Patent Application
20130117958
The present invention relates to a latch assembly for coupling a dirt receptacle to a vacuum cleaner housing. The invention finds particular utility in central vacuum cleaner systems. Other embodiments may be used other vacuum cleaner systems, such as upright vacuum cleaners, commercial vacuums, wet extractors, stick vacuums, canister vacuums, and the like.
Vacuum cleaning systems are the preferred method of cleaning carpeted and hard floors and other areas. These devices are manufactured in a variety of configurations including central, canister, upright, power wands, power heads, handhelds, etc. These different vacuum types differ in many design features such nozzle size and configuration, floor agitation systems, cyclonic airflow and advanced dust filtering, however, they all typically share various components. Portable vacuum cleaner systems are popular because they permit great flexibility in where they may be used, can be relatively inexpensive, and are portable from dwelling to dwelling. Nevertheless, due in part to the inconvenience of manipulating an entire vacuum cleaning system, and also the power, weight and size limitations of the typical portable vacuum systems, central vacuum systems are often used.
Central vacuum systems use a central power unit which may have a relatively high-power vacuum motor and large dirt container. Such central vacuums are typically located outside of the main living area of a home, such as, for example, in a garage, basement, attic, etc. A network of conduits hidden below floorboards, above ceilings and between walls connects wall-based vacuum outlets to the central power unit. The power unit is usually connected to a dedicated 15 amp or larger power circuit and may run on 240 and 120 volt alternating current power (AC), but power requirements may vary depending on the characteristics of the local power system or system requirements. By isolating the powerful vacuum motor outside of the primary living area, the homeowner is able to enjoy strong suction power not typically available in conventional integrated vacuum cleaning devices without having to hear the noise that such a high power vacuum motor generates and without having to physically manipulate such a unit. Typically, central vacuum systems are equipped with one or more hose/cleaning attachment modules that connect to vacuum outlets located throughout the house. In addition to providing an airflow path from the cleaning attachment to the dirt canister and vacuum motor, these wall connectors may provide a power connection to operate active components of the cleaning attachments and permit the user to turn the vacuum unit on and off. U.S. Pat. No. 5,400,463 illustrates an example of a central vacuum system. This patent is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Though central vacuum systems differ from portable vacuum systems in that they are typically more robust and are built into the house, their basic design has many similarities with conventional portable vacuums. One common feature is a dirt container or bucket to hold captured dirt and debris. In a central vacuum, the dirt container typically is located with the central power unit that houses the vacuum motor. The dirt container may be removably attached to and form the lower section of the central power unit. Similar dirt receptacles are sometimes employed in portable vacuum cleaner systems, such as upright and canister vacuums, but the dirt container on a central vacuum system generally is larger than the container on a portable system. The dirt container may contain a bag or other filter (such as a pleated filter), or it may simply receive dirt separated by a filter or an inertial and/or cyclonic separation system. Of course, combinations of cyclones or inertial separators and bags and filters are also possible. Nevertheless, the manner in which the dirt is separated from the airflow is not particularly relevant to the invention described herein. Vacuum cleaner dirt containers usually are detachable from the rest of the system to allow the user to empty accumulated dust and dirt, but in some cases they may be permanently installed and emptied using a trapdoor or other opening. In either event, but particularly where the container is emptied by removing it, the container may have some form a mating assembly to connect the container to the vacuum cleaner and lock it in place. In typical central vacuum cleaners, an over-center strap latch is used to attach the dirt container to the central unit.
the weight of the container while aligning it and latching it in place. Such latches also may be difficult to operate while removing the dirt container, creating a risk that the user will drop the heavy, filled container. These design drawbacks may lead to damage or failure of the attachment assembly, and inconvenience to the user. Other problems and drawbacks may exist with known systems.
