Patent Description:
A vacuum cleaner is an electric appliance that filters dust, dirt and foreign matters together with air into a body provided therein, after sucking them by using a vacuum motor mounted in the body.

Generally, vacuum cleaners may be classified at least into a canister type having a suction nozzle or brush communicated with the body via a suction pipe or pipes and a flexible suction hose, wherein the body is equipped with wheels for moving the vacuum cleaner over the floor. Another type of vacuum cleaners is a stick type vacuum cleaner having a suction nozzle that can be directly connected to the body o via a suction pipe or pipes, wherein the body is held in the user's hand during operation.

Both types of the vacuum cleaners may include a vacuum cleaner body having a vacuum motor configured to generate a suction force mounted therein, a suction nozzle configured to suck dust and other rubbish scattered on a surface by the suction force generated in the body, and a connection pipe configured to connect the body and the suction nozzle with each other.

The suction force enables the suction nozzle to suck therein the air containing dust and other rubbish scattered on the surface which will be cleaned.

The air containing the dust and other rubbish may be drawn into the body via the connection pipe form the nozzle. The dust and other rubbish contained in the air sucked into the body may be separated within a dust separation means provided in the body, as a cyclonic separation apparatus or other means.

After that, the separated dust and other rubbish may be collected in a means for collecting dust that is in communication with the dust separation device and the air having the dust and foreign matters separated there from may be exhausted outside the body.

Customers uses the vacuum cleaner on many different surfaces and carpets. For some of them, cleaning parameters, e.g. a suction power are reduce due to smaller airflow on some dense carpet. It causes that the dust and the other rubbish particles aren't sucked directly to means for collecting dust, but they levitate in the suction channel. It provides to bad cleaning effect, because when customer switch off the vacuum cleaner during appearing levitation phenomena then this particles haven't been vacuumed, but fall down again on the cleaned surface.

Document <CIT> discloses a non-return flap valve for a vacuum cleaner, comprising a movable sealing flap, a stationary part having means for mounting the non-return flap valve in a nozzle body of the vacuum cleaner, a strip connecting said flap to said stationary part and spacing said flap from said stationary part, and a constriction thickness across said strip, said constriction defining and extending along a flexing axis about which said flap articulates relative to said stationary part to prevent the dust and debris accumulated in a collecting chamber from escaping when the appliance is switched off, but unfortunately it does not prevent from falling out from the suction channel participles that are not accumulated in the said chamber.

Document <CIT> discloses a vacuum cleaner having a suction port and a suction channel, where a capacitive humidity sensor is arranged in the suction channel. The suction channel opens during detection of humidity in a secondary air opening that is spatially attached to the humidity sensor. Monitoring and/or cleaning agents in contact with the humidity sensor proceed during opening movement of the air opening. The air opening is obtained by opening a part of a suction channel wall to prevent water from being drawn into the vacuum cleaner. A locking position of the air opening is secured by magnets. The mentioned solution does not prevent from falling out participles form the suction channel, when the vacuuming is finished.

This is an object of the invention to collect all the residual dust and other rubbish in the suction channel at means for collecting dust of a body when the vacuuming is finished in order to improve the comfort and performance of the cleaning.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a vacuum cleaner for cleaning a surface, comprising: a body, an electrically-driven suction unit, a means for collecting the dust, a suction channel, a nozzle that is fluidly communicated with the body via the suction channel, an intake means fluidly communicated with the suction unit and provided for ensuring additional portion of the air in to the suction channel, and which can be adjusted between an opened state and a closed state, to open and close a by-pass channel, a control unit configured to control the suction unit, with a processor for storing, calculating and interpreting signals or data, and operated by a user a starting and stopping device being electrically communicated with the control unit and arranged to generate a cleaning start signal or a cleaning end signal. The intake means is bi-directionally electrically connected to the control unit, so transmission of data or signals between the intake means and the control unit is enabled, and the control unit is arranged to generate a signal for controlling the intake means in the event of detecting the cleaning start signal or the cleaning end signal.

