TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] This application relates to vacuum cleaners.
BACKGROUND
[0002] A vacuum cleaner includes a base and different cleaning attachments and handles that
are removably attachable to the base. The cleaning attachments include a vacuuming
head for vacuuming a carpet, a shampooing head for shampooing the carpet, and an accessory
hose for cleaning above-the-floor household surfaces. The handles include an upright
handle for pushing the base over the carpet and a portable handle for lifting the
base to above-the-floor surfaces.
SUMMARY
[0003] A cleaning apparatus includes a base, a cleaning head and a handle. The cleaning
head is configured to be attached to the base and moved against a household surface
to clean the surface. The handle is configured to be removably attached to the base
for manually moving the base by the handle. The handle has an electronic user interface
with which a user can control or monitor operation of the base.
[0004] Preferably, the user interface is a control for the user to control an operating
condition of the base. The base is free of an electronic user interface. The cleaning
head is a vacuuming head, and the base includes a fan for moving dirt laden air through
the head into a dirt receptacle. The handle is configured to output a signal to the
base indicating to the base which type of handle it is. A different handle is configured
to be removably attached to the base for manually moving the base and has an electronic
user interface with which the user can control or monitor operation of the base. The
base and the handle have respective terminals that are interconnectable and through
which the user interface communicates with the base. The terminals are configured
for the terminal of the handle to be moved toward and into connection with the terminal
of the base by movement of the handle toward and into an installed position removably
attached to the handle. The base is configured to control an operating condition of
the base based on which of the handles is attached.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005]
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner base and different cleaning attachments
and handle assemblies that can be removably attached to the base;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the base, showing its external parts;
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the base, showing its internal parts;
Figs. 4 and 5 are exploded views of an upright handle assembly shown in Fig. 1, taken
from two different viewpoints;
Fig. 6 is a sectional view illustrating a procedure for attaching the upright handle
assembly to the base;
Fig. 7 is a sectional view showing the upright handle assembly attached to the base
to form an upright vacuum cleaner;
Fig. 8 is a sectional view illustrating operation of the upright vacuum cleaner;
Fig. 9 is a sectional view showing a blower hose attached to the upright handle assembly;
Fig. 10 is a perspective view of parts of a handle portion of a portable handle assembly
shown in Fig. 1;
Fig. 11 is a sectional view illustrating a procedure for attaching the portable handle
assembly to the base; and
Fig. 12 is a sectional view showing the portable handle assembly attached to the base.
DESCRIPTION
Overview
[0006] The apparatus 1 shown in Fig. 1 has parts that are examples of the elements recited
in the claims. The apparatus thus includes examples of how a person of ordinary skill
in the art can make and use the claimed invention. It is described here to meet the
requirements of enablement and best mode without imposing limitations that are not
recited in the claims.
[0007] The apparatus 1 is a cleaning system used for cleaning household surfaces, such as
a carpeted floor 6. The system 1 includes a base 10 and different cleaning attachments
and handle assemblies that can be removably attached to the base 10. The cleaning
attachments include a vacuuming head 12, a power head assembly 14, an accessory hose
16 and a shampooing head 18. The handle assemblies include an upright handle assembly
20 and a portable handle assembly 22. Any of the attachments 12, 14, 16 and 18 can
be installed on the base 10 with any of the handle assemblies 20 and 22.
Base
[0008] As shown in Fig. 2, the base 10 has a housing 30 located on a horizontal longitudinal
axis 31. The housing 30 has a front face 40 with upper and lower inlet ports 46 and
48. Two front wheels 50 and two rear wheels 52 are rotatable connected to the housing
30 for wheeling the base 10 over the floor 6. The rear wheels 52 are fixed to a common
axle 56. The base 10 has two perch pins 60 and a bear claw latch 64 with a release
button 66 for securing the cleaning attachments to the base 10. It also has four electrical
contacts 71, 72, 73 and 74 - respectively designated ground, 5VDC-out, 24VDC-out and
resistance-sense. An attachment sensor 76 on the housing 30, in this example a pushbutton
switch, senses whether the upper inlet port 46 is covered by a cleaning attachment.
