Abstract:
Drive unit ( 10 ) assembled inside a structure ( 11 ) of an electric cleaning apparatus ( 12 ), which comprises an electric motor associated with suction members ( 33 ), that create a suction flow inside the structure ( 11 ), and command members ( 26 ), that selectively command the functioning parameters of the electric motor. The electric motor, the suction members ( 33 ) and the command members ( 26 ) are assembled and integrated together to form a single body, so as to be able to be arranged unitarily inside the structure ( 11 ).

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/IB2004/001594, filed May 18, 2004, which was published in the English language on Dec. 2, 2004, under International Publication No. WO 2004/103143 A1, and the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention concerns a drive unit for an electric cleaning apparatus, such as a vacuum cleaner, an electric brush, a crumb vacuumer or suchlike. The drive unit according to the present invention comprises an electric motor, a suction fan and a unit to command the motor, and is able to be arranged inside an outer structure of the electric cleaning apparatus, irrespective of the aesthetic form of the latter.  
         [0003]     Electric cleaning apparatuses are known, such as for example vacuum cleaners, electric brushes, crumb vacuumers or suchlike, used in household cleaning.  
         [0004]     Such known apparatuses normally comprise an outer structure provided inside with a drive unit which creates the suction, and outside with a plurality of accessories, such as suction pipes, handles, grips, suction brushes or otherwise, arranged according to the specific function of the electric cleaning apparatus used.  
         [0005]     The drive units normally assembled in known-type apparatuses generally have an electric motor, a unit to command the latter, and a connection portion with the suction body.  
         [0006]     Normally the various components of known drive units are autonomous with respect to each other, and are assembled separately and sequentially inside the structure of the electric cleaning apparatus. Moreover, the shape of each component is chosen according to the structure in which the drive unit is installed.  
         [0007]     One of the main disadvantages of known drive units is that, due to their specific conformation, they cannot be assembled in structures having different shapes from those for which they have been expressly designed and made.  
         [0008]     This disadvantage entails the need to design and construct, every time, a specific drive unit, with specific components, according to the shapes and sizes of the electric cleaning apparatus, with a consequent increase in both the design and production costs of said electric cleaning apparatuses.  
         [0009]     Moreover, again because of this disadvantage, different types of spare parts necessarily have to be produced, for each individual model of apparatus, thus increasing both the storage costs in the warehouse and also the distribution costs.  
         [0010]     Another disadvantage is that such known drive units consist of a high number of components which, apart from having higher overall costs, tend once they have been assembled to generate vibrations which produce great noisiness of the electric cleaning apparatus.  
         [0011]     One purpose of the present invention is to achieve a drive unit for an electric cleaning apparatus which is of the substantially universal type, that is, which can be assembled on any electric cleaning apparatus, irrespective of the shape thereof.  
         [0012]     Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art, to achieve this purpose and to obtain other purposes and advantages.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0013]     The present invention is set forth and characterized in the main claim, while the dependent claims describe other characteristics of the present invention or variants to the main inventive idea.  
         [0014]     In accordance with the aforesaid purpose, a drive unit according to the present invention is able to be assembled inside a structure of an electric cleaning apparatus, and comprises at least an electric motor associated with suction means, that create a suction flow inside the structure, and command means, that selectively command the functioning parameters of the electric motor. In this case, the electric motor, the suction means and the command means are assembled together and integrated in a single body, so as to be arranged unitarily inside the aforesaid structure, irrespective of the shape thereof.  
         [0015]     The drive unit according to the present invention also comprises flange means removably attached on a box-like containing body for the electric motor, which allow to connect the single body, pre-assembled, with the structure of the apparatus.  
         [0016]     Such flange means comprise adaptor means that allow to center the single body with respect to the structure, according to the shape of the latter.  
         [0017]     It is therefore possible to assemble the drive unit according to the present invention in any electric cleaning apparatus whatsoever, irrespective of the size and shape of the apparatus itself.  
         [0018]     This advantage leads to designing a single drive unit, substantially irrespective of the electric cleaning apparatus, with a consequent reduction in both the design and production costs of the electric cleaning apparatuses.  
         [0019]     Moreover, with the drive unit according to the present invention it is possible to reduce the number of spare parts, thus reducing the storage costs in the warehouse and also the distribution costs.  
         [0020]     Another advantage of the present invention is that, with the reduction in the number of components to be assembled in sequence, the vibrations and noisiness of the electric cleaning apparatus are consequently reduced. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0021]     The foregoing summary, as well as the following detailed description of the invention, will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there are shown in the drawings embodiments which are presently preferred. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.  
         [0022]     In the drawings:  
         [0023]      FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of an electric cleaning apparatus in which a drive unit according to the present invention is assembled;  
         [0024]      FIG. 2  is a three-dimensional view of the drive unit in  FIG. 1 ; and  
         [0025]      FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the drive unit in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0026]     With reference to  FIG. 1 , a drive unit  10  according to the present invention is arranged inside an outer structure  11  of an electric cleaning apparatus  12 .  
