SELF-PROPELLED UPRIGHT VACUUM CLEANER

• US 3,854,164 A
• Filed: 01/15/1973
• Issued: 12/17/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Appliance Corporation
• Original Assignee: Joseph F. Schmitz
• Inventors: Schmitz, Joseph F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hornsby, Harvey C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Moore, C. K.
• Application Number:
  US05/323,779
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• Field of Search: 15/319,340,413,49R,49C,5R,5C,377 180/60,62,65R,65F 318/257
• US Class Current: 15/340.2
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/30 with driven dust-loosening tools, e.g. rotating brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/325 for wheeled suction cleaners with steering handle

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner structure having self-propelling means. A handle is associated with the vacuum cleaner and the selfpropelling means to drive the vacuum cleaner in accordance with force applied forwardly or rearwardly to the handle. The handle is biased to an Off position. The driving force developed by the propelling means varies as a function of the displacement of the handle from the Off position. The propelling means includes wheels carried on the oppositely projecting shaft ends of the drive motor for direct drive by the drive motor.

Claims

1. In a vacuum cleaner having means forming a dirt collecting chamber, a selectively positionable handle attached to said means forming a dirt collecting chamber for controlling movement of the vacuum cleaner selectively forwardly and rearwardly over a surface to be vacuum cleaned, an air conducting nozzle in communication with said dirt collecting chamber, and air moving means including first motor means for moving air through said nozzle to become dirt laden and moving said dirt laden air to said dirt collecting chamber means for removing the dirt therefrom, propelling means comprising:

drive wheel means mounted on said vacuum cleaner nozzle for engaging the surface to be cleaned;

second motor means carried by said vacuum cleaner nozzle and drivingly connected to said drive wheel means; and

means for selectively controlling said second motor means for reversibly driving said drive wheel means forwardly and rearwardly in response to selective positioning of said handle, said air moving means including means for conducting cooling air other than the dirt laden air in heat transfer association with said second motor means for cooling said second motor means.

2. In a vacuum cleaner having means forming a dirt collecting chamber, a selectively positionable handle attached to said means forming a dirt collecting chamber for controlling movement of the vacuum cleaner selectively forwardly and rearwardly over a surface to be vacuum cleaned, an air conducting nozzle in communication with said dirt collecting chamber, and air moving means including first motor means for moving air through said nozzle to said dirt collecting chamber means for removing the dirt therefrom, propelling means comprising:

drive wheel means mounted on said vacuum cleaner nozzle for engaging the surface to be cleaned;

second motor means carried by said vacuum cleaner nozzle and drivingly connecting to said drive wheel means; and

means for selectively controlling said second motor means for reversibly driving said drive wheel means forwardly and rearwardly in response to selective positioning of said handle, said air moving means including means for conducting clean air discharged from said dirt collecting chamber means in heat transfer association with said second motor means for cooling said second motor means.

3. In a vacuum cleaner having means forming a dirt collecting chamber, a selectively positionable handle attached to said means forming a dirt collecting chamber for controlling movement of the vacuum cleaner selectively forwardly and rearwardly over a surface to be vacuum cleaned, an air conducting nozzle in communication with said dirt collecting chamber, and air moving means including first motor means for moving air through said nozzle to become dirt laden and moving said dirt laden air to said dirt collecting chamber means for removing the dirt therefrom, propelling means comprising:

drive wheel means mounted on said vacuum cleaner nozzle for engaging the surface to be cleaned;

second motor means carried by said vacuum cleaner nozzle and drivingly connected to said drive wheel means; and

means for selectively controlling said second motor means for reversibly driving said drive wheel means forwardly and rearwardly in response to selective positioning of said handle, said air moving means including means for conducting cooling air other than the dirt laden air in heat transfer association with said second motor means for cooling said second motor means and conducting said cooling air from said second motor means to said means forming a dirt collecting chamber.

4. In a vacuum cleaner having means forming a dirt collecting chamber, a selectively positionable handle attached to said means forming a dirt collecting chamber for controlling movement of the vacuum cleaner selectively forwardly and rearwardly over a surface to be vacuum cleaned, an air conducting nozzle in communication with said dirt collecting chamber, and air moving means including first motor means for moving air through said nozzle to become dirt laden and moving said dirt laden air to said dirt collecting chamber means for removing the dirt therefrom, propelling means comprising:

drive wheel means mounted on said vacuum cleaner nozzle for engaging the surface to be cleaned;

second motor means carried by said vacuum cleaner nozzle and drivingly connected to said drive wheel means; and

means for selectively controlling said second motor means for reversibly driving said drive wheel means forwardly and rearwardly in response to selective positioning of said handle, said air moving means including duct means for conducting air from said nozzle to said means forming a dirt collecting chamber and means for conducting cooling air other than the dirt laden air in heat transfer association with said second motor means for cooling said second motor means and conducting the cooling air from said second motor means to said duct means.