[0009] As shown in Fig. 3, the housing 30 encases a fan 80 that has an inlet 82 and an outlet
84 and is driven by a motor 88. The motor 88 also drives a drive pulley 90 through
a drive train that includes shafts 93, belts 94, pulleys 95, a bevel gear 96 and an
electrically actuated clutch 98. A drive assist motor 99 rotates the rear wheels 52
to propel the base 10.
[0010] A handle mounting bracket 100 is pivotally attached to the housing 30 by two prongs
102. The bracket 100 has a flat top surface 104 with an outlet port 105. The port
105 is connected to the fan outlet 84 by a flexible tube 106 that extends downward
from a gasket 108 surrounding the port 105. Two spacers 110 at the top surface 104
prevent over-compression of the gasket 108. The bracket 100 has two pins 112 in respective
notches 114 and a wedge surface 116, for securing the handle assemblies to the bracket
100.
[0011] An electronic position sensor 120 senses whether the bracket 100, and thus the upright
handle assembly 20, is in an upright or inclined position. In this example, the sensor
is a contact switch that is attached to the base 10 and contacts the bracket 100 when
the bracket 100 is upright. A multi-contact electrical base terminal 124 is located
at the top surface 104 of the handle bracket 100.
[0012] A controller circuit 130 is electrically connected to the electrical components 71-74,
76, 88, 98, 99, 120 and 124 (Fig. 2 and 3) of the base 10 to monitor and control operation
of the base 10. The circuit 130 receives wall current through a power cord 132. It
generates a 5VDC and 24VDC supply that is output through the 5VDC-out and 24VDC-out
contacts 72 and 73. It senses electrical resistance applied across the sense contact
73 and ground contact 71 by whichever attachment is installed on the base 10. Since
each attachment applies a unique resistance, the controller 130 can determine which
attachment, if any, is installed.
Cleaning Attachments
[0013] The four cleaning attachments 12,14,16 and 18 are shown in Fig. 1. They are described
individually as follows.
[0014] The vacuuming head 12 has a brushroll 202. When the head 12 is attached to the base
10, the brushroll 202 is driven by the drive pulley 90 of the base 10 to rotate against
the floor 6 to dislodge dirt from the floor 6. The fan 80 generates an air flow that
draws the dirt from the floor 6 through the head 12. A headlight 210 is powered by
electricity supplied by the base 10 through the ground and 5VDC-out contacts 71 and
72 (Fig. 2).
[0015] The power head assembly 14 has a power head 300 with a brushroll 302 driven by a
motor 304. The assembly 14 further has a tube structure comprising a rigid tube 374,
a flexible tube 376 and a connector 378. The connector 378 can be removably attached
to the base 10. In operation, the user grasps the rigid tube 374 by its handgrip 380
to push and pull the power head 300 over the floor 6. The flexible tube 376 enables
the power head 300 to move independently of the base 10. The brushroll 302 rotates
against the floor 6 to dislodge dirt. The fan 80 generates an air flow that carries
the dirt from the floor 6, through the power head 300 and the tubes 374 and 376 into
the upper inlet port 46 of the base 10. A headlamp 390 on the power head 300 illuminates
the floor 6 in front of the power head 300. The headlamp 390 and the motor 304 are
respectively powered by 5VDC and 24VDC supplied by the base 10 through the electrical
contacts 71-73 (Fig. 2).
[0016] The accessory hose 16 includes a flexible tube 400 extending from a connector 410
that is attachable to the base 10. In operation, the fan 80 draws air through the
flexible tube 400 and the upper inlet port 46 of the base 10.
[0017] The shampooing head 18 has front and rear brushrolls 501 and 502, both driven by
the drive pulley 90 of the base 10. Shampoo is deposited onto the carpet 6 by a shampoo-dispensing
device 504 of the head 18 and brushed into the carpet 6 by the brushrolls 501 and
502 to entrain dirt from the carpet 6. The shampoo is lifted from the carpet 6 by
the rear brushroll 502 and collected in a take-up tray 506 in the head 18. The head
18 blocks air from entering the inlet ports 46 and 48.
