Bagless vacuum cleaner with improved dirt removal system

Abstract

A bagless vacuum cleaner having a removable dust extraction and collection unit. The removable dust extraction and collection unit has an enclosed inlet chamber and an enclosed outlet chamber. The bottom wall of the enclosed inlet chamber is pivotally hinged such that the bottom wall can be alternatively opened and closed. When opened, accumulated dust within the inlet chamber is conveniently gravitated out of the dust extraction and collection unit.

Description

[0001] This invention relates generally to vacuum cleaners and, more particularly, to bagless vacuum cleaners.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Bagless vacuum cleaners have become very popular over the last several years. This popularity is due in large part to the ease with which dust and dirt can be removed from such vacuum cleaners. In old style cloth bag-containing vacuum cleaners, dust and dirt removal is a difficult and awkward process, frequently requiring the user to extend his or her hand into the cloth bag to physically disengage dust clumps. Vacuum cleaners using disposable liner bags minimize the problems associated with cloth bags, but the use of such vacuum cleaners requires the continuous replenishment and installation of disposable liner bags. (Also, owners of older model disposable liner bag-containing vacuum cleaners often find it difficult to locate a source of properly sized replacement liner bags.)

[0003] Contrary to these problems associated with bag-containing vacuum cleaners, dirt and dust vacuumed up using bagless vacuum cleaners is conveniently deposited into an easily removable permanent container, from which dust and dirt can be disposed of without the effort associated with cloth bag-containing vacuum cleaners and without having to continually purchase and reinstall disposable liner bags.

[0004] Bagless vacuum cleaners of the prior art, however, have not been filly satisfactory. Most bagless vacuum cleaners have not demonstrated the ability to fully disengage dust and dirt from the vacuum air stream.

[0005] Accordingly, there is a need for a bagless vacuum cleaner which avoids these problems with the prior art.

SUMMARY

[0006] The invention satisfies this need. The invention is a vacuum cleaner having (a) a chasse having a base unit and a housing unit, the base unit having an air inlet and roller means for moving the vacuum cleaner across a flat surface; (b) an air blower disposed within the chasse; (c) a removable dust extraction and collection unit disposed within the housing unit, the dust extraction and collection unit comprising: (i) an enclosed inlet chamber, the inlet chamber being substantially cylindrical in shape, the inlet chamber comprising a bottom wall, at least one generally vertical sidewall, an upper section, a lower section and an inlet opening, the upper section of the inlet chamber having an air inlet opening through the sidewalls; and (ii) an enclosed outlet chamber disposed concentrically within the upper section of the inlet chamber, the outlet chamber having a bottom wall and a top wall, the top wall having a top wall opening, the sidewalls having a plurality of inlet apertures, the inlet apertures being disposed in a band around the sidewalls of the outlet chamber; and (d) duct work for serially connecting in fluid communication the air inlet in the base unit, the inlet chamber, the outlet chamber and the air blower; wherein, the bottom wall of the enclosed inlet chamber of the dust extraction and collection unit is pivotally hinged to the at least one side wall such that the bottom wall can be alternatively pivoted between (i) a closed bottom wall position wherein the bottom wall is sealed against the at least one side wall so that dust can be retained within the enclosed inlet chamber and (ii) an open bottom wall position wherein the bottom wall is pivoted away from the at least one side wall such that dust within the enclosed inlet chamber can be dumped out of the enclosed inlet chamber.

DRAWINGS

[0007] These features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims and accompanying figures where:

[0008] FIG. 1 is a front view of a vacuum cleaner having features of the invention;

[0009] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the vacuum cleaner illustrated in FIG. 1;

[0010] FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic cutaway front view of the vacuum cleaner illustrated in FIG. 1;

[0011] FIG. 4 is a diagrammatic cutaway side view of the vacuum cleaner illustrated in FIG. 1;

[0012] FIG. 5 is a first isometric view of a dust extraction and collection unit useable in the vacuum cleaner illustrated in FIG. 1;

[0013] FIG. 6 is a second isometric view of a dust extraction and collection unit useable in the vacuum cleaner illustrated in FIG. 1;

[0014] FIG. 7 is an isometric view of the vacuum cleaner illustrated in FIG. 1 with its dust extraction and collection unit removed;

[0015] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional side view of the dust extraction and collection unit illustrated in FIG. 5, taken along line 8-8;

[0016] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional side view of the dust extraction and collection unit illustrated in FIG. 5, taken along line 9-9; and

[0017] FIG. 10 is an exploded view of the dust extraction and collection unit illustrated in FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] The following discussion describes in detail one embodiment of the invention and several variations of that embodiment. This discussion should not be construed, however, as limiting the invention to those particular embodiments. Practitioners skilled in the art will recognize numerous other embodiments as well.

