Hand-held vacuum cleaner

Abstract

 A hand-held vacuum cleaner (10) includes a housing (11) having first and second half housing elements (12, 14). The housing (11) has a handle (16) and a nozzle (20). A motor (24) is mounted within the housing (11) for driving a shaft (30). A fan (32) is mounted on the shaft for rotation therewith. A selectively separable bag assembly (40) is mounted on the housing (11). A working air channel (36) is formed within the housing (11) for communicating the nozzle (20) with the bag assembly (40). The air channel (36) terminates in a working air outlet chute (38) positioned within the bag assembly (40) at its open upper end. The air channel (36) directs the working air upwardly within the cleaner (10) from the outlet of the fan (36) to the outlet chute (38).

Description

[0001] This invention relates to a hand-held vacuum cleaner and in particular to a hand-held vacuum cleaner having improved air-flow resulting in improved performance.

[0002] Alternating current powered hand-held vacuum cleaners have become increasingly popular in the past several years. Such cleaners are particularly useful where conventional larger size vacuum cleaners such as large canister or upright types are inconvenient for the user. Such hand-held vacuum cleaners are particularly useful in cleaning stairs and furniture. Examples of AC powered hand-held vacuum cleaners are described in United States Patents Nos. 4,700,428 and 4,891,861.

[0003] Because of their reduced size, such hand-held vacuum cleaners do not have the same suction power as larger conventional cleaners. To minimize the loss of suction power, the working air path through the cleaner should be designed to provide an unobstructed, generally continuous air flow channel from the inlet nozzle to the collector bag for receiving the dirty air. Previously, the conventional hand-held vacuum cleaners of the type described, as exemplified by the unit illustrated in US Patent No. 4,891,861, have wasted suction power by causing the working air to flow through a rather circuitous air path within the cleaner. The loss of suction power has reduced the operating efficiency of the unit.

[0004] In United States Patent 2,184,446, there is illustrated a vacuum cleaner having a motor mounted in a vertical orientation. However, the illustrated cleaner is not a hand-held type, but is rather a large upright cleaner.

[0005] Very often it is desirable to extend the working air flow path of the cleaner by attaching a hose or other attachment to the cleaner. Heretofore, many of the commercially available hand-held vacuum cleaners have required that the user disengage or remove the drive belt employed to operate the rotary brush of the cleaner making the rotary brush inoperable. Removal of the drive belt has generally been relatively time consuming and inconvenient to the user.

[0006] A connector for attaching the hose to a hand-held vacuum cleaner is illustrated in United States Patent No. 4,700,428. The connector illustrated in this patent is relatively costly to manufacture and is not as simple to use as might be desired.

[0007] It is an object of the present invention to provide a hand-held vacuum cleaner having an air-flow channel which directs the air in a generally straight flow path from the inlet nozzle to the dirt collector bag.

[0008] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a connector for a hand-held vacuum cleaner which permits an accessory to be readily connected to the cleaner without requiring any removal of the drive belt.

[0009] The present invention provides a hand-held vacuum cleaner including a housing comprising mating first and second half housing elements, the housing having a handle and a nozzle, a motor mounted within the housing for driving a shaft, a fan mounted on the shaft for rotation therewith, a selectively separable bag assembly mounted on the housing, and means defining a working air channel within the housing communicating the nozzle with the bag assembly, characterised in that the air channel terminates in a working air outlet chute positioned within the bag assembly at the open upper end of the assembly, and the air channel directs the working air upwardly within the cleaner housing from the fan outlet to the outlet chute.