Advantageously, the vacuum cleaner is equipped with the intake means that is provided for ensuring an additional portion of air into the suction channel, also for reducing air flow resistance by the way of reduction of air suction resistance after the vacuum cleaner is switched off, i.e. when the user decides to finish cleaning the surface what is expressed by changing the state of the on/off switch. Then the additional portion of air can be sucked into the suction channel, and thus dust particles, which resided in the suction channel can be removed from the suction channel to the dust collecting means, thanks to which they do not fall out on the cleaned surface, what significantly improves the comfort and efficiency of cleaning.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the intake means is arranged to generate data, that provide the control unit with information about the state of the intake means, wherein these data are used to control the suction unit by the control unit. The positive effect is that the control unit can adapt the control signals to the current state of the intake means.

Preferable the intake means has an actuator, that is controlled by the control unit, wherein the actuator is configured to change the state of the intake means on the basis of the signal, therefore the state of the intake means can be changed automatically without the user intervention.

In the another preferred embodiment of the invention the starting and stopping device is an electrical switch, wherein the switch is communicated with the control unit via a wired transmission. Such solution is cheap to use and reliable to operate.

Advantageously the intake means is configured to generate and send to the control unit the cleaning end signal for controlling the suction unit, when the intake means has been manually adjusted from the closed to the opened state by the user, wherein, then the suction unit is being switched off immediately or after calculated and counted predetermined time by the control unit. The positive effect is that the user can choose how to start cleaning the suction channel in the way by changing the state of the switch or by changing the state of the intake means, namely by changing it state from closed to opened state.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the intake means comprises at least one paddle, that is arranged on a bottom of the nozzle, and the actuator which is configured to rotate the paddle between horizontal and vertical position and back in relation to the bottom of the nozzle in order to increase a gap between the bottom of the nozzle and the cleaned surface, when the intake means is in the opened state. Therefore, at least portion of the nozzle is lifted above the cleaned surface and therefore more air can be sucked into the inlet to remove from the suction channel residual dust participles by the increased gap.

In another preferred embodiment a vacuum cleaner has also a suction pipe that forms at least portion of the suction channel, and in that the intake means comprises a sleeve which slides on the outer surface of the suction pipe, an opening arranged in the suction pipe, wherein the sleeve is configured to air tightly close or open the opening when sliding along the suction pipe. Preferable the sleeve is provided with a handle which projects transversely from an outer surface of the sleeve to the movement of the sleeve. The positive effect is that the inlet means can be operated by the user both by the hand or the foot, and the solution itself is uncomplicated, reliable and easy to use in production.

Preferable the intake means comprises a solenoid valve configured to be operated by the control unit, wherein the solenoid valve is arranged in the nozzle and is fluidly connected with the suction channel and is configured to allow inlet air to bypass a nozzle inlet.

A method for operating the vacuum cleaner more particularly method for cleaning the suction channel according to the present invention comprises the following method steps, wherein the method is performed just after the user finishes cleaning the surface. During the cleaning the surface the intake means is in the closed state, so the suction channel is provided with air merely via the inlet of the nozzle. The method of cleaning the suction channel is started when a state of the starting and stopping device is changed from on to off position and the cleaning end signal is sent to the control unit, then the suction unit is switched off by the control unit, immediately or alternatively is switched off after the calculated and counted time has elapsed. The control unit generates the signal and sends it to the intake means. Based on the signal the intake means changes the state from the closed state to the opened state. After the predetermined time, that is calculated by the processor, the control unit switches off the suction unit. The user is informed about the end of the cleaning process. Then, intake means is operated to the closed state manually by the user or automatically by the control unit which generates and sends a signal to the intake means that is configured to be actuated.

