U.S. patent application number 12/174662 was filed with the patent office on 2009-01-22 for built in car vacuum.
This patent application is currently assigned to Yesodot Group Management And Holding Ltd.. Invention is credited to Gabriel Saig, Alon Yona.
Application Number | 20090019662 12/174662 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40263653 |
Filed Date | 2009-01-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090019662 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Yona; Alon ; et al. |
January 22, 2009 |
BUILT IN CAR VACUUM
Abstract
This invention teaches a system and a method for cleaning a car
by means of a vacuum. Tubes extend from a vacuum motor to inlets
distributed around a car. When the vacuum motor is turned on, dirt
(dust, smoke) are sucked by the vacuum motor into a vacuum bag
unwanted gases are either vented out of the car or filtered out.
Clean filtered air may be returned to the car or vented out of the
car.
Inventors: |
Yona; Alon; (Tel Aviv,
IL) ; Saig; Gabriel; (Netanya, IL) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DR. MARK M. FRIEDMAN;C/O BILL POLKINGHORN - DISCOVERY DISPATCH
9003 FLORIN WAY
UPPER MARLBORO
MD
20772
US
|
Assignee: |
Yesodot Group Management And
Holding Ltd.
Ramat Gan
IL
|
Family ID: |
40263653 |
Appl. No.: |
12/174662 |
Filed: |
July 17, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60950608 |
Jul 19, 2007 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/313 ; 15/315;
15/347 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60S 1/64 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
15/313 ; 15/315;
15/347 |
International
Class: |
A47L 5/38 20060101
A47L005/38; A47L 9/10 20060101 A47L009/10 |
Claims
1. A vacuum cleaner built into a car comprising a collection bag, a
collection tube and motor.
2. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 further comprising a grinder to
break large objects and prevent obstruction of said collection
tube.
3. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 further comprising a retractable
vacuum arm.
4. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 further comprising a retractable
hose.
5. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 further comprising a vacuum hose
connector
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The average car serves many functions. Thus, in the morning
a business person may carpool her children to school and then bring
her husband to the subway before meeting an important client in the
afternoon. In such a case it is clear that the dirt and smell that
builds up in the car during the morning is detrimental to the
meeting with the client in the afternoon. Similarly potentially
harmful chemicals can build up in a car (for example due to
volatile organic chemicals and solvents present in new cars or due
to release of potentially hazardous organic chemicals when plastic
materials are heated in a locked car that is parked in the sun).
Thus there is a well-recognized need to have a quick easy way to
clean the floor of a car and to clean or replace the air inside a
car. The current invention fulfills these needs.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0002] According to the teachings of the present invention there is
provided a vacuum cleaner built into a car including a collection
bag, a collection tube and a motor.
[0003] According to further features illustrated in preferred
embodiments below, the vacuum cleaner further includes a grinder to
break large objects and prevent obstruction of the collection
tube.
[0004] According to further features illustrated in preferred
embodiments below, the vacuum cleaner further includes a
retractable vacuum arm that automatically sweeps over the floor of
the car.
[0005] According to further features illustrated in preferred
embodiments below, the vacuum cleaner further includes a
retractable hose.
[0006] According to further features illustrated in preferred
embodiments below, the vacuum cleaner further includes a vacuum
hose connector.
LIST OF DRAWINGS
[0007] FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of an embodiment of the
current invention.
[0008] FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing of a car including the current
invention.
[0009] FIG. 3 is a photograph of a car including the current
invention
[0010] FIG. 4 is a photograph of the inside of a car including the
current invention.
[0011] FIG. 5 is a sketch of a box inlet grating according to the
current invention.
[0012] FIG. 6 is a sketch of a retractable vacuum arm according to
the current invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing showing a car cleaning
apparatus according to the current invention. The Apparatus
includes an electric motor 2. When a user presses a button on the
dashboard of his car, motor 2 (which is a typical 2 KW commercial
vacuum cleaner motor, alternatively a larger motor may be used in
up to 20 KW) produces suction drawing air dirt and dust into inlets
5a-h. Motor 2 receives electric power from the electrical system of
the car. Dust and dirt are trapped in a vacuum bag 1 while air goes
out of the bag and is vented out of the car. Inlets 5h and 5g suck
dirt and air from the floor in front of driver seat 4c whereas
inlets 5f and 5e suck dirt and air from the floor in front of front
passenger seat 4b. Inlets 5a-d suck dirt and air from the floor in
front of rear seats 4a and 4b.
