WO2005034706A2

WO2005034706A2 - Sucking device

Info

Publication number: WO2005034706A2
Application number: PCT/IB2004/003279
Authority: WO
Inventors: Luigi Amoretti
Original assignee: T.P.A. Impex S.P.A.
Priority date: 2003-10-09
Filing date: 2004-10-08
Publication date: 2005-04-21
Also published as: EP1677658A2; ITMO20030277A1; WO2005034706A3

Abstract

The suction apparatus (1) comprises an operating handle (2), a machine body (3) equipped at one end (4) with at least one mouthpiece (4) fitting of a concurrent end of a suction pipe (12), or of an accessory (8), operating handle (2) that leads away from said machine body (3); between said machine body (3) and operating handle (2) there is interposed first articulated joint means (9) for angular operating of said operating handle (2) in relation to said machine body (3); the suction apparatus (1) further comprises a filtering body (101) equipped with inlet means (103) of air flows to be filtered full of impurities and/or humidity and of outlet means (104) of filtered air flows, storage means (116) of filtered impurities and/or humidity, a filtration path (B, C, D, E, F, G, H) that connects said inlet means (103) with said storage means (116) and with said outlet means (104), separating said impurities and humidity from said air flows, said storage means (116) is equipped with automatic blocking means (118) of said path (B, C, D, E, F, G, H) in the presence of preset volumes of accumulated humidity.

Description

Sucking device

The present invention relates to a sucking device. In daily use by users of household appliances mainly deployed for cleaning, in practice vacuum cleaners and electric brushes, it is often necessary to reach zones of the environments to clean that are particularly difficult and inconvenient .

As is known, the vacuum cleaners and brushes are made up of a machine body inside which there is grouped the suction motor, a filtering unit and a collection means of the sucked matter that may be a bag or a chamber employed for that purpose or yet again a liquid tank in which the flow of sucked matter is scrubbed to release the impurities before the current of air generated by the motor is expelled towards the outside of the machine body.

The latter, in order to be suitably operated during movements, is equipped, especially in electric brushes, with an operating handle of a suitable length and which ends in a grip turned towards the user. Said handle is obtained in certain cases directly as a joined stylistic continuation and without substantial interruption of the machine body and in other cases by means of a simple stiff element that is normally straight and protrudes from said machine body, an element that consists of a tube trunk provided at one end with organs for attachment to a suitable mouthpiece obtained in said machine body and at the opposite end with a fitting for a grip, advantageously folded in a suitable manner to make operating of the electric brush household appliance as ergonomic as possible. On the other hand, in the case of household appliances that have their machine body arranged to be shifted along the ground, in addition to the wheels, it is equipped in a part considered to be the front part with a mouthpiece for attaching the end of a flexible pipe for suction that, at the opposite end, carries the conventional tools employed for the different uses such as a jet-pipe, a wide nosepiece with or without bristles for carpets and the like, a smaller nosepiece for upholstered items such as sofas and armchairs. As an alternative to said flexible pipe, which in reality also acts as a handle as it is used by the user to drag and direct the machine body during suction, to said mouthpiece the end of a section of stiff pipe can be hooked that also in the latter case acts as a handle and which at the opposite end has its own mouthpiece in which alternatively and according to requirements a further pipe section or one of the accessories disclosed previously can be bayonet-fitted into position to constitute a desired length. Known suction domestic appliances employed for cleaning can be set up to be used to clean surfaces and objects generally in an efficient manner, also using steam jets coming from a source of supply, for example a heater, which is normally located inside the household appliances and is connected to an ejection nozzle that is positioned at the end of a delivery conduit; alternatively, when the heater is outside the household appliance, it is connected with the latter and with the nozzle by means of further supply conduits, normally of the flexible type. The suction action of the motor is associated with the steam- producing apparatus and the air flows sucked together with the dirt are filtered in order to be able to be sent to the motor to cool the latter and are then returned to the environment. The dirt removed with the jets of steam is sucked up and collected in containing chambers provided in the household appliances and inside which the sucked air flows full of impurities and humidity are conveyed.

Such prior-art household appliances nevertheless have certain drawbacks . A first drawback is represented by the fact that a vacuum cleaner with a machine body that is runnable on the floor cannot, for the same functions, be operated like an electric brush and vice versa, so that, in order to obtain the performance of both, it is necessary to purchase two different household appliances.

A second drawback is represented by the fact that in floor vacuum cleaners, the flexible pipes have limited lengths and the stiff pipes can reach zones that are substantially near the user without for example extending above the cupboards or below the beds without the user engaging in tiring and repeated contortions.

