Patent Publication Number: US-2021161337-A1

Title: Air outlet system for a portable dry vacuum cleaner

Description:
The present invention relates to an air outlet system for a dry vacuum cleaner. Via an air outlet system, intake air sucked in by the dry vacuum cleaner can be expelled into the surroundings as exhaust air. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Air outlet systems and dry vacuum cleaners of the type mentioned in the introduction are known in principle from the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide an air outlet system which favors a compact and flexible construction of a dry vacuum cleaner. 
     The present invention provides that the air outlet system has an accommodation bay, which is to be arranged in a housing of the dry vacuum cleaner and in which optionally an air filter cartridge or an outlet adapter may be accommodated, wherein the outlet adapter has an outlet fitting for the connection of a blower hose and the air filter cartridge is free from an outlet fitting of this kind. 
     The air outlet system according to the invention creates the basis for a dry vacuum cleaner by means of which—in a suction mode—intake air can be sucked in via an inlet fitting and this intake air can be expelled into the surroundings as exhaust air. If an air filter cartridge is accommodated in the accommodation bay provided according to the invention, the exhaust air is expelled into the surroundings after being filtered by the air filter cartridge. If, on the contrary, the outlet adapter is accommodated in the accommodation bay instead of the air filter cartridge, a blower hose for a blowing mode of the dry vacuum cleaner can be connected to the outlet fitting of said adapter. Intake air flowing in via the inlet fitting accordingly flows as exhaust air into the surroundings through the outlet fitting and any blower hose connected thereto. 
     The air outlet system according to the invention creates the basis for a dry vacuum cleaner of particularly compact design. 
     A dry vacuum cleaner of this kind is equipped with an air outlet system according to the invention, wherein the accommodation bay of the air outlet system is arranged in the housing of the dry vacuum cleaner, and the dry vacuum cleaner furthermore has an inlet fitting, which is designed for the connection of a suction hose, which is arranged on the housing and via which the intake air is sucked in during operation, wherein the accommodation bay extends across a corner of the housing. 
     In this regard, it has been recognized that dry vacuum cleaners known from the prior art can have, at the rear housing end thereof for example, an air outlet which is suitable for the insertion of a blower hose. This enables the dry vacuum cleaner to be used as a “blower”. It has been recognized as problematic that, the smaller the cross-sectional area of the outlet opening, the higher is also the outlet speed of the exhaust air and thus the greater is unwanted swirling of dust in the surroundings. It is likewise possible for air to impinge upon users or persons in the surroundings of such dry vacuum cleaners in an unpleasant way. The high outlet speed described is a problem particularly in the case of compact dry vacuum cleaners. 
     As a departure therefrom, the dry vacuum cleaner according to the invention has an accommodation bay which extends across a corner of the housing. By virtue of this positioning across a corner, space can be saved on the housing of the dry vacuum cleaner, or an outlet with a relatively large flow cross section can be made possible. 
     It has proven advantageous if the air filter cartridge and/or the outlet adapter are/is a modular part of the air outlet system. 
     In one particularly preferred refinement, the accommodation bay is designed as a diffuser. It is thus already possible to achieve a reduction in the outflow speed of the exhaust air. 
     At least one retention dome, on which the outlet adapter can be fastened, can be provided in the accommodation bay. Two retention domes can preferably be provided within a volume of the accommodation bay. Accordingly, the outlet adapter can have one or two plug-in or clamping pins, by means of which the outlet adapter can be fastened on the retention dome or retention domes. As an alternative, the outlet adapter can be secured in the accommodation bay by means of a screwed joint. 
     It has proven advantageous if the air filter cartridge has a frame having a plurality of filter openings. It is thereby possible to achieve linearization of the air, which would otherwise flow out turbulently from the accommodation bay designed as a diffuser. 
     The dry vacuum cleaner preferably has a substantially cuboidal housing. It has proven advantageous if the accommodation bay extends at least over 25% of the total height of the housing. The accommodation bay preferably occupies a cross-sectional area of approximately equal size to that of the two housing surface portions adjoining the common corner. In other words, the accommodation bay can be formed symmetrically across the corner of the dry vacuum cleaner housing of substantially cuboidal design. 
