The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner equipped with additional functions, for example designed to work also as a high-pressure pump, compressor, etcetera.

Conventional vacuum cleaners, as is known, essentially comprise a container for a vacuum created by an electric motor that drives a suction fan, also called "turbine," and possibly a cooling fan.

The object of the present invention is to add additional functions to a vacuum cleaner, creating a multipurpose machine for household, semi-professional or professional users. A vaccum cleaner is disclosed in US 6 351 870 B1, wherein the drive shaft of the drive motor means is coaxially mounted both to the suction turbine and pressure pump.

The object is achieved with the vacuum cleaner of claim 1. Further preferred embodiment of the cleaner of the invention are claimed in the remaining claims.

As explained hereafter, the present invention makes use of electric or two stroke type motors.

The term additional machine means any machine or device of a known type. The additional function preferably consists in a high-pressure pump (pressure cleaner) and/or an air compressor and/or a machine tool (e.g., a grinding machine).

The idle gear bearings as in the present invention are advantageous when it is possible to reverse the direction of rotation of the motor, that therefore is the electric or two stroke type.

A particularly preferred application has a "canister" type of vacuum cleaner that additionally comprises a high-pressure pump unit, fitted on the opposite side to the vacuum cleaner fan or on the same side, off axis, and driven by the motor by an idle gear and a speed reduction unit, as will be better illustrated hereunder.

Another preferred embodiment has, in addition to the vacuum cleaner, a compressor and a compressed air reservoir or cylinder that can be detached from the main unit, for handier use.

Another embodiment has a high-pressure pump unit and a compressor that are fitted on the same vacuum cleaner.

Characteristics and advantages of the invention will be clearer with the help of the following description and the attached figures, in which:

• Figs. 1 and 2 represent functional diagrams, by way of example, of a vacuum cleaner modified according to the invention;
• Fig. 3 shows a vaccum cleaner which is not according to the present invention.
• Fig. 4 shows an exploded view of a suction "canister" modified according to the invention, with the addition of a pressure cleaner.

Referring to the diagram of Fig. 1, a vacuum cleaner is illustrated that comprises a container or "canister" 1 inside which there is an electric motor 2 that drives at least one suction fan 3.

The motor 2, by means of an appropriate selector of a known type (not illustrated), can be started up in either direction of rotation.

Said motor 2 can operate also a high-pressure pump 4 of the piston and swash-plate type, via a selective type of transmission that, in the example, comprises a pinion 5 that engages a cogwheel 6 fitted on an idle gear bearing 7. The connection with the fan 3, on the contrary, is direct.

The pinion 5 and the wheel 6 produce a reduction in speed, since the electric motor 2 typically has a much higher speed of rotation than the rated speed of operation of the pump 4.

It is understood that, due to the presence of the idle gear 7, the pump 4 can be operated selectively, making the motor 2 start in one direction of rotation or in the other.

The drum 1 is of a type in itself known and it comprises a suction union 8, to which a pipe can be connected in order to use it as a vacuum cleaner.

Referring to Fig. 2, an analogous embodiment is shown, that also comprises a compressor 10, besides the high-pressure pump 4.

Said compressor 10 is driven by the motor 2 by a magnetic clutch 11 and a belt 12. In particular, the magnetic clutch 11 is fitted in order to couple the shaft of the compressor with the driven pulley, which is connected to the driving pulley: this enables selectively engaging and disengaging the compressor 10.

The transmission between the motor and compressor can also be direct, via gears.

Advantageously, a reservoir or cylinder 13 is provided for the compressed air supplied by the compressor 10. Even more preferably, said reservoir 13 can be detached from the drum 1, so that the user can carry around a reserve of compressed air.

The inlet 8 is advantageously equipped with a valve that enables cutting off suction during operation as a compressor, which avoids losing power. The valve can be operated automatically (for example with a clapet) that automatically shuts off the inlet 8 on extracting the suction pipe, that is normally connected to said inlet. The valve can be provided with a narrow passage (e.g., a hole of diameter 8 mm) that lets a small amount of air enter to cool the motor even when the diaphragm of the valve is shut.

The same valve can be alternatively positioned at the end of the suction pipe or on the mouthpiece of the accessories with the activation system on the handgrip.

Fig. 3 illustrates an example of embodiment with a two or four stroke combustion engine. In this example of embodiment there is a combustion engine 20, that drives an electric generator 21 above or under said engine, always engaged. The engine 20 moreover drives the suction fan 3, pump 4 and compressor, 10, in the manner described above. However this example does not belong to the present invention, since in this example the motor can only rotate in one direction.

With all types of engine (electric motor or combustion engine) it is possible to have either the arrangement of Figs. 1-2 with the motor inside the drum 1 or the arrangement of Fig. 3 with the motor outside, above the drum. Any other equivalent arrangement of the mechanical members will in any case be able to be used by the sector technician.

Fig. 4 shows an example of application of the invention, that is substantially equivalent to the diagram of Fig. 1 and it involves modifying a known vacuum cleaner, of the "suction canister" type, by fitting a high-pressure pump. This produces a multipurpose vacuum cleaner/pressure cleaner machine.

More in detail, the machine comprises a drum or container 101 with a suction inlet 108 and a top mouth 109 where a cartridge 110 is inserted preferably of the "wet&dry" type.

The machine comprises an electric motor 102 coupled directly to a suction fan 103; the modification involves adding a high-pressure pump 104, from the opposite side of the fan 103 with respect to the motor, creating a suction-pump "unit" that as an assembly is indicated as 120.

It must be noted that said unit 120 is particularly compact being contained between the drum 101 and a cover 105, so that the complete machine substantially has the overall dimensions of a common "suction canister."

The reduction in speed and the idle gear bearing (numbers 5, 6 and 7 of Fig. 1) are substantially housed by the flange 121, that couples the electric motor 102 to the pump 104.

Said pump 104 has a mains water inlet 122 and an outlet for the pressurized water 123; preferably the pump is of the type with pistons and swash-plate.

The motor 102 is electrically connected to a selector 130 that allows reversing the direction of rotation and, via the idle gear bearing, operating the pump 104 selectively.

Basically, starting the motor in one direction provides operation as a vacuum cleaner, while the pump 104 stays stationary; starting the motor instead in the other direction the said pump 104 is also operated, having pressurized water for the most varied uses, while the fan 103 turns with no load.

In this case, in which there are only two operating machines and it is possible to reverse the direction of rotation, the presence of the valve is superfluous in the suction inlet 108.

All the additional machines are independent of each other and therefore the vacuum cleaner can be equipped with one or more of them according to need.

For reasons of space, if there are more than two operating machines added, the gears of the transmission system can be arranged along arcs of circumference rather than along a line.

It is clear that the application potential is not limited to the examples described and illustrated and in particular any motor and any combination of machines or devices of a known type can be used, as far as they fall within the terms of claim 1.