[0010] The present invention further provides a hand-held vacuum cleaner of the type described which comprises a connector for joining a hose or similar attachment to the vacuum cleaner, the connector extending the flow path of the working air channel from the attachment to the nozzle, the connector comprising a first section for direct engagement with the attachment and a second section adapted for fitting over the housing in underlying registration with the nozzle, the second section including a fluid flow channel, and edge wall surrounding the fluid flow channel and having an extent and configuration to fit in substantially fluid tight engagement with the nozzle, a pair of spaced apart hook-shaped projections extending outwardly from the edge wall and releasable latch means movably connected to the edge wall on the side thereof opposite the hook-shaped projections and the nozzle including first wall means for pivoting engagement with the hook-shaped projections and the second wall means for releasable enagement with the latch means, the latch means including a latch member and the second wall means including a pair of spaced ribs defining a pocket for receiving the latch member in a snap-fit engagement.

[0011] The shaft is preferably positioned within the housing generally normal to the direction of air flow within the working air channel. The air drawn into the housing flows through the nozzle axially towards the bag assembly and thence upwardly through the fan and again axially into the bag assembly.

[0012] A hand-held vacuum cleaner embodying the present invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which

Figure 1 is a side view, partially in cross section, of a hand-held vacuum cleaner;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of a detail of the cleaner illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view, partially in cross section, illustrating a connector of the present invention as attached to the vacuum cleaner of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a perspective view illustrating the manner in which the connector is attached to the cleaner by the user;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the connector; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of a detail of the connector and cleaner illustrated in Figure 3.

[0013] As can be seen from Figure 1, a hand-held vacuum cleaner generally designated by the reference numeral 10 comprises a housing generally designated by reference numeral 11. The housing has two mating half elements 12, 14 which are joined together via a tongue and groove joint. A handle 16 extends outwardly from the top of the housing 11.

[0014] The housing 11 includes a member 22 defining the lower wall of cleaner 10. The member 22 is removably connected to the first and second half housing elements 12, 14. The member 22 has an opening 20 defining the intake nozzle for the vacuum cleaner 10. A rotating brush 18 is mounted within the nozzle. The brush 18 includes a spindle 19 which is mounted in opposed bearing housing cavities (not shown) mounted in the side wall of the member 22. An endless belt 34 is wrapped around the spindle 19 for rotationally driving the brush 18.

[0015] A motor 24 is supported between the two half housing elements 12, 14. The motor is mounted in a vertical orientation with respect to the floor on which the vacuum cleaner 10 is supported. The motor 24 is operated by a source of AC power and is connected to the source of power via AC power plug 26. Each of the half housing elements 12, 14 includes a plurality of air vents 28 for providing cooling air to and from the motor 24.

[0016] The motor 24 drives a shaft 30 connected thereto.

[0017] A fan 32 is mounted on the shaft 30 for rotation therewith. The shaft 30 is also connected to the belt 34 which, as described previously, drives the brush 18. Internal walls of the half housing elements 12, 14 define, in part, a working air channel 36. The channel 36 commences at the nozzle 20 and terminates at an outlet chute 38. The outlet chute 38 extends from a backwall 58 of the housing 11. The outlet chute 38 directs the working air drawn into the vacuum cleaner into a dirty air bag assembly 40. The upper surface of the outlet chute 38 includes a generally arcuate or curved wall 54 for directing the working air towards the rear of the bag. The curved wall 54 deflects any debris entrained within the working air away from the user and enables the velocity of the entrained debris to decrease before the debris hits any surface of the bag. The curved wall 54 facilitates the filling of the bag. It is particularly important to note that the outlet chute 38 is positioned at the top of the bag assembly 40. It has been determined that more dirt can be captured within a given size bag when the chute is positioned at the top of the bag assembly rather than at the bottom thereof.

[0018] The bag assembly 40 includes a dirt collector bag 41 (shown in phantom) which is attached to a collar 42. The bag assembly 40 is removably secured to the housing 11. The collar 42 includes a pair of depending spaced bosses 43 which provide support for a pivot pin 44. A combined handle and latch member 46 is pivotally attached to the pivot pin 44. The collar 42 has an inwardly extending finger 62 formed on its top surface. The finger 62 mates with an indented section 64 formed in the top of the housing 11 so that the collar and attached bag assembly 40 are properly aligned on the housing.