In another embodiment a method for operating the vacuum cleaner in order to clean the suction channel, comprises the following method steps. The method for cleaning the suction channel is performed just after the user finishes cleaning the surface. During the cleaning the surface the intake means is in the closed state. The method of cleaning the suction channel is started when the user manually changes the state of the intake means from the closed to the opened state, then the intake means generates and sends the cleaning end signal to the control unit, to start counting time for switching off the suction unit, or alternatively the suction unit is switched off immediately when the intake means changed the state. After the counted time, that is calculated by the processor has elapsed, the control unit switches off the suction unit. The user is informed about the end of the cleaning process. Then, intake means is operated to the closed state manually by the user or automatically by the control unit which generates and sends a signal to the intake means that is configured to be actuated.

In cooperation with attached drawing, the technical contents and detailed description of the present invention are described thereinafter according to a preferable embodiment being not used to limit its executing scope. Any equivalent variation and modification made according to appended claims is all covered by the claims claimed by the present invention. In the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, similar identical reference numbers designate identical of comparable components.

Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe the present invention in detail.

Reference is made to <FIG> which is a schematic view of the vacuum cleaner according to the present invention. A vacuum cleaner <NUM> for cleaning a surface <NUM> has a body <NUM>, an electrically-driven suction unit <NUM>, a means for collecting the dust <NUM>, a suction channel <NUM>, a nozzle <NUM> that is fluidly communicated with the body <NUM> via the suction channel <NUM>, an intake means <NUM> with a by-pass <NUM> fluidly communicated with the suction unit <NUM> via suction channel <NUM>, and provided for ensuring additional portion of the air in to the suction channel <NUM>, and which can be adjusted between an opened state and a closed state, to open and close the by-pass channel <NUM>. When the intake means <NUM> is in the opened state, the additional portion of air is sucked via the by-pass channel <NUM>, what ensures better circulation of the air in the suction channel <NUM>, so dust participles that levitate inside the suction channel <NUM> are sucked into the means for collecting the dust <NUM>. The vacuum cleaner <NUM>, also has a control unit <NUM> configured to control the suction unit <NUM>, with a processor for storing, calculating and interpreting signals or data, and operated by the user a starting and stopping device <NUM>, being electrically communicated with the control unit <NUM> and arranged to generate a cleaning start signal or a cleaning end signal SE. Furtherly, the intake means <NUM> is also adapted to generate the cleaning end signal SE, which initiates the method of cleaning the suction channel <NUM>. Therefore, the user can choose how to start the process of cleaning the suction channel <NUM>. The intake means <NUM> is bi-directionally electrically connected to the control unit <NUM>, in order to transmit data or signals between the intake means <NUM> and the control unit <NUM>. At the moment, when the user decides to finish cleaning the surface <NUM>, he changes the state of the starting and stopping device <NUM> or alternatively changes the state of the intake means <NUM>. In the first case, in the event of detecting the cleaning end signal SE, the control unit <NUM> generates a signal S1 to change the state of the intake means <NUM> from the closed to the opened by using an actuator <NUM>, and starts counting time to switch off from the supply the suction unit <NUM>, or alternatively suction unit <NUM> is switch off immediately, and dust participles are sucked in to the means for collecting the dust <NUM>. If the user decides to use the intake means to start the cleaning suction channel <NUM> method, he changes the state of it from closed to opened state, then the intake means <NUM> generates the cleaning end signal SE for the control unit <NUM> which starts calculating time to switch off from the supply the suction unit <NUM>, or alternatively suction unit <NUM> is switch off immediately, and dust participles are sucked in to the means for collecting the dust <NUM>, by the momentum of the suction unit <NUM>. The control unit <NUM> informs the user about the end of the cleaning process of the suction channel <NUM>, and the intake means <NUM> is operated to the closed state, manually by the user or automatically by the control unit <NUM> which generates and sends a signal S2 to the intake means <NUM> to be actuated to the closed state by the actuator <NUM>.

