U.S. patent application number 10/686506 was filed with the patent office on 2005-04-21 for hand-held cordless vacuum cleaner.
Invention is credited to Kimball, Ted A., Milligan, Michael A., Mooney, Patrick W., Shen, Xianyao, Walker, Andrew.
Application Number | 20050081321 10/686506 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34377644 |
Filed Date | 2005-04-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050081321 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Milligan, Michael A. ; et
al. |
April 21, 2005 |
Hand-held cordless vacuum cleaner
Abstract
A hand-held vacuum cleaner with a container for the storage of
dirt and debris therein. To provide improved efficiency and
performance, the hand-held vacuum may employ a primary HEPA filter,
a device for swirling a dirt and debris laden air flow and/or a
mechanized filter cleaning device. Swirling may be employed to
direct entrained dirt and debris in a desired direction relative to
the container to slow the rate with which dirt and debris
accumulates on the primary filter and/or to centrifugally remove
dirt and debris from the air flow. Mechanized cleaning is employed
to shake, scrape or otherwise remove accumulated dirt and debris
from the primary filter.
Inventors: |
Milligan, Michael A.;
(Gananoque, CA) ; Mooney, Patrick W.; (Brockville,
CA) ; Shen, Xianyao; (Gloucester, CA) ;
Kimball, Ted A.; (Oxford Station, CA) ; Walker,
Andrew; (Newton Hall, GB) |
Correspondence
Address: |
HARNESS, DICKEY & PIERCE, P.L.C.
P.O. BOX 828
BLOOMFIELD HILLS
MI
48303
US
|
Family ID: |
34377644 |
Appl. No.: |
10/686506 |
Filed: |
October 15, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/344 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L 9/1666 20130101;
A47L 9/20 20130101; A47L 9/127 20130101; A47L 9/2873 20130101; A47L
9/2884 20130101; A47L 9/2857 20130101; A47L 9/1608 20130101; A47L
9/165 20130101; A47L 9/2805 20130101; A47L 5/24 20130101; A47L
9/2842 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
015/344 |
International
Class: |
A47L 005/24 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A hand-held portable vacuum comprising: a housing; a dirt cup
having an inlet and defining a container for storage of dirt and
debris therein, the dirt cup being removably attached to the
housing; an impeller at least partially disposed in the housing; a
HEPA filter disposed between the impeller and the inlet, the HEPA
filter being formed with a plurality of pleats; means for swirling
the incoming air about the dirt cup; and a filter cleaning device
coupled to at least one of the housing and the dirt cup, the filter
cleaning device including at least one rib and a hub, the hub being
coupled to one of the HEPA filter and the rib and configured to
rotate the one of the HEPA filter and the rib about the other one
of the HEPA filter to generate contact between the rib and the HEPA
filter to at least partially dislodge accumulated dirt and debris
from the pleats.
2. The hand-held vacuum of claim 1, wherein the swirling means
includes a flow deflector associated with the inlet of the dirt
cup.
3. The hand-held vacuum of claim 2, wherein the flow deflector is
an elbow.
4. The hand-held vacuum of claim 1, wherein the swirling means
includes a plurality of vanes disposed in an axially spaced
relation to the inlet.
5. The hand-held vacuum of claim 4, wherein the vanes are
associated with a prefilter, the vanes being disposed between the
inlet and the HEPA filter.
6. The hand-held vacuum of claim 1, wherein the hub includes a
gripping portion that extends through the housing and is manually
rotatable.
7. A hand-held portable vacuum comprising: a housing; an impeller
at least partially disposed in the housing; a dirt cup having an
inlet and defining a container for storage of dirt and debris
therein, the dirt cup being removably attached to the housing; and
a HEPA filter disposed between the impeller and the inlet.
8. The hand-held portable vacuum of claim 7, wherein the HEPA
filter is formed with a plurality of pleats.
9. The hand-held portable vacuum of claim 8, further comprising a
filter cleaning device associated with at least one of the housing
and the dirt cup, the filter cleaning device including at least one
rib and a hub, the hub being coupled to one of the HEPA filter and
the rib and configured to rotate the one of the HEPA filter and the
rib about the other one of the HEPA filter to generate contact
between the rib and the HEPA filter to at least partially dislodge
accumulated dirt and debris from the pleats.
10. The hand-held portable vacuum of claim 9, wherein the hub is
rotatably coupled to the housing.
11. The hand-held portable vacuum of claim 10, wherein the HEPA
filter is sealingly attached to the hub.
12. The hand-held portable vacuum of claim 10, wherein the hub
includes a plurality of drive tabs that meshingly engage a
plurality of drive tabs formed on the HEPA filter.
13. The hand-held portable vacuum of claim 10, further comprising a
prefilter, the prefilter having a prefilter body that surrounds the
HEPA filter, the prefilter body having an open end which is
sealingly engaged with the HEPA filter.
14. The hand-held portable vacuum of claim 10, further comprising a
prefilter, the prefilter having a prefilter body that surrounds the
HEPA filter, the rib extending from an interior surface of the
prefilter body.
15. The hand-held portable vacuum of claim 7, further comprising a
prefilter, the prefilter having a prefilter body that surrounds the
HEPA filter
16. The hand-held portable vacuum of claim 15, wherein the
prefilter body has an open end and the prefilter and HEPA filter
are sealingly engaged to close the open end.
17. A method for filtering a dirt and debris laden air flow, the
method comprising: providing a hand-held vacuum with a housing, an
impeller, an inlet, a container and a primary filter, the housing
including a handle that permits a user to employ the hand-held
vacuum for vacuuming with a single hand, the impeller being
disposed within the housing, the inlet being configured to receive
the dirt and debris laden air flow therethrough, the container
being configured to retain dirt and debris removed from the dirt
and debris laden air flow and the primary filter being disposed
between the impeller and the inlet; rotating the impeller to
generate the dirt and debris laden air flow; and swirling the dirt
and debris laden air flow about the interior of the container.
18. The method of claim 17, further comprising removing the
container from the housing to empty the container.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the container and the inlet are
fixedly coupled to one another.
20. The method of claim 17, further comprising pivoting the inlet
relative to the housing to gain access to the container.
21. The method of claim 20, further comprising rotating the housing
with the single hand grasping the handle to overturn the vacuum and
empty the container.
22. A hand-held portable vacuum comprising: a housing having a
handle; a dirt cup having an inlet and defining a container for
storage of dirt and debris therein, the dirt cup being removably
attached to the housing; an impeller at least partially disposed in
the housing; a filter disposed between the impeller and the inlet,
the filter being formed with a plurality of pleats; a filter
cleaning device coupled to at least one of the housing and the dirt
cup, the filter cleaning device including at least one rib and a
hub, the hub being coupled to one of the filter and the rib and
configured to rotate the one of the filter and the rib about the
other one of the filter to generate contact between the rib and the
filter to at least partially dislodge accumulated dirt and debris
from the pleats.
23. The hand-held vacuum of claim 22, wherein the hub is rotatably
coupled to the housing.
24. The hand-held portable vacuum of claim 23, wherein the hub
includes a gripping portion that extends through the housing and is
manually rotatable.
25. The hand-held portable vacuum of claim 23, wherein the filter
is sealingly attached to the hub.
26. The hand-held portable vacuum of claim 23, wherein the hub
includes a plurality of drive tabs that meshingly engage a
plurality of drive tabs formed on the filter.
27. The hand-held portable vacuum of claim 23, further comprising a
prefilter with a prefilter body that surrounds the filter, the
prefilter body having an open end which is sealingly engaged with
the filter, the rib extending from an interior surface of the
prefilter body.
