Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L5/00—Structural features of suction cleaners
  • A47L5/12—Structural features of suction cleaners with power-driven air-pumps or air-compressors, e.g. driven by motor vehicle engine vacuum
  • A47L5/22—Structural features of suction cleaners with power-driven air-pumps or air-compressors, e.g. driven by motor vehicle engine vacuum with rotary fans
  • A47L5/36—Suction cleaners with hose between nozzle and casing; Suction cleaners for fixing on staircases; Suction cleaners for carrying on the back
  • A47L5/365—Suction cleaners with hose between nozzle and casing; Suction cleaners for fixing on staircases; Suction cleaners for carrying on the back of the vertical type, e.g. tank or bucket type
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L9/00—Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L9/00—Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
  • A47L9/22—Mountings for motor fan assemblies

Definitions

• the invention relates to a vacuum cleaner comprising a housing including a tank element with receiving means for receiving a suction hose and that is under partial vacuum and wherein dust collection means may be provided, a chassis element accommodating an air flow generator, and a top cover element including air exhaust means.
• the housing elements are designed so that two compartments are created on each side of the air flow generator, that comprises an electric motor and a blower fan.
• the first compartment is upstream the air flow generator and receives the particles that are sucked into the housing through the suction hose when the compartment is under partial vacuum.
• On the blower side of the air flow generator a second compartment is created. In this compartment the air is at atmospheric pressure or slightly above.
• filters, noise reduction means etc. may be provided in connection with the air exhaust system.
• the first compartment is made up by the interior space in a lower tank housing element on to which a chassis element or central element is mounted.
• a top cover housing element is positioned in order to shield any naked electrical parts inside the housing and to provide an air exhaust system with a noise reduction and/or air cleaning facilities.
• the top cover is assembled over a seal in order to ensure that particles in the exhaust system will not escape the air filtration.
• the tank element is removable from the other housing elements in order to be able to empty the collected particles in the dust collection bag in the first compartment.
• the sealing means may be complicated in design and/or that the production costs involved in the production of this sealing are quite high and that there is a risk for displacing the sealing when the user removes a housing element for changing the dust collection bag, or the like.
• a vacuum cleaner of the initially mentioned kind wherein common sealing means are provided for providing an air tight seal between the tank and chassis elements and a dust tight seal between the chassis and top cover elements.
• the main sealing between the two compartments is provided in a simple and efficient way as only one single main sealing member is necessary for providing an air and dust tight seal between all the housing parts.
• the sealing means are preferably integrally provided in the chassis element.
• the sealing means may be produced together with the chassis element.
• the sealing means is preferably an elastomer and the chassis is a thermoplastic material.
• the sealing means are produced together with the chassis element in a double injection moulding. The elastomer is injected onto the stiff thermoplastic chassis element in the same moulding tool.
• the sealing means are provided on the outer periphery of the chassis element with a first receiving surface abutting the tank housing element and a second surface opposite said first surface abutting the top cover.
• a simple design of the sealing means are provided.
• the tank element is provided with an upper annular surface for receiving the common sealing means and the chassis element and the top cover element is provided with an annular flange engaging the sealing means on the opposite side of where the tank engages the sealing means.
• the chassis element may be provided with resilient support members, in particular an interior air flow generator resilient supporting member at a air flow generator receiving means integrally formed in the chassis element.
• the chassis element may be provided with one or more integrally formed resilient support members on the underside of the chassis element for partly supporting the chassis on the bottom of the tank element.
• various special sealing, vibration dampening and/or supporting members may be provided, such as a resilient support where the electric motor and the blower is mounted in the chassis or at other contact points between the housing elements.
• These resilient supporting members are advantageous as a better strength in the housing assembly may be provided and since the resilient members may obtain dimensional tolerances, vibrations.
• the common sealing means may include outwardly protruding vacuum cleaner storage supports. This may be useful e.g. by a vacuum cleaner with wheels that may be stored in an upright position, as the vacuum cleaner may rest on these outwardly protruding supports with relatively high friction and on the wheels.
• the top cover element is provided with an outer cover flange extending beyond the assembly area of the housing elements.
