Sterilizing vacuum cleaner

• US 5,233,723 A
• Filed: 11/12/1992
• Issued: 08/10/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Yung-Feng Hung
• Original Assignee: Yung-Feng Hung
• Inventors: Hung, Yung-Feng
• Primary Examiner(s): MOORE, CHRISTOPHER K
• Application Number:
  US07/974,540
• Time in Patent Office: 271 Days
• Field of Search: 15/339
• US Class Current: 15/339
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/04 for using the exhaust air for other purposes, e.g. for distribution of chemicals in a room, for sterilisation of the air spraying or atomising in general B05
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/02 Nozzles suction nozzles for fluid transport B65G51/00

Abstract

A sterilizing vacuum cleaner includes at least an ultraviolet lamp disposed around a suction nozzle provided in a bottom portion of a hood secured with the cleaner housing, having a reflecting shade mounted on a back side of the ultraviolet lamp for reflecting the ultraviolet rays emitted from the lamp towards the surface to be cleaned and towards the nozzle duct made of transparent sheet and of ultraviolet-ray transmittable material, so that the dusts or pollutants containing bacteria or fungi laden on the air stream sucked by the cleaner will be sterilized by the ultraviolet lamp for hygienic purpose and for a good housekeeping in a hospital or in any other interior of a building.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a housing having an exhausting fan provided therein for sucking dust-laden air through a suction nozzle formed in a hood secured on a lower portion of the housing and having a dust collecting container for collecting dusts as sucked by the exhausting fan;

the suction nozzle having a suction port confined by an inlet duct made of transparent and ultraviolet-ray transmittable material allowing a transmission of ultraviolet rays therethrough; and

at least an ultraviolet lamp adjacent to and disposed around said suction port of said suction nozzle for projecting ultraviolet rays downwardly towards a surface to be cleaned by the vacuum cleaner for destroying bacteria directly on the surface and for projecting ultraviolet rays through the transparent suction port of said suction nozzle for killing bacteria as laden i an air stream drafted by the exhausting fan.

2. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein said ultraviolet lamp is fixed in a lamp socket recessed in a bottom portion of the hood and confined within a bottom flange of the hood adjacent to the inlet duct wall of the suction nozzle, having a reflecting shade secured in the bottom portion of the hood behind the ultraviolet lamp for reflecting ultraviolet rays emitted from the lamp towards the surface to be cleaned and reflecting ultraviolet rays through transparent inlet duct wall of the suction nozzle for killing bacteria, and having a transparent lamp cover embedded in between a bottom portion of the hood and the inlet duct wall of the nozzle for protecting the ultraviolet lamp and for dust proof purpose.

3. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, wherein said ultraviolet lamp is formed with a circular shape annularly surrounding the suction nozzle having a duct wall f the nozzle made of transparent material for transmitting ultraviolet rays therethrough.

4. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 3, wherein a plurality of said ultraviolet lamps, each made of circular shape, are overlappingly juxtapositionally disposed around said suction nozzle along a path of said suction nozzle for continuously killing bacteria as laden in an air stream drafted in the nozzle by the vacuum cleaner.