Self-powered rotation indicator

• US 4,728,942 A
• Filed: 12/09/1985
• Issued: 03/01/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Scott Fetzer Company (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: The Scott Fetzer Company (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: England, John F. L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Swann, III, Glen R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US06/806,699
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 340/679, 340/671, 340/648, 324/167, 324/208, 324/234, 361/23, 361/33, 318/490-491, 310/68 B
• US Class Current: 340/679
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2842 Suction motors or blowers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2889 Safety or protection devices or systems, e.g. for prevention of motor over-heating or for protection of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/30 Arrangement of illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 13/00 Indicating or recording presence, absence, or direction, of movement electric switches H01H; counting moving objects G06M7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 3/487 delivered by rotating magnets
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 15/11 Indicators

Abstract

A rotating beater brush contained within a detachable rug cleaning nozzle of a domestic vacuum cleaner carries a rare earth magnet radially spaced from the axis of rotation of the beater brush. Mounted on an interior wall of the nozzle in juxtaposed relationship to the path of the revolving magnet is an iron core coil whose turns are cut by flux derived from the magnet as it moves past the coil, the coil generating an alternating current voltage. A light-emitting diode visible to the user through an aperture in a top wall or ceiling of the nozzle is directly powered by the alternating current voltage provided by the coil wherein the diode illuminates to indicate to the user that the beater brush housed within the nozzle is rotating and has not become jammed or otherwise disabled.

Claims

1. In a device having a rotating member contained at least partially within a housing so that the rotating member is obscured from direct view by a user when the device is in a normal operating position, a rotation indicating device comprising:

a permanent magnet mounted on the rotating member, the magnet being radially spaced from the axis of rotation of the member, the magnet revolving in a circular path about said axis, said revolving occurring in a plane perpendicular to said axis of rotation, said magnet having a north pole face and an opposed south pole face, one of said pole faces facing inwardly toward said axis of rotation, the other of said pole faces facing outwardly from said axis of rotation;

a coil having an elongated ferromagnetic core lying along a center axis coinciding with a line extending radially from said axis of rotation, said line extending in said plane, said coil including a large plurality of conductor turns wound about and along the length of said core, said coil being cylindrically shaped, one end of said cylindrically shaped coil being mounted on said housing and being positioned adjacent to the said circular path of said revolving magnet wherein magnetic flux derived from said magnet cuts the turns of said coil as the magnet moves past said one end of said cylindrically shaped coil, wherein said coil generates a cycle of alternating current voltage each time said magnet passes by said one end of the cylindrical coil; and

a light-emitting diode mounted on said housing and readily visible to said user, the light-emitting diode being electrically connected to the coil and being illuminated solely by a rectified portion of cycles of said alternating current voltage.

2. A rotation indicating device according to claim 1, wherein said device includes non-magnetic holder means fixed to said rotating member to retain the magnet in position on said rotating member.

3. A rotation indicating device according to claim 1, wherein said housing contains said magnet, said coil, and said light-emitting diode, said housing including an aperture in a wall portion thereof, said diode being positioned within said housing so that a user can readily view said diode through said aperture.

4. A rotation indicating device according to claim 3, including sealing means extending between said diode and a portion of said housing extending around said aperture, wherein said sealing means generally precludes air flow through said aperture.

5. A rotation indicating device according to claim 4, wherein said sealing means is formed of elastomeric material.

6. A rotation indicating device according to claim 3, wherein said coil is mounted within a coil housing which in turn is mounted to an interior wall portion of said housing for said rotating member, said coil housing supporting a pair of socketlike connectors electrically connected to the turns of said coil, said diode having a pair of electrically conductive leads which have ends that are plugged into said socketlike connectors, wherein said coil housing and said diode form a unitary structure.

7. A rotation indicating device according to claim 3, including an elastomeric sleevelike member that slips over and about said diode and its said conductive leads, a lower portion of the sleevelike member sealingly engaging that protion of the coil housing supporting said socketlike connectors, an upper portion of the sleevelike member sealingly engaging a base portion of said diode from which said conductive leads emanate, wherein said leads and said connectors are generally sealed in air tight fashion within said sleevelike member.

8. A rotation indicating device according to claim 7, wherein said sleevelike member provides at its upper end a collarlike flange of elastomeric material that sealingly engages a ringlike portion of the housing, said ringlike portion extending about the periphery of said aperture wherein air flow through the aperture into the housing is precluded, a top luminous portion of the diode being viewable from outside the housing via said aperture.