Slide-Out Drum with Filter For A Wet/Dry Vacuum Appliance

• US 20100139032A1
• Filed: 12/08/2009
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emerson Electric Company
• Original Assignee: Emerson Electric Company
• Inventors: Tomasiak, Mark J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,973,196 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/347
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/365 of the vertical type, e.g. tank or bucket type
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0028 Security means, e.g. float valves or level switches for preventing overflow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0038 with means for emptying the tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0042 Gaskets; Sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0018 integrated in or removably mounted upon the suction cleaner for storing parts of said suction cleaner
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/106 Dust removal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49718 Repairing

Abstract

A wet and dry vacuum cleaner system is disclosed, wherein the system includes a debris container having an inlet and outlet, a filter support having a filter and being adapted to situate at least a portion of the filter within the container and intermediate between the inlet and outlet, a vacuum unit adapted to be coupled to the container, and a housing. A wet/dry vacuum appliance system is also disclosed, which includes means for housing a vacuum unit, means for slidably receiving a debris container, and means for releasably holding the container in sealed engagement with the vacuum unit. In addition, methods of removing debris from such a vacuum cleaner and vacuum appliance systems are described.

Claims

1. A wet and dry vacuum cleaner system, comprising:

a container for receiving debris, the container having an air inlet and an air outlet;

a filter support removably coupled to the container, the filter support having a filter and adapted to situate at least a portion of the filter within the container and intermediate between the air inlet and the air outlet;

a vacuum unit adapted to be sealingly coupled to the container, the vacuum unit having a vacuum inlet and a vacuum outlet; and

a housing, wherein the container is removably coupled to the housing.

2. The vacuum cleaner system of claim 1, wherein the air outlet is at least partially defined by the filter support and wherein the air outlet is in fluid communication with the vacuum inlet when the vacuum unit is coupled to the container.

3. The vacuum cleaner system of claim 1, wherein the filter support is coupled at or below the top of the container and wherein at least a portion of the filter is disposed inside the container.

4. The vacuum cleaner system of claim 3, wherein the filter or the support has at least one gasket adapted to sealingly engage the vacuum unit.

5. The vacuum cleaner system of claim 1, wherein the container is freely mobile upon being decoupled from the housing.

6. The vacuum cleaner system of claim 1, wherein the housing includes storage compartments.

7. The vacuum cleaner system of claim 1, wherein the housing is a cart.

8. The vacuum cleaner system of claim 1, wherein the container is substantially rectangular in shape.

9. The vacuum cleaner system of claim 1, wherein the container is round.

10. The vacuum cleaner system of claim 1, wherein the container has at least two sides coupled in substantially perpendicular relation to one another.

11. A method of removing debris from the vacuum cleaner system of claim 1, comprising:

decoupling the container from the vacuum unit;

decoupling the container from the housing;

decoupling the filter support from the container; and

removing debris from the container or filter.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein decoupling the filter support from the container includes lifting the support off of the top of the container.

13. The method of claim 11, further including replacing the filter.

14. A wet and dry vacuum cleaner system, comprising:

means for housing a vacuum unit, the vacuum unit including a vacuum inlet having a sealing surface;

means for slidably receiving a debris container, the container having sealing means adapted to sealingly engage the sealing surface of the vacuum inlet;

means for positioning the sealing means of the container in close proximity to the sealing surfaces of the vacuum unit; and

means for releasably holding the container in sealed engagement with the vacuum unit.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the container has rollers and wherein the means for slidably receiving the debris container includes slots adapted to cooperate with the rollers.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the means for positioning the sealing means of the container includes ramps adapted to cooperate with the rollers thereby causing the sealing means to engage the sealing surfaces of the vacuum unit.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the means for releasably holding the container in sealed engagement with the vacuum unit includes latches.

18. A wet and dry vacuum cleaner system, comprising:

a housing having two side panels;

a vacuum unit having a vacuum inlet and a vacuum outlet, wherein the vacuum unit is coupled between the two side panels of the housing;

a substantially rectangular container having an air inlet on one side and being open on the top, wherein the container is removably coupled to the bottom of the vacuum unit such that the vacuum inlet is in fluid communication with the interior of the container; and

a filter support having a filter, the filter support being removably coupled between the inside of the container and the vacuum inlet such that air traveling from the container to the vacuum inlet passes through the filter.

19. The vacuum cleaner system of claim 18, wherein the housing has supports that support the container when the container is uncoupled from the vacuum unit.

20. The vacuum cleaner system of claim 19, wherein the container is slidingly removable from the housing when the container is uncoupled from the vacuum unit.

21. The vacuum cleaner system of claim 19, wherein the supports are slots.

22. The vacuum cleaner of claim 21, wherein the container further comprises rollers that communicate with the slots.