[0014] There is also provided a coupling inlet 6a and 6b for
attaching to a standard vacuum hose. A user wishing to manually
vacuum the car attaches a vacuum hose to inlet 6a (to clean the
front of the car) or inlet 6b to clan the rear of the car. When a
hose is not attached, a respective cover closes each coupling inlet
6a-b to prevent loss of vacuum. Alternatively, coupling inlets 6a
and 6b may include a retractable vacuum hose.
[0015] Inlets 5h, 5e, 5d, and 5a are installed in the lower inside
of the wall of the car. Thus, when the vacuum is running, dirt is
drawn across the floor into inlet 5h, 5e, 5d, or 5a. On the other
hand inlets 5b, 5c, 5f and 5g are installed in low spots in the
floor of the car. Dirt and dust falls or rolls down the floor into
inlets 5b, 5c, 5f and 5g. Inlets 5b, 5c, 5f and 5g are placed on
the lowest part of the floor, thus dirt sand tend to roll toward
Inlets 5b, 5c, 5f and 5g via gravity as well as due to suction.
Movement and shaking of the car during travel help to draw dirt
towards inlets 5b, 5c, 5f and 5g. Alternatively, the floor of the
car may be built on a grating with a pan mounted under the floor
(see FIG. 5a-b). Dirt falls through the holes in the grating and
into the pan to be sucked into vacuum bag 1. An upper inlet may be
included also near the driver and passenger ash tray so that if the
driver or passenger smokes the upper inlet sucks smoke out of the
car. A retractable arm may be included (see FIG. 6) to apply
suction in a more focused way over the floor and to sweep dirt out
of carpeting.
[0016] It is understood that tube 3 may be installed in the
ventilation system (air conditioner vents) of the car or may be
installed independently. Air may be vented out of the car or
recirculated back into the car (after undergoing filtration by a
screen or a charcoal filter or an ionization or other air
freshening apparatus). The system may include a cleanable trap or a
grinder to prevent large heavy objects from blocking tube 3 or
damaging motor 2, as is known in the art of ventilation and
drainage system design. To increase suction it is possible to close
one or more inlets 5a-h.
[0017] FIG. 2 shows a car 200 having a vacuum cleaner according to
the current invention installed. Inlets 205 are installed in the
passenger compartment while motor 202 and vacuum bag 201 are
installed in the trunk of car 200.
[0018] FIG. 3 is a picture of a car 300 having a vacuum installed
according to the current invention. Vacuum bag 301 is installed in
the trunk of car 300, tube 303 is installed in the floor of car 300
and inlets 305a, 305b, 305c and 305d are shown.
[0019] FIG. 4 is a picture of the interior of a car with a cleaner
installed according to the current invention. Visible are inlets
405a-d.
[0020] FIG. 5a-b show two views of an alternative box inlet grating
according to the current invention. FIG. 5a is a 3D top view of a
box inlet grating. The floor of the car is a carpet mounted on a
screen grating 515 over a shallow box 512 with an inlet 505 leading
to vacuum pipe 503. When a vacuum is applied to pipe 503, dirt is
sucked downward through the carpeting of the car and through
screened grating 515 into box 512 and inlet 505 and through pipe
503 to a vacuum bag to be discarded. FIG. 5b is a side view of the
box inlet grating of FIG. 5a. From the side it can be seen that the
bottom of box 512 is sloped so that dirt sucked through grating 515
falls toward inlet 505.
[0021] FIG. 6 shows a rotating floor cleaner of the current
invention. When a vacuum is applied to via an inlet 605 to a hollow
vacuum arm 617, hollow vacuum arm 617 rises from the floor of the
car (similar to automatic sprinkler systems) and rotates (a partial
rotation of 40 degrees) around pivot 616. Suction is thus applied
to the floor in a circular section under rotating hollow vacuum arm
617. Simultaneously brushes 620 sweep dirt up from the floor. Once
dirt is released from the floor by sweeping it is easily drawn by
suction through vacuum arm 617 into inlet 605. When the vacuum is
not in use, vacuum arm 617 retracts into the floor and does not
obstruct movement of passengers.
[0022] It is understood that the cleaner of the current invention
could be installed in all kinds of vehicles (not only cars but)
buses, planes, trains and the like.
* * * * *