阅读说明：本技术 手持式旋风真空吸尘器 (Hand-held cyclone vacuum cleaner ) 是由 安娜-莱娜·科德斯 瓦尔德玛·克劳斯 迈克尔·波廷 斯特凡·克雷梅尔 于 2021-05-06 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及一种用于清洁和护理地板表面的手持式旋风真空吸尘器(100),其具有：驱动单元(5),用于产生负压以通过抽吸气流(19)拾取抽吸材料；分离单元(18),用于从抽吸气流(19)中分离抽吸材料,其中,分离单元(18)具有用于产生抽吸气流(19)的驱动单元(5)、至少一个第一过滤器级(6)、第二过滤器级(7)和第三过滤器级(9)；其中,在驱动单元壳体(15)中,所述驱动单元(5)布置在所述抽吸气流(19)中的所述第二过滤器级(7)的下游和所述抽吸气流(19)中的所述第三过滤器级(9)的上游,其中,所产生的抽吸气流(19)首先穿过所述第一过滤器级(6),然后穿过所述第二过滤器级(7),最后穿过另一过滤器级(8),并且在所述驱动单元(5)的操作期间产生的所述抽吸气流(19)围绕所述驱动单元(5)流动,所述第三过滤器级(9)在流动方面布置在所述另一过滤器级(8)的下游,并且具有排气过滤器元件。(The present invention relates to a handheld cyclonic vacuum cleaner (100) for cleaning and caring for floor surfaces, having: a drive unit (5) for generating a negative pressure to pick up the suctioned material by the suction air flow (19); a separating unit (18) for separating the suction material from the suction gas flow (19), wherein the separating unit (18) has a drive unit (5) for generating the suction gas flow (19), at least one first filter stage (6), a second filter stage (7) and a third filter stage (9); wherein, in a drive unit housing (15), the drive unit (5) is arranged downstream of the second filter stage (7) in the suction air flow (19) and upstream of the third filter stage (9) in the suction air flow (19), wherein the generated suction air flow (19) first passes through the first filter stage (6), then through the second filter stage (7), and finally through a further filter stage (8), and the suction air flow (19) generated during operation of the drive unit (5) flows around the drive unit (5), the third filter stage (9) being arranged downstream of the further filter stage (8) in terms of flow and having an exhaust filter element.)

1. A hand-held cyclonic vacuum cleaner (100) for cleaning and caring for floor surfaces, the vacuum cleaner (100) having a drive unit (5) for generating a negative pressure to pick up suction material by a suction airflow (19), a separation unit (18) for separating suction material from the suction airflow (19), the separation unit (18) having a drive unit (5) for generating a suction airflow (19), at least one first filter stage (6), a second filter stage (7) and a third filter stage (9), the drive unit (5) being arranged in a drive unit housing (15) downstream of the second filter stage (7) in the suction airflow (19) and upstream of the third filter stage (9) in the suction airflow (19),

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

the suction gas flow (19) generated first passes through the first filter stage (6), then through the second filter stage (7), and finally through a further filter stage (8), the suction gas flow (19) generated during operation of the drive unit (5) flowing around the drive unit (5), the third filter stage (9) being arranged downstream of the further filter stage (8) in terms of flow and having an exhaust filter element.

2. The vacuum cleaner (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the drive unit (5) is arranged in the drive unit housing (15) such that the flow direction of the suction airflow (19) entering the drive unit (5) is opposite to the flow direction of the suction airflow (19) from the second filter stage (2) to the further filter stage (8).

3. The vacuum cleaner (100) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the first filter stage (6) has a cyclone created by the drive unit (5) during operation, the second filter stage (7) has a pre-filter and the further filter stage (8) has a central filter, the pre-filter and the central filter being arranged axially, and the first filter stage (6), the second filter stage (7) and the further filter stage (8) being arranged one after the other in a specific sequence in terms of flow.

4. The vacuum cleaner (100) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the second filter stage (7) is removable from the separation unit (18) in a removal direction which is opposite to a further removal direction in which the further filter stage (8) is removable from the separation unit (18).

5. The vacuum cleaner (100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the exhaust filter element is preferably designed as a filter or a flap in an outer housing of the separation unit (18).