In one exemplary embodiment, there is provided a central vacuum cleaner with a housing having a vacuum fan and a fan motor therein and a dirt container removably mounted to a lower end of the housing. The dirt container has a receptacle having a closed bottom wall, a sidewall extending upward from the bottom wall, and an open top. A ring mount extends from the receptacle sidewall near to the open top of the receptacle and extends substantially around an entire perimeter of the sidewall. A bottom side of the ring mount is shaped to be held by an operator to support the dirt container. A release ring is movably mounted above the ring mount and extends substantially around the entire perimeter of the sidewall. One or more locks are mounted between the ring mount and the release ring, and are movable by the release ring from an engaged position in which the one or more locks extend towards and engage the lower end of the housing to hold the dirt container to the housing to a disengaged position in which the one or more locks retract from the lower end of the housing to permit removal of the dirt container from the housing.
In another exemplary embodiment, there is provided a central vacuum cleaner with a housing having a vacuum fan and a fan motor therein and a dirt container removably mounted to a lower end of the housing. The housing has one or more detents formed substantially around an entire perimeter of the lower end. The dirt container has a receptacle having a closed bottom wall, a sidewall extending upward from the bottom wall, and an open top. A ring mount extends from the receptacle sidewall near to the open top of the receptacle and extends substantially around an entire perimeter of the sidewall. A bottom side of the ring mount is shaped to be held by an operator to support the dirt container. A release ring is movably mounted above the ring mount and extends substantially around the entire perimeter of the sidewall. A number of locks are operatively associated with the dirt container and movable by the release ring from an engaged position in which the locks engage the detent to hold the dirt container to the housing to a disengaged position in which the locks retract from the detent to permit removal of the dirt container from the housing.
In another exemplary embodiment, there is provided a central vacuum cleaner with a housing having a vacuum fan and a fan motor therein and a dirt container removably mounted to a lower end of the housing. The dirt container has a receptacle having a closed bottom wall, a sidewall extending upward from the bottom wall, and an open top. A number of locks are arranged around a perimeter of the receptacle and configured to move towards the lower end of the housing to an engaged position lock the dirt receptacle to the housing, and away from the lower end of the housing to a disengaged position to unlock the dirt receptacle from the housing. A single operative member adapted to simultaneously move the plurality of locks from the engaged position to the disengaged position.
It will be understood that the foregoing summary of the invention is provided for illustrative purposes only, and is not intended to modify or narrow the scope of the claims in any way.
The present inventions are described in detail with reference to the exemplary embodiments shown in the following figures, in which like parts are designated by like reference numerals.
The present disclosure provides a latch feature for vacuum cleaners. An exemplary embodiment of such a feature is described with reference to one exemplary use in a central vacuum cleaner, such as the central vacuum shown in
An exemplary dirt container 104 is shown in more detail in
A latch assembly 204 is provided at or near the top of the receptacle 202. The latch assembly 204 is used to connect the dirt container 104 to the upper housing 102. The bottom end of an exemplary upper housing 102 is shown in
The exemplary dirt container 104 is shown in exploded view in
The exemplary latch assembly 204 may be secured to the ring mount 502, and include a release ring 506 by which an operator can control the connection of the dirt container 104 to the upper housing 102. In the shown embodiment, the release ring 506 includes lock actuators 508 that are adapted to disengage corresponding locks 510 to disconnect the dirt container 104. Three lock actuators 508 and corresponding locks 510 are shown in
The release ring 506 may include additional features, such as a reinforcement 512 or a skirt gasket 516. The reinforcement 512 in the shown embodiment may be a rigid part that helps distribute forces applied to the release ring 506 to help ensure that the release ring 506 does not flex during actuation. An exemplary reinforcement 512 may be a thin steel ring that is positioned on the upper surface of the release ring 506. Such a reinforcement ring may extend all the way around the release ring 506, but it may be interrupted at points, or provided only where reinforcement of the underlying structure is found to be desirable. The shown reinforcement 512 is recessed in a correspondingly-shaped channel 514 formed in the upper surface of the release ring 506 to provide a smooth upper surface (see, e.g.,
The exemplary skirt gasket 516 is provided between the release ring 506 and the ring mount 502, and may be mounted to the release ring 506 or the ring mount 502, or simply captured in place. In the shown embodiment, the skirt gasket 516 is connected to the bottom of the release ring 506. The skirt gasket 516 is provided to help prevent dust and dirt, an operator's fingers, or other objects from moving between the release ring 506 and the ring mount 502, or simply to enhance the aesthetic appearance of the device. Any suitable material may be used for the skirt gasket 516. For example, where the skirt gasket 516 is intended to deform during use, it may be made of a rubber, fabric, flexible polymer or other deformable material, but where it does not deform, it may comprise a simple extension of the release ring 506 or reinforcement 512 (if one is provided). The operation of an exemplary skirt gasket 516 is described in detail subsequently herein.