28. The hand-held portable vacuum of claim 27, wherein the
prefilter body has an open end and the prefilter and filter are
sealingly engaged to close the open end.
29. The hand-held portable vacuum of claim 27, wherein the
prefilter body has a truncated cone shape.
30. The hand-held portable vacuum of claim 29, wherein the filter
has a truncated cone shape.
31. The hand-held portable vacuum of claim 22, wherein the filter
has a truncated cone shape.
32. A hand-held portable vacuum comprising: a housing having a
handle; a dirt cup having an inlet and defining a container for
storage of dirt and debris therein, the dirt cup being removably
attached to the housing; an impeller at least partially disposed in
the housing, the impeller being operable for generating an air flow
that flows through the inlet; a filter disposed between the
impeller and the inlet; and means for swirling the air flow about
the dirt cup.
33. The hand-held vacuum of claim 32, wherein the swirling means
includes a flow deflector associated with the inlet of the dirt
cup.
34. The hand-held vacuum of claim 33, wherein the flow deflector is
an elbow.
35. The hand-held vacuum of claim 32, wherein the swirling means
includes a plurality of vanes disposed in an axially spaced
relation to the inlet.
36. The hand-held vacuum of claim 35, wherein the vanes are
associated with a prefilter, the vanes being disposed between the
inlet and the filter.
37. A hand-held portable vacuum comprising: a housing having a
handle; a dirt cup having an inlet and defining a container for
storage of dirt and debris therein, the dirt cup being removably
attached to the housing; an impeller at least partially disposed in
the housing, the impeller being operable for generating an air flow
that flows through the inlet; a filter disposed between the
impeller and the inlet; and a flow deflector associated with the
inlet of the dirt cup, the flow deflector being configured to
direct the air flow toward an interior surface of the dirt cup in a
manner that causes dirt and debris entrained in the air flow to
swirl about the interior surface of the dirt cup.
38. The hand-held vacuum of claim 37, wherein the flow deflector is
an elbow that is coupled to the inlet.
Description
[0001] The present invention generally relates to hand-held
portable vacuum cleaners and improvements thereto.
[0002] Typically, hand-held portable vacuum cleaners employ a motor
that is powered by either a main supply of electricity (i.e., a
source of alternating current power) or a battery pack, which may
be rechargeable, to drive an impeller. Rotation of the impeller
generates an air flow which entrains therein dirt and debris which
enter the vacuum cleaner via an inlet. One or more filters may be
employed to retain the dirt and debris within the vacuum.
[0003] One problem with such vacuum cleaners concerns the
relatively rapid rate with which the efficiency and performance of
such vacuum cleaners may deteriorate. Specifically, the use of such
vacuums to collect relatively small sized particles can rapidly
load the filter and substantially reduce the amount of air that
passes therethrough. When filter loading is encountered in the
known hand vacuum configurations, the user must disassemble the
vacuum, remove the filter, clean (or dispose of and replace) the
filter and replace the filter. In some situations, the user may be
reluctant to perform the tasks of removing and cleaning the filter
due to the unwholesomeness of the material that has accumulated on
the filter. In situations where the filter is heavily loaded, the
vacuum will have a relatively low efficiency and consequently,
vacuuming tasks will take longer, the vacuum will experience
greater wear, and if battery powered, the user will be able to
perform relatively fewer vacuuming tasks per charge.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] In one form, the present teachings provide a hand-held
portable vacuum having a housing, an impeller that is at least
partially disposed in the housing, a dirt cup and a HEPA filter.
The dirt cup, which is removably attached to the housing, includes
an inlet and defines a container for storage of dirt and debris
therein. The HEPA filter is disposed between the impeller and the
inlet.
[0005] In another form, the present teachings provide provides a
method for filtering a dirt and debris laden air flow. The method
includes: providing a hand-held vacuum with a housing, an impeller,
an inlet, a container and a primary filter, the housing including a
handle that permits a user to employ the hand-held vacuum for
vacuuming with a single hand, the impeller being disposed within
the housing, the inlet being configured to receive the dirt and
debris laden air flow therethrough, the container being configured
to retain dirt and debris removed from the dirt and debris laden
air flow and the primary filter being disposed between the impeller
and the inlet; rotating the impeller to generate the dirt and
debris laden air flow; and swirling the dirt and debris laden air
flow about the interior of the container.
[0006] In yet another form, the present teachings provide a
hand-held portable vacuum including a housing with a handle, a dirt
cup, an impeller at least partially disposed in the housing, a
filter and a filter cleaning device. The dirt cup, which is
removably attached to the housing, has an inlet and defines a
container for storage of dirt and debris therein. The filter, which
is disposed between the impeller and the inlet, is formed with a
plurality of pleats. The filter cleaning device is coupled to at
least one of the housing and the dirt cup and includes at least one
rib and a hub. The hub is coupled to one of the filter and the rib
and configured to rotate the one of the filter and the rib about
the other one of the filter to generate contact between the rib and
the filter to at least partially dislodge accumulated dirt and
debris from the pleats.
[0007] In a further form, the present teachings provide a hand-held
portable vacuum including a housing with a handle, a dirt cup, an
impeller, a filter and a means for swirling the dirt and debris
laden air in the dirt cup. The dirt cup, which is removably
attached to the housing, has an inlet and defining a container for
storage of dirt and debris therein. The impeller is at least
partially disposed in the housing and operable for generating an
air flow that flows through the inlet. The filter is disposed
between the impeller and the inlet.
[0008] Further areas of applicability of the present teachings will
become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter.
It should be understood that the detailed description and specific
examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the
invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are
not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] Additional advantages and features of the present invention
will become apparent from the subsequent description and the
appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings, wherein:
[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum kit constructed in
accordance with the teachings of the present invention;
[0011] FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of a portion of the vacuum
kit of FIG. 1 illustrating the vacuum in greater detail;
[0012] FIG. 3 is a longitudinal section view of the vacuum of FIG.
2;
[0013] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the vacuum of
FIG. 2 illustrating the dirt cup in greater detail;
[0014] FIG. 5 is a longitudinal section view of the dirt cup of
FIG. 4;
[0015] FIG. 6 is a longitudinal section view of a portion of the
vacuum of FIG. 2 illustrating the dirt cup assembly in greater
detail;
[0016] FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of FIG.
6;
[0017] FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating the interior of
the dirt cup assembly;
[0018] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a portion of the dirt cup
assembly illustrating the elbow in greater detail;
[0019] FIG. 10 is a top view of a portion of the vacuum of FIG. 2
illustrating the housing assembly in greater detail;
[0020] FIG. 11 is a side elevation view of a portion of the housing
assembly illustrating a housing shell in greater detail;
[0021] FIG. 12 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the
housing assembly;
[0022] FIG. 13 is a elevation view of a portion of the vacuum of
FIG. 2 illustrating the exhaust grille in greater detail;
[0023] FIG. 14 is section view taken along the line 14-14 of FIG.
