VACUUM CLEANER HOUSING WITH A MINIMIZED NUMBER OF UNMOULDING DIRECTIONS

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner with a housing (1) in which a dust chamber (17) and a motor chamber (13) are accommodated, the motor chamber (13) being connected to the dust chamber (17) via a motor inlet (15). The housing (1) comprises a lower housing part (37) and an upper housing part (39). According to the invention, the dust chamber (17) is present at a side (43) of the upper housing part (39) which faces away from the lower housing part (37), and the dust chamber (17) is bounded by a depression (41) in the upper housing part (39) which faces the lower housing part (37). The motor chamber (13) comprises a chamber (45) of the upper housing part (39) which is present at a side (49) of the upper housing part (39) which faces the lower housing part (37). Said depression (41) defines an unmoulding direction (X) of the upper housing part (39), said chamber (45) having an unmoulding direction (X') which is parallel to the unmoulding direction (X) of the upper housing part (39), while the motor inlet (15) is provided in the upper housing part (39) and extends in a plane which intersects the unmoulding direction (X). The upper housing part (39) and the lower housing part (37) can be manufactured by means of an injection moulding process with a minimum number of auxiliary mould pieces or inserts, the lower housing part (37) being of a very simple construction.

Description: Vacuum cleaner housing with a minimized number of unmoulding directions. The invention relates to a vacuum cleaner with a housing which is provided with a dust chamber and a motor chamber in which a suction unit is present, said dust chamber being connected to said motor chamber via a motor inlet, while the housing comprises a lower housing part and an upper housing pan. The invention also relates to a housing suitable for use in a vacuum cleaner according to the invention. The invention also relates to an upper housing pan suitable for use in a vacuum cleaner according to the invention. A vacuum cleaner of the kind mentioned in die opening paragraph is generally known and widely used. The lower housing pan and the upper housing pan of the housing of such a vacuum cieaner are manufactured by means of an injection moulding process. The dust chamber, the motor chamber, and the motor inlet are formed in the lower housing pan and the upper housing pan during the injection moulding process through the use of a mould suitable for this purpose. It is a disadvantage of the known vacuum cleaner that a number of auxiliary mould parts such as, for example, so-called mould inserts must be used in addition to the mould itself in said injection moulding process. Predetermined spaces in the mould such as, for example, a space in the mould corresponding to the motor inlet are kept free from synthetic resin by means of such mould inserts during the injection moulding process, so that said spaces are formed in the housing. Such auxiliary mould pieces must be provided in the mould in an accurate manner and should be removed from the moulded housing after the injection moulding process has been completed. It is an object of the invention to provide a vacuum cleaner of the kind mentioned in the opening paragraph whose upper housing pan and lower housing pan constituting the housing can be manufactured in an injection moulding process with moulds which are as simple as possible and which comprise the smallest possible number of auxiliary mould pieces. The invention is for this purpose characterized in that the dust chamber is present at a side of the upper housing pan facing away from the lower housing pan and is bounded by a depression of the upper housing pan which faces towards the lower housing pan and which defines an unmoulding direction of the upper housing pan. while the motor chamber comprises a chamber of the upper housing pan which is present at a side of the upper housing pan facing towards the lower housing pan and has an unmoulding direction which is parallel to the unmoulding direction of the upper housing pan, the motor inlet being provided in the upper housing pan and extending in a plane which intersects the unmoulding direction. The unmoulding direction of the upper housing pan is a direction which is defined with respect to the upper housing pan and in which the upper housing pan can be removed from the mould after the injection moulding process. Since the unmoulding direction of the chamber of the upper housing pan belonging to the motor chamber and the unmoulding direction of die depression of the upper housing pan bounding thέ dust chamber are mutually parallel, the motor chamber and the dust chamber can be kept free from synthetic resin in the injection moulding process by means of mould parts which are integral with the mould of the upper housing pan. The motor inlet can also be kept free from synthetic resin in the injection moulding process by means of a further mould pan which is integral with the mould of the upper housing pan because the motor inlet is provided in d e upper housing part and extends in a plane which intersects said unmoulding direction. The dust chamber, the motor chamber, and the motor inlet are thus formed in die upper housing pan without the use of auxiliary mould