TILT SENSOR FOR CLEANING DEVICE

• US 20100186187A1
• Filed: 01/23/2009
• Published: 07/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Techtronic Floor Care Technology Limited (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Oreck Holdings LLC (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Inventors: Chavana, Ernest Matthew JR., Cheung, William K.Y.
• Granted Patent: US 8,161,596 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/339
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/10 Ultraviolet radiation
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/26 Accessories or devices or components used for biocidal treatment
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 2009/066 optical
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 9/06 Electric or photoelectric indication or reading means
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 9/10 by using rolling bodies , e.g. spheres, cylinders, mercury droplets
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/969 having a plurality of control members, e.g. keyboard

Abstract

A tilt sensor for a cleaning device makes use of an optical sensor to interrupt operation of the device. In one implementation, the tilt sensor shuts off a UV light included in the cleaning device'"'"'s operations. The tilt sensor includes a housing with at least one chamber defined therein. A sliding or moving element is located in the chamber. The optical sensor is operatively associated with the chamber so that, in response to certain movement of the element within the chamber, the optical sensor signals the tilt sensor to turn off the UV light.

Claims

1. A tilt sensor for interrupting operation of a vacuum, the sensor comprising:

a housing securable relative to the vacuum, the housing having a pair of chambers defined therein;

an optical sensor located to define a detection zone within each of the chambers in which variations in light are detected;

an element located in the detection zone of each of the chambers and moveable in response to tilting of the vacuum;

whereby the tilt sensor is adapted to interrupt operation of the vacuum in response to the movement of the element.

2. The tilt sensor of claim 1, wherein the optical sensor includes a photo-emitter and a photo-collector, and the detection zone comprises a path between the photo-emitter and the photo-collector.

3. The tilt sensor of claim 2, wherein the element is configured to move relative to the chamber between a first position obstructing the path and a second position less or not obstructing of the path.

4. The tilt sensor of claim 3, wherein the chamber includes lower and upper walls, and wherein the path extends between the walls.

5. The tilt sensor of claim 4, wherein the lower wall slopes downwardly toward the path, the element adapted to be slidable toward the path in the absence of tilting and along the lower wall away from the path in response to sufficient tilting.

6. The tilt sensor of claim 1, wherein the housing includes two opposing portions secured to each other to define the chamber, the opposing portions having at least two pairs of opposing surfaces defining an angle relative to each other, the angle located between the exterior of the housing and the chamber to inhibit entry of dust from the exterior of the housing into the chambers.

7. A tilt sensor for disrupting an electric circuit of a cleaning device, the tilt sensor comprising:

at least one wall defining at least one chamber therein;

a photo-emitter and a photo-collector operatively associated with the chamber and the electric circuit;

an element disposed in the chamber, the element configured to move relative to the photo-emitter in response to predetermined changes in angle relative to horizontal;

wherein predetermined movement of the element relative to light from said photo-emitter causes said tilt sensor to disrupt the electric circuit.

8. The tilt sensor of claim 7, wherein said element is adapted to obstruct light emitted from said photo-emitter when said tilt sensor is horizontal.

9. The tilt sensor of claim 7, wherein said element is substantially pill shaped and has a circular horizontal cross-section and has an ellipsoidal vertical cross-section.

10. The tilt sensor of claim 7, wherein the housing comprises non-light transmitting material.

11. The tilt sensor of claim 7, wherein the photo-collector is appropriately shielded.

12. The tilt sensor of claim 7, wherein the chamber is adapted to prevent said element from becoming lodged within said chamber.

13. The tilt sensor of claim 7, wherein the photo-collector is further shielded to prevent external sources of light from entering said chamber.

14. The tilt sensor of claim 7, further comprising two chambers.

15. A cleaning device comprising:

a UV light source for disinfecting a cleaning medium;

a housing operatively associated with at least one photo-emitter opposite at least one light receiver;

at least one sliding element adapted to obstruct light emitted from said photo-emitter;

at least one chamber adapted to prevent said sliding element from obstructing light emitted from said photo-emitter in response to changes in angle relative to horizontal of said housing;

wherein light received by said photo-collector controls said UV light source.

16. The cleaning device of claim 15 wherein light received by said photo-collector shuts off said UV light source.

17. The cleaning device of claim 15 further comprising a vacuum motor.

18. The cleaning device of claim 15 wherein said UV light source is a UV light bulb or plurality of UV light bulbs, and is positioned to emit light onto the cleaning medium.