13;
[0024] FIG. 15 is a side elevation view of a portion of the vacuum
of FIG. 2 illustrating the cleaning wheel in greater detail;
[0025] FIG. 16 is a front elevation view of the housing
assembly;
[0026] FIG. 17 is a side elevation view of the housing
assembly;
[0027] FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a portion of the housing
assembly illustrating the prefilter in greater detail;
[0028] FIG. 19 is a longitudinal section view of the prefilter;
[0029] FIG. 20 is a longitudinal section view of the primary
filter;
[0030] FIG. 21 is a longitudinal section view of a portion of the
housing assembly illustrating the second seal portion of the
primary filter in sealing engagement with the prefilter;
[0031] FIG. 22 is an exploded perspective view of the vacuum and
recharging base of FIG. 1;
[0032] FIG. 23 is an exploded perspective view of the vacuum and
recharging base illustrating one means by which the, vacuum and
recharging base may be keyed to one another;
[0033] FIG. 24 is a schematic illustration of a portion of an
injection mold for forming the mating key that is associated with
the vacuum in the example provided;
[0034] FIG. 25 is a perspective view of a family of vacuums and
recharging bases constructed in accordance with the teachings of
the present invention;
[0035] FIG. 26 is a perspective view of an alternately constructed
prefilter;
[0036] FIG. 27 is a longitudinal section view similar to that of
FIG. 3 but illustrating the prefilter of FIG. 26;
[0037] FIG. 28 is a perspective view of another alternately
constructed prefilter;
[0038] FIG. 29 is a perspective view of an alternately constructed
vacuum;
[0039] FIG. 30 is an exploded perspective view of the vacuum of
FIG. 29;
[0040] FIG. 31 is a partial longitudinal section view of another
alternately constructed vacuum illustrating a lock-out device for
inhibiting the operation of the cleaning wheel;
[0041] FIG. 32 is a schematic illustration of another alternately
constructed vacuum illustrating an electronic lock-out device for
inhibiting the operation of the motor when the cleaning wheel is
rotated;
[0042] FIG. 33 is a sectional view taken along the line 33-33 of
FIG. 32;
[0043] FIG. 34 is a schematic illustration of yet another
alternately constructed vacuum illustrating a drive system for
rotating the cleaning wheel under a source of power;
[0044] FIG. 35 is a schematic illustration of still another
alternately constructed vacuum illustrating another drive system
for rotating the cleaning wheel under a source of power;
[0045] FIG. 36 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the
vacuum of FIG. 2 illustrating the battery pack and motor assembly
in greater detail;
[0046] FIG. 37 is another exploded perspective view of the battery
pack and motor assembly;
[0047] FIG. 38 is an exploded side elevation view of the battery
pack and motor assembly;
[0048] FIG. 39 is a bottom plan view of the battery pack as coupled
to the motor assembly;
[0049] FIG. 40 is an exploded perspective view of an alternately
constructed primary filter;
[0050] FIG. 41 is a longitudinal section view of the primary filter
of FIG. 40;
[0051] FIG. 42 is an exploded perspective view of another
alternately constructed primary filter;
[0052] FIG. 43 is a longitudinal section view of the primary filter
of FIG. 42;
[0053] FIG. 44 is an exploded perspective view of yet another
alternately constructed primary filter;
[0054] FIG. 45 is a longitudinal section view of the primary filter
of FIG. 44;
[0055] FIG. 46 is a rear view of another prefilter constructed in
accordance with the teachings of the present invention;
[0056] FIG. 47 is a bottom view of the prefilter of FIG. 46;
and
[0057] FIG. 48 is a perspective view of yet another prefilter
constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present
invention.
DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS
[0058] With reference to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a vacuum kit
constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present
invention is generally indicated by reference numeral 10. The
vacuum kit 10 may include a hand-held cordless vacuum 10a and an
optional set of accessories 10b. With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3,
the vacuum 10a may include a dirt cup assembly 12 and a housing
assembly 14. In the particular example provided, the dirt cup
assembly 12 includes an inlet housing or dirt cup 20 and an elbow
22, while the housing assembly 14 may include motor assembly 30, an
outlet housing or housing 32, a filter system 34, a filter cleaning
system 36 and a latch release 38 having a conventional latch
mechanism 40 and a conventional retaining tab 42 that may be
integrally formed with the housing 32.
[0059] In FIGS. 4 and 5, the dirt cup 20 includes a wall member 50
that defines a container-like housing structure 52 and an inlet
port 54 that may be formed through the housing structure 52 and
which may extend rearwardly therefrom. A pair of securing apertures
56a and 56b may be formed in and through the housing structure 52,
respectively, and a plurality of prefilter locating tabs 58 may
extend inwardly from the wall member 50 about the inside perimeter
of the housing structure 52. Both the securing apertures 56a and
56b and the prefilter locating tabs 58 will be discussed in
additional detail, below.
[0060] The inlet port 54 may have a generally rectangular
cross-sectional shape that extends rearwardly from the housing
structure 52 and terminates at a rearward face 60. As will be
discussed in greater detail, below, the front end of the inlet port
54 may be configured to frictionally engage various components of
the accessory set 10b (FIG. 1); while the rear end of the inlet
port 0.54 may be configured to frictionally engage the elbow 22,
which is shown in FIG. 6.
[0061] With reference to FIGS. 6 through 9, the elbow 22 may
include an attachment portion 62 that may be sized to frictionally
but removably engage the rear end of the inlet port 54 and a body
portion 64 that turns the incoming air flow in a desired manner as
will be discussed in greater detail, below. The body portion 64 may
be sized so as not to choke or diffuse the air flow that is
provided through the inlet port 54. The interior of the dirt cup 20
(i.e., a cross section taken perpendicular to the longitudinal axis
of the dirt cup 20) may be at least somewhat circular in shape
(i.e., lacking sharp corners--see, FIG. 7) so as to promote the
swirling of the inlet air flow about the longitudinal axis of the
dirt cup 20.
[0062] In FIG. 3, the motor assembly 30 may include a motor 70, a
fan assembly 72, a battery pack 74 and a power switch 76. The motor
70 may be a conventional DC motor having a motor output shaft 88.
The fan assembly 72 may be a conventional centrifugal fan that
includes a fan or impeller 90, which may be coupled for rotation
with the output shaft 88, and a fan housing 92. The fan housing 92
includes an inlet aperture 94 that may be centered about the
rotational axis of the impeller 90, and one or more discharge
apertures 96, which may be located on a bottom side of the fan
housing 92 generally transverse to the inlet aperture 94. Air that
is discharged from the discharge aperture 96 may be guided through
an associated flow channel 98 that is also integrally formed with
the fan housing 92 in the particular example provided. The flow
channel 98 may direct the air downwardly and somewhat
rearwardly.
[0063] The battery pack 74 conventionally includes a plurality of
rechargeable batteries 100, which are adapted to be electrically
coupled to a source of electrical power, as through the recharging
base 75 that is illustrated in FIG. 1. The battery pack 74 may be
coupled to the motor 70 and the power switch 76 in a conventional
and well known manner. In the alternative, the battery pack 74 may
be coupled to the motor 70 by way of an integrated snap connector
108 as illustrated in FIGS. 36 through 39. The snap connector 108
may have a first portion 108a that may be integrated with the motor
70 and a second portion 108b that may be integrated with the
battery pack 74. The first portion 108a may include a circuit board
110 with a plurality of terminals, such as blade-type male
terminals 112. The circuit board 110 may include all of the
integrated circuits and solid state components that are employed
for controlling the distribution of electrical power from the
battery pack 74 to the motor 70, as well as for controlling the
charging of the battery pack 74 (e.g., timers). The second portion
108b may include a plurality of mating terminals, such as blade
receiving terminals 114, that matingly engage the terminals of the
first portion 108a. In the particular embodiment illustrated, the
blade receiving terminals 114 slidably receive the blade-type male
terminals 112 to permit the motor assembly 30 to be coupled to the
battery pack 74 prior to their installation to the housing 32.
