U.S. patent application number 13/248803 was filed with the patent office on 2012-04-05 for vacuum cleaner.
This patent application is currently assigned to Dyson Technology Limited. Invention is credited to James Dyson, Peter David Gammack, Timothy Nicholas STICKNEY.
Application Number | 20120079671 13/248803 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43243375 |
Filed Date | 2012-04-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120079671 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
STICKNEY; Timothy Nicholas ;
et al. |
April 5, 2012 |
VACUUM CLEANER
Abstract
A vacuum cleaner of the stick-vac type, the cleaner including a
handheld vacuum cleaner which is attached to an elongate, rigid
wand and which is fluidly connected to a cleaner head provided at
the end of the wand. The cleaner head is connected to the wand via
a mechanical steering couple for directionally steering the cleaner
head in plane parallel contact with the floor as the wand is
rotated about its axis.
Inventors: |
STICKNEY; Timothy Nicholas;
(Malmesbury, GB) ; Gammack; Peter David;
(Malmesbury, GB) ; Dyson; James; (Malmesbury,
GB) |
Assignee: |
Dyson Technology Limited
Malmesbury
GB
|
Family ID: |
43243375 |
Appl. No.: |
13/248803 |
Filed: |
September 29, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/344 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L 5/28 20130101; A47L
9/242 20130101; A47L 5/225 20130101; A47L 5/24 20130101; A47L 9/02
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
15/344 |
International
Class: |
A47L 5/00 20060101
A47L005/00; A47L 9/32 20060101 A47L009/32 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 1, 2010 |
GB |
1016563.7 |
Claims
1. A stick-vac cleaner comprising a handheld vacuum cleaner which
is attached to an elongate, rigid wand and which is fluidly
connected to a cleaner head provided at the end of the wand,
wherein the cleaner head is connected to the wand via a mechanical
steering couple for directionally steering the cleaner head in
plane parallel contact with the floor as the wand is rotated about
its axis.
2. A stick-vac cleaner according to claim 1, wherein, in use, the
mechanical steering couple constrains the wand and the cleaner head
for co-rotation about the wand axis while permitting relative
rotation of the wand and cleaner head about an axis which is
non-parallel to the wand axis.
3. A stick-vac cleaner according to claim 2, in which the cleaner
head and wand are coupled for relative rotation along a scarf joint
or via an elbow joint.
4. A stick-vac cleaner according to claim 1, in which the wand is
hingedly connected to the cleaner head for varying the lie angle
between the wand and the cleaner head.
5. A stick vac cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the cleaner
head and wand are coupled by a hinged elbow joint for varying the
lie angle between the cleaner head and the wand.
6. A stick-vac cleaner according to any one of claims 1-5, wherein
the handheld vacuum cleaner comprises a pistol grip handle.
7. A stick-vac cleaner according to claim 6, wherein the pistol
grip handle is substantially straight.
8. A stick-vac cleaner according to claim 7, wherein the pistol
grip handle extends substantially perpendicular to the wand.
9. A stick-vac cleaner according to claim 6, wherein the handheld
vacuum cleaner comprises a motor which is positioned at or near the
upper end of the pistol grip handle.
10. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the handheld
vacuum cleaning unit incorporates a cyclonic separation system.
11. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 10, wherein the wand is
axially aligned with a tangential inlet to the cyclonic separation
system.
12. A stick-vac cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the wand
fluidly connects the handheld vacuum cleaner to the cleaner head.
Description
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims the priority of United Kingdom
application No. 1016563.7, filed Oct. 1, 2010, the entire contents
of which are incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to the field of vacuum
cleaners, and more specifically to "stick-vac" type vacuum cleaners
of the general type comprising a handheld vacuum cleaner which is
attached to an elongate, rigid wand and which is fluidly connected
to a cleaner head provided at the end of the wand.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Broadly speaking, there are four types of vacuum cleaner:
"upright" vacuum cleaners, "cylinder" cleaners (also referred to as
"canister" cleaners), "handheld" vacuum cleaners and "stick" vacuum
cleaners, the latter being popularly referred to as "stick-vac"
cleaners, or simply "stick-vacs".
