Cleaning Attachment for Vacuum Cleaner

Abstract

A cleaning attachment, especially for a vacuum cleaner, includes a housing, a connection for a vacuum tube, an intake opening for ambient air, a plasma generator arranged in the housing to generate plasma, and at least one cleaning opening or a channel, along which a mixture of plasma and air passes over at the surface to be cleaned before the mixture is drawn back into the housing and through the connection. As a result, the cleaning attachment can also treat the air and the dirt with a sterilizing and odor-neutralizing action.

1 .- 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . A cleaning attachment, comprising:
 a housing;   a gas-permeable partition wall configured to divide the housing is into a positive pressure chamber and a negative pressure chamber   a connection of the housing configured to mate with a vacuum tube;   at least one intake opening for ambient air;   at least one plasma generator installed in the housing to generate plasma; and   at least one of a cleaning opening and a channel configured to provide a mixture of plasma and air that passes over a surface to be cleaned.   
     
     
         14 . The cleaning attachment according to  claim 13 , further comprising a blower arranged in the housing adjacent to the intake opening. 
     
     
         15 . The cleaning attachment according to  claim 13 , wherein the plasma generator is arranged in the positive pressure chamber. 
     
     
         16 . The cleaning attachment according to  claim 15 , wherein a flow resistance of the gas-permeable partition wall is adjustable. 
     
     
         17 . The cleaning attachment according to  claim 13 , wherein the at least one cleaning opening comprises an outflow opening for the outflow of the mixture of plasma and air and an inflow opening for the inflow of the mixture of plasma and air back into the housing. 
     
     
         18 . The cleaning attachment according to  claim 13 , wherein the cleaning attachment is configured such that an intake opening volume flow rate is less than a volume flow rate through the connection for the vacuum tube. 
     
     
         19 . The cleaning attachment according to  claim 13 , further comprising an energy storage unit configured to supply energy to the plasma generator. 
     
     
         20 . The cleaning attachment according to  claim 13 , further comprising a device for mechanical cleaning attached to the housing at a contact surface where the housing rests on the surface to be cleaned. 
     
     
         21 . The cleaning attachment according to  claim 20 , wherein a rotatable brush roller arranged between the outflow opening for the outflow of the mixture of plasma and air and the inflow opening for the inflow of the mixture back into the housing is provided for the mechanical cleaning. 
     
     
         22 . The cleaning attachment according to  claim 21 , wherein the plasma generator comprises one or more molded parts that at least partially surround the brush roller. 
     
     
         23 . The cleaning attachment according to  claim 21 , further comprising a generator connected to at least one of a carriage wheel and the brush roller and configured to convert kinetic energy of the one of the brush roller and the carriage wheel into electrical energy. 
     
     
         24 . The cleaning attachment according to  claim 13 , wherein the cleaning attachment is configured for a vacuum cleaner. 
     
     
         25 . The cleaning attachment according to  claim 18 , wherein the cleaning attachment is configured such that the intake opening volume flow rate is more than 20% less than the volume flow rate through the connection for the vacuum tube.