[0064] The battery pack 74 may further include a housing 120 having
a pair of engagement features 122 that co-engage mating features
124 (FIG. 11) to permit the battery pack 74 to be coupled to the
housing 32 without separate fasteners, etc. In the particular
embodiment illustrated, the engagement features 122 are tabs and
the mating features 124 are slots that are configured to receive an
associated one of the tabs to thereby fixedly but removably couple
the battery pack 74 to the housing 32. At least one of the tabs may
be a cross-tab (i.e., a tab with two portions that are skewed to
one another) that is configured to engage an associated mating
feature 124 in a manner that inhibits vertical and horizontal
movement of the cross-tab relative to the associated mating feature
124. In the particular embodiment illustrated, the structure into
which the cross-tab is received defines a cross-slot (i.e., a slot
with two portions for receiving the two portions of the cross-tab),
but as those skilled in the art will appreciate from this
disclosure, one portion of the cross-tab may be disposed in the
slot while the other portion of the cross-tab abuts an end of the
structure that defines the slot. Additionally, the housing 120 may
house a pair of charging terminals 126 that may be configured to
extend through the housing 32 so as to be accessible by the
recharging base 75 (FIG. 1) when the vacuum 10a is coupled
thereto.
[0065] One suitable power switch 76 is described in detail in U.S.
Pat. No. 5,544,274, which is hereby incorporated by reference as if
fully set forth herein. Briefly, the power switch 76 may include a
conventional slide switch 76a that selectively enables or disables
the transmission of electric power therethrough to close or open
the electrical circuit between the batteries 100 and the motor 70.
The slide switch 76a may be fixedly coupled to the circuit board
110 in the particular example provided and employed to move
contacts into and out of electrical connection with terminals on
the circuit board 110.
[0066] With reference to FIGS. 3, 10 and 11, the housing 32 of the
particular embodiment provided may include a pair of housing shells
150a and 150b and an exhaust deflector 154. The housing shells 150a
and 150b may be configured to be coupled together in a conventional
and well known manner to define a switch mounting structure 160, a
switch aperture 162, a latch mounting structure 164, the retaining
tab 42 and a handle 168. The switch mounting structure 160 may be
conventionally configured to receive therein and support the power
switch 76 of the motor assembly 30 such that the power switch 76
extends through the switch aperture 162 so as to be actuate-able by
the user of the vacuum 10a.
[0067] The latch mounting structure 164 may be configured to
receive therein and support a conventional latch mechanism 40
having a latch member 170 for engaging the securing aperture 56a in
the housing structure 52 of the dirt cup assembly 12 and a spring
(not shown) for, biasing the latch member 170 upwardly relative to
the housing 32.
[0068] The retaining tab 42 extends outwardly from the housing 32
and defines an abutting wall 174. The retaining tab 42 may be
configured to project through the securing aperture 56b when the
dirt cup assembly 12 is coupled to the housing assembly 14 to
permit the abutting wall 174 to cooperate with the rear edge of the
securing aperture 56b to thereby limit forward movement of the dirt
cup assembly 12 relative to the housing assembly 14.
[0069] In the example provided, the handle 168 is integrally formed
with the housing shells 150a and 150b and may extend between the
forward and rearward portions of the housing 32 and above the body
of the housing 32 to define therebetween a handle aperture 180 that
is sized to receive the hand of the user of the vacuum 10a. Those
skilled in the art will appreciate, however, that the handle 168
may be otherwise positioned and/or a discrete component that is
joined or fastened to the remainder of the housing 32 in a known
manner.
[0070] Except as noted below, each of the housing shells 150a and
150b may be constructed in an identical manner so that further
description of the housing shell 150a will suffice for both. With
primary reference to FIG. 11 and additional reference to FIG. 12,
the housing shell 150a includes a wall member 186 that may define a
front wall 188, a central cavity 196, an exhaust cavity 200 and a
recessed area 202 through which an elliptical through-hole 204 is
formed. The wall member 186 may also define a motor mount 206 and a
hub mount 208, both of which being disposed in the central cavity
19.6.
[0071] The motor mount 206 may include first and second mount
portions 206a and 206b, respectively, that are employed to fixedly
couple the motor 70 to the housing 32. The motor mount 206 may be
configured to receive the motor 70 in a snap-fit manner so that
discrete fasteners and the like are not required.
[0072] The hub mount 208 may include structure which, in
association with the fan housing 92 in the example provided, serves
to maintain the filter cleaning system 36 in a desired location
along a longitudinal axis of the vacuum 10a relative to the filter
system 34. In the example provided, the hub mount 208 includes
first and second bearing portions 208a and 208b, respectively,
which are axially spaced apart along an axis that is coincident
with a rotational axis of the motor 70. The first bearing portion
208a may be semi-circular in shape so as to form a circular
aperture when the housing shells 150a, 150b are coupled to one
another. The second bearing portion 208b may include a rear wall
210 that may be generally transverse to the rotational axis of the
motor 70.
[0073] As is apparent from the discussion above, the fan housing 92
may form the inlet aperture 94 and one or more discharge apertures
96 through which air is introduced and discharged, respectively,
from the fan assembly 72. In the particular example provided, the
fan housing 92 forms a volute that terminates at the discharge
aperture 96. The flow channel 98 may serve as a fluid conduit which
couples the discharge aperture 96 with the exhaust cavity 200.
[0074] With specific reference to FIG. 13, the exhaust deflector
154 may include a frame 270 and a plurality of flow guiding vanes
272 that are set into the frame 270 and fixedly coupled thereto.
The flow guiding vanes 272 of the particular embodiment illustrated
are shaped so as to direct the air exiting the exhaust cavity 200
both downwardly and rearwardly.
[0075] With additional reference to FIGS. 3 and 14, the frame 270
of the exhaust deflector 154 may extend upwardly of the flow
guiding vanes 272 to create a pocket 276 into which may be fitted
an optional exhaust filter 280. The exhaust filter 280 operates to
filter the air that exits the exhaust cavity 200 and thereby
prevents fine dust particles from being expelled from the vacuum
10a. The exhaust filter 280 may be formed from a non-woven mesh
fabric so as to be washable should it become undesirably dirty or
clogged. Those skilled in the art will appreciate from this
disclosure, however, that the exhaust filter 280 may be formed from
another washable filter media or may alternately be a disposable
type filter (e.g., paper). Those skilled in the art will also
appreciate from this disclosure that the exhaust filter may be
configured to provide HEPA (high efficiency particulate air)
filtration or ULPA (ultra low penetration air) filtration. As used
herein, a "HEPA" filter will be understood as being capable of
removing 99.97% of particles as small as 0.3 .mu.m from an air
flow, while a "ULPA" filter will be understood as being capable of
removing 99.999% of particles as small as 0.12 .mu.m from an
airflow.
[0076] Returning to FIGS. 3 and 13, the frame 270 may also include
a pair of trunnions 284 and a pair of clip structures 286. The
trunnions 284 permit the exhaust deflector 154 to be pivotably
coupled to the housing 32. More specifically, each of the housing
shells 150a and 150b may include a recess (not specifically shown)
for receiving an associated one of the trunnions 284. Each trunnion
284 is illustrated as being coupled to a portion of the frame 270
that may be deflected laterally inward (i.e., toward the centerline
of the exhaust deflector 154) so that the trunnions 284 may be
installed to their respective recess when the housing shells 150a
and 150b are coupled to one another. With the trunnions 284 engaged
to recesses, the exhaust deflector 154 may be pivoted between a
closed position, wherein the rear surface of the exhaust deflector
154 covers the exhaust cavity 200, and an open position, wherein
the exhaust deflector 154 substantially clears the exhaust cavity
200.
