VACUUM CLEANER INCLUDING A REMOVABLE CANISTER ASSEMBLY
A vacuum cleaner including a pivot assembly having an interior, an exterior, and a pivot assembly electrical connector on the exterior of the pivot assembly. The pivot assembly electrical connector is electrically connected to an electrical component of a surface cleaning head. The vacuum further includes a cleaning wand having a cleaning wand electrical connector. The cleaning wand is received within the interior of the pivot assembly to removably couple the cleaning wand to the pivot assembly to place the cleaning wand in fluid communication with a dirty air inlet of a cleaning head and to removably electrically connect the cleaning wand electrical connector to the pivot assembly electrical connector. The cleaning wand electrical connector is electrically connected to the pivot assembly electrical connector to provide power to the electrical component of the cleaning head from a power source.
This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/466,502, filed Mar. 3, 2017, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein.
BACKGROUNDThe present invention relates to floor cleaning devices and, more particularly, to vacuum cleaners including removable canister assemblies.
Upright vacuum cleaners are typically used to clean floor surfaces, such as carpeting. It is sometimes desirable to maneuver and operate in relatively confined areas. In addition, it is sometimes desirable to clean elevated surfaces, such as drapes, furniture, or steps, with an upright vacuum cleaner.
SUMMARYIn one embodiment, a vacuum cleaner including a surface cleaning head including a dirty air inlet and an electrical component. A pivot assembly is pivotally coupled to the surface cleaning head such that the pivot assembly is pivotable relative to the surface cleaning head. The pivot assembly includes an interior, an exterior, and a pivot assembly electrical connector on the exterior of the pivot assembly. The pivot assembly electrical connector is electrically connected to the electrical component of the surface cleaning head. A canister assembly is coupled to the pivot assembly such that the canister assembly is supported above the surface cleaning head. The canister assembly includes an electrical source connector configured to connect to a power source. The canister assembly further includes a dirt separation unit and a suction source electrically connected to the electrical source connector and in fluid communication with the dirty air inlet and the dirt separation unit. The vacuum further includes a cleaning wand in fluid communication with the dirt separation unit and removably coupled to the pivot assembly. The cleaning wand includes a handle and a cleaning wand electrical connector. The cleaning wand is received within the interior of the pivot assembly to removably couple the cleaning wand to the pivot assembly to place the cleaning wand in fluid communication with the dirty air inlet and to removably electrically connect the cleaning wand electrical connector to the pivot assembly electrical connector. The cleaning wand electrical connector is electrically connected to the pivot assembly electrical connector to provide power to the electrical component of the surface cleaning head from the power source.
In another embodiment, a vacuum cleaner including a surface cleaning head having a dirty air inlet and an electrical component. A pivot assembly is pivotally coupled to the surface cleaning head such that the pivot assembly is pivotable relative to the surface cleaning head. The pivot assembly includes an elongated projection and a pivot assembly electrical connector within the elongated projection. The pivot assembly electrical connector electrically connected to the electrical component of the surface cleaning head. The pivot assembly further including a longitudinal axis. A canister assembly is removeably coupled to the pivot assembly such that the canister assembly is supported above the surface cleaning head. The canister assembly includes an electrical source connector configured to connect to a power source. The canister assembly further including a dirt separation unit and a suction source electrically connected to the electrical source connector and in fluid communication with the dirty air inlet and the dirt separation unit. The canister assembly further includes an elongated recess and a canister electrical connector within the elongated recess. A cleaning wand is in fluid communication with the dirt separation unit and removably coupled to the pivot assembly. The cleaning wand includes a handle and the cleaning wand is received within the pivot assembly by sliding the cleaning wand along the longitudinal axis of the pivot assembly to removably couple the cleaning wand to the pivot assembly to place the cleaning wand in fluid communication with the dirty air inlet. The canister assembly is removably coupled to the pivot assembly by sliding the canister assembly along the longitudinal axis to receive the elongated projection of the pivot assembly in the elongated recess of the canister assembly to electrically connect the canister electrical connector and the pivot assembly electrical connector. The canister electrical connector is electrically connected to the pivot assembly electrical connector to provide power to the electrical component of the surface cleaning head from the power source.
Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.
Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways.
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The pivot assembly 14 is pivotally coupled to the cleaning head 12. The illustrated pivot assembly 14 pivots relative to the cleaning head 12 about a first axis 26 and a second axis 28. The pivot assembly 14 pivots about the first axis 26 to rotate the canister assembly 16 and the pivot assembly 14 between an upright position (
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The cleaning wand 18 includes a handle 92 and a rigid conduit 94. Referring to
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During operation of the vacuum 10, it may be useful to remove the cleaning wand 18 from the interior 34 of the pivot assembly 14, for example, for above-floor cleaning. To remove the wand 18, the user removes the canister assembly 16 from the pivot assembly 14 as discussed above. Then the user pushes the release button 62 and pulls the handle 92 generally along the longitudinal axis 52 of the pivot assembly 14. The connection between the wand electrical connector 96 and the pivot assembly electrical connector 42 allows for easy disconnection and removal of the wand 18. The wand electrical connector 96 allows the user to electrically and communicatively connect the wand 18 and the vacuum 10 to an accessory tool to provide electrical power and control to the accessory tool.
In an alternative embodiment it may be desirable to provide electrical power and control to the cleaning head directly from the canister assembly rather than through the electrical connectors of the wand and pivot assembly. For example, in embodiments where the hose does not include power, ground, and communication wires. Referring to
Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.