[0019] The handle and latch member 46 includes a slightly canted upwardly extending rib 50 provided at its forward end. The rib 50 mates with a detent 48 formed on the member 22 to latch the collar and bag assembly onto the housing 11. The lower wall 22 further includes a pair of guide ribs 52 for guiding the rib 50 on the handle and latch member 46 into the proper position with respect to the detent 48.

[0020] In operation, air is drawn through the nozzle 20 and it passes in a generally straight line through the air channel 36 and thence into a fan inlet 60. The fan 32 discharges the air through an outlet chute 38 with the curved upper wall thereof directing the air towards the rear of the collector bag 41. The air flow path from the nozzle 20 to the outlet chute 38 is in generally a straight path. There are no right-angled bends at the fan outlet and thus air flow losses are maintained at a minimum. By maintaining the air flow losses at a minimum, the effective cleaning efficiency of the cleaner 10 is maintained at a relatively high level. The relatively high cleaning efficiency of the cleaner is attained primarily because the motor 24 and shaft 30 are mounted in a relatively vertical orientation with respect to the bottom wall member 22. The shaft 30 is positioned generally normal to the direction of the working air flow through the channel 36. In actuality, the motor and shaft are mounted at a 5° to 12° angle relative to a vertical axis, with the motor 24 being tilted towards the front of the cleaner 10.

[0021] In the hand-held vacuum cleaner illustrated in United States Patent No. 4,891,861, the motor is mounted in a horizontal plane. The working air flows through the nozzle into the vacuum cleaner housing and then is drawn vertically upward to pass into the fan inlet. The air is then discharged radially outwardly and must make a 90° bend to pass into the working air channel. The centre of the air inlet for the fan is approximately 7.5 cm (3 inches) above the nozzle. The working air channel terminates in an outlet communicating with the lower open end of a bag assembly. The aforedescribed air flow path results in significant flow losses reducing the overall cleaning efficiency of the cleaner thus described. The position of the outlet at the lower open end of the bag assembly results in the working air channel becoming clogged with dirt further degrading the performance of the cleaner.

[0022] In the vacuum cleaner embodying the present invention, the centre of the fan is only 2 cm (3/4 of an inch) above the nozzle as a result of the vertical mounting of the motor and fan. Further, the air flow from the fan follows a generally straight line as the air passes into the collector bag 41. Operation of the brush 18 assists in propelling the debris towards the fan inlet 60. The debris tends to follow a tangential flow path when thrown from the brush 18. The tangential flow path is co-axial with the working air channel 36. When the motor is mounted in a horizontal plane, the brush does not provide the same assistance in throwing the debris towards the fan inlet as it does when the motor is mounted in a vertical plane.

[0023] The position of the outlet at the open upper end of bag 41 minimizes clogging of the working air channel. Thus, the efficiency of the cleaner embodying the present invention is greater than the efficiency of vacuum cleaners of the type represented in the previously described United States patent.

[0024] A further advantage of mounting the motor in a vertical plane as compared to mounting the motor in a horizontal plane is apparent when it is necessary to replace the belt 34. To replace the belt, the wall 22 is easily removed to provide access to the belt shaft 30 and spindle 19. With cleaners mounted in a horizontal plane, a front panel on the cleaner is removed providing only limited access to the belt and its associated mechanisms. In some instances, manufacturers have provided the users with special tools to replace the belt.

[0025] At times, the user of vacuum cleaner 10 may desire to employ an attachment such as a hose and crevice tool. The hose extends the working air flow path. In some of the prior art hand-held vacuum cleaners, it has been necessary to detach the belt and render the brush inoperable when an attachment is connected to the cleaner. Detachment of the belt is generally not a user friendly operation. In other cleaners of the type described, a connector has been inserted between the attachment and nozzle of the cleaner. The connector of the prior art has been relatively more expensive to manufacture and has not been as user friendly as the connector to be more fully described hereinafter.

