Locking assembly for in-vehicle vacuum cleaner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11638508-B2
Application number	US-202016825463-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2020
Priority date	Mar 22, 2019
Publication date	May 2, 2023
Grant date	May 2, 2023

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner configured to be mounted in a vehicle. The vacuum cleaner including a vacuum module configured to draw a vacuum, and a collector module configured to collect debris and coupled to the vacuum module. The collector module has a canister sub-assembly. A locking assembly for the canister sub-assembly includes at least one latch stay, a latch adapted to contact the latch stay, and a latch lock having a latch lock blade. The latch lock is moveable between a fully closed position, in which the latch lock blade contacts a panel member to maintain engagement between the latch and the at least one latch stay, and a fully open position. In the fully open position, the latch is disengaged from the at least one latch stay, enabling the canister sub-assembly to be removed from the collector module.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A vacuum cleaner configured to be mounted in a vehicle, the vacuum cleaner comprising:
a vacuum module configured to draw a vacuum;
a collector module configured to collect debris and coupled to the vacuum module, the collector module having a canister sub-assembly; and
a locking assembly for the canister sub-assembly, the locking assembly comprising at least one latch stay, a latch, and a latch lock having a latch lock blade;
where, the latch lock is moveable between a fully closed position, in which the latch lock blade contacts a panel member to maintain engagement between the latch and the at least one latch stay, and a fully open position, in which the latch is disengaged from the at least one latch stay, enabling the canister sub-assembly to be removed from the collector module.

2. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , the collector module further comprising a mounting plate, and the at least one latch stay disposed on the mounting plate.

3. The vacuum cleaner of claim 2 , wherein the at least one latch stay comprises a pair of latch stays disposed on the mounting plate, and the latch contacts each latch stay of the pair of latch stays when the latch lock is in the fully closed position.

4. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the latch lock is disposed perpendicular to a lateral axis of the latch in the fully closed position, and the latch lock is disposed parallel to the lateral axis of the latch in the fully open position and the latch lock blade does not contact the panel member.

5. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the latch includes a central portion having a first side and a second side, a first shoulder extending from the first side and contacting a first end of the mounting plate, and a second shoulder extending from the second side and contacting a second end of the mounting plate, and the latch lock is disposed on the central portion of the latch.

6. The vacuum cleaner of claim 5 , wherein the central portion further includes two downwardly and inwardly extending projections and a gripping portion integral with and disposed between both of the downwardly and inwardly extending projections, the gripping portion adapted to be pulled when the latch lock is in the open position.

7. The vacuum cleaner of claim 5 , wherein the first shoulder engages a first latch stay disposed on the first end of the mounting plate and the second shoulder engages a second latch stay disposed on the second end of the mounting plate when the latch lock is in the fully closed position.

8. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , the canister sub-assembly including a canister with a lid having a tab, the canister including a housing defining a cavity, a filter removably disposed in the cavity, and a filter interlock disposed adjacent to a side of the filter, such that the filter contacts the filter interlock, preventing the tab on the lid from contacting the filter interlock and allowing the lid to completely close.

9. The vacuum cleaner of claim 8 , further comprising an interlock spring interacting with the filter interlock, where the interlock spring biases the filter interlock toward a center area of the cavity, such that the tab on the lid contacts the filter interlock when the filter is removed from the cavity, preventing the lid from completely closing.

10. The vacuum cleaner of claim 8 , the housing having sides and a wall extending from one side of the housing to divide the cavity, the filter interlock disposed on the wall, and the interlock spring disposed between the wall and the filter interlock.

11. A vacuum cleaner configured to be mounted in a vehicle, the vacuum cleaner comprising:
a vacuum unit configured to draw a vacuum;
a collector configured to collect debris and coupled to the vacuum unit, the collector having a canister sub-assembly including a canister with a lid having a tab, the canister including a housing defining a cavity and a filter removably disposed in the cavity; and
an interlock assembly having a filter interlock disposed adjacent to a side of the filter disposed in the canister of the collector;
where the filter contacts the filter interlock, preventing the tab of the lid from contacting the filter interlock and allowing the lid to completely close.

12. The vacuum cleaner of claim 11 , the housing having sides and a wall extending from one side of the housing to divide the cavity of the housing into a first cavity and a second cavity, the filter adapted to be removably disposed in the first cavity and the filter interlock disposed on an inside surface of the wall.

13. The vacuum cleaner of claim 12 , further comprising an interlock spring disposed between the inside surface of the wall and the filter interlock, biasing the filter interlock toward a center area of the first cavity.

14. The vacuum cleaner of claim 11 , further comprising an interlock spring wherein, when the filter is not disposed in the cavity, the interlock spring moves the interlock toward a center area of the cavity, such that the tab on the lid contacts the interlock, preventing the lid from completely closing.

15. The vacuum cleaner of claim 11 , further comprising a locking assembly coupling the canister sub-assembly to the collector, the locking assembly comprising at least one latch stay, a latch, and a latch lock having a latch lock blade adapted to contact a panel member to engage the at least one latch stay to the latch.

16. The vacuum cleaner of claim 15 , wherein the latch lock is moveable between a fully closed position, in which the latch lock blade contacts the panel member to maintain engagement between the latch and the at least one latch stay, and a fully open position in which the latch lock blade does not contact the panel member and the latch is disengaged from the at least one latch stay, enabling the canister sub-assembly to be removed from the collector.

17. The vacuum cleaner of claim 15 , wherein the latch lock is disposed perpendicular to a lateral axis of the latch when the latch lock is in a fully closed position, and the latch lock is disposed parallel to the lateral axis of the latch when the latch lock is in a fully open position.

18. A vacuum cleaner configured to be mounted in a vehicle, the vacuum cleaner comprising:
a vacuum unit configured to draw a vacuum;
a collector configured to collect debris and coupled to the vacuum unit, the collector having a canister sub-assembly; and
a locking assembly adapted to secure the canister sub-assembly within the collector, the locking assembly comprising at least one latch stay, a latch, and a latch lock having a latch lock blade;
where, the latch lock is moveable between a fully closed position, in which the latch lock blade maintains engagement between the latch and the at least one latch stay, and a fully open position, in which the latch is disengaged from the at least one latch stay, enabling the canister sub-assembly to be removed from the collector.

19. The vacuum cleaner of claim 18 , the collector further comprising a mounting plate, and the at least one latch stay is disposed on the mounting plate and contacting the latch when the latch lock is in the fully closed position.

20. The vacuum cleaner of claim 19 , wherein the mounting plate includes a first end and a second end, and the at least one latch stay comprises a first latch stay disposed on the first end of the mounting plate and a second latch stay disposed on a second end of the mounting plate, the latch contacting each of the first latch stay and the second latch stay w

Assignees

• Shop Vac Corp

Inventors

• Gottschall Jason

Classifications

• A47L7/0076 Primary

  adapted for vehicle cleaning (vehicle cleaning apparatus for interior of land vehicles B60S3/008) · CPC title

• A47L9/1472 Primary

  combined with security means, e.g. for preventing use, e.g. in case of absence of the bag · CPC title

• A47L9/127

  tube- or sleeve-shaped · CPC title

• A47L9/102

  Dust separators (cyclones A47L9/16) · CPC title

• A47L5/24

  Hand-supported suction cleaners · CPC title