This disclosure relates generally to bleed valves and a surface cleaning apparatus having the bleed valve.
The following is not an admission that anything discussed below is part of the prior art or part of the common general knowledge of a person skilled in the art.
Various types of surface cleaning apparatus are known. Such surface cleaning apparatus include vacuum cleaners, including upright vacuum cleaners, hand carryable vacuum cleaners, canister-type vacuum cleaners, extractors and wet/dry type vacuum cleaners (e.g. Shop-Vac™). Some vacuum cleaners include a cyclonic separator (also referred to as a cyclone bin assembly) having a cyclone chamber and a dirt collection chamber. A suction motor is used to draw air through the surface cleaning apparatus. A filter, such as a pre-motor filter, may be provided in the airflow path through the surface cleaning apparatus.
The air flow through a surface cleaning apparatus is typically used to cool the suction motor. As the air flow path upstream of the suction motor becomes partially blocked, the rate of air flow to the suction motor may be reduced, thereby reducing the cooling provided to the suction motor. As some point, the suction motor may overheat and become damaged due to overheating. To prevent such overheating, a bleed valve may be provided to provide exterior air to supplement the air reaching the suction motor through air flow path upstream of the suction motor.
This summary is intended to introduce the reader to the more detailed description that follows and not to limit or define any claimed or as yet unclaimed invention. One or more inventions may reside in any combination or sub-combination of the elements or process steps disclosed in any part of this document including its claims and figures.
In one aspect, a bleed valve is provided which is operable between two configurations, each of which is arcuate. An advantage of such a design is that the valve member itself is only stable in two positions and therefore is only moveable between a fully closed position and a fully open position. A further advantage is that the valve member moves rapidly from the fully closed position to the fully open position when a reduction in air flow that may cause overheating occurs.
In accordance with this aspect, there is provided a surface cleaning apparatus having:
In some embodiments, the arcuate spring member may be positionable in only the closed arcuate configuration and the open arcuate configuration.
In some embodiments, the arcuate spring member may be biased to the closed arcuate configuration.
In some embodiments, the arcuate spring member may be positioned interior to the bleed air inlet.
In some embodiments, the arcuate spring member may be provided in a bleed valve housing and the arcuate spring member may be in the closed arcuate configuration prior to being installed in the bleed valve housing.
In some embodiments, the arcuate spring member may be pre-formed in an arcuate shape.
In some embodiments, the arcuate spring member may be provided in a bleed valve housing and the bleed valve housing may deform the arcuate spring member into the closed arcuate configuration.
In some embodiments, the wall of the surface cleaning apparatus may be an outer wall of the airflow path and the arcuate spring member may be located in the airflow path.
In some embodiments, the bleed valve may have a plurality of arcuate spring members overlying each other.
In some embodiments, the bleed valve may have two arcuate spring members that abut each other.
In some embodiments, the surface cleaning apparatus may have a sealing member located between the arcuate spring member and the wall when the arcuate spring member is in the closed arcuate configuration.
In another aspect, a bleed valve uses two or more cantilevered spring members as the valve members. An advantage of this design is that the use of two cantilevered spring members enables the bleed valve to more securely close the bleed valve inlet port while enabling the valve to open at a desired (pre-determined) pressure differential.
In accordance with this aspect, there is provided a surface cleaning apparatus having:
In some embodiments, when in the closed configuration, the spring members may be generally planar.
In some embodiments, the second spring member may be located on an inner side of the first spring member and is shorter than the first spring member.
In some embodiments, the surface cleaning may have a sealing member located between the first spring member and the wall when the first spring member is in the closed configuration.
In some embodiments, the sealing member may be provided on an inner surface of the wall.
In some embodiments, the sealing member may be provided on the first spring member.
In some embodiments, the sealing member may encase at least a portion of the first spring member.
In another aspect, a cantilevered spring member is provided with a sealing member, such as a gasket. The sealing member is positioned between the cantilevered spring member and a housing surrounding the inlet port of the bleed valve when the cantilevered spring member is in the closed position. Accordingly, the sealing member travels with the cantilevered spring member.
In accordance with this aspect, there is provided a surface cleaning apparatus having:
These and other aspects and features of various embodiments will be described in greater detail below.