6. Vacuum cleaner (100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the separation unit (18) has a drive unit container (2) and a separation container (3), the drive unit container (2) accommodating the drive unit housing (15), the drive unit (5) and the further filter stage (8), the separation container (3) having the first filter stage (6) and the second filter stage (7), and the drive unit container (2) and the separation container (3) being arranged adjacent to each other and each extending along parallel longitudinal axes.

7. Vacuum cleaner (100) according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the drive unit housing (15) is surrounded by a circular arch shaped flow cross section through which the suction air flow (19) flows during operation before reaching the further filter stage (8).

8. The vacuum cleaner (100) of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the first filter stage (6) of the separation unit (18) of the cyclonic vacuum cleaner forms a longitudinal axis (20), the suction airflow (19) forming a vortex about the longitudinal axis (20) of the first filter stage (6) during operation of the drive unit (5), the longitudinal axis (20) of the first filter stage (6) being oriented parallel to a longitudinal axis (21) of a suction duct (4).

9. Vacuum cleaner (100) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the further filter stage (8) has a central filter through which the suction airflow (19) generated flows from the outside to the inside.

10. A vacuum cleaner (100) according to claim 9, characterized in that a mechanical cleaning device (22) is provided for releasing dirt adhering to the filter medium of the central filter (8), that the cleaning device (22) has a cleaning shaft (23), that the cleaning shaft (23) rotates in the central filter (8) for releasing the adhering dirt, and that the cleaning shaft (23) is provided with an impulse generator (24), that the impulse generator (24) is designed to apply an impulse from the rotational movement of the cleaning shaft (23) to the filter medium, that the impulse releases the adhering dirt.

11. Vacuum cleaner (100) according to claim 10, characterized in that the central filter (8) is arranged in a separation vessel outer housing (13), the separation vessel outer housing (13) being provided with an opening (26) which can be covered by a lid (25), the central filter (8) being removable from the separation vessel outer housing (13) via the opening (26) in order to exchange the filter and/or clean the filter and/or to empty the separation vessel outer housing (13), the lid (25) being provided with an actuating element (27), the cleaning shaft (23) being actuated via the actuating element (27) to release dirt adhering in the central filter (8) accommodated in the separation vessel outer housing (13).

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a handheld cyclonic vacuum cleaner, which for simplicity will be referred to hereinafter as a vacuum cleaner. In particular, the present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner having a separation container for receiving suction material and a drive unit container having a drive unit designed to generate a suction airflow during operation.

Background

Such a vacuum cleaner is known from WO2017046559a 1. The vacuum cleaner has two filter stages implemented using cyclone technology, making it designed as a multi-stage cyclone. Furthermore, the vacuum cleaner has, in terms of flow, a third filter stage downstream of the multi-stage cyclone, which third filter stage is built around the encapsulated radial fan. The axial outflow of the fan is directed through an exhaust filter. However, the flow against the individual filter stages requires a relatively large amount of installation space.

A hand-held cyclonic vacuum cleaner for cleaning and caring for floor surfaces is known from EP3718452a 1. It has a drive unit for generating a negative pressure for picking up the suctioned material by the suction air flow. Furthermore, the vacuum cleaner has a separating unit for separating the suction material from the suction airflow, the separating unit comprising a drive unit for generating the suction airflow. The separation unit also has a first filter stage in the form of a cyclone, a second filter stage and a third filter stage. In this vacuum cleaner, the drive unit is arranged in the drive unit housing downstream of the suction air flow of the second filter stage and upstream of the suction air flow of the third filter stage.

Disclosure of Invention

Accordingly, the problem addressed by the present invention is to provide a handheld cyclone vacuum cleaner having a plurality of filter stages implemented in a compact installation space. Furthermore, the filter stage should be more accessible to the user. In addition, simple, automatic cleaning of the filter stages should be possible.