[0004] Upright cleaners and cylinder cleaners are well known. They
tend to be mains-operated and are used for relatively heavy-duty
cleaning applications.
[0005] Handheld vacuum cleaners are relatively small, highly
portable vacuum cleaners, best suited to relatively low duty
applications such as spot cleaning floors and upholstery in the
home, interior cleaning of cars and boats etc. Unlike upright
cleaners and cylinder cleaners, they are designed to be carried in
the hand during use, and tend to be battery-operated.
[0006] Stick-vac cleaners essentially offer a lightweight,
functional alternative to upright cleaners for relatively low duty
floor-cleaning applications, such as cleaning up floor spills.
[0007] Broadly speaking, there are two distinct types of stick-vac.
The first type is, in a sense, an ultra slim-line upright cleaner,
though usually "cordless" rather than mains-operated. An example of
this type of stick-vac cleaner is shown in UK Patent Application
No. GB2377880A1, in this case additionally incorporating a
removable, handheld vacuum-cleaner.
[0008] The second type of stick-vac cleaner is a spin-off from the
handheld vacuum cleaner, and comprises a handheld vacuum cleaner in
combination with a rigid, elongate suction wand which effectively
reaches down to the floor so that the user may remain standing
while cleaning a floor surface. A floor tool is typically fixedly
attached to the end of the rigid, elongate suction wand, or
alternatively may be integrated with the bottom end of the wand.
Designs of this type of stick-vac cleaner are shown in USD298875,
USD303173 and USD280033. In each case, the handheld suction unit
incorporates the motor, the fan and some sort of separating
apparatus, which may be a bag or a cyclonic separation system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] The present invention relates to stick vac cleaners of the
second type. In the case of these stick vac cleaners, the wand and
floor tool are typically conceived and marketed as low-cost
accessories for a handheld vacuum cleaner, and as such the
functionality of the cleaner in stick vac mode tends to be
relatively poor compared to dedicated stick vac cleaners of the
first type.
[0010] It is an advantage of the present invention to provide an
improved stick vac cleaner of the second general type described
above.
[0011] According to the present invention there is provided a
stick-vac cleaner comprising a handheld vacuum cleaner which is
attached to an elongate, rigid wand and which is fluidly connected
to a cleaner head provided at the end of the wand, wherein the
cleaner head is connected to the wand via a mechanical steering
couple for directionally steering the cleaner head in plane
parallel contact with the floor as the wand is rotated about its
axis.
[0012] By providing a mechanical steering couple between the wand
and cleaner head according to the present invention, the
maneuverability of the stick-vac cleaner is greatly improved
compared to conventional stick-vac cleaners of the second general
type.
[0013] Any suitable mechanical steering couple may be used. In
particular, the mechanical steering couple may be configured to
constrain the wand and the cleaner head for co-rotation about the
wand axis while permitting relative rotation of the wand and
cleaner head about an axis which is non-parallel to the wand axis.
This type of steering couple can be implemented relatively cheaply,
while still providing a high degree of maneuverability for the
cleaner.
[0014] The wand and the cleaner head may be coupled for relative
rotation along a rotatable scarf joint or via an elbow joint. The
use of a scarf joint is considered to be particularly advantageous,
in that it provides a mechanical turning advantage for the cleaner
head during steering.
[0015] The wand may be hingedly connected to the cleaner head
passively for varying the lie angle between the wand and the
cleaner head. A variable lie angle helps maintain the cleaner head
in contact with the floor across a relatively wide range of turning
angles during steering of the cleaner head. Here, the term "lie
angle" is somewhat analogous to the lie angle between the sole of a
golf club head and the shaft of the club.
[0016] In the case where the wand and cleaner head are coupled by
an elbow joint, this elbow joint may be a hinged elbow joint for
varying the lie angle between the cleaner head and the wand.
