U.S. patent application number 12/963203 was filed with the patent office on 2011-03-31 for upright vacuum cleaner having latch mechanism with replaceable stop.
Invention is credited to Eric E. Muhlenkamp.
Application Number | 20110072610 12/963203 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39593011 |
Filed Date | 2011-03-31 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110072610 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Muhlenkamp; Eric E. |
March 31, 2011 |
UPRIGHT VACUUM CLEANER HAVING LATCH MECHANISM WITH REPLACEABLE
STOP
Abstract
An upright vacuum cleaner includes a housing having a nozzle
assembly and a canister assembly. The nozzle assembly and canister
assembly are pivotally connected together. A suction inlet is
provided on the nozzle assembly. A dirt collection vessel and a
suction generator are both carried on the housing. A latch
mechanism secures the canister assembly in an upright or storage
position relative to the nozzle assembly. The latch mechanism
includes an activator and a replaceable stop.
Inventors: |
Muhlenkamp; Eric E.;
(Lexington, KY) |
Family ID: |
39593011 |
Appl. No.: |
12/963203 |
Filed: |
December 8, 2010 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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11957971 |
Dec 17, 2007 |
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12963203 |
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60878952 |
Jan 5, 2007 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
15/347 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L 5/28 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
15/347 |
International
Class: |
A47L 9/00 20060101
A47L009/00 |
Claims
1.) An upright vacuum cleaner, comprising: a housing including a
nozzle assembly and a canister assembly, said nozzle assembly and
said canister assembly being pivotably connected together about a
first pivot axis; a suction inlet carried on said nozzle assembly;
a dirt collection vessel carried on said housing; a suction
generator carried on said housing; and a latch mechanism for
securing said canister assembly in an upright position relative to
said nozzle assembly, said latch mechanism including (1) an
activator having a first cam surface and (2) a replaceable stop
wherein said activator is carried on one of said canister assembly
and said nozzle assembly and said replaceable stop is carried on
the other of said canister assembly and said nozzle assembly; said
vacuum cleaner being characterized by said nozzle assembly
including at least one wall defining an opening having a width W to
receive said canister assembly, said at least one wall further
including an engineered flex F wherein said opening expands to a
width of W+F to allow said replaceable stop to pass said first cam
surface when said canister assembly is forced from said upright
position without disengaging said latch mechanism.
2.) The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein said activator is
carried on said nozzle assembly and said replaceable stop is
carried on said canister assembly.
3.) The vacuum cleaner of claim 2, wherein said canister assembly
includes a receiver and said replaceable stop is held in said
receiver.
4.) The vacuum cleaner of claim 3, further including a fastener
securing said replaceable stop, in said receiver.
5.) The vacuum cleaner of claim 4, wherein said replaceable stop
includes a second cam surface.
6.) The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein said activator is
pivotably mounted to said nozzle assembly about a second pivot axis
offset from said first pivot axis.
7.) The vacuum cleaner of claim 7, wherein said activator includes
a spring biasing said activator into a first position wherein said
first cam surface engages said second cam surface to secure said
canister assembly in said upright position.
8.) The vacuum cleaner of claim 8, wherein said activator includes
a pedal portion whereby said activator is engaged to pivot said
first cam surface about said second pivot axis out of engagement
with said second cam surface so as to allow said canister assembly
to pivot relative to said nozzle assembly about said first pivot
axis.
9.) The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein said second cam surface
of said replaceable stop is made from a material selected from a
group consisting of metal, die cast metal, powder metal, reinforced
plastic, fiberglass filled nylon, reinforced polycarbonate and
combinations thereof.
10.) The vacuum cleaner of claim 10, wherein said first cam surface
of said activator is made from a material selected from a group
consisting of metal, die cast metal, powder metal, reinforced
plastic, fiberglass filled nylon, reinforced polycarbonate and
combinations thereof.
11.) The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein said engineered flex of
said at least one wall is produced without using a separate
spring.
12.) The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein said at least one wall
including said engineered flex is void of any separate spring for
producing said engineered flex.
13.) The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein said opening defined by
said at least one wall is in the form of a channel having a bottom
and two opposing sidewalls.
14.) The vacuum cleaner of claim 13, wherein said at least one wall
is made from a resilient material providing said engineered flex
F.
15.) The vacuum cleaner of claim 14, wherein said at least one wall
is void of any separate mechanical mechanism for providing said
engineered flex.
Description
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 11/957,971 filed on 17 Dec. 2007, which claims
the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No.
