Portable vacuum cleaner

• US 4,924,548 A
• Filed: 08/06/1987
• Issued: 05/15/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kishi, Hideki, Touya, Syouichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Chris K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gerrity, Stephen F.
• Application Number:
  US07/082,825
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• Field of Search: 15/344, 15/347, 15/353, 55/320, 55/462, 55/464, 55/465, 55/467, 55/307, 55/DIG. 3, 403/322, 403/325, 403/328
• US Class Current: 15/347
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/24 Hand-supported suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0019 Details of the casing
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0028 Security means, e.g. float valves or level switches for preventing overflow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0038 with means for emptying the tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0042 Gaskets; Sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/122 flat
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/591 having operating mechanism

Abstract

A portable vacuum cleaner for use in both dry and wet operations comprising a main body case housing a fan motor and having intake and discharge openings, a dust case having an intake portion and removably attached to the main body case around the intake opening, and a filter housing removably installed in the dust case and having a filter accommodated therein to cover the intake opening with the filter, the filter housing having a tubular portion projecting toward and substantially opposed to the intake portion of the dust case, the tubular portion being closed at the end opposed to the intake portion thereof and formed with apertures in its peripheral wall, the dust case having a partition wall positioned under the intake portion thereof and extending from the intake portion toward the main body case for separating off an interior lower portion of the dust case as a water collection chamber.

Claims

1. A portable vacuum cleaner for use in both dry and wet operations, comprising:

a main body case housing a fan motor and having intake and discharge openings therefor, said intake opening being disposed about a first axis;

a dust case having an intake portion and removably attached to the main body case around said intake opening; and

a filter housing removably installed in said dust case, said filter housing having a filter accommodating portion wherein a filter is accommodated to cover said intake opening, said filter accommodating portion including a front plate and a frame provided along the outer periphery of said front plate, said front plate having a tubular portion projecting therefrom and disposed about a second axis, said tubular portion being substantially opposed to the intake portion of said dust case, the second axis of said tubular portion being out of alignment with the first axis of the intake opening, and wherein the front plate further includes filter holding plates provided on the side of said front plate opposite the tubular portion, said filter holding plates being radially arranged from the second axis of the tubular portion so as to direct drawn-in air over the entire front surface of the filter;

said tubular portion being closed at an end opposed to said intake portion thereof and formed with apertures therethrough, and said dust case having a partition wall positioned under the intake portion thereof and extending from said intake portion toward said main body case for defining a water collection chamber at an interior lower portion of the dust case.

2. A cleaner as defined in claim 1, further comprising a projection formed on and substantially at the center of said end of the tubular portion for preventing adhesion of dirt.

3. A cleaner as defined in claim 2 wherein the projection is subtantially in the form of a cylinder.

4. A cleaner as defined in claim 1 wherein the tubular portion is circular in cross section.

5. A cleaner as defined in claim 1 wherein the intake portion is provided in its opening with a check valve for preventing reverse flow of drawn-in air.

6. A cleaner as defined in claim 5 wherein the intake portion is provided at its opening with a tube for covering the check valve.

7. A cleaner as defined in claim 1 wherein the main body case includes a spigot portion and the dust case has a rear edge defining a socket opening and fittingly attached to said spigot portion of the main body case by a clamp device, the clamp device comprising first and second engaging means opposed to each other and formed in the inner surface of the opening-defining rear edge of the dust case, latching means provided on one side of the spigot portion and engageable with the first engaging means, holding means provided in the main body case and biased to project from the other side of the spigot portion into engagement with the second engaging means, the holding means having a push button for disengaging the holding means from the second engaging means, and a releasing means connected to the push button for disengaging the latching means from the first engaging means when the push button is depressed.