U.S. patent application number 11/713853 was filed with the patent office on 2007-09-13 for upright-type cleaning appliances.
This patent application is currently assigned to Vax Limited. Invention is credited to Christopher John Tullett.
Application Number | 20070209145 11/713853 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36241463 |
Filed Date | 2007-09-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070209145 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Tullett; Christopher John |
September 13, 2007 |
Upright-type cleaning appliances
Abstract
A cleaning appliance of the upright type having a cleaning head
movable over a floor surface and a body connected to the head,
wherein there is provided a means for detecting the attitude of the
head and a switch means operable to prevent operation of at least
an agitating means, if present, of the appliance if the head
assumes an attitude different from a normal operational attitude
thereof by more than a predetermined amount.
Inventors: |
Tullett; Christopher John;
(SHREWSBURY, GB) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BRINKS HOFER GILSON & LIONE
P.O. BOX 10395
CHICAGO
IL
60610
US
|
Assignee: |
Vax Limited
|
Family ID: |
36241463 |
Appl. No.: |
11/713853 |
Filed: |
March 5, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/339 ;
15/383 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L 5/30 20130101; A47L
9/2889 20130101; A47L 9/2805 20130101; A47L 11/40 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
15/339 ;
15/383 |
International
Class: |
A47L 9/04 20060101
A47L009/04 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Mar 11, 2006 |
GB |
0604962.1 |
Claims
1-13. (canceled)
14. An upright cleaning appliance comprising: a cleaning head
movable over a floor surface comprising an agitator, a detector
that detects the attitude of the head, and a switch operable to
prevent operation of the agitator when the head assumes a
predetermined different attitude than a normal operational attitude
by at least a predetermined amount; and a body connected to the
head.
15. The cleaning appliance of claim 14, wherein the switch prevents
operation of a source of suction of the appliance when the head
assumes the predetermined different attitude.
16. The cleaning appliance of claim 14, wherein the predetermined
different attitude of the head from its normal operational attitude
is substantially the same in a forward inclination, a rearward
inclination, and a lateral inclination with respect to an axis
perpendicular to the head.
17. The cleaning appliance of claim 14, wherein the predetermined
different attitude in a forward inclination and a rearward
inclination with respect to an axis perpendicular to the head is
different than the predetermined attitude in a lateral inclination
with respect to the axis perpendicular to the head.
18. The cleaning appliance of claim 14, wherein the switch is
operable at an inclination of the head of about 30.degree. from its
normal operational attitude.
19. The cleaning appliance of claim 14, wherein the detector means
comprises at least one tilt-sensitive switch.
20. The cleaning appliance of claim 19, wherein the at least one
tilt-sensitive switch is disposed in the head.
21. The cleaning appliance of claim 19, wherein the at least one
tilt-sensitive switch is disposed in the body.
22. The cleaning appliance of claim 14, wherein the switch is
operable to prevent operation of the appliance when the body is set
in an upright orientation relative to the head of the
appliance.
23. The cleaning appliance of claim 22, wherein the switch is not
operable to prevent operation of the appliance when the body is in
an inclined position.
24. The cleaning appliance of claim 14, wherein the cleaning
appliance is a vacuum cleaner.
25. The cleaning appliance of claim 14, wherein the cleaning
appliance is an extractor-type carpet cleaner.
26. A cleaning apparatus comprising: a head movable over a
horizontal surface comprising a brush rotatably mounted to a body
and a sensor operatively engaged with the head, and capable of
detecting the orientation of the cleaning head with respect to the
horizontal surface; and a motor electrically connected with the
sensor and mechanically operable with the brush, wherein the sensor
selectively prevents rotation of the brush when the sensor detects
a predetermined angle of the head with respect to the horizontal
surface.
27. The cleaning apparatus of claim 26, wherein the sensor
comprises a first sensor that detects the orientation of the head
in a forward direction from the head.
28. The cleaning apparatus of claim 26, wherein the sensor
comprises a second sensor that detects the orientation of the head
in a first lateral direction from the head.
29. The cleaning apparatus of claim 26, wherein the predetermined
angle is greater than about 30 degrees from the horizontal
surface.
30. The cleaning apparatus of claim 26, further comprising a body
pivotably mounted to the head between an upright position
substantially perpendicular to the head and an inclined position at
an oblique angle to the head.
31. The cleaning apparatus of claim 30, wherein the sensor only
selectively prevents rotation of the brush when the body is in the
upright position.
32. The cleaning apparatus of claim 26, wherein the sensor prevents
operation of the motor when the sensor detects a predetermined
angle of the head with respect to the horizontal surface.
33. The cleaning apparatus of claim 30, wherein the sensor is
mounted within the body.
34. The cleaning apparatus of claim 27, wherein the first sensor
detects the orientation of the head in a direction opposite the
forward direction.