Referring now to
As noted above, the release ring 506 may operate one or more locks 510 that hold the dirt container 104 to the upper housing 102. An example of one such lock 510 is shown in two slightly different cross-section views provided in FIGS. 6 and 8A-8D. The view in
As shown in
Still referring to
In the shown exemplary embodiment, the locking pins 602 extend into the detent 210 a sufficient distance to hold the dirt container 104 (and any dirt accumulated therein) in engagement with the upper housing 102 during operation of the central vacuum 100. The upper housing 102 (or dirt container 104) may include one or more seals 212 to provide an airtight or leak-resistant connection between the dirt container 104 and the upper housing 102. For example, the shown seal may comprise a resilient rubber, polymeric or felt ring that is retained in a seal groove 616 on the upper housing 102. Such seals are known in the art and need not be described in detail herein.
In the exemplary embodiment, a generally horizontal portion 612 of the pin 602 may contact a generally horizontal portion 614 of the detent 210. In this position, the weight of the dirt container 104 and its contents are transferred to the top of the pin 602, which operates in single shear to convey that load to the lower wall of the detent 210 to hold the dirt container 104 on the upper housing 102. Of course, other embodiments of lock arrangements may have different load-transferring and load bearing arrangements, and the present embodiment is not intended to be a limiting example. Providing the contacting generally horizontal surfaces 612, 614 helps prevent accidental disengagement, but some amount of angle between these parts may be tolerable, provided the dirt container 104 generally does not unexpectedly detach during normal operation.
Wear caused by friction, plastic deformation caused by point loads and other factors may be considered when constructing embodiments of the lock arrangement, and addressed as known in the art to prevent excess wear or failure of the parts. If desired, the pin 602, detent 210, and portions of the dirt container 104 surrounding the pin 602 may be made of relatively strong materials or suitably reinforced. For example, the detent 210 may comprise rolled and formed sheet steel. As another example, the pin may comprise a steel or magnesium alloy that may be impregnated with lubricant or coated or otherwise treated to reduce friction, fusion or adherence caused by oxidation (rusting) of the parts at their contact points. As yet another example, the portions of the dirt container 104 surrounding the pin hole 518 may be thickened to help support the weight of the dirt container 104 and collected dirt, and particular attention may be given to the portion of the wall above the pin hole 518 to help prevent wear, damage, or failure at that point. Finally, if wear is determined to be a concern, or if adjustment during or after fabrication is desirable, the locks 510 or detent(s) 210 may be movably mounted to permit some vertical adjustment. For example, the detent 210 may be provided on a vertically-adjustable band, or the locks 510 may be mounted on shims or on vertically-movable lock mounts 520.
Referring to
To release the dirt container 104 from the upper housing 102, the operator presses down on the release ring 506 against the restoring force provided by the release ring springs 710. The operator also may need to overcome the restoring force provided by the lock springs 522, if they are provided. In addition, it may be necessary to overcome frictional forces between the pin 602 and the detent 210 and between the pin 602 and the receptacle 202. Such forces may be generated as a result of the pins 602 being used to hold the dirt container 104 to the upper housing 102 against gravity. To overcome these frictional forces, it may be necessary for the operator to lift up on the dirt container 104, which may be beneficial in that it ensures that the locks 510 are not disengaged until after the operator is at least partially supporting the weight of the dirt container 104. If this benefit is particularly desired, the pins 602 may be provided with downward hooks or bumps on their ends to engage a corresponding raised lip on the bottom of the detent 210, which will increase the necessity to lift up on the dirt container 104 before it will be possible to press down on the release ring 506. Where it is found that overcoming the friction caused by the pins is not desirable, the pins 602, detent 210 and other parts may be lubricated or otherwise arranged to reduce or minimize friction.
