Appliance which utilizes a magnetic clutch to transmit power from a drive means to a moveable member and a magnetic clutch

• US 20030196294A1
• Filed: 04/17/2003
• Published: 10/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Polar Light Limited
• Original Assignee: Polar Light Limited
• Inventors: Conrad, Wayne Ernest
• Granted Patent: US 7,228,593 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/331
• CPC Class Codes: A01B 33/082 Transmissions; Gearings; Power distribution
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 2101/00 Lawn-mowers
• CPC Class Codes: A01D 69/08 Clutches
• CPC Class Codes: A01G 20/47 Vacuum or blower devices
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 13/001 Cylindrical or annular brush bodies
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 2200/3066 Brush specifically designed for use with street cleaning machinery
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/32 Carpet-sweepers combined with suction cleaners A47L7/02
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4041 Roll shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4069 Driving or transmission means for the cleaning tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/30 with driven dust-loosening tools, e.g. rotating brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0411 driven by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0444 for conveying motion by endless flexible members, e.g. belts
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0488 Combinations or arrangements of several tools, e.g. edge cleaning tools
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 27/01 with permanent magnets
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 7/00 Slip couplings, e.g. slipping on overload, for absorbing shock combined with yielding shaft couplings F16D3/14; fluid slip couplings F16D31/00 - F16D35/00
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 7/025 with flat clutching surfaces, e.g. discs
• CPC Class Codes: F16D 7/046 with a plurality of axially moving parts

Abstract

An appliance comprises a moving member, a drive motor, and a linkage drivingly connecting the drive motor to the moving member, the linkage including first and second magnetic coupling members The magnetic clutch may have first and second magnetic coupling members. Each magnetic coupling member has a first surface, which includes at least first and second magnets. Each of the first and second magnets have an outer pole and the outer poles of each of the first magnets and the outer poles of each of the second magnets are of reverse polarity, wherein at least one of the first and second magnetic coupling members is moveably mounted with respect to the other of the first and second magnetic coupling members in a direction perpendicular to the first faces.

Claims

1. A surface cleaning head for a surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

a) a bottom surface having a dirt inlet;

b) a rotatable brush associated with the dirt inlet;

c) a brush drive motor; and

,

d) a linkage drivingly connecting the motor to the rotatable brush, the linkage including first and second magnetic coupling members.

2. The surface cleaning head as claimed in claim 1 wherein each magnetic coupling member has

a) a first surface which includes at least first and second magnets;

and,

b) each of the first and second magnets have an outer pole and the outer poles of each of the first magnets and the outer poles of each of the second magnets are of reverse polarity,

wherein at least one of the first and second magnetic coupling members is moveably mounted with respect to the other of the first and second magnetic coupling members in a direction perpendicular to the first faces.

3. The surface cleaning head as claimed in claim 2 wherein each magnetic coupling member is provided with a sufficient number of first and second magnets such that the first magnets of the first coupling member can align with the second magnets of the second coupling member and the second magnets of the first coupling member can align with the first magnets of the second coupling member.

4. The surface cleaning head as claimed in claim 2 wherein the first magnetic coupling member has a similar number of first magnets as the second magnetic coupling member and the first magnetic coupling member has a similar number of second magnets as the second magnetic coupling member.

5. The surface cleaning head as claimed in claim 2 wherein each magnetic coupling member has at least two first magnets and at least two second magnets and the first and second magnets are positioned such that at least some of the first magnets are positioned between some of the second magnets.

6. The surface cleaning head as claimed in claim 2 wherein the first and second magnets are spaced apart in at least one line around the first face of each magnetic coupling member and positioned in each line such that outer poles of one polarity are positioned between outer poles of the reverse polarity.

7. The surface cleaning head as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of the magnetic coupling members is mounted on a common shaft and the first magnetic coupling member is mounted to the shaft to rotate with the shaft and the second magnetic coupling member is freely rotatably positioned on the shaft.

8. The surface cleaning head as claimed in claim 7 wherein the brush drive motor has a brush drive motor shaft, the magnetic coupling members are provided on the brush drive motor shaft and the second magnetic coupling member is drivingly connected to the brush by a fan belt.

9. The surface cleaning head as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of the magnetic coupling members is mounted on the brush and the first magnetic coupling member is mounted to the brush to rotate with the brush and the second magnetic coupling member is freely rotatably positioned on the brush and drivenly connected to the brush drive motor by a fan belt.

10. The surface cleaning head as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a brake member which is engagable with at least one of the brush and the linkage to apply torque to the at least one of the brush and the linkage.

11. The surface cleaning head as claimed in claim 10 wherein the brake member is manually engagable by a user.

12. The surface cleaning head as claimed in claim 10 further comprising an extension hose which is removable from a storage position for above floor cleaning and the brake member is automatically engaged when the hose is removed from the storage position.

13. A surface cleaning head for a surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

a) a bottom surface having dirt inlet means;

b) rotatable brush means associated with the dirt inlet means;

c) brush drive motor means; and

,

d) linkage means for drivingly connecting the motor to the rotatable brush means, the linkage including first and second magnetic means for releasably drivingly coupling the first magnetic coupling means to the second magnetic coupling means.

