HK1058747B - Vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a vacuum cleaner with a vacuum unit and a filter tank through which the air sucked in through the vacuum unit is passed and dust is removed, which filter tank is formed by a filter tank at least partially filled with a filter fluid, e.g. water.

Although the most common vacuum cleaners with liquid filters reduce the dust load caused by the air stream emitted by the vacuum cleaner, the filter fluid, after a short period of operation, increases the number of bacteria and pathogens that are trapped there, which can then enter the environment together with the water droplets carried away by the air stream and thus pose a health hazard.

For this reason, many of the vacuum cleaners with liquid filters already developed had to be discontinued from production.

The purpose of the invention is therefore to describe a vacuum cleaner of the type described at the outset, which greatly increases the duration of action of the filter fluid and greatly reduces the emission of germs dangerous to health.

According to the invention, this is achieved by arranging in the filter tank at least two electrodes of silver or a silver alloy in contact with the filter fluid, preferably immersed in it, and by providing a voltage source to connect the electrodes.

The silver ions produced by applying a voltage to the electrodes in the filter fluid prevent the formation of germ and bacterial populations due to their disinfecting effect, thus maintaining the filter fluid's dust-sweeping effect over a very long period of time compared with known vacuum cleaners of this type and preventing the environmental hazard of filter fluid droplets being carried away by the exhaust air stream.

A strong increase in the germicidal effect can be achieved by generating a pulsed current within the filter fluid by means of a voltage source, preferably low frequency, which, according to another embodiment of the invention, increases the number of pathogenic germs destroyed by silver ions.

An embodiment of the invention may be that the frequency of the DC pulses is in the range 2 to 6 Hz, preferably 4 Hz. This range, and in particular the value of 4 Hz, results in a particularly strong reduction of the germs and bacteria contained in the filter fluid, largely independent of the voltage applied.

In order to meet the usual safety standards, in the continuation of the invention, the voltage source may include a battery or accumulator connected to a DC converter.

This allows for complete galvanic separation between the mains voltage and the silver electrodes charged with a voltage.

A further variant of the invention may be that the battery is a 9 V battery and that the DC converter has an output voltage of 30 V clocked at a pulse frequency of 4 Hz.

This allows a battery that is available for sale to be used to operate the water disinfection while meeting all relevant safety standards.

Alternatively, another embodiment of the invention may be that the voltage source includes a separator, rectifier and pulse transformer, which also satisfies the standard safety requirements.

A further enhancement of the germicidal effect can be obtained by means of an opening in the filter tank through which a solution of sodium chloride and/or a solution of silver colloid can be added to the filter water.

The chlorine ions formed by the current flowing between the electrodes are an aid in eliminating the germs present in the filter fluid at the beginning of the current flow, since the sterilization process on the basis of the silver ions requires a longer start time.

The following is a detailed description of the invention, illustrated by the illustration.

Fig. 1 shows the schematic design of an embodiment of the vacuum cleaner of the invention.

Fig. 1 shows a vacuum cleaner 1 which, through an inlet 8 connected to a vacuum cleaner brush, e.g. via a tube not shown, sucks in small particles, e.g. dirt particles, which are passed along with the sucked air stream through a filter tank 4 at least partially filled with a filter fluid, e.g. water 5. As the filter fluid 5 flows through, the dust and pus contained in the sucked air stream are bound in the water and retained there.

The air stream sucked in through inlet 8 and introduced into filter fluid 5 in a tube nozzle 10 is generated by a suction unit 3 located at the top of the vacuum cleaner 1. An additional optional particulate filter 2 is placed between the suction unit 3 and the fluid level 11 of filter fluid 5 inside the filter tank 4 to hold back 5 upward-swept particles when the air stream leaves the filter fluid 5. The downward pressure created by the suction unit 3 calls up the air stream flowing through the filter nozzle 5 which is sucked through the inlet 8 and the raw nozzle 10 into the filter nozzle 1 and after the partial flow of filter fluid 5 is absorbed into the suction filter 3.

At the exit of the suction unit 3, the air stream which has been removed from the dust and is being sucked into the filter fluid 5 is expelled through the outlet 9 where it is released into the environment with a reduced level of pollutants. Due to the particles which are released from the air stream into the filter fluid 5, the various pollutants, such as heavy metals, etc., but also pathogens and germs, are contained in the filter fluid 5 within a very short time. A strong increase of these pathogens and germs, which is visible by a significant darkening of the outlet 9, occurs.

The invention provides that in filter tank 1 at least two electrodes 6 of silver or silver alloy are placed in contact with filter fluid 5 and preferably immersed in it, and that the electrodes 6 are connected to a voltage source 7 by means of a switch not shown.

When applied to the electrodes 6 a voltage is applied and a weak current is passed to produce silver ions which, due to the known germicidal effect of silver, disinfect and disinfect the filter fluid 5.

Preferably, the voltage source generates low frequency DC pulses applied to the electrodes 6 and results in a low frequency pulsating current within the filter fluid 5.

The frequency of the DC pulses is preferably in the range 2 to 6 Hz, with 4 Hz giving the best results in terms of the degree of germination in the series of tests performed.

In order to meet the usual safety standards, the filter fluid 5 must not be subjected to voltages which are dangerous to the user.

It may therefore be envisaged that the voltage source includes a battery or accumulator connected to a DC converter, e.g. a 9V battery which generates an output voltage of 30V from the DC converter clocked at a pulse frequency of 4Hz, for example a case mounted on the side of the vacuum cleaner of the invention may contain a commercial 9V battery which can be easily replaced by the user.

Another variant of the voltage supply may be that the voltage source includes a disconnector, a rectifier and a pulse transformer, the disconnector being connected to the mains voltage on its primary side and to the rectifier on its secondary side.

Furthermore, it has been shown that the addition of sodium chloride to the filter fluid, particularly water, has a sterilization effect, since the chlorine ions produced by electrolysis also have a cleaning effect.

Alternatively, the addition of the sodium chloride solution or the silver colloid can be done by removing the suction unit 3 from vacuum cleaner 1 and pouring it directly into the filter fluid 5. If the latter solution or the mixture of sodium chloride solution and/or silver colloid solution is added to the filter fluid 5, particularly into the water, a rapid dissolving effect can be produced in the initial phase, which is then caused by the relatively long-running cleaning process.

Claims (7)

1. A vacuum cleaner, comprising a suction apparatus and a dust filter, through which the air drawn in by the suction apparatus is guided and is freed from dust, which dust filter is formed by a filter container filled at least partly with a filter liquid such as water, characterized in that at least two electrodes (6) which are made of silver or a silver alloy and are in contact with the filter liquid (5), preferably immersing in the same, are arranged in the filter container (4), and that a voltage source (7) is provided which can be connected with the electrodes (6).
2. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, characterized in that the voltage source (7) generates preferably low-frequency direct voltage pulses.
3. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the frequency of the direct voltage pulses is in the range of 2 to 6 Hz, preferably 4 Hz.
4. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the voltage source comprises a battery or a storage battery which is connected with a DC converter.
5. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 4, characterized in that the battery is a 9V battery and that the DC converter has an output voltage of 30V which is clocked with a pulse frequency of 4Hz.
6. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the voltage source comprises an isolating transformer, a rectifier and a pulse shaper.
7. A vacuum cleaner according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the filter container comprises an opening through which a sodium chloride solution and/or a silver colloid solution can be added to the filter water.