     It has proven advantageous if the inlet fitting of the dry vacuum cleaner and the accommodation bay are situated on opposite sides of the housing. 
     In one particularly preferred embodiment, the dry vacuum cleaner is of battery-operated design. As a particular preference, the dry vacuum cleaner is of exclusively battery-operated design. In another preferred configuration, the dry vacuum cleaner is of portable design with a weight of less than 10 kilograms. This preferably includes the weight of a rechargeable battery (preferably 22 V battery) provided for the operation of the dry vacuum cleaner. 
     Further advantages can be found in the following description of the figures. Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention are illustrated in the figures. The figures, the description and the claims contain numerous features in combination. A person skilled in the art will expediently also consider the features individually and combine them to form useful further combinations. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       In the figures, components which are the same and components of the same type are denoted by the same reference signs. 
       In the figures: 
         FIG. 1  shows a preferred exemplary embodiment of a portable dry vacuum cleaner having an air outlet system; 
         FIG. 2  shows the exemplary embodiment in  FIG. 1 , wherein an outlet adapter is accommodated in the accommodation bay; 
         FIG. 3  shows the exemplary embodiment in  FIG. 1 , wherein an air filter cartridge is accommodated in the accommodation bay; and 
         FIG. 4  shows a different view of the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A preferred exemplary embodiment of a dry vacuum cleaner  100  according to the invention is illustrated in  FIG. 1 . The dry vacuum cleaner  100  in  FIG. 1  is designed as a compact and portable dry vacuum cleaner which, in the present case, is exclusively battery-operated. The battery bay  80  illustrated in  FIG. 1  serves to accommodate a rechargeable supply battery (not illustrated here), which preferably has a voltage of 22 V.  FIG. 1  shows a rearward perspective view of the dry vacuum cleaner  100 . 
     The dry vacuum cleaner  100  has a housing  90 , which is of cuboidal design in the exemplary embodiment illustrated in the present case. Arranged on the housing  90  is an inlet fitting  10 , which is used to connect a suction hose  210  (illustrated only schematically here). The inlet fitting  10  is situated on the front side of the dry vacuum cleaner  100  and, accordingly, is only partially visible in  FIG. 1 . Arranged on the opposite side of the housing  90  from the inlet fitting  10 , i.e. in the foreground in  FIG. 1 , is an air blowing system  50  of the dry vacuum cleaner  100 . The air outlet system  50  has an accommodation bay  23 , which is extended across a corner E (vertical dashed line indicates corner E). In other words, the accommodation bay  23  extends across the corner E of the housing  90 . In this arrangement, the accommodation bay  23  extends over at least 25% of the total height GH of the housing  90 . 
     During the operation of the dry vacuum cleaner  100 , air is sucked into the inlet fitting  10  or the suction hose  210  connected to the inlet fitting  10  from the surroundings U as intake air SL. This intake air SL carries dirt particles, which are separated out within the dry vacuum cleaner  100 . A filter (not illustrated specifically) within the dry vacuum cleaner  100  is responsible for this. The intake air SL sucked in is then blown out into the surroundings U as exhaust air AL. This takes place through the air outlet system  50  or, to be more precise, through the accommodation bay  23  illustrated here. 
     As can be seen from  FIG. 1 , the accommodation bay  23  is designed as a diffuser, and therefore the emerging exhaust air AL already undergoes a reduction in speed. 
     The air outlet system  50  has two modular components, namely an outlet adapter  27  (cf.  FIG. 2 ) and an air filter cartridge  25  (cf.  FIGS. 3 and 4 ). The accommodation bay  23  without the cartridges accommodated therein is readily visible in  FIG. 1 . A retention dome  24  situated within a lumen of the accommodation bay  23  is used to fasten the outlet adapter  27  by means of a clamping pin, which corresponds to the retention dome  24 . To be more precise, two retention domes  24 , of which only the lower one is visible here, are arranged in the accommodation bay  23 . 
       FIG. 2  then shows the dry vacuum cleaner  100 , wherein an outlet adapter  27  is accommodated in the air outlet system  50 . The outlet adapter  27  has an outlet fitting  29  for the connection of a blower hose  290  (illustrated schematically here). The intake air SL sucked in by the inlet fitting  10  then emerges into the surroundings U via the outlet fitting  29  or via the blower hose  290  to be connected to the outlet adapter  27 . 
