Patent Application
20140260145
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vacuum cleaners, and, more specifically, to devices for filtering dirt and other debris suctioned into vacuum cleaners.
2. Description of the Related Art
Vacuum cleaners are well known. They are devices that use an air pump to create a partial vacuum to suck up dirt and other debris, usually to clean floors and other surfaces. Vacuum cleaners come in a variety of configurations, e.g., upright, canister, robotic, central, etc. Upright vacuum cleaners typically take the form of a cleaning head, onto which a handle and bag or cyclone are attached. Upright designs usually employ a rotating brushroll or beater bar, which removes dirt through a combination of sweeping and vibration movements. Canister vacuum cleaners, on the other hand, have a vacuum head with a suction inlet (which may have a brushroll) connected to a wand, and a motor and dust collector housed in a separate unit. Typically, the separate unit is mounted on wheels and is connected to the vacuum head by a flexible hose.
Filters are used in vacuum cleaners to remove the dirt and other debris from air. One common type of filter found in vacuum cleaners is a planar filter. The planar filter is installed in a closed passage of the vacuum cleaner and is used to supplement the primary filtration device, e.g., a bag or a cyclone. A vacuum cleaner may have two or more planar filters located in separate chambers of the vacuum cleaner. For example, a “pre-motor” filter may be mounted in the airstream upstream of the suction fan, and a “post-motor” filter may be mounted in the airstream downstream of the suction fan. Planar filters typically do not have a separate dirt collection chamber associated with them—rather, they generally trap the dirt in the filter material itself.
Planar filters come in a variety of sizes and configurations, e.g., flat or curved. Such filters can use any variety of filter material. For example, filter material may be foam or pleated filter paper. Combinations of layers and materials are also frequently used. Filter material typically comes in different grades in relation to particle sizes that will be filtered by the filter material. For example, relatively coarse open-cell foam filter material may be used for filtering large particles. Conversely, filter material passing High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) or Ultra-Low Penetration Air (ULPA) standards may be used for removing smaller particles. Such filters may comprise paper or non-woven fabrics that may be impregnated with chemicals, as known in the art.
Conventionally, details of the filter to be used must be considered when designing a vacuum cleaner. Each filter in a respective vacuum cleaner is typically designed to meet the dimensional and operational specifications of the particular vacuum cleaner. These specifications may include the filter size, shape, airflow rate, dirt capacity, and filter grade of the filter.
The filter specifications can be critical to obtain proper vacuum cleaner operation. For example, if filter dimensions are not correct, the filter may be too large or too small to properly fit into the vacuum cleaner. In such cases, the user may think that the filter is properly installed, but the poor fit will may cause air leaks that result in decreased filtering efficiency, and the filter may jostle, rattle, or otherwise move in the chamber during operation of the vacuum cleaner causing unnecessary noise and possible damage. Even if the dimensions are correct, other operational characteristics may not properly match the vacuum cleaner. For example, a vacuum cleaner may be designed to operate with filter having a relatively low air impedance (i.e., the filter allows the air to pass relatively freely), and if the filter has a high impedance, it may unduly restrict the suction motor leading to higher operating temperatures, reduced cleaning efficiency, or other problems. The filter's dirt capacity also should match the vacuum cleaner's recommended maintenance schedule, so if the filter has a relatively low capacity and clogs sooner than expected, the user may be dissatisfied with the vacuum's performance.
As a result of the foregoing, vacuum cleaner filters typically are constructed to dimensionally and operationally match specific vacuum cleaner models. The inventors have found that this causes a significant burden on the process of designing and manufacturing vacuum cleaner filters. Thus, there exists a need for providing alternative approaches to providing vacuum cleaner filters.
In one embodiment, there is provided a filter adapter for engaging a filter to fit the filter into a vacuum cleaner chamber. The filter adapter may include an adapter ring having an inner ring perimeter and an outer ring perimeter, and a number of protrusions extending from the outer perimeter of the ring.
In another embodiment, there is provided an adapter ring and filter assembly for use in a vacuum cleaner chamber. The assembly may include a filter having an outer filter perimeter, and an adapter ring having an inner ring perimeter configured to surround the outer filter perimeter and an outer ring perimeter configured to contact an inner surface of the vacuum cleaner chamber.
The recitation of this summary of the invention is not intended to limit the claims of this or any related or unrelated application. Other aspects, embodiments, modifications to, and features of the claimed invention will be apparent to persons of ordinary skill in view of the disclosures herein.
The invention is best understood from the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, with like elements having the same reference numerals. Included in the drawings are the following figures:
It has been found that the process of designing and manufacturing vacuum cleaner filters can be expedited and simplified by modifying vacuum cleaner filters to operate in multiple different vacuum cleaners. The following embodiments describe unique exemplary arrangements for providing adapter rings for vacuum cleaner filters. It will be appreciated that embodiments may be used upright, canister, robotic, stick, central, and other kinds of vacuum cleaner, and also that embodiments may be used for pre-motor or post-motor filters.
As depicted in
In an exemplary embodiment, at least one rib extends outwardly from outer perimeter 102 of adapter ring 100. In a preferred embodiment, at least three ribs, e.g., ribs 106, 108, 110 extend outwardly from adapter ring 100. Ribs 106, 108, 110 may be spaced about the adapter ring 100 equidistantly from each other. In other embodiments, ribs may be spaced from each other in varying distances. Ribs 106, 108, 110 may extend perpendicularly from the outer perimeter 102 of adapter ring 100. However, ribs may extend in any direction or formation, e.g., horizontally, diagonally, cross-wise, etc. Ribs 106, 108, 110 are intended to enlarge the circumferential size of filter 200 to adapt filter 200 to properly fit into a particular vacuum cleaner. In one embodiment, ribs 106, 108, 110 are a plastic material. However, adapter ring 100 may be made of any other suitable material, such as metal, rubber, etc.
