Light system for vacuum cleaner

• US 5,107,565 A
• Filed: 05/22/1987
• Issued: 04/28/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation Of North America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Chun, John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hornsby, Harvey C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Spisich, Mark
• Application Number:
  US07/053,382
• Time in Patent Office: 1,803 Days
• Field of Search: 15/324, 15/49, 362/307
• US Class Current: 15/324
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/30 Arrangement of illuminating devices

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner nozzle structure having a low profile nozzle housing enclosing a lamp. Light-reflective sheets of glossy vinyl are affixed to the top, bottom and rear wall surfaces defining the lamp space and cooperate with the lamp to provide an extended range of illumination directly in front of the nozzle. The reflective sheet material is selected to provide enhanced diffuse illumination closely adjacent the lower front portion of the nozzle body.

Claims

1. In a vacuum cleaner nozzle structure having a housing defining a front wall provided with a window for passing light from within said housing to forwardly and downwardly of said front wall, a generally horizontally extending top wall, a generally horizontally extending bottom wall having an upwardly facing surface, and a generally vertically extending rear wall having a forwardly facing surface, said walls cooperatively defining a generally parallelepiped lamp space having a midportion, and a lamp in said space disposed more closely to said bottom wall than to said top wall providing a first generally horizontal light emanation from said space, the improvement comprising

means on said top wall defining a reflective surface facing at a small angle rearwardly and downwardly for reflecting light from said lamp forwardly and downwardly to provide a second light emanation from said lamp space directed angularly downwardly to the horizontal to below said first light emanation immediately forwardly of said front wall wherein said layer of light-diffusing, reflective material comprises a sheet of synthetic resin.

2. In a vacuum cleaner nozzle structure having a housing defining a front wall provided with a window for passing light from within said housing to forwardly and downwardly of said front wall, a generally horizontally extending top wall, a generally horizontally extending bottom wall having an upwardly facing surface, and a generally vertically extending rear wall having a forwardly facing surface, said walls cooperatively defining a generally parallelepiped lamp space having a midportion, and a lamp in said space disposed more closely to said bottom wall than to said top wall providing a first generally horizontal light emanation from said space, the improvement comprising

means on said top wall defining a reflective surface facing at a small angle rearwardly and downwardly for reflecting light from said lamp forwardly and downwardly to provide a second light emanation from said lamp space directed angularly downwardly to the horizontal to below said first light emanation immediately forwardly of said front wall wherein said layer of light-diffusing, reflective material comprises a sheet of vinyl resin.

3. In a vacuum cleaner nozzle structure having a housing defining a front wall provided with a window for passing light from within said housing to forwardly and downwardly of said front wall, a generally horizontally extending top wall, a generally horizontally extending bottom wall having an upwardly facing surface, and a generally vertically extending rear wall having a forwardly facing surface, said walls cooperatively defining a generally parallelepiped lamp space having a midportion, and a lamp in said space disposed more closely to said bottom wall than to said top wall providing a first generally horizontal light emanation from said space, the improvement comprising

means on said top wall defining a reflective surface facing at a small angle rearwardly and downwardly for reflecting light from said lamp forwardly and downwardly to provide a second light emanation from said lamp space directed angularly downwardly to the horizontal to below said first light emanation immediately forwardly of said front wall wherein said layer of light-diffusing, reflective material comprises a sheet of glossy white synthetic resin.

4. In a vacuum cleaner nozzle structure having a housing defining a front wall provided with a window for passing light from within said housing to forwardly and downwardly of said front wall, a generally horizontally extending top wall, a generally horizontally extending bottom wall having an upwardly facing surface, and a generally vertically extending rear wall having a forwardly facing surface, said walls cooperatively defining a generally parallelepiped lamp space having a midportion, and a lamp in said space disposed more closely to said bottom wall than to said top wall providing a first generally horizontal light emanation from said space, the improvement comprising

means on said top wall defining a reflective surface facing at a small angle rearwardly and downwardly for reflecting light from said lamp forwardly and downwardly to provide a second light emanation from said lamp space directed angularly downwardly to the horizontal to below said first light emanation immediately forwardly of said front wall wherein said layer of light-diffusing, reflective material comprises a sheet of flexible material adhered to the top wall surface.

5. In a vacuum cleaner nozzle structure having a housing defining a front wall provided with a window for passing light from within said housing to forwardly and downwardly of said front wall, a generally horizontally extending top wall, a generally horizontally extending bottom wall having an upwardly facing surface, and a generally vertically extending rear wall having a forwardly facing surface, said walls cooperatively defining a generally parallelepiped lamp space having a midportion, and a lamp in said space disposed more closely to said bottom wall than to said top wall providing a first generally horizontal light emanation from said space, the improvement comprising

means on said top wall defining a reflective surface facing at a small angle rearwardly and downwardly for reflecting light from said lamp forwardly and downwardly to provide a second light emanation from said lamp space directed angularly downwardly to the horizontal to below said first light emanation immediately forwardly of said front wall wherein said layer of light-diffusing, reflective material comprises a sheet of flexible material adhered to the top wall surface with an adhesive capable of withstanding a temperature of 175°

