WALL-RECESSED SUCTION CLEANER

• US 3,706,184 A
• Filed: 06/09/1969
• Issued: 12/19/1972
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tucker Council A
• Original Assignee: Tucker Council A
• Inventors: Tucker, Council A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Talbert, Jr., Dennis E.
• Application Number:
  US04/831,456
• Time in Patent Office: 1,289 Days
• Field of Search: 55/358,356,361,382,385,478,481,485,490,413,419,467,482,502,DIG.2,DIG.3,DIG. 15/301,313,314,315 285/7 52/511 134/37 200/61.6,61.8 312/242
• US Class Current: 55/356
• 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: F24F 8/10 by separation, e.g. by filtering
• 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

A suction cleaner mountable substantially entirely between the faces of a room wall and equipped to have a dirty air suction hose coupled thereto and to discharge clean air back into the room from a semi-concealed outlet discharging laterally from a protruding edge of the cleaner and generally across the adjacent face of the room wall. The exterior cover means for the working components is detachably secured in place by hidden connectors and conceals the cleaner proper from view. The suction air unit is mounted beside and parallel to an air filter canister which is removable as a unit for servicing.

Claims

1. A suction cleaner assembly comprising, in combination, a housing recessed into a room wall having a first dirty air inlet passage means rigidly and fixedly assembled thereto, a motor fan suction unit mounted therein having a clean air inlet passage and an exhaust air outLet, a unitary dirt and air separator unit supported in a portion of said housing in communication with the interior of the room wall, said separator unit comprising an impervious tubular main body enclosing a readily detachable throwaway paper filter bag and provided at its ends with end caps one of which is readily detachable from said main body to release the inlet end of said filter bag and which one end cap is provided with a dirty air inlet opening into said throwaway filter bag and the other of which end caps is provided with a clean air outlet, and coupling means mounted on and manually manipulatable from the interior of said housing for detachably connecting said separator unit to and in series between the inlet passage to said suction unit and the discharge end of said first dirty air inlet passage with said one cap held assembled to said main body, and said coupling means clamping said discharge end of said first dirty air inlet passage means in sealed communication with said second dirty air inlet of said one end cap.

2. A suction cleaner assembly as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said unitary separator unit comprises an imperforate tubular main body enclosing said throwaway filter bag, and readily releasable means detachably supporting the inlet end of said filter bag between one end of said separator unit main body and said one end cap.

3. A suction cleaner assembly as defined in claim 2 characterized in that said separator unit includes a cloth filter bag having a large area inlet and an outwardly flanged rim there adjacent seated on one rim edge of said tubular main body, said throwaway filter bag having an outwardly flanged inlet end sized to be supported against the exterior inlet end of said cloth filter bag.

4. A suction cleaner assembly as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said cleaner assembly is mountable substantially fully recessed into a room wall with only a minor front portion thereof protruding into the room, and means for exhausting clean air from said suction unit and from said housing along one peripheral edge of said minor front portion along a path adjacent the interior surface of the room wall in which said cleaner assembly is mounted.

5. A suction cleaner assembly as defined in claim 4 characterized in that the front portion of said housing includes normally closed access cover means concealing said separator unit, said cover means being releasable to a position permitting said separator unit to be withdrawn as a unit from said cleaner assembly and carried to a place of dirt disposal before being opened.

6. A suction cleaner assembly as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said separator coupling means is operable between closed and open positions and effective when closed to clamp said separator unit in assembled position with said second dirty air inlet and said clean air outlet in direct communication, respectively, with said rigidly assembled dirty air inlet passage means and said suction unit clean air inlet.

7. A suction cleaner assembly as defined in claim 6 characterized in that said coupling means includes an axially compressible thick resilient collar sized to form an air passage therethrough in communication with one of the air inlet and air outlet of said separator means and effective normally to seat against said separator means, and manually operable means to compress said resilient collar to facilitate removal of said separator unit for servicing the same.

8. A suction cleaner assembly as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said housing is installed between studding of a room wall, means on said housing for securing said housing to the wall, and detachable front plate means provided with retainer means all portions of which are concealed from view and carried on the rear thereof for holding said front plate means detachably over the room side of said housing and including means for concealing the cleaner housing and the means securing said cleaner housing to the room wall.

9. A suction cleaner as defined in claim 8 characterized in that said detachable front plate means is provided with an opening opposite the entrance end of said dirty air inlet passage, spring biased cover means normally closing the entrance end of said dirty air inlet passage, and manually operable switch means normally fully concealed by said cover means and connected in circuit with said motor fan suction unit including an operating member engageable by said cover means to hold said switch open so long as said cover means is not held in open position.

10. A suction cleaner as defined in claim 1 characterized in the provision of fastener means concealed by and behind said first cover means and positioned to have interlocking engagement with detent means secured to stationary means located behind said first cover means and cooperating to hold said first cover means rigidly assembled over the front of said main supporting frame.

