Vacuum Cleaner with Motor Cooling Air Filtration

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner has cooling air from an agitator motor ported to a working air conduit upstream of an inlet to a fan motor assembly.

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 having a suction nozzle and a working air path therethrough;a dirt separator in the housing for removing dirt from a dirt-containing airstream;a suction source having an inlet connected to the dirt separator and adapted to draw the dirt-containing airstream from the suction nozzle and through the dirt separator, and an outlet;a first motor mounted in a motor housing;an air inlet provided in the motor housing for supplying cooling air to the first motor;a conduit extending from the motor housing to the suction source inlet downstream of the dirt separator to pass the cooling air from the motor housing to the suction source inlet; anda filter mounted in the housing and in fluid communication with and downstream of the suction source outlet for removing contaminants from the air that passes from the suction source outlet.

2. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, and further comprising an agitator that is driven by the first motor, and wherein the suction source further comprises a second motor.

3. The vacuum cleaner from claim 1, wherein the filter is a HEPA filter.

4. The vacuum cleaner from claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a handle assembly pivotally connected to the cleaning head assembly at a pivot axis and the conduit passes through the pivot axis.

5. The vacuum cleaner from claim 4, wherein the suction source is mounted in the handle assembly.

6. The vacuum cleaner from claim 4, wherein the filter is mounted in the handle assembly.

7. A vacuum cleaner comprising: a housing;a cleaning head assembly in the housing having a suction nozzle, an agitator, and a working air path therethrough;a dirt separator in the housing for removing dirt from a dirt-containing airstream;a suction source having an inlet connected to the dirt separator and adapted to move the dirt-containing airstream from the suction nozzle and through the dirt separator, and an outlet;a first motor driving the agitator and mounted in the cleaning head assembly;a source of cooling air supplied to the first motor;a conduit extending from the first motor to the suction source inlet to pass the cooling air from the first motor to the suction source inlet; anda filter mounted in the housing and in fluid communication with and downstream of the suction source outlet for removing contaminants from the air that passes from the suction source outlet.

8. The vacuum cleaner from claim 7, wherein the first motor is mounted within a motor housing in the cleaning head assembly and the cooling air passes from a first side of the motor housing to a second side.

9. The vacuum cleaner from claim 8, wherein the conduit is attached to the motor housing at the second side.

10. The vacuum cleaner from claim 7, wherein the conduit is connected to the suction source inlet downstream of the dirt separator.

11. The vacuum cleaner from claim 7, wherein the filter is a HEPA filter.

12. The vacuum cleaner from claim 7, wherein the housing comprises a handle assembly pivotally connected to the cleaning head assembly at a pivot axis and the conduit passes through the pivot axis.

13. The vacuum cleaner from claim 12, wherein the suction source is mounted in the handle assembly.

14. The vacuum cleaner from claim 12, wherein the filter is mounted in the handle assembly.