[0026] Referring now to Figures 3 to 6, the attachment connector 70 of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0027] The connector 70 includes a first section 72 and a second section 74. The first section 72 includes a generally cylindrical portion 76 which mates directly with the attachment such as a hose. The portion 76 extends from a generally rhomboid shaped housing portion 78. An operating lever 81 of a latch assembly 80 extends through the top surface of the housing 78. The latch assembly 80 further includes a latch member 88 to be more fully described hereinafter. A leaf spring 90 biases the latch assembly 80 towards the cylindrical portion 76.

[0028] The connector 70 includes a fluid flow path. A first portion 102 of the flow path is defined by the first section 72 and a second portion 104 of the flow path is defined by the second section 74. The second portion 104 of the flow path is in fluid flow communication with the nozzle 20.

[0029] The second section 74 includes an outer wall 106 extending along the front and both sides of the connector 70; the rear of the second section 74 is open. A four sided inner edge wall 92 is spaced from the outer wall 106 and is dimensioned to fit in substantially fluid tight engagement with the nozzle 20 when placed in underlying registration therewith. A gasket 94 is held between the outer surface of the edge wall 92 and the inner surface of the wall defining the nozzle 20 to insure a fluid tight seal between the respective walls. The space between opposed surfaces of the walls 92 and 106 is designated by reference numeral 110.

[0030] The front wall defining the nozzle 20 includes a pair of spaced vertically extending ribs 98, 100 which define a pocket 96. As illustrated in Figures 4 and 6, the nozzle 20 is bisected by a rib 97 which includes a base 99 defining a bottom wall for the pocket 96. The pocket 96 is sized so that is receives the latch member 88 of the latch assembly 80 in a snap-fit engagement when the connector 70 is placed on the cleaner 10. Each of the side walls defining the nozzle 20 includes a depending rib 108. The depending ribs 108 fit in the space 110 when the connector 70 is attached to the housing 11.

[0031] A pair of angled ribs 112 are spaced laterally to and equidistantly from the latch member 88.

[0032] As illustrated in Figure 3, when the user of the cleaner desires to place the connector 70 onto the cleaner, the user grabs the handle 16 of the cleaner with one hand and uses the other hand to place the connector onto the housing 11 of the cleaner 10. In particular, the hook-shaped projections 84 extending from the rear of the second section 74 are placed into engagement with the rear wall of the housing defining the nozzle 20. The hook-shaped projections 84 enable the user to pivot the connector relative to the housing so that the connector rotates in a counter clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 2 resulting in the latch member 88 of the latch assembly 80 being forced into the pocket 96. The combination of the inner edge wall 92, the gasket 94 and the inner surface of the housing defining the nozzle 20 defines a seal between the connector 70 and the cleaner 10. The depending ribs 108, angled ribs 112 and hook-shaped projections 84 cooperate to prevent any lateral or axial movement of the connector 70 relative to the housing 11 when the cleaner 10 is in use.

[0033] When it is desired to remove the connector 70 from the cleaner 10, the operating lever 81 is moved towards the cleaner housing in opposition to the force provided by the leaf spring 90. This moves the latch member 88 from the pocket 96 thereby enabling the user to pivot the connector 70 about the projections 84 and out of engagement with the nozzle 20.

Claims

1. A hand-held vacuum cleaner (10) including a housing (11) comprising mating first and second half housing elements (12, 14), the housing having a handle (16) and a nozzle (20), a motor (24) mounted within the housing (11) for driving a shaft (30), a fan (32) mounted on the shaft (30) for rotation therewith, a selectively separable bag assembly (40) mounted on the housing (11), and means defining a working air channel (36) within the housing (11) communicating the nozzle (20) with the bag assembly (40), characterised in that the air channel (36) terminates in a working air outlet chute (38) positioned within the bag assembly (40) at the open upper end of the assembly (40), and the air channel (36) directs the working air upwardly within the cleaner housing (11) from the fan outlet to the outlet chute (38).