Upright Handle Assembly
[0018] The upright handle assembly 20 shown in Figs. 4-5 includes an upright handle 602
and a dirt receptacle 604. It enables the base 10 and the vacuuming head 12 to be
used together as an upright vacuum cleaner. This type of cleaner is configured for
the user to stand upright while manually pushing the cleaner by its handle 602 over
the floor 6 to clean the floor 6.
[0019] The handle 602 has a handgrip 610 configured to be grasped by a user. A force sensor
612 in the handgrip 602 senses the direction and magnitude of the force applied by
the user to push and pull the cleaner. The handle 602 further has a flat bottom 620
with an inlet port 622. An exhaust tube 624 extends upward from the inlet port 622.
At the handle bottom 620, a multi-contact electrical terminal 630 mates with the terminal
124 on the base 10 to enable the controller 130 to communicate with electrical components
of the handle 602. Two hooks 634 and a lever 638 with a wedge 639 are for attaching
the handle 602 to the base 10.
[0020] The handle 602 has a user interface panel 640. The panel 640 has user interfaces
642 comprising controls and displays with which the user communicates with the controller
130. The controls are for manually selecting operating conditions of the cleaner.
They include membrane switches for powering the fan motor 88 (Fig. 3), selecting motor
speed, engaging the clutch 98, and activating the drive-assist motor 99. In contrast,
the displays are for displaying operating conditions of the cleaner. They include
lights for indicating fan motor speed, whether the brushroll is rotating, whether
the drive-assist feature 99 is activated, and whether the dirt receptacle 602 is full.
The base 10 is free of any operating controls and displays, because they are all on
the handle 602. The panel 640 also outputs a signal to the controller 130 indicating
what type of handle it is-in this case identifying itself as an upright handle. The
panel 640 is sufficiently close to the handgrip 610 to enable a finger of a user's
hand to press the controls while the hand is grasping the handgrip 610.
[0021] The dirt receptacle 604 includes a permanent outer filter bag 650. The bag 650 is
suspended from a mounting tab 652 that snaps into a clip 654 on the handle 602. A
rigid connector 656 at the bottom of the bag 650 has a hole 657 configured to receive
the handle's exhaust tube 624. Bayonet slots 658 around the hole 657 receive bayonet
lugs 659 on the exhaust tube 624. A fill tube 660 extends upward from the inlet port
657 into the outer bag 650. A disposable inner filter bag 670 is inserted into the
outer bag 650 through a zippered opening 672 and press-fitted over the fill tube 660.
[0022] The handle 602 can be attached to the base 10 as shown in Fig. 6. First, the hooks
634 of the handle 602 are hooked onto the pins 112 of the base bracket 100. Next,
the handle 602 is pivoted (arrow 673) forward and downward into its installed position
shown in Fig. 7. Then, the lever 638 is pivoted (arrow 674) and wedged under the wedge
surface 116 to lock the handle 602 in place.
[0023] In the installation procedure illustrated in Fig. 6, the pivoting movement (arrow
673) of the handle 602 toward and into its installed position moves its bottom surface
620 toward and into sealing engagement with the gasket 108 and also toward and into
engagement with the spacers 100, and also moves the handle terminal 630 toward and
into engagement with the base terminal 124. As the handle 602 pivots forward (arrow
673), proper alignment of the handle's inlet port 624 with the base's outlet port
105 is ensured by each hook 634 being closely captured by and between the respective
pin 112 and walls 675 (Fig. 3) of the respective notch 114.
[0024] The sequence of steps of 1) installing the inner bag 670 in the outer bag 650, 2)
installing the outer bag 650 on the handle 602, and 3) installing the handle 602 on
the base 10 can be performed in any order.
[0025] The handle 602 in Fig. 7 can be removed from the base 10 by first pivoting the lever
638 out of engagement with the wedge surface 116 and then pivoting the handle 602
rearward about the pivot pins 112. The hooks 634 can then removed from the pivot pins.
