FR2862860A1 - DEVICE FOR SEPARATING WASTE FOR VACUUM CLEANERS - Google Patents

Abstract

The assembly has an air outlet duct (36) with openings (40). The duct is in aeraulic connection with a receptacle (38) including a folded filter. The receptacle is locked with the duct by a partition (37). The partition has hooks cooperating with openings formed on an upper wall of the receptacle. The receptacle is separated from the duct by unlocking mechanical connection between them. The receptacle is in aeraulic connection with an electric fan unit. An independent claim is also included for an electrical vacuum cleaner comprising a waste separation devices assembly.

Description

DEVICES FOR SEPARATING WASTE FOR VACUUM CLEANERS

  The present invention relates to waste recovery apparatus of the vacuum type, and more particularly to those using waste separation by centrifugation.

  The present invention is an improvement of the separation and waste collection systems in a vacuum cleaner and described in WO 03/047412. According to this application, one of the sets comprises an air inlet duct opening in a tangential direction into a waste separation chamber defining an internal volume having substantially the shape of a cylinder. In the central part of this chamber is arranged at least one opening opening on a duct in connection with the suction unit, said duct comprising in particular a filtration unit.

  The chamber also has a waste disposal channel in a radial direction, said channel being connected to a sealed tank collector centrifuged waste.

  One of the peculiarities of this invention is to have the air inlet channel and the waste disposal channel arranged substantially at the same height in the waste separation chamber, and to have considerably reduced the diametric section of the the chamber enters once and four times the smallest section of the channels for feeding waste from the nozzle.

  Such an arrangement allows this separation assembly to have a small footprint, without altering the waste separation efficiency.

  According to one embodiment, the central portion of the chamber comprises a second filtration device accessible by a cover closing said central portion.

  The present invention aims to improve the ergonomics, ease of access and arrangement of these filtration devices to allow its cleaning and / or its replacement in a simple and hygienic manner.

  The present invention is achieved with the aid of primary and secondary devices for separating waste for an aspirator comprising in particular a motor-fan unit, said devices being housed in the frame of the vacuum cleaner and consisting, on the one hand, of a duct having a plurality of openings and disposed in a main chamber of inertia separation forming a torus, said duct being in aeraulic relationship with the separation chamber by these openings alone, and being otherwise connected to the motor-fan unit, and on the other hand by a receptacle in which is housed a fine filter constituting the secondary waste separation device, said filter being interposed in the air flow path between the duct and the motor-fan unit, characterized in that these two devices are linked together mechanically to one another by means of attachment constituting a mechanical locking and that these devices s are removable from the frame of the vacuum cleaner.

  By presenting a subset composed of removable filtering devices and separation of waste from the vacuum cleaner, the cleaning of these elements is facilitated since it is sufficient to leave the frame of the vacuum cleaner this subassembly for the clean and somehow regenerate the filter assembly of the device.

  Advantageously, the hooking means can be unlocked in order to separate the receptacle from the conduit. By proposing such an unlocking, the cleaning operation of the various elements is easier by this separation.

  Advantageously, the gripping of the waste separation devices is facilitated by the fact that the duct is closed at the top and has fingerprints thus allowing the user to grasp the devices avoiding dusty areas.

  According to one of the preferred embodiments of the invention, the central duct comprises, at its base, a peripheral ring substantially perpendicular to the duct, this ring forming part of the separation chamber by one of its faces, and whose opposite face has means for hooking the filter receptacle.

  This arrangement saves space and ensures a high mechanical strength between the receptacle and the duct.

  It is also possible to propose a solution that promotes practical cleaning of the secondary separation device that also has a waste storage function by making the filter removable from the receptacle.

  Advantageously, the duct has a plurality of inclined walls directed towards the separation chamber, in the direction of movement of the air, the end of each wall having a substantially flat opening and substantially parallel to the underlying duct, and in that that the openings of the duct are located in line with the wall openings.

