JP2017035459A - Vacuum cleaner and method for operating the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vacuum cleaner guaranteeing reliable suction of coarse dust by accommodating a suction nozzle to respective situations with little labor.SOLUTION: The vacuum cleaner includes a suction nozzle 4 for sucking coarse dust and/or fine dust from a floor 5 using a suction air flow, and a handle part for manually moving the suction nozzle 4 on the floor 5. The suction nozzle 4 comprises a housing 6, a suction chamber 8 having an opening forming a floor-side suction port 21, and a suction pipe 9 for guiding a suction air flow connected to the suction chamber 8, and a support element 12. The support element 12 includes an actuator 13 for increasing a distance of the suction port 21 relative to the floor 5 by extension and reducing the distance thereof by retraction. The actuator 13 is configured to be operated by a switch disposed on the handle part. This configuration allows a user to easily adjust the height of the suction nozzle by a little operation with the user's fingers, can guarantee the suction of the coarse dust, and accommodate the suction nozzle 4 to respective situations.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner comprising a suction nozzle for sucking dirt and / or dust, in particular coarse dust and / or fine dust, from a floor using a suction airflow, and a handle portion for manually moving the suction nozzle on the floor. The nozzle has a housing, a suction chamber formed in the housing and having an opening that forms a suction port on the floor side, a suction pipe and a support element for guiding a suction airflow connected to the suction chamber, and the support element is supported Suction nozzle, preferably using an electrical actuator, to increase the distance to the floor of the suction port at least in a region by extending the element and to reduce the distance to the floor of the suction port in at least a region by drawing in the support element It can drive relatively with respect to the lower side.

  A vacuum cleaner of the style mentioned at the beginning is known from US Pat. The vacuum cleaner suction nozzle described there can generally be used on carpet and hard floors, in which case it has good suction properties for fine dust and good suction properties for coarse dust . Therefore, the suction nozzle is provided with an auxiliary device for sucking coarse dust that can be switched independently, thereby achieving a larger distance between the floor to be cleaned and the suction port than during normal suction operation. In order to lift the suction nozzle and thereby achieve a larger spacing to the floor of the suction port, US Pat. No. 6,057,056 proposes a vertically adjustable support roller, from which the suction nozzle is higher due to the extension of the support roller. Can be lifted to level. At this higher level, coarse dust can better reach the lower side of the suction nozzle and thereby the lower side of the suction port and be sucked in as such. A control device is proposed which is arranged on the upper side of the suction nozzle for moving a support roller which can be extended.

  In addition, the suction nozzle for the vacuum cleaner achieves the position of the suction nozzle particularly suitable for suction from the carpet floor at the carpet floor position, and correspondingly particularly suitable for suction from the hard floor at the hard floor position. It is known in practice that the two positions can be switched so that the desired position is achieved. Typically, the spacing of the inlet to the floor to be sucked is narrower at the carpet floor location than at the hard floor location. The exchange of these two positions can be done, for example, by one or more rows of brush bristles extending from the underside of the suction nozzle, generally resulting in a greater spacing to the floor. In order to switch between the position of the carpet floor and the position of the hard floor, foot switches are often provided in suction nozzles known in the field.

European Patent No. 2 098 150 (B1)

  However, the problem with conventional vacuum cleaners is that reliable suction of coarse dust can be guaranteed in all situations only by the known suction nozzles requiring a relatively large effort. Despite the various adjustment possibilities of the suction nozzle, such adjustment of the suction nozzle can only be achieved, often with great effort, so that in each situation a reliable suction of the actual coarse dust can be achieved. Is also guaranteed.

  The problem to be solved by the present invention starting from this situation is to provide a vacuum cleaner that can adapt the suction nozzle to each situation with a small effort in order to guarantee reliable suction of coarse dust.

  This problem is solved by the subject matter of the independent claims. Preferred developments of the invention are described in the dependent claims.