pieces. Since the dust chamber and the motor inlet are formed in the upper housing pan, the lower housing pan can be manufactured by means of a comparatively simple mould. A special embodiment of a vacuum cleaner according to the invention is characterized in that the motor inlet is present at a side of the suction unit which faces away from the lower housing pan. The fact that the motor inlet is provided in die upper housing pan at a side of the suction unit facing away from the lower houring pan further simplifies die upper housing pan, so that also die mould for the upper housing pan is further simplified. A further embodiment of a vacuum cleaner according to the invention is characterized in that the motor inlet extends substantially perpendicularly to the unmoulding direction. Since the motor inlet in the upper housing pan extends substantially perpendicularly to d e unmoulding direction, die upper housing pan can be removed from the mould in the unmoulding direction in a simple manner after the injection moulding process. A yet further embodiment of a vacuum cleaner according to the invention is characterized in iat die dust chamber is closable by means of a lid which extends over the depression and over die motor inlet. The motor inlet in this embodiment is present next to said depression, an air channel from die dust chamber to the motor chamber being bounded by said lid and the motor inlet. The fact that sa d air channel is bounded by the motor inlet and the lid which does not form pan of the upper housing pan implies mat also the air channel can be provided in the upper housing pan without further auxiliary mould pieces by means of the injection moulding process. A special embodiment of a vacuum cleaner according to the invention is characterized in that a motor filter is placeable at a side of the motor inlet which faces away from the lower housing part. The placement of the motor filter at a side of the motor inlet facing away from die lower housing part affords a user of die vacuum cleaner a simple access to the motor filter via the lid of die dust chamber for cleaning or replacement purposes. A further embodiment of a vacuum cleaner according to the invention is characterized in that the suction unit comprises a motor shaft which is directed substantially parallel to the unmoulding direction. The suction unit in this embodiment is placed immediately next to and parallel to the dust chamber, whereby a compact construction of the vacuum cleaner housing is provided. The invention will be explained in more detail below wid reference to the drawing, in which Fig. 1 shows a vacuum cleaner according to die invention, Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic cross-section of a first embodiment of a housing of the vacuum cleaner of Fig. 1 , Fig. 3 shows an upper housing pan of d e housing of Fig. 2, Fig. 4a is a cross-section of the upper housing pan of Fig. 3, Fig. 4b is a cross-section of a lower housing pan of the housing of Fig. 2, Fig. 5a is a diagrammatic cross-section of a second embodiment of a housing of die vacuum cleaner of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5b is a diagrammatic cross-section of a third embodiment of a housing of the vacuum cleaner of Fig. 1. The vacuum cleaner according to the invention shown in Fig. 1 is a so- called canister-type or horizontal vacuum cleaner comprising a synthetic-resm housing 1 which is provided widi a number of wheels 3 by means of which the housing 1 is displaceable, for example, over a surface 5 to be cleaned. As Fig. 2 shows, a suction umt 7 comprising an electric motor 9 and a blade wheel 11 which can be driven by d e electric motor 9 is present inside the housing 1. The suction unit 7 is provided in a motor chamber 13 of die housing 1 which is connected to a dust chamber 17 of the housing 1 via a motor inlet 15. As Fig. 1 shows, the vacuum cleaner further comprises a suction mouth 19 which can be coupled to the suction umt 7 via a suction channel 21. The suction channel 21 comprises, in that order, die motor chamber 13, motor inlet 15, and dust chamber 17 of the housing 1 mentioned above, an inlet 23 of the dust chamber 17 shown in Fig. 2, a flexible synthetic-resin hose 25 shown in Fig. 1 which is detachably coupled to the inlet 23, a coupling piece 27 provided widi a handle 29, a tubular channel 31 which comprises a hollow metal tube 33, and the suction mouth 19 mentioned above. The flexible hose 25 and die coupling piece 27 together form an auxiliary piece 35 of the vacuum cleaner which is detachably coupled to d e tubular channel 31. As is apparent from die diagrammatic view of Fig. 2, the housing 1 comprises a lower housing part 37 and an upper housing part 39. The upper housing pan 39 comprises a depression 41 which faces towards the lower housing pan 37 such that the inlet 23 mentioned above issues into the depression 41. The dust chamber 17 is present at a side 43 of the upper housing part 39 facing away from die lower housing part 37, is bounded by the depression 41 , and can be closed by means of a lid 44. A dust bag (not shown in the Figures) can be placed in d e dust chamber 17 and can be removed therefrom after opening of the lid 44. As Fig. 2 further shows, the motor chamber 13 is enclosed between die lower housing pan 37 and d e upper housing pan 39 