A third drawback is represented by the fact that, specifically in household appliances that use one or more sections of stiff pipes that are systematically fittable to one another, when said sections are not used it is necessary to have available a place for placing them that is in all cases easily and readily reachable if necessary. A fourth drawback is that with the systematic use of the household appliances, the dirt collection chambers fill up and the collected dirt progressively clogs up the outlet openings to the exterior on one side such as to greatly reduce or even to stop without any signal that is perceptible to users the flows of cooling air to the motor: the interruption of cooling thus overheats the motor, if it is kept running despite the occurrence of the above conditions until it is gravely damaged, thereby making the household appliance unusable. Clogging is even more frequent and harmful because of the fact that the aspirated dirt is full of humidity arising from the jets of steam used to remove it from the surfaces to be cleaned; this humidity contained in the sucked air flows causes not only serious dangers for the motor if it reaches it, but also the formation of agglomerates of sucked materials that tend to accumulate at the bottom of the collection chambers and on the walls of the latter until the openings provided for expulsion to the suction unit motor are blocked. To avoid this drawback, filtering devices have been constructed that are provided with vortex paths through which the air flows to be filtered are made to flow and which are suitable for separating the humid component from the solid components in the collected dirt.

Such a filtering device is, for example, disclosed in GB patent 2.374.305 according to which a filtering device comprises a plurality of tapered conduits that are positioned in a box-shaped body and form a defined and vortex-shaped through path of the sucked air flows.

The inlet of the conduits is provided in the widest part and the outlet is provided in the narrowest part. The aforementioned conduits therefore have air flow passage sections that progressively decrease towards the outlet ends of each one; the latter terminate in a common dirt collection chamber in which, owing to the strong centrifugal acceleration that the sucked air flows undergo during their passage inside the conduits, the solid parts of dirt are separated from the air and from the wet component, falling inside the collection chamber; the latter, in order to effect its emptying and cleaning, is separable from the body that contains the conduits. Such a filtering device, although being substantially effective, has an extremely complicated construction and is therefore costly.

Furthermore, the chamber that collects the dirt must by necessity have transparent walls in order to be able to constantly check its level of filling, especially with the wet component that is condensed in water, in order that an uncontrollable excess thereof does not cause saturation and the consequent blockage previously mentioned, or the sending of humid air to the motor of the suction unit. Prior-art filtering apparatuses are not in fact equipped with any device suitable for in any way warning the user when the collection chambers reach critical filling with condensed water and monitoring is entrusted only to diligent and attentive visual monitoring by the user, who may sometimes forget to carry out the monitoring and to empty the collection chambers, with the aforementioned consequences. The technical task of the present invention is to improve the state of the art. One object of the invention is to create a suction apparatus that is equipped with an operating handle that enables the performance of an electric brush and of a floor vacuum cleaner to be obtained with a single appliance that also enables the less accessible zones to be operatively reached that are less accessible to treatment, that does not require special spaces for storing accessories of a notable length when they are not used.

Another object of the invention is to create a suction apparatus that provides the user with a clearly perceptible indication of the presence of a critical volume of water in the collection chamber, in whatever position of use the suction apparatus finds itself.

Another object of the invention is to create a suction apparatus that has a simple and therefore cheap structure. According to a first aspect of the invention, a suction apparatus is provided comprising a machine body provided at one end with at least one mouthpiece fitting of a concurrent end of a suction pipe, or with a cleaning accessory, an operating handle that leads away from said machine body, characterised in that at least between said machine body and operating handle there is interposed first articulated joint means for angular operating of said operating handle in relation to said machine body. The joint means therefore enables the positioning according to necessity of an operating handle of a suction apparatus in relation to the machine body of the latter, such that the suction apparatus can be used in different configurations. Advantageously, a suction apparatus comprises a filtering body equipped with inlet means of air flows to be filtered that are full of impurities and/or humidity and with outlet means of filtered air flows, accumulation means of filtered impurities and/or humidity, a filtration path that connects said inlet means with said accumulation means and with said outlet means, separating said impurities and humidity from said air flows, characterised in that said accumulation means is equipped with automatic blocking means of said filtration path in the presence of preset volumes of accumulated humidity. The automatic blocking means therefore enables it to be prevented that humidity or particles of water reach the motor accidentally, even if the user does not systematically monitor the level of filling with condensed water inside the accumulation chamber or even if the latter is not equipped with transparent walls for direct monitoring of the filling level .

Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will be clearer from the detailed description of a suction apparatus illustrated by way of non-limitative example in the attached drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows schematically in a first possible form of assembly and from the side a suction apparatus for running along the ground; Figure 2 also shows from the side, in a second form of assembly, a suction apparatus for running along the ground or alternatively for use as an electric brush;

Figure 3 shows in perspective a suction apparatus in a third possible form of assembly for running along the ground; Figure 4 shows in perspective a suction apparatus in a fourth possible form of assembly for use as an electric brush;

Figure 5 shows a suction apparatus in a sixth possible form of assembly for use as a conventional vacuum cleaner; Figure 6 shows in enlarged and partially fragmentary detail second articulated joint means that is part of the suction apparatus according to the invention;

Figure 7 shows in longitudinal section the second articulated joint means illustrated in Figure 6; Figure 8 shows a constructional detail of second articulated joint means;

Figure 9 is a schematic side view of the second articulated joint means illustrated in Figure 8;

Figure 10 shows yet another detailed view of the second articulated joint means illustrated in Figure 8;

Figure 11 shows in detail an operating handle of the suction apparatus in Figure 1 in a possible assembly configuration;

Figure 12 is a perspective view of a filtering body inserted inside the suction apparatus in Figure 1; Figure 13 is a perspective view of the filtering body in

Figure 12, devoid of a top portion;

Figure 14 is a perspective view of a central portion of the filtering body in Figure 12;

Figure 15 is a vertical section of a bottom portion of the filtering body in Figure 12;

Figure 16 is a vertical section of the filtering body in

Figure 12, taken along a plane XVI-XVI;

Figure 17 is a transverse section of the bottom portion in

Figure 15 taken along a plane XVII-XVII; Figure 18 is a perspective view of the bottom portion in

Figure 15;

Figure 19 is a schematic view in longitudinal section of a suction apparatus equipped with the filtering body in Figure 12, illustrated in a very schematic form and devoid of the component internal elements.

With particular reference to Figures 1 to 11, 1 overall indicates a suction apparatus equipped with an operating handle 2.

The suction apparatus 1 essentially comprises a machine body 3 that is equipped at one end 4 with at least one mouthpiece 5 for fitting a concurrent end of a suction pipe, indicated for the sake of clarity as 6 if of the rigid type or as 7 if of the flexible type, or directly with a cleaning accessory 8.

The operating handle 2 leads away from the aforementioned machine body 3 from a part opposite the mouthpiece 5, with the interposition of first articulated joint means 9 suitable for allowing its angular movement in relation to said machine body 3.

The operating handle 2 is equipped, at the end opposite said machine body 3, with a hollow grip 10 that is advantageously provided with a removable closing plug 11. The operating handle 2 may be constituted by at least one stiff pipe segment 12 usable for suction or also by two or more segments 12 alongside one another.

The angular movement of said operating handle 2 occurs on a longitudinal plane of the machine body 3, advantageously on a median plane of vertical symmetry of the latter. The first articulated joint means 9 comprises a mouthpiece element 13 for the alternating and removable fitting of both a concurrent end of the operating handle 2 and alternatively of the closing plug 11 of said hollow grip 10; the first means 9 also comprises a hinge means 14 that is interposed between the machine body 3 and the mouthpiece element 13, which may have one or more preferably hollow receptacles for receiving the ends of one or more stiff pipe segments 12 that are normally used for suction. The hinge means 14 enables rotation of the operating handle 2 between a position turned upwards in relation to the machine body 3 and a folded position underneat the latter, as schematically illustrated in Figure 1. Furthermore, between the machine body 3 and the hinge means 14 there is interposed locking means 15 of the angular movement of said hinge means 14.

In a second possible embodiment of the suction apparatus 1 it is provided for that between the operating handle 2 and the grip 10 there is interposed second articulated joint means 16 to enable the angular movement of said grip 10 in relation to the handle 2. The latter is also constituted by one or more trunks of stiff piping 12 usable for suction and which are alongside one another. The second articulated joint means 16 comprises a hollow central body 17, a first pipe section 18 with removable mouthpiece fitting that leads away from said hollow central body 17 in a first direction, a second pipe section 19 with removable mouthpiece fitting that protrudes from said hollow central body 17 on the side opposite the first section 18 in a second direction.