According to the invention, this problem is solved by a handheld cyclonic vacuum cleaner having the features of claim 1. Since the generated suction air flow passes first through the first filter stage, then through the second filter stage, and finally through the further filter stage, the suction air flow generated during operation of the drive unit flows around the drive unit, and the third filter stage is arranged downstream of the further filter stage in terms of flow and has an exhaust filter element, it is possible to provide a handheld cyclonic vacuum cleaner which has a plurality of filter stages in a compact installation space. The generated suction air flow flows around a drive unit housing, into which the drive unit is integrated. Since the suction air flow can flow around the drive unit located in the drive unit housing, installation space is saved. In this case, the drive unit housing in which the drive unit is arranged is advantageously arranged downstream of the second filter stage and upstream of the third filter stage. The installation space required for the third filter stage can be significantly reduced by a further filter stage which is arranged upstream of the third filter stage in terms of flow. Accordingly, the present invention relates to a handheld cyclonic vacuum cleaner having a separation unit for collecting suction material, the separation unit having a drive unit for generating a suction airflow, a first filter stage, a second filter stage and a third filter stage; wherein the drive unit is arranged in a drive unit housing which is located downstream of the second filter stage in terms of suction air flow and upstream of the third filter stage in terms of suction air flow, wherein the suction air flow generated during operation of the drive unit flows around the drive unit. The drive unit is spatially arranged in the drive unit housing between the second filter stage and the further filter stage.

The present invention provides a vacuum cleaner of compact design with multiple filter stages. The implementation of a plurality of filter stages allows a particularly efficient separation unit with a particularly selective first filter stage. At the same time, all filter stages of the separation unit that need to be cleaned regularly are arranged to be easily accessible to the user.

The expression "handheld" is understood to mean that the vacuum cleaner is carried in the hand of a user during operation. For this purpose, the vacuum cleaner preferably also has a handle. The handle is preferably firmly connected or can be firmly connected to the separating unit.

The term "cyclonic vacuum cleaner" is to be understood as a bagless vacuum cleaner and wherein the suction airflow in the separation unit forms a vortex which separates dust and dirt particles from the suction airflow under the influence of gravity.

The expression "bagless" means that the suction material in the vacuum cleaner is directly collected in the separation unit or separated from the suction air flow without a bag or similar replaceable filter medium for receiving suction material being arranged therein, so that a user does not remove a bag or the like from the separation vessel in order to empty the suction material from the separation unit. However, the vacuum cleaner has several filter media which prevent sucked-in suction material from entering the drive unit arranged in the drive unit housing.

Advantageous embodiments and developments of the invention can be gathered from the following dependent claims. It should be noted that the features listed individually in the claims can also be combined with one another in any desired and technically practical manner and thus provide further embodiments of the invention.

In a preferred embodiment, the drive unit is arranged such that the flow direction of the suction air flow into the drive unit is opposite to the flow direction of the suction air flow from the second filter stage to the further filter stage. Thus, as the generated suction airflow travels within the vacuum cleaner, its direction also changes by 180 °. The drive unit, which is preferably designed as a fan, is preferably rotated 180 ° relative to the suction duct of the vacuum cleaner, and the suction air flow enters the vacuum cleaner before entering the filter stage. That is, the flow direction of the suction airflow flowing into the suction pipe is opposite to the other flow direction of the suction airflow entering the drive unit.

The first filter stage preferably has a cyclone generated during operation of the drive unit; the second filter stage preferably has a pre-filter and the further filter stage preferably has a central filter. The central filter preferably has a storage medium designed to store dust. The storage medium is preferably designed as a fine filter. The pre-filter substantially serves as filter protection for the central filter and is substantially designed to prevent coarse particles from entering the space between the second filter stage and the further filter stage.

The pre-filter and the central filter are preferably arranged axially along the longitudinal axis of the separation unit. The separation unit preferably extends along a longitudinal axis. The pre-filter and the central filter preferably each extend parallel to the longitudinal axis.

The first filter stage, the second filter stage and the further filter stage are preferably arranged one after the other in flow terms in a specified order. This means that the suction gas flow generated first passes through the first filter stage, then through the second filter stage and finally through the further filter stage.

In a preferred embodiment, the first filter stage further has an inlet slot arranged such that, during operation, the suction airflow from the inlet slot is directed tangentially to the inner wall of the separation vessel such that, during operation, a cyclone is formed in the first filter stage. A cyclonic vortex is formed during operation in the first filter stage, causing particles with a certain pressure loss and a certain cut size to separate out. The first filter stage preferably has the inlet tank, the inner wall and a dip tube (dip tube). The dip tube is preferably firmly connected to the inner wall and arranged on the side of the inner wall facing away from the second filter stage. The inlet slot preferably has a rectangular cross-section.

The vacuum cleaner preferably has the suction duct from which a suction airflow flows into the inlet slot during operation. The suction duct preferably has a circular cross-section. The suction pipe may preferably be connected to a floor nozzle and/or an extension pipe. The suction tube has a longitudinal axis which is located in the center of its circular cross-section and extends along the entire length of the suction tube.

