Patent Grant
8978207
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vacuum cleaners, and, more specifically, to devices for performing cleaning operations along the edges of the vacuum cleaner's cleaning path.
2. Description of the Related Art
Upright vacuum cleaners are characterized by a base adapted to move along a floor, and a handle pivotally attached to the base (in some rare instances, the handle may be at a fixed angle to the base). The base and handle form one or more enclosures that contain a suction motor (a combined electric motor and impeller fan), a dirt collection system (e.g., a bag chamber or a cyclonic or inertial separation system), and one or more airflow passages to convey dirt-laden air through the dirt collection system. The suction motor and dirt collection system may be located in the base or the handle, and the airflow passages may comprise a series of rigid pipes, chambers, flexible hoses, and the like, as known in the art.
In a typical upright vacuum cleaner, the airflow passage system has a main inlet for cleaning large areas of the floor. The vacuum cleaner also may include an auxiliary inlet located on a flexible hose to permit cleaning in tight spaces and above the floor. The main inlet is located at the bottom of the base, and usually is elongated in the lateral direction (that is, the direction perpendicular to the fore-aft direction of movement) so as to vacuum a wide path as the cleaner is moved back and forth on the floor.
The main inlet often is effective at removing dirt from a cleaning path located directly below the main inlet, but is less effective at removing dirt located at or beyond the main inlet's lateral edges. This may be due to reduced airflow velocity at the lateral edges of the main inlet, occluded airflow at the lateral edge regions, or other factors. Reduced edge cleaning efficiency is not a problem for cleaning open areas, as the main inlet can be moved back and forth along laterally overlapping paths to fully clean the area. Edge cleaning effectiveness can, however, become a problem along walls, furniture, and other obstacles that prevent the user from passing the main inlet directly over the floor. This problem is magnified on carpeted floors, due to the carpet interfering with the free movement of air to entrain dirt embedded in the carpet fibers. Effective edge cleaning also may become more problematic with increased distances between the lateral side of the base and the lateral edge of the main inlet. For example, some upright vacuum cleaners have wheels or brush drive assemblies located between the edge of the main inlet and the outer edge of the base, thus increasing the distance that the dirt must travel to be sucked into the main inlet.
Prior vacuum cleaning systems have attempted to enhance edge cleaning performance by providing airflow passages that concentrate the suction along one or both edges of the base. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,942,216 shows a vacuum cleaning head having a small side inlet at each lateral end of the main inlet, and a valve to selectively direct the airflow to either side inlet for edge cleaning. This manually-operated device requires the user to bend down and turn the valve whenever edge cleaning is desired. Another edge cleaning device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,039,817, which shows edge cleaning openings located near the edges of the main inlet, and a variety of different configurations to selectively direct the airflow to the edge inlets. Other examples of edge cleaning systems are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,205,528; 7,124,467 and 7,134,164 and U.K. Application No. GB4378643A. The foregoing are all incorporated by reference herein.
Despite earlier efforts to provide effective edge cleaning systems, there still exists a need to provide a simple, reliable and effective edge cleaning system that can be incorporated into upright vacuum cleaners or other cleaning systems.
