Method for cleaning a filter of a vacuum cleaner and vacuum cleaner for performing the method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9380919-B2
Application number	US-201313960250-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 6, 2013
Priority date	Feb 11, 2011
Publication date	Jul 5, 2016
Grant date	Jul 5, 2016

Abstract

A method is provided for cleaning at least one filter of a vacuum cleaner, wherein the vacuum cleaner comprises a suction inlet and a dirt collection container, which can be subjected to negative pressure by a suction unit via the at least one filter and a suction extraction line, and wherein for cleaning purposes the at least one filter can be acted upon by external air on the clean side via at least one external air valve, which moves from a closed valve position via an open valve position back into the closed valve position for cleaning the at least one filter. So that the at least one filter can be cleaned particularly effectively, the suction power of the suction unit can be increased before transfer of the external air valve to the open valve position and reduced again later. A vacuum cleaner for performing the method is also provided.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1. A method for cleaning at least one filter of a vacuum cleaner, wherein the vacuum cleaner comprises a suction inlet and a dirt collection container, which is in flow connection with a suction unit via the at least one filter and a suction extraction line, the at least one filter and the dirt collection container being subjected to negative pressure by the suction unit, wherein for cleaning purposes the at least one filter can be acted upon by external air on the clean side via at least one external air valve, which moves from a closed valve position to an open valve position and back again into the closed valve position for cleaning the at least one filter, and wherein the suction power of the suction unit is increased before transfer of the external air valve to the open valve position and the suction power of the suction unit is reduced again at a later point in time.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the suction power of the suction unit is increased before each transfer of the external air valve to the open valve position and reduced again later.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the suction power of the suction unit remains increased during the time interval in which the external air valve is open.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the suction power of the suction unit is reduced again at the earliest when the external air valve transfers to the closed valve position.

5. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the suction power of the suction unit is increased by at least 10%, in particular, by at least 30%.

6. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the supply energy provided to the suction unit is increased in order to increase the suction power of the suction unit.

7. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the supply voltage provided to the suction unit is increased in order to increase the suction power of the suction unit.

8. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the suction power of the suction unit is electronically controlled.

9. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the cleaning of the least one filter is triggered manually, time-dependently and/or in dependence upon a sensor signal.

10. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein supply energy from at least one rechargeable battery is provided to the suction unit at least from time to time.

11. A vacuum cleaner comprising a suction inlet and a dirt collection container, which is in flow connection with a suction unit via at least one filter and a suction extraction line, the at least one filter and the dirt collection container being subjected to negative pressure by the suction unit, wherein the at least one filter can be acted upon by external air on the clean side via at least one external air valve for cleaning purposes, wherein the external air valve is movable from a closed valve position to an open valve position and back again into the closed valve position for cleaning the at least one filter, and wherein the vacuum cleaner comprises an electronic control device for controlling the suction power of the suction unit, the electronic control device being adapted to increase the suction power of the suction unit before transfer of the external air valve to the open valve position and to reduce the suction power of the suction unit at a later point in time.

12. The vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 11 , wherein the suction power of the suction unit is increasable before each transfer of the external air valve to the open valve position and reducible again later.

13. The vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 11 , wherein the suction power of the suction unit is increased during the time interval in which the external air valve moves from the closed valve position via the open valve position back into the closed valve position.

14. The vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 11 , wherein the suction power of the suction unit is reducible again at the earliest when the external air valve transfers to the closed valve position.

15. The vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 11 , wherein the suction power of the suction unit is increasable by at least 10%, in particular, by at least 30%.

16. The vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 11 , wherein the supply energy provided to the suction unit is increasable in order to increase the suction power of the suction unit.

17. The vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 11 , wherein the supply voltage provided to the suction unit is increasable in order to increase the suction power of the suction unit.

18. The vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 11 , wherein the suction power of the suction unit is controllable by the control device in dependence upon the valve position of the external air valve.

19. The vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 11 , wherein the vacuum cleaner comprises an electronically controllable boost converter for increasing the supply voltage of the suction unit.

20. The vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 11 , wherein the cleaning of the at least one filter is triggerable manually, in a time-controlled manner and/or in a sensor-controlled manner.

21. The vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 11 , wherein the vacuum cleaner comprises at least one rechargeable battery.

Assignees

• Kaercher Gmbh & Co Kg Alfred

Inventors

• Hensel Maic
• Scholl Julien
• Fuchs Frank
• Engenhardt Ulrich
• Wirbel Britt
• Kunz Steffen

Classifications

• A47L9/20

  Means for cleaning filters · CPC title

• B08B5/04

  Cleaning by suction, with or without auxiliary action · CPC title

• A47L9/2884 Primary

  Details of arrangements of batteries or their installation · CPC title

• F16K17/042 Primary

  with locking or disconnecting arrangements · CPC title

• A47L9/2842

  Suction motors or blowers · CPC title