[0019] The invention is a vacuum cleaner 10 having features which improve upon the vacuum cleaner disclosed in my prior patent, U.S. Pat. No. 6,269,518 B1. As illustrated in FIGS. 1-4, the vacuum cleaner 10 has a chasse 12, an air blower 14 and a dust extraction and collection unit 16.

[0020] The chasse 12 comprises a base unit 18 and a housing unit 20. The base unit 18 has an air inlet 22 wherein dust and dirt is sucked up into the chasse 12. In a typical embodiment, the base unit 18 includes a rotating horizontal floor brush 24.

[0021] The base unit 18 further comprises roller means for moving the vacuum cleaner 10 across a flat surface. In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, such roller means includes a plurality of wheels 26 disposed, for example, at each of the four corners of the base unit 18.

[0022] The air blower 14 is disposed within the chasse 12. The air blower 14 is typically an electrically driven air blower having a capacity between about 50 m3/hour and about 200 m3/hour. A typical electrical motor 28 for driving the blower operates on ordinary house current and has a power capacity between about 800 watts and about 2000 watts. In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the rotating brush 24 within the base unit 18 is rotated by a drive belt 30 which is powered by the air blower motor 28.

[0023] The dust extraction and collection unit 16 is disposed within the housing unit 20. The dust extraction and collection unit 16 comprises an enclosed inlet chamber 32 and an enclosed outlet chamber 34. The dust extraction and collection unit 16 is illustrated in detail in FIGS. 5, 6 and 8-10.

[0024] The inlet chamber 32 is substantially cylindrical in shape with an internal diameter between about 130 mm and about 200 mm, preferably between about 150 mm and about 180 mm. The inlet chamber 32 comprises a body portion 35. The body portion 35 has a bottom wall 36, generally vertical sidewalls 38 and a top wall 40. The sidewalls 38 typically have an interior height between about 200 mm and about 250 mm, most typically between about 220 mm and about 230 mm.

[0025] The inlet chamber 32 has an upper section 42 and a lower section 44. The sidewalls in the upper section 42 of the inlet chamber 32 define an inlet opening 46 for allowing the ingress of dusty air from the base unit 18. The inlet opening 46 of the inlet chamber 32 is configured to provide the ingress of dusty air into the inlet chamber 32 in tangential fashion wherein the ingressing dusty air is caused to downwardly spiral around the internal surface 48 of the inlet chamber sidewalls 38. In this regard, the lateral edges of the inlet opening 46 are beveled, the exterior wall at the upstream lateral edge of the inlet opening 46 being beveled and the interior surface of the downstream lateral edge of the inlet opening 46 being beveled.

[0026] The inlet chamber 32 is preferably reversibly installable and deinstallable within the chasse 12. In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings, the inlet chamber 32 is reversibly installable and deinstallable within the chasse 12 via a snap-on connection between the inlet chamber walls and the walls of the chasse 12. In another embodiment (not shown), the inlet chamber 32 is reversibly installable and deinstallable within the chasse 12 using a press-fit connection.

[0027] The outlet chamber 34 is disposed concentrically within the upper section 42 of the inlet chamber 32. The outlet chamber 34 is suspended from the top wall 40 of the inlet chamber 32 by a chamber collar 47. The outlet chamber 34 has a bottom wall 50, a top wall 52 and generally vertical sidewalls 54. The sidewalls 54 have an interior height between about 50 mm and about 100 mm, preferably between about 80 mm and about 90 mm.

[0028] The sidewalls 54 of the outlet chamber 34 are perforated with a plurality of inlet apertures 56, each defining an area between about 3 mm2 and about 30 mm2. In a typical embodiment, the sidewalls 54 define between about 1000 and about 1500 inlet apertures 56, preferably between about 1300 and about 1400 inlet apertures 56. Typically each of the inlet apertures 56 is separated from adjoining inlet apertures 56 by a distance of between about 1.5 mm and about 5 mm. The inlet apertures 56 are preferably disposed in a band 58 around the sidewalls 54 of the outlet chamber 34. Typically, the band 58 has a width between about 20 mm and about 50 mm, preferably between about 30 mm and about 40 mm. The band 58 defines a median line (not shown) which divides the uppermost apertures 56 from a substantially equal number of lowermost apertures 56. Typically, the median line is disposed between about 30 mm and about 100 mm above the bottom wall 50 of the outlet chamber 34, preferably between about 50 mm and about 60 mm above the bottom wall 50.

[0029] The outlet chamber 34 has an upper section 66 and a lower section 68. Disposed around the sidewalls 54 in the lower section 68 of the outlet chamber 34 is an exterior perimeter edge member 70. The purpose of the exterior edge member 70 is to provide a narrowing of the open annulus 72 between the interior surface 48 of the inlet chamber 32 and the exterior surface 74 of the outlet chamber 34 proximate to the bottom wall 50 of the outlet chamber 34. In a typical embodiment, the exterior edge member 70 has a diameter between about 10 mm and about 60 mm less than the internal diameter of the inlet chamber 32, preferably between about 10 mm and about 20 mm less than the internal diameter of the inlet chamber 32.