  According to the present invention, the suction nozzle has a housing, a suction chamber formed in the housing and having an opening that forms a suction port on the floor side, a suction pipe and a support element for guiding the suction airflow connected to the suction chamber. The support element is preferably at least regionally increased by the support element extending to reduce the space to the floor of the inlet and at least regionally reduced by retracting the support element. A suction nozzle that can be moved relative to the underside of the suction nozzle using an electric actuator and sucks dirt and / or dust, especially coarse and / or fine dust, from the floor using a suction airflow, and the suction nozzle on the floor A vacuum cleaner with a handle part that can be moved manually with an actuator can be operated by a manually operable switch with an actuator located on the handle part. It is characterized in.

  Thus, an essential aspect of the present invention is that the spacing of the inlet to the floor can be controlled by such a switch, which is located in the handle portion of the vacuum cleaner, from which the vacuum cleaner user can Easy to operate manually. When the handle is held by the user to move the suction nozzle on the floor to be aspirated, only a slight movement of the user's finger is required by a manually operated switch located on the handle This makes it particularly easy to adjust the height of the suction nozzle in the inventive vacuum cleaner. In other respects, it is pointed out that this description of the vacuum cleaner of the present invention and its preferred developments is made to describe the vacuum cleaner in its operating position with the suction nozzle placed on the floor.

  According to a preferred development of the invention, an operating position of the support element for normal suction operation and a provisional coarse position of the support element for the suction of coarse dust compared to this operating position are contemplated, Since it extends further away from its operating position to accept the temporary coarse dust position, at the temporary coarse dust position a greater distance is achieved at least in regions than the operational position of the inlet to the floor. According to this preferred development of the invention, that is, from the position where the suction nozzle of the vacuum cleaner is basically well suited for the suction of the respective floor, it is temporarily moved to another position where improved suction of coarse dust is provided. Can be moved. For this purpose, the support element temporarily extends further, so that the larger dust inlet spacing that leads to it allows the coarse dust to better reach the lower side of the inlet nozzle and thereby the lower side of the inlet. It is possible, and from that, coarse dust is sucked.

  At this time, the distance between the suction port and the floor is larger than the distance at the operating position of the support element by a predetermined absolute value or a predetermined relative value at the temporary coarse dust position of the support element. This means that it is intended that the support element extends in a temporary coarse dust position, so that the suction port is intended to be further away from the floor than a working area, for example 5 mm. Alternatively, however, the suction nozzle is lifted relative to it, thereby causing the suction port to move away from the floor in relation to the spacing of the suction port in the operating position of the support element, i.e. the value at which the suction nozzle is always settable, for example. It can be envisaged that the lift is further lifted by 50% of the distance to the floor of the inlet, for example occurring in the operating position of the support element. In other respects, it is particularly preferred that the support element can be operated by a manually operable switch located in the handle portion to accept a temporary dust position. This means that, as already mentioned above, operating the suction nozzle with only one finger cleans up a larger spacing to the floor of the suction nozzle to improve the suction of coarse dust. Make it possible for the machine user.

  The operation of the actuator for the support element can here take place in different ways. According to a preferred development of the invention, the actuator is connected via a switch and a control device, and when the control device manually activates the switch, the support element is temporarily moved from its operating position beyond a predetermined operating time. It is brought to the dust position and is maintained there until the manual operation of the switch is stopped, and then set back to its operating position again. Suction suitable for improved coarse dust suction by a vacuum cleaner user operating the switch and maintaining the improved coarse dust suction maintained by the control device installed accordingly. The nozzle position can be temporarily achieved.

  Particularly preferably, the switch of the handle part that can be operated manually for this purpose is a push button or a movable switch. The push button or the movable switch can be finished so that it can be manually operated for a predetermined time without much effort. That is, it can be pushed or moved for a predetermined time so that a temporary coarse position of the support element is achieved. The control means that the actuator is operated so that the support element is brought from its operating position to the temporary dust position for the switch activation time, otherwise the user is able to improve the dust suction as desired. There is also an advantage that it is not forgotten to switch back to the normal operation again after performing the operation. That is, as soon as the user stops operating the switch, in this embodiment, the support element is automatically returned to the operating position.

