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(11) | EP 3 482 666 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | HAND-HELD VACUUM CLEANER |
| (57) A hand-held vacuum cleaner comprising a filter 17 for separating dirt/dust from an
airflow. A cleaning member 39 is in contact with the filter 17. An actuator 30 disposed
adjacent a handle 11 of the vacuum cleaner can be actuated to energise a motor 36
which causes relative rotation of the filter 17 and the cleaning member 39, so as
to clean an external porous surface 31 of the filter 17.
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[0002] Hand-held vacuum cleaners are well known small lightweight vacuum cleaners that are usually powered by a rechargeable battery. Typically such vacuum cleaners comprise a body, incorporating a handle and enclosing a battery and motor-fan unit, a dust collection chamber disposed in front of the body and having a suction inlet at its distal end for dirty air. Conventionally, a hollow filter projects forwardly from the body into the collection chamber. Dust-laden air entering the inlet is drawn radially inwardly through the filter, with the cleaned air being drawn out of the hollow interior of the filter by the fan. Coarse dirt separated from the airflow by the filter is retained upstream of the filter in the collection chamber, which must be emptied periodically.
[0003] The filter of a hand-held vacuum cleaner is generally of the re-usable type. Whilst this saves the cost and effort of replacing the filter, a disadvantage of such re-usable filters is that they can become clogged with dirt and dust over time with the result that suction force becomes reduced.
[0005] In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a vacuum cleaner having a filter for separating dirt and dust from an airflow induced through the cleaner, the filter having an axis and an external porous surface which is a solid of rotation about said axis, wherein a cleaning member extends axially of said surface and in contact therewith, means being provided to cause rotation of the filter relative to the cleaning member about said axis, wherein the cleaning member is disposed inside a pre-filter which surrounds the aforementioned filter and which acts to filter coarse dirt.
[0007] Preferably said means for causing relative rotation comprises an actuator, which is preferably disposed adjacent a handle of the cleaner.
[0009] Preferably the filter projects forwardly into a dirt collection chamber of the cleaner from a portion of the housing which houses a motor and fan unit of the cleaner.
[0010] Preferably the filter is rotatably mounted to said portion of the housing which houses the motor and fan unit. Preferably said means for causing rotation of the filter relative to the cleaning member comprises a motor which engages the rearward end of the filter.
[0011] Preferably the rearward end of the filter comprises a set of circumferentially-extending teeth which are engaged by a toothed wheel of the motor.
[0012] Preferably the cleaning member comprises a brush having bristles which extend radially inwardly against the filter.
[0013] A hand-held vacuum cleaner will now be described by way of an example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a side view of an embodiment of hand-held vacuum cleaner;
Figure 2 is a bottom view of the hand-held vacuum cleaner of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a side view of the body of the hand-held vacuum cleaner of Figure 1, with some parts shown removed;
Figure 4 is a front view of the body of Figure 3; and
Figure 5 is an exploded view illustrating a filter and cleaning assembly of the hand-held vacuum cleaner of Figure 1.
[0014] Referring to Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings, there is shown a hand-held vacuum cleaner comprising a generally elongate body portion 10 having a handle 11 at its rearward end and a dirty air inlet 12 at its forward end. An external aesthetically-shaped housing 13 of the cleaner encloses a dirt collection chamber 15 disposed rearwardly of the inlet 12 and forwardly of a motor and fan unit 16 arranged to draw air from the chamber 15 through a filter 17 which projects into the chamber 15.
[0015] The cleaner further comprises a chute portion 14 formed by a flap region of the housing 13 which forms the bottom wall of the collection chamber 15. The chute 14 is u-section in shape and is pivoted at its rearward end to the body 10 of the cleaner by pivot members 18. A seal 20 is provided on the body 10 for sealing against the edges of the chute 14 when the latter is closed.
[0016] The motor and fan unit 16 is arranged in the body 10 at the rearward end thereof adjacent the handle 11. The motor and fan unit 16 is separated from the dirt collection chamber 15 by an internal dividing wall 21 from which the filter 17 projects forwardly into the chamber 15.
[0017] The body 10 further comprises a chassis 22 which projects forwardly from the internal dividing wall 21 and passes over the filter 17. The collection chamber 15 comprises a front wall 23 which depends from the forward end of the chassis 22. A portion of the inlet 12 extends through the front wall 23.
[0018] An actuator lever 24 projects upwardly into the aperture of the handle 11 from the body 10. The lever 24 is connected to the rearward end of an elongate flexible cable 19 which extends forwardly along the chassis 22. The forward end of the cable 19 is connected to the upper end of a first arm 25, which is pivotally mounted intermediate its opposite ends to the front face of the front wall 23. The lower end of the arm 25 is engaged with the upper end of a second arm 26, which also is pivotally mounted intermediate its opposite ends to the front face of the front wall 23. A spring (not shown) is mounted behind the lower end of the second arm 26 to bias it forwardly. The lower end of the second arm 26 is provided with a forwardly-projecting finger 28.