5. In a vacuum cleaner having means forming a dirt collecting chamber, a selectively positionable handle attached to said means forming a dirt collecting chamber for controlling movement of the vacuum cleaner chamber forwardly and rearwardly over a surface to be vacuum cleaned, an air conducting nozzle in communication with said dirt collecting chamber, and air moving means including first motor means for moving air through said nozzle to become dirt laden and moving said dirt laden air to said dirt collecting chambr means for removing the dirt therefrom, propelling means comprising:

drive wheel means mounted on said vacuum cleaner nozzle for engaging the surface to be cleaned;

second motor means carried by said vacuum cleaner nozzle and drivingly connected to said drive wheel means; and

means for selectively controlling said second motor means for reVersibly driving said drive wheel means forwardly and rearwardly in response to selective positioning of said handle, said drive wheel means being mounted on oppositely projecting shaft ends of said second motor means to provide a direct drive relationship between said drive wheel means and said second motor means, said air moving means including means for conducting cooling air other than the dirt laden air in heat transfer association with said second motor means for cooling said second motor means, and said drive wheel means define cup-shaped wheels having tubular side walls extending coaxially about said second motor means and having confronting distal ends spaced apart to define a flow passage for said cooling air.

6. In a vacuum cleaner structure including a suction nozzle, and air treating means including passage means extending from said nozzle, and air moving means for sucking dirt laden air through said nozzle and passage means, a first motor for operating said air moving means, dirt collecting means for removing dirt from the sucked air, and discharge means for discharging cleaned air to atmosphere, means for propelling said vacuum cleaner structure comprising:

a wheeled drive mounted to said structure and including a second motor having a housing;

conducting means for conducting cooling air other than said dirt laden air into and from said housing; and

means for causing said air moving means to effect movement of said cooling air to provide forced internal ventilation cooling of said second motor concurrently with the suction of such dirt laden air through the nozzle.

7. The vacuum cleaner structure of claim 6 wherein said conducting means comprises second passage means and said last named means comprises means connecting said air moving means to said second passage means for directing a portion of the cleaned air to said second passage means for flow thereof through said housing and outwardly therefrom to atmosphere.

8. The vacuum cleaner structure of claim 6 wherein said conducting means comprises second passage means and said last named means comprises means connecting said air moving means to said second passage means for directing air under suction pressure from said second passage means to said air treating means.

9. The vacuum cleaner structure of claim 6 wherein said conducting means comprises second passage means and said last named means comprises means connecting said air moving means to said second passage means for directing air under suction pressure from said second passage means directly to said air moving means of said air treating means.

10. The vacuum cleaner structure of claim 6 wherein said conducting means comprises second passage means and said last named means comprises means connecting said air moving means to said second passage means for directing air under suction pressure from said second passage means to said air treating means for delivery with the sucked dirt laden air to the means for removing dirt from the air.

11. The vacuum cleaner means of claim 6 wherein said air conducting means includes outlet means axially of said second motor for discharging the motor cooling air outwardly from the housing therethrough.

12. The vacuum cleaner means of claim 6 wherein said air conducting means includes outlet means axially of said second motor for discharging the motor cooling air outwardly from the housing therethrough, and means are provided adjacent said outlet means for deflecting the discharged cooling air along the exterior of the housing for further heat transfer association with said second motor.

13. The vacuum cleaner means of claim 6 wherein said conducting means includes outlet means axially of said second motor for discharging the motor cooling air outwardly from the housing therethrough, said wheeled drive including wheels adjacent said outlet means and arranged to deflect the discharged cooling air along the exterior of the housing for further heat transfer association with said second motor.

14. The vacuum cleaner means of claim 6 wherein said wheeled drive is mounted to a carriage.

15. The vacuum cleaner means of claim 6 wherein said motor housing is fixedly mounted to a carriage.

16. The vacuum cleaner means of claim 6 wherein said air treating means includes a first duct connecting the passage means to the means for removing dirt from the air, and said connecting means comprises a second duct connecting said conducting means to said first duct.