FR2868278A1 - BRUSH ASSEMBLY FOR ASPIRATOR AND VACUUM CLEANER - Google Patents

Abstract

The brush assembly (200) comprises: - a main brush body (210), intended to receive a brush (240), this main body (210) having an air suction opening (212) and a turbine chamber, the turbine chamber defining an air passage, - a turbine (220) mounted in the turbine chamber (211), and - a connection pipe (250) intended to connect a main body of vacuum cleaner (100) to the main body (210) of the brush, the turbine (220) being mounted only in a part of the air passage.

Description

2868278 1

  The present invention generally relates to vacuum cleaners, and more particularly to a brush assembly having a structure developed to increase cleaning efficiency, as well as a vacuum cleaner including this brush assembly.

  In general, a brush assembly used in a vacuum cleaner drives a rotating brush using the kinetic energy of an airflow. The brush assembly usually includes a brush main body, wherein the brush comes into contact with a surface to be sucked, to clean the dust on the surface using the rotary motion of the brush. A connecting pipe for guiding foreign substances such as dust to a dust chamber of a vacuum cleaner main body and a turbine driving the brush are also provided.

  U.S. Patent No. 5,701,633 discloses an aspirator brush assembly having the structure described above. The brush assembly described in the above mentioned patent has a turbine mounted above an air passage of a turbine chamber.

  Such a brush assembly can increase the initial rotational force of the turbine. However, relatively large size dust particles can not pass through the air passage, so that they are captured or bonded to the turbine blade, thereby decreasing the rotational force of the turbine and thus degrading the suction force of the vacuum cleaner.

  Dust drawn into the inwardly drawn air enters the turbine chamber and passes through an inlet of the connecting pipe which narrows abruptly, so that the air velocity is accelerated in this one and an unwanted noise is produced.

  The thickness of the turbine blade is generally regular and constant, so that the suction force of the vacuum cleaner can not be fully supplied to the turbine. When foreign substances, such as dirt or dust, pass through the blade surface, these foreign substances can not easily pass through and therefore are likely to stick to the blade surface.

  The present invention aims to overcome the disadvantages mentioned above, inherent to known vacuum cleaners. It aims in particular to provide a brush assembly having a structure to increase the efficiency of cleaning and reduce the noise produced by the vacuum cleaner.

  To this end, the subject of the invention is a vacuum cleaner brush assembly comprising: a brush main body intended to receive a brush, this main body having an air suction opening and a turbine chamber, the turbine chamber defining an air passage, - a turbine mounted in the turbine chamber, and - a connecting pipe for connecting a main vacuum body to the main brush body, characterized in that the turbine is mounted only in part of the air passage.

  According to other characteristics of the invention: the turbine is mounted only at one side of an inlet of the connection pipe, placed in communication with the turbine chamber, so that this turbine covers only a portion of this inlet of the connecting pipe; the turbine is mounted in the turbine chamber and is positioned at the center of the inlet of the connecting pipe, so as to cover only a central portion of this inlet of the connecting pipe; the turbine has a plurality of blades, each blade having a regularly changing thickness when measured from an inside diameter to an outside diameter; each blade has a thickness gradually decreasing from the inside diameter to the outside diameter of the turbine; - The inlet of the connecting pipe further comprises a portion whose section decreases gradually in the direction of air flow, and a portion of constant diameter; - The inlet of the connecting pipe is substantially configured according to the shape of a fallopian tube.

  The invention also relates to a vacuum cleaner which comprises: - a main vacuum body having a dust collection chamber, - a brush main body for receiving a brush, the main body having an opening of air suction and a turbine chamber, the turbine chamber defining an air passage, - a turbine mounted in the turbine chamber, and - a connecting pipe having an inlet connecting the main body of the vacuum cleaner to the main body brush, characterized in that the turbine is mounted only in a portion of the air passage.

  According to other characteristics of the invention: the turbine is mounted only at one side of an inlet of the connection pipe, placed in communication with the turbine chamber, so that this turbine covers only a portion of this inlet of the connecting pipe; the turbine is mounted in the turbine chamber and is positioned in the center of the inlet of the connecting pipe, so as to cover only a central portion of this inlet of the connecting pipe.