Between the first and the second pipe section 18 and 19 flexible pipe connecting means 20 is provided that consists for example of a length of flexible pipe 21. Between the hollow central body 17 and at least one of said first and second pipe sections with mouthpiece, in practice that indicated in the drawings with the reference 18, there is interposed rotation means 22 that is provided with locking means 23. The rotation means 22 comprises a first pair of eyelets 24 projecting from at least one of the first 18 or second 19 pipe sections, in practice the section 18, in which a corresponding pair of pivot means 25 engages in a rotationally free manner projecting bilaterally from the hollow central body 17. The locking means 23 comprises a circular indentation means 26 that is integrally coaxial with at least one of the eyelets 24, tooth means 27 that is slidingly supported guided on the hollow central body 17 and is engageable in the circular indentation means 26 or disengageable from the latter and elastic thrust means 23 of the tooth means 27 to said circular indentation means 26 to keep it normally in an engaged position. The hollow central body 17 is substantially configured as a sleeve and has at least one break 29 in the bottom peripheral zone arranged to enable rotation without interference and according to preset angles, normally comprised in a right angle of the first pipe section 18 with mouthpiece in relation to the aforementioned central body 17. In one of the possible forms of assembly of the suction apparatus 1, the second joint means 16 is interposable between a trunk of suction pipe 12 and the mouthpiece 5, or between two trunks 12 of suction pipe as shown in Figures 2, 3, 4, rather than between the grip 10 and the handle 2. With reference to Figures 12 to 19, 100 indicates overall a filtering body, particularly suitable for being installed in the filtering apparatus 1.

The filtering body 100 comprises a box-shaped body 101 that in a preferred embodiment has a cylindrical shape and is transversely divided into three portions, a first bottom portion 102, a second intermediate portion 202 and a third top portion 302.

The first bottom portion 102 is fixed in a removable manner to the second intermediate portion 202 by means of hooks 105 and the third top portion 302 is fixed, again in a removable manner, to the second intermediate portion 202 underneath by means of a screw element 106: between portions 102, 202, 302 seal means 137 is provided. In the third top portion 302 there are provided inlet means 103 of air flows to be filtered and outlet means 104 of filtered air that comprise respective openings 107 and 108. With particular reference to Figure 13, the openings 107 and 108 communicate with corresponding spaces 109 and 110 that are obtained inside the third portion 302 by means of vertical shaped baffles 111, 112, 113, 114; the baffles 111 and 112 that delimit the space 109 converge in an opening 115 that enters inside the first bottom portion 102, as visible in Figure 15 also as more fully disclosed below; a further opening terminates in the space 110 (not visible but similar to the opening 115), through which filtered air flows leave to be expelled outside through the opening 108. Inside the body 101 accumulation means 116 is provided that comprises a first accumulation chamber 117 into which the air flows to be filtered flow that are introduced through the opening 115 and in which the detritus and humidity are collected that are suspended inside the aforementioned air flows . The air flows that traverse the filtering body 100 are generated by the suction devices 310, which are preferably of the type known to one skilled in the art, for example a motor with which a fan is associated, and which are connectable to the outlet means 104; the suction devices 310 create a vacuum inside the filtering body 100.

The air flows inside the latter follow a predefined filtration path and which is indicated in Figures 15, 16, 17, 18 by the arrows B, C, D, E, F, G, H and are then expelled, as said, through the opening 108 and sent to cool the suction devices 310 and are subsequently, as said, returned to the environment .

In greater detail, with reference to Figure 15, the filtration path comprises, downstream of the inlet through the opening 115, the descent of the air flows to be filtered in the first accumulation chamber 117, inside which the flows take on a rotational movement indicated by the arrow C, which enables the detritus and the suspended humidity to be separated from the air by centrifugal force and to fall and accumulate inside the first chamber 117; the air flows, after releasing the larger detritus and humidity that condenses into water, rise along the path as indicated below.

In the first chamber 117 there are placed automatic closing means 118 of the filtration path when the level of condensed water reaches a critical volume.

The blocking means 118 comprises a shutter member 120 that is placed inside housing means 119, shaped as a sort of cage inside which the shutter member 120 can slide guided; the shutter member 120 is shaped like an upturned beaker with its own second bottom 220 turned upwards and the internal cavity 120' turned towards the first accumulation chamber 17. The housing means 119 comprises its own first bottom 121 and a roof 122 in which a first gap 123 and a second gap 124 are respectively obtained; the housing means 119 also has a side surface 125 in which windows 126 are obtained.

The roof 122 of the housing means 119 is integral with a dividing wall 127 that defines a second chamber 128 that is perimetrically delimited by a circular wall 129 and at the top by a bottom 130 of the third top portion 302 when the latter is fitted onto the second intermediate portion 202.

