Portable work apparatus

Abstract

A portable work apparatus is designed as a vacuum and/or blower. It includes a housing ( 2 ) and a drive motor ( 3 ) arranged in the housing ( 2 ). A fan ( 4 ) has a spiral housing ( 5 ) and a fan wheel ( 6 ) arranged in the spiral housing ( 5 ). The spiral housing ( 5 ) has a housing section ( 8 ) which forms a first intake opening ( 9 ) of the fan ( 4 ). The fan wheel ( 6 ) has a first wall section ( 10 ) which forms a second intake opening ( 12 ) of the fan wheel ( 6 ). A gap seal ( 15 ) is formed between the housing section ( 8 ) of the spiral housing ( 5 ) and the first wall section ( 10 ) of the fan wheel ( 6 ). At least one air guide element ( 16 ) for generating a swirl zone ( 30 ) is formed in the gap seal ( 15 ).

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A portable work apparatus being a vacuum, a blower, or a vacuum-blower combination, comprising:
 a housing ( 2 );   a drive motor ( 3 ) arranged in the housing ( 2 ); and   a fan ( 4 ) with
 a spiral housing ( 5 ) and 
 a fan wheel ( 6 ) arranged in the spiral housing ( 5 ), 
   wherein the fan wheel ( 6 ) can be driven by the drive motor ( 3 ) to rotate about an axis of rotation ( 7 ) to generate an air flow ( 31 ),   wherein the spiral housing ( 5 ) has a housing section ( 8 ) which forms a first intake opening ( 9 ) of the fan ( 4 ),   wherein the fan wheel ( 6 ) has a first wall section ( 10 ) which forms a second intake opening ( 12 ) of the fan wheel ( 6 ),   wherein a gap seal ( 15 ) is formed between the housing section ( 8 ) of the spiral housing ( 5 ) and the first wall section ( 10 ) of the fan wheel ( 6 ), and   wherein at least one air guide element ( 16 ) for generating a swirl zone ( 30 ) is formed in the gap seal ( 15 ).   
     
     
         2 . The portable work apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the at least one air guide element ( 16 ) is arranged on the housing section ( 8 ) of the spiral housing ( 5 ).   
     
     
         3 . The portable work apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the at least one air guide element ( 16 ) is formed as a rib with a longitudinal plane.   
     
     
         4 . The portable work apparatus according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the fan wheel ( 6 ) is driven to rotate around the axis of rotation ( 7 ) in a direction of rotation ( 13 ), and   wherein the rib is arranged with the longitudinal plane running transversely to the direction of rotation ( 13 ).   
     
     
         5 . The portable work apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the housing section ( 8 ) of the spiral housing ( 5 ) has a bulge ( 14 ) which delimits the first intake opening ( 9 ).   
     
     
         6 . The portable work apparatus according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein the bulge ( 14 ) of the spiral housing ( 5 ) overlaps the fan wheel ( 6 ) in an area of the second intake opening ( 12 ) radially to the axis of rotation ( 7 ).   
     
     
         7 . The portable work apparatus according to  claim 5 ,
 wherein the at least one air guide element ( 16 ) is formed as a rib with a longitudinal plane in the bulge ( 14 ).   
     
     
         8 . The portable work apparatus according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein the rib is arranged on an inner side ( 17 ) of the housing section ( 8 ) of the spiral housing ( 5 ).   
     
     
         9 . The portable work apparatus according to  claim 8 ,
 wherein the rib extends from the inner side ( 17 ) of the housing section ( 8 ) to an outer side ( 18 ) of the housing section ( 8 ) of the spiral housing ( 5 ).   
     
     
         10 . The portable work apparatus according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein a plurality of ribs are formed on the spiral housing ( 5 ), adjacent ribs being arranged at uniform angular distances from one another with respect to the axis of rotation ( 7 ) of the fan wheel ( 6 ).