The second filter stage preferably has a prefilter. The pre-filter is preferably formed from a fabric mesh, a plastic screen, a perforated grid or a metal mesh. The second filter stage preferably also has an inner tube connected to the pre-filter. In terms of flow, the inner tube is preferably arranged downstream of the pre-filter and upstream of the third filter stage. The pre-filter is preferably arranged between the inner wall and the inner tube.

In a preferred embodiment, the central filter is a cylindrical filter sealed with respect to the drive unit and separation unit housing. The central filter preferably has a storage medium designed to store dust. The storage medium is preferably designed as a fine filter. The pre-filter substantially serves as filter protection for the central filter and is substantially designed to prevent coarse particles from entering the space between the second filter stage and the further filter stage.

The further filter stage is preferably arranged such that the suction air flow generated during operation flows axially into the drive unit. This allows the vacuum cleaner to have a compact design.

In a preferred embodiment, the second filter stage is removable from the separation unit in a removal direction which is opposite to a further removal direction in which the further filter stage is removable from the separation unit. Since the arrangement of the second filter stage and the further filter stage is offset in parallel, both can be removed independently of each other. The pre-filter is preferably detachably connected to an inner wall of the first filter stage, which inner wall is connected to the dip tube, so that the second filter stage can be removed from the separation vessel by removing the dip tube.

The vacuum cleaner has a third filter stage, which is arranged downstream of the further filter stage in terms of flow and which has an exhaust filter element. The exhaust gas filter element is preferably designed as a filter or as a flap in the housing of the separation unit.

In a preferred embodiment, the separation unit has a drive unit container and a separation container, the drive unit container containing the drive unit housing, the drive unit and the further filter stage, and the separation container having the first and second filter stages. The drive unit receptacle and the separation receptacle are preferably arranged adjacent to each other and extend along parallel longitudinal axes. The separation vessel and the drive unit vessel are preferably permanently connected to each other.

The drive unit housing is preferably surrounded by a circular arch (circular segment) shaped flow cross section through which the suction air flow flows during operation before it reaches the further filter stage. As a result, the vacuum cleaner is still provided in a compact manner. However, the circular arch shaped flow cross section may be partially interrupted by one or more functional geometries. The drive unit housing, the flow cross-section and the central filter are preferably designed and arranged such that the suction air flow flows against the circumference of the further filter stage during operation.

The suction duct diameter of said suction duct is preferably substantially equal to the cross-sectional area of said inlet slot with rectangular cross-section. The suction pipe diameter is preferably substantially equal to the filter stage diameter of the inner pipe of the second filter stage and/or to the diameter of the pre-filter. The area of the flow cross-section between the drive unit housing and the drive unit outer container housing is preferably approximately equal to the area of the suction tube diameter. These diameters are in particular the internal diameters.

The diameter of the aspiration tube is preferably in the range 20mm to 40mm, preferably 25mm to 35 mm. The first filter stage preferably has the following dimensions: the cyclone preferably has a diameter in the range of 90mm to 100 mm; the height of the cyclone, which is defined as the dimension between the inlet slot and the inner wall, is preferably in the range from 80mm to 140mm, preferably from 110mm to 130 mm. The height of the dip tube (which represents the longitudinal extension of the dip tube from the inner wall) is preferably in the range of 20mm to 60mm, more preferably 30mm to 50mm, and the diameter of the dip tube is preferably 35mm to 60mm, more preferably 40mm to 50 mm. The width of the inlet slot is preferably 14mm to 30mm, preferably 18mm to 26mm, while the height of the inlet slot is preferably 20mm to 52mm, preferably 30mm to 40mm, the height and width of the inlet slot defining the cross section of the inlet slot. The smaller the diameter of the pre-filter, the better the separation between the second filter stage and the further filter stage and the better its separation efficiency.

The drive unit receptacle is preferably connected to a handle. In the operative working position, the drive unit receptacle is preferably located at the rear side or end of the vacuum cleaner, which means that it is closer to the user's hand and further away from the surface to be vacuumed than the separation receptacle.

The vacuum cleaner is preferably a cordless vacuum cleaner. In other words, the vacuum cleaner has a battery and is designed to be operated by means of the battery as a power source. The battery may be connected to the smoking material container and/or the device body, preferably to the device body.

