Patents Examined by Theresa T. Snider
  • Patent number: 7954200
    Abstract: A cleaning apparatus for cleaning a surface in which cleaning solution is dispensed to the surface is provided. The cleaning apparatus includes a distributor for dispensing solution to the surface and a solution tank fluidly connected to the distributor for supplying a flow of solution to the distributor. The solution tank has a bottom portion and an upper portion. A constant head device is fluidly connected to the solution tank such that the flow of solution from the solution tank to the distributor is substantially constant independent of the level of solution in the solution tank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2011
    Assignee: The Hoover Company
    Inventors: John A. Leonatti, Christel R. Richard
  • Patent number: 7707682
    Abstract: A portable cleaning apparatus for cleaning a surface is provided and includes a housing for movement along the surface. A solution container is mounted to the housing and contains a solution. A dispensing nozzle is provided on the housing and is fluidly connected to the solution container. The dispensing nozzle dispenses solution beyond the edge of the housing. In one aspect, an edge cleaner is provided at an edge of the housing and includes a plurality of pliable elements for agitating the surface, wherein the pliable elements contact the surface beyond the edge of said housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2010
    Assignee: Techtronic Floor Care Technology Limited
    Inventor: Richard S. Parr
  • Patent number: 7441306
    Abstract: Provided is a suction nozzle structure of a vacuum cleaner for enhancing a foreign particle suction efficiency. The suction nozzle structure includes: a suction tube in which a negative pressure is formed; a suction hole formed at a bottom of the suction nozzle structure such that air and foreign particles are sucked by the negative pressure of the suction tube; an agitator installed at an upper side of the suction hole; an air guide provided with an air suction passage communicating the suction hole with the suction tube, for guiding air flow; and a foreign particle rotation-preventing portion formed protruding from the air guide, for preventing a foreign particle from rotating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2008
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Kyung Chul Kim
  • Patent number: 7415749
    Abstract: A blower is provided, and comprises a blower fan, a motor for driving the fan, a blower tube that extends from the fan, and a potential compensation conductor that extends within the blower tube and is connected with the motor in an electrically conductive manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2008
    Assignee: Andreas Stihl AG & Co. KG
    Inventor: Steffen Joos
  • Patent number: 7406742
    Abstract: An apparatus comprising a blower fan, a motor for driving the blower fan, a blower tube for conveying an air stream from the blower fan, and a potential compensation device that is electrically connected with the motor. The potential compensation device includes a charge compensation element having a free end that projects in an exposed manner into the air stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 5, 2008
    Assignee: Andreas Stihl AG & Co. KG
    Inventors: Steffen Joos, Uwe Gaese
  • Patent number: 7383609
    Abstract: An upright type vacuum cleaner is provided that includes a main body containing a filtering device that filters out foreign materials entrained in sucked air, a suction nozzle device connected to a lower portion of the main body to be pivoted on a first joint portion, so as to suck the air with the entrained foreign materials and guide the sucked air into the main body, and a handle that is connected to an upper portion of the main body to be pivoted on a second joint portion. The handle is provided with a third joint portion in the middle of the handle so that the handle may be folded at certain angles, and grasped by a user in use. The main body, the suction nozzle device, and the handle are connected to one another through the three joint portions in various configurations and at different angles so that users having various physical conditions may conveniently use the vacuum cleaner in various manners.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2008
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventor: Heon-Pyeong Ji
  • Patent number: 7377009
    Abstract: A complex type cleaner includes: a cleaner body having at least one of a dust collecting container for storing dust or foreign materials and a water collecting container for storing contaminated water; and a suction head having a dust suction opening disposed at a lower portion of the cleaner body and sucking dust when the cleaner performs a vacuum cleaning and a suction head having a suction nozzle for sucking contaminated water when the cleaner performs a water cleaning. By implementing both vacuum cleaning function for sucking dust and water cleaning function in one cleaner, a cost can be reduced, users' convenience can be improved, and the cleaner can be conveniently kept in storage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2008
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Yong Woo Lee, Choon Myun Chung, Ho Seon Rew, Hyeun Sik Nam
  • Patent number: 7373690
    Abstract: A floor cleaning device having a base assembly and an operating handle selectively movable between an extended position and a collapsed position. The operating handle has a lower handle connected to the base assembly and an upper handle connected to the lower handle. The lower handle is pivotally connected to the base assembly and the upper handle is pivotally connected to the lower handle. The handle is moved to the collapsed position by folding the lower handle downward relative to the base assembly and folding the upper handle relative to the lower handle. The base occupies a floor space defined by an outer periphery of the base assembly, and the lower and upper handles are positioned above the base assembly and do not extend laterally and longitudinally a substantial distance from the outer periphery of the base assembly when the operating handle is moved to the collapsed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 20, 2008
    Assignee: Electrolux Home Care Products, Inc.
