing down the carrying handle under the horizontal locking mechanism of the drive assembly container such that the actuating element on the visible rear engages automatically.

In a preferred embodiment, the vacuum cleaner is a cyclonic vacuum cleaner. A cyclone vacuum cleaner is to be understood as a bagless vacuum cleaner in which vortices and any turbulence are generated in an incoming air stream, whereby suction material such as dirt particles is pressed in a predetermined direction and separated due to centrifugal force. The term "bagless" means that the suction material in the vacuum cleaner is collected directly in a collection area of the separator container without a bag or similar exchangeable filter medium for receiving suction material being arranged in it, so that the user can empty the suction material does not remove a bag or the like from the separator tank. However, the vacuum cleaner can have one or more filter media that prevent the suction material from entering the drive unit.

The vacuum cleaner is preferably a canister vacuum cleaner. It is preferably provided with a cable with a plug. Furthermore, the floor vacuum cleaner preferably has wheels, by means of which one can be moved by a user over a substrate to be vacuumed during operation. The drive unit container preferably has a further carrying handle, by means of which the vacuum cleaner can be carried.

• 1 eine Seitenansicht eines erfindungsgemäßen Staubsaugers;
• 2 eine perspektivische Ansicht des in 1 gezeigten Abscheiderbehälters;
• 3 eine perspektivische Ansicht des in 1 gezeigten Tragegriffes;
• 4 eine perspektivische Teil-Seitenansicht des in 1 gezeigten Staubsaugers mit entnommenen Abscheiderbehälter; und
• 5 eine Querschnittsansicht des in 1 gezeigten Staubsaugers.

An embodiment of the invention is shown purely schematically in the drawings and is described in more detail below. It shows schematically and not to scale

• 1 a side view of a vacuum cleaner according to the invention;
• 2 a perspective view of the in 1 separator tank shown;
• 3 a perspective view of the in 1 carrying handle shown;
• 4 a perspective partial side view of the in 1 shown vacuum cleaner with removed separator container; and
• 5 a cross-sectional view of the in 1 shown vacuum cleaner.

1 shows a side view of a vacuum cleaner according to the invention. The vacuum cleaner comprises a power unit tank 10, in which a power unit (not shown) is arranged, and a separator tank 1, which are detachably connected to each other. The separator tank 1 has a carrying handle 2 and a bottom flap 17 and an actuating element 19 associated therewith, which is arranged on a rear side of the separator tank 1 . The power unit container 10 has step buttons 20 and a suction inlet 24 to which a suction hose (not shown) can be arranged. The vacuum cleaner is designed as a canister vacuum cleaner and has wheels 23 by means of which it can be moved in the direction of travel R.

2 shows a perspective view of the in 1 separator tank shown. The separator tank 1 has the carrying handle 2 . The carrying handle 2 has on side walls 7 rolling elements 6 which are arranged above a rotation axis 5 and which change their angular position when the carrying handle 2 is lifted off in rotation. Furthermore, the carrying handle has guide domes 14 . The separator tank 1 also has detents 15 which are formed horizontally. The bottom flap 17 has a skid 18 . The separator tank 1 also has a counter bearing 12 . It also has a central filter (not shown) with a central filter surface 22 . The actuator 19 is located at the rear of the separator tank 1, while the central filter surface 22 is located at the front and faces towards it when connected to the power unit tank (not shown), while the rear faces away from it. Furthermore, the separator tank 1 has side flaps 25, one of which in 2 is visible. The side flaps 25 also have further guide tracks 3 which are designed to complement at least some of the guide tracks (not shown) of the drive unit container (not shown).

3 shows a perspective view of the in 1 shown carrying handle. The carrying handle 2 also has end stops 8 . The corresponding end stops 8 attached on both sides on the separator container (not shown) and on the carrying handle 2 limit the angular position of the rolling elements 6 or the raised position of the carrying handle 2.

4 shows a perspective partial side view of the in 1 shown vacuum cleaner with removed separator container. The drive unit container 10 has guide tracks 3 along which the separator container (not shown) is guided when the carrying handle 2 is lifted in rotation. A slope of the guide tracks 3 increases with increasing depth in the drive assembly container 10 . The drive assembly container 10 also has additional side walls 13 . The drive assembly container 10 also has lateral fixing elements 4, in particular in the form of snap hooks, which are designed to fix the carrying handle (not shown), in particular to latch it, and from which the carrying handle detaches when it is lifted in rotation. The fixing elements 4 are with the in 2 shown guide domes of the separator tank connected when the separator tank is arranged in an end position in the power unit tank 10 in which they are operationally connected. Furthermore, the Power unit container 10 has a catch position 11 and horizontal acting detents 15 which act on the handle (not shown).

5 shows a cross-sectional view of the in 1 shown vacuum cleaner. The separator tank 1 has the carrying handle 2 . The bottom flap 17 has the skid 18 .

Reference List

R

driving direction

1

separator tank

2

carrying handle

3

guideway

4

fixing element

5

axis of rotation

6

rolling element

7

sidewall

8th

end stop

9

side flap

10

power pack container

11

catch position

12

counter bearing

13

more sidewall

14

command dome

15

detent

16

hemisphere

17

bottom flap

18

skid

19

actuator

20

kick button

21

shaft

22

central filter area

23

wheel

24

suction inlet

QUOTES INCLUDED IN DESCRIPTION

This list of documents cited by the applicant was generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Patent Literature Cited

• EP 2459044 B1 [0002]

Claims (10)

Vacuum cleaner with a drive assembly container (10) and a separator container (1) having a carrying handle (2), the drive assembly container (10) and the separator container (1) being detachably connected and the carrying handle (2) on the separator container (1) being rotatably movable in this way is arranged such that when the carrying handle (2) is lifted in rotation, the separator container (1) is detached from the drive unit container (10) and can be removed upwards, relative to a direction of travel of the vacuum cleaner. vacuum cleaner after claim 1 , characterized in that the drive unit container (10) has guideways (3) along which the separator container (1) is guided when the carrying handle (2) is lifted in rotation. vacuum cleaner after claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that the drive unit container (10) has lateral fixing elements (4) which are designed to fix the carrying handle (2) in an end position and from which the carrying handle (2) detaches when it is rotationally lifted. Vacuum cleaner according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the carrying handle (2) has rolling elements (6) on the side walls (7) which are arranged above an axis of rotation (5) and which change their angular position when the carrying handle (2) is lifted up in rotation. vacuum cleaner claim 4 , characterized in that end stops on the separator container (1) and end stops (8) on the carrying handle (2) limit the angular position. Vacuum cleaner according to any of the foregoing claims 2 until 5 , characterized in that the guide tracks (3) are designed in such a way that the separator container (1) can be placed vertically on the drive unit container (10). Vacuum cleaner according to any of the foregoing claims 2 until 6 , characterized in that an incline of the guideways (3) increases with increasing depth in the drive unit container (10). Vacuum cleaner according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the separator container (1) has guide domes (14) which are connected to the fixing elements (4) in an end position, the connection being designed as an audibly snapping latch. Vacuum cleaner according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the carrying handle (2) is mounted on hemispheres (16). Vacuum cleaner according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is designed as a cyclone vacuum cleaner.

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