[0017] The dust-laden air may be ducted to the handheld vacuum
cleaning unit through the wand. The wand thus advantageously serves
the dual purpose of fluidly connecting the cleaner head to the hand
held vacuum cleaner while also transmitting steering torque to the
cleaner head.
[0018] The handheld vacuum cleaner may comprise a pistol grip
handle. The provision of a pistol grip handle on the handheld
vacuum cleaner is considered to be particularly advantageous in a
stick-vac cleaner according to the present invention, because it
tends to align a user's forearm with the wand (the wand being
analogous to the barrel of a pistol). Consequently, steering of the
cleaner can be controlled primarily through supination and
pronation of the forearm, which is comfortable and natural for the
user.
[0019] A pistol grip handle also provides good leverage for
effective transmission of steering torque between the handle and
the cleaner head (via the wand), and in particular reduces the
tendency for a user's hand to roll "over the top" of the handle as
the handle is rotated to steer the cleaner head. The provision of a
straight pistol grip which extends perpendicular to the wand is
considered to be particularly beneficial in this regard.
[0020] The provision of a pistol grip handle does not make it
essential to use a trigger, though use of a trigger may of course
be convenient, for example to switch the handheld cleaner on and
off.
[0021] The handheld vacuum cleaner will comprise some form of
motor, which will be a relatively heavy component in the handheld
vacuum cleaner. Advantageously, this motor may be positioned at or
near the upper end of the pistol grip, so that the weight of the
motor may be supported more comfortably on top of the user's
hand.
[0022] The handheld vacuum cleaner may incorporate a cyclonic
separation system, in which case the wand may be axially aligned
with a tangential inlet to the cyclonic separation system. The
dirty air thus feeds directly into the cyclonic separation system
along the preferred inlet axis. This reduces "discontinuity"
pressure losses between the wand and the separation system, which
is particularly advantageous in the present case because of the
relatively high pressure drop across the ends of the (relatively
long) wand.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0023] Embodiments of the invention will now be described, with
reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0024] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a stick vac cleaner in
use;
[0025] FIG. 2 is a close-up perspective view of part of the
stick-vac cleaner in FIG. 1;
[0026] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a floor tool forming part of
the stick-vac cleaner shown in FIG. 1;
[0027] FIG. 4 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1, but illustrating
various operational axes of rotation associated with steering the
stick-vac cleaner across the floor;
[0028] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an alternative floor
tool which may form part of a stick vac cleaner in accordance with
the invention; and
[0029] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side view of the tool shown in
FIG. 5.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0030] FIG. 1 shows a stick-vac cleaner 1 in use, comprising a
handheld vacuum cleaner 3 which is carried in the hand, an elongate
wand 5 attached to the handheld cleaner 3 and which reaches down to
the floor and a cleaner head 7 provided at the end of the wand 5,
which makes contact with the floor (the floor itself, though
implicit, is not explicitly shown in FIG. 1).
[0031] Referring to FIG. 2, the handheld vacuum cleaner 3 comprises
a motor-driven fan which is arranged inside a motor casing 9 for
drawing air in through a suction nozzle 11 positioned at the front
of the hand held vacuum cleaner 3. The elongate wand 5 is connected
to the suction nozzle 11, and the cleaner head 7 is in turn
connected to the lower end of the wand 5. In use, dirty air is
drawn in through a suction opening 12 (FIG. 3) on the underside of
the cleaner head 7 and is ducted to the suction nozzle 11 on the
handheld vacuum cleaner 3, through the wand 5.
[0032] Dirty air entering the suction nozzle 11 passes through a
cyclonic separation system 13, where dirt is separated from the
air, before the relatively clean air is then exhausted back to
atmosphere via one or more fine-particulate filters (not visible).
The dirt which is separated from the airflow inside the cyclonic
separating system 13 is collected in a bin 15 for disposal. The
hand held vacuum cleaner 3 is powered by a multi-cell rechargeable
battery which is housed in a battery pack 17.