60/878,952, filed on Jan. 5, 2007, the full disclosures of which
are incorporated herein by reference.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates generally to the floor care
equipment field and, more particularly, to an upright vacuum
cleaner, equipped with a novel latch mechanism.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] A vacuum cleaner is an electro-mechanical appliance utilized
to effect the dry removal of dust, dirt and other small debris from
carpets, rugs, fabrics or other surfaces in domestic, commercial
and industrial environments. In order to achieve the desired dirt
and dust removal, most vacuum cleaners incorporate a rotary
agitator. The rotary agitator is provided to beat dirt and debris
from the nap of the carpet or rug while a pressure drop or vacuum
is used to force air entrained with this dirt and debris into the
nozzle of the vacuum cleaner. The particulate laden air is then
drawn into a dirt collection vessel. The air is then drawn through
a filter before being directed through the motor of the suction
generator to provide cooling. Finally, the air is filtered to
remove any fine particles of carbon from the brushes of that motor
or other dirt that might remain in the airstream before being
exhausted back into the environment.
[0004] Upright vacuum cleaners have become evermore popular in
recent years. Upright vacuum cleaners typically incorporate a foot
or nozzle assembly that is equipped with a suction inlet and a
rotary agitator. A canister assembly is pivotably connected to the
nozzle assembly. The canister assembly typically houses the suction
generator and the dirt collection vessel in the form of a
replaceable filter bag or a removable dirt cup. The canister
assembly typically includes a control handle. As the vacuum cleaner
is manipulated back and forth across the floor with the control
handle, the canister assembly pivots with respect to the nozzle
assembly so as to allow smooth and efficient operation of the
vacuum cleaner.
[0005] At any time the canister assembly may be positioned in an
upright or storage position. Typically a latch mechanism is
provided to secure the canister assembly in the storage position.
More specifically, past designs have generally included a cam or
stop that is usually molded from a lightweight plastic as part of
the vacuum cleaner housing. After extended use this cam can become
worn and the latch member then becomes ineffective in securing the
canister assembly and handle in the upright storage position.
[0006] The present invention addresses and alleviates this
problem.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] In accordance with the purposes of the present invention as
described herein, an upright vacuum cleaner comprises a housing
including a nozzle assembly and a canister assembly. The nozzle
assembly and canister assembly are pivotably connected together. In
addition, the vacuum cleaner includes a suction inlet carried on
the nozzle assembly. Both a dirt collection vessel and a suction
generator are carried on the housing. Still further, the upright
vacuum cleaner includes a latch mechanism for securing the canister
assembly in an upright position relative to the nozzle assembly.
That latch mechanism is characterized as including (1) an activator
having a first cam surface and (2) a replaceable stop wherein the
activator is carried on one of the canister assembly and the nozzle
assembly and the replaceable stop is carried on the other of the
canister assembly and nozzle assembly.
[0008] Typically the activator is carried on the nozzle assembly
and the replaceable stop is carried on the canister assembly. In
this arrangement the canister assembly includes a receiver and the
replaceable stop is held in that receiver. A fastener, such as a
screw, is provided for securing the replaceable stop in the
receiver. The replaceable stop includes a second cam surface that
cooperates with the first cam surface of the activator to perform
the latching and unlatching function.
[0009] More specifically describing the invention, the nozzle
assembly and the canister assembly pivot about a first pivot axis.
The activator is pivotably mounted to the nozzle assembly about a
second pivot axis that is offset from the first pivot axis.
Further, the activator includes a spring biasing the activator into
a first position wherein the first cam surface engages the second
cam surface to secure the canister assembly in the upright
position. In addition, the activator includes a pedal portion
whereby the activator is engaged by the operator to pivot the first
cam surface about the second pivot axis out of engagement position
with the second cam surface so as to release the latch mechanism
and allow the canister assembly to pivot relative to the nozzle
assembly about the first pivot axis.
[0010] Still further, the nozzle assembly may include at least one
wall defining an opening having a width W receiving the canister
assembly. Further, the at least one wall includes an engineered
flex wherein the opening expands to a width of W+F to allow the
replaceable stop to pass the first cam surface when the canister
assembly is forced from the upright position without disengaging
the latch mechanism. This structural arrangement effectively
prevents damaging the activator, the replaceable stop and either of
the cam surfaces when the activator is handled roughly by the
operator and the handle is yanked downward from the storage
position without engaging the pedal.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
[0011] The accompanying drawing incorporated in and forming a part
of this specification, illustrates several aspects of the present
invention, and together with the description serves to explain
certain principles of the invention. In the drawing:
[0012] FIG. 1 is a partially broken-away perspective view of the
floor cleaning apparatus of the present invention;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a detailed perspective view of the replaceable
stop;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a detailed, exploded perspective view showing the
canister assembly, receiver, replaceable stop and fastener used to
hold the replaceable stop in the receiver of the canister
assembly;
[0015] FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but illustrating the
parts fully assembled;
[0016] FIG. 5 is a detailed perspective view of the activator;
[0017] FIG. 6a is a perspective view showing how the cam surfaces
of the replaceable stop and activator mesh to secure the canister
assembly in the upright storage position;
[0018] FIG. 6b is a view similar to FIG. 6a but illustrating how
the cam surfaces of the activator are pivoted out of the path of
the stop to allow the handle and canister assembly to be freely
pivoted with respect to the nozzle assembly during operation of the
vacuum cleaner;
[0019] FIG. 7a is a top plan view illustrating the engineered flex
provided in the wall of the housing of the nozzle assembly;
[0020] FIG. 7b is a schematical view illustrating how the wall of
the nozzle assembly with engineered flex allows the replaceable
stop and actuator to mesh and lock the handle/canister assembly in
the upright, storage position also illustrated in FIG. 1;
[0021] FIG. 7c is a schematical view further illustrating how the
engineered flex of the same wall allows the canister assembly
receiving opening in the nozzle assembly to expand so that the
replaceable stop may slip past the activator when the handle is
forced down without first releasing the activator, thereby reducing
wear and tear on the latch mechanism; and
[0022] FIG. 8 is a schematic view of an alternative embodiment of
the invention.