• a protection of the seal against exterior impact is provided.
• fig. 1 is a schematic view of a vacuum cleaner assembly
• fig. 2 and 3 are isometric views of the chassis element from the top and bottom, respectively
• fig. 4 is a detailed view of the assembly according to the preferred embodiment of the invention.
• FIG 1 a schematic cross-section view of a vacuum cleaner is shown.
• the vacuum cleaner comprises a housing with three elements: a tank element 1, a middle chassis element 2 and a top cover element 3.
• a suction hose 4 is connected to the tank element 1.
• an air flow generator 5 is provided in the chassis element 2 .
• dust collection means (not shown) may be provided and the tank element 1 is also fitted with wheels 18.
• the interior space of the tank element 1 is under partial vacuum as the air flow generator 5 sucks air out of the tank compartment and blows into the second air compartment under the top cover 3.
• the air is led through an air exhaust system 6, that may include noise reduction means, air filtration means etc. Due to the air and dust tight sealing 10, it is ensured that no air will by-pass the air filtration and escape through leaks in the assembly.
• the chassis element 2 is fitted onto the top of the lowermost tank housing element 1 and the top cover housing element 3 is mounted on top of the chassis element 2.
• the chassis element is provided with an annular sealing member 10 that is designed in such a way that the three housing elements 1, 2, 3 are assembled over this seal in an air tight manner.
• the common sealing arrangement is shown in more detail in fig. 4.
• the common sealing member 10 is integrally moulded onto the periphery of the chassis element 2, as shown in figs. 2 and 3.
• the chassis element 2 is shaped with an accommodation cavity 7 that is shaped in accordance with the shape of the air flow generator 5 for receiving said air flow generator 5 (not shown in figs. 2 and 3).
• an integrated resilient support member 8 may also be provided, see fig. 2.
• an elastomer supporting member 11 is preferably provided on the lowermost surface of the chassis 2, so that this surface is supported when the chassis element 2 rests on support protrusions 20 formed inside on the bottom of the tank element 1.
• the weight of the chassis 2 is partly supported through the supporting element 11 and the protrusions 19 without transferring vibrations and noise from the air flow generator 5 to the tank element 1.
• the common member 10 and possibly the supplementary resilient sealing and support members 8, 11 are produced together with the chassis element 2 in a double injection moulding process, where an elastomer is injected onto the stiff thermoplastic chassis element 2 still present in the moulding tool.
• the common sealing member 10 and the supplementary sealing and support members 8, 11 are integrated in the chassis element 2 in a simple and inexpensive production process, just as it is ensured that the sealing members are accurately positioned.
• the resilient support elements 8, 11 may even be integrally designed and produced as one single elastomer member.
• the tank housing 1 is provided with an annular flange 13 with a generally horizontal upper surface.
• the sealing member 10 is provided around the end of a horizontal flange 14 of the chassis element 2.
• the chassis 2 also includes a generally vertical wall member 19 extending into the interior of the tank element 1 when the two elements 1, 2 are assembled.
• the sealing member 10 includes an first portion 16 and a second portion 17. The second portion 17 is making contact the upper surface of the flange 13 of the tank element 1 providing an air tight assembly between the housing elements 1 and 2.
• the first portion 16 of the sealing member 10 is brought in contact with the end of the wall member 15 of the top lid 3.
• the top cover 3 is assembled in an air and dust tight manner to the chassis 2.
• the top cover element 3 is provided with a shielding wall member 12 for protecting the assembly and also to guide the top cover 3 into the determined position as the shielding wall member 12 extends just below the outside of the end flange 13 of the tank element 1.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Electric Suction Cleaners (AREA)
• Addition Polymer Or Copolymer, Post-Treatments, Or Chemical Modifications (AREA)
• Filters For Electric Vacuum Cleaners (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=8172366

Family Applications (2)

Family Applications Before (1)

Country Status (7)

Families Citing this family (15)

Family Cites Families (9)

• 2000
  • 2000-12-01 EP EP00204286A patent/EP1210899A1/de not_active Withdrawn
• 2001
  • 2001-11-28 AU AU2002220514A patent/AU2002220514B2/en not_active Ceased
  • 2001-11-28 AT AT01998254T patent/ATE345080T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2001-11-28 ES ES01998254T patent/ES2276857T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2001-11-28 DK DK01998254T patent/DK1337175T3/da active
  • 2001-11-28 AU AU2051402A patent/AU2051402A/xx active Pending
  • 2001-11-28 DE DE60124583T patent/DE60124583T2/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2001-11-28 EP EP01998254A patent/EP1337175B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 2001-11-28 WO PCT/DK2001/000788 patent/WO2002043552A1/en not_active Ceased

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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