Furthermore, the vacuum cleaner may have an extension tube which may be connected to the suction tube. Furthermore, the vacuum cleaner may have a floor nozzle connectable to the suction pipe and the extension pipe.

The drive unit is preferably designed as a fan.

An embodiment is particularly advantageous, which provides that the first filter stage of the separation unit of the cyclonic vacuum cleaner forms a longitudinal axis, wherein the suction air flow forms a vortex about the longitudinal axis of the first filter stage during operation of the drive unit, the longitudinal axis of the first filter stage being oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the suction duct. The parallel orientation of the first filter stage and the longitudinal axis of the suction duct facilitates a vacuum cleaner having a compact design.

An advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the further filter stage has a central filter through which the generated suction air flow flows from the outside to the inside. The central filter has a preferably cylindrical basic shape, wherein preferably pleated filter media is arranged along the cylindrical shape and separates an inner region of the central filter from an outer region of the central filter. When flowing through the central filter from the outside to the inside, dirt particles are separated from the suction airstream on the outside of the filter medium and the clean suction airstream flows into the inner region of the central filter. Automatic cleaning of the dirt particles deposited on the outside can be easily achieved.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, a mechanical cleaning device is provided for releasing dirt adhering to the filter medium of the central filter, wherein the cleaning device has a cleaning shaft which rotates in the central filter to release the adhering dirt and is provided with a pulse generator which is designed to apply pulses from a rotational movement of the cleaning shaft to the filter medium, which releases the adhering dirt. By means of such a mechanical cleaning device, dirt adhering to the filter medium can be easily released, since the triggered pulses knock off dirt particles. The dirt particles released by the pulse fall from the filter medium of the central filter and can thus be removed from time to time from the filter space in which the central filter is arranged.

A particularly preferred embodiment provides that the central filter is arranged in the separation vessel outer housing which is provided with an opening which can be covered by a lid, via which the central filter can be removed from the separation vessel outer housing in order to exchange the filter and/or clean the filter and/or empty the separation vessel outer housing, which lid is provided with an actuating element via which the cleaning shaft is actuated to release adhering dirt in the central filter accommodated in the separation vessel outer housing. Through the opening, the central filter can be easily removed from the separation vessel housing for replacement or manual cleaning. The actuating element in the lid also allows simple mechanical cleaning of the central filter without the need to remove the central filter from the separation vessel. For this purpose, the cleaning shaft is simply rotated by the actuating element to release the adhering dirt. Cleaning the central filter without removing the central filter is a simple hygienic concept, since direct contact with dust is minimized. Furthermore, when dirt is separated, the performance of the vacuum cleaner can be maintained for a longer time or be restored with little time spent.

Drawings

Other features, details and advantages of the invention may be found in the following description and the accompanying drawings. Embodiments of the invention are shown in the following figures in a purely schematic manner and will be described in more detail below. Corresponding subject matter or elements have the same reference numerals throughout the drawings, wherein:

figure 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a vacuum cleaner according to the present invention;

figure 2 is a perspective view of the vacuum cleaner shown in figure 1;

figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the vacuum cleaner shown in figure 2;

figure 4 is another cross-sectional view of the vacuum cleaner shown in figure 2;

figure 5 is another partial cross-sectional view of the vacuum cleaner shown in figure 2;

figure 6 is another cross-sectional view of the vacuum cleaner shown in figure 2;

figure 7 is another cross-sectional view of the vacuum cleaner shown in figure 2;

figure 8 is another cross-sectional view of the vacuum cleaner shown in figure 2;

figure 9 is another partial cross-sectional view of the vacuum cleaner shown in figure 2;

FIG. 10 illustrates a filter assembly; and

fig. 11, 11a, 11b show the filter assembly in the outer housing of the separation vessel.

Detailed Description

Figure 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a vacuum cleaner according to the present invention. The vacuum cleaner 100 has a separating unit 18, the separating unit 18 having a permanently connected separating container 3 and a drive unit container 2. The separation vessel 3 is designed to separate and collect the suction material, while the adjacent drive unit vessel 2 contains a drive unit 5 designed to generate a suction air flow 19. The separation vessel 3 has a first filter stage 6 and a second filter stage 7, while the drive unit vessel 2 has a further filter stage 8. The first filter stage 6 has a cyclone created during operation, while the second filter stage 7 has a pre-filter and the further filter stage 8 has a central filter.