In one exemplary embodiment, there is provided a vacuum cleaner having a base and a handle pivotally connected to the base by a pivot. The base has a lower surface configured to face a surface to be cleaned, and first and second side edges that are spaced in a lateral direction to define lateral portions of an outer perimeter of the base. There is a main suction inlet on the base. The main suction faces the surface to be cleaned, and is elongated in the lateral direction. There also is a first edge cleaning inlet on the base facing the surface to be cleaned. The first edge cleaning inlet is located adjacent the first side edge of the base. Mounted on the handle is a first valve having a main floor cleaning inlet, an auxiliary cleaning inlet, a valve outlet, a first flow controller movable between a main floor cleaning position in which the valve outlet is fluidly connected to the main floor cleaning inlet, and an auxiliary cleaning position in which the valve outlet is fluidly connected to the auxiliary cleaning inlet, and a first actuator configured to move the first flow controller between the main floor cleaning position and the auxiliary cleaning position. A first suction passage fluidly connects the main suction inlet to the main floor cleaning inlet, and a second suction passage fluidly connects the first edge cleaning inlet to the auxiliary cleaning inlet. Also mounted on the handle is a second valve having a second flow controller movable between an edge cleaning position in which the first edge cleaning inlet is in fluid communication with the auxiliary cleaning inlet, and an accessory cleaning position in which the first edge cleaning inlet is not in fluid communication with the auxiliary cleaning inlet, and a second actuator configured to move the second flow controller between the edge cleaning position and the accessory cleaning position. An accessory hose is provided with an open distal end and a flexible hose fluidly connecting the open distal end to the auxiliary cleaning inlet. The handle has an accessory hose mount that is configured to hold the accessory hose in a hose storage position in which the accessory hose contacts the second actuator to hold the second flow controller in the edge cleaning position. A dirt separator is mounted on the handle and has a dirt separator inlet in fluid communication with the valve outlet. A suction motor is operatively associated with the handle or the base, and is configured to generate a suction airflow through the dirt separator. The suction airflow may be selectively received, by operation of the first valve and the second valve, from each of the main suction inlet, the first edge cleaning inlet, and the open distal end of the accessory hose.
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.
A better understanding of the exemplary embodiments may be understood by reference to the attached drawings, in which like reference numbers designate like parts. The drawings are exemplary and not intended to limit the claims in any way.
The exemplary vacuum cleaner 100 includes a base 102 that is adapted to move on a horizontal surface, such as a carpeted or bare floor. Such floor movement capability may be provided by mounting wheels 104, skids, rollers, or other devices on the bottom surface of the base 102, as known in the art. The base includes a main suction inlet 106 that faces downward from the bottom of the base 102. A rotatable brushroll (not shown) or other agitator may be provided in or near the main suction inlet 106, as known in the art. The main suction inlet 106 typically is located at the front of the base 102, and extends along a lateral direction 108 that is perpendicular to the typical fore-aft direction 110 of the typical cleaning stroke. The fore-aft direction 110 may be dictated by the rolling axis of the wheels 104 (if they have fixed axles), by the ergonomic shape of the vacuum cleaner 100 being adapted to allow the user to most easily move the vacuum cleaner 100 in a particular direction, by a suggestion in an operation manual, or by other means, as understood in the art. The fore-aft direction 110 and lateral direction 108 lie in the plane of the surface being cleaned, and are perpendicular to an up-down direction 112 that is orthogonal to the surface. As a matter of expedience, the surface being cleaned is described herein as being horizontal (i.e., perpendicular to the vertical axis of gravitational pull), but the vacuum cleaner 100 could easily be operated on inclined, undulating, or curved surfaces.
A handle 114 is connected to the base 102 by a pivot that permits the handle 114 to rotate relative to the base 102 about a pivot axis 116. Such pivots are known in the art and need not be described herein. The handle 114 may move from an upright position, as shown, to an inclined position in which the handle 114 is leaned back (away from the front of the base 102) at a predetermined angle or range of angles. For example, the handle 114 may pivot from an upright position in which it is generally aligned with the up-down direction 112, to a reclined position that is nearly parallel with the fore-aft direction 110. As the vacuum cleaner 100 is operated, the handle 114 may be continuously raised and lowered during the forward and backward strokes. A handle lock (not shown) may be provided to lock the handle 114 in the upright position to prevent the vacuum cleaner 100 from falling over during periods of non-use or while cleaning with an accessory hose 118. A grip 120 is located at the top of the handle for use in operating and moving the vacuum cleaner 100.
The vacuum cleaner 100 includes a cleaning system for removing and capturing dirt and debris from the surface being cleaned. In the example of
The dirt separator 122 is located downstream of dirty air inlets through which dirt-laden air enters the vacuum cleaner 100. The vacuum cleaner 100 includes a main suction inlet 106 and an accessory hose 118 that form two separate dirty air inlets into the vacuum cleaner 100. In addition, the vacuum cleaner 100 has one or more edge cleaning inlets 126 that may be located on the base 102 near the lateral edges of the main suction inlet 106. The edge cleaning inlets 126 provide a third (or more) dirty air inlet into the vacuum cleaner 100
The vacuum cleaner 100 includes one or more mechanisms to selectively direct the working airflow through the main suction inlet 106, the accessory hose 118, and the edge cleaning inlets 126. In the shown embodiment, the vacuum cleaner 100 includes a valve assembly 128 to which the three inlets are fluidly connected.