F. for at least 10 hours without loss of adhesion.

6. In a vacuum cleaner nozzle structure having a housing defining a front wall provided with a window for passing light from within said housing to forwardly and downwardly of said front wall, a generally horizontally extending top wall, a generally horizontally extending bottom wall having an upwardly facing surface, and a generally vertically extending rear wall having a forwardly facing surface, said walls cooperatively defining a generally parallelepiped lamp space having a midportion, and a lamp in said space disposed more closely to said bottom wall than to said top wall providing a first generally horizontal light emanation from said space, the improvement comprising

means on said top wall defining a reflective surface facing at a small angle rearwardly and downwardly for reflecting light from said lamp forwardly and downwardly to provide a second light emanation from said lamp space directed angularly downwardly to the horizontal to below said first light emanation immediately forwardly of said front wall wherein a layer of light-diffusing, reflective material is provided in said bottom wall upwardly facing surface and said layer of light-diffusing, reflective material on said top wall surface and bottom wall surface comprises identically configured sheets of synthetic resin adhered to said top and bottom wall surfaces.

7. In a vacuum cleaner nozzle structure having a housing defining a front wall provided with a window for passing light from within said housing to forwardly and downwardly of said front wall, a generally horizontally extending top wall, a generally horizontally extending bottom wall having an upwardly facing surface, and a generally vertically extending rear wall having a forwardly facing surface, said walls cooperatively defining a generally parallelepiped lamp space having a midportion, and a lamp in said space disposed more closely to said bottom wall than to said top wall providing a first generally horizontal light emanation from said space, the improvement comprising

means on said top wall defining a reflective surface facing at a small angle rearwardly and downwardly for reflecting light from said lamp forwardly and downwardly to provide a second light emanation from said lamp space directed angularly downwardly to the horizontal to below said first light emanation immediately forwardly of said front wall wherein a layer of light-diffusing, reflective material is provided in said bottom wall upwardly facing surface and said layer of light-diffusing, reflective material on said top wall surface and bottom wall surface comprises identically configured sheets of synthetic resin adhered to said top and bottom wall surfaces, said sheets having opposite first and second transverse edges, the first transverse edge of the sheet adhered to said bottom wall surface being forwardly disposed and the first transverse edge of the sheet adhered to said top wall surface being rearwardly disposed.

8. In a vacuum cleaner nozzle structure having a housing defining a front wall provided with a window for passing light from within said housing to forwardly and downwardly of said front wall, a generally horizontally extending top wall, a generally horizontally extending bottom wall having an upwardly facing surface, and a generally vertically extending rear wall having a forwardly facing surface, said walls cooperatively defining a generally parallelepiped lamp space having a midportion, and a lamp in said space disposed more closely to said bottom wall than to said top wall providing a first generally horizontal light emanation from said space, the improvement comprising

means on said top wall defining a reflective surface facing at a small angle rearwardly and downwardly for reflecting light from said lamp forwardly and downwardly to provide a second light emanation from said lamp space directed angularly downwardly to the horizontal to below said first light emanation immediately forwardly of said front wall wherein a layer of light-diffusing, reflective material is provided in said bottom wall upwardly facing surface and said layer of light-diffusing, reflective material on said top wall surface and bottom wall surface comprises identically configured sheets of synthetic resin adhered to said top and bottom wall surfaces, said sheets having opposite first and second transverse edges, the first transverse edge of the sheet adhered to said bottom wall surface being forwardly disposed and the first transverse edge of the sheet adhered to said top wall surface being rearwardly disposed and defining a rectilinear edge having a central recess.

9. In a vacuum cleaner nozzle structure having a housing defining a front wall provided with a window for passing light from within said housing to forwardly and downwardly of said front wall, a generally horizontally extending top wall, a generally horizontally extending bottom wall having an upwardly facing surface, and a generally vertically extending rear wall having a forwardly facing surface, said walls cooperatively defining a generally parallelepiped lamp space having a midportion, and a lamp in said space disposed more closely to said bottom wall than to said top wall providing a first generally horizontal light emanation from said space, the improvement comprising

means on said top wall defining a reflective surface facing at a small angle rearwardly and downwardly for reflecting light from said lamp forwardly and downwardly to provide a second light emanation from said lamp space directed angularly downwardly to the horizontal to below said first light emanation immediately forwardly of said front wall wherein a layer of light-diffusing, reflective material is provided in said bottom wall upwardly facing surface and said layer of light-diffusing, reflective material on said top wall surface and bottom wall surface comprises identically configured sheets of synthetic resin adhered to said top and bottom wall surfaces, said sheets having opposite first and second transverse edges, the first transverse edge of the sheet adhered to said bottom wall surface being forwardly disposed and the first transverse edge of the sheet adhered to said top wall surface being rearwardly disposed, and said second transverse edge defines a trapezoidal projecting edge having a transverse midportion and angled side portions at opposite sides of said midportion.