Vacuum cleaner

• US 6,508,867 B2
• Filed: 11/29/2001
• Issued: 01/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alfred Kã¤Rcher GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Alfred Kaercher GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Schoenewald, Michael, Sorg, Martin, Haefner, Kurt
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, DUANE
• Application Number:
  US09/997,202
• Publication Number:
  US 20020096053A1
• Time in Patent Office: 418 Days
• Field of Search: 952/26, 963/33, 963/29, 963/37, 963/40, 963/41, 963/42, 963/48, 963/49, 963/50, 963/51, 153/53, 55D/IG.3
• US Class Current: 96/333
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/181 Separating by passing the air through a liquid bath
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/185 Means for the mechanical control of flow of air, e.g. deflectors, baffles or labyrinths
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 55/03 Vacuum cleaner

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner is provided having a housing, a suction unit arranged therein and a suction pipe which enters the housing and is connected to the suction side of the suction unit via a dirt collecting container and a separating device. The closed dirt collecting container is adapted to be inserted into the housing and, when in the inserted position, be connected to the suction pipe in sealed manner via an intake opening and connected to the suction side of the suction unit in sealed manner via an extraction opening. The dirt collecting container is partially filled with fluid into which there enters a feed pipe that extends from the intake opening into the fluid. Deflector surfaces are arranged above the fluid-filling, said surfaces forming a multiply-deflected flow path between the upper surface of the fluid and the extraction opening for the suction current being passed through the fluid.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a housing,

a suction unit arranged in said housing,

a suction pipe entering the housing and being connected to a suction side of the suction unit via a closed dirt collecting container adapted to be inserted into the housing and, when in the inserted position, being connected to the suction pipe in a sealed manner via an intake opening and being connected to the suction side of the suction unit in a sealed manner via an extraction opening,

the dirt collecting container being at least partially fillable with a fluid into which a feed pipe enters, said feed pipe extending from the intake opening into the fluid at a point of entry,

the dirt collecting container comprising a lower portion which is open at the upper end and is closed by means of a removable cover,

deflector surfaces being arranged above the fluid, said surfaces forming a multiply-deflected flow path for a suction current passed through the fluid between the upper surface of the fluid and said extraction opening,

said point of entry being overhung by a hood through which the feed pipe is fed and which dips into the fluid at one end while an opposite end thereof is located outside the fluid, and

the end of the hood that dips into the fluid extending to a base of the dirt collecting container so that the suction current entering the fluid cannot pass therethrough.

2. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 1, wherein the dirt collecting container is substantially in the form of a cuboid.

3. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 1, wherein the cover is sealed to the lower portion by means of a seal.

4. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 1, wherein the extraction opening is located in the cover.

5. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 1, wherein a filter is arranged in the extraction opening.

6. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 5, wherein the filter is in the form of an extractable insert.

7. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 5, wherein the filter is connected via a seal to an extraction pipe leading to the suction side of the suction unit.

8. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 7, wherein the filter bridges, in a sealing manner, a gap between the extraction pipe on the one hand and the extraction opening of the dirt collecting container on the other.

18. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 1, wherein the feed pipe enters the fluid in a direction perpendicular to the fluid level.

19. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 1, wherein the feed pipe enters the fluid at one side of the dirt collecting container in the vicinity of a rear wall thereof and in the middle of the dirt collecting container.

20. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 1, wherein the hood has a curved cross-section and a concave face thereof faces the point of entry.

21. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 1, wherein a free edge of the hood that is located above the fluid level is curved downwardly and extends such that it ends substantially perpendicular relative to the fluid level.

22. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 1, wherein the hood extends to such an extent from the point of entry into the interior of the dirt collecting container that it covers the extraction opening.

23. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 1, wherein the hood extends over the full width of the dirt collecting container.

24. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 23, wherein side edges of the hood abut the inner wall of the dirt collecting container in sealing manner.

25. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 1, wherein the interior space overhung by the hood is sub-divided into a central chamber and two lateral chambers by two perpendicular partition walls in at least that region thereof adjacent to the part of the hood which dips into the fluid.

26. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 25, wherein the lateral chambers are narrow in comparison with the central chamber.

27. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 25, wherein the hood comprises at least one passageway in that region of each of the two lateral chambers that is below the fluid level.

28. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 25, wherein the perpendicular partition walls only extend over approximately half the length of the hood.

38. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 1, wherein the cross-section of the flow decreases between adjacent deflector surfaces in the direction of flow.

39. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 1, wherein the deflector surface arranged above the hood ends above the rear part of the hood.

40. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 1, wherein the side walls of the dirt collecting container are resiliently deformable inwardly in at least portions thereof.

41. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 40, wherein the resiliently deformable side walls are stiffened in at least portions thereof.

9. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a housing,

a suction unit arranged in said housing,

a suction pipe entering the housing and being connected to a suction side of the suction unit via a closed dirt collecting container adapted to be inserted into the housing and, when in the inserted position, being connected to the suction pipe in a sealed manner via an intake opening and being connected to the suction side of the suction unit in a sealed manner via an extraction opening,

the dirt collecting container being at least partially fillable with a fluid into which a feed pipe enters, said feed pipe extending from the intake opening into the fluid at a point of entry,

deflector surfaces being arranged above the fluid, said surfaces forming a multiply-deflected flow path for a suction current passed through the fluid between the upper surface of the fluid and said extraction opening,

said point of entry being overhung by a hood through which the feed pipe is fed and which dips into the fluid at one end while an opposite end thereof is located outside the fluid,

the end of the hood that dips into the fluid extending to a base of the dirt collecting container so that the suction current entering the fluid cannot pass therethrough, and

the dirt collecting container being slightly inclined in a downward direction relative to the direction of insertion of the dirt collecting container at least in the vicinity of the extraction opening so that, at the end of the insertion action, a seal surrounding the extraction opening just rests in sealing manner on a suction pipe leading to the suction side of the suction unit.

10. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a housing,

a suction unit arranged in said housing,

a suction pipe entering the housing and being connected to a suction side of the suction unit via a closed dirt collecting container adapted to be inserted into the housing and, when in the inserted position, being connected to the suction pipe in a sealed manner via an intake opening and being connected to the suction side of the suction unit in a sealed manner via an extraction opening,

the dirt collecting container being at least partially fillable with a fluid into which a feed pipe enters, said feed pipe extending from the intake opening into the fluid at a point of entry,

deflector surfaces being arranged above the fluid, said surfaces forming a multiply-deflected flow path for a suction current passed through the fluid between the upper surface of the fluid and said extraction opening,

said point of entry being overhung by a hood through which the feed pipe is fed and which dips into the fluid at one end while an opposite end thereof is located outside the fluid,

the end of the hood that dips into the fluid extending to a base of the dirt collecting container so that the suction current entering the fluid cannot pass therethrough, and

an intake shaft being mounted in front of the extraction opening disposed at the upper end of the dirt collecting container, said intake shaft completely covering the extraction opening and being laterally displaced relative thereto so as to be open at one side and thereby form an inlet opening.

11. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 10, wherein the intake shaft extends over the full width of the dirt collecting container.

12. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 11, wherein laterally projecting sealing strips, which abut closely against the inner wall of the dirt collecting container, are mounted on the intake shaft at the open side thereof.

13. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 10, wherein the lower end of the intake shaft is flat and extends substantially parallel to the upper end of the dirt collecting container.

14. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 10, wherein a free edge of the lower end of the intake shaft supports a downwardly projecting, batten-like projection.

15. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 10, wherein the intake shaft is held on a cover which blanks off the dirt collecting container.

16. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 10, wherein the inlet opening of the intake shaft is sub-divided into two halves by a perpendicular partition wall.

17. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a housing,

a suction unit arranged in said housing,

a suction pipe entering the housing and being connected to a suction side of the suction unit via a closed dirt collecting container adapted to be inserted into the housing and, when in the inserted position, being connected to the suction pipe in a sealed manner via an intake opening and being connected to the suction side of the suction unit in a sealed manner via an extraction opening,

the dirt collecting container being at least partially fillable with a fluid into which a feed pipe enters, said feed pipe extending from the intake opening into the fluid at a point of entry,

the feed pipe comprising two substantially right-angled bends,

deflector surfaces being arranged above the fluid, said surfaces forming a multiply-deflected flow path for a suction current passed through the fluid between the upper surface of the fluid and said extraction opening, and

said point of entry being overhung by a hood through which the feed pipe is fed and which dips into the fluid at one end while an opposite end thereof is located outside the fluid,

the end of the hood that dips into the fluid extending to a base of the dirt collecting container so that the suction current entering the fluid cannot pass therethrough.

29. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a housing,

a suction unit arranged in said housing,

a suction pipe entering the housing and being connected to a suction side of the suction unit via a closed dirt collecting container adapted to be inserted into the housing and, when in the inserted position, being connected to the suction pipe in a sealed manner via an intake opening and being connected to the suction side of the suction unit in a sealed manner via an extraction opening,

the dirt collecting container being at least partially fillable with a fluid into which a feed pipe enters, said feed pipe extending from the intake opening into the fluid at a point of entry,

deflector surfaces being arranged above the fluid, said surfaces forming a multiply-deflected flow path for a suction current passed through the fluid between the upper surface of the fluid and said extraction opening,

said point of entry being overhung by a hood through which the feed pipe is fed and which dips into the fluid at one end while an opposite end thereof is located outside the fluid,

the end of the hood that dips into the fluid extending to a base of the dirt collecting container so that the suction current entering the fluid cannot pass therethrough, and

the hood being inserted into the dirt collecting container such that it can be withdrawn therefrom.

30. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 29, wherein the hood has a handle mounted thereon.

31. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 29, wherein the side walls of the dirt collecting container comprise seating surfaces for the hood.

32. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 29, wherein the feed pipe comprises a seating surface for the hood.

33. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 32, wherein the seating surface is in the form of an upwardly open groove.

34. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 29, wherein guide surfaces, which guide the hood into its end position when it is inserted, are arranged on the side walls of the dirt collecting container.

35. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 34, wherein the guide surfaces are formed by inwardly projecting steps on the side walls of the dirt collecting container.

36. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a housing,

a suction unit arranged in said housing,

a suction pipe entering the housing and being connected to a suction side of the suction unit via a closed dirt collecting container adapted to be inserted into the housing and, when in the inserted position, being connected to the suction pipe in a sealed manner via an intake opening and being connected to the suction side of the suction unit in a sealed manner via an extraction opening,

the dirt collecting container being at least partially fillable with a fluid into which a feed pipe enters, said feed pipe extending from the intake opening into the fluid at a point of entry,

deflector surfaces being arranged above the fluid, said surfaces forming a multiply-deflected flow path for a suction current passed through the fluid between the upper surface of the fluid and said extraction opening,

said point of entry being overhung by a hood through which the feed pipe is fed and which dips into the fluid at one end while an opposite end thereof is located outside the fluid,

the end of the hood that dips into the fluid extending to a base of the dirt collecting container so that the suction current entering the fluid cannot pass therethrough, and

a front part of the hood facing a free edge thereof being pivotally mounted on a rear part of the hood.

37. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 36, wherein the front part and the rear part of the hood are connected together by a film hinge.