         [0027]     In this case, we shall make specific reference to an electric cleaning apparatus  12 , such as a crumb vacuumer, but it is clear that the drive unit  10  can be assembled on any type whatsoever of electric cleaning apparatus, such as a vacuum cleaner, an electric brush or otherwise.  
         [0028]     The outer structure  11  comprises two shells  13  and  15 , able to be selectively dis-assembled from each other, so as to allow easy access to the drive unit  10 .  
         [0029]     The shell  13  is arranged, during use, at the front and comprises a suction hole  16  connected to the drive unit  10  by means of a suction pipe  17 , so that the activation of the drive unit  10  determines the suction of dirt and dust through the suction hole  16 . Inside the shell  13 , located between the suction pipe  17  and the drive unit  10 , a filter is arranged, of a known type and not shown in the drawings, which allows to filter the air sucked in and to retain the dirt.  
         [0030]     The shell  13  also comprises an automatic coupling element  19  able to cooperate with a mating attachment seating  20  made on the shell  15  to maintain the two shells  13  and  15  selectively coupled in removable manner.  
         [0031]     The shell  15  comprises an inner housing seating  21 , inside which the drive unit  10  is arranged, and an outer gripping handle  22 , by means of which the user can comfortably handle the electric cleaning apparatus  12 .  
         [0032]     The drive unit  10  comprises a connection flange  23  and a box-like containing body  25 , inside which an electric motor  32  is arranged ( FIG. 3 ), of a known type, connected to a suction fan  33  which causes a suction flow inside the electric cleaning apparatus  12 . The drive unit  10  also comprises a command unit  26  for the electric motor  32 .  
         [0033]     The connection flange  23  is substantially circular in shape and comprises, in a central zone, a grid  27  for the passage of air and two attachment fins  29  for the filter that retains the dirt.  
         [0034]     The connection flange  23  also comprises a shaped crown  24 , with a profile mating with that of the housing seating  21 , so as to allow to center the drive unit  10  with respect to the relative housing seating  21 .  
         [0035]     In this case, the shaped crown  24  is made in a piece on the connection flange  23 , even if the shaped crown  24  can be removable with respect to the connection flange  23  and temporarily attached to the latter by means of screws or other suitable means.  
         [0036]     The connection flange  23  is connected in removable manner to the box-like containing body  25  by means of hooks  30 , screws, bayonet type couplings, or otherwise, so as to allow possible inspection of the functional part of the drive unit  10  in a simple and rapid manner.  
         [0037]     The box-like containing body  25  is also provided with a lead-in element  31  to facilitate the insertion of the drive unit  10  into the relative housing seating  21 .  
         [0038]     An annular shock-absorber packing  34  is located between the suction fan  33  and the grid  27  of the connection flange  23 , and also guarantees a pneumatic seal.  
         [0039]     The lead-in element  31  can also be autonomous with respect to the box-like containing body  25 , and can be assembled and dis-assembled independently with respect to the latter.  
         [0040]     The command unit  26  is attached to the rear part of the box-like containing body  25 .  
         [0041]     The command unit  26  is also of a substantially known type and comprises a command knob  35  and a connection interface  36  with an electric cable in turn connected to the electric energy distribution network.  
         [0042]     The command knob  35  is able both to switch on the electric motor  32 , and also to regulate the functioning parameters thereof, such as the power and the number of revolutions. The command knob  35  is able to protrude, during use, from the upper part of the shell  13  through a suitable aperture, not shown in the drawings, made on the latter. In this way the command knob  35  is constantly accessible to the user for all the steps wherein the electric cleaning apparatus  12  is used.  
         [0043]     The command unit  26  is thus integrated with the box-like containing body  25  of the electric motor  32 , and contributes to making the entire drive unit  10  compact. The latter is therefore not constrained by the shape of the shells  13  and  15  and consequently that of the electric cleaning apparatus  12  on which it is installed.  
         [0044]     In fact, by replacing on the outside only the shaped crown  24 , the drive unit  10  can be assembled substantially on any type of electric cleaning apparatus  12 .  
         [0045]     It is clear, however, that modifications and/or additions of parts can be made to the drive unit  10  as described heretofore, without departing from the field and scope of the present invention.  
         [0046]     For example, by replacing the fan  33  by a rotor, and eliminating the filter, it is possible to assemble the drive unit  10  on any domestic electric apparatus  12 , such as a kneading machine, a kitchen robot or otherwise, irrespective of their aesthetic form.  
         [0047]     It is also clear that, although the present invention has been described with reference to specific examples, a person of skill in the art shall certainly be able to achieve many other equivalent forms of drive unit for an electric cleaning apparatus, all of which shall come within the field and scope of the present invention.  
         [0048]     It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes could be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the broad inventive concept thereof. It is understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but it is intended to cover modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.