[0026] As shown in Fig. 8, a user can grasp the handgrip 610 to pivot (arrow 677) the handle
602 rearward and push/pull the base 10 over the floor 6. When the user presses the
power switch of the control panel 640, the controller 130 powers the motor 88 to drive
the fan 80. The fan 80 generates an air flow (arrows 678) that carries dirt from the
floor 6 through the vacuuming head 12, the lower inlet ports 48, the fan 80, the outlet
port 105 and the fill tube 660 into the inner bag 670.
[0027] The controller 130 inputs operating parameters of the cleaner from various sensors
and switches of the cleaner. Specifically, from the force sensor 612 in the handgrip
610, the controller 130 inputs the direction and magnitude of force manually applied
to the handle 602. From the position sensor 120 in the base 10, the controller 130
determines whether the handle 602 is in the upright or inclined position. Through
the control panel 640, the controller 130 determines which switch the user presses
and the type of handle installed, and displays information to the user. No signal
being received through the base terminal 124 indicates that no handle 602 is installed.
From the attachment sense switch 76 (Fig. 2), the controller 130 determines whether
the upper inlet port 46 is covered by a cleaning attachment. By sensing the electrical
resistance across the ground and resistance-sense contacts 71 and 74, the controller
130 determines if a cleaning attachment, and which cleaning attachment, is installed.
[0028] The controller 130 controls operation of the cleaner based on the parameters input
from the sensors and switches. For example, the controller 130 applies a higher default
motor speed when the accessory hose 16 (Fig. 1) is attached than when the vacuuming
head 12 is attached. The controller 130 engages the clutch 98 (Fig. 3), and thus engages
the motor 88 to the drive pulley 90, only when, concurrently, a handle is installed
and either the vacuuming hear 12 or shampooing head 18 is installed. The controller
130 will not power the motor 88 if no handle is installed or no cleaning attachment
is installed. The controller 130 powers the drive assist motor 99 (Fig. 3) to rotate
the rear wheels 52 in a direction and at a speed that correspond respectively to the
direction and magnitude of the force manually applied to the handle 602. The drive
assist motor 99 thus assists the user in propelling the base 10 over the floor 6.
The controller 130 activates the drive-assist motor 99 (Fig. 3) only when, concurrently,
either the vacuuming or shampooing head 12 or 18 is installed, the upright handle
602 is installed and inclined, and a "drive-assist" switch on the control panel 640
has been pressed.
[0029] As shown in Fig. 9, in place of the dirt receptacle 604 (Fig. 8), a blower hose 680
can be friction-fitted over the exhaust tube 624 of the handle 602 for use in blowing
debris or inflating things.
Portable Handle Assembly
[0030] A portable handle assembly 22 shown in Fig. 1 includes a portable handle 702 and
a dirt receptacle 704. It enables the base 10 and the vacuuming head to be used together
as a portable vacuum cleaner. This type of cleaner is configured for the user to manually
lift and move the cleaner by the handle 702 to clean vertical or above-the-floor household
surfaces.
[0031] As shown in Fig. 10, the portable handle 702 has several parts that have the same
functions as corresponding parts of the upright handle 602. These include a handgrip
710, a flat bottom 720 with an inlet port 722, an exhaust tube 724 extending upward
from the port 722, an electrical terminal 730; two hooks 734, and a locking lever
738 with a wedge 739.
[0032] As shown in Fig. 11, the dirt receptacle 704 has a permanent outer filter bag 750.
A rigid connector 756 at the bottom of the bag 750 is similar to the connector 656
of the upright handle assembly 20. The connector 756 has an inlet port 757 and bayonet
slots 758 secured to bayonet lugs 759 of the handle's exhaust tube 724. A fill tube
760 extends from the inlet port 757 into the outer bag 750. A disposable inner filter
bag 770 is inserted into the outer bag 750 through a zippered opening in the outer
bag 750 and press-fitted over the fill tube 760.
[0033] The portable handle 702 can be installed in a manner similar to that of the upright
handle 602. First, as shown in Fig. 11, the hooks 734 are hooked onto the pins 112
(Fig. 3) of the base bracket 100. Then, the handle 702 is pivoted (arrow 775) into
the installed position shown in Fig. 12, and the lever 638 is pivoted to wedge the
wedge 739 against the wedge surface 116 of the bracket 100.