such that the motor chamber 13 comprises a chamber 45 of me upper housing part 39 and a chamber 47 of the lower housing pan 37. The chamber 45 of die upper housing pan 39 is present at a side 49 of die upper housing pan 39 facing the lower housing pan 37, while the chamber 47 of the lower housing pan 37 is present at a side 51 of die lower housing pan 37 facing the upper housing part 39. In the position of the vacuum cleaner as shown in Fig. 2, die suction unit 7 is arranged in a venical direction in die motor chamber 13, a motor shaft 53 of d e motor 9 extending substantially parallel to the vertical direction, while die blade wheel 11 faces d e upper housing pan 39. The motor inlet 15 is also provided in die upper housing pan 39 and extends substantially perpendicularly to die motor shaft 53. The motor inlet 15 adjoins die blade wheel 11 and is thus present at a side of die suction unit 7 which faces away from the lower housing pan 37. An outlet 55 of d e motor chamber 13 is furthermore provided in the upper housing part 39. The upper housing part 39 is in addition provided widi a holder 57 in which a motor filter 59 can be placed at a side of the motor inlet 15 facing away from me lower housing pan 37. The lower housing part 37 and die upper housing part 39 of the housing 1 are manufactured from a synthetic resin in an injection moulding process. The upper housing pan 39 is shown in Figs. 3 and 4a, and die lower housing part 37 is shown in Fig. 4b. A separate mould, comprising two mould halves, is used for the lower housing pan 37 and for die upper housing pan 39 in said injection moulding process. After the injection of the syndietic resin into the relevant mould, one of the mould halves is removed, whereupon the lower housing part 37 or the upper housing pan 39 is taken from the odier mould half. As Figs. 3 and 4a show, die depression 41 defines a so-called unmoulding direction X of die upper housing part 39. The unmoulding direction X is a direction which is defined widi respect to the upper housing part 39 and in which die upper housing pan 39 will be removed from the mould after the injection moulding process. Since an injection-moulded product has only one mam unmoulding direction, auxiliary mould pieces such as, for example, so-called mould inserts are often used in injection moulding processes. Such a mould insert is inserted into the mould in a direction different from the mam unmoulding direction before die injection moulding process and is removed from die mould and die injection-moulded product after the injection moulding process but before the injection-moulded product is removed from die mould. Injection-moulded products can be provided widi pontons having an unmoulding direction different from the main unmoulding direction in this manner. According to the invention, the use of such mould inserts is avoided as much as possible in the upper housing part 39. As Fig. 4a shows, die chamber 45 of the upper housing pan 39 has an unmoulding direction X' which is parallel and opposed to die unmoulding direction X for this purpose. The depression 41 in die upper housing part 39 can thus be formed by means of a mould pan integral with one of the two mould halves of the upper housing pan 39, while the chamber 45 in die upper housing pan 39 can be formed by means of a mould part integral with die odier mould half of the upper housing pan 39, so that no separate mould inserts are necessary for providing the depression 41 and die chamber 45 in die upper housing pan 39. Since the motor inlet 15 extends substantially perpendicularly to die unmoulding direction X' of die chamber 45, i.e. extends in a plane which intersects the unmoulding direction X' of the chamber 45, die motor inlet 15 can also be formed in the upper housing part 39 by means of a mould part integral with one of the mould halves of die upper housing pan 39, so that no separate mould insert is necessary for providing the motor inlet 15 either. The fact that the motor inlet 15 is present at die side of the suction unit 7 which faces away from the lower housing pan 37, i.e. is provided in an upper wall of the upper housing pan 39, implies diat the mould pan necessary for forming d e motor inlet 15 has comparatively small dimensions and a comparatively simple shape. The presence of the motor inlet 15 in said upper wall of the upper housing pan 39 in addition simplifies die construction of the upper housing pan 39. Since the motor inlet 15 extends substantially perpendicularly to die unmoulding direction X' of the chamber 45, a comparatively small unmoulding force is required for removing die motor inlet 15 from the mould pan necessary for forming the motor inlet 15, so that also die force required for unmoulding die upper housing pan 39 is reduced. The venical position of die motor shaft 53 of the suction unit 7, i.e. substantially parallel to the unmoulding direction X of the upper housing part 39, in addition provides a compact construction of die housing 1, widi die suction unit 7 placed immediately next to and parallel to die dust chamber 17. As Fig. 2 shows, the lid 44 of die dust chamber 17 extends over die depression 41 and over the motor inlet 15. An air channel 61 from die dust chamber 17 to the motor chamber 13 is thus bounded by the motor inlet 15, die lid 44, and side walls