[0019] When the chute 14 is closed the finger 28 engages with a forwardly projecting tab 27 on the front edge of the chute 14 to hold the latter in its closed position. In order to open the chute 14, the lever 24 is pulled upwardly using a finger of the hand which holds the handle 11: this pulls the cable 19 rearwardly, which in turn pulls the upper end of the first arm 25 rearwardly. The lower end of the first arm 25 thus moves forwardly and pushes the upper end of the second arm 26 in the same direction. The lower end of the second arm 26 then moves rearwardly against the spring bias and pulls the finger 28 out of engagement with the tab 27. The chute 14 then pivots downwardly under the influence of gravity to its open position (shown in outline in Figure 1). Alternatively means may be provided for biasing the chute 14 into the open position. A damper may be provided for controlling the speed at which the chute 14 opens.
[0020] In use, when the cleaner is energised, the motor and fan unit 16 draws air through the inlet 12 into the collection chamber 15, where any dirt or dust entrained in the airflow is separated by the filter 17. The separated dirt and dust is collected in the collection chamber 15, where it is retained by chute 14 which defines the bottom wall of the chamber. In order to empty the cleaner, the chute 14 can simply be released to allow the accumulated dirt and dust to fall out of the chamber 15 against the chute. The angle through which the chute 14 can pivot to its open position is limited to 22 degrees and thus the chute 14 acts to guide the accumulated dirt and dust retained thereby towards a suitable waste receptacle. The side walls of the chute confine the dirt and dust against falling sideways.
[0021] In order facilitate access to the filter 17 e.g. for cleaning, the chute 15 is pivotable beyond the open position to an angle of 63 degrees. A detent or other stop member (not shown) is provided on or adjacent the pivots 18 to normally arrest the chute 14 at the open angle of 22 degrees: the user then has to grasp the chute 15 to move it to the greater angle for cleaning of the filter 17.
[0022] Referring to Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings, the filter 17 comprises a generally frustro-conical side wall which is formed a porous filter material 31 supported by a frame 32 having a solid end wall 33 which forms the outer end wall of the filter 17. The interior of the filter 17 is hollow and the filter 17 comprises an open rear end which engages an apertured disc 34 that is rotatably mounted against the front face of the internal dividing wall 21. An externally toothed annular wheel 35 is rotatably mounted against the rear face of the internal dividing wall 21, the wheel 35 being connected to the disc 34 through an enlarged opening in the wall 21. A motor 36 has a toothed rotary shaft in engagement with the toothed wheel 35.
[0023] The filter 17 is rotatably held in-situ against the front face of the internal dividing wall 21 by an annular collar 37, which is releasably held in non-rotational engagement with the front face of the internal dividing wall 21. An elongate arm 38 extends forwardly from the collar 37 and axially of the filter 17 at a position disposed radially outwardly of the filter 17. An elongate brush 39 is mounted longitudinally of the arm 38 and comprises bristles which extend radially inwardly and which engage the external surface of the filter 17.
[0024] When energised, the motor and fan unit 16 (mounted behind the wheel 35) draws filtered air out of the interior of the filter through the apertured disc 34. The cleaned air is subsequently exhausted.
[0025] The filter 17 is of the re-usable type and, in order to avoid the risk of clogging, the user can periodically clean the filter 17 by pressing an actuator button 30 mounted adjacent the handle 11: this energises the motor 36 to rotate the wheel 35, which then causes rotation of the disc 34 and hence rotation of the filter 17 about its axis. The brush 39 is statically mounted relative to the filter 17 and thus brushes external surface of the rotating filter 17 to effect cleaning. The dislodged dirt and dust falls into the collection chamber 15 for subsequent disposal.
[0026] The hand-held vacuum cleaner comprises a housing having a flap 14 on its underside which forms the bottom wall of a dust collection chamber 15. In use, the flap 14 can be released to empty the chamber 15 of accumulated dirt and dust. The flap 14 acts as a chute to help convey the dust to a suitable disposal receptacle.
[0027] The hand-held vacuum cleaner also comprises a filter 17 inside the collection chamber 15, to separate dirt and dust from the induced airflow. The filter 17 can be cleaned occasionally by operating a motor 36 which causes rotation of the filter 17 relative to a brush 39 disposed in engagement with the exterior of the filter 17.
1. A vacuum cleaner having a filter for separating dirt and dust from an airflow induced
through the cleaner, the filter having an axis and an external porous surface which
is a solid of rotation about said axis, wherein a cleaning member extends axially
of said surface and in contact therewith, means being provided to cause relative rotation
of the filter and cleaning member about said axis.
2. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1, in which said means for causing relative rotation
comprises an actuator.
3. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 2, in which said actuator is disposed adjacent
a handle of the cleaner.
4. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in any of claims 1 to 3, in which said filter axis extends
generally longitudinally of a housing of the cleaner.
5. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, in which the filter is rotated
relative to the cleaning member.
6. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in any of claims 1 to 5, in which the filter projects
forwardly into a dirt collection chamber of the cleaner from a portion of the housing
which houses a motor and fan unit of the cleaner.
7. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 6, in which the filter is rotatably mounted to
said portion of the housing which houses the motor and fan unit.
8. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in any of claims 1 to 7, in which said means for causing
relative rotation of the filter and cleaning member comprises a motor which engages
the rearward end of the filter.
9. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 8, in which the rearward end of the filter comprises
a set of circumferentially-extending teeth which are engaged by a toothed shaft of
the motor.
10. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9, in which the cleaning member
comprises a brush having bristles which extend radially inwardly against the filter.
11. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in any of claims 1 to 10, in which the cleaning member
is mounted to a portion of the housing which houses a motor and fan unit of the cleaner.
12. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9, in which the cleaning member
is disposed inside a pre-filter which surrounds said filter.