The first filter stage 6, the second filter stage 7 and the further filter stage 8 are arranged one after the other in the flow direction in the specified order. The pre-filter and the central filter are arranged axially. The first filter stage 6 has an inner wall 10 and a dip tube 17. The drive unit container 2 has a drive unit container housing 12, and the third filter stage 9 is integrated into the drive unit container housing 12, optionally in the form of an exhaust gas filter. Furthermore, the drive unit container 2 has a drive unit housing 15, in which drive unit 5 is mounted in the drive unit housing 15.

During operation, the drive unit 5 generates a suction air flow 19, the suction air flow 19 being indicated partly by arrows. First, the suction airflow 19 passes through the first filter stage 6, in which first filter stage 6 the suction airflow 19 hits the inner wall 10 and forms a cyclone. The coarse dirt is collected in the separating container 3 and the air from the suction air flow 19 flows back to the second filter stage 7. Next, the suction airflow 19 passes through the second filter stage 7, which second filter stage 7 may be provided with a fabric mesh, a plastic screen, a perforated mesh or a metal mesh. The suction airflow 19 then flows further into the rear of the vacuum cleaner 100, inside the second filter stage 7. The suction air flow 19 then flows around the drive unit housing 15, wherein for this purpose it is preferably guided via an annular cross-sectional area 28 (fig. 7) around the drive unit 5 enclosed by the drive unit housing 15. The annular cross-sectional area 28 (fig. 7) may be partially interrupted by a functional geometry 29 (fig. 7). The annular cross-sectional area 28 (fig. 7) may be between 180 ° and 270 ° on the circumference of the drive unit housing 15. Subsequently, the suction air flow 19 is guided to the further filter stage 8 and flows over its circumference. The air of the suction airstream 19 is then preferably guided by means of an air guide geometry (e.g. ramps, ribs, etc.) into a 360 ° annular cross-sectional area around the central filter of the further filter stage 8, and may then flow over the entire circumference of the further filter stage 8. The further filter stage 8 is a cylindrical filter, which is sealed off from the drive unit 5 and from the outside. The further filter stage 8 can also be a filter assembly 30 (fig. 10) which comprises a first frame element 31 (fig. 10) with a central opening 32 (fig. 10) for the drive unit housing 15 and a sealing element 33 (fig. 10), a second frame element 34 (fig. 10) and a filter medium 35 (fig. 10) bonded between the two frame elements 31, 34 (fig. 10), and can also preferably keep its shape stable without further supporting elements. In this case, the first frame part 31 (fig. 10) may have a different design. The one-piece design including the sealing element may consist entirely of hard components or entirely of soft components. Furthermore, the first frame element 31 (fig. 10) can be designed as a two-part component, wherein the soft component region 36 (fig. 10) forms the central opening 32 (fig. 10) with the corresponding sealing element 33 (fig. 10). Another design may include a two-piece design of the first frame member. The soft component, which forms the central opening together with the respective sealing element, is inserted into the hard component and formed into a unit by clamping or locking. Another two-piece design may consist of a two-piece component, wherein the soft component region forms a central opening with the corresponding sealing element and then forms a unit with the additional element by fastening. The first frame part may also be formed from three parts. In this case, a soft component delimiting the central opening with a corresponding sealing element is mounted between two hard components. In addition to the receiving capacity with a filter medium 35 (fig. 10), and in addition to a centrally arranged penetration geometry 37 (fig. 10) for the cleaning shaft 23 (fig. 10) connected to the external actuating element 27 (fig. 10), the second frame element 34 (fig. 10) also contains a circumferential collar 38 (fig. 10), which projects into the separation vessel housing 15. A sealing element 33 (fig. 10) helps to ensure a seal between the central filter 8 and the drive unit housing 15. The sealing element 33 (fig. 10) may be designed as a lip seal or an H-seal made of a rubber material or the like. Alternatively, the second frame element 34 (fig. 10) can be designed as a two-part component, consisting of a hard component as a carrier part and a soft component on the front side facing the device, which also forms a seal with respect to the drive unit housing 15. The air of the suction air stream 19 flows through the further filter stage 8 and flows axially inside into the drive unit 5. After passing through the further filter stage 8, the suction airflow 19 reaches the space defined by the drive unit housing 15 in which the drive unit 5 is located and can exit from the space, through the third filter stage 9, and thus out of the vacuum cleaner 100.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the vacuum cleaner 100 shown in fig. 1. The vacuum cleaner 100 has a handle 1 connected to a drive unit container 2. Furthermore, the vacuum cleaner 100 has a suction tube 4, which suction tube 4 may optionally also be connected to an extension tube 11 or a floor nozzle (not shown). The first filter stage 6 (fig. 1) of the separation unit 18 (fig. 1) of the cyclonic vacuum cleaner 100 forms a longitudinal axis 20 (fig. 1), wherein the suction airflow 19 (fig. 1) forms a vortex about the longitudinal axis 20 (fig. 1) of the first filter stage 6 (fig. 1) during operation of the drive unit 5 (fig. 1), wherein the longitudinal axis 20 (fig. 1) of the first filter stage 6 (fig. 1) is oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis 21 of the suction duct 21. This parallel orientation of the longitudinal axes 20, 21 of the first filter stage 6 (fig. 1) and the suction duct 4 facilitates the realization of a vacuum cleaner 100 having a compact design.