[0023] Reference will now be made in detail to the present
preferred embodiments of the invention, an example of which is
illustrated in the accompanying drawing figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0024] Reference is now made to FIG. 1, which illustrates the
upright vacuum cleaner 10 of the present invention. As illustrated,
the vacuum cleaner 10 includes a housing 12 including both a nozzle
assembly 14 and a canister assembly 16. The nozzle assembly 14
includes a suction inlet 18 through which air entrained with dirt
and debris is drawn into the vacuum cleaner 10. A rotary agitator
20 is mounted to the nozzle assembly 14 and extends across the
suction inlet 18.
[0025] The canister assembly 16 includes a handle 22 having a
handgrip 24. An actuator switch 26 is provided for turning the
vacuum cleaner on and off. In addition the canister assembly 16
includes a cavity or receiver 28 for receiving and holding a dirt
collection vessel 30 such as a filter bag or dirt cup. A suction
generator 32 is mounted in a compartment in the canister assembly
16. During operation, the rotary agitator 20 beats dirt and debris
from the nap of the rug or carpet being cleaned. The suction
generator 32 draws air entrained with that dirt and debris through
the suction inlet 18 into the dirt collection vessel 30. The dirt
and debris is trapped in the dirt collection vessel 30 and the now
relatively clean air passes through and over the motor of the
suction generator 32 to provide cooling before being exhausted
through an exhaust port 34 back into the environment.
[0026] It should be appreciated that the canister assembly 16 is
pivotably connected to the nozzle assembly 14 about a first pivot
axis P.sub.1 by means of a trunnion mounting in a manner well known
in the art. A latch mechanism, generally designated by reference
numeral 40 functions to secure the canister assembly 16 in an
upright or storage position relative to the nozzle assembly 14,
(note FIG. 1). As illustrated in FIG. 5, the latch mechanism 40
generally includes an activator 42 having a first cam surface 44
and a pedal portion 46. In the illustrated embodiment the activator
42 is pivotably mounted to the nozzle assembly 14 on a pivot pin 47
about a second pivot axis P.sub.2 which is offset from the first
pivot axis P.sub.1 (see FIGS. 6a and 6b). A spring 48 biases the
activator 42 into a first position, which will be described in
greater detail below.
[0027] The latch mechanism 40 also includes a replaceable stop 50
(see FIG. 2). The replaceable stop 50 is made from a material
selected from a group consisting of metal, die cast metal, powder
metal, reinforced plastic, fiberglass filled nylon, reinforced
polycarbonate and combinations thereof. As illustrated in FIGS. 3
and 4 the replaceable stop 50 is secured in a receiver 52 provided
on the canister assembly 16 by means of a fastener such as the
screw 54. A second stop 56 is provided on the canister assembly 16.
Both the replaceable stop 50 and the second stop 56 extend radially
from the hub 58 that functions as the first pivot axis P.sub.1
between the canister assembly 16 and nozzle assembly 14.
[0028] As will become apparent from the following description, the
replaceable stop 50 functions to lock or secure the canister
assembly 14 in the upright storage position while the second stop
56 functions to limit the downward pivoting angle of the canister
assembly 16 with respect to the nozzle assembly 14. As oriented,
the second stop 56 allows the canister assembly 16 to approach an
approximately horizontal position with respect to the nozzle
assembly 14 so as to allow an operator to use the vacuum cleaner 10
to clean under a bed, sofa or other furniture. As best illustrated
in FIG. 6a, when in the upright storage position the spring 48
functions to bias the activator 42 so that the first cam surface 44
of the activator engages or meshes with the second cam surface 60
of the replaceable stop 50 thereby positively holding or securing
the canister assembly in the upright storage position.