[0033] The cleaner head 7 forms part of a floor tool 19 which is
detachable from the wand 5 by means of a catch 21. The wand 5 is in
turn detachable from the handheld cleaner 3 by means of a catch 23.
The handheld cleaner 3 can thus be used in isolation as a
stand-alone handheld vacuum cleaner by detaching the wand 5 or,
alternatively, the handheld vacuum cleaner 3 and wand 5 can be used
in combination as a "long reach" handheld vacuum cleaner by
detaching the floor tool 19. The use of a detachable floor tool is
not essential: for example, the cleaner head 7 may be permanently
secured to the wand 5.
[0034] The floor tool 19 is shown in more detail in FIG. 3,
detached from the wand 5.
[0035] The floor tool 19 comprises an articulated neck portion 25
which acts as a mechanical steering couple between the wand 5 and
the cleaner head 7.
[0036] The neck portion 25 comprises a front part 27, the front end
of which is connected to the cleaner head 7, and a rear part 29,
the rear end of which incorporates the catch 21 for detachable
connection to the wand 5. The front part 27 is pivotally connected
to the rear part 29, so that the front an rear parts 27, 29 are
constrained for relative movement about an axis A. The front and
rear parts 27, 29 thus effectively form a hinged elbow joint which
allows for variation in the lie angle .theta. between the cleaner
head 7 and wand 5 when the floor tool is connected to the wand 5
(see FIG. 4). Thus, the lie angle is adaptable to suit the height
of the particular user and, in use, the cleaner can be moved into a
lower profile orientation, as desired, for example to clean
underneath a bed.
[0037] A flexible duct in the form of a hose 31 extends through the
articulated neck portion 25. The hose 31 flexibly connects the
cleaner head 7 to the end of the wand 5 in use so as not to hinder
articulation of the neck portion 25 about the axis A.
[0038] The front end of the front part 27 is shaped as a
cylindrical collar 27a. This cylindrical collar 27a is connected to
the cylindrical end of a rear outlet duct 7a on the cleaner head 7
by a conventional circlip or snap ring arrangement (not visible in
FIG. 3) which constrains the cleaner head 7 and front part 27 for
relative rotation about the axis B of the cylindrical collar 27a. A
conventional gasket arrangement (not shown) can be used to form a
compression seal between the cleaner head 7 and the neck portion
25; this seal should preferably be a low-friction seal (for example
using a PTFE-coated gasket), so as not to hinder free rotation of
the cleaner head 7 relative to the neck portion 25.
[0039] The neck portion 25 functions as a steering couple by
constraining the cleaner head 7 and wand 5 for co-rotation about
the wand axis C, while nevertheless permitting relative rotation of
the cleaner head 7 and the front part 27 about the axis B, which in
use is non-parallel to the axis C (see FIG. 4). Accordingly,
steering of the cleaner head 7 can be controlled by rotating the
wand 5 about the wand axis C to direct the cleaner head 7 in the
desired direction. As the wand rotates about the axis C,
co-rotation of the cleaner head 7 with the wand 5 and relative
rotation of the collar 8 and rear outlet duct 7a combine to turn
the cleaner head 7 in plane parallel contact with the floor, so
that the cleaner head 7 does not bank about the axis B as it turns.
Hinging movement of the wand 5 and cleaner head 7 about axis A may
also help to maintain the cleaner head 7 in plane parallel contact
with the floor, particularly for large turning angles, though this
hinging movement is not considered essential to obtain the benefit
of directional steering.
[0040] A pair of domed wheels 33 is provided on the front part 27.
The domed wheels 33 are mounted on stub axles (not visible) either
side of the neck portion 25. These stub axles are each angled
downwardly to set the respective wheel at a corresponding fixed,
positive camber angle. This camber angle is the same for each of
the wheels 33, so that the wheels form a "V" when viewed from the
front. As the wand 5 is rotated about the wand axis C, the
dome-shaped wheels 33 bank accordingly to maintain rolling contact
with the floor. The dome-shaped wheels 33 are thus better able to
track through the turn than conventional "flat-sided" wheels.