During operation, the suction air flow 19 flows first through the extension tube 11, through the suction tube 4, then out of the suction tube 4 into the separation vessel 3, then from the separation vessel 3 into the drive unit vessel 2, and then out of the vacuum cleaner 100.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the vacuum cleaner 100 shown in figure 2, taken along the line III-III. The suction duct 4 is arranged upstream of the first filter stage (not shown) and has a circular cross-section with a suction duct diameter D.

Figure 4 is another cross-sectional view of the vacuum cleaner 100 shown in figure 2 taken along the line IV-IV. The suction duct 4 is connected to the separation vessel 3 via an inlet slot 14, the inlet slot 14 extending tangentially into said vessel and into the first filter stage 6. During operation, the suction airflow 19 is directed tangentially from the suction duct 4 to the inner wall (not shown) of the separation vessel 3, so that a cyclone (not shown) is formed in the first filter stage 6.

Figure 5 is another partial cross-sectional view of the vacuum cleaner 100 shown in figure 2 through the inlet slot 14. The inlet slot 14 has a rectangular cross-section with a width b and a height h. The area of the rectangular cross-section is approximately equal to the area of the diameter of the suction duct shown in figure 3.

Figure 6 is another cross-sectional view of the vacuum cleaner 100 shown in figure 2, taken along the line VI-VI. The inner tube (not shown) of the pre-filter or second filter stage 7, which is located downstream of the pre-filter in terms of flow, has a circular cross-section of the filter stage diameter d. The area of the filter stage diameter d is approximately equal to the area of the suction duct diameter shown in fig. 3.

Figure 7 is another cross-sectional view of the vacuum cleaner 100 shown in figure 2, taken along line VII-VII. The drive unit 5 is arranged in the drive unit housing 15 upstream of a further filter stage (not shown). The area of the cross-section between the drive unit housing 15 and the drive unit outer container housing 12 is approximately equal to the area of the suction tube diameter shown in fig. 3. The drive unit receptacle 2 is connected to the handle 1. During operation, the suction air flow 19 flows between the drive unit housing 15 and the drive unit container outer housing 12 with a circular arcuate flow cross section interrupted by a functional geometry (not shown).

Figure 8 is another cross-sectional view of the vacuum cleaner 100 shown in figure 2, taken along line VIII-VIII. The further filter stage 8 is arranged in the drive unit container 2 and is surrounded by a drive unit outer housing 12. The further filter stage is designed as a central filter. The drive unit housing 15 has an opening 16. During operation, the suction airflow 19 flows through the central filter and then enters the drive unit housing 15 through the opening 16.

Figure 9 is another partial cross-sectional view of the vacuum cleaner 100 shown in figure 2. The second filter stage 7 can be removed from the separation vessel 3 in the direction of the arrow, while the further filter stage 8 can be removed from the drive unit vessel 2 in the direction of the arrow. Thus, the second filter stage 7 and the further filter stage 8 may be removed in opposite directions.

