U.S. patent number 3,855,665 [Application Number 05/315,438] was granted by the patent office on 1974-12-24 for remote control for vacuum cleaner motor.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Aktiebolaget Electrolux. Invention is credited to Osten Schwartz.
United States Patent |
3,855,665 |
Schwartz |
December 24, 1974 |
REMOTE CONTROL FOR VACUUM CLEANER MOTOR
Abstract
In a household appliance, such as a vacuum cleaner, a remote
control is provided for the vacuum cleaner motor speed as well as
the on/off function of the motor. The control unit is low voltage
where connected to the operating member and complies with
government safety requirements.
Inventors: |
Schwartz; Osten (Varmdo,
SW) |
Assignee: |
Aktiebolaget Electrolux
(Stockholm, SW)
|
Family
ID: |
27484561 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/315,438 |
Filed: |
December 15, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/339; 15/412;
323/320 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L
9/2857 (20130101); H02P 7/285 (20130101); A47L
9/2894 (20130101); A47L 9/2842 (20130101); H02P
25/14 (20130101); Y10S 388/919 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47L
9/28 (20060101); H02P 25/02 (20060101); H02P
25/14 (20060101); H02P 7/18 (20060101); H02P
7/285 (20060101); A47l 009/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;15/339,412
;323/36,24 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Bleutge; Robert L.
Assistant Examiner: Moore; C. K.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A remote control arrangement for a vacuum cleaner provided with
a motor having an electrical energy source, a flexible hose, a
cleaning appliance, a coupling means operatively connecting the
flexible hose with the cleaning appliance, said coupling means also
functioning as a hand grip comprising
a. an electrical circuit adapted to connect the source of
electrical energy to the motor and including
1. a thyristor device provided with a phase shifting network
controlling the power input to the motor,
2.
2. a standard type transformer generating a conventional hysteresis
curve in which the primary winding thereof is a first variable
impedance that is a part of the phase shifting network,
3. a second variable impedance including the secondary winding of
the transformer and a variable resistor located at a distance from
the motor, an operating member for the variable resistor located on
said hand grip, and a low voltage conduit positioned on said hose
coupling the variable resistor to the secondary winding of the
transformer,
4. the magnitude of the first variable impedance which affects the
phase shifting network being dependent upon and changeable by the
second variable impedance,
5. said phase shifting network including a capacitor coupled in
parallel to the primary winding of said transformer whereby a
desirable curve shape of
said control pulses of said thyristor is produced. 2. The
arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the operating member is a
rotatable knob.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
It is considered highly appropriate in household appliances or
other electrical apparatus to provide a power input to the
appliance or device which can be controlled at a distance from the
appliance or the like. In a vacuum cleaner with a suction conduit,
for example, it would be desirable to provide both a means for
selectively connecting and disconnecting the power source to the
motor as well as controlling the motor speed at a location where
the hose or tubular shaft of the vacuum cleaner is gripped by the
user.
Although a remote motor control for a vacuum cleaner is extremely
beneficial, it is difficult to arrange in practice since wires
carrying house current would have to be led from the operating
member located adjacent to the wand for the cleaning nozzle along
the elongated hose or tubular shaft to the vacuum cleaner housing.
The hose or tubular shaft would further have to provide special
mounting means for the high voltage electrical conductors which
would satisfy the requirements of the government safety
regulations. Therefore, the most suitable vacuum cleaner remote
motor control would be a low voltage arrangement. However, the
prior art constructions have not produced a reliable, inexpensive
construction for use with vacuum cleaners.
The present invention relates to a remote control structure for a
vacuum cleaner motor or the like which is located in the proximity
of the gripping part of the vacuum cleaner.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a low voltage
remote control arrangement for a vacuum cleaner motor located near
the gripping portion of the device which is both simple in
construction and inexpensive to fabricate.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a thyristor
device and a phase shifting network controlling the power input to
the motor.
The invention will now be more fully described with reference to
the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the vacuum cleaner embodying the
remote control device for the motor operation and speed;
FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of the arrangement constructed in
accordance with the teachings of the present invention; and
FIG. 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of the vacuum cleaner
tank.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3 of the drawings, the invention is shown
in connection with a horizontal type vacuum cleaner 10. It should
be understood that it is within the scope of the present invention
to utilize the instant arrangement with other vacuum cleaner
configurations as well as other household appliances. The vacuum
cleaner 10 is provided with a housing section 11 having a front end
removable cover 12 and a latch 13. The housing section 11 is also
provided with a handle 14. In addition, the housing is provided
with a set of rear wheels 15 and a front glider 16 for facilitating
movement of the vacuum cleaner housing on the floor or other
supporting surface. An outlet opening 17 is illustrated in the rear
of the housing section 11. The front end cover 12 is provided with
an inlet opening 18 through which dust-laden air flows into the
housing 11. A dust container or bag 19 is removably affixed to the
inlet opening 18 in the front end cover 12 and functions to
separate dirt from air.