[0077] The clip structures 286 are configured to resiliently
deflect in response to the application of a modest force to the
exhaust deflector 154 to permit the exhaust deflector 154 to be
secured to or released from the wall member 186 when the exhaust
deflector 154 is moved into or out of the closed position. As will
be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, engagement of
the clip structures 286 to the wall member 186 effectively
maintains the exhaust deflector 154 in the closed position. Those
skilled in the art will also appreciate that features such as
recesses or tabs 288 may be formed into the wall member 186 to
serve as points that enhance or improve the ability of the clip
structures 286 to engage the wall member 186.
[0078] Returning to FIGS. 3 and 13, the top of the frame 270 of the
exhaust deflector 154 may be arcuately shaped to define a finger
grip 290 that is configured to receive the thumb or finger of the
user of the vacuum 10a so that the thumb or finger may be employed
to move the exhaust deflector 154 out of the closed position. The
finger grip 290 may include a gripping feature, such as a raised
lip, that permits the user to pry downwardly and outwardly on the
exhaust deflector 154 with their thumb or finger to thereby
disengage the clip structures 286 from the wall member 186.
[0079] With renewed reference to FIG. 12, the filter cleaning
system 36 may include a cleaning wheel 300 that housed by the
housing 32. With additional reference to FIGS. 3, 15 and 16, the
cleaning wheel 300 may be generally hollow and may include a
gripping portion 302, a hub portion 304, a filter drive portion 306
and a filter engagement portion 308. The gripping portion 302 may
be an annular ring that may be coupled to the rearward side of the
hub portion 304 and which may include a plurality of
circumferentially spaced apart recesses 310. The hub portion 304
may define a bearing surface 312 that may be journally supported by
the housing 32. The filter drive portion 306 may be formed on a
wall 314 that is coupled to the hub portion 304 generally
transverse to the bearing surface 312.
[0080] In the particular example provided, the filter drive portion
306 includes a plurality of radially extending drive tabs 316 that
are circumferentially spaced apart from one another and
collectively oriented concentric with the bearing surface 312.
Those skilled in the art will appreciate from this disclosure,
however, that the filter engagement portion 308, through frictional
engagement or other engagement with the primary filter 414, may
also serve in whole or in part as the filter drive portion 306.
[0081] The filter engagement portion 308 may be an elongated
annular structure that may extend forwardly from the wall 314 of
the filter drive portion 306. The cleaning wheel 300 may also
include a grille 320 which inhibits the passage of relatively large
objects from passing through the cleaning wheel 300 and contacting
the impeller 90.
[0082] The cleaning wheel 300 may be installed over the fan housing
92 prior to the installation of the motor 70 and fan assembly 72 to
the housing 32, thereby permitting these components to be
collectively assembled to one of the housing shells (e.g., housing
shell 150a) substantially simultaneously. The cleaning wheel 300
may be positioned relative to the housing 32 such that gripping
portion 302 partially extends through the elliptical through-holes
204 in the recessed areas 202 of the housing 32 as shown in FIG.
17. Once the cleaning wheel 300 has been installed to the housing
32, movement of the cleaning wheel 300 in an axial direction along
the rotational axis of the motor 70 may be limited through contact
between the gripping portion 302 and housing 32 along the perimeter
of the elliptical through-holes 204. Additionally or alternatively,
contact with the fan housing 92 and the rear wall 210 of the second
bearing portion 208b (FIG. 11) may be employed to limit movement of
the cleaning wheel 300 axially along the rotational axis of the
motor 70.
[0083] The first and second bearing portions 208a and 208b of the
hub mount 208, however, cooperate with the bearing surface 312 to
limit the movement of the cleaning wheel 300 vertically and
horizontally relative to the rotational axis of the motor 70, but
permit the cleaning wheel to be rotated about the rotational axis
of the motor 70. The recesses 310 in the gripping portion are
specifically configured to be gripped by the thumb and/or fingers
of a user of the vacuum 10a to rotate the cleaning wheel 300.
[0084] In FIGS. 3 and 12, the filter system 34 may include an
intake filter 400 and the above-discussed optional exhaust filter
280. The intake filter 400 may include a prefilter 412 and a
primary filter 414. In FIG. 18 and with additional reference to
FIGS. 10 and 16, the prefilter 412 may include a filter flange 420,
a prefilter body 422 and a securing means 424 for releasably
securing the prefilter 412 to the housing 32. The filter flange 420
may extend radially outwardly from the prefilter body 422 and may
be configured to abut the front face 188 of the housing 32. The
filter flange 420 may be unitarily formed with the remainder of the
prefilter 412 from a material that is structural, such as
polyethylene or polpropylene. Those skilled in the art will
appreciate, however, that the filter flange 420 could alternatively
include a resilient band of material (not shown) that is coupled to
the remainder of the filter flange 420, via a mechanical
connection, adhesives or overmolding, and employed to sealingly
engage at least one of the housing 32 and the dirt cup 20.
[0085] With additional reference to FIG. 19, the prefilter body 422
may have a truncated cone shape, with a front wall 430 and a side
wall 432 that has a plurality of filtering apertures 434 formed
therethrough. The filtering apertures 434 may be sized to prevent
relatively coarse dirt and debris from contacting the primary
filter 414 (FIG. 3). In the example provided, the filtering
apertures 434 are about 0.020 inch (0.5 mm) to about 0.040 inch
(1.0 mm) in diameter. In the particular embodiment provided, one or
more ribs 436 are formed on the interior surface 438 of the side
wall 432. The ribs 436 will be discussed in greater detail,
below.
[0086] As those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate from
this disclosure, any appropriate means may be employed to removably
couple the filter flange 420 to one or both of the housing 32 and
the dirt cup 20. Preferably, the securing means 424 will not
automatically detach from the housing 32 when the dirt cup 20 is
removed from the housing 32.
[0087] In the particular example provided, the securing means 424
is illustrated in FIG. 18 to include a plurality of holes 440 that
are configured to receive therethrough corresponding pegs 442 that
extend from the front face 188 of the housing 32 as illustrated in
FIG. 16. The holes 440 may be shaped to directly correspond to the
shape of the pegs 442, but in the example illustrated, include
first and second portions 440a and 440b, respectively, that
intersect one another. The first portion 440a is relatively large
and configured to receive therethrough an associated peg 442, which
is illustrated in FIG. 10 to include a relatively large head
portion 442a and a somewhat smaller body portion 442b. In contrast,
the second portion 440b is configured only to receive therethrough
the body portion 442b of the associated peg 442. Accordingly, once
the prefilter 412 has been installed over the pegs 442, it may be
rotated to position the body portion 442b of the pegs 442 into the
second portion 440b of the holes 440. As the head portion 442a of
the pegs 442 is relatively larger than the second portion 440b, the
filter flange 420 will remain attached to the housing 32 when the
dirt cup 20 is removed, unless the filter flange 420 is rotated to
align the pegs 442 with the first portion 440a of the holes
440.
[0088] To guard against undesired rotation of the filter flange 420
relative to the housing 32 when the dirt cup 20 has been removed
from the rear housing, the securing means 424 may include a
resilient finger 440c that contacts the body portion 442b of an
associated peg 442 to inhibit rotation of the filter flange 420
unless a force in excess of a predetermined force has been applied
to rotate the filter flange 420 in a desired rotational direction
relative to the housing 32.