of d e upper housing pan 39 extending approximately parallel to the unmoulding direction X. The lid 44 does not form pan of the upper housing pan 39 but is separately manufactured and fastened to die upper housing part 39. As a result, the air channel 61 in die upper housing part 39 can be formed by means of a mould pan which is integral with die mould half with which also the depression 41 is formed, so that again no separate mould insert is required for providing the air channel 61 in the upper housing part 39. Since the lid 44 extends over the motor inlet 15, die holder 57 of the motor filter 59 is directly accessible to a user of die vacuum cleaner after the lid 44 has been opened, which enhances the comfon of use of die vacuum cleaner. As described above, die dust chamber 17, the motor inlet 15, and the air channel 61 between the dust chamber 17 and the motor chamber 13 are fully integrated with the upper housing pan 39 of the housing 1, while the motor chamber 13 is integrated partly with the lower housing pan 37 and partly with the upper housing part 39. It is achieved diereby that die lower housing pan 37 is of a comparatively simple construction. As Fig. 4b shows, the lower housing part 37 as a result mainly comprises a shell 63 and a chamber 65 belonging to die motor chamber 13, defining an unmoulding direction Y of die lower housing pan 37. The lower housing pan 37 can be manufactured widiout mould inserts as a result, die mould for the lower housing pan 37 having a very simple construction. Fig. 5a diagrammatically shows a cross-section through a second embodiment of a housing 67 of a vacuum cleaner according to the invention. Components of die housing 67 corresponding to diose of the first embodiment of die housing 1 have been given the same reference numerals in the Figures. The description below exclusively relates to a few differences between the housings 1 and 67. As Fig. 5a shows, die housing 67 comprises a lid 69 which extends exclusively over the dust chamber 17. The housing 67 further comprises an air channel 71 from the dust chamber 17 to die motor chamber 13 bounded by a motor inlet 73 of die motor chamber 13, a wall 75 of die upper housing pan 77 positioned opposite die motor inlet 73, and side walls of die upper housing pan 77 extending approximately parallel to die unmoulding direction X. The motor inlet 73 in the housing 67 is provided in a syndietic-resin plate 79 which is fastened to a flange 81 integral widi the upper housing part 77 after the upper housing part 77 has been manufactured. The dust chamber 17 of the upper housing pan 77 of the housing 67 is formed, as is the dust chamber 17 of die upper housing part 39 of the housing 1 , by means of a mould part integral widi one of die two mould halves of die upper housing part 77 during the injection moulding process, while the chamber 45 is formed in the upper housing pan 77 of the housing 67 by means of a mould part integral widi die odier mould half of the upper housing pan 77. Since the plate 79 with the motor inlet 73 is not fastened in the upper housing part 77 until after this upper housing pan 77 has been manufactured, die air channel 71 can also be formed by means of the mould pan with which die chamber 45 is formed in die injection moulding process. The mould part widi which the dust chamber 17 is formed and the mould part widi which the chamber 45 and die air channel 71 are formed bear on one another during die injection moulding process along a so-called separation surface 83 which is indicated wid a broken line in Fig. 5a and which intersects the unmoulding direction X at a comparatively small angle. The result of this is that die dust chamber 17, die chamber 45, and die air channel 71 of the upper housing part 77 of the housing 67 can be formed, as can the dust chamber 17, die chamber 45, and the air channel 61 of the upper housing pan 39 of die housing 1 , without the use of mould inserts. Fig. 5b is a diagrammatic cross-section of a diird embodiment of a housing 85 of a vacuum cleaner according to the invention. Components of the housing 85 corresponding to diose of the first embodiment of the housing 1 have been given the same reference numerals in the Figures. The following description only relates to a few differences between the housings 1 and 85. As Fig. 5b shows, the motor chamber 13 of die housing 85 comprises a motor inlet 87 which is present at a side of die suction unit 7 which faces die lower housing part 37, while the blade wheel 11 of die suction unit 7 immediately adjoins the motor inlet 87. The housing 85 comprises, as does die housing 67, a lid 89 which extends exclusively over the dust chamber 17. The housing 85 further comprises an air channel 91 from die dust chamber 17 to die motor chamber 13 which is bounded by the motor inlet 87, a wall 93 of die lower housing part 37 positioned opposite the motor inlet 87, and side wails of die upper housing part 95 which extend approximately parallel to die unmoulding direction X. The motor inlet 87 is provided in a synthetic-res in plate 97 in die housing 85, as was indeed die case in d e housing 67, which plate is fastened to a flange 99 integral widi die upper housing part 95 after the manufacture of this upper housing part 95. The dust chamber 17 of the upper housing part 95 of the housing 85 is