Vacuum cleaner with shielded electronic control module
First Claim
1. A vacuum cleaner comprisinga handle including a control housing andan electronic control module in said housing including a circuit board having electronic components mounted thereon,said control module further including a faceplate having a touch sensitive outer surface outwardly of said circuit board and an inner surface and means for establishing an elongate electrical creep path for static electric charges between said outer surface of said faceplate and said circuit board, said creep path having an effective length sufficient to minimize the possibility of an electrical breakdown between said outer surface and said circuit board due to said static electric charges,said establishing means including a first peripheral wall extending around and below said circuit board integral with said faceplate and including an outside face below said circuit board defining at least a portion of said creep path and a second peripheral wall extending below said circuit board in nested overlapping relation with said first wall and defining a portion of said creep path, said creep path extending over at least fifty percent of the extension of said second wall downwardly from said circuit board.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vacuum cleaner includes an operating handle having a compartment for containing a shielded electronic control module for operational control of the vacuum cleaner. The electronic control module includes a touch sensitive outer surface exposed in an opening of the compartment so that a user can effect control of the vacuum cleaner by touching a faceplate or keyboard to actuate touch sensitive components such as switches mounted on a circuit board behind the faceplate. A first shielding peripheral side wall is integrally joined to the faceplate surrounding the circuit board and a second peripheral side wall is formed around the circuit board in a nested, overlapping abutting relationship to the first side wall to establish an elongate electrical creep path between a touch point on the outer surface of the faceplate and a point or surface of a different electrical potential associated with one or more of the electrical components on the circuit board. The elongate electrical creep path is of sufficient length to minimize the possibility of an electrical breakdown due to a high voltage static electric charge. A close fitting tight seal is provided between abutting overlapping surfaces of the nested side walls to minimize or prevent the ingress of environmental contaminants between the side walls, the presence of which contaminants would otherwise reduce the effective length of the electrical creep path.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A vacuum cleaner comprising
a handle including a control housing and an electronic control module in said housing including a circuit board having electronic components mounted thereon, said control module further including a faceplate having a touch sensitive outer surface outwardly of said circuit board and an inner surface and means for establishing an elongate electrical creep path for static electric charges between said outer surface of said faceplate and said circuit board, said creep path having an effective length sufficient to minimize the possibility of an electrical breakdown between said outer surface and said circuit board due to said static electric charges, said establishing means including a first peripheral wall extending around and below said circuit board integral with said faceplate and including an outside face below said circuit board defining at least a portion of said creep path and a second peripheral wall extending below said circuit board in nested overlapping relation with said first wall and defining a portion of said creep path, said creep path extending over at least fifty percent of the extension of said second wall downwardly from said circuit board.
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8. An electronic control module for a vacuum cleaner comprising
a circuit board having touch sensitive electronic components mounted thereon, a first shield member for said circuit board including a faceplate spaced outwardly of said circuit board and having a touch sensitive outer surface for operating said components on said circuit board, said shield member further including a first peripheral wall around and extending below said circuit board integral with said faceplate and having an outside surface establishing a portion of an elongate electrical creep path for static electric charges between said outer surface of said faceplate and said circuit board, said outside surface extending downwardly away from said faceplate and said circuit board for providing a creep path having sufficient length to minimize the possibility of an electrical breakdown along said creep path due to the presence of a high voltage static electric charge at said outer surface of said faceplate and a second shield member for enclosing said circuit board on a back side thereof including a second peripheral wall extending around and below said circuit board in nested overlapping relation with said first peripheral wall and defining a second portion of said creep path.
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12. A vacuum cleaner comprising
a wand handle having a control compartment therein and an electronic control module for said vacuum cleaner mounted in said compartment including a circuit board and a touch sensitive, impervious faceplate for operating electrical components on said circuit board by the touching of an external surface of said faceplate, said control module including a first side wall integrally joining said faceplate and extending around the periphery of and below said circuit board for establishing an elongate electrical creep path for static electric charges extending between said external surface of said faceplate and said circuit board and having an effective length sufficient to minimize the possibility of an electrical breakdown between said external surface of said faceplate and said circuit board when said external surface is touched, said control module including a second side wall in nested overlapping relation to said first wall and having an outer surface abutting said first wall below said circuit board and establishing a portion of said creep path extending between said first wall and said circuit board.
Specification