BUILT-IN CENTRAL VACUUMING DEVICE

• US 3,676,986 A
• Filed: 09/15/1969
• Issued: 07/18/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Joseph W. Reiling
• Original Assignee: Joseph W. Reiling
• Inventors: Reiling, Joseph W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nozick, Bernard
• Application Number:
  US04/858,079
• Time in Patent Office: 1,037 Days
• Field of Search: 285/7,360,361,376,401,40 55/467,470-473 15/327 292/87
• US Class Current: 55/472
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/38 Built-in suction cleaner installations, i.e. with fixed tube system to which, at different stations, hoses can be connected
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 55/02 Vacuum cleaner bags
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 55/03 Vacuum cleaner
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 55/08 Built-in vacuum cleaners

Abstract

An improved vacuum cleaner device utilizing a housing with portions which are rapidly assembled by interlocking together under compression, to simultaneously seat and mount the motor and impellers as well as the stators within the assembled housings. The device utilizes a flexible motor-mounting element and compressible O-rings, one of which is positioned between the two telescoping housings to provide an air seal as well as axial resilience helping to retain the parts in their assembled state. A similarly interlocking cylindrical extension is provided for use in enlarging the housing to accommodate a larger motor. A wall-mounted receptacle for access to the vacuum from the interior of the habitation has a front cover plate attached to the receptacle by a living hinge, and the entire receptacle can be molded in one piece, so as to bias the cover plate in its fully opened position by the molding orientation of the living hinge.

Claims

1. A vacuuming device for use in a habitation, comprising:

A. a first substantially tubular housing having an open end, means for radially supporting a motor, and means at one end of said first tubular housing and said motor supporting means axially restraining a motor in one direction;

B. vacuum creating means mounted within said first housing comprising;

1. said motor having a rotatable shaft and being slidably disposed within said motor supporting means and having one end in engagement with said axial, motor restraining means, 2. an air impeller assembly comprising;

a. an impeller tubular housing slIdably received within and in contact with said first tubular housing and including means for engaging the other end of said motor supporting means, b. a stator mounted within said impeller housing, c. at least one impeller rotatably mounted within said impeller housing and operatively coupled to said motor shaft; and

C. a second substantially tubular housing having an arrestment means mounted therein for collecting dirt or refuse objects drawn from the interior of said habitation and passing the air to the air impeller assembly, said second housing having an open end slidably received within said first tubular housing, means for detachably connecting the open end of said second housing to the open end of said first housing, the open end of said second housing abuttingly engages said impeller housing and provides axial restraint for said vacuum creating means in the other axial direction, said vacuum creating means being free of attachment to said first and second housings and further being slidably removable from said first housing upon disengagement of said detachable means, and D. detachable means provided at the other end of said second housing adapted to engage an air conduit for transporting dirt from the habitation to the arrestment means, E. outlet means in said first tubular housing for allowing passage of air from the air impeller assembly outwardly from the vacuuming device.

2. The improved vacuuming device as defined in claim 1, wherein there is additionally provided flexible means which includes means for mounting said stator with respect to said motor.

3. The improved vacuuming device as defined in claim 2 wherein said stator mounting means includes a flexible separator element having portions engaging said stator and also having motor-engaging portions.

4. The improved vacuuming device as defined in claim 1, and further including as an improvement thereof, a receptacle attached to said conduit means, said receptacle having a front surface and a cover plate hingedly attached to said front plate by a living hinge.

5. The improved vacuuming device as defined in claim 4, wherein said cover plate is biased in a predetermined position with respect to said front surface by the orientation and resilience of said living hinge.

6. The improved vacuuming device as defined in claim 1, wherein there is additionally provided holding means which includes means mounted between said first and said second housing portions for spacing the same and for increasing the volume enclosed by the same in the direction if their axes.

7. The improved vacuuming device as defined in claim 6 wherein said spacing means is a cylinder mounted between said first and second housings by detachable fastener means which complement and attach to respective portions of the first and second housings.

8. The improved vacuuming device as defined in claim 6 and further including compressible means mounted adjacent that end of said spacing means which is associated with said first housing for sealing said spacing means with respect to said first housing.

9. The improved vacuuming device as defined in claim 1, wherein there is additionally provided mutually slideable interconnection means which includes bayonet-type connector elements between said first and said second housing portions.

10. A vacuuming device according to claim 1, wherein said impeller housing (a) comprises a first annular member having an annular flange extending in one direction mounted over and engaging one end of said motor, a second annular member having a radial wall and an annular flange at the periphery thereof engaging said first annular member, enclosing said air-impeller (c), and having said stator mounted on said radial wall, with an air channel centrally located in said radial wall;

a second impeller operationally connected to said motor shaft; and

a third annular member having an axial flange mounted over and engaging said second radial member aNd enclosing said second impeller and said stator;

wherein the lip of said second tubular housing engages said third axial member, thereby providing axial restraint for said motor and air impeller assembly.

11. The improved vacuuming device as defined in claim 1 wherein said biasing means includes an O-ring positioned for compressive axial loading between said housing portions.

12. The improved vacuuming device as defined in claim 11 including means defining an annular passage within one of said housing portions;

said O-ring disposed within said passage; and

an annular skirt on the other of said housing portions;

said skirt being of such dimension as to fit within said passage to confine said O-ring therein.

13. In a vacuum cleaner device, of the type having a cannister-type housing which encloses a motor coupled to an air impeller means, an arrestment means located upstream from the air impeller means for removing debris from air and having a conduit means connected thereto for guiding debris to the arrestment means by the air movement created by the intercoupled motor-impeller means, the improvement comprising:

a. at least two connectable tubular housing portions comprising said housing, b. means for seating and restraining said inter-coupled motor-impeller means within one of said housing portions, c. said seating means including means extending between the intercoupled motor-impeller means and the other of said housing portions, d. biasing means disposed between said two housing portions for biasing such portions apart, e. means for interlocking said housing portions one to the other to detachably secure the housing portions together against the action of the biasing means while simultaneously mounting said motor and air-impeller means therewithin, f. said interlocking means comprises interengageable structures held in mutual engagement at least in part by said biasing means acting on said housing portions, g. said interengageable structures comprise projections and recesses forming detents, h. the other of said housing portions being provided at its end with means engaging and providing sole axial restraint for said motor and air-impeller means whereby upon removal of said other housing portion, said motor and air-impeller means may be slidably removed.

14. The improvement of claim 13, wherein said biasing means includes a flexible sealing member disposed between said housing portions.

15. The improvement of claim 13, wherein said air-impeller means includes at least one rotor element mounted on the drive shaft of said motor, and wherein said seating means extending between said other housing portion and said intercoupled motor-impeller means includes means defining a stator element disposed adjacent said rotor element and braced against said motor.

16. The improvement of claim 15, wherein said seating means includes at least a portion which is at least slightly flexible.

17. The improvement of claim 16, wherein said flexible portion comprises part of said means forming said stator element.