Claims
1. A vacuum cleaner comprising:
- a surface cleaning head including a dirty air inlet and an electrical component;
- a pivot assembly pivotally coupled to the surface cleaning head such that the pivot assembly is pivotable relative to the surface cleaning head, the pivot assembly including an interior, an exterior, and a pivot assembly electrical connector on the exterior of the pivot assembly, the pivot assembly electrical connector electrically connected to the electrical component of the surface cleaning head;
- a canister assembly coupled to the pivot assembly such that the canister assembly is supported above the surface cleaning head, the canister assembly including an electrical source connector configured to connect to a power source, the canister assembly further including a dirt separation unit and a suction source electrically connected to the electrical source connector and in fluid communication with the dirty air inlet and the dirt separation unit; and
- a cleaning wand in fluid communication with the dirt separation unit and removably coupled to the pivot assembly, the cleaning wand including a handle and a cleaning wand electrical connector, the cleaning wand received within the interior of the pivot assembly to removably couple the cleaning wand to the pivot assembly to place the cleaning wand in fluid communication with the dirty air inlet and to removably electrically connect the cleaning wand electrical connector to the pivot assembly electrical connector,
- wherein the cleaning wand electrical connector is electrically connected to the pivot assembly electrical connector to provide power to the electrical component of the surface cleaning head from the power source.
2. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the electrical component includes a motor.
3. The vacuum cleaner of claim 2, wherein the surface cleaning head includes a brush, wherein the motor is operable to move the brush relative to the dirty air inlet.
4. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the electrical component includes a controller.
5. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the electrical component includes a controller and a sensor.
6. The vacuum cleaner of claim 5, wherein the sensor is operable to sense an attribute selected from the group consisting of temperature, electrical current, electrical voltage, air flow, motor speed, optically whether there is an obstruction, sounds, and pressure.
7. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the pivot assembly electrical connector includes a power terminal, a ground terminal, and a communication terminal, and wherein the cleaning wand electrical connector includes a power terminal, a ground terminal, and a communication terminal.
8. The vacuum cleaner of claim 7, further comprising a flexible hose including a helical spring wire, and a power wire, a ground wire, and a communication wire helically arranged adjacent the spring wire.
9. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the pivot assembly includes a recess, wherein the pivot assembly electrical connector is located within the recess on the exterior of the pivot assembly.
10. The vacuum cleaner of claim 9, further comprising a support rib that extends across the recess.
11. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1,
- wherein the pivot assembly includes an elongated projection and a longitudinal axis,
- wherein the canister assembly includes an elongated recess,
- wherein the cleaning wand is received within the interior of the pivot assembly by sliding the cleaning wand along the longitudinal axis,
- wherein the canister assembly is removably coupled to the pivot assembly by sliding the canister assembly along the longitudinal axis to receive the elongated projection of the pivot assembly in the elongated recess of the canister assembly
12. A vacuum cleaner comprising:
- a surface cleaning head including a dirty air inlet and an electrical component;
- a pivot assembly pivotally coupled to the surface cleaning head such that the pivot assembly is pivotable relative to the surface cleaning head, the pivot assembly including an elongated projection and a pivot assembly electrical connector within the elongated projection, the pivot assembly electrical connector electrically connected to the electrical component of the surface cleaning head, the pivot assembly further including a longitudinal axis;
- a canister assembly removeably coupled to the pivot assembly such that the canister assembly is supported above the surface cleaning head, the canister assembly including an electrical source connector configured to connect to a power source, the canister assembly further including a dirt separation unit and a suction source electrically connected to the electrical source connector and in fluid communication with the dirty air inlet and the dirt separation unit, the canister assembly further including an elongated recess and a canister electrical connector within the elongated recess; and
- a cleaning wand in fluid communication with the dirt separation unit and removably coupled to the pivot assembly, cleaning wand including a handle, the cleaning wand received within the pivot assembly by sliding the cleaning wand along the longitudinal axis of the pivot assembly to removably couple the cleaning wand to the pivot assembly to place the cleaning wand in fluid communication with the dirty air inlet,
- wherein the canister assembly is removably coupled to the pivot assembly by sliding the canister assembly along the longitudinal axis to receive the elongated projection of the pivot assembly in the elongated recess of the canister assembly to electrically connect the canister electrical connector and the pivot assembly electrical connector,
- wherein the canister electrical connector is electrically connected to the pivot assembly electrical connector to provide power to the electrical component of the surface cleaning head from the power source.
13. The vacuum cleaner of claim 12, further comprising a latch that removably couples the canister assembly to the pivot assembly.
14. The vacuum cleaner of claim 12, wherein the elongated projection of the pivot assembly includes a plastic exterior and a metal support member at an interior of the elongated projection.
15. The vacuum cleaner of claim 14, wherein the metal support member includes a hollow aluminum support member.
16. The vacuum cleaner of claim 14, wherein the plastic exterior is integrally molded around the metal support member.
17. The vacuum cleaner of claim 16, wherein the pivot assembly electrical connector is positioned in the metal support member.
18. The vacuum cleaner of claim 12, wherein the electrical component includes a motor.
19. The vacuum cleaner of claim 18, wherein the surface cleaning head includes a brush, wherein the motor is operable to move the brush relative to the dirty air inlet.
20. The vacuum cleaner of claim 12, wherein the electrical component includes a controller.
21. The vacuum cleaner of claim 12, wherein the electrical component includes a controller and a sensor.
22. The vacuum cleaner of claim 21, wherein the sensor is operable to sense an attribute selected from the group consisting of temperature, electrical current, and pressure.
23. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the pivot assembly electrical connector includes a power terminal, a ground terminal, and a communication terminal, and wherein the canister electrical connector includes a power terminal, a ground terminal, and a communication terminal.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 2, 2018
Publication Date: Sep 6, 2018
Inventors: Doug Rukavina (Concord, NC), Bradley Hooley (Charlotte, NC)
Application Number: 15/910,861