U.S. patent application number 09/732149 was filed with the patent office on 2001-04-12 for filter for vacuum cleaner.
This patent application is currently assigned to REXAIR, INC.. Invention is credited to Alberts, John J. III, Erickson, Loretta Ann, Erickson, Roy Oliver, Krebs, Alan Joseph, Rohn, Dean.
Application Number | 20010000196 09/732149 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 23149210 |
Filed Date | 2001-04-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010000196 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Rohn, Dean ; et al. |
April 12, 2001 |
Filter for vacuum cleaner
Abstract
A vacuum cleaner assembly (10) comprising a main housing (12)
having an inlet (14) and an outlet (16). A motor (17a) is disposed
within the main housing (12) between the inlet (14) and the outlet
(16) for providing motive force to a cooling fan (17b), a blower
(17c), and a separator (22). The cooling fan (17b) is mounted
within the main housing (12) above the motor (17a) to circulate
cooling air around the motor (17a). The blower (17c) is mounted
within the main housing (12) below the motor (17a) for drawing air
into the inlet (14) and exhausting air outwardly through the outlet
(16). The separator (22) is mounted below the blower (17c) for
circulating the air and water bath (20) within a water bath pan
(36) and providing, in combination with the water bath (20), a
primary filter for filtering the air prior to exhausting the air
outwardly through the outlet (16). A second filter (24) is a high
efficiency filter for filtering microscopic dust and dirt particles
that escape the separator (22) and water bath (20) and is disposed
after both the water bath (20) and the separator (22) and before
the outlet (16) for additional filtering of the air prior to being
exhausted. The second filter (24) is disposed in a recess (26)
which is integral with the main housing (12) allowing for direct
and efficient flow of the air through the water bath (20),
separator (22) and second filter (24).
Inventors: |
Rohn, Dean; (Cadillac,
MI) ; Alberts, John J. III; (Stanwood, MI) ;
Krebs, Alan Joseph; (Pierson, MI) ; Erickson, Roy
Oliver; (Cadillac, MI) ; Erickson, Loretta Ann;
(Cadillac, MI) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Jeffrey A. Sadowski, Esq.
HOWARD & HOWARD ATTORNEYS, P.C.
Suite 101
39400 Woodward Avenue
Bloomfield Hills
MI
48304-5151
US
|
Assignee: |
REXAIR, INC.
Suite 200 3221 W. Big Beaver Road
Troy
MI
48084
|
Family ID: |
23149210 |
Appl. No.: |
09/732149 |
Filed: |
December 7, 2000 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
09732149 |
Dec 7, 2000 |
|
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09298137 |
Apr 23, 1999 |
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6162287 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
96/333 ; 15/353;
96/337 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B01D 50/006 20130101;
A47L 9/122 20130101; A47L 9/22 20130101; A47L 9/182 20130101; B01D
50/60 20220101; B01D 47/027 20130101; Y10S 55/03 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
96/333 ; 96/337;
15/353 |
International
Class: |
B01D 047/02 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A vacuum cleaner assembly comprising: a main housing having an
inlet and an outlet, a motor disposed within said housing between
said inlet and said outlet for providing motive force to said
vacuum cleaner assembly components, a fan mounted within said main
housing above said motor and driven by said motor for circulating
air around said motor and cooling said motor, a baffle mounted
within said main housing encircling said motor for directing and
filtering air that is circulated by said cooling fan around said
motor, a blower mounted within said main housing below said motor
and driven by said motor for drawing air in through said inlet and
exhausting air outwardly through said outlet, a water bath pan
within said main housing below said motor for holding a liquid
bath, a separator mounted within said main housing below said
blower and extending downward into said water bath pan, for
circulating the air and said liquid bath within said water bath pan
and filtering particles of dust and dirt from the air prior to
exhausting the air outwardly through said outlet, and a second
filter disposed after said liquid bath, separator, and blower and
before said outlet for additional filtering of the air prior to
being exhausted outwardly through said outlet, said assembly
characterized by said housing defining a recess and said second
filter being seated in said recess.
2. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said second filter
has small openings for capturing microscopic dirt and dust
particles that escape said separator and water bath filter.
3. An assembly as set forth in claim I wherein said second filter
is a HEPA filter.
4. A vacuum cleaner assembly comprising: a main housing having a
housing air inlet and a housing air outlet, a motor disposed within
said housing between said inlet and said outlet for providing
motive force to said vacuum cleaner assembly components, a water
bath disposed within said main housing, a separator mounted within
said main housing in association with said motor and extending into
said water bath for filtering particles of dust and dirt from the
air prior to exhausting the air outwardly through said separator,
and a separator air outlet for air to be exhausted after passing
through said separator and directed to said housing air outlet, and
a second filter disposed in the outlet path of the air passing
through said separator and before said housing air outlet for
additional filtering of the air prior to being exhausted outwardly
through said housing air outlet.
5. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 4, wherein said second
filter is a HEPA filter.
6. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 4, further comprising
means for replacing the second filter without removing the water
bath.
7. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 4, further comprising
means for removal and replacement of the second filter solely from
the outside of the housing.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. 1. Field of the Invention
2. This invention relates to a vacuum cleaner of the type for
household use.
3. 2. Description of the Prior Art
4. Water bath vacuum cleaners are well known and typically include
a main vacuum with a removably attached water bath pan. An intake
opening in the water bath pan matingly engages an inlet in the main
housing of the vacuum cleaner to allow dust and dirt entrained air
to be ingested by a vacuum force through the inlet into the area
defined by the water bath pan. The primary advantage of the water
bath filtering agent is that vacuum efficiency is not compromised
as more dirt and dust is accumulated in the water bath. The dust
and dirt are trapped in the water bath as the incoming air is
directed into the water bath pan and circulated within. Traditional
filtering media allow the flow of air through the filtering media
to be impeded by the accumulation of the dirt and dust that has
collected thereon. However, just as traditional filter media will
allow very tiny microscopic particles to escape capture, the water
bath and separator may also fail to capture all of the very small
or microscopic particles that are light enough to remain suspended
in the air as the air is circulated in the water bath pan.
5. High efficiency filters, or HEPA filters, are also widely used
on vacuum cleaners in industrial and residential applications.
These filters are made up of media with very tiny openings that are
designed to capture the smallest microscopic particles that most
traditional filtering media are incapable of capturing. The major
drawback to the use of these types of filters is that due to the
small size of the openings in the filter media, they capture all of
the dirt and debris that hits them thereby clogging up very
quickly, and requiring cleaning or replacement very often. For this
reason, some vacuum cleaning products try to combine the HEPA
filter with a more conventional dry filter media. The conventional
dry filter media will capture the larger particles of dirt and
debris, and the HEPA filter will only capture the smaller particles
that escape the conventional dry filter media. The overall
efficiency of the vacuum cleaner (and the conventional dry filter
media) is affected as the air is redirected and routed through the
additional filter. Also, the full area of the high efficiency
filter is not utilized because the air is typically directed
through a small opening in the main housing of the vacuum cleaner,
which concentrates the flow of air on the portion of the high
efficiency filter that is directly in front of the opening.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION AND ADVANTAGES
6. The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner assembly
comprising a main housing having an inlet and an outlet. A motor is
disposed within the main housing between the inlet and the outlet
for providing motive force to a cooling fan, a blower, and a
separator. The cooling fan is mounted within the main housing above
the motor to circulate cooling air around the motor. A baffle is
mounted within the main housing for directing the cooling air
around the motor, and to filter the air that is circulated around
the motor before that air is exhausted. The blower is mounted
within the main housing below the motor for drawing air into the
inlet and exhausting air outwardly through the outlet. The
separator is mounted below the blower for circulating the air and
water within a water bath and providing, in combination with the
water bath, a primary filter for filtering the air prior to
exhausting the air outwardly through the outlet. A second filter is
a high efficiency filter for filtering microscopic dust and dirt
particles that escape the separator and water bath and is disposed
after both the water bath and the separator and before the outlet
for additional filtering of the air prior to being exhausted. The
second filter is disposed in a recess which is integral with the
main housing allowing for direct and efficient flow of the air
through the water bath, separator and second filter.
7. Accordingly, the present invention will utilize the separator
and water bath filter to capture the larger particles of dirt and
debris prior to routing the air through the second high efficiency
filter to capture microscopic particles that escape the water bath.
The recess for the high efficiency filter is located integrally to
the main housing allowing the air to flow directly from the water
bath canister through the high efficiency filter with minimal
redirection of the air and no noticealbe impact on the primary
filter. This will allow the air to flow smoothly through the series
of filters. The high efficiency filter will not be overly clogged
because the separator and water bath will capture the majority of
the larger dust and dirt particles before the air goes through the
high efficiency filter. The recess is designed to allow the
majority of the surface area of the high efficiency filter to be in
the direct line of air flow thereby the overall efficiency of the
vacuum cleaner is maximized.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
8. Other advantages of the present invention will be readily
appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to
the following detailed description when considered in connection
with the accompanying drawings wherein:
9. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the vacuum cleaner assembly,
partially broken away and in cross section; and
10. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the vacuum cleaner
assembly.
11. FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the vacuum cleaner main
housing shown with the second filter seated in the recess defined
by the housing.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
12. Referring to the Figures, wherein like numerals indicate like
or corresponding parts throughout the several views a vacuum
cleaner assembly is generally shown at 10. The vacuum cleaner
assembly 10 includes a main housing 12 having an inlet 14 and an
outlet 16. A motor 17a is supported by support rings 18 within the
main housing 12 between the inlet 14 and the outlet 16 for
providing motive force to a cooling fan 17b, a blower 17c, and a
separator 22. The cooling fan 17b is mounted within the main
housing 12 above the motor 17a to circulate cooling air around the
motor 17a. A baffle 19 surrounds the motor 17a to direct the
cooling air around the motor 17a and to filter the cooling air
prior to being exhausted. The blower 17c is mounted within the main
housing 12 below the motor 17a for drawing air into the inlet 14
and exhausting air outwardly through the outlet 16. The separator
22 is mounted below the blower 17c for circulating the air and a
water bath 20 within a water bath pan 36 and providing, in
combination with the water bath 20, a primary filter for filtering
the air prior to exhausting the air outwardly through the outlet
16. Vacuum cleaners using a water bath 20 filter are known to those
skilled in the art as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,096,475, which
is hereby incorporated by reference to this specification. A second
filter 24 is a high efficiency filter for filtering microscopic
dust and dirt particles that escape the separator 22 and water bath
20 and is disposed after both the water bath 20 and the separator
22 and before the outlet 16 for additional filtering of the air
prior to being exhausted. The main housing 12 defines a recess 26
and the second filter 24 is seated in that recess 26.
13. FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of the vacuum cleaner assembly
10. The second filter 24 is secured in place by a rear cover 28
which is removably attached to the main housing 12 to cover the
opening of the recess 26 and secure the second filter 24 in place.
The rear cover 28 includes a stowage device 30 for stowing an
electrical cord. A foam seal 34 is disposed between the second
filter 24 and the rear cover 28 to firmly secure the second filter
24 and prevent air from escaping around the second filter 24. The
second filter 24 has smaller openings than the separator filter 22
for capturing microscopic dirt and dust particles that escape the
water bath filter 20 and the separator filter 22. In the preferred
embodiment, the second filter 24 is a HEPA filter for capturing
tiny microscopic dust and dirt particles.
14. The vacuum cleaner assembly includes a water bath pan 36 for
containing the water bath 20. The water bath pan 36 presents a
first opening 38 which is disposed directly below the main housing
12 which has a bottom opening 39 that corresponds to the first
opening 38 in the water bath pan 36. A foam seal 40 forms a sealed
engagement between the water bath pan 36 and the bottom opening 39
of the main housing 12. The water bath pan 36 also includes a
second opening 42 which corresponds to a tubular member extending
from an inlet face plate 44. The foam seal 40 forms a sealed
engagement between the second opening 42 in the water bath pan 36
and the inlet face plate 44. The inlet face plate 44 is mounted to
the main housing 12 at the inlet 14 and allows attachments to be
connected in direct communication with the inlet 14.
15. The motor 17a is centrally supported by support rings 18 in the
main housing 12 above the bottom opening 39. The separator 22 is
attached to the motor 17a below the blower 17c and extends
downwardly through the bottom opening 41 in the main housing 12 and
the first opening 38 in the water bath pan 36. The separator 22 is
rotated by the motor 17a for circulating the air within the water
bath pan 36 and for drawing the dust and dirt entrained air, along
with water from the water bath 20, within the separator 22 for
further capture of debris in the water bath 20 and to direct, by
centrifugal force, the water and any remaining dirt or dust back
outward into the water bath pan 36 for additional separation as it
is drawn within the separator 22 again. As the dust, dirt, and
water are forced outward from the separator by centrifugal force,
the filtered air is drawn upward out of the separator 22 outwardly
through the second filter 24.
16. A dolly 46 is positioned below the water bath pan 36. The water
bath pan 36 attaches to the main housing 12 with at pair of latches
47 to secure the water bath pan 36 to the main housing 12. The main
housing 12 attaches to the dolly 46 and is held securely in place
by a latch which is released upon activation of a release button
49. An interlock switch 48 is mounted to the main housing 12 and
detects the presence of the water bath pan 36 when the dolly 46 is
assembled to the main housing 12. The dolly 46 includes a seat 51
for the main housing and casters 50 are mounted to the dolly 46 to
provide movable support for the vacuum cleaner assembly 10. The
vacuum cleaner assembly 10 also includes a top cover 52 with a
handle attached to the top of the main housing 12 to close off the
top and cover the motor 17a, cooling fan 17b, support rings 18, and
blower 19. The top cover 52, main housing 12, and dolly 46 when
assembled enclose all inner components of the vacuum cleaner
assembly 10.
17. The invention has been described in an illustrative manner, and
it is to be understood that the terminology which has been used is
intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of
limitation.
18. Modifications and variations of the present invention are
possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be
understood that within the scope of the appended claims, wherein
reference numerals are merely for convenience and are not to be in
any way limiting, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as
specifically described.
* * * * *