  According to a preferred development of the invention, the operating position of two different support elements, i.e. the position of the carpet floor of the support element and on the other hand the position of the hard floor of the support element is contemplated, and the support element is rigid. Since the floor position extends longer than the carpet floor position, the hard floor position achieves at least a greater distance to the suction floor than the carpet floor position, and the actuator is manually operated on the handle. The switch can be operated to switch between the carpet floor position and the hard floor position. By operating the switch, the suction port can be lifted so that the distance between the suction port and the floor at the coarse dust position is larger than the distance between the suction port and the floor at the hard floor position. According to this preferred development of the invention, that is, the vacuum cleaner handle part in which the vacuum cleaner user can also manually operate the switching of the suction nozzle between different positions suitable for different types of floors to be cleaned. This can be done using the switch.

  Here it is possible to switch between the position of the carpet floor and the position of the hard floor with a manual switch to the user in a particularly easy and reliable way, while switching between the respective operating position and the temporary dust position According to a preferred development of the invention, the actuator is connected via a switch and a control device, ie the control device already mentioned above or a different control device, and a corresponding control device. However, the manual operation of the switch below a predetermined switching time is configured such that the actuator is operated to switch between the carpet floor position and the hard floor position. In other words, it can be contemplated that switching between the position of the carpet floor and the position of the hard floor can be achieved in this way by pressing a manually operable switch, for example formed as a keyboard, for a short time. In that case, switching between these two positions is intended to change from a carpet floor position to a hard floor position and vice versa.

  In combination with the further preferred embodiment of the present invention described above, according to this, the switch between the operating position of the support element and the temporary dust position of the support element is supported by a manually operated switch for a predetermined time. The element is achieved by staying in the temporary dust position only during this operating time of the switch, with the suction nozzle being the only switch with respect to its different position and thereby its suitability for a specific suction situation, ie the operation of the switch The possibility of working in connection with the method arises. Particularly preferably in this connection, it is triggered that the support element is moved to a temporary dust position after the end of the switch operation, and the support element returns to its operating position, from which it is provisional at the start of the switch operation. It is contemplated to begin moving to the coarse dust position. That is, when the support element is brought from the carpet floor position to the temporary dust position, the support element thus returns again to the carpet floor position in accordance with this development of the invention after the switch is activated. The same applies to the position of the hard floor of the support element.

  For the realization of the preferred development of the invention described at the end, preferably a position sensor is provided for at least indirectly determining the position of the support element. If the position of the support element can thus be determined actively, this guarantees that the support element will actually return to its operating position from which it came after it has moved to its temporary dust position. be able to. Preferably, in that case, it is contemplated that the actuator is connected by a support element and a spindle, the position of the support element is clearly determined by the position of the spindle and a position sensor is used to detect the position of the spindle. This position sensor is preferably shaped as at least one Hall sensor that can detect the rotation of the spindle and its position, particularly preferably so as to detect the rotation of the spindle.

  Other transformations can be contemplated to detect the position of the spindle. In this way, a plurality of hall sensors can be arranged on the actuator. Furthermore, a slip resistor can be provided, and the resistance change can be used for position detection. Finally the position can also be determined by a mechanical switch.

  According to a preferred development of the invention, such a control device is further provided for the control of the support element, to which a position sensor is connected for transmitting the detected position of the spindle, the control device being connected to the support element. Is performed in relation to the detected position of the spindle. This allows a more reliable return to the operating position of the support element already mentioned, from which a temporary dust position is reached. This control device can also be one of the control devices mentioned above or different.

  Eventually, the support element can be shaped essentially as a fixed element, with which the suction nozzle can be supported against the floor. In order to facilitate the movement of the suction nozzle while supported by the support element, the support element can have a sliding surface. According to a preferred development of the invention, however, the support element comprises a roller and / or roll.

  According to the present invention, the suction nozzle further comprises a suction nozzle for sucking dirt and / or dust, especially coarse dust and / or fine dust from the floor using the suction airflow, and a handle portion for manually moving the suction nozzle on the floor. Has a housing, a suction chamber formed in the housing and having an opening that forms a suction port on the floor side, a suction pipe and a support element for guiding a suction air flow connected to the suction chamber, and the support element extends the support element The lower side of the suction nozzle, preferably using an electric actuator, in order to increase the distance to the floor of the suction port at least regionally and reduce the spacing of the suction port to the floor at least regionally by retracting the support element The operation method of the vacuum cleaner that is driven relative to the actuator is operated by a manually operable switch with an actuator located on the handle And wherein the door.