  The presence of inclined walls at the openings of the duct away particles of the suction duct air. However, the presence of openings on these walls at their end minimizes pressure losses by facilitating the passage of air in the conduit. Such a solution therefore makes it possible to combine the springboard effect for the particles, caused by the walls, with a certain ease of air to enter the duct.

  Indeed, each opening behaves like a small separator in its own right because of its ability to separate the trajectories of particles from the air. The multiplicity of the openings makes it possible to reduce the air velocities at each opening, which limits the pressure drops without reducing the centrifuging efficiency which is linked on the one hand to the speed of the air but also to the radius of curvature of the air trajectory. By significantly reducing the radius of curvature as is the case here, one can thus obtain a good centrifugation performance while limiting losses.

  Advantageously, the walls are lined, on either side, side flanks bearing on the duct. The presence of these flanks prevents the particles pass next to the inclined walls and do not penetrate the openings of the ducts by realizing, in some manner, a ventilation short circuit. Particle separation is improved.

  2862860 4 The geometry of inclined walls is also defined so that they do not overlap each other so as not to create dead zones where dust would accumulate. Thus, a slight flow of air flowing on each side of said walls is preserved without penetrating directly into the openings thanks to the presence of the lateral flanks.

  Preferably the holes are staggered for better coverage of the height of the duct in the direction perpendicular to the direction of passage of air.

  According to an alternative embodiment, the openings in the duct are elongate in the direction of rotation of the air, so as to exceed the plumb with the inclined walls. This arrangement makes it possible to further limit the pressure drop mainly by increasing the air passage surface, which locally decreases its speed.

  Another alternative embodiment consists of configuring the openings, not by lengthening them in the direction of rotation of the air, but by lengthening them in the direction perpendicular to the flow, which avoids increasing the possibility that particle can not bend its trajectory to penetrate the opening, while increasing the size of the openings of passage of the air.

  The possibility of unlocking the main device for separating waste from the secondary device finds its advantage according to the embodiment in which the duct has inclined walls including or not the lateral flanks. Indeed, the unlocking allows, given the difference in structure of the two devices, more vigorously clean one than the other. The main device can in particular be brushed under water, or even in the dishwasher, which is hardly possible for the receptacle with the filter which could deteriorate.

  According to this embodiment, the increased complexity of the device, by the presence of walls, or even lateral flanks, makes cleaning more tedious. By separating it from the receptacle containing the filter, this cleaning operation is greatly facilitated, while improving the efficiency of separation of the dust.

  The present invention also relates to an electric vacuum cleaner comprising a frame, inside which is housed a moto-fan unit, said frame comprising an air inlet capable of being connected, by a suitable tubing terminated by a nozzle, to the surface to be cleaned, said air inlet communicating, inside the frame, with a waste separation chamber in which it opens tangentially, characterized in that the vacuum cleaner comprises waste separation devices as previously defined.

  Advantageously, the separation chamber is closed, in the upper part, by a cover accessible from the outside of the vacuum cleaner and masking the upper part of the exhaust duct purified air and allowing easy access to the separation devices .

  According to one of the possible embodiments of the invention in a vacuum cleaner, the separation chamber is connected to a removable waterproof container for waste recovery by an evacuation channel oriented in a radial or tangential direction relative to the separation chamber. Such an arrangement makes it possible to remove the bin containing the waste separated by the main separation device, without having to remove the separation devices.

  The present invention will be better understood from the following description, with reference to the appended figures, in which: FIG. 1 shows a perspective aspirator comprising the present invention, FIG. 2 is a partially exploded view of the devices of FIG. 3 is a detailed perspective view of the insulated separating devices, FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, in which certain elements have been exploded, FIG. an exploded view of one of the separation devices according to the invention, FIG. 6 is a view of an advantageous variant of one of the separation devices; FIG. 7 represents the same element as FIG. FIG. 8 is a view of the element represented in FIG. 7, according to section AA of this same figure, FIG. 9 represents detail B of FIG. e 10 is a detailed perspective view of an improvement of one of the separation devices according to the invention.