<FIG> shows the preferred embodiment of the vacuum cleaner. A vacuum cleaner <NUM> for cleaning a surface <NUM> has a body <NUM> with an electrically-driven suction unit <NUM> (not shown), a means for collecting the dust <NUM>, and a nozzle <NUM> for cleaning the surface <NUM>, that is fluidly connected with the body <NUM> via a suction pipe <NUM> and forming together the suction channel <NUM>. The nozzle <NUM> has an inlet <NUM> (not shown) arranged on the bottom side of it and an intake means <NUM> that is arranged on the upper portion of the nozzle <NUM>. The intake means <NUM> is a valve with an actuator <NUM> for opening and closing it. The valve has a by-pass channel <NUM> which is fluidly communicated with the suction channel <NUM> and provided for ensuring additional portion of air into the suction channel in order to bypass the inlet <NUM>. The vacuum cleaner <NUM> also comprises a control unit <NUM> (not shown) and a starting and stopping device <NUM>, which is in the form of an on/off electrical switch connected to the control unit <NUM> by wires. The control unit <NUM> has a processor for storing, calculating and interpreting signals or data is configured to control the suction unit <NUM> and the intake means <NUM>. While cleaning the surface <NUM>, the switch is on and the valve is closed, therefore air is sucked into the suction channel <NUM> only through the inlet <NUM>. If the user decides to finish this process he changes the state of the switch from on to off, the switch state change is transmitted to the control unit <NUM> which changes the state of the valve to open the by-pass channel <NUM> and starts calculating time to switch off from the supply the suction unit <NUM>, or alternatively suction unit <NUM> is switch off immediately, and dust participles are sucked from the suction channel into the means for collecting the dust <NUM>. The control unit <NUM> informs the user about the end of the cleaning process of the suction channel <NUM>, and the control unit <NUM> generates and sends a signal S2 to the actuator <NUM> to close the valve.

<FIG> shows the another preferred embodiment of the vacuum cleaner. A vacuum cleaner <NUM> for cleaning a surface <NUM> has a body <NUM> with an electrically-driven suction unit <NUM> (not shown), a means for collecting the dust <NUM>, and a nozzle <NUM> for cleaning the surface <NUM>, that is fluidly connected with the body <NUM> via a suction pipe <NUM> which forming together the suction channel <NUM>. The nozzle <NUM> has an inlet <NUM> (not shown) arranged on the bottom side of it. The vacuum cleaner <NUM> also comprises an intake means <NUM> which is arranged on the suction pipe <NUM>. The intake means <NUM> has a sleeve <NUM> which slides on the outer surface of the suction pipe <NUM>, an opening <NUM> arranged in the suction pipe <NUM>, wherein the sleeve <NUM> is configured to air tightly close or open the opening <NUM>, when sliding along the suction pipe <NUM>. The sleeve <NUM> is provided with a handle <NUM> which projects from an outer surface of the sleeve <NUM> transversely to the movement of the sleeve <NUM>. The vacuum cleaner <NUM> also comprises a control unit <NUM> (not shown) and a starting and stopping device <NUM> which is in the form of an on/off electrical switch connected to the control unit <NUM> by wires. The control unit <NUM> has a processor for storing, calculating and interpreting signals or data is configured to control the suction unit <NUM> and the intake means <NUM>. While cleaning the surface <NUM>, the switch is on and the opening <NUM> is covered by the sleeve <NUM>, therefore air is sucked only through the inlet <NUM>, into the suction channel <NUM>. If the user decides to finish cleaning the surface <NUM>, he presses the handle <NUM> of the sleeve <NUM>, in this way the sleeve <NUM> slides along the suction pipe <NUM> and the opening <NUM> is no longer covered by the sleeve <NUM>. At this moment the intake means <NUM> send the signal SE to the control unit <NUM>, which starts calculating time to switch off the suction unit <NUM> from the supply, or alternatively the suction unit <NUM> is switch off immediately, and dust participles are sucked from the suction channel into the means for collecting the dust <NUM> with the help from the additional portion of air sucked via the opening <NUM>. The control unit <NUM> informs the user about the end of the cleaning process of the suction channel <NUM>. Then, the user moves back the sleeve <NUM> to cover the opening <NUM>.

