FILTER AND SYSTEM FOR IMPROVED SEALING AND EASE OF ATTACHMENT ON A VACUUM CLEANER

• US 20070113526A1
• Filed: 11/20/2006
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emerson Electric Company
• Original Assignee: Emerson Electric Company
• Inventors: Gierer, Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 7,374,594 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 55/467
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/127 tube- or sleeve-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2265/025 making use of ramps or cams
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2271/02 Gaskets, sealings
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2279/55 for cleaning appliances, e.g. suction cleaners suction cleaners comprising filters A47L9/10
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/2411 Filter cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/4227 Manipulating filters or filter elements, e.g. handles or extracting tools
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/521 using folded, pleated material

Abstract

The disclosure provides a system for mounting and sealing a filter in a vacuum cleaner, such as a wet and dry vacuum cleaner, that concentrates compressive sealing forces on a specific, relatively thin seal portion rather than the filter body as a whole. The concentrated compressive stress provides a well-defined region to consistently provide a sealing engagement. A portion of the seal is positioned into an undercut portion of a mounting assembly and is compressed or “pinched” between opposing surfaces to cause the sealing. Further, one or more of the surfaces are movable to compress the seal portion therebetween by actuation of a rotatable filter clamp engageable with a cam. The filter clamp translates toward the seal portion as the filter clamp is rotated along a sloped surface of the cam to engage and clamp the seal portion between the surfaces.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner system, comprising:

a mounting assembly of a vacuum cleaner;

a filter support assembly adapted to be fixedly coupled to the mounting assembly; and

a filter having a filter element and a lateral seal portion coupled to the filter element, the filter being removably coupled around at least a portion of the filter support assembly, and the lateral seal portion being oriented radially inward toward a longitudinal axis of the filter, the lateral seal portion at least partially extending into an undercut area of the mounting assembly, the filter support assembly, or a combination thereof, the lateral seal portion being adapted to be compressed to seal the filter to the mounting assembly.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the lateral seal portion is adapted to be compressed without compressing the filter element coupled thereto.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a filter clamp coupled to the mounting assembly.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the filter clamp comprises a rotatable lever adapted to be moved along the longitudinal axis to compress and release the lateral seal portion.

5. The system of claim 3, further comprising a floating seal coupled to the filter clamp.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a seal adapted to seal an interface between the filter support assembly and the mounting assembly.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one cam coupled to the mounting assembly having a surface that changes elevation along the direction of the longitudinal axis.

8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a filter clamp coupled to the mounting assembly and dimensioned to engage the at least one cam to change an elevation of the filter clamp along the longitudinal axis.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the filter further comprises a cap disposed distally from the seal when the seal is positioned in the undercut portion and dimensioned to at least partially engage a portion of the filter support assembly.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising a vacuum cleaner drum and suction system coupled with the mounting assembly, the filter support assembly, and the filter.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the lateral seal portion is adapted to be compressed without compressing the filter element coupled thereto.

11. A vacuum cleaner system, comprising:

a mounting assembly having at least one cam with a sloped surface;

a rotatable filter clamp coupled to the mounting assembly and adapted to engage the at least one cam so that rotation of the filter clamp changes elevation of the filter clamp in conjunction with the sloped surface; and

a filter coupled to the mounting system and adapted to seal to the mounting system by the rotation of the filter clamp along the sloped surface with a corresponding change in elevation of the clamp.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising a filter support assembly coupled to the mounting system wherein the filter engages the filter support assembly.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the filter comprises a filter element and a lateral seal portion coupled to the filter element, the lateral seal portion being oriented radially inward toward a longitudinal axis of the filter, the lateral seal portion at least partially extending into an undercut portion of the mounting assembly, the filter support assembly, or a combination thereof, the lateral seal portion being adapted to be compressed to seal the filter to the mounting assembly.

15. A method of sealing a filter to a vacuum cleaner, the vacuum cleaner having a mounting assembly and a filter support assembly coupled to the mounting assembly, comprising:

placing the filter over the filter support assembly so that a lateral seal portion of the filter engages an undercut portion formed on the mounting assembly, the filter support assembly, or a combination thereof, and

rotating a filter clamp coupled to the mounting assembly along at least one cam surface to change the elevation of the filter clamp in a direction toward the lateral seal portion and compress the lateral seal portion disposed in the undercut portion.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein placing the filter over the filter support assembly comprises:

elastically stretching the lateral seal portion around the filter support assembly and sliding the filter toward an end of the filter support assembly to the undercut portion; and

allowing the lateral seal portion to at least partially resume an unstretched position in the undercut portion.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising compressing the lateral seal portion to cause sealing of the filter to the vacuum cleaner while avoiding substantially compressing a filter element of the filter coupled to the lateral seal portion.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising releasing the lateral seal portion by rotating the filter clamp along the cam surface.

19. A filter for a wet and dry vacuum cleaner comprising:

a filter element having an opening on at least one end about a longitudinal axis of the filter;

a seal coupled to the filter element, the seal formed on the end with said opening, the seal comprising a longitudinal seal portion and lateral seal portion,

the longitudinal seal portion protruding in a longitudinal direction from the filter element;

the lateral seal portion fixedly attached to the longitudinal seal portion, the lateral seal being oriented radially inward toward the longitudinal axis and having a minimum diameter that is less than the diameter of the filter element, and the lateral seal portion being adapted to be compressed and seal the filter to the vacuum cleaner.

20. The filter of claim 19, further comprising a second opening formed on a distal end of the filter element from the other opening and having a second seal coupled to the filter element comprising a longitudinal and lateral seal portions.