Fig. 10 shows a further filter stage 8, which is removable, as a filter assembly 30 in a separate view, while fig. 11 shows the filter assembly 30 inserted into the drive unit container outer housing 12. The filter assembly 30 of the further filter stage 8 comprises a first frame element 31, a second frame element 34 and a filter medium 35, the first frame element 31 having a central opening 32 and a sealing element 33 for the drive unit housing 15 (fig. 1), the filter medium 35 being glued between the two frame elements 31, 34 and also preferably remaining stable in its shape without additional support elements. The embodiment of the first frame part 31 shown here (which can be seen enlarged in the detail view of fig. 11 b) is a two-piece part, wherein the soft component region 36 forms the central opening 32 together with the respective sealing element 33. In addition to the receptacle for the filter medium 35, a centrally arranged penetration geometry 37 for the cleaning shaft 23 is provided on the second frame element 34. The cleaning shaft 23 is thereby connected to an external actuating element 27. Furthermore, the second frame element has a circumferential collar 38 (fig. 11) which projects into the separating vessel casing 15. The direction of flow through the filter media 35 from the outside to the inside results in fine dust being deposited on the outside of the filter media 35. The central filter of the further filter stage 8 has a cylindrical basic shape, wherein the filter medium 35 is pleated, arranged along the cylindrical shape, and separates an inner region of the central filter 8 from an outer region of the central filter 8. With the flow from the outside to the inside through the central filter 8, the dirt particles are separated from the suction air flow 19 (fig. 1) outside the filter medium 35 and the clean suction air flow 19 (fig. 1) flows into the inner region of the central filter 8. To back-clean the filter media 35, a mechanical pulse is provided which releases contaminants that adhere to the exterior of the filter. In this case, it is done by means of a rotation mechanism 23, 24, 27 inside the filter assembly 30. A cleaning shaft 23 connected to an external actuating element, preferably designed as a knob 27, projects through a plurality of blades 24 back into the filter medium 35. The mechanical cleaning device 22 for releasing the contaminants adhered to the filter medium 35 of the center filter 8 has a cleaning shaft 23, the cleaning shaft 23 rotates in the center filter 8 to release the adhered contaminants, and the cleaning shaft 23 is provided with a blade as the pulse generator 24. These blades are designed to impart a pulse from the rotational motion of the cleaning shaft 23 to the filter media 35, which pulse releases adhered contaminants. This makes it easy to release dirt adhering to the filter medium 35 because the triggered pulse hits off dirt particles. Accordingly, if the user of the vacuum cleaner 100 rotates the cleaning shaft 23 using the knob 27, the collected dust is separated from the filter medium 35. The dirt particles released by the pulse fall from the filter medium 35 of the central filter 8 and can therefore be removed from time to time from the filter space in which the central filter 8 is arranged. By opening the emptying flap on the drive unit container 2, the drive unit container outer housing 12 can be opened and dust falling from the filter medium 35 of the further filter stage 8 as a result of the reverse cleaning can be emptied by the drive unit housing 15 via the drive unit container 2 together with the dirt separated via the first filter stage 6 and the second filter stage 7. A simple hygienic concept is provided by cleaning the central filter 8 without removing the central filter 8, since direct contact with dust is minimized. Optionally, the filter assembly 30 of the further filter stage 8 may also be removed from the separation vessel 3 for cleaning. The sealing element 33, shown in an enlarged detail view in fig. 11a, helps to ensure a seal between the central filter 8 and the drive unit container outer housing 12. The sealing element 33 may be designed as a lip seal or an H-seal made of rubber material or the like.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the described embodiments. Further design possibilities are possible without departing from the basic concept.

List of reference numerals

b width of

d filter stage diameter

Diameter of suction tube

h height

1 handle

2 drive unit container

3 separation container

4 suction pipe

5 drive unit

6 first Filter stage

7 second Filter stage

8 further Filter stage

9 third Filter stage

10 inner wall

11 extension pipe

12 drive unit container outer case

13 outer shell of separation container

14 inlet slot

15 drive unit housing

16 opening

17 dip tube

18 separation unit

19 suction airstream

20 longitudinal axis (first filter stage)

21 longitudinal axis (suction tube)

22 cleaning device

23 cleaning shaft

24 pulse generator

25 cover

26 opening

27 actuating element

28 annular cross-sectional area

29 functional geometry

30 Filter Assembly

31 first frame element

32 central opening

33 sealing element

34 second frame element

35 Filter media

36 soft component region

37 penetration geometry

38 collar

100 vacuum cleaner.