14. The surface cleaning head as claimed in claim 13 wherein each of the first and second magnetic coupling means includes magnet means that, in a first orientation, magnetically couple the magnetic coupling means such that rotation of the first magnetic coupling means will cause rotation of the second magnetic coupling means and, in a second orientation, the first and second magnetic coupling means will magnetically repel each other.

15. The surface cleaning head as claimed in claim 14 wherein at least one of the first and second magnetic coupling means is moveably mounted with respect to the other of the first and second magnetic means such that when the magnet means are in the second orientation, the magnetic coupling means will move apart.

16. The surface cleaning head as claimed in claim 15 wherein each of the magnetic coupling means is mounted on a common shaft and the first magnetic coupling means is mounted to the shaft to rotate with the shaft and the second magnetic coupling means is freely rotatably positioned on the shaft.

17. The surface cleaning head as claimed in claim 16 wherein the brush drive motor means has a brush drive motor shaft, the magnetic coupling means are mounted on the brush drive motor shaft and the second magnetic coupling means is drivingly connected to the brush means by a fan belt.

18. The surface cleaning head as claimed in claim 15 wherein each of the magnetic coupling means is mounted on the brush means and the first magnetic coupling means is mounted to the brush means to rotate with the brush means and the second magnetic coupling means is drivenly connected to the brush drive motor means by a fan belt.

19. The surface cleaning head as claimed in claim 15 further comprising brake means for applying torque to at least one of the magnetic coupling means to cause the magnet means to move to the second orientation.

20. The surface cleaning head as claimed in claim 19 wherein the brake means is manually engagable by a user.

21. The surface cleaning head as claimed in claim 19 further comprising an extension hose which is removable from a storage position for above floor cleaning and the brake means is automatically engaged when the hose is removed from the storage position.

22. A magnetic clutch comprising first and second magnetic coupling members each magnetic coupling member comprising:

a) a first surface which includes at least first and second magnets; and

,

b) each of the first and second magnets have an outer pole and the outer poles of each of the first magnets and the outer poles of each of the second magnets are of reverse polarity,

wherein at least one of the first and second magnetic coupling members is moveably mounted with respect to the other of the first and second magnetic coupling members in a direction perpendicular to the first faces.

23. The magnetic clutch as claimed in claim 22 wherein each magnetic coupling member is provided with a sufficient number of first and second magnets such that the first magnets of the first coupling member can align with the second magnets of the second coupling member and the second magnets of the first coupling member can align with the first magnets of the second coupling member.

24. The magnetic clutch as claimed in claim 22 wherein the first magnetic coupling member has a similar number of first magnets as the second magnetic coupling member and the first magnetic coupling member has a similar number of second magnets as the second magnetic coupling member.

25. The magnetic clutch as claimed in claim 22 wherein each magnetic coupling member has at least two first magnets and at least two second magnets and the first and second magnets are positioned such that at least some of the first magnets are positioned between some of the second magnets.

26. The magnetic clutch as claimed in claim 22 wherein the first and second magnets are spaced apart in at least one line around the first face of each magnetic coupling member and positioned in each line such that outer poles of one polarity are positioned between outer poles of the reverse polarity.

27. The magnetic clutch as claimed in claim 22 wherein each of the magnetic coupling members is mounted on a common shaft and the first magnetic coupling member is mounted to the shaft to rotate with the shaft and the second magnetic coupling member is freely rotatably positioned on the shaft.

28. The magnetic clutch as claimed in claim 22 wherein the magnetic clutch is provided in an appliance having a moving member and a drive motor wherein the drive motor is drivingly connected via a linkage, which comprises the magnetic clutch.

29. The magnetic clutch as claimed in claim 28 further comprising a brake manually engagable by a user for applying torque at least indirectly to at least one of the magnetic coupling members to cause the magnetic coupling members to move to a position in which the magnetic coupling members are not drivingly engaged to each other.

30. The magnetic clutch as claimed in claim 28 further comprising a brake for applying torque at least indirectly to at least one of the magnetic coupling members to cause the magnetic coupling members to move to a position in which the magnetic coupling members are not drivingly engaged to each other, wherein the appliance is reconfigurable between first and second positions and the brake is automatically engaged when the appliance is reconfigured.

31. The magnetic clutch as claimed in claim 28 wherein the appliance is selected from the group consisting of a surface cleaning apparatus, a garden appliance and a power tool.

32. A magnetic clutch comprising

a) first and second magnetic means for releasably drivingly coupling the first magnetic coupling means to the second magnetic coupling means,

b) each of the first and second magnetic coupling means includes magnet means that, in a first orientation, magnetically couple the magnetic coupling means such that rotation of the first magnetic coupling means will cause rotation of the second magnetic coupling means and, in a second orientation, the first and second magnetic coupling means will magnetically repel each other;

and,

c) at least one of the first and second magnetic coupling means is moveably mounted with respect to the other of the first and second magnetic means such that when the magnet means are in the second orientation, the magnetic coupling means will move apart.

