FILTER ASSEMBLY
A filter assembly (10) for a vacuum cleaner. The assembly (10) is a cup (23) that generally surrounds a cartridge chamber (20). Located in the chamber (20) is a filter cartridge (21). The assembly (10) further includes means to illuminate the chamber (20), the means including light pipes (29) and a circuit board (27).
The present invention relates to filter assemblies, and more particularly but not exclusively to filter assemblies employable with a vacuum cleaner.
BACKGROUNDTypically a vacuum cleaner includes a hollow body within which there is located an electric motor that drives an air pump. The air pump draws air in the through the vacuum cleaner from a hose that is held and manoeuvred by a person using the vacuum cleaner. The vacuum cleaner also includes a filter through which the air passes, with the filter arranged to remove material from the airstream passing through the vacuum cleaner.
A disadvantage of known vacuum cleaners is that the efficiency of the vacuum cleaner diminishes as the volume of material accumulating increases. A further disadvantage is that the operator may not be aware that the efficiency of the vacuum cleaner is diminishing.
OBJECT OF THE INVENTIONIt is the object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate at least one of the above disadvantages.
SUMMARY OF INVENTIONThere is disclosed herein a filter assembly including:
a hollow body providing a duct through which air passes from an inlet to an outlet, the duct including a filter chamber, an inlet duct portion joining the inlet with the chamber, an outlet duct portion joining the chamber and the outlet, with the body also including a filter cover at least partly enclosing the chamber;
a filter located in the chamber, the filter cooperating with the body so that air flow from the inlet to the outlet passes through the filter;
a light assembly mounted in the body and including a powered light source cooperating with the body to illuminate the chamber, and wherein at least part of the chamber is visible through the cover to provide for visual inspection of the chamber.
Preferably, the filter cover is a removable cup.
Preferably, the cup has at least portion that is transparent so that a user of the assembly may view the filter.
Preferably, the light assembly includes the light source cooperating with the cup so that the cup is illuminated.
Preferably, the cup is formed of light conducting material, with the light source directing light at an edge of the cup.
Preferably, the light source includes at least one LED, with each LED delivering light to a light pipe that transmits light to be delivered to the cup.
Preferably, the filter is removable.
Preferably, the filter cover includes a closed base from which the filter cover upwardly extends, with the filter cartridge being located in an upper portion of the filter chamber.
Preferably, at least portion of the cover is transparent to provide for visual inspection of the chamber and filter without removal of the cover.
Preferred forms of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:
In the accompanying drawings there is schematically depicted a filter assembly 10. The assembly 10 includes a hollow body 30 moulded of plastics material and has an inlet tube 11 and an outlet tube 12. The tubes 11 and 12 are coupled to hoses or tubes 13 and 14 of a vacuum cleaner. As an example, the tube 14 may be a flexible hose, and the tube 13 a metal tube that is generally gripped by a user of the vacuum cleaner. As an alternative, the tube 13 may also be a flexible hose.
The inlet tube 11 has an inlet opening 15, while the outlet tube 12 has an outlet opening 16.
The body 11 also provides a duct 17, extending from the inlet opening 15 to the outlet opening 16, through which air passes.
The duct 17 includes an inlet duct portion 18 and an outlet duct portion 19, between which there is located a filter chamber 20.
Located in the filter chamber 20 is a removable filter cartridge 21 that engages a hollow, tubular mounting 22. The chamber 30 and filter cartridge 21 collect dust removed from the air stream passing through the assembly 10.
In operation of the above described assembly 10, the tube 14 is connected to the suction end of a vacuum cleaner. The tube 13 would be attached to a vacuum cleaner head. Air is drawn through the assembly 10 from the opening 15 to the opening 16, with air passing along the duct 17 so as to pass through the filter cartridge 21 so as to be filtered thereby.
The body 30 also includes a removable filter cup 23. Preferably, the cup 23 has an annular end portion 24 that frictionally engages or alternatively threadably engages a tubular mounting portion 25 of the body 30. Removal of the cup 23 enables a user to engage the cartridge 21 for the purposes of removal and/or cleaning the cartridge 21 and chamber 20. Preferably at least part of the cup 23 is transparent so that the chamber 20 and cartridge 21 can be inspected. Preferably the entire cup 23 is transparent. Preferably the cup 23 is coloured so that scratches are not so apparent.
The body 30 also provides a cavity 26 within which there is located a circuit board 27 having mounted thereon a plurality of LEDs that are energized to delivery light to light pipes 29. The board 27 may be connected to the vacuum cleaner power supply, or may be battery powered. The light pipes 29 transmit light to the edge of the cup 23. Preferably the cup 23 is of light conducting material so that the cup 23 is illuminated while illuminating the chamber 20. Light may be continually delivered to the cup 23 when the vacuum cleaner is in use, or the user may just operate a switch connected to the board 27.
Preferably there is an air gap between the cup 23 and light pipes 29.
The printer circuit board 27 would be electrically coupled to the mains power supply through the vacuum cleaner.