[0089] In FIG. 20, the primary filter 414 may have a filter body
450 with first and second seal portions 452 and 454, respectively,
disposed on opposite sides thereof. The filter body 450 may have a
shape that is similar to that of the prefilter body 422 (FIG. 19)
and in the example provided, is illustrated to have a truncated
cone shape. The filter body 450 may be formed from any appropriate
filter media, such as paper, plastic or fabric and is preferably
formed with a plurality of pleats 460. Also preferably, the filter
media is wear resistant or includes a wear resistant outer layer
462. Furthermore, the filter body 450 is preferably formed from a
filter media that provides HEPA or ULPA filtration. One such
suitable filter media is manufactured by W. L. Gore &
Associates, a Delaware Corporation having a place of business in
Elkton, Md.
[0090] In the example provided, the pleats 460 are formed such that
their outer ends or peaks 464 lie along a straight line that
intersects the axis of a theoretical cone (not shown) that includes
the peak 464 of each pleat 460 on the filter body 450.
Alternatively, the pleats 460 may be formed such that their peaks
464 are straight but skewed to the axis of the theoretical cone or
generally helical in shape. For reasons that will be apparent from
the discussion below, however, the pleats 460 should be formed
relative to the theoretical cone in a manner that is consistent
with the ribs 436 on the interior surface 438 of the filter housing
432.
[0091] The first seal portion 452, which is coupled to the smaller
end of the filter body 450, may be a plate-like structure that is
formed from a suitable material and is sealingly bonded to a lower
end of the filter body 450. Alternatively, the first seal portion
452 may be wholly or partially formed from an appropriate filter
material, such as the material from which the filter body 450 is
manufactured, and bonded or otherwise sealingly coupled to the
filter body 450.
[0092] The second seal portion 454 may be an annular flange that
may be sealingly bonded to an upper end of the filter body 450.
With additional reference to FIGS. 12 and 21, the second seal
portion 454 may include a body 470 that defines a receiving
aperture 472, a primary seal 474 which is disposed about the
perimeter of the receiving aperture 472 and sized to sealingly
engage the seal engaging portion 308 of the cleaning wheel 300
(FIG. 15), a secondary seal 476 that sealingly engages the interior
surface 438 of the prefilter body 422 of the prefilter 412, and a
plurality of drive tabs 478. The drive tabs 478, which extend
radially outward and are circumferentially spaced apart from one
another, are configured to engage the drive tabs 316 that are
formed on the filter drive portion 306 of the cleaning wheel
300.
[0093] With the primary filter 414 installed to the cleaning wheel
300 such that the primary seal 474 sealingly engages the seal
engaging portion 308 and the drive tabs 316 and 478 are meshingly
engaged with one another, the prefilter 412 may be positioned over
the primary filter 414 such that the first portion 440a of the
through-holes 204 in the filter flange 420 are aligned to the pegs
442 on the housing 32. The prefilter 412 may be urged toward the
housing 32 such that the pegs 442 are fitted through the
through-holes 204 and thereafter the prefilter 412 is rotated to
position the pegs 442 within the second portion 440b of the
through-holes 204. With the dirt cup 20 coupled to the housing
assembly 14, the prefilter locating tabs 58 urge the filter flange
420 rearwardly toward the front face 188 of the housing 32 so that
the secondary seal 476 sealingly engages the prefilter body 422 of
the prefilter 412.
[0094] While the primary filter 414 has been illustrated and
described as including first and second seal portions 452 and 454
which are bonded directly to the filter body 450, the primary
filter 414 may be formed in various other manners. For example, the
primary filter 414 may include a pair of discretely formed, caps
480a and 480b as illustrated in FIGS. 40 and 41. The cap 480a may
be generally cup shaped, with a closed top 482 and a side wall 484
with a plurality of teeth 486 formed about the inside perimeter of
the side wall 484. The cap 480b may be an annular ring that
similarly includes a plurality of teeth 488 formed about its inside
perimeter. The caps 480a, 480b may be secured to the opposite ends
of the filter body 450 through an adhesive, heat staking or sonic
welding, for example, so that the teeth 486 and 488 of the caps
480a and 480b meshingly engage the pleats 460 of the filter media.
The first seal portion 452 may be integrally formed with, molded
onto or bonded to the annular cap 480b. The second seal portion 454
is optional in this embodiment, as the cap 480a may be formed with
a closed configuration, rather than the annular shape of the cap
480b.
[0095] The embodiment of FIGS. 42 and 43 is similar to that
discussed above in that it likewise employs a pair of discretely
formed caps 480c and 480d. However, the teeth 486 and 488 are
formed on the exterior surfaces of the caps 480c and 486d so as to
meshingly engage the pleats 460 from the interior of the filter
body 450.
[0096] The embodiment of FIGS. 44 and 45 employs a pair of ring
sets 490 and 492. The ring set 490 may include an outer ring 490a,
which may be similar to the cap 480a, and an inner ring 490b, which
may be similar to the cap 480c. The outer and inner rings 490a and
490b are assembled to the filter body 450 such that the filter
media is sandwiched therebetween and secured to the filter body 450
and/or to one another via an adhesive, heat staking or sonic
welding, for example. Likewise, the ring set 492 includes an outer
ring 492a, which may be similar to the cap 480b, and an inner ring
492b, which may be similar to the cap 480d. The outer and inner
rings 492a and 492b are assembled to the filter body 450 such that
the filter media is sandwiched therebetween. The outer and inner
rings 492a and 492b are secured to the filter body 450 and/or to
one another via an adhesive, heat staking or sonic welding, for
example.
[0097] With reference to FIGS. 3 and 8, when the vacuum 10a is
operated, the fan assembly 72 expels air from the fan housing 92
which creates a negative pressure differential relative to
atmospheric conditions and causes a dirt and debris laden air flow
to rush into the dirt cup 20 through the inlet port 54. When
coupled to the inlet port 54, the elbow 22 directs the dirt and
debris laden air that is flowing through the inlet port 54 toward
the interior wall of the dirt cup 20, causing the dirt and debris
laden air to swirl about the interior of the dirt cup. In the
particular example provided, the outlet 500 of the elbow 22 is
configured to direct the dirt and debris laden air flow in a
direction to the side and rear of the dirt cup 20. Those of
ordinary skill in the art will appreciate from this disclosure,
however, that the elbow 22 may be configured to direct the dirt and
debris laden air flow in a direction generally transverse to the
inlet port 54, that the outlet 500 of the elbow 22 may or may not
lie in the same "plane" as the inlet port 54 (i.e., the centerline
of the elbow 22 at the outlet 500 may or may not lie in a plane
that is contains the centerline of the inlet port 54) and that any
portion of the elbow 22 between the outlet 22 and the inlet port 54
may be formed with a desired shape (e.g., helical) to enhance the
swirling effect produced by the elbow 22 and the dirt cup 20.
[0098] In some situations, the swirling effect may be so strong as
to create centrifugal force that causes the dirt and debris to move
outwardly toward and collect against the dirt cup 20. The swirling
effect may also slow the collection of dirt and debris on the
prefilter 412 and the primary filter 414 to thereby provide
improved efficiency of the vacuum 10a. Improved efficiency is
particularly important with cordless vacuums, as it permits
extended operation on a given battery charge. Those of ordinary
skill in the art will readily appreciate in view of this disclosure
that the swirling effect may not be desirable under some
circumstances and as such, the elbow 22 may be removable from the
inlet port 54.