33. The magnetic clutch as claimed in claim 32 wherein each of the magnetic coupling means is mounted on a common shaft and the first magnetic coupling means is mounted to the shaft to rotate with the shaft and the second magnetic coupling means is freely rotatably positioned on the shaft.

34. The magnetic clutch as claimed in claim 32 further comprising brake means for applying torque to at least one of the magnetic coupling means to cause the magnet means to move to the second orientation.

35. The magnetic clutch as claimed in claim 32 wherein the magnetic clutch is provided in an appliance having a moving member and a drive means wherein the drive means is drivingly connected to the moving member by a motive force transmission means which comprises the magnetic clutch.

36. The magnetic clutch as claimed in claim 35 further comprising brake means manually engagable by a user for applying torque to at least one of the magnetic coupling means to cause the magnet means to move to the second orientation.

37. The magnetic clutch as claimed in claim 35 further comprising brake means for applying torque to at least one of the magnetic coupling means to cause the magnet means to move to the second orientation, wherein the appliance is reconfigurable between first and second positions and the brake means is automatically engaged when the appliance is reconfigured.

38. The magnetic clutch as claimed in claim 32 wherein the appliance is selected from the group consisting of a surface cleaning apparatus, a garden appliance and a power tool.

39. An appliance comprising:

a) a moving member;

b) a drive motor; and

,

c) a linkage drivingly connecting the drive motor to the moving member, the linkage including first and second magnetic coupling members.

41. The appliance as claimed in claim 39 wherein each magnetic coupling member is provided with a sufficient number of first and second magnets such that the first magnets of the first coupling member can align with the second magnets of the second coupling member and the second magnets of the first coupling member can align with the first magnets of the second coupling member.

42. The appliance as claimed in claim 39 wherein the first magnetic coupling member has a similar number of first magnets as the second magnetic coupling member and the first magnetic coupling member has a similar number of second magnets as the second magnetic coupling member.

43. The appliance as claimed in claim 39 wherein each magnetic coupling member has at least two first magnets and at least two second magnets and the first and second magnets are positioned such that at least some of the first magnets are positioned between some of the second magnets.

44. The appliance as claimed in claim 39 wherein the first and second magnets are spaced apart in at least one line around the first face of each magnetic coupling member and positioned in each line such that outer poles of one polarity are positioned between outer poles of the reverse polarity.

45. The appliance as claimed in claim 39 wherein each of the magnetic coupling members is mounted on a common shaft and the first magnetic coupling member is mounted to the shaft to rotate with the shaft and the second magnetic coupling member is freely rotatably positioned on the shaft.

46. The appliance as claimed in claim 39 further comprising a brake member which is engagable to at least indirectly apply torque to the at least one of the magnetic coupling members.

47. The appliance as claimed in claim 46 wherein the brake member is manually engagable by a user.

48. The appliance as claimed in claim 39 wherein the appliance is reconfigurable between at least two positions and the brake member is automatically engaged when the appliance is reconfigured.

49. The appliance as claimed in claim 39 wherein the appliance is selected from the group consisting of a surface cleaning apparatus a garden appliance and a power tool.

40. The appliance as claimed in claim 40 wherein each magnetic coupling member has

a) a first surface which includes at least first and second magnets, and,

b) each of the first and second magnets have an outer pole and the outer poles of each of the first magnets and the outer poles of each of the second magnets are of reverse polarity,

wherein at least one of the first and second magnetic coupling members is moveably mounted with respect to the other of the first and second magnetic coupling members in a direction perpendicular to the first faces.

50. An appliance comprising:

a) a moving member;

b) a drive means; and

,

c) linkage means for drivingly connecting the drive means to the moving member, the linkage including first and second magnetic means for releasably drivingly coupling the first magnetic coupling means to the second magnetic coupling means.

51. The appliance as claimed in claim 50 wherein each of the first and second magnetic coupling means includes magnet means that, in a first orientation, magnetically couple the magnetic coupling means such that rotation of the first magnetic coupling means will cause rotation of the second magnetic coupling means and, in a second orientation, the first and second magnetic coupling means will magnetically repel each other.

52. The appliance as claimed in claim 51 wherein at least one of the first and second magnetic coupling means is moveably mounted with respect to the other of the first and second magnetic means such that when the magnet means are in the second orientation, the magnetic coupling means will move apart.

53. The appliance as claimed in claim 51 wherein each of the magnetic coupling means is mounted on a common shaft and the first magnetic coupling means is mounted to the shaft to rotate with the shaft and the second magnetic coupling means is freely rotatably positioned on the shaft.

54. The appliance as claimed in claim 51 further comprising brake means for applying torque to at least one of the magnetic coupling means to cause the magnet means to move to the second orientation.

55. The appliance as claimed in claim 54 wherein the brake means is manually engagable by a user.

56. The appliance as claimed in claim 51 further comprising brake means for applying torque to at least one of the magnetic coupling means to cause the magnet means to move to the second orientation, wherein the appliance is reconfigurable between first and second positions and the brake means is automatically engaged when the appliance is reconfigured.

57. The appliance as claimed in claim 50 wherein the appliance is selected from the group consisting of a surface cleaning apparatus, a garden appliance and a power tool.