Vacuum Cleaner

• US 20120080057A1
• Filed: 01/25/2008
• Published: 04/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AB Electrolux
• Original Assignee: AB Electrolux
• Inventors: Jonsson, Stefan, Beskow, Jonas
• Granted Patent: US 8,881,342 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/21
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1625 for series flow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1666 with filtering means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/20 Means for cleaning filters

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner having a main separating unit, a filter, an auxiliary separating unit, a vacuum source adapted to generate an airstream, and airflow passages configured to operate in a vacuum cleaning mode and a filter cleaning mode. In the vacuum cleaning mode, the airflow passages are configured to direct the airstream through the main separating unit and then through the filter in a first direction, and the airflow substantially bypasses the auxiliary separating unit. In the filter cleaning mode, the airflow passages are configured to direct the airstream through the filter in a second direction, opposite the first direction, and then through the auxiliary separating unit. A method for operating a vacuum cleaner is also provided.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a main separating unit;

a filter;

an auxiliary separating unit;

a vacuum source adapted to generate an airstream; and

airflow passages configured to operate in a vacuum cleaning mode and a filter cleaning mode, wherein;

in the vacuum cleaning mode, the airflow passages are configured to direct the airstream through the main separating unit and then through the filter in a first direction, and the airflow substantially bypasses the auxiliary separating unit, and

in the filter cleaning mode, the airflow passages are configured to direct the airstream through the filter in a second direction, opposite the first direction, and then through the auxiliary separating unit.

2. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the airflow passes through the vacuum source after passing through the filter in the vacuum cleaning mode, and the airflow passes through the vacuum source after passing through the auxiliary separating unit in the filter cleaning mode.

3. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein, in the filter cleaning mode, the auxiliary separating unit is connected in series with the main separating unit.

4. The vacuum cleaner of claim 3, wherein, in the filter cleaning mode, the auxiliary separating unit is connected downstream in relation to the main separating unit.

5. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary separating unit has a higher separation ratio for a given dust than the main separating unit.

6. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the main separating unit comprises a cyclone separator.

7. The vacuum cleaner of claim 8, wherein the auxiliary separating unit comprises at least one cyclone separator having a vortex chamber with a smaller average diameter than a vortex chamber of the cyclone separator of the main separating unit.

8. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary separating unit comprises a plurality of sub-separators.

9. The vacuum cleaner of claim 8, wherein the auxiliary separating unit comprises three sub-separators connected in series, each sub-separator comprising a cyclone separator.

10. The vacuum cleaner of claim 9, further comprising a dust bin having a plurality of dust chambers, wherein each sub-separator is connected to a respective dust chamber.

11. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the downstream filter comprises a micro pore filter.

12. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the vacuum cleaner comprises a stationary vacuum cleaner.

13. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the vacuum cleaner comprises a canister vacuum cleaner.

14. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the vacuum cleaner comprises an upright vacuum cleaner.

15. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, further comprising means for rapping or vibrating the downstream filter in the filter cleaning mode.

16. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, further comprising an ambient air inlet, and wherein, in the filter cleaning mode, the airflow passages are configured to direct the airstream from the ambient air inlet to the filter.

17. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the airflow passages comprise one or more valves adapted to selectively configure the airflow passages in the vacuum cleaning mode and the filter cleaning mode.

19. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary separating unit has a substantially higher airflow resistance than the filter, thereby causing the airflow to substantially bypass the auxiliary separating unit in the vacuum cleaning mode.

18. The vacuum cleaner of claim 18, wherein the one or more valves are positioned in the vacuum cleaning mode to cause the airflow to substantially bypass the auxiliary separating unit.

20. A method for operating a vacuum cleaner having a main separating unit, an auxiliary separating unit, and a filter, the method comprising:

collecting dirt in the vacuum cleaner by forcing a dust-laden air stream through the main separating unit in order to separate a first amount of dust from the air stream, then forcing the air stream leaving the main separating unit through the filter in a forward direction to filter a second amount of dust from the dust-laden air stream; and

removing at least a portion of the second amount of dust from the filter by forcing a cleaning air stream through the filter in a reverse direction to remove a third amount of dust from the downstream filter, then forcing the cleaning air stream through the auxiliary separating unit to separate a fourth amount of dust from the cleaning air stream from the airstream.