2. A hand-held vacuum cleaner according to Claim 1, characterised in that the outlet chute (38) is partially defined by a surface having an arcuate shape (54).

3. A hand-held vacuum cleaner according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, characterised in that it further comprises
   a connector (70) for joining a hose or similar attachment to the vacuum cleaner (10), the connector extending the flow path of the working air channel (36) from the attachment to the nozzle (20), the connector (70) comprising a first section (72) for direct engagement with the attachment and a second section (74) adapted for fitting over the housing in underlying registration with the nozzle (20), the second section (74) including a fluid flow channel (104), and edge wall (92) surrounding the fluid flow channel (104) and having an extent and configuration to fit in substantially fluid tight engagement with the nozzle (20), a pair of spaced apart hook-shaped projections (84) extending outwardly from the edge wall (92) and releasable latch means (80, 81, 88) movably connected to the edge wall (92) on the side therof opposite the hook-shaped projections (84) and the nozzle (20) including first wall means for pivoting engagement with the hook-shaped projections (84) and the second wall means (96, 97, 98, 99, 100) for releasable engagement with the latch means (80, 81, 88), the latch means (80, 81, 88) including a latch member (88) and the second wall means including a pair of spaced ribs (98, 100) defining a pocket (96) for receiving the latch member (88) in a snap-fit engagement.

4. A hand-held vacuum cleaner (10) including a housing (11) comprising mating first and second half housing elements (12, 14) the housing (11) having a handle (16) and a nozzle (20), a motor (24) mounted within the housing (11) for driving a shaft (30), a fan (32) mounted on the shaft (30) for rotation therewith, a selectively separable bag assembly (40) mounted on the housing (11) in spaced relation along the horizontal axis of the cleaner (10) relative to the nozzle (20), characterised in that it comprises means defining a working air channel (36) within the housing (11) communicating the nozzle (20) with the bag assembly (40) for delivering working air axially within the housing (11) from the nozzle (20) to the bag assembly (40), the channel (36) directing the working air upwardly within the cleaner housing (11) from the fan outlet to the bag assembly (40), and the shaft (30) extending within the housing (11) in a substantially vertical upwardly direction relative to the working air channel (36).

5. A hand-held vacuum cleaner according to Claim 4, characterised in that the air channel (36) terminates in an outlet chute (38) positioned within the bag assembly (40) at the open upper end of the assembly

6. A hand-held vacuum cleaner according to Claim 5, characterised in that the outlet chute (38) is partially defined by a surface having an arcuate shape (54).

7. A hand-held vacuum cleaner (10) including a housing (11) comprising mating first and second half housing elements (12, 14), the housing (11) having a handle (16) and a nozzle (20), a motor (24) mounted within the housing (11) for driving a shaft (30), a fan (32) mounted on the shaft (30) for rotation therewith, a selectively separable bag assembly (40) mounted on the housing (11) in spaced relation along the horizontal axis of the cleaner (10) relative to the nozzle (20) characterised in that it comprises means defining a working air channel (36) for directing the air flowing through the nozzle (20) along the horizontal axis of the cleaner vertically upwardly through the fan (32) and thence upwardly within the cleaner housing (11) from the fan outlet to the bag assembly (40).

8. A hand-held vacuum cleaner (10) according to Claim 7 further characterised in that the air channel (36) terminates in a working air outlet chute (38) positioned within the bag assembly (40) at the open upper end of the assembly.

9. A hand-held vacuum cleaner (10) according to Claim 8 characterised in that the outlet chute (38) is partially defined by a surface having an arcuate shape (54).

10. A hand-held vacuum cleaner (10) according to any of Claims 7-9 characterised in that the shaft (30) is positioned within the housing (11) in a substantially vertical upwardly direction relative to the working air channel (36).

Drawing