The cup 23 is upwardly elongated from its closed bottom 31, with the filter cartridge 21 being located in an upper portion of the chamber 20. Air enters the chamber 20, passes through the filter cartridge 21, and then passes upwardly through the passage 32 of the mounting 22. The passage 32 extends to the outlet dust portion 19.
The cup 23 has a generally central longitudinal axis 33, with air passing radially inward through the filter cartridge 21 toward the axis 33. After passing through the filter cartridge 21 the defiltered air enters the passage 32.
An advantage of the above embodiment is that it allows the user to see how much dirt they have collected as they vacuum.
Claims
1. A filter assembly including:
- a hollow body providing a duct through which air passes from an inlet to an outlet, the duct including a filter chamber, an inlet duct portion joining the inlet with the filter chamber and located laterally to the filter chamber, an outlet duct portion joining the filter chamber and the outlet, with the hollow body also including a filter cover at least partly enclosing the filter chamber;
- a filter located in an upper portion of the filter chamber, the filter cooperating with the hollow body so that air flow from the inlet to the outlet passes through the filter; and
- a light assembly mounted in the hollow body and including a powered light source cooperating with the hollow body to illuminate the filter chamber, and wherein at least part of the filter chamber is visible through a filter cover to provide for visual inspection of the filter and the filter chamber, and wherein the air enters the filter chamber to follow to the filter wherefrom the air passes inward through the filter to be delivered to the outlet.
2. (canceled)
3. The filter assembly of claim 1, wherein the filter cover is a removable cup has at least portion that is transparent so that a user of the filter assembly may view the filter.
4. The filter assembly of claim 3, wherein the light assembly includes the powered light source cooperating with the removable cup so that the removable cup is illuminated.
5. The filter assembly of claim 4, wherein the removable cup is formed of light conducting material, with the light source directing light at an edge of the removable cup.
6. The filter assembly of claim 3, wherein the powered light source includes at least one LED, with each LED delivering light to a light pipe that transmits light to be delivered to the removable cup.
7-8. (canceled)
9. The filter assembly of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the cover is transparent to provide for visual inspection of the filter chamber and the filter without removal of the filter cover.
10. The filter assembly of claim 3, wherein the light assembly includes the powered light source cooperating with the removable cup so that the removable cup is illuminated.
11. The filter assembly of claim 4, wherein the removable cup is formed of light conducting material, with the powered light source directing light at an edge of the removable cup.
12. The filter assembly of claim 5, wherein the powered light source includes at least one LED, with each LED delivering light to a light pipe that transmits light to be delivered to the removable cup.
13. (canceled)
14. The filter assembly of claim 7, wherein the filter cover includes a closed base from which the filter cover upwardly extends.
15. The filter assembly of claim 8, wherein the filter covering including a base from which the filter cover upwardly extends, and at least a portion of the filter cover is transparent to provide for visual inspection of the filter chamber and filter without removal of the filter cover.
16. The filter assembly of claim 1, wherein the filter cover has at least a portion that is transparent so that a user of the filter assembly may view the filter, the light assembly includes the powered light source cooperating with the filter cover so that the filter cover is illuminated, with the filter cover being formed of light conducting material, with the powered light source directing light at an edge of the filter cover.
17. The filter assembly of claim 16, wherein the powered light source includes at least one LED, with each LED delivering light to a light pipe that transmits light to be delivered to the filter cover.
18. The filter assembly of claim 17, wherein the filter cover includes a closed base from which the filter cover upwardly extends.
19. The filter assembly of claim 18, wherein at least a portion of the filter cover is transparent to provide for visual inspection of the filter chamber and the filter without removal of the filter cover.
20. The filter assembly of claim 1, wherein the filter cover is a removable cup, with the removable cup including a closed base from which the removable cup upwardly extends, and at least a portion of the removable cap is transparent to provide for visual inspection of the filter chamber and the filter without removal of the filter cover.
21. A filter assembly including:
- a hollow body providing a duct through which air passes from an inlet to an outlet, the duct including a filter chamber, an inlet duct portion joining the inlet with the filter chamber, an outlet duct portion joining the filter chamber and the outlet, with the hollow body also including a filter cover at least partly enclosing the filter chamber;
- a filter located in the filter chamber, the filter cooperating with the hollow body so that air flow from the inlet to the outlet passes through the filter; and
- a light assembly mounted in the hollow body and including a powered light source cooperating with the hollow body to illuminate the filter chamber, and wherein at least part of the filter chamber is visible through the filter cover to provide for visual inspection of the filter chamber, and wherein the light assembly includes the light source, with the filter cover formed of light conducting material, with the light source directing light at an edge of the filter cover to illuminate the filter cover.
22. The filter assembly of claim 21, wherein the filter cover is a cup, with the cup having at least a portion that is transparent so that a user of the assembly may view the filter.
23. The filter assembly of claim 21, wherein the light source includes at least one LED, with each LED delivering light to a light pipe that transmits light to be delivered to the filter cover.
24. The filter assembly of claim 23, wherein at least portion of the cover is transparent to provide for visual inspection of the chamber and filter without removal of the cover
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 10, 2015
Publication Date: Nov 12, 2015
Inventor: Hiep DUONG (Glen Waverley)
Application Number: 14/643,770