formed, as is die dust chamber 17 of die upper housing part 39 of the housing 1 , by means of a mould pan integral widi one of the two mould halves of the upper housing pan 95 during die injection moulding process. Since the plate 97 with the motor inlet 87 is not fastened in die upper housing pan 95 until after this upper housing part 95 has been manufactured, the chamber 45 in the upper housing pan 95 of the housing 85 can be formed by means of a mould part integral with the odier mould half of the upper housing part 95. Furthermore, a motor outlet 101 is also formed in an upper wail 103 of die upper housing part 95 by means of the same mould part with which the chamber 45 is formed. The mould part with which the chamber 45 and die motor oudet 101 are formed also serves to form the air channel 91, the latter mould part and die mould part with which the dust chamber 17 is formed bearing on one another during die injection moulding process along a separation surface 105 which is indicated widi a broken line in Fig. 5b and which intersects the unmoulding direction X at a comparatively small angle. The dust chamber 17, the chamber 45, the air channel 91, and die motor oudet 101 of die upper housing part 95 can thus be formed widiout the use of mould inserts. The vacuum cleaner described above is a canister-type vacuum cleaner in which d e suction mouth 19 is connected via die flexible hose 25 to the displaceable housing 1 in which die dust chamber 17 and d e suction unit 7 are present. It is noted diat the invention is equally applicable to alternative types of vacuum cleaners such as, for example, upright vacuum cleaners provided widi a suction mouth which is hinged to an upright housing in which a dust chamber and a suction unit are arranged. In die embodiments of a housing 1 , 67, 85 according to the invention as described above, die motor inlet 15, 73, 87 extends perpendicularly to die unmoulding direction X of the upper housing pan 39, 77, 95. It is noted that die motor inlet may alternatively extend transversely or obliquely to the unmoulding direction of die upper housing pan according to die invention. In general, die invention also covers embodiments in which die motor inlet extends in a plane which intersects the unmoulding direction, i.e. in a plane which is not parallel to the unmoulding direction. The unmoulding directions X and X' extend in vertical direction, with die vacuum cleaner occupying a position as shown in Fig. 1, in the embodiments of a housing 1 , 67, 85 according to die invention described above. It is finally noted diat, according to the invention, the parallel unmoulding directions X and X' may also extend in an alternative direction, for example a direction enclosing an acute angle with die venical direction, with die vacuum cleaner occupying die position as shown in Fig. 1.

Claims: C ΔI Si 1. A vacuum cleaner with a housing which is provided with a dust chamber • and a motor chamber in which a suction unit is present, said dust chamber being connected to said motor chamber via a motor inlet, while the housing comprises a lower housing pan and an upper housing pan, characterized in that the dust chamber is present at a side of die upper housing pan facing away from the lower housing pan and is bounded by a depression of die upper housing pan which faces towards the lower housing part and which defines an unmoulding direction of the upper housing pan, while the motor chamber comprises a chamber of the upper housing part which is present at a side of die upper housing pan facing towards the lower housing pan and has an unmoulding direction which is parallel to the unmoulding direction of the upper housing part, the motor inlet being provided in the upper housing part and extending in a plane which intersects the unmoulding direction. 2. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in diat the motor inlet is present at a side of die suction unit which faces away from die lower housing part. 3. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in Claim 2, characterized in that die motor 5 inlet extends substantially perpendicularly to die unmoulding direction. 4. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in Claim 2 or 3, characterized in diat die dust chamber is closable by means of a lid which extends over the depression and over die motor inlet. 5. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in Claim 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that a 0 motor filter is placeable at a side of the motor inlet which faces away from die lower housing part. 6. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in Claim 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, characterized in diat die suction unit comprises a motor shaft which is directed substantially parallel to die unmoulding direction. 5 7. A housing suitable for use in a vacuum cleaner as claimed in Claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6. 8. An upper housing pan suitable for use in a vacuum cleaner as claimed in Claim I, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6.

Inventors: CONTANT CORNELIS JOHAN, CONTANT, CORNELIS, JOHAN
Applicants: PHILIPS ELECTRONICS NV, PHILIPS NORDEN AB, PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V.
Application year: 1997
Main classification: A47L5
IPC codes: A47L9