[0034] The sequence of steps of 1) installing the inner bag 770 in the outer bag 750, 2)
installing the outer bag 750 on the handle 702, and 3) installing the handle 702 on
the base 10 can be performed in any order. In place of the bag assembly 704, the blower
hose 680 (Fig. 9) can be friction-fitted over the exhaust tube 724 of the handle 702
for use in blowing debris or inflating things.
[0035] The portable handle 702 is different than the upright handle 602 in several ways.
As shown in Fig. 12, the portable handle 702 projects forward over the base 10 instead
of rearward away from the base 10. This is to orient its handgrip 710 directly above
the center of gravity of the cleaner. In place of the upright handle's control panel
640 (Fig. 4), the portable handle 702 has a single rocker-type power switch 776 for
powering the fan motor 88, and no displays. Unlike the upright handle 602, the portable
handle 702 lacks a switch for activating the drive-assist, lacks a display for indicating
whether the drive-assist is activated, and lacks the force sensor used for the drive-assist
feature. Also unlike the upright handle 602, the portable handle 702 has a pivot-preventing
projection 780 (Fig. 10) configured to be closely received in a groove (not shown)
in the base 10 to prevent the handle 702 from pivoting.
[0036] This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best
mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention.
The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other
examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended
to be within the scope of the claims if they have elements that do not differ from
the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements
with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.
1. A cleaning apparatus comprising:
a base;
a cleaning head configured to be attached to the base and moved against a household
surface to clean the surface; and
a handle configured to be removably attached to the base for manually moving the base
by the handle, and having an electronic user interface with which a user can control
or monitor operation of the base.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the user interface is a control for the user to control
an operating condition of the base.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the user interface is a display for displaying an
operating condition of the base.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the base is free of an electronic user interface.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cleaning head is a vacuuming head, and the base
includes a fan for moving dirt laden air through the head into a dirt receptacle.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the handle is configured to output a signal to the
base indicating to the base which type of handle it is.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a different handle configured to be removably
attached to the base for manually moving the base and having an electronic user interface
with which the user can control or monitor operation of the base.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the base is configured to sense which of the handles
is attached and control an operating condition of the apparatus based on which of
the handles is attached.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the base and the handle have respective terminals
that are interconnectable and through which the user interface communicates with the
base, the terminal of the handle being configured to be moved toward and into connection
with the terminal of the base by movement of the handle toward and into an installed
position removably attached to the handle.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the handle is configured to hook onto the base and
pivot into an installed position removably attached to the base.
11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the base includes a pivotable bracket that connects
the handle to the base and that has a terminal configured to mate with a terminal
on the handle, for the interface to communicate with the base through the terminals.
12. A cleaning apparatus comprising:
a base;
a cleaning attachment configured to be attached to the base and moved against a household
surface to clean the surface; and
a handle removably attachable to the base for manually moving the base by the handle;
the base being configured to operatively sense whether the handle is attached to the
base and to control an operating condition of the apparatus based on whether the handle
is attached.
13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the base has a drive assist capability, and the
operating condition is activation of the drive assist capability.
14. The apparatus of claim 12 further comprising a different handle removably attachable
to the base for manually moving the base, and wherein the base is configured to sense
which of the handles is attached and control an operating of the apparatus based on
which of the handles is attached.
15. A cleaning apparatus comprising:
a base;
a cleaning attachment configured to be attached to the base and moved against a household
surface to clean the surface; and
different handles removably attachable to the base for manually moving the base by
the handle;
the base being configured to sense which of the handles is attached and control an
operating condition of the apparatus based on which of the handles is attached.
16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the base has a drive assist capability, and the
operating condition is activation of the drive assist capability.
17. A cleaning apparatus comprising:
a base;
a cleaning attachment configured to be attached to the base and moved against a household
surface to clean the surface; and
different handles removably attachable to the base for manually moving the base by
the handle, each handle configured to output an electrical signal to the base when
the handle is attached to the base indicating to the base which handle is attached.
18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the base is configured to receive the signal and
control an operating condition of the apparatus based on which of the handles is attached.