It will be apparent from the foregoing that the operator should grasp or support the bottom of the ring mount 502 as he or she depresses the release ring 506, and thus it may be beneficial to provide the bottom of the ring mount 502 with an ergonomic shape, a lip or contour to help with holding it, or high friction surfaces to help prevent slipping. In the shown exemplary embodiment, the release ring 506 and ring mount 502 extend around the entire circumference of the dirt container 104, which provides the additional benefit that the operator can grasp the dirt container 104 from any direction and at a wide variety of locations to remove the dirt container 104. This permits the central vacuum 100 to be mounted in spaces in which many conventional devices could not be installed, because many devices locate the handles or locks at discrete and unmovable locations that must be accessible when the central vacuum is mounted to the wall. That problem may be eliminated by the exemplary embodiment, or other embodiments in which the release ring 506 and ring mount 502 extend around large portions of the dirt container 104. In either event, the provision of the large ring mount 502 and release ring 506 allows the user to simply lift the dirt container at any two locations (typically generally opposite in order to balance the load), and depress the release ring with both hands at those two locations to remove the dirt container 104.
As shown in
Other variations on the foregoing exemplary embodiments will be evident in view of the present disclosure. For example, the release ring may, instead of moving vertically with respect to the ring mount, be constructed to rotate in a horizontal plane relative to the ring mount. In such an embodiment, the first and second release members could be turned ninety degrees, and still accomplish the same result of moving the lock out of engagement with the detent. Raised tabs may be provided on the bottom of the ring mount and the top or sides of the release ring to facilitate rotating the release ring. Such an embodiment is particularly suited to a embodiments in which the dirt container is circular and constructed to mount at any angular orientation on the upper housing. As another example, the sliding locks may be replaced by rotating locks that pivot, rather than slide, into and out of engagement with the upper housing. As another example, while the foregoing embodiments describe the locks (and more specifically, their pins), as bearing the weight of the dirt container during use, the lock pins may be used only for temporary mounting of the dirt container, in which case additional latches may be provided to secure the dirt container to the upper housing during operation.
In effectuating embodiments of the invention, it may be desirable to design the parts to obtain certain additional advantages or benefits. For example, the shown exemplary embodiments use three locks to hold the dirt container to the upper housing, which is advantageous because the load of the dirt container is likely to relatively evenly distribute among three points even if there is some difference in their heights. Nevertheless, two or even one lock may be used in other embodiments, and more than three locks may be provided to provide redundancy or enhance load capacity. As another example, it may be desirable to reduce the likelihood that the dirt container can be removed using only one hand or upon an accidental application of force at a single location on the release ring. To this end, it may be possible to provide sufficient clearance in the telescoping connections between the release ring and the ring mount that applying a downward force at just one discrete location on the release ring may cause the release ring to tilt downward at the location of the force, but remain in an upward position at a location opposite the force. Thus, only the lock(s) proximal to the force may be disengaged, and the remaining locks may stay engaged to prevent the dirt container from falling. This and other exemplary benefits may be provided, but are not required in all embodiments. As another example, the release ring may be movably mounted to the sidewall of the receptacle, rather than being movably mounted directly to the ring mount.
The embodiments described herein are all exemplary, and it will be appreciated that the various features shown herein can be used separately from one another, or in various combinations, and modified and adapted in various ways and for different uses. The description of the foregoing exemplary embodiments and variations thereof are not intended to limit the scope of the claimed invention in any way. Furthermore, the claims are intended to recite only the minimum required structures, and additional structures, and even redundant structures, may be added without departing from the scope of the claims. For example, where a claim may recite that “each” of the locks includes certain features, it will be understood that this refers to features required in one set of locks, and that additional locks beyond those recited in the claims may be added without departing from the “each” language, or, stated differently, recitations such as “each” are not intended to be construed “each and every.”