35. The cleaning apparatus of claim 28, wherein the second sensor
detects the orientation of the head in a second lateral direction
from the head opposite the first lateral direction.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to United Kingdom
application number 0604962.1, which was filed on Mar. 11, 2006, the
entirety of which is fully incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUND
[0002] This invention relates to cleaning appliances of the upright
type. Such cleaning appliances may be vacuum cleaners, or may be
floor cleaners of the wet or so called "extractor" type in which a
cleaning liquid is applied to a floor surface such as a carpet from
a reservoir on the appliance, and then extracted by suction from
the floor.
[0003] What such cleaning appliances have in common is a cleaning
head moveable over a floor surface, and a body pivotally connected
to the head and extending therefrom to a handle, enabling a user to
move the head as required over the floor surface. The body is
usually able to be left in an upright position relative to the head
when the cleaner is not in use, but when in use the body is tilted
from the upright position at an angle to suit the user. The
appliance has a source of suction (an electric motor and impeller),
and the head has a suction opening which faces the floor surface in
use so that air sucked in from the surface, with entrained dust
and/or liquid, can be directed to the source of suction by way of a
separator/collector in which the dust and/or liquid entrained in
the suction airflow is separated from the flow of air and retained
for disposal.
[0004] The head of the cleaner may have, either in its suction
opening in the case of a vacuum cleaner or possibly adjacent
thereto in the case of an extractor floor cleaner, an agitating
device which usually is a rotary brush or beater bar.
[0005] An upright cleaning appliance is usually left, when not
actually being worked over a floor surface, with its body in an
upright orientation, in which it is retained relative to the head
by a catch or detent. During a temporary break in cleaning
proceedings, it might be left with its source of suction operating
and possibly also its agitating device. It is possible for an
upright cleaning appliance, having been left with its body in the
upright position, to fall over if someone or something accidentally
(or intentionally) pushes or knocks it with sufficient force.
Another common occurrence is that someone trips over the electrical
power supply cable of the appliance.
SUMMARY
[0006] When it has fallen over, the suction opening and the
agitating means of the appliance are exposed, compared with their
normal position in which they face the ground surface on which the
appliance is being operated. A rotating agitating device then
presents a hazard to anyone in the vicinity of the fallen-over
appliance, particularly to small children or pets; also there is
the possibility that clothing, draperies etc. might become
entangled with the agitating means or drawn into the suction
opening of the appliance. It is broadly the object of the present
invention to eliminate or reduce the hazard in such
circumstances.
[0007] According to the present invention, we provide a cleaning
appliance of the upright type provided with a means for detecting
the attitude of the head, and with a switch means operable to
prevent operation of at least an agitating means, if present, of
the appliance, if the head assumes an attitude different from a
normal operational attitude thereof by more than a predetermined
amount.
[0008] Preferably the appliance's source of suction is (also)
prevented from operating.
[0009] The normal operational attitude of the head of the appliance
is of course that of standing on a more or less horizontal floor
surface. The switch means may operate if the head assumes an
attitude in which it is tilted by more than about 30.degree., by
way of example, in any direction from its normal operational
attitude.
[0010] Normal operational use of the cleaning appliance involves
its being worked backwards and forwards over a floor surface. To
ensure that inertia forces in such use do not cause operation of
the switch means, the sensitivity thereof to tilting of the head
forwardly or rearwardly from its normal operational attitude may be
less than the sensitivity to its tilting laterally from its normal
operational attitude. However, it would be possible for the
sensitivity to forwards or backwards tilting to be the same as that
to lateral tilting. The attitude-detection means and the switch
means may be combined with one another in a so-called
tilt-sensitive switch. One or more such switches may be utilised,
depending on the type of switch and how many directions of tilting
each switch is sensitive to.
[0011] It is preferred that the attitude detection means is
provided in the head, since it is the latter which presents the
suction opening and agitator device if the cleaning appliance falls
over. It would, as an alternative, be possible to provide an
attitude-detection means in the body of the appliance. However, an
attitude detection means thus provided could only be responsive to
lateral or forwards tilting of the body, since the body is tilted
rearwardly from its upright condition in normal use of the
appliance. Possibly there could be provided a means which responds
to the body of the appliance being set in its upright/out of use
orientation relative to the head of the appliance, and only when
this condition has been detected would the attitude detection means
and switch means be operable to prevent operation of at least the
agitator device of the appliance.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cleaning apparatus.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0013] The invention will now be described by way of example with
reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrates
diagramatically a cleaning appliance of the type to which the
invention is applicable.
[0014] The drawing shows a cleaning appliance which is an
upright-type vacuum cleaner, comprising a body indicated generally
at 10 and a cleaning head indicated generally at 11. The body has a
portion 12 in which is disposed is a source of suction for the
cleaner, i.e. an electric motor and impeller, and above this the
body carries a dust separator/collector assembly indicated
generally at 13. A body portion 14 extends above the
separator/collector assembly 13 and ends at a handle 15. The
separator/collector assembly 13 incorporates one or more filters
and/or cyclonic separator devices, so that dust and dirt entrained
in the flow of air sucked up by the cleaner is separated from the
airflow and retained for disposal, by removal of the entire
separator/collector assembly or a separate dust-receptacle part
thereof. All these features are well known in vacuum cleaners, and
many arrangements thereof can be adopted: what is illustrated is by
way of example only.