The circular wall 129 is traversed by an opening 131 that connects it with a third annular chamber 132 defined in the body 101, between the external surface of the circular wall 129 and the internal surface 202' of the second portion 202. In the third annular chamber 132 a first filtering element 133 is housed that is suitable for filtering the air flows that traverse the opening 131 and which rise from the third annular chamber 132 to a fourth chamber 134 obtained in the third top portion 302 of the filtering body 100 and inside which there is placed a second filtering element 135, suitable for filtering in a capillary manner the air flows before they are expelled through the opening 108 to the suction devices and cooling thereof. The second filtering element 135 is contained in a hollow circular support 135' housed in an extractable manner inside the fourth chamber 134 and having a perimeter substantially coinciding with the internal perimeter of the latter and a slightly lower height in such a way as to define a free portion for conveying the filtered air flows to the opening 108.

With reference to Figure 16, it is noted that the housing means 119 is arranged with a longitudinal axis tilted inside the first collection chamber 117: this enables the floating member 120 to be substantially vertical when the filtering apparatus 1 is placed in a suction apparatus 1, such as an electric brush, that during its use must be kept tilted in relation to the surface to be cleaned. The suction apparatus 1 operates as follows: the machine body 3 and the operating handle 2 can be assembled together in such a way as to obtain a suction apparatus 1 for floor use. In this configuration, which is one of other possible creatable configurations and which is illustrated in Figures 1 and 5, one or more sections 12 of stiff piping normally usable as a usual extension of the mouthpiece 5 for suction are fitted parallel to one another with similar ends in the mouthpiece element 13, which provides one or more receptacles for this purpose. On the opposite ends of said sections 12 of stiff piping a counterpiece 113 is fitted that substantially mirrors the mouthpiece element 13, which in turn directly shapes a mouthpiece for fitting the grip 10 or for fitting the second articulated joint means 16, which, from the opposite side, shapes in turn the hollow grip 10 that is equippable with a removable plug 11 that is fittable therein.

In this configuration of the suction apparatus 1, which is the most complete, the accessories 8 are fitted directly on the mouthpiece 5 and it is both possible to adjust the tilt of the operating handle 2 in relation to the machine body 3, and of the grip 10 in relation to the operating handle 2, providing the simultaneous presence on the suction apparatus 1 of both the first 9 and second 16 articulated means: in this way it is possible to obtain a position of the operating grip 10 that is perfectly ergonomic for the stature of any user, or after use, it is possible to completely fold the operating handle 2 underneath the machine body 3 to be able to store the suction apparatus 1 as compactly as possible underneath the machine body 3 to be able to store the suction apparatus 1 as compactly as possible, whilst keeping ready to hand the section 12 of piping usable for suction.

The adjustment between said handle 2 and the machine body 3 occurs by momentaneously disarming the locking means 15 of the hinge means 14 and rotating the operating handle 2 until it reaches the its desired tilt.

The adjustment of the tilt between grip 10 and operating handle 2 occurs by disengaging the tooth means 27 from the corresponding circular indentation means 26 and rotating by a desired angle the hollow central body 17 in relation to the first section 18 of pipe with mouthpiece, until reaching the desired position and then releasing said tooth means 27 that reengages in the circular indentation means 26. The suction apparatus 1 is configurable in other assembly solutions, depending on the use needs of the users.

In a second of said possible configurations, see Figures 2, 3, 4, the second articulated joint means 16 is used to connect together two stiff pipe sections 12 normally used for suction and which are in this case removed from their position to form the operating handle 2, whereas in the mouthpiece element 13 the plug 11 is fitted after it has been extracted from the grip 10.

The second articulated joint means 16 enables reciprocating rotation between the first pipe section 18 and the central body 17 according to angles comprised between 0° and 90°; such rotation is made possible by the break 29 that enables the passage of the aforementioned first pipe section 18 with fitting between said central body 17 during rotation. In this way it is possible to obtain that the stiff pipe sections 12 are arranged, by adjusting said second articulated joint means 16 as previously disclosed, in such a way as to be able to reach particularly difficult points such as for example the roof of a cupboard or the area underneath a bed, without the user having to take up unnatural and tiring positions .

It should be noted that said first 18 and second 19 pipe sections are axially hollow and are connected together by a length of flexible pipe 21 to enable suction in this second configuration.