[0099] With reference to FIGS. 3, 12, 19 and 20, the vacuum 10a may
be additionally and further maintained in an efficient state by
rotating the cleaning wheel 300 as needed or at a desired interval
when the impeller 90 is not rotating to at least partially clear
accumulated dirt and debris from the pleats 460 of the primary
filter 414. More specifically, as the primary filter may be coupled
to the cleaning wheel 300, rotation of the cleaning wheel 300
causes contact between the ribs 436 and an associated set of the
pleats 460 which may deflect the pleats 460 and vibrate the pleats
460 after the pleat 460 has rotated past the rib 436. The force of
the impact, the deflection of the pleat 460 and its subsequent
vibration may cooperate to dislodge particles of dirt and debris
from both the prefilter 412 and the primary filter 414.
[0100] Those skilled in the art will appreciate from this
disclosure that various modifications may be made to the prefilter
412 to aid in discharging dirt and debris that are dislodged from
the primary filter 414 and/or to slow the rate with which the
pleats 460 of the primary filter 414 wear. For example, the
prefilter 412 may be constructed with one or more apertures 5000 as
shown in FIGS. 46 and 47. The apertures 5000 are relatively larger
than the filtering apertures 434 so that dirt and debris that are
dislodged from the primary filter 414 (FIG. 20) during cleaning,
e.g., rotation of the cleaning wheel 300 (FIG. 15), may more
readily fall through the prefilter body 422 and collect in the dirt
cup 20 (FIG. 1). In the example of FIG. 48, the prefilter body 422
is constructed such that at least a portion of the ribs 436 are
shifted along the longitudinal axis of the prefilter body 422. In
the particular example provided, each of the ribs 436 is shifted so
that no two ribs 436 contact the same area of the pleats 460 (FIG.
20).
[0101] Returning to FIGS. 1 and 3, the tool set 10b may include a
brush tool 500 and a crevice tool 502 that may be fixedly but
removably engaged to the front end of the inlet port 54 via a
friction fit. Unlike the known configurations of accessories, the
brush tool 500 and crevice tool 502 each employ a body portion 504
having first and second portions 506 and 508 with a U-shaped
aperture 510 formed therebetween. The U-shaped aperture 510 permits
a relatively large degree of flexure between the first and second
portions 506 and 508 so as to ensure high quality friction fit and
associated seal between the body portion 504 and inlet port 54 of
the dirt cup 20.
[0102] In the particular example provided, the brush tool 500 may
be stored in a cavity 518 formed in the rear of the housing 32,
while the crevice tool 502 may be coupled to a bottom face 520 of
the housing 32. One or more resilient clips 522 may be employed to
retain the particular accessory to the housing 32.
[0103] With reference to FIG. 22, the recharging base 75 is
illustrated in association with the vacuum 10a. The recharging base
75 may include a base 1000, a charging circuit 1002, a pair of
terminals 1004 and a key 1006. The base 1000 may be a molded
structure and may be configured to slidably receive the vacuum 10a
such that a pair of mating terminals 1014 and a mating key 1016
matingly engage the terminals 1004 and the key 1006, respectively.
The charging circuit 1002 may be configured in a conventional and
well known manner to receive electrical power from a source of A.C.
power and provide a source of D.C. power of a predetermined voltage
to the terminals 1004.
[0104] In the particular example provided, the terminals 1004,
which may be mounted to the base 1000, may extend outwardly from
the base 1000 so as to contact associated ones of the mating
terminals 1014 when the vacuum 10a is fully received into the base
1000. As the terminals 1014 are electrically coupled to the battery
pack 74, contact between the terminals 1004 and 1014 permits
electrical energy to be transmitted from the charging circuit 1002
to the batteries 100.
[0105] The key 1006 and the mating key 1016 coordinate with one
another to permit the base 1000 to fully receive the vacuum 10a. In
the particular example provided, the key 1006 includes a pedestal
1028, a flange 1030 and optionally one or more engagement tabs
1032, while the mating key 1016 includes a receiver 1040. The
pedestal 1028 of the key 1006 may be coupled to the base 1000 in
any conventional manner, including for example, threaded fasteners
and/or features that are integrally formed onto and/or into the
pedestal 1028 and base 1000 that permit the pedestal 1028 and the
base 1000 to be engaged to one another in a snap-fit manner. The
flange 1030 may be coupled to the pedestal 1028, extending upwardly
therefrom so as to protrude from a corresponding aperture 1036 in
the base 1000 when the key 1006 and the base 1000 are coupled to
one another. If employed, the engagement tabs 1032 extend from the
flange 1030 in the example provided.
[0106] The receiver 1040 may be coupled to the housing 32 in any
conventional manner, including for example, threaded fasteners
and/or features that are integrally formed onto and/or into the
receiver 1040 and housing 32 that permit the receiver 1040 and the
housing 32 to be engaged to one another in a snap-fit manner. The
receiver 1040 of the mating key 1016 may optionally include one or
more slots 1042 for receiving the engagement tabs 1032. The
engagement tabs 1032 and slots 1042 are positioned such that they
must engage one another before the terminals 1020 and 1022 may
contact one another. Those of ordinary skill in the art will
appreciate from this disclosure that although the vacuum 10a has
been described thus far as including slots 1042 for receiving
engagement tabs 1032 that are associated with the recharging base
75, the slots 1042 and engagement tabs 1032 may alternatively be
associated with the recharging base 75 and the vacuum 10a,
respectively.
[0107] With reference to FIG. 23, the interchangeable nature of the
charging system of the present invention is illustrated.
Specifically, several terminal block (1004) and key (i.e., 1006a,
1006b, 1006c, 1006d, and 1006e) combinations are illustrated as
being interchangeable with the base 1000, while several receivers
(1040a, 1040b, 1040c, 1040d, and 1040e) are illustrated in
association with the vacuum 10a. Significantly, the injection molds
for each of the key and the receiver employ exchangeable tooling
segments that permit the molds to be readily converted so that they
may be employed to form each of the various key configurations and
receiver configurations. With reference to FIG. 24, five tooling
segments 1050a, 1050b, 1050c, 1050d and 1050e are employed in
conjunction with a base mold 1052 to produce each of the receiver
combinations.
[0108] One especially significant aspect of providing various key
and mating key combinations is the ability to provide a family of
similar vacuums having different batteries (i.e., different
voltages) yet which utilize as many common components as possible.
In this regard, the various key and mating key combinations are
employed to "key" a particular vacuum to a particular recharging
base so as to prevent a vacuum from being coupled to a recharging
base having a charging circuit that provides a charging voltage in
excess of that which the batteries of the vacuum are designed to be
charged.
[0109] With reference to FIG. 25, a family of hand-held cordless
vacuums is generally indicated by reference numeral 2000. The
family of vacuums 2000 includes vacuums 2002a, 2004a, 2006a, 2008a
and 2010a, which are associated with recharging bases 2002b, 2004b,
2006b, 2008b and 2010b, respectively. The vacuums 2002a, 2004a and
2006a are generally identical to vacuum 10a and differ from one
another only in the design charging voltage of their respective
battery packs 74. For example, the vacuum 2002a may have a design
charging voltage of 14.4 volts, the vacuum 2004a may have a design
charging voltage of 12 volts and the vacuum 2006a may have a design
charging voltage of 9.6 volts. The vacuums 2008a and 2010a are
similar to the vacuum 10a (FIG. 1) except that they lack a filter
cleaning system 36 and may have design charging voltages of 7.2
volts and 4.8 volts, respectively. The recharging bases 2002b,
2004b, 2006b, 2008b and 2010b are generally identical to the
recharging base 75 (FIG. 1) and differ from one another only in the
charging voltage that they output.
[0110] As those skilled in the art will appreciate from this
disclosure, the recharging bases (i.e., the keys) may be configured
so that they will only engage one vacuum (i.e., mating key).