  Further preferred developments of the method of the invention will be found similar to the preferred developments of the inventive vacuum cleaner described above.

1 shows in perspective view a vacuum cleaner according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. 1 schematically shows a suction nozzle of the vacuum cleaner illustrated in FIG. 1 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 4 shows a graph for facilitating the transition from the operating position of the suction nozzle support element to the temporary coarse dust position according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 3 shows a graph for facilitating the transition from a hard floor position of a suction nozzle support element to a carpet floor position according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 4 schematically shows a control flow provided by a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings based on preferred embodiments of the present invention.

  FIG. 1 shows a vacuum cleaner 1 having a suction nozzle 4 placed on an operation tube 2, a basic body 3 and a floor 5. A dust collection chamber (not shown) is further provided in the basic body 3 of the vacuum cleaner 1, which also has a dust filter bag (not shown), in which dust particles and / or dust that are attracted from the floor 5 by the suction airflow. Dirt particles are collected. Therefore, an airtight connection is formed between the suction nozzle 4 and the dust collection chamber.

  Furthermore, from FIG. 1, the vacuum cleaner 1 according to the presently described preferred embodiment of the present invention has a handle portion 17 at the end of the operating tube 2 opposite to the suction nozzle 4, and is used for cleaning. It can be seen that the machine 1 and thereby the suction nozzle 4 can be moved over the floor 5. A mesh cable 19 for supplying current to the cleaner 1 from the handle portion 17 extends. Further, a switch 18 is disposed on the handle portion 17 and can be used to control the cleaner 1 as will be described in detail below.

  In this context, it is pointed out that the structural form of the vacuum cleaner 1 described here is of course not limiting the invention. In particular, such a vacuum cleaner not described in detail here, in which the basic body is not directly arranged on the operation tube, but is connected to an operation tube having a suction nozzle or a handle portion at its end by a hose, for example. It is within the scope of the present invention.

  FIG. 2 shows a schematic side view of the suction nozzle 4 of the cleaner 1 according to the preferred embodiment of the invention described herein. The suction nozzle 4 has a housing 6 made of synthetic resin, the lower side 7 of which is directed to the floor 5. A tunnel extending in the longitudinal direction so as to intersect the forward stroke direction r is formed in the housing 6 in front of the suction nozzle 4 in the forward stroke direction r as the suction chamber 8. In the suction chamber 8, brush bristles for peeling off dirt particles and / or dust particles not shown here from the floor 5 can be arranged. The suction chamber 8 is airtightly connected to a suction pipe 9 connected to a blower (not shown) so as not to be shown in more detail here, so that a suction airflow can hit the suction chamber 8. The dirt particles and / or dust particles that are attracted together by the suction airflow thus reach the dust collection chamber of the cleaner 1 from the suction chamber 8 through the suction pipe 9.

  In the rear region of the suction nozzle 4, two traveling rollers 10, which are only one in FIG. 2, are provided in the side region of the housing 6. The shaft 11 of the traveling roller 10 extends through a plane stretched by the lower side 7 of the housing 6 of the suction nozzle 4, that is, perpendicular to the forward travel direction r. The suction chamber 8 is defined in front by a flexible sealing lip 15, while the rear side of the suction chamber 8 is defined by a row of brush hairs 16. Further, the suction chamber 8 has an opening forming a suction port 21 on the floor side, and dirt sucked from the floor 5 reaches the suction chamber 8 through the opening.

  It is important here that the suction nozzle 4 comprises a support element 12 in the form of a support roller that can be run using an electric actuator 13. That is, when the support element 12 extends relative to the lower side 7 of the suction nozzle 4, the space between the suction port 21 and the floor 5 is enlarged when the support element 12 is extended, and the floor 5 of the suction port 21 is retracted. It is possible to travel so that the distance to can be reduced. Extension or retraction of the support element 12 by the actuator 13 is performed by a spindle 14 that connects the support element 12 and the actuator 13.