Furthermore, the modularity of the components of the suction apparatus 1 enables the latter to be assembled in numerous combinations, according to use requirements, in particular alternatively as a floor vacuum cleaner or as a shoulder-slung electric brush; in the latter configuration there is also provided with a support T for carrying over the shoulders. As regards the filtering body 100, it is inserted removably inside the suction apparatus 1, as illustrated in Figure 19, in a top zone of the machine body 3. The openings 107 and 108 are connected in this configuration respectively with a suction conduit 50 of the suction apparatus 1 that runs externally along the machine body 3 and through a further conduit 60 to a motor unit 310 of the latter that generates the sucking action. When the motor unit 310 is actuated an air flow is created that is charged with detritus and humidity and which enters the filtering body 100 through the suction conduit 50 connected to the machine body 3 and the opening 15. After reaching the opening 15, the sucked air flows descend inside the first accumulation chamber 117 of the filtering body 100, in the direction indicated by the arrow B in Figure

15. In the first accumulation chamber 117 the sucked air flows become rotatory and by rotating inside the housing means 119, as shown by the arrow C in Figure 15, release through centrifugal force the detritus suspended inside the first chamber 117.

The collected detritus contains significant quantities of humidity generated by the use of steam to remove dirt from the surfaces to be treated and condense in water that accumulates inside the first chamber 117.

The air flows then pass through the windows 126 as shown by the arrow D and rise from the inside along the housing means 119, until they emerge from the latter through the second gap 124 obtained in the roof 122 and enter the second chamber 128. From the latter the air flows pass through the opening 131, following the direction of the arrow F, as indicated in Figure

16, and traverse the first filtering element 133 to reach the inside of the third annular chamber 132. From the latter, through a further opening 136, the air flows that have undergone a first rough filtering and a second finer filtering, proceed to the fourth chamber 134, as shown by the arrow G; in this fourth chamber 134 the hollow support 135' is arranged that contains a second filtering element 135 of the type with capillary porosity and preferably active carbon; with this second filtering element 135 the air flows are further filtered and purified also of residual microscopic impurities before being sent in the direction of arrow H along the further conduit 60 to cool the suction devices 310, passing through the outlet opening 108 and being returned to the environment.

The water and the detritus that progressively accumulate inside the first accumulation chamber 117 make the shutter member 120 shift along the housing means 119 that slidingly accommodates it in the direction of the second gap 124. The shift, or more precisely a first length of shift, is essentially determined by the sole floating thrust exerted on the shutter member 120 by the collected water, which must not in any way reach the suction devices 310.

The shutter member 120 is thus progressively lifted from the water along the housing means 119 until it reaches a critical position in which the air flows that transit in the first collection chamber 117 can enter the cavity 120' , thus completely raising the shutter member 120 before the first accumulation chamber 117 is totally full in such a way that its second bottom 220 rests completely against the roof 122: in this position, the second gap 124 is completely closed, as are the windows 126 by means of the side surface of the shutter member 120.

This interrupts the passage of the air flows directed to the suction unit 310: in this way, no damp particle collected inside the first accumulation chamber 117 can reach the latter, borne by the air flows, and damage it. Blocking of the second gap 124 also determines an immediate variation in the operating speed of the suction unit 310 that is clearly perceptible for the user and which highlights the faulty operating condition under strain caused by the filling level of the first accumulation chamber 117: this enables the user to immediately switch off the suction apparatus 1 before damage to the suction unit 310 and to dismantle the filtering body 100 to empty it completely of what has been collected. To carry out this emptying, the user extracts the body 100 from the suction apparatus 1 in a conventional manner; then acts on the hooks 105 to open them and detach between them the first bottom portion 102 from the second intermediate portion 202: this both enables the first accumulation chamber 117 to be accessed and emptied and the first filtering element 133 to be cleaned or replaced.

If it is necessary to proceed to clean or replace also the second filtering element 135, the user unscrews the screw element 106 and separates the third top portion 302 from the second bottom portion 202, thus having direct access to the extractable hollow support 135' and thus to the second filtering element 135 contained therein.

It is noted that the tilted position of the cage means 119 enables the tilt angle to be compensated in relation to the surface to be cleaned with which the suction apparatus 1 is normally used by the user; this enables the shutter member 120 to slide without locking, performing its function of closing the second gap 124, independently of the tilt assumed by the suction apparatus 1. When the user has completed the emptying operations of the first accumulation chamber 117 and the cleaning or replacement of the first filtering element 133 and possibly also of the second filtering element 135, he refits the body 10 by joining together the portions 102, ^'202, 302 and placing it inside the suction apparatus 1 in the space provided for this purpose.

Claims

1. Suction apparatus (1) comprising:

- a machine body (3) provided with an end of at least one mouthpiece (4) fitting of a concurrent end of a suction pipe (12), or of a cleaning accessory (8),

- an operating handle (2) that leads away from said machine body (3), characterised in that at least between said machine body (3) and operating handle (2) there is interposed first articulated joint means (9) for angular operating of said operating handle (2) in relation to said machine body (3).