The main suction inlet 106 may be connected to the valve assembly 128 by a first flexible hose 130, and the edge cleaning inlets 126 may be connected to the valve assembly 128 by a second flexible hose 132. The first and second flexible hoses 130, 132 provide a fluid connection while allowing the base 102 and handle 114 to pivot relative to one another. The base 102 includes rigid internal passages (shown schematically in subsequent Figures) that connect the main suction inlet 106 and edge cleaning inlets 126 to the first and second flexible hoses 130, 132, respectively. The first and second flexible hoses 130, 132 may join the valve assembly 128 by respective first and second rigid pipes 134, 136, respectively, but they alternatively may extend all the way to the valve assembly 128. The accessory hose 118 may connect to the valve assembly 128 at an auxiliary inlet plenum 138. As explained below, the second rigid pipe 136 also may join at the auxiliary inlet plenum 138.
The valve assembly 128 is also connected to the dirt separator 122. In the shown embodiment, a valve outlet passage 140 fluidly connects the valve assembly 128 directly to an air inlet volute 142 that leads into the cyclonic dirt separator 122.
The flexible hoses 130, 132, rigid pipes 134, 136, auxiliary inlet plenum 138, and valve outlet passage 140 are illustrated as being external to the housing that forms the main body of the handle 114. This arrangement facilitates reconfiguration to an alternative arrangement that excludes an accessory hose 118 or edge cleaning inlets 126, which may improve the ability to provide a variety of different products based on the same basic handle platform. However, this arrangement is not required in all embodiments, and one or more of the passages that form or connect to the valve assembly 128 may be internal to the handle 114.
Referring now also to
The valve assembly 128 also may include a second actuator 146 that is connected to second valve 302 (shown as a flapper valve) inside the valve assembly 128. The exemplary second actuator 146 is shaped as a lever that is moved by placing the accessory hose 118 into an idle position. More specifically, the accessory hose 118 preferably includes a rigid wand 148 (which may be separable from the flexible portion of the accessory hose 118) that operates the second actuator 146 when the wand 148 is stowed on the handle 114. In the shown embodiment, the wand 148 is stowed by placing the distal end 150 of the wand into a receiver 152 located on the handle 114, and snapping a proximal portion of the wand 148 into a clip 154 located above the receiver 152. With the wand 148 so mounted, a medial portion of the wand 148 contacts and moves the second actuator 146 to operate the second valve 302. The auxiliary inlet plenum 138 may include a recess 156 to accommodate the wand 148 when it is mounted, and the clip 154 may be integrated into this recess 156.
The operating states of the valve assembly 128 are illustrated schematically in
The selection between edge cleaning and accessory cleaning is determined by the position of the second valve 302.
In this exemplary embodiment, the second valve 302 opened (
The foregoing arrangement is expected to provide significant benefits. An ongoing concern with vacuum cleaners is the need provide simple and intuitive controls. With the embodiment described above, the user is only required to select between main floor cleaning and auxiliary cleaning. In the auxiliary cleaning position, the airflow is automatically switched to accessory cleaning whenever the user removes the wand 148. Thus, the user can begin accessory cleaning without taking any additional steps to reconfigure the vacuum cleaner. The vacuum cleaner is switched back to the edge cleaning configuration when the wand 148 is replaced on the handle 114, without requiring further user intervention, and without risk that the user will inadvertently leave the controls in the incorrect position when edge cleaning is desired. This arrangement also allows the operator to switch to the accessory cleaning configuration while the handle 114 is reclined, which is not possible in an arrangement that would activate the second valve 302 automatically by placing the handle 114 in the upright position.
A further advantage of the foregoing embodiment is that the airflow path for the edge cleaning inlets 126 is relatively short, and does not pass through the accessory hose 118. This should provide measurably stronger suction at the edge cleaning inlets 126, for a given suction motor 124, than configurations that pass the edge cleaning airflow through an accessory hose. This is due to flow resistance caused by factors such as the longer air passage through the accessory hose 118, corrugations inside the hose, excess convolutions and turns in the hose, and the typically smaller cross-sectional area of the hose as compared to a fixed passage.