[0015] The cleaning head 11 comprises a front portion 16 adjacent
whose front edge is a downwardly facing suction opening whose
position is indicated at 17 facing a floor surface which is to be
cleaned. Within the portion 16 of the cleaning head and operable on
the floor surface beneath suction opening 17 there is a
brush/beater bar, not illustrated, and power-driveable by an
electric motor or possible by a turbine driven by airflow created
by the source of suction of the cleaner. Two spaced generally
parallel portions, one of which is visible at 18, extend rearwardly
from the front portion 16 of the cleaning head and lie on opposite
sides of the portion 12 of the body of the cleaner. They are
connected to the body of the cleaner so that the latter is able to
pivot relative to the cleaning head about a transverse
substantially horizontal axis. The portions as 18 carry spaced
wheels as 20, enabling the cleaning head to move forwardly and
rearwardly over a floor surface, the cleaning head possibly being
provided with small wheels or rollers, not shown, in the vicinity
of its suction opening 17 to facilitate such movement. Also visible
in the illustration is a suction hose part 22 by which suction
airflow is lead from the suction opening of the cleaning head to
the separator/collector assembly of the cleaner and thence to the
source of suction, after which it is discharged to the surrounding
atmosphere. The airflow path may include a hose 24 which is
illustrated on the cleaner.
[0016] The body 10 is shown in the illustration in an upright
position relative to the cleaning head 11 and it is pivotable
relative to the cleaning head, about the transverse axis referred
to above, between such position and a rearwardly inclined position.
A detent, or a catch releasable by a release member which may be
operable by a user's foot, is provided for retaining the body in
the upright position relative to the cleaning head. In normal use
as an upright type vacuum cleaner, the body is inclined rearwardly
from its upright position until the handle 15 is at a convenient
height enabling the user to manoeuvre the cleaning head of the
cleaner over a floor surface which is being cleaned. When not being
used in this manner, the cleaner is usually left with its body in
the upright position, and the hose 24 may be detachable from the
cleaner and connectable to a wand or hand-held cleaning tool for
other cleaning jobs such as vacuum cleaning upholstery or the like:
when used in this manner, the suction airflow is diverted from the
cleaning head to the free end of the hose 24.
[0017] From its illustrated upright position, it is possible for
the cleaner to fall over. This is possible forwardly or rearwardly,
as indicated by arrows A-B, or laterally as indicated by arrows
C-D. It could fall over in any other direction, but this is
relatively unlikely due to the generally rectangular footprint of
the cleaning head 17. This might happen if the cleaner is
accidentally knocked or pushed against, if someone trips over the
electrical power supply cable (not illustrated) of the cleaner, or,
if the hose 24 of the cleaner is being used for a cleaning job, the
hose is pulled excessively. This exposes the suction opening 17 of
the cleaning head and the brush/beater bar therein.
[0018] Accordingly, therefore, the cleaner is provided with a means
for detecting the attitude of the cleaning head 11, and a means for
switching off at least the brush/beater bar and preferably also the
source of suction of the cleaner if the attitude of the head
differs from its normal operational attitude, i.e. standing upon or
moving over a more or less horizontal floor surface, as
illustrated, by more than a predetermined amount. This may be
achieved by providing one or more tilt switches in the head 11.
[0019] Such tilt switches, utilising gravity-displaceable contact
elements, or possibly a conductive liquid material such as mercury,
are well known. A single such switch may be utilised, operable to
detect the attitude of the cleaning head in all directions, A, B,
C, D and directions therebetween, or two such switches may be
provided one of which is responsive to forwards and rearwards
attitude changes of the head and the other of which is responsive
to lateral attitude changes. The latter solution may be adopted
where it is required that the sensitivity to attitude changes
should be different as between the forwards/rearwards attitude of
the head and the lateral attitude thereof.
[0020] By way of example only, the attitude-detection means may be
arranged to operate to cause switching off of the cleaner or at
least the brush/beater bar thereof if the head assumes an attitude
greater than about 30.degree. from its normal operational
attitude.
[0021] The attitude detection means and/or switch means may be
operable at all times i.e. when the cleaner is being used by being
worked forwardly and rearwardly over a floor surface as well as
when it is in the condition in which the body of the cleaner is set
in its upright position relative to the head. However, to avoid
unwanted operation of the detection means to switch the cleaner off
when the cleaner is being worked over a floor surface, possibly the
attitude detection means and/or switch means may be operable only
when the body is set in its upright position. In this case, the
attitude-detection means could be provided in the body of the
cleaner rather than the head.
[0022] When used in this specification and claims, the terms
"comprises" and "comprising" and variations thereof mean that the
specified features, steps or integers are included. The terms are
not to be interpreted to exclude the presence of other features,
steps or components.
[0023] The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the
following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their
specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed
function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed
result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of
such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse
forms thereof.
* * * * *