2. Suction apparatus (1) according to claim 1 wherein said operating handle (2) leads away from said machine body (3) opposite said mouthpiece (4) fitting.

3. Suction apparatus (1) according to claim 1 characterised in that said operating handle (2) is equipped at the end opposite said machine body (3) , with at least one grip (10) .

4. Suction apparatus (1) according to claim 3 wherein said grip (10) is hollow and equipped with a closing plug (11) that is fittable therein in a removable manner.

5. Suction apparatus (1) according to claim 1 wherein said operating handle (2) consists of at least one stiff pipe segment (12) usable for suction.

6. Suction apparatus (1) according to claim 1 wherein said angular operating occurs on a longitudinal plane of said machine body (3) .

7. Suction apparatus (1) according to claim 6 wherein said longitudinal plane is a median plane.

8. Suction apparatus (1) according to claim 7 wherein said median plane is a vertical plane in relation to said machine body (3) .

9. Suction apparatus (1) according to claim 1 wherein said first articulated joint means (9) comprises: - at least one mouthpiece element (13) for alternate and removable fitting of a concurrent end of said handle (2) or of said grip (10) , at least one hinge means (14) interposed between said machine body (3) and said mouthpiece element (13), said hinge means (14) enabling the rotation of said operating handle (2) between a position turned upwards in relation to said machine body (3) and a position folded underneath said machine body (3) .

10. Suction apparatus (1) according to any one of claims 1 or 9 wherein between said machine body (3) and said hinge means (14) there is interposed locking means (15) of position of the angular movement of said hinge means (14).

11. Suction apparatus (1) comprising: - a machine body (3) provided with an end of at least one mouthpiece (4) fitting of a concurrent end of a suction pipe (12), or of a cleaning accessory (8),

- an operating handle (2) that leads away from said machine body (3) and is equipped with an operating grip (10), characterised in that at least between said operating handle

(2) and grip (10) there is interposed second articulated joint means (16) for angular movement of said grip (10) in relation to said handle (2).

12. Suction apparatus (1) according to claim 11 wherein said operating handle (2) consists of at least one stiff pipe segment (12) usable for suction.

13. Suction apparatus (1) according to claim 11 wherein said operating grip (10) is hollow and equipable with a closing plug (11) fittable in it in a removable manner.

14. Suction apparatus (1) according to claim 11 wherein said moving occurs on a longitudinal plane of said machine body (3) .

15. Suction apparatus (1) according to claim 14 wherein said longitudinal plane is a median plane.

16. Suction apparatus (1) according to claim 15 wherein said median plane is a vertical plane in relation to said machine body (3).

17. Suction apparatus (1) according to claim 11 wherein said second articulated joint means (16) comprises:

- at least one hollow central body (17),

- a first pipe section (18) with removable mouthpiece fitting that leads away from said hollow central body (17) in a first direction, - at least a second pipe section (19) with removable mouthpiece fitting that leads away from said hollow central body (17) opposite said first section (18) in a second direction,

- flexible connection means (20) between said first (18) and second (19) pipe sections with mouthpiece fittings.

18. Suction apparatus (1) according to claim 17 wherein between said hollow central body (17) and at least one of said first (18) and second (19) pipe sections with mouthpiece there is interposed rotation means (22).

19. Suction apparatus (1) according to claim 17 wherein said rotation means (22) is equipped with rotation locking means (23) .

20. Suction apparatus (1) according to claim 18 wherein said rotation means (22) comprises: - a first pair of eyelets (24) projecting from at least one of said first (18) or second section (19), a corresponding pair of pivot means (25) projecting from both sides of said hollow central body (17), rotationally engageable in said pair of eyelet means (24).

21. Suction apparatus (1) according to claims 17 and 19 wherein said rotation locking means (23) comprises: at least one circular indentation means (26) integrally coaxial with at least one of said eyelet means (24), at least one slidingly supported tooth means (27) guided to said hollow central body (17) and engageable in said circular indentation means (26) or disenagageable therefrom, - elastic thrust means (28) of said tooth means (27) to said circular indentation means (26) .

22. Suction apparatus (1) according to claim 17 wherein said hollow central body (17) is substantially configured as a sleeve.

23. Suction apparatus (1) according to claim 22 wherein said hollow central body (17) substantially configured as a sleeve has at least one break (29) in the perimeter zone suitable for allowing the rotation without interference by preset angles of at least one of said pipe sections with mouthpiece in relation to said hollow central body (17).