[0041] The handheld vacuum cleaner 3 is provided with a pistol grip
handle 35 (see FIG. 2), which tends to position a user's forearm
parallel to the wand 5. Consequently, steering of the cleaner 1 can
be controlled primarily through supination and pronation of the
forearm, and is therefore natural and comfortable for the user. A
pistol grip also provides good leverage for effective transmission
of steering torque from the handle 35 to the cleaner head 7 (via
the wand 5 and neck portion 25), and in particular reduces the
tendency for a user's hand to roll "over the top" of the handle as
the handle is rotated to steer the cleaner head 7.
[0042] The motor casing 9 is provided at the upper end of the
pistol grip handle 35. Consequently, the weight of the motor inside
the motor casing 9 is comfortably supported on top of a user's hand
during use of the cleaner 1.
[0043] FIG. 5 shows an alternative floor tool 190 which may be
connected to the wand 5 in accordance with the invention to provide
a mechanical steering couple between the wand 5 and a cleaner
head.
[0044] The floor tool comprises an articulated neck portion 250
which incorporates a front duct part 270 and a rear duct part 290.
The front duct part 270 is fluidly connected to a cleaner head 70.
The rear duct part 290 is configured to push fit onto the wand 5
(the end of the wand may need to be modified accordingly to
accommodate the push fit).
[0045] The front duct part 270 is pivotally connected to the
cleaner head 70 so that the front part 270 and cleaner head 70 are
constrained for rotation about an axis D. This allows for variation
of the lie angle between the wand 5 and the cleaner head 70 in
use.
[0046] The front duct part 270 is connected to the rear duct part
290 by a rotatable scarf joint 300, which constrains the front duct
part 270 and rear duct part 290 for rotation about an axis E,
non-parallel with the longitudinal axis of the rear duct part
290.
[0047] The front duct part 270 and rear duct part 290 together form
an air duct for fluidly connecting the cleaner head 70 to the wand
5 in use.
[0048] The neck portion 250 acts as a mechanical steering couple
between the wand 5 and the cleaner head 70 in similar manner to the
neck portion 25. Thus, the neck portion 250 is arranged to
constrain the wand 5 and cleaner head 70 for co-rotation about the
wand axis C while, nevertheless, permitting relative rotation of
the wand 5 and cleaner head 70 about the axis E. Accordingly, as
the wand 5 is rotated about the wand axis C, co-rotation of the
cleaner head 7 with the wand 5 combines with relative rotation of
the front part 270 and rear part 290 to turn the cleaner head 7 in
plane parallel contact with the floor.
[0049] The axis E is non-parallel with the floor, so that relative
rotation of the front and rear parts 17, 19 about the axis E
involves both a horizontal and vertical component (cf. relative
rotation about the axis B in FIG. 4, which is solely in a vertical
plane). Consequently, relative rotation of the front part 270 and
rear part 290 not only counteracts undesirable banking of the
cleaner head during steering, but also provides an associated
mechanical advantage in turning the cleaner head 70 left or right,
further improving maneuverability.
[0050] Air drawn in through the suction opening on the cleaner head
need not be ducted through the wand. For example, the air may be
ducted through a flexible hose running alongside the wand; in this
arrangement, the wand would nevertheless couple to the cleaner head
in similar manner for providing the necessary directional steering
capability, so the wand would still physically connect the cleaner
head to the handheld vacuum cleaner, but the wand itself need not
be hollow.
[0051] A stick-vac cleaner according to the present invention,
examples of which have been described, is considered to offer
significantly better maneuverability than existing "stick-vacs" of
the same general type, bringing the functionality of this type of
stick-vac more into line with the stick-vac cleaners of the first
general type described above.
* * * * *