Vacuum cleaner and method for cleaning a filter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9585533-B2
Application number	US-201313962630-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 8, 2013
Priority date	Feb 11, 2011
Publication date	Mar 7, 2017
Grant date	Mar 7, 2017

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner is provided, including a suction inlet, a dirt collection container, a filter device, a suction conduit, a suction unit, wherein the dirt collection container is in flow communication with the suction unit via the filter device and the suction conduit and wherein the filter device has a negative pressure applied to it by the suction unit, and including an external air valve device, wherein the filter device is capable of having external air applied thereto on the clean side thereof via the external air valve device and wherein for cleaning the filter device the external air valve device is capable of being brought from a closed valve position to an open valve position and back again from the open valve position to a closed valve position, characterized by a battery device for supplying energy to the external air valve device.

First claim

That which is claimed:

1. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:
a suction inlet;
a dirt collection container;
a filter device;
a suction conduit;
a suction unit;
wherein the dirt collection container is in flow communication with the suction unit via the filter device and the suction conduit; and
wherein the filter device has a negative pressure applied to it by the suction unit;
an external air valve device;
wherein the filter device is capable of having external air applied thereto on a clean side thereof via the external air valve device; and
wherein for cleaning the filter device the external air valve device is capable of being brought from a closed valve position to an open valve position and back again from the open valve position to a closed valve position; and
a battery device for supplying energy to the external air valve device;
wherein a control device is provided which controls the cleaning of the filter device by the external air valve device, wherein the filter cleaning is initiated manually or automatically;
wherein the control device controls an electric motor device of the suction unit, and
wherein the control device comprises a motor control subunit which is signally and operatively connected to an external air valve control subunit.

2. The vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the battery device is rechargeable.

3. The vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 1 , wherein at least one of the vacuum cleaner and the suction unit are supplied with energy via the battery device.

4. The vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 1 , wherein a mains voltage supply device is provided for the vacuum cleaner.

5. The vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 4 , wherein the mains voltage supply device has the capability of adjusting or selecting whether energy is supplied via the battery device or via the mains voltage supply device.

6. The vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the automatic initiating is at least one of time-dependent and depending on one or more sensor signals.

7. The vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the motor control subunit provides for the electric motor device to be controlled such that a working point or a working point range of the electric motor device is maintained for a filter cleaning process of the filter device.

8. The vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the control device and the battery device are coupled.

9. The vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the control device at least one of controls and monitors at least one of the charging and discharging and operation of the battery device.

10. The vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 8 , wherein the control device comprises at least one controller for controlling the electric motor device.

11. The vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 10 , wherein the control device comprises a first controller which is associated with a mains voltage supply device and comprises a second controller which is associated with the battery device, wherein either the first controller or the second controller controls the electric motor device depending upon which energy supply is active.

12. The vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 1 , wherein a receptacle for the battery device is arranged on a circuit board on which is arranged an electronic control device for the electric motor device.

13. The vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the suction unit comprises an electric motor device having at least one electric motor.

14. The vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 13 , wherein the at least one electric motor is a permanent magnet-excited synchronous motor.

15. The vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 13 , wherein the at least one electric motor is electronically commutated.

16. The vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 13 , wherein the at least one electric motor is a three-phase motor.

17. The vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the suction unit comprises a volute housing with an impeller rotating in the volute housing.

Assignees

• Kaercher Gmbh & Co Kg Alfred

Inventors

• Hensel Maic
• Fuchs Frank
• Scholl Julien

Classifications

• A47L9/20

  Means for cleaning filters · CPC title

• A47L9/2842

  Suction motors or blowers · 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

• B08B5/04

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