  The aims, features and advantages of the present invention indicated above, as well as others, will emerge more clearly on reading the detailed description which follows, made with reference to the appended drawings, in which: FIG. a partially exploded perspective view of a vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention; - Figures 2A and 2B are partially cutaway perspective views of alternative embodiments of the present invention, showing the relationship between the position of a turbine and a connecting pipe inlet of the brush assembly shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the turbine belonging to the brush assembly shown in Fig. 1, including a detailed view of the impact area of the turbine blade; FIG. 4A is a perspective view of a connecting pipe used in the brush assembly shown in FIG. Fig. 4B is a sectional view of a portion of the connecting pipe, taken approximately along the line IV-IV of Fig. 4A, and Fig. 5 is a partial sectional view of the brush assembly and a connecting pipe, taken approximately along line VV of FIG.

  Some embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  In the following description, like reference numerals in the drawings are used to indicate the same elements or similar elements in the different figures. What is defined in the description, such as the construction and the detailed elements described below, is provided to aid in the understanding of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

  The present invention can be implemented without using some of the elements described below, or even a majority thereof. Also, well known functions or constructions are not described in detail since they would obscure the present invention by useless details.

  Figure 1 is a partially exploded perspective view of a vacuum cleaner according to one embodiment of the present invention.

  A brush assembly 200 includes a brush main body 210 having an air suction opening 212 and a turbine chamber 211, a turbine 220 mounted in the turbine chamber 211, a brush 240 for contact with the brush. surface to be aspirated and rotatable for moving and removing dust on the surface, a connecting member 230 for providing a rotational force to the turbine 220 to rotate the brush 240, and a connecting pipe 250 for guiding the dust-laden air to a dust collection chamber (not shown) disposed in the vacuum cleaner main body 100.

  The turbine chamber 211 supports and receives the turbine 220 so that the turbine 220 rotates freely by the action of the air flow produced by the vacuum cleaner.

  A plurality of blades 221 are circumferentially arrayed to define the impeller 220 so that the suction airflow produced by the aspirator drawing air through the brush main body 210 causes the spool to rotate. turbine 220. The detailed configuration of the blades 221 will be described below.

  Referring now to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the connecting pipe 250 guides the dust-laden air that is drawn into the vacuum cleaner to a chamber (not shown) disposed within the vacuum cleaner main body 100. The detailed configuration of an inlet 251 formed at the connecting pipe 250, in alternative embodiments, will be described below.

  When the turbine 220 is rotated by a suction air flow produced by the vacuum cleaner, the connecting member 230 transmits a rotational force between the turbine 220 and the brush 240. The connecting element 230 is preferably a belt, however, this should not be considered as limiting. Various alternative configurations for providing the rotation function, such as meshing, may be used by those skilled in the art.

  The brush 240 (see FIG. 1) is rotatably arranged with respect to a brush support member 241, which is mounted on the main body 210. The turbine 220 is rotatably mounted relative to a partition 213 of the chamber turbine 211 via an axle 222.

  When air flows through the air suction port 212 and rotates the impeller 220, a rotational force of the impeller 220 is supplied via the link member 230 to the brush 240, which is rotatable about an axis mounted in the brush support member 241.

  The brush 240 is moved along a surface to be sucked into, in close contact therewith, and displaces dust and dirt from the surface to allow the vacuum cleaner to more easily pick up dirt from the surface. Dirt removed from the surface is collected through the air suction opening 212 and the connecting pipe 250 to a dust chamber (not shown) disposed in the vacuum cleaner main body 100.

  Figs. 2A and 2B are partially broken away perspective views showing alternative embodiments of the relationship between the turbine position and an inlet, belonging to the connecting pipe of the brush assembly shown in Fig. 1. The turbine 220 is mounted in the turbine chamber 211 to cover only a portion of this inlet 251 of the connecting pipe 250, thereby providing fluid communication with the main body 210.

  The turbine 220 may be disposed laterally adjacent one side with respect to the connecting pipe inlet 251 to cover only a portion of the connecting pipe inlet 251.