However, it is permissible for a recharging base (i.e., key) to
receive more than one type of vacuum (i.e., mating key) so long as
the charging voltage provided by the recharging base will not
exceed the design charging voltage of any vacuum that may be
engaged thereto. In the particular example provided, any member of
the family of vacuums 2000 may be engaged to the recharging base
2010b. Furthermore, the vacuum 2004a may also be engaged to the
charging bases 2004b, 2006b, and 2008b.
[0111] While the vacuum 10a has been described thus far as
employing an elbow to impart a swirling action to an incoming dirt
and debris laden air flow and a manually rotatable cleaning wheel
for use in dislodging particles of dirt and debris from a filter,
those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention, in its
broader aspects, may be constructed somewhat differently. For
example, the vacuum 10c may employ one or more vanes to swirl the
incoming dirt and debris laden air flow as shown in FIGS. 26 and
27. In this example, the vacuum 10c is identical to the vacuum 10a
described above, except that the elbow 22 (FIG. 3) is not employed
and a prefilter 412c has been substituted for the prefilter 412.
The prefilter 412c is substantially similar to the prefilter 412,
except for the inclusion of a plurality of flow guiding vanes 600
on the front wall 430c of the prefilter body 422c. The flow guiding
vanes 600 are disposed axially in-line with the inlet port 54c such
that the axially directed incoming dirt and debris laden air flow
is turned by the flow guiding vanes 600 outwardly toward the
interior surface of the wall of the dirt cup 20c. As with the elbow
22, the flow guiding vanes 600 may be configured aggressively,
wherein the entire flow is turned outwardly at the interior surface
of the dirt cup 20c, or somewhat less aggressively, wherein the
flow is turned outwardly but retains a portion of its original
axial velocity.
[0112] As those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate from
this disclosure, vanes 600d for swirling the incoming dirt and
debris laden air flow may be additionally or alternatively formed
on another surface, such as the exterior surface 620 of the side
wall 432d of the prefilter 412d, as illustrated in FIG. 28.
[0113] Alternatively, the vacuum 10e may be configured as is shown
in FIGS. 29 and 30. In this embodiment, the housing assembly 14e
defines a filter recess 700 into which the filter system 34e is
disposed. The filter system 34e includes a hat-shaped prefilter
412e and a hat-shaped primary filter 414e. The prefilter 412e
includes a filter flange 420e and a prefilter body 422e, while the
primary filter 414e includes a filter flange 710 and a filter body
712. A nozzle 720 is pivotally coupled to the housing assembly 14e
and unlike the dirt cup 20 of FIG. 1, the nozzle 720 has no
capacity for the storage of the dirt and debris that is drawn up by
the vacuum 10e. Rather, coarse dirt and debris are retained in the
prefilter 412e while finer dirt and debris which pass through the
prefilter 412e are contained by the primary filter 414e. Pivoting
of the nozzle 720 into the closed position causes the nozzle 720 to
compress the filter flange 420e and filter flange 710 against one
another such that a seal is formed between the nozzle 720 and the
housing assembly 14e.
[0114] The nozzle 720 includes an outlet 730 that directs an
incoming flow of dirt and debris laden air tangentially into the
prefilter 412e, thereby generating a swirling effect that tends to
reduce the accumulation of dirt and debris against the side wall
432e of the prefilter 412e. This configuration is highly
advantageous in that it permits the user to not only perform
vacuuming operations with a single hand, but also to empty the
vacuum 10e of dirt and debris with a single hand. More
specifically, the user need only access the latch release 38 to
unlatch the nozzle 720 from the housing assembly 14e to permit the
nozzle 720 to pivot into the open condition. A detent (not
specifically shown) may be employed to retain the nozzle 720 in the
open condition. The user need only grasp the handle 168 of the
housing assembly 14e and overturn the vacuum 10e to empty the
contents of the prefilter 412e.
[0115] As is apparent from the discussion above, rotation of the
cleaning wheel 300 when the impeller 90 is rotating renders the
cleaning action relatively less effective (as compared to when the
impeller 90 is not rotating) since dirt and debris that are
dislodged when the cleaning wheel 300 is rotated tends to be
immediately drawn back into the primary filter 414. Accordingly, it
is within the scope of the present invention to include with the
vacuum 10a a device that either locks the cleaning wheel 300 or
electrically disables the fan assembly 72 when the cleaning wheel
300 is rotated. In FIG. 31, a lock-out device 800 is illustrated to
be coupled to the power switch 76 for translation therewith. When
the power switch 76 is activated, a lock-out member 802 translates
into locking engagement with one of the circumferentially spaced
apart recesses 310 in the gripping portion 302 of the cleaning
wheel 300 to prevent the cleaning wheel 300 from being rotated. In
FIG. 32, a sensor 850 is employed to detect the rotation of the
cleaning wheel 300 relative to the housing 32 and generate a sensor
signal in response thereto. In the particular example provided, the
sensor 850 includes a pair of spaced apart contacts 850a and 850b
which are normally not in contact with one another but which are
urged into electrical contact with one another by actuating
features 852 that are formed on the cleaning wheel 300. In response
to receipt of the sensor signal, a controller 860 is employed to
inhibit the flow of electricity from the batteries 100 to the motor
70 to thereby deactivate the fan assembly 72. In the example
provided, the controller 860 employs a conventional relay 862 to
inhibit the flow of electricity from the batteries 100 to the motor
70. In this latter embodiment, the controller 860 may include a
timer 864 which maintains the motor 70 in a deactivated state for a
predetermined amount of time after receipt of the sensor
signal.
[0116] In the embodiments of FIGS. 34 and 35, the cleaning wheel is
illustrated to be driven by a motor rather than manually operated.
In FIG. 34, a clutch 900 having an input shaft 902, which is
coupled to the output shaft 88 of the motor 70, a first output
shaft 904, to which the impeller 90 is coupled for rotation
therewith, and a second output shaft 906, which is concentric with
the first output shaft 904, which is meshingly engaged with an
idler gear 908. A shaft 910 couples an output pinion 912, which is
meshingly engaged with teeth 310g formed on the cleaning wheel
300g, for rotation with the idler gear 908. The clutch 900 is
normally operable in first condition, wherein rotary power is
transmitted to the first output shaft 904 but not the second output
shaft 906, and a second condition, wherein rotary power is
transmitted to the second output shaft 906 but not the first output
shaft 904. The clutch 900 is preferably electronically controlled,
so that the user need only press a button to change the condition
of the clutch 900 from the first condition to the second condition
(such as by translating the power switch 76 (FIG. 3) in a direction
opposite that which is normally employed to actuate the vacuum
10a). As noted above, the clutch 900 is normally operable in the
first condition, so that when the button is released, the clutch
1900 will revert to the first condition. In the embodiment of FIG.
35, a second motor 950 is employed to rotate the cleaning wheel
300.
[0117] While the invention has been described in the specification
and illustrated in the drawings with reference to various
embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that
various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for
elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention
as defined in the claims. Furthermore, the mixing and matching of
features, elements and/or functions between various embodiments is
expressly contemplated herein so that one of ordinary skill in the
art would appreciate from this disclosure that features, elements
and/or functions of one embodiment may be incorporated into another
embodiment as appropriate, unless described otherwise, above.
Moreover, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular
situation or material to the teachings of the invention without
departing from the essential scope thereof. Therefore, it is
intended that the invention not be limited to the particular
embodiment illustrated by the drawings and described in the
specification as the best mode presently contemplated for carrying
out this invention, but that the invention will include any
embodiments falling within the foregoing description and the
appended claims.
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