[0029] When the operator desires to release the canister assembly
14 and the operating handle 22 from the upright storage position in
order to manipulate the vacuum cleaner to and fro across the floor,
the operator engages the pedal portion 46. Specifically, the pedal
portion 46 of the activator 42 is depressed thereby pivoting the
activator about the second pivot axis P.sub.2. This functions to
disengage the first cam surface 44 of the activator 42 from the
path of the second cam surface 60 of the replaceable stop 50 as the
canister assembly 14 is pivoted about the first pivot axis P.sub.1
with respect to the nozzle assembly 12 (see FIG. 6b). The pedal
portion 46 is then released and the canister assembly 14 pivots
freely with respect to the nozzle assembly 12 between the
replaceable stop 50 defining the upright storage position and the
second stop 56 defining the maximum pivotable angle of the canister
assembly with respect to the nozzle assembly. This allows the
operator to freely manipulate the vacuum cleaner 10 during vacuum
cleaner operation. When the operator desires to return the canister
assembly 14 and handle 22 to the upright storage position, the
operator simply pivots the handle forward. The cam surfaces 44 and
60 engage allowing the replaceable stop 50 to pass past the first
cam surface 44 of the activator. The spring 48 then biases the
activator into a closed position so that the activator is once
again placed in position to secure the canister assembly 14 and
handle 22 in the upright storage position.
[0030] In accordance with yet another aspect of the present
invention, as illustrated in FIGS. 7a-7c the nozzle assembly 12 and
more specifically, at least one wall 68 of the nozzle assembly 12
defines an opening 70 having a width W that receives the canister
assembly 14. More specifically, the opening 70 is in the form of a
channel having a bottom 70A and two opposing sides 70B and 70C.
During normal operation, when the handle/canister assembly 16 is in
the upright or storage position (see FIG. 1), the cam surface 60 of
the replaceable stop 50 engages or meshes with the cam surface 44
on the actuator 42 (see FIG. 7b). This serves to latch and
positively hold the handle/canister assembly 16 in the storage
position. Significantly, the wall 68 of the nozzle assembly 12 also
includes an engineered flex wherein that opening or channel 70
expands to an opening of W+F to allow the replaceable stop 50 to
pass the first cam surface 44 of the activator 42 when the canister
assembly 12 is forced from the upright position without first
disengaging the latch mechanism 40 (see FIG. 7c).
[0031] For example, the opening may have a normal width W of
approximately 240 mm and a flexed open width of W+F of
approximately 247 mm (see FIG. 7a). This structural arrangement
ensures that the activator 42 and replaceable stop 50 of the latch
mechanism 40 function as necessary to secure the canister assembly
14 in the upright storage position under all normal operating
conditions. However, when an operator forgets to release the latch
mechanism 40 before forcefully ripping the control handle 22
downwardly, the engineered flex ensures that the latch mechanism 40
and particularly the activator 42 and the replaceable stop 50 are
protected from excessive wear and tear and are not damaged by such
rough handling. This enhances the service life of the latch
mechanism 40 and thereby increases the life span over which the
vacuum cleaner may be operated and still properly lock with the
handle/canister assembly 16 in the upright or storage position.
[0032] It should be appreciated that the engineered flex is a
product of the resilient plastic material used to produce the wall
68 of the nozzle assembly 12. No separate spring or other
mechanical mechanism is required to produce the desired/necessary
flex in the wall 68 to accommodate a breakover condition and
protect the replaceable stop 50 and activator 42 from excessive
wear. Thus, the added expense and reliability issues characteristic
of springs and other separate mechanical mechanisms is avoided.
[0033] In summary, numerous benefits result from employing the
concepts of the present invention. By making the replaceable stop
50 and at least the first cam surface 44 of the activator 42 from
strong, low-wear materials, it is possible to significantly enhance
the service life of the latch mechanism 40 well beyond that
achievable when these structures are molded from standard,
lightweight plastic housing materials as in prior art designs.
Further, the stop 50 may be replaced if it ever becomes necessary
for any reason whereas a stop that is molded as a part of the
vacuum cleaner housing cannot. Still further, by engineering a
desired flex into the housing of the nozzle assembly the integrity
of the latch mechanism 40 is preserved even if the canister
assembly is pushed down forcefully and the cam is overridden.
Advantageously, the engineered flex is an integral physical
characteristic of the wall 68 of the nozzle assembly 12 and not a
product of any separate or independent mechanical mechanism such as
a spring. This "springless" design is less expensive to produce and
maintain.
[0034] The foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the
invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and
description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the
invention to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications or
variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The
embodiment was chosen describes the best illustration of the
principles of the invention and its practical application to
thereby one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention
in various embodiments and with various modifications as is suited
to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and the
variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by
the appended claims and interpreted in accordance with the breadth
to which they are fairly, legally and equitably entitled.
* * * * *