Dirt collector for a vacuum cleaner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11083354-B2
Application number	US-201816142201-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2018
Priority date	Sep 28, 2017
Publication date	Aug 10, 2021
Grant date	Aug 10, 2021

Abstract

A dirt collector that includes a housing and an air-permeable filter media extending from the housing such that the filter media and housing at least partially define a collection volume. The housing has an inlet opening in fluid communication with the volume and at least a portion of the housing is transmissive of infrared radiation

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising:
a sensor;
a housing; and
an air-permeable filter media extending from the housing such that the filter media and the housing at least partially define a collection volume;
the housing having an inlet opening in fluid communication with the collection volume and the housing including a window that is transmissive of infrared radiation, and wherein the sensor is outside of the housing and the sensor senses an amount of debris within the collection volume through the window.

2. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 , where the window of the housing that is transmissive of infrared radiation is transmissive of infrared radiation of a wavelength between 750 and 3000 nanometer (nm).

3. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 2 , where the window of the housing that is transmissive of infrared radiation has a percent transmission of infrared radiation of greater than or equal to 50%.

4. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 2 , where the window of the housing that is transmissive of infrared radiation is transmissive of infrared radiation of a wavelength between 800 and 1000 nanometer (nm).

5. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 , where the housing is formed of polycarbonate material.

6. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 , where the window of the housing that is transmissive of infrared radiation has a thickness in a range from 1 to 2 millimeters.

7. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 , further comprising a second housing, wherein the housing, the second housing, and the filter media define the collection volume.

8. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 7 , where the second housing is transmissive of infrared radiation of a wavelength between 750 and 3000 nanometer (nm).

9. A vacuum cleaner comprising:
a sensor:
a housing; and
an air-permeable filter media extending from the housing such that the filter media and the housing at least partially define a collection volume;
the housing having an inlet opening in fluid communication with the collection volume;
wherein at least a portion of the housing is translucent or transparent,
wherein the sensor is outside of the housing and the sensor senses an amount of debris within the collection volume through the portion of the housing that is translucent or transparent.

10. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 9 , where at least a portion of the translucent or transparent housing is transmissive of infrared radiation.

11. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 10 , where the portion of the housing that is transmissive of infrared radiation is transmissive of infrared radiation of a wavelength between 750 and 3000 nanometer (nm).

12. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 11 , where the portion of the housing that is transmissive of infrared radiation has a percent transmission of infrared radiation of greater than or equal to 50%.

13. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 11 , where the portion of the housing that is transmissive of infrared radiation is transmissive of infrared radiation of a wavelength between 800 and 1000 nanometer (nm).

14. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 9 , where the housing is formed of polycarbonate material.

15. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 9 , further comprising a second housing, wherein the housing, the second housing, and the filter media define the collection volume.

16. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 15 , where the second housing is transmissive of infrared radiation of a wavelength between 750 and 3000 nanometer (nm).

17. A vacuum cleaner comprising:
a sensor;
a top housing;
a bottom housing;
a filter media extending between the top housing and the bottom housing such that the filter media, the top housing, and the bottom housing fully define a collection volume; and
an inlet opening in fluid communication with the volume;
wherein the top housing includes a window that is transmissive of infrared radiation,
wherein the sensor is outside of the collection volume and the sensor senses an amount of debris within the collection volume through the window.

18. The vacuum cleaner of claim 17 , wherein the filter media includes an elliptical filter.

19. The vacuum cleaner of claim 17 , wherein at least a of the portion window of the top housing that is transmissive of infrared radiation is translucent or transparent.

Assignees

• Tti Macao Commercial Offshore Ltd
• Techtronic Floor Care Tech Ltd

Inventors

• Bloom Michael
• Marcus Steven
• Kozlowski Jr William Jacob

Classifications

• A47L9/2821

  Pressure, vacuum level or airflow · CPC title

• B01D2273/18

  Testing of filters, filter elements, sealings · CPC title

• B01D46/0086

  Filter condition indicators · CPC title

• A47L9/2857

  User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays · CPC title

• B01D2279/55

  for cleaning appliances, e.g. suction cleaners · CPC title