[0030] In a preferred embodiment, a cylindrical filter 76 is disposed vertically and 25 concentrically within the outlet chamber 34. In the embodiments illustrated in the drawings, the bottom wall 50 of the outlet chamber 34 has an X-shaped wall 77 which projects vertically above the bottom wall 50. This X-shaped wall 77 supports the cylindrical filter 76. Typically, such cylindrical filter 76 is made from polypropylene, paper, ceramic or polytetrafluoroethylene having a thickness between about 1.5 mm and about 5 mm.

[0031] The top wall 52 of the outlet chamber 34 defines a top wall opening 78. Typically, the top wall opening 78 is disposed in the center of the top wall 52.

[0032] In another preferred embodiment, the outlet chamber 34 comprises a planar filter 80 disposed across the top wall 78 opening of the outlet chamber 34. In a typical embodiment, such planar filter 80 is made from sponge, fibrous polyethylene, fibrous polypropylene or paper, and typically has a thickness between about 5 mm and about 15 mm.

[0033] FIG. 10 illustrates an exploded view of the dust extraction and collection unit 16. As is seen in FIG. 10, the dust extraction and collection unit 16 further comprises an outlet plenum cover 82 for enclosing an outlet plenum 84 which carries air out of the dust extraction and collection unit 16. The outlet plenum cover 82 is sealed to the outlet plenum 84 by a plenum cover seal 86.

[0034] Attached to the body portion 35 is a handle 88 having a latch mechanism 90 configured to snap into a corresponding recess (not shown) in the chassis 12. The latch mechanism 90 is biased by a latch mechanism spring 93 to be in an uppermost (latched) position. The latch mechanism 90 can be easily unlatched by depressing an unlatch button 91 which protrudes through the top of the handle 88.

[0035] The bottom wall 36 of the inlet chamber 32 is hingeably attached to the body portion 35 at a hinge 95. A bottom wall sealing ring 96 is used to seal the bottom wall 36 to the body portion 35. The bottom wall 36 is retained in a closed position by a bottom wall hook latch 98. The hook latch 98 is pivotally attached to the body portion 35 of the dust extraction and collection unit 16. When in the latched position, the hook latch 98 can be disengaged from the bottom wall 36 by the depression of a locking pin button 100. The locking pin button 100 is biased away from the unlatched position by a bottom wall hook latch spring 102.

[0036] The invention further comprises duct work 92 for serially connecting in fluid communication the air inlet 22 in the base unit 18, the inlet chamber 32, the outlet chamber 34 and the air blower 14.

[0037] It is very important that all such duct work 92 and all connection points within the duct work and between various components in the system and/or the duct work 92 be well-sealed. Even small leaks within the system can markedly decrease efficiency and increase power requirements.

[0038] In a preferred embodiment, a blower filter 94 is operatively disposed downstream of the air blower 14. Preferably, such blower filter 94 is a HEPA filter.

[0039] In operation, the blower motor 28 is first engaged so as to activate the air blower 14 and to rotate the floor brush 24 via the brush drive belt 30. The vacuum cleaner 10 is then pushed across a dusty horizontal surface, such as a floor or a rug, using the handle 96 disposed at the top of the chasse 12.

[0040] As the vacuum cleaner 10 is pushed across the dusty horizontal surface, dust from the horizontal surface is drawn upwardly within a dusty air stream and enters the vacuum cleaner 10 through the air inlet 22 in the base unit 18. The duct work 92 directs the incoming dusty air stream into the inlet chamber 32 in tangential fashion, such that the incoming air stream within the inlet chamber 32 spirals downwardly about the internal surface 48 of the sidewalls 38 of the inlet chamber 32. After the dust-laden air stream swirls into the lower section 44 of the inlet chamber 32, the air stream reverses direction, drops in velocity and proceeds upwardly towards the outlet chamber 34. As the air reverses direction and drops in velocity, most of the entrained dust and dirt within the air stream falls out of the air stream falls out of the air stream and collects at the bottom of the inlet chamber 32. The air stream then flows upwardly past the exterior perimeter edge member 70 of the outlet chamber 34 and then into the outlet chamber 34 via the plurality of inlet apertures 56. Within the outlet chamber 34, the air stream passes through the cylindrical filter 76, where additional dust within the air stream is removed. The air stream is then drawn upwardly through the top wall opening 78 of the outlet chamber 34. As the air passes through the top wall opening 78, it is filtered a second time through the planar filter 80 disposed across the top wall opening 78. The air exiting the outlet chamber 34 is then drawn into the blower 14 via the duct work 92. At the outlet of the blower 14, the air is filtered a third time through the blower filter 94. After exiting the blower filter 94, the air is exhausted to the atmosphere.

