Vacuum Cleaner With Filter Cleaning Means

• US 20100024154A1
• Filed: 04/10/2007
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AB Electrolux
• Original Assignee: AB Electrolux
• Inventors: Miefalk, Håkan, Beskow, Jonas
• Granted Patent: US 8,424,154 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/344
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/24 Hand-supported suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/20 Means for cleaning filters

Abstract

A hand held vacuum cleaner comprises a housing (10) with a dust container (7) having an inlet (8) for dust laden air; a filter unit (11) with a filter body; and a motor fan unit (6) for generating a flow of air through the inlet (8) and through the filter unit (11). The filter body is flexible and the vacuum cleaner further comprises dust removing means configured to collapse and expand the flexible filter body in response to a force applied to the dust removing means (29).

Claims

1. A hand held vacuum cleaner comprising:

a housing (10) with a dust container (7) comprising an inlet (8) for dust laden air;

a filter unit (11) comprising a preferably baglike filter body (14;

32); and

a motor fan unit (6) for generating a flow of air through the inlet (8), and through the filter unit (11),

characterised in that the filter body (14;

32) is flexible and that the vacuum cleaner further comprises dust removing means (29) configured to agitate, preferably, to collapse and expand the flexible filter body (14;

32) in response to a force applied to the dust removing means (29).

2. A hand held vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the dust removing means (29) is configured to be manually operated.

3. A hand held vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the dust removing means (29) comprises an elastic element (28;

37) which continuously exerts a force on a portion (16;

34) of the filter unit (11), for expanding the flexible filter body (14, 32).

4. A hand held vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the dust removing means (29) comprises a rod (22) connected to a portion (16;

34) of the filter unit (11), said rod (22) being movable in a direction from said portion (16;

34) of the filter unit (11) to an opposite portion (15;

36) of the filter unit (11).

5. A hand held vacuum cleaner according to claim 4, further comprising an elastic element (28) which continuously exerts a force on the rod (22) for expanding the flexible filter body (14;

32).

6. A hand held vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1-6, wherein the filter unit (11) comprises an attachment member (17) for attaching the filter unit (11) to any of the housing (10) and the dust container (7).

7. A hand held vacuum cleaner according to claim 6, wherein the attachment member (17) supports the dust removing means (29).

8. A hand held vacuum cleaner according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the filter unit (11) and the dust removing means (29) form an integrated and exchangeable filter assembly.

9. A hand held vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 6-8, wherein the attachment member (17) and the flexible filter body (14;

32) are integrated, preferably in that a annular attachment member is molded together with the opened end of the filter body.

10. A hand held vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1-9, wherein the flexible filter body (14;

32) is essentially tubelike, with one closed end (16) and one open end (15) opposite the closed end (16).

11. A hand held vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1-10, wherein the flexible filter body (14) has a sleek surface facing the interior of the dust container (7).

12. A hand held vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1-11, further comprises a coarse pre-filter body (30) at least partially encompassing the flexible filter body (32), wherein the coarse pre-filter body (30) preferably is part of the filter unit (11).

13. A hand held vacuum cleaner according to claim 12, wherein the coarse pre-filter body (30) has a baglike shape and wherein the baglike flexible filter-body (32) is arranged inside the coarse pre-filter body (30) such that the open end of the baglike flexible filter-body is located at the open end of the baglike coarse pre-filter body (30).

14. A hand held vacuum cleaner according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the coarse pre-filter body (30) has an opening (31), preferably in the bottom part of the coarse pre-filter body, for letting out dust that has been removed from the filter body by means of said dust removing means (29).

15. A hand held vacuum cleaner according to claim 14, further comprising a flexible cleaning and/or sealing part (33) attached to a bottom portion (34) of the flexible filter body (32) for closing the opening (31) of the coarse pre-filter body (30) during vacuum cleaning operation.

16. A hand held vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1-15, further comprising means (41) for swirling the incoming air around the filter unit (11).

17. A hand held vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1-16, wherein any one of the housing (10), the dust container (7) and the filter unit (11) comprises at least one air flow guiding vane (41) for swirling the incoming air around the filter unit (11).

18. A hand held vacuum cleaner according to any one of claims 1-17, wherein any one of the dust container (7) and the filter unit (11) comprises a dust-trapping rib (40).