For a better understanding of the described embodiments and to show more clearly how they may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings in which:
Various apparatuses, methods and compositions are described below to provide an example of an embodiment of each claimed invention. No embodiment described below limits any claimed invention and any claimed invention may cover apparatuses and methods that differ from those described below. The claimed inventions are not limited to apparatuses, methods and compositions having all of the features of any one apparatus, method or composition described below or to features common to multiple or all of the apparatuses, methods or compositions described below. It is possible that an apparatus, method or composition described below is not an embodiment of any claimed invention. Any invention disclosed in an apparatus, method or composition described below that is not claimed in this document may be the subject matter of another protective instrument, for example, a continuing patent application, and the applicant(s), inventor(s) and/or owner(s) do not intend to abandon, disclaim, or dedicate to the public any such invention by its disclosure in this document.
The terms “an embodiment,” “embodiment,” “embodiments,” “the embodiment,” “the embodiments,” “one or more embodiments,” “some embodiments,” and “one embodiment” mean “one or more (but not all) embodiments of the present invention(s),” unless expressly specified otherwise.
The terms “including,” “comprising” and variations thereof mean “including but not limited to,” unless expressly specified otherwise. A listing of items does not imply that any or all of the items are mutually exclusive, unless expressly specified otherwise. The terms “a,” “an” and “the” mean “one or more,” unless expressly specified otherwise.
As used herein and in the claims, two or more parts are said to be “coupled”, “connected”, “attached”, “joined”, “affixed”, or “fastened” where the parts are joined or operate together either directly or indirectly (i.e., through one or more intermediate parts), so long as a link occurs. As used herein and in the claims, two or more parts are said to be “directly coupled”, “directly connected”, “directly attached”, “directly joined”, “directly affixed”, or “directly fastened” where the parts are connected in physical contact with each other. As used herein, two or more parts are said to be “rigidly coupled”, “rigidly connected”, “rigidly attached”, “rigidly joined”, “rigidly affixed”, or “rigidly fastened” where the parts are coupled so as to move as one while maintaining a constant orientation relative to each other. None of the terms “coupled”, “connected”, “attached”, “joined”, “affixed”, and “fastened” distinguish the manner in which two or more parts are joined together.
Furthermore, it will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the example embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the example embodiments described herein may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the example embodiments described herein. In addition, the description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the example embodiments described herein.
Surface cleaning apparatus 100 may be any type of surface cleaning apparatus including, for example, a hand vacuum cleaner, a stick vacuum cleaner, an upright vacuum cleaner (as shown), a canister vacuum cleaner, an extractor, or a wet/dry type vacuum cleaner. In the embodiment shown, the surface cleaning apparatus 100 is an upright vacuum cleaner. Optionally, the surface cleaning apparatus may use one or more cyclones and may therefore be a cyclonic surface cleaning apparatus.
As exemplified in
Referring now to
As exemplified in
In use, air flows from the hose 117 into a cyclone chamber 150 through a cyclone air inlet 162. In the cyclone chamber 150, the air flows within a cyclone wall 148 in a cyclonic pattern, and particulate matter is separated from the air. The particulate matter exits the cyclone chamber 150 through a first end 152, and settles in a dirt collection chamber 160. The air exits the cyclone chamber 150 through a cyclone air outlet 164, and enters the suction motor housing 122.
Referring again to
It will be appreciated that the various elements discussed herein are for reference for the discussion of the specific exemplified embodiments and that the elements such as the cleaning head, the filtration and cleaning unit, the upper section and the like may be of various constructions known in the art. It will also be appreciated that some elements that are discussed are optional and need not be in any particular embodiment.
It is possible that in some instances, the airflow passage through the surface cleaning apparatus may become fully or partially clogged. For example, a large object, such as a ball of hair or popcorn, may become lodged anywhere in the airflow passage, such as in the surface cleaning head 106. Alternately, or in addition, the pre-motor filter 176 may become partially or fully clogged with particulate matter. For example, over time, the upstream surface of the pre-motor filter can become clogged upon collecting a threshold amount of dirt from the airflow passing through the surface cleaning apparatus. When the upstream surface is clogged, the collected dirt may create substantial impedance to airflow entering the filter member. If clogging occurs, the suction motor 126 may overheat and may burn out.