    Inventors: Arnie Sepke, Randall Sandlin, Vince Bobrosky, Bill Reimer
  • Patent number: 7367082
    Abstract: A floor care appliance is provided for cleaning bare surfaces such as tile, marble, linoleum and wood. The floor care appliance includes a port for the connection of an accessory hose and wand for off the floor cleaning. A variety of cleaning implements can be attached to the wand for cleaning hard to reach bare surfaces such as tile and grout. The port includes a suction inlet, cleaning solution outlet, and an air turbine inlet for an air turbine pump which pressurizes the cleaning solution. A pivoting door seals the suction inlet, cleaning solution outlet, and air turbine inlet when the accessory hose and wand are not in use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Inventors: Evan A. Gordon, Jeffery S. Louis, Kevin E. Scheifele, Jeffery A. Morgan, Brent L. Burchfield
  • Patent number: 7367083
    Abstract: A cleaning apparatus for cleaning a surface in which cleaning solution is dispensed to the surface and substantially simultaneously extracted along with the dirt on the surface in a continuous operation is provided. The cleaning apparatus includes a housing and a recovery tank removably mounted to the housing. A liquid distribution system is operatively associated with the housing for distributing the cleaning solution to the surface. A suction nozzle is secured to the housing and in fluid communication with the recovery tank. A suction source is in fluid communication with the suction nozzle for generating suction to draw dirt and liquid through the suction nozzle and into the recovery tank. The suction nozzle includes a front nozzle portion removably mounted to a rear nozzle portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2008
    Assignee: Healthy Gain Investments, Ltd.
    Inventors: Douglas C. Barker, Charles A. Lang, Gregg A. McAllise
  • Patent number: 7363680
    Abstract: A floor-cleaning machine (10) has a chassis (12) that is mobile on a surface and carries an agitating mechanism (14) to engage the surface. A fluid delivery system (18) conveys fluid from a reservoir (16) to the surface proximate the agitating mechanism (14). The fluid delivery system (18) includes a flow control valve (20) having a body (24) and a flow control member in the form of a ball (22) constrained within the body (24) and rotatable about an axis. A first passage (30) and a second passage (32) are defined in the ball (22), with the second passage (32) having a cross sectional area smaller than a cross sectional area of the first passage (30). The ball (22) is pivotable between a high flow position and a low flow position. In the high flow position, the ball (22) is positioned to allow fluid flow from a upstream duct (26) to a downstream duct (28) through the first passage (30).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: Nilfisk-Advance, Inc.
    Inventor: Donald J. Legatt
  • Patent number: 7363682
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a suction head for a vacuum cleaner, including a casing having a suction port for sucking alien substances from the floor, an agitator rotatably installed inside the suction port, a plurality of brushes being arranged on the agitator in the length direction, an agitator driving unit for driving the agitator to perform reciprocating rotation in a predetermined angle range, and a resonance unit for resonating the reciprocating rotation of the agitator driving unit. The suction head for the vacuum cleaner improves cleaning performance of the vacuum cleaner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2008
    Assignee: LG Electronics Inc.
    Inventors: Jun-Young Lim, Myung-Keun Yoo, Yong-Won Choi
  • Patent number: 7360277
    Abstract: A vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the invention includes a chassis, a fan unit including a blower housing mounted to the chassis and an inlet housing affixed to the blower housing, and a baseplate affixed to the chassis. An access aperture is formed in the baseplate. The access aperture extends at least partially over the fan unit. A door can be included in the baseplate. A bearing washer is positioned between the blower housing and the inlet housing and provides a substantially air-tight seal between the blower housing and the inlet housing. The inlet housing includes a bearing face, an inlet conduit portion, a slide flange, and a slide block. The slide block slides into and engages the slide flange and further slides into and engages the chassis of the vacuum cleaner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2008
    Assignee: Oreck Holdings, LLC
    Inventors: Paul A. Moshenrose, Charles W. Reynolds, Christopher M. Paterson, Steve Irby
  • Patent number: 7356872
    Abstract: A vacuum device has a housing. The housing forms an inlet opening and an outlet opening. The housing also forms a viewable compartment for retaining refuse vacuumed by the device. A vacuum motor is located in the housing. The vacuum motor has a suction inlet and a vent outlet. The suction inlet is connected to the viewable compartment. The suction inlet is also connected to the inlet opening of the housing. The vent outlet of the vacuum motor is to the outlet opening of the housing. An electric circuit of the device is connected to the vacuum motor. The electric circuit is connected to a sensor and includes a microcontroller. The sensor, for example, an infrared beam and detector, triggers the electric circuit, and programmed control by the microcontroller, when the beam is broken and not detected by the detector. When the beam is broken, the sensor signals the microcontroller and the microcontroller logically powers-on the vacuum motor to suction the refuse into the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Assignee: CrowleyJones, L.P.