  Figure 1 generally illustrates a vacuum cleaner comprising the separation devices according to the invention.

  Such a vacuum cleaner 10 comprises a frame 11 resting on several wheels including two rear wheels 12. A ventilation connection 14 connects the frame of the device to a nozzle in contact with the surface to be cleaned and allowing the introduction of waste into the frame of the device. The latter is provided with a motor-fan unit, not shown, for generating an air flow capable of harvesting the waste staining the surface to be cleaned. A button 16 allows the start and stop of the engine.

  According to one aspect of the invention, the vacuum cleaner comprises an inertia separation chamber. This chamber is accessible by a protective cover 18 which also closes the separation chamber. The waste separated by the device is discharged via a conduit 39 to a tray 22 easily accessible by the user and having a handle 20. This handle also serves as a carrying handle of the device, the overall inclination of the device and the presence of this handle in the high position promoting its grip while avoiding a tilting movement of the device at its center of gravity. A button 24 for unblocking the tray 22 is provided on the side of the device. Advantageously, such an unlocking button is present on each side of the apparatus.

  According to the proposed example, the tray 22 can be emptied by one or the other of its lateral sides, the latter being each obstructed by a removable cover 21. This arrangement allows everyone, whether right-handed or left-handed, to empty the tray easily.

  As detailed in FIG. 2, all the waste separation means 30 comprise an air inlet duct 32 opening into a separation chamber 33 similar to a torus of rectangular diametral section. Advantageously, the air intake duct 32 comprises a bend 132 making it possible to reduce the probability that certain wastes do not directly strike the central duct defining the torus.

  The passage section of the flow in the chamber is delimited by an outer circular wall 34, an inner circular wall 35, an upper wall which is the cover 18, and a bottom wall 37.

  The inner circular wall defines the duct 36 for evacuation of the air, the aeraulic connection between the chamber and the interior of the duct 36 being formed by a multitude of openings 40. The duct 36 is closed at the top and is Aeraulic connection, at the bottom, with a receptacle 38 comprising a filter, preferably a pleated filter. This receptacle is also in aeraulic connection with the fan assembly. Such a configuration allows more flexibility in the sizing of the filter.

  This embodiment of the invention also has the advantage of clearly highlighting the low height of the separation chamber with respect to the inlet conduit 32 waste. The section of the separation chamber remains in a ratio of 1 to 4 times the smallest section of waste feed from the nozzle, as taught by the application WO 03/047412. Of course, sealing means are provided to prevent any air leakage at the separation chamber.

  Subsequently, the duct 36 with its openings will be called the main separation device, the receptacle 38 and its filter being called secondary separation device.

  In accordance with the present invention and as illustrated in FIG. 3, the duct 36 is mechanically connected to the receptacle 38 of the fine filter. Furthermore, the duct 36 comprises, in the upper part, circular arc-shaped fingerprints 42 enabling the extraction of the separation devices by the user by avoiding the areas in contact with the dust that are the walls of the duct and the bottom wall 37.

  The separation devices can be extracted at the same time. Moreover, only the lid 18 closes the separation chamber. It is therefore sufficient to remove this cover to access the separation devices, which greatly facilitates their extraction.

  In addition, these are simply placed inside the vacuum cleaner, and no tools are needed to extract them from the device.

  Advantageously, as shown in FIG. 4, the receptacle 38 can be separated from the duct 36, the mechanical connection between the two elements being able to be unlocked.

  According to the proposed example, the duct 36 and the bottom wall 37 form a single piece, which in particular avoids the problems of sealing at this level. In this way, the locking of the receptacle 38 on the conduit 36 is formed on the bottom wall 37. The latter then comprises hooks 52, visible in Figure 7, cooperating with openings 50 formed on an upper wall of the receptacle 38. This assembly , Bayonet type, allows a simple mechanical support, which can be easily maneuvered by the user.

  Other means of mechanical retention can be envisaged between the receptacle 38 and the duct 36, such as clipping, casing, etc.