  3, 4, and 5, how the actuator 13 can be operated by the user of the cleaner 1 using the switch 18 provided on the handle portion 17 to bring the support element 12 to different positions. Is shown. In that case, the basic control flow is found from FIG. Here, it is shown that the switch 18 provided in the handle portion 17 is connected to the control device 19. The control device 19 is further connected to the actuator 13 so that the actuator 13 can run the support element 12 by means of the spindle 14. A position sensor 20 in the form of a Hall sensor is arranged adjacent to the spindle 14 so that the position of the spindle 14 can be detected by counting its rotation. In this way, a position sensor 20 also connected to the control device 19 sends a signal to the control device 19, which causes the control device 19 to return the position of the support element 12 based on the position of the spindle 14. In general, according to the preferred embodiment example described herein of the present invention, this allows the following control:

FIG. 3 is a graph showing the distance a from the suction port 21 to the floor 5 in relation to the time t. At a time less than t ₁ , the distance a to the floor 5 of the suction port 21 is a = A, which corresponds to a predetermined distance of the suction port 21 to the floor 5 in the operating position for normal suction of the floor 5. To do. From this operating position, the support element 12 can be transferred to the temporary dust position, ie further extended, and in the temporary dust position, the distance a is increased to a larger value a = G. In this way, coarse dust can more easily reach the lower side of the suction nozzle 4 and thereby into the region of the suction port 21, from which it can be sucked in via the suction chamber 8.

Control by the user is effected by a switch 18 in the handle portion 17 of the vacuum cleaner 1 which can be operated manually, that is, the user presses the switch 18, here shaped as a keyboard, at time t ₁ until time t _2. This is done by holding down. Extends as support element 12 by pushing the switch 18 at time t ₁ is the distance a to the floor 5 of the inlet 21 is expanded to the value a = G, the distance a = G is a user operates the switch 18 Will be maintained as long as you continue. At time t ₂ draws pressing the switch 18 after the end of the support element 12 again, draws up interval Sokuchi inlet 21 and the floor 5 is a = A corresponding to contemplated intervals for operation position again .

Alternatively, the user can control the suction nozzle 4 as shown in FIG. 4 by using a switch provided on the handle portion 17. Here, the control of the support element 12 corresponds to switching from the position of the hard floor to the position of the carpet floor, and the distance from the suction port 21 to the floor 5 is smaller than the position of the hard floor at the carpet floor position. In particular, an interval a of a = H to the floor 5 of the suction inlet 21 before the time t ₃ is intended correspondingly to the position of the hard floor of the support element 12. Pressing the switch 18 provided on the handle portion 17 for less than 1 second is interpreted by the controller 19 as the user wishes to change the hard floor position of the support element to the carpet floor position. The

The controller 19 can then detect whether the switch from the carpet floor position to the hard floor position or vice versa is desired without the switch 18 being pressed by the user. That is, the user must always press the switch 18 short once, regardless of which direction the position of the carpet floor and the hard floor should be switched. However, the control device 19 knows the position of the spindle 14 based on the signal transmitted by the position sensor 20, so that the control device 19 knows where the support element 12 is present by this signal, in particular the support element is the It can be ascertained whether it exists at the floor position and must be transferred to the hard floor position or vice versa. In this example, the control device knows that the support element 12 is in the hard floor position at a time before t ₃ based on the position signal to the spindle 14, so that the support element 12 is sucked by a short press of the switch 18 by the user. The distance a to the floor 5 of the mouth 21 is retracted until it is reduced to the value a = T, which corresponds to a predetermined distance for the position of the carpet floor.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vacuum cleaner 2 Operation pipe 3 Basic body 4 Suction nozzle 5 Floor 6 Housing 7 Lower side 8 Suction chamber 9 Suction pipe 10 Traveling roller 11 Axis 12 Support element 13 Actuator 14 Spindle 15 Seal lip 16 Brush bristle row 17 Handle part 18 Switch 19 Control device 20 Position sensor 21 Suction port r Forward stroke direction

