Vacuum cleaner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10499779-B2
Application number	US-201715805959-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 7, 2017
Priority date	Nov 17, 2016
Publication date	Dec 10, 2019
Grant date	Dec 10, 2019

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner comprising: a housing; a motor fan assembly arranged to generate an air flow; a dirt container in fluid communication with a dirty air inlet and the motor fan assembly; a moveable dirt compactor mounted in the dirt container and moveable between a stowed position and a dirt compacting position wherein the moveable dirt compactor is closer to one end of the dirt container in the dirt compacting position than in the stowed position, wherein the movable dirt compactor is shaped so as to allow dirt within the dirt container located on one side of the dirt compactor to pass to the other side of the dirt compactor; and a detector switch coupled to the moveable dirt compactor, the detector switch configured to open an electrical circuit and interrupt power supplied to the motor fan assembly when the moveable dirt compactor moves towards the dirt compacting position and urges dirt towards the one end of the dirt container.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising:
a housing;
a motor fan assembly mounted in the housing, the motor fan assembly arranged to generate an air flow;
a dirt container mountable on the housing and in fluid communication with a dirty air inlet and the motor fan assembly;
a moveable dirt compactor mounted in the dirt container and moveable between a stowed position and a dirt compacting position wherein the moveable dirt compactor is closer to one end of the dirt container in the dirt compacting position than in the stowed position;
wherein the vacuum cleaner comprises a detector switch coupled to the moveable dirt compactor, the detector switch configured to open an electrical circuit and interrupt power supplied to the motor fan assembly when the moveable dirt compactor moves towards the dirt compacting position and urges dirt towards the one end of the dirt container.

2. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 wherein the detector switch is configured to close the electrical circuit and supply power to the motor fan assembly when the moveable dirt compactor is in the stowed position.

3. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 wherein the moveable dirt compactor is coupled to the detector switch with an elongate mechanical linkage.

4. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 wherein the vacuum cleaner comprises a dirt separator mounted in the dirt container is located in an air flow path between the dirty air inlet and the motor fan assembly.

5. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 4 wherein the moveable dirt compactor sweeps a surface of the dirt separator when the moveable dirt compactor moves from the stowed position to the dirt compacting position.

6. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 wherein the moveable dirt compactor engages an inner surface of the dirt container.

7. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 wherein the dirty air inlet is mounted on a wall of the dirt container between the moveable dirt compactor in the stowed position and the one end of the dirt container.

8. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 wherein the moveable dirt compactor is actuated with a moveable handle mounted on the exterior of the dirt container.

9. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 wherein the moveable dirt compactor is biased towards the stowed position.

10. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 9 wherein a spring is mounted in the handle for biasing the moveable dirt compactor to the stowed position.

11. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 wherein the one end of the dirt container comprises a door for emptying the dirt container.

12. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 11 wherein the door comprises a detent for maintaining the door in an open position and the dirt container comprises a first latch for releasing the door.

13. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 12 wherein the dirt container is removeable from the housing.

14. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 13 wherein the detector switch is mounted in the housing.

15. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 13 wherein the housing comprises a second latch for releasing the dirt container from the housing.

16. A vacuum cleaner comprising:
a housing;
a motor fan assembly arranged to generate an air flow;
a dirt container in fluid communication with a dirty air inlet and the motor fan assembly;
a moveable dirt compactor mounted in the dirt container and moveable between a stowed position and a dirt compacting position wherein the moveable dirt compactor is closer to one end of the dirt container in the dirt compacting position than in the stowed position, wherein the movable dirt compactor is shaped so as to allow dirt within the dirt container located on one side of the dirt compactor to pass to the other side of the dirt compactor; and
a detector switch coupled to the moveable dirt compactor, the detector switch configured to open an electrical circuit and interrupt power supplied to the motor fan assembly when the moveable dirt compactor moves towards the dirt compacting position and urges dirt towards the one end of the dirt container.

17. The A vacuum cleaner according to claim 16 , wherein the movable dirt compactor comprises a top surface and a bottom surface, the bottom surface having a greater surface area than the top surface.

18. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 17 , wherein at least a portion of the top surface contacts the dirt container when the movable dirt compactor is in the stowed position.

19. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 17 , wherein the dirt compactor comprises one or more sloping surfaces between the top surface and the bottom surface.

20. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 16 , wherein the dirt compactor comprises one or more open sections or holes for dirt to pass through.

Assignees

• Black & Decker Inc

Inventors

• Muir Derek
• Walker Andrew
• Grey Cavan
• Richardson Jack

Classifications

• A47L9/2842

  Suction motors or blowers · CPC title

• A47L9/1666

  with filtering means · CPC title

• A47L9/108 Primary

  Dust compression means · CPC title

• A47L9/2805

  Parameters or conditions being sensed · CPC title

• A47L9/325

  for wheeled suction cleaners with steering handle · CPC title