  Furthermore, the presence of the bottom wall 37 is not essential to the achievement of the mechanical connection between the conduit 36 and the receptacle 38, it is in particular possible to envisage the same bayonet locking system of the conduit directly in a cylindrical receptacle, the locking system being able to be disposed on the walls of said receptacle 38.

  According to this configuration, a seal is provided between the conduit and the receptacle and is made by overmolding an elastomeric material on the periphery of the bottom wall 37, on the side of the hooks 52. As an alternative and / or supplement, a seal can be provided on the periphery of the upper flange of the receptacle 38.

  According to the proposed example, the receptacle is of parallelepipedal shape and receives a pleated filter 46 which allows high filtration in order to stop the finest dust.

  Advantageously, pre-filtration is performed by a foam 44 disposed between the filter 46 and the duct 36. This foam is removable from the receptacle 38.

  According to the proposed example, a gate 48 is disposed between the filter 46 and the foam 44, to maintain the filter in place. This grid also protects the filter against improper handling during cleaning. The grid is then glued to the inner walls of the receptacle 38. The filter is itself glued to the receptacle 38 to seal this filtration. A single gluing operation is then performed: the grid is put in place just after the gluing of the filter, when the glue is still soft, which makes it possible to make integral the assembly consisting of the receptacle 38, the filter 46 and the grid 48.

  In a simplified version, the grid is omitted and the filter alone is glued in the receptacle 38.

  It is also possible, for example by a clipping system of the grid, to make the removable filter, as shown in Figure 5, which facilitates cleaning or replacement.

  Figures 6 to 10 show an improved variant of the main device for separating waste. According to this variant, the duct 56 always comprises the peripheral flange 57 forming part of the separation chamber as well as the fingerprints 62 for gripping the separation devices. However, compared to the version explained above, it comprises separators 70 defined as follows and presented, in isolation, FIG. 10. According to the direction F of the circulation of the air in the chamber, walls 66 are arranged in front of each opening 64 arranged in the duct 56. These inclined walls have at their free end an opening 68 substantially parallel to the underlying duct, in connection with the openings 64 by the free frontal edge 69.

  Advantageously, the walls 66 comprise lateral flanks 67 bearing on the conduit 56 and preventing the particles from entering the openings 64 bypassing the inclined walls 66. These flanks thus constitute longitudinal edges of the inclined walls.

  By this arrangement, the trajectory of the thinnest particles follows the inclined walls 66 and thus moves away from the duct 56. The particles are in a way ejected by the springboard formed by the inclined walls 66.

  However, through the opening 68 made in the wall, the air can join the exhaust duct without having to significantly change its trajectory.

  As shown in the path G of the air in FIG. 9, the exit of the air through the openings of the duct is facilitated by the presence of the openings 68, without substantially degrading the separation of the particles.

  According to this embodiment, the pressure drops are minimized by increasing the size of the openings at the duct. Thus, as can be seen in FIG. 10, the openings 64 extend downstream of the wall 56, according to the general direction of movement of the air flow in the separation chamber.

  This arrangement allows the air to reach the openings 64 by curving less its path, which means reduced pressure losses.

  By thus protecting the openings 64 and multiplying the inclined walls, the particles are forced onto said walls where they are projected away from the openings 64.

  In operation, after a floor cleaning operation, the user stops the motor fan. It can then empty the main receptacle 22, unlocking it by pressing the button 24.

  If he wishes to clean the filtration devices, he removes the cover 18 and seizes the devices at the fingerprints 42, 62. It can then, initially, shake the assembly above a trash, then separate the two devices by performing a slight rotation of the conduit relative to the receptacle. The duct thus released can be passed under water and clean vigorously for example with a brush. Indeed, this conduit is commonly made of plastic and supports the mechanical stresses of a cleaning brush and detergents. This aspect of cleaning is all the more important as the conduit comprises the separators 70 defined above, which, by making the architecture of the device more complex, require a more thorough cleaning. As a result, the possibility of separating the conduit from the receptacle 38 comprising the fine filter makes it possible to use more energetic and therefore more efficient means so as not to make the cleaning task too long and tedious.