Accordingly, a bleed valve 200 may be provided to deliver exterior air to the air flow path through the vacuum cleaner. The bleed air may be introduced at various locations. If a pre-motor filter is provided, then the bleed air is optionally introduced downstream of the pre-motor filter and upstream of the suction motor. Accordingly, as exemplified in
In one aspect, as exemplified in
An airflow passageway 214 extends between air inlet 210 and air outlet 212. The air inlet 210 may be an opening provided centrally in the outer wall 204 or at any other location in the outer wall. The air outlet 212 may be an opening in the inner wall 202 and may be located at any location. As exemplified, the air outlet is provided adjacent one of the end walls 205. The airflow passageway 214 extends between a location 101 exterior to the airflow path (e.g., the ambient exterior to apparatus 100) and the interior of the airflow path 103. The portion of the airflow path 103 having the bleed valve 200 may be any part of the airflow passageway between the dirty air inlet 102 and the clean air outlet 104 and may be upstream of the suction motor 126 and downstream of a pre-motor filter.
As exemplified in
As the spring member is arcuate, the arcuate spring member 220 is positionable only in a closed arcuate configuration (see
In the embodiment of
It will also be appreciated that connection regions 224 and 226 may be any shape that can be secured to the bleed valve housing. For example, the connection regions 224 and 226 may be planar, as exemplified in
It will also be appreciated that the spring member 220 need not be secured in position by the mechanism used to secure the outer wall 204 in position. For example, the spring member 220 may be secured in position by an alternate mechanical fastener.
Optionally, the bleed valve 200 may include a seal 230 located between the outer surface 220a of the spring member and an inner surface of the outer wall 204. For example, the seal 230 may be provided on the outer wall 204 or on the spring member 220 or, as exemplified in
As exemplified, when the spring member 220 is installed in the bleed valve housing, the spring member 220 is oriented such that the arcuate region 222 is oriented to abut the inner surface of outer wall 204 and, as such, is biased to the closed configuration when installed in the bleed valve housing.
In the closed arcuate configuration, the arcuate spring member 220 overlies or covers or abuts the opening 232 in the seal 230. By covering the opening 232 in the seal 230, the air inlet 210 is also covered. When covering the air inlet 210, the arcuate spring member 220 prevents airflow through the airflow passageway 214. For example,
When the pressure differential between chamber 208 and the ambient 101 exterior to chamber 208 overcomes the biasing force, the spring member 220 moves to the open configuration. When in the open arcuate position, the air inlet 210 is not covered as the arcuate spring member 220 has moved to an arcuate configuration in which it is spaced away from the air inlet 210. For example,
It will be appreciated that the bleed valve 200 may selectively open and close the bleed air inlet 210 due to a pressure differential between the interior 103 of the airflow path at a location of the bleed air inlet 210 and the location 101 exterior to the airflow path. For example, when the air flow path 103 is clogged (e.g. with an object or a dirty filter), air flow from the dirty air inlet 102 into the suction motor 126 is reduced. The suction motor 126 will continue to dispel air from the surface cleaning apparatus 100, reducing the pressure in the suction motor housing 122. As the pressure in the suction motor housing 122 (the location 103 interior to the airflow path) decreases, a pressure differential is formed between the location 101 exterior to the airflow path and the location 103 interior of the airflow path. Eventually, the pressure differential may be great enough to overcome a spring force of the arcuate spring member 220. When the spring force is overcome, the arcuate spring member 220 will snap away from the opening 232 in the seal 230, so that air may flow from the air inlet 210, through the airflow passageway 214, and out the air outlet 212.
Thus, the arcuate spring member 220 is operable between a closed configuration in which the arcuate spring member 220 is in a closed arcuate configuration and abuts the air inlet 210, and an open arcuate configuration in which the arcuate spring member 220 is in an open arcuate configuration and is spaced from the air inlet 210.
When the bleed valve opens, a user may turn of the apparatus 100 and remove the blockage (e.g., clean or replace the filter or remove an object blocking the air flow path 103). When the apparatus 100 is turned off, the pressure in the suction motor housing 122 increases, and the pressure differential on the spring member 220 is removed or reduced. When the pressure differential can no longer overcome the spring force of the arcuate spring member 220, the arcuate spring member 220 will snap back to the seal 230, covering the opening 232 and covering the air inlet 210, thereby returning to its closed arcuate configuration.