Claims (10)

  A suction chamber (8) having an opening in which a suction nozzle (4) is formed in the housing (6) and the housing (6) to form a floor side suction port (21), and suction connected to the suction chamber (8) It has a suction pipe (9) and a support element (12) for guiding the air flow, and the support element (12) extends from the floor (5) of the suction port (21) by extending the support element (12). The electric actuator (13) to at least regionally reduce the spacing of the inlet (21) to the floor (5) by increasing the spacing to the floor (5) at least regionally and withdrawing the support element (12). Can be used to travel relative to the lower side (7) of the suction nozzle (4), and the actuator (13) can be operated by a manually operable switch (18) disposed on the handle portion (17). , Suction air The suction nozzle (4) for sucking dirt and / or dust, in particular coarse dust and / or fine dust, from the floor (5) and manually moving the suction nozzle (4) on the floor (5) A vacuum cleaner comprising the handle portion (17).   An operating position of the support element (12) for normal suction operation and a provisional coarse dust position of the support element (12) for suction of improved coarse dust compared to the operating position are contemplated, and the support element ( 12) extends further away from its operating position to accept the temporary coarse dust position, so that at the temporary coarse dust position at least regionally to the floor (5) of the inlet (21) 2. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a distance greater than the operating position is achieved.   The actuator (13) is connected to the switch (18) via a control device (19), and the control device (19) exceeds the predetermined operating time when the switch (18) is manually operated. The support element (12) is brought from its operating position to a temporary dust position and is maintained there until the manual operation of the switch (18) is stopped and then returned to its operating position again. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, wherein   A plurality of different operating positions of the support element (12) are contemplated, the operating position comprising a carpet floor position of the support element (12) and a hard floor position of the support element (12), Since the support element (12) extends longer than the carpet floor position at the hard floor position, it is at least regionally larger at the hard floor position than the carpet floor position to the floor (5) of the inlet (21). 4. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that a distance is achieved and the actuator (13) is operable to switch between a carpet floor position and a hard floor position by means of the switch (18).   The actuator (13) is connected to the switch (18) via a control device (19), and when the control device (19) manually operates the switch (18) for less than a predetermined switching time, the actuator 5. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that (13) is configured to be operated to switch between the carpet floor position and the hard floor position.   6. A vacuum cleaner according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a position sensor (20) is provided for at least indirectly determining the position of the support element (12).   The actuator (13) is connected to the support element (12) by a spindle (14), the position of the support element (12) is clearly determined by the position of the spindle (14), and the position sensor (20) The vacuum cleaner according to claim 6, characterized in that it is arranged and set to detect the position of the spindle (14).   8. Cleaning according to claim 7, characterized in that at least one Hall sensor, preferably two Hall sensors, is provided as a position sensor (20) for detecting the rotation of the spindle (14) and the resulting position. Machine.   A control device (19) is provided for controlling the actuator (13), and the position sensor (20) is connected to the control device (19) for transmitting the detected position of the spindle (14). 9. The control device (19) according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that the control device (19) is set so that the operation of the actuator (13) is performed in relation to the detected position of the spindle (14). The vacuum cleaner described.   A suction chamber (8) having an opening in which a suction nozzle (4) is formed in the housing (6) and the housing (6) to form a floor side suction port (21), and suction connected to the suction chamber (8) It has a suction pipe (9) and a support element (12) for guiding the air flow, and the support element (12) extends from the floor (5) of the suction port (21) by extending the support element (12). The electric actuator (13) to at least regionally reduce the spacing of the inlet (21) to the floor (5) by increasing the spacing to the floor (5) at least regionally and withdrawing the support element (12). The suction which is used to move relative to the lower side (7) of the suction nozzle and sucks dirt and / or dust, in particular coarse and / or fine dust, from the floor (5) using a suction airflow Nozzle (4) and front In a method of operating a vacuum cleaner comprising a handle part (17) for manually moving a suction nozzle (4) on the floor (5), the actuator (13) is manually arranged in the handle part (17) Actuated by a switch (18) operable by

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