11. A suction cleaner assembly as defined in claim 1 characterized in that said dirty air inlet means and said clean air outlet means include conduit means located at least in part exteriorly of the opposite ends of said main supporting frame and lying partly in the plane of the interior side of the room wall, and said first cover means being sufficiently longer than said main supporting frame to conceal said conduit means when in assembled position.

12. A suction cleaner designed to be fixedly mounted with a major portion thereof recessed into a room wall between adjacent studs, said cleaner having a deep box like main housing the bottom of which is adapted to lie close to the back surface of a wall recess and having an open front edge adapted to lie in a plane closely adjacent the surface of a room wall, a motor-driven suction unit mounted in said housing having its inlet connected to the clean air side of detachable filter bag means mounted in said housing, air duct means secured to said housing for conveying dirty air into said filter bag means, means for securing said housing in place between adjacent studs with the open front thereof adjacent the front surface of the room wall, and relatively shallow access cover means larger in size than the wall opening having a low height sidewall extending toward a room wall with the rim edges spaced remotely from the bottom of said housing, said access cover means having provision along said low height sidewall and adjacent the rim portion of the open front of said main housing permitting clean air discharging from said motor-driven suction unit to flow back into the room close to the wall surface in a direction laterally of said suction cleaner, and means for securing said access cover means detachably in place over said cleaner assembly so as to conceal the same from view along with said fastener means securing said main frame to the room wall.

13. A suction cleaner as defined in claim 12 characterized in that said means for securing said access cover in place includes concealed interlocking detent and keeper means located in juxtaposition to one another on said main housing from the rear side of said access cover and engageable as said cover is shifted in the plane thereof generally parallel to the room wall.

14. A suction cleaner as defined in claim 12 characterized in that said access cover includes second cover means pivotally thereto opposite said filter bag means and permitting removal and servicing thereof when in open position.

15. A suction cleaner as defined in claim 14 characterized in that the pivotal connection between said access cover and said second cover means is concealed from view when closed.

16. A suction cleaner as defined in claim 15 characterized in the provision of normally-closed dirty air inlet means having an opening accessible through a port formed in said access cover means hinged to said access cover means and normally closing said dirty air inlet means.

17. A suction cleaner as defined in claim 12 characterized in that said access cover means iNcludes a pair of elongated rectangular panels of substantially the same length disposed laterally of their longer sides and cooperating to form the front face of said access cover means, one of said panels including concealed hinge means pivotally securing the same to said access cover means for pivotal movement of said one panel between a closed position and an open position providing access to said filter bag means and a second one thereof being fixed to said housing.

20. A suction cleaner as defined in claim 17 characterized in that the second one of said rectangular panels has an edge thereof spaced outwardly from the adjacent surface of a wall in which said cleaner is installed to provide an outlet through which clean air discharging from said suction unit escapes back into the room in a path closely parallel to the surface of the wall in which said suction cleaner is installed.

21. A suction cleaner as defined in claim 12 characterized in that said access cover means comprises first and second generally rectangular panels pivotally interconnected between a pair of long narrow strips parallel to one another and extending along the remote edges of said first and second panels and fixed relative to one of said panels.

22. A suction cleaner as defined in claim 12 characterized in that said access cover means comprises a pair of generally rectangular panels with their longer edges normally lying side by side, and means including concealed hinge means interconnecting said panels for pivotal movement of one thereof relative to the other to provide access to said filter bag means and fully exposing all portions of said housing underlying one of said panels.

23. A suction cleaner as defined in claim 22 characterized in that said panels are substantially of the same length and project substantially beyond the upper and lower and one lateral edge of said main housing thereby to overlap and conceal the edges of the wall recess in which said suction cleaner is mounted when said pivoting panel is closed.

24. A suction cleaner as defined in claim 22 characterized in that one of said panels is crowned so as to bulge outwardly lengthwise thereof and cooperates with juxtaposed portions of said main frame to provide more room for components of said suction cleaner.

25. In combination with a suction cleaner assembly of the type fixedly installed with a major portion thereof recessed into a room wall between adjacent studs and having a motor driven suction unit having a clean air inlet aligned with but spaced from the discharge end of dirty air passage means, said suction cleaner assembly being characterized by a unitary filter canister assembly which is readily insertable and removable as a unit to complete an air conveying passage between said clean air inlet and the discharge end of said dirty air passage means, said unitary canister assembly being in a portion of said cleaner assembly open to the interior of the room wall when the cleaner is installed therein and said canister assembly being removable as a unit to facilitate disposal of dirt and replacement of a throwaway paper filter bag, said canister assembly being accessible through door means on the front of said cleaner assembly and having an impervious elongated tubular main body and first and second closure ring means for a respective end of said main body and forming a dirty air inlet and a clean air outlet at the opposite ends of said main body, said canister assembly being repeatedly installable and removable as a unit for emptying throughout the service life of said suction cleaner, a large-mouthed first filter bag surrounding a throwaway paper second filter bag both held clamped in operating position between one end of said canister main body and said first closure ring means, readily operated first clamp means accessible for manipulation through said door means for holding one of said closure ring means and both of said filter bags firmly clamped against one end of said main body and second clamp means operable to releasably clamp said canister assembly installed with its opposite ends connected respectively in fluid-tight relation to the clean air inlet of said suction unit and to the discharge end of said dirty air passage means and being adapted to be withdrawn therefrom and carried with its dirt contents to a place of filter bag disposal after a period of use to separate dirt from a dirty air stream.