In some embodiments, the bleed valve may be recessed such that it does not extend beyond the sidewall of the surface cleaning apparatus 100. For example,
In some embodiments, the spring member 220 is not pre-shaped to have an arcuate region shape. Instead, as exemplified in
It will be appreciated that spring member 220 of this embodiment operates in the same manner as the arcuate spring member 220 of the embodiment of
Regardless of whether the spring member 200 is pre-formed into an arcuate shape, in some embodiments, the bleed valve may have an inner end stop for limiting the extent to which the spring member 220 extends inwardly when in open configuration. For example, as exemplified in
It will be appreciated that the end stop 540 may be of various configurations and may be secured in position by any means. As exemplified, the end stop 540 has first connection region 542 and second connection region 546 with an abutment portion 544 located therebetween. First connection region 542 and second connection region 546 may be sandwiched between ends walls 205 and the outer wall 204 as previously discussed. In addition, they may be provided with openings so that a mechanical securing member, e.g., screw 201, may pass therethrough. End stop 540 may have the same shape as spring member 220. Alternately, it may be of any shape or configuration that provides an end limit position for the spring member 220 in the open configuration.
It will be appreciated that spring member 220 may be of various shapes provided it has a portion that closes inlet 210 in the closed arcuate configuration. As exemplified in
In some embodiments, the bleed valve may have a plurality of arcuate spring members overlying each other. For example, the bleed valve may have two arcuate spring members that abut each other. The first arcuate spring member may behave in a similar manner to the arcuate spring member 220 described above. The first arcuate spring member may be operable between a closed arcuate configuration in which the first arcuate spring member abuts the air inlet and an open arcuate configuration in which the first arcuate spring member is spaced away from the air inlet.
A second arcuate spring member may provide additional support (closure force) for the first arcuate spring member. For example, during operation, a single spring member may flutter due to minor changes in pressure in the surface cleaning apparatus 100. Flutter in the spring member may intermittently allow air through the bleed valve. Intermittent airflow may reduce the suction force provided by the suction motor 126 at the dirty air inlet 102 and interrupt cyclonic flow in a cyclone chamber. Adding a second spring member to support the first spring member may reduce the flutter of the first spring member. In other words, pressure differentials across the bleed valve that are insufficient to drive the valve to the open position may not result in the bleed valve fluttering. When the pressure differential becomes great enough (e.g. there is a clog in the surface cleaning apparatus 100), both the spring force of the first arcuate spring member and the spring force of the second arcuate spring member will be overcome, and the bleed valve (the first and second spring members) will snap to the open arcuate configuration.
An advantage of this design is that thinner spring members 220 may be used.
In another aspect, as exemplified in
Optionally, as with the arcuate spring member 220 exemplified in
As with the arcuate spring member 220 exemplified in
In some embodiments, the sealing member may be provided on the cantilevered spring member. For example, as illustrated in
Optionally, a sealing member 230 may be provided on the bleed valve housing and also on the spring member 200.
In some embodiments, the bleed valve 220 may have a plurality of cantilevered spring members. In some embodiments, as exemplified in
Each of the first cantilevered spring member 220 and the second cantilevered spring member 920 are operable between a closed configuration and an open arcuate configuration. In the open arcuate configuration, the first cantilevered spring member 220 has a curved, or arcuate, region 622. In the closed configuration, the first spring member 220 abuts the air inlet 210. In the open arcuate configuration, the second cantilevered spring member 920 is also spaced from the air inlet 210 and may also have an arcuate section.
The first cantilevered spring member 220 and a second cantilevered spring member 920 may have the same length. Alternately, as exemplified, they may have different lengths. Optionally, as exemplified the inner spring member 920 is shorter than the outer spring member 220.
In some embodiments, a sealing member 230 may be provided on the first cantilevered spring member 220 and/or on the wall 202.
As discussed previously, the second spring member 920 may reduce flutter and improve the function of the surface cleaning apparatus 100.
While the above description provides examples of the embodiments, it will be appreciated that some features and/or functions of the described embodiments are susceptible to modification without departing from the spirit and principles of operation of the described embodiments. Accordingly, what has been described above has been intended to be illustrative of the invention and non-limiting and it will be understood by persons skilled in the art that other variants and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the claims appended hereto. The scope of the claims should not be limited by the preferred embodiments and examples, but should be given the broadest interpretation consistent with the description as a whole.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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6932585 | Na et al. | Aug 2005 | B2 |
20150351596 | Thorne | Dec 2015 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
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202006017191 | Feb 2007 | DE |
845104 | Aug 1960 | GB |
Entry |
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English machine translation of DE202006017191, published on Feb. 8, 2007. |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20200260927 A1 | Aug 2020 | US |