<FIG> shows the another preferred embodiment of a vacuum cleaner in fragmentary view. A vacuum cleaner <NUM> for cleaning a surface <NUM> has a body <NUM> (not shown) with an electrically-driven suction unit <NUM> (not shown), a means for collecting the dust <NUM> (not shown), and a nozzle <NUM> for cleaning the surface <NUM>, that is fluidly connected with the body <NUM> via a suction pipe <NUM> and forming together the suction channel <NUM>. The nozzle <NUM> has an inlet <NUM> arranged on the bottom side of it. The vacuum cleaner <NUM> also comprises an intake means <NUM> that is arranged at the bottom side of the nozzle <NUM>. The intake means <NUM> comprises at least one paddle <NUM>, that is pivotally arranged on the bottom of the nozzle <NUM>, and the actuator <NUM> which is configured to rotate the paddle <NUM> between horizontal and vertical position about a pivot axis lying on the bottom of the nozzle <NUM>, in order to increase a gap <NUM> between the bottom of the nozzle <NUM> and the cleaned surface <NUM>, when the intake means <NUM> is in the opened state. Furtherly the vacuum cleaner <NUM> has a control unit <NUM> (not shown) and a starting and stopping device <NUM> which is in the form of an on/off electrical switch connected to the control unit <NUM> by wires. The control unit <NUM> has a processor for storing, calculating and interpreting signals or data is configured to control the suction unit <NUM> and the intake means <NUM>. While cleaning the surface <NUM>, the switch is on and the paddle <NUM> stays horizontally to the surface <NUM> and is hidden in the bottom of the nozzle <NUM>, therefore air is sucked into the suction channel only through the very small gap <NUM> into the inlet <NUM>. If the user decides to finish cleaning of the surface <NUM> process, he changes the state of the switch from on to off, change of the state of the switch is transmitted to the control unit <NUM>, then the control unit <NUM> send the signal S1 to the intake means <NUM> to move the paddle <NUM> from horizontal to vertical position. The actuator <NUM> rotates the paddle <NUM>, therefore the gap <NUM> is increased, that allows more air to be drawn into the suction channel <NUM>. At the same moment the control unit <NUM> starts calculating time to switch off the suction unit <NUM> from the supply, or alternatively suction unit <NUM> is switch off immediately, and dust participles are sucked from the suction channel into the means for collecting the dust <NUM> by a momentum of the suction unit <NUM>. The control unit <NUM> informs the user about the end of the cleaning process of the suction channel <NUM>, and the control unit <NUM> generates and sends a signal S2 to the actuator <NUM> which rotates the paddle <NUM> back to its initial horizontal position.

Claim 1:
A vacuum cleaner (<NUM>) for cleaning a surface (<NUM>), comprising:
a body (<NUM>),
an electrically-driven suction unit (<NUM>),
a means for collecting the dust (<NUM>),
a suction channel (<NUM>),
a nozzle (<NUM>) that is fluidly communicated with the body (<NUM>) via the suction channel (<NUM>),
an intake means (<NUM>) fluidly communicated with the suction unit (<NUM>) and provided for ensuring additional portion of the air in to the suction channel (<NUM>), and which can be adjusted between an opened state and a closed state, to open and close a bypass channel (<NUM>),
a control unit (<NUM>) configured to control the suction unit (<NUM>), with a processor for storing, calculating and interpreting signals or data,
and operated by a user a starting and stopping device (<NUM>) being electrically communicated with the control unit (<NUM>) and arranged to generate a cleaning start signal or a cleaning end signal (SE),
characterized in that
the intake means (<NUM>) is bi-directionally electrically connected to the control unit (<NUM>), so transmission of data or signals between the intake means (<NUM>) and the control unit (<NUM>) is enabled, and in that the control unit (<NUM>) is arranged to generate a signal (S1) for controlling the intake means (<NUM>) in the event of detecting the cleaning start signal or the cleaning end signal (SE).