24. Suction apparatus (1) according to claim 23 wherein said preset angles are substantially comprised in a right angle.

25. Suction apparatus (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 24 wherein said second articulated joint means (16) is interposable between at least one suction pipe trunk (12) and said mouthpiece (4).

26. Suction apparatus (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 24 wherein said second articulated joint means (16) is interposable between at least two suction pipe trunks (12).

27. Suction apparatus (1) according to claims 1 and 11 wherein said first articulated joint means (9) and said second articulated joint means (16) are both respectively interposed between said machine body (3) and operating handle (2) and said operating handle (2) and grip (10).

28. Suction apparatus (1) comprising: a filtering body (101) equipped with inlet means (103) of air flows to be filtered full of impurities and/or humidity and of outlet means (104) of filtered air flows, storage means (116) of filtered impurities and/or humidity, a filtration path (B, C, D, E, F, G, H) that connects said inlet means (103) to said storage means (116) and to said outlet means (104), separating said impurities and humidity from said air flows, characterised in that said storage means (116) is equipped with automatic blocking means (118) of said path (B, C, D, E, F, G, H) in the presence of preset volumes of accumulated humidity.

29. Suction apparatus (1) according to claim 28 wherein said filtering body (101) has a box structure.

30. Suction apparatus (1) according to claim 28 or 29 wherein said storage means (116) comprises a first storage (117) chamber obtained in a bottom zone of said body (101) and equipped with inlet means (115) and outlet means (126, 124, 136, 108).

31. Suction apparatus (1) according to any one of claims 28 to 30 wherein said automatic blocking means (118) is positioned between said inlet means (115) and said outlet means (126, 124, 136, 108).

32. Suction apparatus (1) according to any one of claims 28 to 31 wherein said automatic closure means (118) comprises: a shutter member (120) , housing means (119) of said shutter member (120) within which said shutter member (120) can slide in a guided manner, at least one pair of gaps (123, 124) obtained in said housing means (119) for the passage of said air flows from filtering between said first accumulation chamber (117) and said outlet means (104) .

33. Suction apparatus (1) according to claim 32 wherein said housing means (119) comprises: a first bottom (121) turned to said first accumulation chamber (117) , a roof (122) turned to the opposite side in relation to said first bottom (121), a side connecting surface (125) between said first bottom (121) and said roof (122).

34. Suction apparatus (1) according to claim 32 or 33 wherein a first gap (123) of said pair of gaps is obtained in said first bottom (121) and a second gap (124) of said pair of gaps is obtained in said roof (122).

35. Suction apparatus (1) according to claim 33 wherein said side surface (125) has a plurality of windows (126) for the passage of the air flows between said first collection chamber (117) and said second gap (124).

36. Suction apparatus (1) according to any one of claims 28 to 35 wherein said housing means (119) has a longitudinal axis tilted in relation to the longitudinal axis of said body (101) .

37. Suction apparatus (1) according to any one of claims 32 to 36 wherein said shutter member (120) comprises a beaker body housed upturned in said housing means (119) and having a second bottom (220) turned towards said second gap (124) and an open end opposite said second bottom (220) substantially coinciding with said first opening (123) suitable for being affected by said air flows sucking said shutter member (120) to said second gap (124).

38. Suction apparatus (1) according to any one of claims 28 to 37 wherein said filtration path (B, C, D, E, F, G, H) comprises : conveying means (111, 112, 113, 114) of air flows to be filtered located downstream of said inlet means (103) terminating in said first accumulation chamber (117), a second chamber (128) located downstream of said second gap (124) and communicating with said first accumulation chamber (117) , a third chamber (132) connected with said second chamber (128) by at least one through opening (131), first filtering means (133) located inside said second chamber (128), - a fourth chamber (134) connected respectively to said third chamber by means of a further opening, and said outlet means (104), second filtering means (135) located inside a support member (135) removably housed in said fourth chamber (134).

39. Suction apparatus (1) according to claim 38 wherein said third chamber (132). has an annular configuration and is arranged on the perimeter of said second chamber (128).

40. Suction apparatus (1) according to any one of claims 28 to 39 wherein said body (101) is divided into at least three coaxial portions (102, 202, 302) reciprocally connectable with connection means (105) without substantial interruption, a first portion (102) considered to be lower internally accommodating said first accumulation chamber (117), a second intermediate portion (202) accommodating said automatic closure means (118) and said second chamber (128), a third top portion (302) accommodating said fourth chamber (134) and said inlet means (103) and said outlet means (104).

41. Suction apparatus (1) according to claim 40 wherein between said at least three portions (102, 202, 302) there is interposed perimeter seal means (137).