  The secondary separation device and its pleated filter can be shaken or even underwater if the type of pleated filter allows it. The foam 44 can be separated from the receptacle 38 and can also be cleaned under water simply, such as a sponge.

  According to the proposed example, the filter is replaced by changing the receptacle 38 since the filter, in this case, is glued to the receptacle.

  The reassembly of the various elements is simple and does not require tools, thus prompting the user to perform this operation frequently, which makes it possible to avoid any malfunction of the devices and therefore of the device.

Claims (11)

  1. Primary and secondary waste separation devices for vacuum cleaner (10) comprising in particular a motor-fan unit, said devices being housed in the frame (11) of the vacuum cleaner (10) and being constituted, on the one hand by a conduit (36, 56) having a plurality of openings (40, 64) and disposed in a main chamber (33) for inertia separation forming a torus, said duct (36, 56) being in aeraulic relationship with the chamber ( 33) by these single openings (40, 64), and being furthermore connected to the fan assembly, and on the other hand by a receptacle (38) in which is housed a fine filter (46), constituting the secondary device of separation of the waste, said filter (46) being interposed in the air flow path between the duct (36, 56) and the motor-fan unit, characterized in that these two devices are mechanically connected to one another by means hook (50, 52) constituting a bolt mechanical screen and in that these devices are removable from the frame (11) of the vacuum cleaner (10).   2. Primary and secondary vacuum cleaner separation devices (10) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the attachment means (50, 52) can be unlocked in order to separate the receptacle (38) from the duct (36, 56).   Primary and secondary waste separation device for vacuum cleaner (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the duct (36, 56) is closed in the upper part and has indentations (42, 62) enabling the easier gripping of separation devices.   4. Primary and secondary vacuum cleaner separation devices (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the central duct (36, 56) comprises, at its base, a peripheral ring (37) substantially perpendicular to the conduit (36, 56), this ring (37) forming part of the separation chamber (33) by one of its faces, and whose opposite face has attachment means (52) of the receptacle (38) of the filter (46).   Primary and secondary vacuum cleaner waste separation devices (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the filter (46) is removable from the receptacle (38).   6. Primary and secondary vacuum cleaner waste separation devices (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the duct (56) has inclined walls (66) directed towards the separation chamber (33), in the direction of movement (F) of the air, and in that the end of each wall (66) has an opening (68) substantially flat and substantially parallel to the conduit (56) underlying, and in that the openings (64) of the duct (56) are located in line with the wall openings (66) (66).   7. The main and secondary vacuum separation device for vacuum cleaner (10) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the walls (66) are lined, on either side side flanks (67) bearing on the duct (56).   8. Primary and secondary vacuum cleaner separation and collection devices (10) according to one of claims 6 or 7, characterized in that the openings (64) at the level of the duct (56) are elongate, in the direction rotating (F) the air so as to exceed the plumb with the walls (66) inclined, or perpendicular to the direction (F) of rotation of the air.   Electric vacuum cleaner (10) comprising a frame (11), inside which is housed a motor-fan unit, said frame (11) having an air inlet capable of being connected, by a pipe (32, 132) terminated by a nozzle, at the surface to be cleaned, said air inlet communicating, within the frame, with a waste separation chamber (33) in which it opens out tangentially, characterized in that vacuum cleaner (10) comprises waste separation devices according to one of claims 1 to 8.   10. Vacuum cleaner (10) electrical according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the separation chamber (33) is closed, in the upper part, by a cover (18) accessible from the outside of the vacuum cleaner (10) and masking the upper part of the duct (36, 56) for evacuation of the purified air.   11. Vacuum cleaner (10) electric according to one of claims 9 or 10, characterized in that the separation chamber (33) is in connection with a removable tray (22) removable waste recovery by an evacuation channel ( 39) oriented in a radial direction or tangential to the separation chamber (33).