Filter assembly for a vacuum cleaner
First Claim
1. A filter housing and filter assembly for a vacuum cleaner, the vacuum cleaner including a motor, a housing enclosing the motor, a fan driven by the motor for producing a vacuum, and a canister removably attached to the front end of the housing and having an intake nozzle for reception of foreign matter, liquid and air drawn into the canister in response to the vacuum developed by the fan, said assembly comprising:
- means for filtering foreign matter from the air entering the canister;
means for housing said filtering means within the canister comprising a filter housing disposed within the canister and having an end flange at one end extending radially outwardly towards the surrounding wall of the canister;
said filtering means comprising a filter disposed within said filter housing for filtering particulate matter, said filter comprising an integral framework formed by a plurality of ribs and an air permeable filter member disposed within said framework; and
means for removably and positively securing said filtering means to said housing means to allow said filtering means and said housing means to form an integral unit.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vacuum cleaner includes a motor, a housing enclosing the motor, and a fan driven by the motor for producing a vacuum. A canister is removably attached to the front end of the housing and has an intake nozzle for the reception of foreign matter, liquid and air drawn into the canister is response to the vacuum developed by the fan. A filter assembly includes a filter for filtering foreign matter from the air entering the canister. The assembly also includes a filter housing for housing the filter. The assembly further includes means for removably and positively securing the filter to the filter housing to allow the filter and the filter housing to form an integral unit.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A filter housing and filter assembly for a vacuum cleaner, the vacuum cleaner including a motor, a housing enclosing the motor, a fan driven by the motor for producing a vacuum, and a canister removably attached to the front end of the housing and having an intake nozzle for reception of foreign matter, liquid and air drawn into the canister in response to the vacuum developed by the fan, said assembly comprising:
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means for filtering foreign matter from the air entering the canister; means for housing said filtering means within the canister comprising a filter housing disposed within the canister and having an end flange at one end extending radially outwardly towards the surrounding wall of the canister; said filtering means comprising a filter disposed within said filter housing for filtering particulate matter, said filter comprising an integral framework formed by a plurality of ribs and an air permeable filter member disposed within said framework; and means for removably and positively securing said filtering means to said housing means to allow said filtering means and said housing means to form an integral unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A filter housing and filter assembly for a vacuum cleaner, the vacuum cleaner including a motor, a housing enclosing the motor, a fan driven by the motor for producing a vacuum, and a canister removably attached to the front end of the housing and having an intake nozzle for reception of foreign matter, liquid and air drawn into the canister in response to the vacuum developed by the fan, said assembly comprising:
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means for filtering foreign matter from the air entering said deflecting means; means for housing said filtering means comprising a filter housing having an end flange entering the canister; means for positively locating said housing means within the canister; a gasket molded about said end flange of said filter housing and having a sealing lip adapted to frictionally engage an interior surface of the canister and having an interior portion disposed between said housing means and said filtering means to prevent liquid from flowing past said gasket to the motor; and means for operatively cooperating with said housing and said housing means to transfer force from said housing to move said filtering means and said housing means during assembly until said housing means is positively located by said locating means. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A filter housing and filter assembly for a vacuum cleaner, the vacuum cleaner including a motor, a housing enclosing the motor, a fan driven by the motor for producing a vacuum, and a canister removably attached to the front end of the housing and having an intake nozzle for reception of foreign matter, liquid and air drawn into the canister in response to the vacuum developed by the fan, said assembly comprising:
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means for deflecting liquid from the intake nozzle into a storage chamber within the canister; means for filtering foreign matter from the air entering the canister; means for housing the filtering means including a filter housing having an end flange; means for removably and positively securing said filtering means to said deflecting means to allow said filtering means and said filter housing means to form an integral unit; a gasket molded about said filter housing means and having a sealing lip adapted to frictionally engage an interior surface of the canister and having an interior portion disposed between said filtering means and said filter housing means to prevent liquid from flowing past said filter housing to the motor; and means for operatively cooperating with said housing and said filter housing means to transfer force from said housing to move said filtering means and said filter housing means during assembly. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A filter housing and filter assembly for a vacuum cleaner, the vacuum cleaner including a motor, a housing enclosing the motor, a fan driven by the motor for producing a vacuum, and a canister removably attached to the front end of the housing and having an intake nozzle for reception of foreign matter, liquid and air drawn into the canister in response to the vacuum developed by the fan, said assembly comprising:
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means for filtering foreign matter from the air entering the canister; means for housing said filtering means within the canister comprising a filter housing disposed within the canister and having and end flange at one end extending radially outwardly towards the surrounding wall of the canister; said filtering means comprising a filter disposed within said filter housing for filtering particulate matter, said filter comprising an integral framework formed by a plurality of ribs and an air permeable filter member disposed within said framework; said filter including a sealing flange extending radially outwardly from one end of said framework towards the surrounding wall of said filter housing, said sealing flange including a plurality of radially inwardly stepped portions to provide a plurality of radially extending sealing faces facing towards said filter housing; and
said filter housing having a gasket molded about said end flange and having a sealing lip adapted to frictionally engage an interior surface of the canister and having an interior portion defining a radially extending sealing surface in sealing engagement with a first of the radially extending sealing faces of said sealing flange to prevent liquid from flowing past said gasket to the motor. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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Specification