The foregoing embodiment also provides an advantage by locating both valves 300, 302 on the handle, rather than placing one or the other on the base, despite the added complexity of requiring a second airflow path through the articulating handle pivot joint. In this configuration, the user can control both valves 300, 302 without having to reach all the way to the base 102 (a significant advantage for some consumers), and selection between the two auxiliary cleaning modes can be tied directly to operating the accessory hose 118.
Other advantages are expected to be found by practice of the foregoing embodiment, and other embodiments described herein. It will be appreciated, however, that the claims are not intended to be limited to the foregoing embodiment or to necessarily exclude features described as being less desirable than others.
The exemplary first valve 300 includes a rotating plate 408 to which the first actuator 144 is connected, and a flow controller, such as a gate 410, mounted to the rotating plate 408. Rotating the first actuator 144 rotates the plate 408, which repositions the gate 410 in front of either the first inlet 402 or the second inlet 404. If desired, the gate 410 also may be movable to a third position in which airflow through both inlets 402, 404 is permitted, which may be desirable to obtain a blend of main floor cleaning and edge cleaning. The rotating plate 408 may be rotatably mounted to the valve housing 400 on pins that fit in corresponding bosses or by similar rotating mounts, and bearings or bushings may be provided at the rotating mounts, if desired, to provide smooth operation. One or more seals (not shown) may be provided around the perimeter of the gate 410 or the inlets 402, 404, if desired, to enhance the air-blocking operation of the gate 410.
The auxiliary inlet plenum 138 is fluidly connected to the second pipe 136 and a hose connector 412. A proximal end of the accessory hose 118 is fluidly connected to the hose connector 412, and may be removable to replace the hose if it is damaged or to clear out blockage. In this embodiment, the second pipe 136 and hose connector 412 connect to the bottom of the auxiliary inlet plenum 138, but other orientations may be used in other embodiments. As noted above, the auxiliary inlet plenum 138 also may include a recess 156 to receive the wand 148 when the wand 148 is mounted to the handle 114.
The second valve 302 of the exemplary embodiment comprises a flap 414 that extends radially from a shaft 416. The flap 414 and shaft 416 are mounted inside the second pipe 136 adjacent the auxiliary inlet plenum 138, such as shown in
The second valve 302 is operatively connected to the second actuator 146. In this example, the second actuator 146 may be connected directly to an end of the shaft 416 that protrudes outside the second pipe 136. The second actuator 146 may be located adjacent the recess 156 (if one is provided), so that the wand 148 moves the second actuator 146 when it is mounted to the handle 114. This operation is illustrated by comparing
The second actuator 146 may have any useful shape. In the present example, it is shaped as a cam-shaped curved arm that extends from a central boss that is connected to the shaft 416. Portions of the curved arm face upward and laterally so that the arm may be operated by pressing on it vertically, horizontally, or at angles in between. This allows the user to move the wand 148 into the recess 156 from a wide variety of directions to move the second actuator 146 to the edge cleaning configuration. For example, a user preferably may operate the second actuator 146 by first holding the wand 148 at an angle from vertical (e.g., 45 degrees from vertical), second, inserting the open distal end 150 of the wand 148 into the receiver 152, and third, pivoting the wand 148 about the receiver 152 until it rests in the recess 156 and presses against the second actuator 146 to operate the second valve 302.
It will be appreciated that the second valve 302 may be moved to alternative locations—for example, the flap 414 and shaft 416 may be located within the auxiliary inlet plenum 138. The flap 414 also may be positioned to block the second pipe 136 during accessory cleaning (as described above), and also block the hose connector 412 when the device is in the edge cleaning configuration, in which case it may not be necessary to obstruct airflow into the end of the wand 148 as described above. In alternative embodiments, the second valve 302 may comprise any other flow controller, such as a rotary valve (which may be within the auxiliary inlet plenum), a flexible hose that is moved between two connectors, a sliding gate, and so on.
