Rechargeable cordless vacuum cleaner apparatus

• US 4,670,701 A
• Filed: 11/18/1985
• Issued: 06/02/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited 1006 OAZA Kadoma-Shi Osaka Japan
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Shimoyama, Tatsuya, Matsunaga, Yoshinori, Sako, Yukinobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Perkey, W. B.
• Application Number:
  US06/799,073
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• Field of Search: 320/2, 15/DIG. 1
• US Class Current: 320/115
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/24 Hand-supported suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 15/01 Rechargeable batter

Abstract

A rechargeable cordless vacuum cleaner apparatus includes a hand-held cordless vacuum cleaner containing rechargeable batteries, a motor, a fan driven by the motor and a dust-collection filter, and a charging unit containing a power transformer and rectifier diode, with the charging unit being formed with a pocket to removably retain the vacuum cleaner with charging terminals of the charging unit engaged in an electrical receptacle of the vacuum cleaner. Ribs or grooves are formed on an end of the vacuum cleaner which is inserted in the charging unit pocket, and these slidably engage with corresponding grooves or ribs formed on the charging unit, for accurate engagement. A microswitch on the vacuum cleaner acts to disconnect the batteries from a motor drive circuit and connect them to a charging circuit when the vacuum cleaner is inserted in the charging unit.

Claims

1. A rechargeable cordless vacuum cleaner apparatus comprising:

a hand-held vacuum cleaner comprising a housing formed with an air inlet at one end thereof, an air outlet at the opposite end thereof, first coupling means located adjacent said opposite end and extending in a direction toward said inlet, said cleaner including, within said housing, rechargeable batteries, a motor adapted to be powered by said batteries, a dust-collection filter located adjacent said opposite end of the housing, a fan driven by said motor to produce an airflow from said inlet to said filter, electrical receptacle means positioned at said opposite end, and connecting leads extending from said electrical receptacle means for connection to said batteries; and

a charging unit having a housing formed with a pocket shaped to be detachably engageable with the opposite end portion of said cleaner housing and second coupling means having a shape complementary to said first coupling means to slidably engage with said first coupling means under its own weight when said cleaner is engaged with said pocket to retain said cleaner in an upright position on said charging unit and slidably disengage from said first coupling means when said cleaner is disengaged from said pocket, the charging unit including, within said housing, a rectifier adapted for connection to a main supply and a pair of charging terminals for engaging with said receptacle means and connecting a rectified output of said rectifier to said connecting leads when said cleaner is engaged with said pocket.

2. A rechargeable cordless vacuum cleaner apparatus according to claim 1, in which said vacuum cleaner comprises discharging circuit means connected to said motor and charging circuit means connected to said rectifier, and switch means located on said opposite end of the cleaner housing for connecting said batteries to said discharging circuit means when said cleaner is disengaged from said pocket and connecting said batteries to said charging circuit means when said cleaner is engaged with said pocket.

3. A rechargeable cordless vacuum cleaner apparatus according to claim 1, in which said charging terminals are located in said pocket.

4. A rechargeable cordless vacuum cleaner apparatus according to claim 3, in which said second coupling means is located in said pocket.

5. A rechargeable cordless vacuum cleaner apparatus according to claim 1, in which said cleaner further includes a nozzle detachably engageable with said inlet, and said charging unit further comprises a nozzle storage mount for removably storing said nozzle.

6. A rechargeable cordless vacuum cleaner apparatus according to claim 5, in which said charging unit further comprises a cord outlet located below said nozzle storage mount and an electric power cord retractable into the inside of the charging unit housing through said cord outlet.

7. A rechargeable cordless vacuum cleaner apparatus according to claim 6, and further comprising an interchangeable pair of said nozzles comprising a long nozzle and a short nozzle, and wherein said nozzle storage mount includes a first stopper member for determining a depth of insertion of said short nozzle in said nozzle mount, and a second stopper member for determining a depth of insertion of said long nozzle in said nozzle mount, with said second stopper member being positioned such as to permit insertion of said long nozzle into said nozzle mount to a greater depth than said shorter nozzle.

8. A rechargeable cordless vacuum cleaner apparatus comprising:

a hand-held cordless vacuum cleaner having rechargeable batteries, a fan, a motor for driving said fan, and a dust collection filter disposed internally therein and having a nozzle mounted at one end thereof, and having grooves formed on mutually opposite sides of a lower end thereof and electrical receptacle means disposed at said end with connecting leads extending into said electrical receptacle means; and

a charging unit having a transformer and a rectifier diode mounted internally therein, and having a pocket formed therein for removably retaining said hand-held cordless vacuum cleaner, shaped in accordance with said lower end of said hand-held cordless vacuum cleaner such that with said lower end of said hand-held cordless vacuum cleaner inserted into said pocket said hand-held cordless vacuum cleaner is maintained by the weight thereof within said pocket, said charging unit further including at least two ribs formed within said pocket, positioned to slidably engage with said grooves of said hand-held cordless vacuum cleaner when said hand-held cordless vacuum cleaner is inserted in said pocket, and moreover including a pair of charging terminals spaced apart substantially mutually parallel and protruding substantially vertically upward with said ribs disposed closely adjacent thereto, said charging terminals being positioned to engage within said electrical receptacle means and establish electrical contact with said connecting leads when said hand-held cordless vacuum cleaner is inserted in said pocket, with said electrical contact being maintained by the weight of said hand-held cordless vacuum cleaner acting to urge said charging terminals into said electrical receptacle means;

said hand-held cordless vacuum cleaner further comprising discharge circuit means for connecting said rechargeable batteries to said motor and charging circuit means for connecting said rechargeable batteries to said connecting leads of said electrical receptacle means, and microswitch means for selectively connecting said rechargeable batteries to said discharge circuit means and said charging circuit means, said microswitch means having at least a portion thereof disposed within one of said grooves of said hand-held cordless vacuum cleaner and being adapted to disconnect said rechargeable batteries from said discharge circuit means and connect said rechargeable batteries to said charging circuit means when said hand-held cordless vacuum cleaner is inserted into said pocket of said charging unit.