    Inventors: Terry G. Jones, James M. Warren, Christian Gerard, Philip Leveridge, Hoyet H. Andrews, III, Jeffrey J. Spurgat
  • Patent number: 7356875
    Abstract: A cleaning machine for cleaning a surface in which cleaning solution is dispensed to the surface and substantially extracted along with the dirt on the surface in a continuous operation is provided. The cleaning machine includes an airflow source that produces an airflow directed out of an outlet. A duct cover covers the outlet. The duct cover includes at least one opening that is sized and oriented to distribute the air evenly across the outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2008
    Assignee: Healthy Gain Investments Ltd
    Inventors: Sleiman A. Abdallah, Michael A. Durbin, Frank D. Fowler, Jeffrey S. Louis
  • Patent number: 7353564
    Abstract: An attachment for portable power and suction units, including a long control tube having a length to extend from a floor to adjacent shoulder height of a standing user and a vacuum head formed from a length of tube having a slot in one side and with the ends of the slot closed; and a flexible connection between the interior of the vacuum head and the interior of a control tube to be connected to a portable power and suction unit while allowing limited pivoting of the long control tube in the plane of the slot and normal to a bottom of the vacuum head.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2008
    Inventor: Robert Wertz
  • Patent number: 7350267
    Abstract: A wand for a domestic appliance (e.g., vacuum cleaner) includes a plurality of tubes which are dimensioned to telescope inside one another. Each tube is associated with a securing mechanism for securing the tube in an extended position with respect to another of the tubes. Adjacent securing mechanisms are positioned on their respective tubes such that, when the tubes are retracted, one securing mechanism presses against another to release the other securing mechanism. Thus, a user does not need to separately operate each securing mechanism when extending the wand. Also, the tubes automatically secure themselves in an extended position with respect to one another. A hook on the widest tube cooperates with a collar on the narrowest tube to retain the tubes in a stored position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2008
    Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited
    Inventor: Nicholas Alexander Evans
  • Patent number: 7350264
    Abstract: A vacuum sweeper vehicle has a sweeper body including a frame. A pair of front wheels are supported by an axle apparatus at a forward end of the sweeper body. The axle apparatus is constructed to provide a space between the front wheels. A pair of rear wheels are supported at a rearward end of the sweeper body. A container is coupled to the sweeper body for receiving debris. A suction hose extends between the container and a vacuum nozzle proximal a forward end of the body. The suction hose extends through the space between the the front wheels. A suction device draws the debris from the nozzle, into the container, and a brush coupled to a forward end of the sweeper body sweeps debris from a ground surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2008
    Assignee: Madvac Inc.
    Inventors: Marc Bedard, Andre Dubois
  • Patent number: 7350262
    Abstract: A floor care appliance is provided for cleaning bare surfaces such as tile, marble, linoleum and wood. The floor care appliance includes an accessory caddy for storing an accessory hose, telescoping wand, cleaning implements and cleaning supplies. The accessory caddy is placed over the suction nozzle in front of the cleaner housing for storage. A pair of arcuate cutouts on the caddy are provided for placement over the suction nozzle. A handle is provided for transporting the accessory caddy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2008
    Assignee: The Hoover Company
    Inventor: Kevin E. Scheifele
  • Patent number: RE40542
    Abstract: A dual filter arrangement for a vacuum cleaner for filtering particles of dust and debris from an airflow passing through the vacuum cleaner. The dual filter comprises a coarse pre-filter having an array of pores formed therein of substantially uniform diameter and a fine primary filter which is located rearwardly of the pre-filter in the direction of flow of the airflow. The dual filter is releasably latched to a main housing portion of the vacuum cleaner housing. A nose cone is removably secured to the housing and circumscribes the dual filter assembly. The dual filter enables even more efficient filtering of contaminants from dust and dirt entrained air ingested by the vacuum cleaner. Attachment of the dual filter to the main housing portion provides the additional advantage of increasing the capacity of the nose cone and eliminating the need for the user to handle the dual filter assembly when emptying contaminants collected within the nose cone.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Coburn, Danny Bone, Barry Pears