One or more of the valve assembly parts (e.g., the valve housing 400, first pipe 134, auxiliary inlet plenum 138 and second pipe 136) may be integrally formed or separately made and connected to one another. These parts also may be formed with different shapes or intermediate sections (e.g., flexible hoses) to reposition the parts at different locations on the handle 114. Openable cleanout ports or transparent inspection windows may be provided to check for and remove clogs within the valve assembly 128.
It will be appreciated that the first and second actuators 144, 146 and their associated valves 300, 302 may be replaced by suitable alternative devices and operated in alternative manners. For example, the rotating first actuator 144 may be replaced with a lever or a slide, or it may be replaced by a solenoid instead of a manually-operated mechanism. As another example, the second actuator 146 may be operated by a flexible portion of the accessory hose 118 instead of the wand 148, and other embodiments may omit the wand 148 or reduce it to the size of a hose connection cuff. The second actuator 146 also may be operated other than by contact with the accessory hose 118; for example, it may comprise a knob or lever that is configured to be operated solely by the user's hand, be replaced by a solenoid, or be operated by other mechanisms, such as a pushrod that operates the second actuator 146 when the handle 114 is placed in the upright position. The actuators 144, 146 also may be located remotely from the valves 300, 302, and operatively connected by rods, cables or the like. Where solenoids or other electrically-powered actuators are used, electrical controls may be provided on the grip 120, wand 148, or at other locations, and connected via wires or wireless communication devices. Also, the receiver 152 and clip 154 may be replaced by alternative structures, moved, or reoriented.
Varieties of alternative valves and flow-switching mechanisms, such as alternative devices for operating a valve upon stowing a wand in a vacuum cleaner handle, valve structures, and linkages to drive a valve, are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,879,797; 5,355,549; 5,477,586; 6,442,791; 6,920,665; 7,356,874; 7,555,810; 7,996,954 and 8,234,750, and U.S. Publication No. 2008/0209668. Each of the foregoing is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Features shown in these and other devices may be used in other embodiments of the invention, as will be understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art in view of the present disclosure. The foregoing variations are not intended to be a limiting list, and other variations and modifications will be apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art in view of the present disclosure.
The vacuum cleaner 100 may include suitable markings or instructions to direct the user in selecting the various cleaning configurations. For example, the first actuator 144 may have an arrow (or an arrow-like shape) that points towards a first legend indicating “floor cleaning” when the first valve 300 is in the main floor cleaning position, and points towards a second legend indicating “edge/wand cleaning” when it is in the auxiliary cleaning position. The handle 114 also may include a legend directing the user to “install wand for edge cleaning.” Symbols or alternative text legends may be used in other embodiments.
Referring to
Referring to
It also will be appreciated that other embodiments may incorporate valve mechanisms that redirect airflow to alternative inlets on the base 102 that are not intended for edge cleaning. A third alternative inlet 818 may be provided along the front edge of the main suction inlet 106, and a fourth alternative inlet 820 may be provided behind the back edge of the main suction inlet 106. Such alternative inlets 818, 820 may extend partially or entirely across the width of the base 102, and may be intended for cleaning hard floors when the brushroll 812 is not operating, or to provide periodic concentrated airflow along bare or carpeted floors. Other configurations and locations of alternative inlets that may be used for a variety of purposes also may be used, as will be appreciated by persons of ordinary skill in the art in view of the present disclosure.
The foregoing description explains how suction and airflow can be redirected in a variety of ways. It will be appreciated that some inconsequential flow may exist even when passages are closed. For example, there may be some air leakage around worn seals or at passage junctions. Also leakage may be deliberately provided to assure continuous cooling airflow to the suction motor 124 in the event the passage intended to be used is obstructed. For example, a gap may be provided between the open distal end 150 of the wand 148 and the receiver 152 to allow a predetermined amount of air to bleed into the system if the edge cleaning inlets 126 become obstructed (this feature may be particularly desirable because the edge cleaning inlets 126 may be more easily obstructed by relatively small objects without gaining the attention of the user). The disclosure and recited claims are not intended to imply that perfect seals are possible, necessary, or even desired in all circumstances. Rather, a passage that is described as being blocked or otherwise rendered inoperative is one that is not conveying sufficient suction airflow to realistically perform cleaning operations, as will be understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art in view of the present disclosure.
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.
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