  More specifically, the inlet 251 of the connecting pipe 250 being assumed to have a width A, the turbine 220 is mounted laterally towards a side of this inlet 251, leaving a width B free in the turbine chamber 211. The inlet 251 having a width A may alternatively be configured to mount the turbine 220 centrally in this inlet 251 of the turbine chamber 211, being spaced a regular distance C from both sides of this inlet 251, as shown in Figure 2B.

  The ratio between the width D of the turbine 220 and the width A of the inlet 251 of the connecting pipe 250 may be substantially in a ratio of 1: 2, in order to obtain a dust-laden air passage at through the inlet 251 and provide a blade dimension 221 suitable for coherently receiving the suction force from the vacuum cleaner. It will therefore be noted that the turbine 220 is mounted only in a part of the air passage of the chamber 211.

  By the above-mentioned structure, the passage through which the dust-laden air passes is sufficiently wide for the dust-laden air to be gently attracted, and the rotation of the turbine is not affected by a cure. tooth, rods or any other foreign body captured by the turbine, which may cause obstruction.

  Figure 3 is a sectional view of the turbine shown in the brush assembly of Figure 1.

  Several vanes 221 are configured in a circumferential pattern to define the turbine 220. The lateral thickness of each vane 221 changes in a regular predetermined pattern as measured from the center portion toward the outer circumferential diameter of the turbine 220 .

  More specifically, a portion near the axis of the turbine 220 has a thickness E. When the blades 221 extend outwardly towards the outer circumferential diameter of the turbine 220, the thickness of each blade 221 decreases to a thickness F. In this manner, the blades 221 extend radially outwardly from the axis towards the outer circumferential diameter of the turbine 220. The end G of the blade is rounded , as shown at the point G ', to effectively reduce the resistance of the dust-laden air.

  Because the blade has the structure described above, dust-laden air flows smoothly along the radially spaced, curved surfaces of the blades 221, essentially in the direction indicated by the arrow H, while the air is guided opposite the blades 221, at the rounded end G '. In this way, the impact of the dust-laden air is effectively provided at the ends of the blades 221 and, therefore, the rotational force of the turbine 220 is further increased.

  Thus, since the turbine covers only a portion of the inlet of the cover pipe, instead of all of this inlet as in the state of the art, the rotational force of the turbine can be reduced. However, the decreased rotational force can be compensated for by the turbine structure described above, mainly because of the curved and radially spaced vanes.

  In addition, if the structure described above is applied to a turbine, the rotational force of the brush rotated by the driving force of the turbine 220 is also increased, so that the brush can have a greater impact. strong and move the dirt located on the surface to be cleaned. As a result, dirt can be more easily removed from the surface.

  As a result, a user can more easily clean a surface to be sucked so that cleaning efficiency is increased, and a foreign substance, such as dust, flows along a surface radially. curved G of the dawn 221 in the direction of the arrow H. Therefore, the aforementioned foreign substance is mainly attracted into the vacuum cleaner and does not stick on the dawn 221.

  FIG. 4A is a perspective view of a connecting pipe connecting the brush assembly shown in FIG. 1 to the extension pipe of the vacuum cleaner, and FIG. 4B is a partial sectional view taken approximately along the IV-IV line of the connection pipe shown in Figure 4A.

  The inlet 251 of the connecting pipe 250 is defined by a part of this connecting pipe 250, corresponding to a depth Y of this connecting pipe 250, and forming a connecting part of a larger diameter J up to a smaller diameter K of the connecting pipe.

  The above structure, when applied to the inlet 251 of the connecting pipe 250, is schematically in the shape of a fallopian tube, which may be a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

  If the inlet 251 of the connecting pipe 250 varies from a larger diameter J to a smaller diameter K, the portion between the larger diameter J and the smaller diameter K is configured along an inclined plane L providing a annular frustoconical shape having a gently curved surface.

  As described above, when dust-laden air received from the turbine changes from the larger diameter J to the smaller diameter K, the air flows along the inclined plane L so as to reduce the noise that can be produced by the dust-laden air as it gains energy, especially kinetic, as it flows from the larger diameter J to the smaller diameter K of the pipe inlet connection 251.