The ribs may have any size or shape to adapt a filter to a particular chamber of a vacuum cleaner. In the embodiment of
Inner perimeter 104 of adapter ring 100, and outer perimeter 102 of adapter ring 100, may be shaped and sized similarly. For instance, both inner perimeter 104 and outer perimeter 102 may be shaped annularly. However, in alternative embodiments, inner perimeter of ring and outer perimeter of ring may take on shapes and sizes that are different from one another. Such difference in size between inner perimeter 104 and outer perimeter 102 may result in various thicknesses of the ring (and the adapted filter). This thickness between outer perimeter 102 and inner perimeter 104 may be configured to vary according to the particular vacuum cleaner that the filter is being adapted to fit. For example, if a large spacing is present between filter 200 and a wall of the vacuum cleaner chamber, the thickness of adapter ring 100 may be increased accordingly.
Adapter ring 100 engages filter 200 when inner perimeter 104 of adapter ring 100 contacts outer perimeter 202 of filter 200 (
In the shown embodiment, the filter's outer perimeter 202 is defined by the filter's frame 206. Frame 206 may be formed of any material typically used for frames of a filter, such as plastic. The frame 206 may extend the full height of the filter 200, and may include other features, such as a cross-shaped structure at the top of the filter 200 having a handle 208 that may be used to insert and remove the filter 200 from the filter chamber. The handle 208 also may be used to orient the filter 200 or for other purposes as known in the art.
The filter 200 also includes a filter element 204. Filter element 204 may be formed of any material typically used for filtering dust or other debris. For example, filter element 204 may be paper, fiberglass, foam, etc. As depicted in
In the example if
As shown in
As noted above, the exemplary adapter ring 100 includes a plurality of ribs 106, 108, 110 that extend outwardly from adapter ring 100 to enlarge the effective circumference of adapter ring 100. When adapter ring 100 is engaged with filter 200, filter 200 will also have a larger effective circumference. Where it is desired to fit the filter 200 to a larger circular chamber, the use of three or more ribs 106, 108, 110 is preferred, as making three contact points to the inner surface of the circular chamber will effectively resist movement in any direction in the plane of the filter 200. However, two diametrically-opposed ribs alternatively may be used, which may provide good support, but also may be more subject to forces applied perpendicular to the line formed between the two ribs. The use of more than three ribs may be used in any event, and may be helpful to hold the filter 200 in a chamber that has an irregular or non-circular shape. Other variations and modifications will be apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art in view of the present disclosure.
In alternative embodiments, such as the example of
In the embodiment of
In another embodiment, the adapter ring 400 may comprises a simple ring that fits over the upper part of the filter 200. For example, the adapter ring 400 may comprise a circular foam block with a hole sized to fit over filter 200. Other variations and modifications will be apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art in view of the present disclosure.
Another alternative embodiment of an adapter ring 500 is depicted in
Clamps 506, 508, 510 also include clamp outer surface 520. In an exemplary embodiment, clamp outer surface 520 includes at least one rib extending outwardly from clamp outer surface 520 (e.g., vertically extending ribs 512, 514 of clamp 510). Ribs 512, 514 may be used to enlarge the effective circumferential size of adapter ring 500. Thus, when adapter ring 500 is engaged with filter 200, the effective circumference of filter 200 is enlarged by way of the outwardly extending ribs. As discussed above, by enlarging the effective circumference of filter 200, adapter ring 500 permits filter 200 to be properly sized for a particular vacuum cleaner, e.g., adapter ring 500 prevents filter 200 from jostling, rattling, or otherwise moving when the vacuum cleaner is in operation.
In some embodiments, inner perimeter 504 of adapter ring 500 may assist in coupling adapter ring 500 to filter 200. In particular, inner perimeter 504 will fit over, and engage with, outer perimeter 202 of filter 200. To ensure a snug fit of adapter ring 500, inner perimeter 504 of adapter ring 500 should be slightly larger than outer perimeter 202 of filter 200, as discussed above for adapter ring 100. Thus, inner perimeter 504, in combination with clamps 506, 508, 510, will ensure adapter ring 500 is snugly fit upon filter 200. Thus, adapter ring 500 will not disengage from filter 200 during normal operation of the vacuum cleaner. To release adapter ring 500 from filter 200, clamps 506, 508, 510 may be pulled away from bottom portion 210 of filter. This movement of clamp will separate coupling member 516 from bottom portion 210 of filter.
Although FIGS. 1 and 3-5 have depicted rings having an annular shape, alternative embodiments for a ring of the present invention should not be so limited. Alternative embodiments of the ring of present invention may include, for example, many different shapes and sizes for adapting a filter to a particular vacuum cleaner. For example, a ring may be shaped as a parallelogram, oval, rhombus, etc. As depicted on
Adapter ring 600 also includes a plurality of ribs, e.g., 604, 606, 608, 610, attached to outer perimeter 602. In an exemplary embodiment, at least four ribs will extend outwardly from adapter ring 600. Ribs 604, 606, 608, 610 are sized to ensure that the filter engaged with adapter ring 600 properly fits into a chamber of a particular vacuum cleaner. As such, the filter will be snugly held into place within a vacuum cleaner. The outwardly extending ribs 604, 606, 608, 610 will contact the housing within the vacuum cleaner to ensure the filter provides a proper fit for a particular vacuum cleaner.
The present disclosure describes a number of new, useful, and nonobvious features and/or combinations of features that may be used alone or together. The embodiments described herein are all exemplary, and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventions. Persons of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate and understand that the inventions described herein can be modified and adapted in various and equivalent ways, and such modifications and adaptations are intended to be included in the scope of this disclosure and the appended claims.