[0041] Dust and dirt which collects within the lower section 44 of the dust extraction and collection unit 16 can be easily removed from the inlet chamber 32. The user depresses the unlatch button 91 at the upper portion of the handle. This action depresses the latch mechanism 90 out of the corresponding recess in the chasse 12 and allows the dust extraction and collection unit 16 to be removed from the chasse 12. After removal from the chasse 12, the dust extraction and collection unit 16 is taken to a refuse bin. At this point, the locking pin button 100 is depressed on the hook latch 98 to disengage the hook latch 98 from the bottom wall 36. This action allows the bottom wall 36 to pivot away from the body portion 35, thereby opening the inlet chamber 32 and allowing dust and dirt disposed within the inlet chamber 32 to gravitate out of the inlet chamber 32 into the refuse bin. Once all dust and dirt has been removed from the inlet chamber 32, the bottom wall 36 is pivoted back into abutment with the body portion 35 and the hook latch 98 is snapped into place so as to retain the bottom wall 36 against the body portion 35. The dust collection and extraction unit 16 is then reinstalled within the chasse 12, and the vacuum cleaner 10 is again ready for operation.

[0042] The invention has been found to provide a vacuum cleaner with all the conveniences of prior art vacuum cleaners, but with increased dust removal efficiency and without excessive mechanical complexity and resulting expense of manufacture. The invention further provides a simple and convenient method of removing accumulated dust and dirt from the vacuum cleaner using a unique dust extraction and collection unit having a bottom wall capable of pivotally opening downwardly.

[0043] Having thus described the invention, it should be apparent that numerous structural modifications and adaptations may be resorted to without departing from the scope and fair meaning of the instant invention as set forth hereinabove and as described hereinbelow by the claims.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

(a) a chasse having a base unit and a housing unit, the base unit having an air inlet and roller means for moving the vacuum cleaner across a flat surface;

(b) an air blower disposed within the chasse;

(c) a removable dust extraction and collection unit disposed within the housing unit, the dust extraction and collection unit comprising:

(i) an enclosed inlet chamber, the inlet chamber being substantially cylindrical in shape, the inlet chamber comprising a bottom wall, at least one generally vertical sidewall, an upper section, a lower section and an inlet opening, the upper section of the inlet chamber having an air inlet opening through the sidewalls; and

(ii) an enclosed outlet chamber disposed concentrically within the upper section of the inlet chamber, the outlet chamber having a bottom wall and a top wall, the top wall having a top wall opening, the sidewalls having a plurality of inlet apertures, the inlet apertures being disposed in a band around the sidewalls of the outlet chamber; and

(d) duct work for serially connecting in fluid communication the air inlet in the base unit, the inlet chamber, the outlet chamber and the air blower;

wherein, the bottom wall of the enclosed inlet chamber of the dust extraction and collection unit is pivotally hinged to the at least one side wall such that the bottom wall can be alternatively pivoted between (i) a closed bottom wall position wherein the bottom wall is sealed against the at least one side wall so that dust can be retained within the enclosed inlet chamber and (ii) an open bottom wall position wherein the bottom wall is pivoted away from the at least one side wall such that dust within the enclosed inlet chamber can be dumped out of the enclosed inlet chamber.

2. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein the enclosed inlet chamber further comprises a latch for alternatively retaining and releasing the bottom wall from the closed bottom wall position.

3. The vacuum cleaner of claim 2 wherein the latch is pivotably attached to the enclosed inlet chamber such that the latch can be alternatively pivoted between (i) a closed latched position wherein the latch firmly retains the bottom wall of the enclosed inlet chamber in the closed bottom wall position and (ii) an open latch position wherein the latch does not retain the bottom wall in the closed bottom wall position and the bottom wall is free to pivot to the open bottom wall position.

4. The vacuum cleaner of claim 3 wherein the latch is caused to move from the closed latch position to the open latch position by pushing upon a spring-loaded latch opening button.

5. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein the dust extraction and collection unit further comprises a locking mechanism for firmly retaining the dust extraction and collection unit within the chasse.

6. The vacuum cleaner of claim 5 wherein the locking mechanism comprises a moveable locking pin which is moveable between a closed locking pin position wherein the locking pin engages the chasse to thereby firmly retain the dust extraction and collection unit within the chasse and (ii) an open locking pin position wherein the locking pin does not engage the chasse, thereby allowing the dust extraction and collection unit to be removed from the chasse.

7. The vacuum cleaner of claim 6 wherein the locking pin is caused to move from the closed locking pin position to the open locking pin position by pushing on a spring-loaded locking pin button.