The flow of air through the housing section 11 is caused by a motor
and fan unit 20 in which a centrifugal fan 21 is arranged at one
end of the electric motor 22. The latter is preferably resiliently
mounted at 23 in any suitable manner. In the normal operation of
the motor and fan unit, the fan 21 receives air which has passed
through the dust bag 19 and is substantially free of dust and dirt.
The air is discharged from the fan 21 through the motor 22 and
finally passes through the rear outlet opening 17 of the housing
section 11.
As seen in FIG. 1, a flexible suction hose 26 is removably
connected at one end to the inlet opening 18 of the housing section
11. Suitable cleaning appliances such as a nozzle 28 may be
connected to a tube or wand 30 which in turn is connected to the
outer free end of hose 26. The tubes 30 may be constituted of
several interconnected sections in which the overall length of the
tube can be selectively increased or diminished.
The end of the hose 26 that is remote from the vacuum cleaner 10 is
provided with a coupling to the tube 30 which also functions as a
grip 32 for manipulating the vacuum cleaner hose 26, and its
associated tube 30. As seen in FIGS. 1 and 3, a rotatable knob 34
is shown mounted on the exterior of the grip 32 and easily reached
by a person handling the grip. The knob is operatively connected to
a variable resistor 36 housed internally in the grip 32. The
electrical conductors 38 are encased in an insulated sheath 40 and
have a series of insulated mountings 42 positioned at intervals
along the hose 26. The conductors 38 connect the variable resistor
36 to the circuit T shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.
As seen in the circuit diagram of FIG. 2, a vacuum cleaner motor 44
has power supplied to it from an alternating current source 46
through a symmetric thyrister 48, which is also known as a triac.
The control electrode or gate 49 of the thyristor 48 is connected
to a diac 50, which is a bidirectional symmetric diode, which in
turn is coupled to a phase-shifting network including a resistor 51
and a capacitor 52.
Since the motor 44 is an inductive load, a compensating network
comprising a resistor 53 and a capacitor 54 is included in the
circuit.
A step-down transformer 55 is shown connected in the circuit in
which the primary winding 56 is coupled to the phase-shifting
network comprising a resistor 51 and a capacitor 52. The conductors
38, which are low voltage conductors hereinbefore referred to,
couple the secondary winding 57 of the transformer 55 to the
variable resistor 36. The latter is in turn connected to the
operating knob 34 on the grip 32. It should be noted that the
number of turns of the secondary winding 57 is such that the
magnitude of the voltage in the low voltage circuit 57, 38, 36 is
maintained at a continuously low value.
If the resistance of the resistor 36 is varied, a change of
impedance at the primary side of the transformer 55 is effected.
Thus, the primary winding 56 will function as a variable impedance
coupled to the phase-shifting network that controls the firing
times of the thyristor 48, and by variation of resistance of the
variable resistor 36, the phase shift in the network 51, 52, and 56
can be changed. This change causes the firing times of the
thyristor 48 and the power supplied to the motor 44 to be
changed.
The primary winding 56 of the transformer 55 is coupled to the
phase-shifting network in wuch a manner that the impedance of the
primary winding 56 will be connected in parallel with the capacitor
52. A desirable result of this parallel circuit is an advantageous
curve shape of the control pulses of the thyristor 48.
It should be readily apparent that when the present vacuum cleaner
is in use, the speed of the vacuum cleaner motor and hence the
suction capability of the apparatus can be regulated easily by the
rotatable knob 34 mounted on the grip 32. Furthermore, the motor 44
can be started and stopped by means of the knob 34. The present
construction is a great convenience to the user in that it is not
required to bend toward the vacuum cleaner housing 11 each time in
order to regulate or stop -- start the apparatus.
The present invention provided an extremely simple but reliable
arrangement for control of motor speed by low voltage. Furthermore,
the operating circuit of the apparatus can also be a very simple
design while still fulfilling the safety requirements prescribed by
law.
In the claims the word "floor" in the expression "floor-care" is
intended not only to cover floors but also surfaces like rugs,
carpets and other floor coverings, for example.
* * * * *