26. A suction cleaner designed to be fixedly mounted with a major portion thereof recessed into a room wall between the studding thereof, said cleaner having a deep box-like main housing provided with means along either lateral side for securing the same in a wall opening with only the open front thereof exposed, a suction fan and air filter means operatively associated with one another and supported in said housing, cover means overlying the room side of said housing having a narrow sidewall along the perimeter thereof cooperating with the surface of the room wall to conceal the wall opening in which said suction cleaner is recessed from view and including access means in the front face thereof for coupling a dirty air hose to said filter means, and narrow elongated air outlet means carried by said housing remote from the rear wall thereof and closely adjacent the sidewall of said cover means for exhausting clean air discharging from said suction unit back into the room laterally of said cleaner along a path between the interior surface of the room wall and the front face of said cover means.

18. A suction cleaner as defined in claim 29 characterized in that said dirty air duct means has an inlet end opening through the face of said second rectangular panel, and a third rectangular panel pivoted to said second panel by concealed spring hinge means normally biasing said third panel closed against the inlet of said dirty air duct means.

19. A suction cleaner as defined in claim 18 characterized in the provision of control switch means for said motor-driven suction unit including an operator member therefor projecting through said second panel into the path of said third panel as it approaches its normal closed position and operable thereby to open said control switch means.

27. A suction cleaner as defined in claim 26 characterized in that said cover means is substantially free of clean air flow passages and constructed and arranged to be assembled to and detached from said main frame without disturbing said means for exhausting clean air into the room.

28. A suction cleaner as defined in claim 26 characterized in that said means for exhausting clean air into the room is carried by a portion of said housing projecting outwardly into the room along a lateral side of said housing, and said cover means being shallow relative to the depth of said housing and located to one side of the path of clean air flow back into the room from said suction unit.

29. A suction cleaner as defined in claim 26 characterized in that said main frame includes a side wall projecting outwardly into the room adjacent said suction unit, means for conveying clean air exhausting from said suction unit past said projecting side wall and into the room in a path closely adjacent the interior surface of the wall and bypassing said cleaner cover means.

30. A suction cleaner as defined in claim 26 characterized in that said main frame includes means provided with an elongated port for clean air located in a portion thereof projecting into the room and effective to discharge clean air from said suction unit into the room in a wide relatively thin sheet located between an edge of said cover means and the interior face of the room wall.

31. A suction cleaner of the type used to sweep and clean floors and the like designed to be fixedly mounted with a major portion thereof concealed and recessed into a hollow wall between and secured to the opposite edges of the wall studding, said cleaner having a deep open-front box-like housing sized for insertion through an opening between adjacent stuDs with the rear wall thereof substantially flush against the rear surface of the wall recess, air filtering bag and air suction means supported in said housing and interconnected for the passage of dirty air into said filter bag and the discharge of clean air from said suction means, said air filtering bag being readily detachable as a unit for emptying and the installation therein of a fresh dirt filter bag, said housing having a dirty air inlet coupling mounted thereon for detachable connection to a flexible hose with its inlet facing toward the interior of the room and clean air outlet means connected to receive clean air discharging from said suction means, said dirty air inlet coupling being readily connectable to a flexible hose suitable for use in cleaning floors and the like dirty surfaces, said clean air outlet means being positioned to discharge the clean air back into the room through a long narrow outlet opening laterally from one edge at the front of said housing and generally parallel to the interior surface of the room wall and located outwardly of but closely adjacent said interior surface, and cover means for the open front of said housing sized to overlie and conceal the open front of said housing and having one edge thereof extending along a major length of the front edge portion of said housing and cooperating to provide a long narrow air outlet discharging into the room in a path generally parallel to the wall surface.

32. A suction cleaner as defined in claim 31 characterized in that said clean air outlet means is formed in part by a channel-shaped member having the open side thereof facing outwardly away from a side wall of said housing in a direction generally parallel to the face of the room wall, the web portion of said channel-shaped member being cut away to provide a long narrow clean air outlet passage, and said one edge of said cover means terminating in closely spaced relation to the outer free rim edge of said channel-shaped member.