  Figure 5 is a sectional view of the brush assembly, taken approximately along the line V-V of Figure 1, after assembly of the various components of this brush assembly. A foreign substance, such as dust, removed from a surface to be sucked by the brush 240, passes in the direction of the arrows H through the turbine 220, which is mounted in the turbine chamber 211, to cover only part of the inlet 251 of the connecting pipe 250.

  The inlet 251 is formed in the connecting pipe 250, which is connected to the main brush body 210, and the turbine 220 has a plurality of vanes 221 extending radially outwardly towards the outer circumference of the turbine 220, each blade 221 having a thickness regularly changing from an inside diameter to the outer diameter.

  Preferably, the foreign substance passes through the connecting pipe 250, the entry 251 of which is in the shape of a fallopian tube, in which a larger diameter J varies progressively to a smaller diameter K, the portion located between the larger diameter J and the smaller diameter K forming the inclined plane L having a gently curved surface.

  Having passed through the connecting pipe 250, the foreign substance is collected in a dust chamber (not shown) of the main vacuum body 100 (see Figure 1).

  As described above, when the brush assembly and a vacuum cleaner using the brush assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention are provided, the foreign substances, such as dust, do not get stuck in the turbine. 'vacuum. In this way, a brush connected to the turbine can be operated effectively, and the sound volume decreases in the structure of the inlet of the connecting pipe, so that an unpleasant noise, which would otherwise be produced, can be reduced during cleaning.

  The invention is not limited to the examples described and shown.

  Thus, the skilled person can take advantage of structures equivalent to those mentioned above, in order to perform the corresponding functions.

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Claims (10)

  A brush assembly (200) for a vacuum cleaner comprising: - a brush main body (210) for receiving a brush (240), said main body (210) having an air suction opening (212) and a turbine chamber, the turbine chamber defining an air passage, a turbine (220) mounted in the turbine chamber (211), and - a connecting pipe (250) for connecting a main body vacuum cleaner (100) to the brush main body (210), characterized in that the turbine (220) is mounted only in a portion of the air passage.   Brush assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the turbine (220) is mounted only at one side of an inlet (251) of the connecting pipe (250), in communication with the chamber ( 211), so that the turbine (220) covers only part of this inlet (251) of the connecting pipe (250).   3. Brush assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the turbine (220) is mounted in the turbine chamber (211) and is positioned in the center of the inlet (251) of the connecting pipe, so as to cover only a central portion of this inlet (251) of the connecting pipe (250).   4. Brush assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the turbine (220) has a plurality of blades (221), each blade having a regularly changing thickness when measured from an inside diameter. to an outside diameter.   The brush assembly of claim 4, characterized in that each blade (221) has a thickness gradually decreasing from the inside diameter to the outside diameter of the turbine (220).   6. Brush assembly according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the inlet (251) of the connecting pipe (250) further comprises a portion whose section decreases gradually, in the direction of air flow. , and a part of constant diameter.   Brush assembly according to claim 6, characterized in that the inlet (251) of the connecting pipe (250) is substantially configured in the shape of a fallopian tube.   8. Vacuum cleaner comprising: - a main body (100) of vacuum cleaner having a dust collection chamber, - a main body (210) brush for receiving a brush (240), the main body (210) ) having an air suction opening (212) and a turbine chamber (211), the turbine chamber defining an air passage, - a turbine (220) mounted in the turbine chamber (211), and - a connecting pipe (250) having an inlet (251) connecting the main body (100) of the vacuum cleaner to the main body (210) of the brush, characterized in that the turbine (220) is mounted only in part of the passage air.   9. Vacuum cleaner according to claim 8, characterized in that the turbine (220) is mounted only at one side of an inlet (251) of the connecting pipe (250), placed in communication with the chamber (211). turbine, so that the turbine (220) covers only a portion of this inlet (251) of the connecting pipe (250).   10. Vacuum cleaner according to claim 8, characterized in that the turbine (220) is mounted in the turbine chamber (211) and is positioned in the center of the inlet (251) of the connecting pipe, so as to cover only a central portion of this inlet (251) of the connecting pipe (250).