VACUUM CLEANER WITH IMPROVED HYGENIC PERFORMANCE

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner comprises a handle assembly pivotally attached to a foot assembly, where the handle assembly removably mounts a cyclone separator module. An ultraviolet sanitation assembly is provided on the vacuum cleaner for sanitizing the working air before it is exhausted from the vacuum cleaner. One or more component parts of the vacuum cleaner, particularly the components making up the working air path of the vacuum cleaner can be made from a plastic material that includes at least one anti-microbial agent in an effective amount sufficient to impart microbe-inhibiting properties to the working air path.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a vacuum cleaner according to the present invention comprising a handle assembly pivotally mounted to a foot assembly.

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of a vacuum cleaner according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a partially exploded view of the vacuum cleaner from FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the foot assembly from FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a partial cut-away view of the foot assembly illustrating a height-adjustment mechanism.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the vacuum cleaner, illustrating the foot assembly in a lowered position with respect to a floor surface.

FIG. 7 is a side view similar to FIG. 6, illustrating the foot assembly in a raised position with respect to a floor surface.

FIG. 8 is a cross-section view taken through line 8-8 of FIG. 3 that is partially cut-away to illustrate a detent pedal in an engaged or locked position where the handle assembly is immobile with respect to the foot assembly.

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8, illustrating the detent pedal in an unengaged or unlocked position where the handle assembly is movable with respect to the foot assembly.

FIG. 10 is a partial cut-away view of the foot assembly illustrating the drive attachment between the brush assembly and a motor/fan assembly.

FIG. 11 is a top cross-sectional view of the vacuum cleaner through the foot assembly, illustrating a path for motor cooling air through the foot assembly.

FIG. 12 is a rear, close-up view of the vacuum cleaner.

FIG. 13 is a partial cut-away of the rear handle assembly illustrating a diverter mechanism.

FIG. 14 is a side view of the diverter assembly from FIG. 13, where the diverter assembly is in a first orientation.

FIG. 15 is a side view similar to FIG. 14, where the diverter assembly is in a second orientation.

FIG. 16 is a rear view of the handle assembly illustrating a second embodiment diverter mechanism.

FIG. 17 is a schematic illustration of the air flow path through the diverter mechanism from FIG. 16.

FIG. 18 is an exploded view of a cyclone module assembly according to the present invention.

FIG. 19 is a cross-sectional view taken through line 19-19 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 20 is a cross-sectional view taken through line 20-20 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a separator unit from the cyclone module assembly.

FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view through the middle portion of the vacuum cleaner illustrating a latching mechanism between the handle assembly and the cyclone module assembly.

FIG. 23 is a partially exploded perspective view of the cyclone module assembly illustrating an emptying mechanism.

FIG. 24 is a perspective view of the cyclone module assembly with the emptying mechanism actuated to empty the dirt collected in the cyclone module assembly.

FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view through line 25-25 of FIG. 3 illustrating a motor/fan assembly and a UV sanitation assembly

FIG. 26 is an exploded view of the motor/fan assembly and the UV sanitation assembly.

FIG. 27 is a partially exploded perspective view of the vacuum cleaner illustrating a post-motor filter assembly.

FIG. 28 is a perspective view of a telescoping wand for use with the vacuum cleaner in a retracted position.

FIG. 29 is a perspective view of the telescoping wand in an extended position.

FIG. 30 is a cross-sectional view through the telescoping wand from FIG. 29.

FIG. 31 is a perspective view of a flexible crevice tool for use with the vacuum cleaner.

FIG. 32 is a top view of the flexible crevice tool from FIG. 31 illustrating the side-to-side flexing of the crevice tool.

FIG. 33 is a side view of the flexible crevice tool from FIG. 31 illustrating the up-and-down flexing of the crevice tool.

FIG. 34 is a top perspective view of a turbine-powered brush for use with the vacuum cleaner.

FIG. 35 is a bottom perspective view of the turbine-powered brush from FIG. 34.

FIG. 36 is an exploded view of the turbine-powered brush from FIG. 34.

FIG. 37 is a bottom perspective view of a second embodiment of a turbine-powered brush for use with the vacuum cleaner.

FIG. 38 is a view similar to FIG. 20 illustrating the path of working air through the cyclone assembly.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising: a housing;a cleaning head assembly in the housing and having a suction nozzle and a working air path therethrough;a dirt collector in the housing for removing dirt from a dirt-containing airstream;a suction source having an inlet connected to the dirt collector and adapted to draw the dirt-containing airstream from the suction nozzle and through the dirt collector, and an outlet;a filter positioned between the dirt collector and the inlet to the suction source; andan ultraviolet light source positioned between the dirt collector and the filter, wherein the ultraviolet light source is positioned to illuminate the filter.

2. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a handle assembly pivotally coupled with the cleaning head assembly and the ultraviolet light source is positioned in the handle assembly.

3. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the dirt collector and the suction source are positioned in the handle assembly.

4. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, and further comprising a second filter positioned downstream of the outlet of the suction source.

5. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 4, wherein at least one of the first and second filters is a HEPA filter.

6. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the ultraviolet light source is annular and the airstream passes through the open center of the ultraviolet light source.

7. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 6, wherein the ultraviolet light source is mounted in an annular casing.

8. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 7, wherein the annular casing is transparent.

9. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 7, wherein the annular casing comprises a plurality of openings.

10. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the filter is treated with a photocatalyst.

11. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 wherein the photocatalyst is titanium dioxide (TiO2).

12. A vacuum cleaner comprising a working air path formed at least in part from a plastic material that includes at least one anti-microbial agent in an effective amount sufficient to impart microbe-inhibiting properties to the working air path.

13. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 12, wherein the at least one anti-microbial agent is incorporated in the plastic material.

14. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 13, wherein the at least one anti-microbial agent is selected from the group consisting of phenol derivatives, organotins, and mixtures thereof.

15. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 14, wherein the phenol derivative is 2,4,4′-trichloro-2′-hydroxydiphenol and the organotin is Tri-n-butyltin maleate.

16. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 12, wherein the plastic material is treated with the at least one anti-microbial agent to impart microbe-inhibiting properties to the working air path.

17. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 16 wherein the plastic material is soak-treated in an aqueous solution containing the at least one anti-microbial agent, and the at least one anti-microbial agent comprises stabilized chlorine dioxide.

18. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 12, and further comprising: a housing;a cleaning head assembly in the housing and having a suction nozzle;a dirt collector in the housing for removing dirt from a dirt-containing airstream; anda suction source having an inlet connected to the dirt collector and adapted to draw the dirt-containing airstream from the suction nozzle and through the dirt collector, and an outlet;wherein the working air path is positioned at least between the cleaning head assembly and the dirt collector.

19. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 18 wherein the working air path includes the dirt collector.

20. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 18 wherein the working air path includes a conduit between the dirt collector and the suction source.