     As can be seen from  FIG. 2 , the outlet adapter  27  is arranged with an accurate fit in the accommodation bay  23 . 
     The outlet adapter  27  has a cylindrical opening with an offset stop  28 . One hose end  29 ′ of the blower hose  290  can be inserted with an accurate fit into this opening, wherein the counterstop  28 ′ makes stop contact with the stop  28  of the outlet adapter  27 . The inner opening of the outlet adapter  27  is of cylindrical design corresponding to the hose end  29 ′. As an alternative, a tapered joint between the outlet adapter  27  and the hose end  29 ′ can be implemented. 
     As is readily visible from  FIG. 2 , the outlet adapter  27  accommodated in the accommodation bay  23  also extends across the corner E, wherein it occupies portions of the surface of the rear side and of the side of the housing  90  of the dry vacuum cleaner  100 . The outlet adapter  27  is held securely within the accommodation bay  23  by means of two clamping pins  26 ′, which engage in the retention domes  24  shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       FIG. 3  shows the dry vacuum cleaner  100 , wherein an air filter cartridge  25  is accommodated in the accommodation bay  23  (concealed here) of the air outlet system  50 . In contrast to the outlet adapter  27  shown in  FIG. 2 , the air filter cartridge  25  in  FIG. 3  is free from any outlet fitting. In other words, there is no intention to connect a blower hose or the like to the air filter cartridge  25 . On the contrary, the intake air SL sucked in by the dry vacuum cleaner emerges into the surroundings U from the air filter cartridge  25  as exhaust air AL. This takes place through a number of filter openings  24 ′, which are defined by a frame  24  of the air filter cartridge  25 . 
     As can be seen from  FIG. 3 , the frame  24  together with the filter mat visible behind the filter openings  24 ′ lies across the corner E of the housing  90 . As can likewise be seen from  FIG. 3 , there are filter openings  24 ′ both on the side and on the rear side of the housing  90 , thereby providing a relatively large outflow cross section for exhaust air AL. Here too, it is clearly apparent that the accommodation bay  23  and the air filter cartridge  25  accommodated with an accurate fit therein extend over at least 25% of the total height GH of the housing  90 . The air filter cartridge  25  together with the frame  24  is fastened to the housing  90  by means of a clip fastener  22 . 
     Finally,  FIG. 4  shows a [[ . . . ]] rear view of the dry vacuum cleaner  100 . It is clearly apparent that the air filter cartridge  25 , together with the frame  24  and the filter openings  24 ′, is formed across the corner E. In other words, exhaust air AL flows rearward (out of the plane of the image in  FIG. 4 ) and to the side (to the left in  FIG. 4 ) out of the filter cartridge  25 . Together, the filter openings  24 ′, which are distributed over two housing walls, offer a relatively large outflow cross-section for the exhaust air AL. Thus, as desired, a flow speed of the exhaust air AL is reduced. By virtue of the fact that flow portions of the exhaust air AL flow out both from the rear side and from the side (the side is different from the rear side), unpleasant impingement of air upon users in the surroundings of the dry vacuum cleaner is significantly reduced. 
     As can be seen from  FIG. 4 , the accommodation bay  23  hugs the battery bay  80  provided on the housing  90 , thereby ensuring a particularly compact construction of the dry vacuum cleaner  100 . 
     LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS 
     
         
           10  Inlet fitting 
           20  Air outlet 
           22  Clip fastener 
           23  Accommodation bay 
           24  Frame 
           24 ′ Filter openings 
           25  Air filter cartridge 
           26  Retention dome 
           26 ′ Clamping pins 
           27  Outlet adapter 
           28  Stop 
           28 ′ Counterstop 
           29  Outlet fitting 
           29 ′ Hose end 
           50  Air outlet system 
           80  Battery bay 
           90  Housing 
           100  Dry vacuum cleaner 
           210  Suction hose 
           290  Blower hose 
         AL Exhaust air 
         E Corner of the housing 
         GH Total height of the housing 
         SL Intake air 
         U Surroundings