Cleaning machine and control switch therefor
First Claim
1. A floor cleaning appliance comprising:
- a housing;
a source of suction in the housing;
a receptacle in the housing for receiving collected dirt and dust;
a power foot having a suction nozzle;
a conduit extending between the housing and the suction nozzle, the conduit comprising a flexible hose having two ends and a rigid wand having first and second ends, one end of the hose being mounted to the source of suction in the housing, the first end of the wand being mounted to the power foot and the second end of the wand being selectively mounted to another end of the flexible hose;
an agitation member mounted in the power foot and adapted to agitate a surface to be cleaned;
an agitation member motor mounted in the power foot, interconnected to said agitation member and adapted to impart an agitation force to the agitation member;
an electrical circuit between the agitation motor and the housing, said electrical circuit including a connector between said flexible hose and said rigid wand and a normally open agitation motor pneumatic switch adapted to switch between open and closed positions in response to changes in fluid pressure applied to the switch, the closed position corresponding to a closed electrical circuit between the agitation member motor and the housing and the open position corresponding to an open electrical circuit between the agitation member motor and the housing;
a manual pressure controller mounted to the flexible hose and connected to the agitation motor pneumatic switch for selectively applying pneumatic pressure to the agitation motor pneumatic switch to close the same, the pressure controller having an opening which, when open, renders the pressure controller ineffective for actuating the agitation motor pneumatic switch; and
a closure member mounted on the rigid wand and connected to the manual pressure controller opening for closing the controller when the rigid wand is properly mounted to the flexible hose to thereby render said manual pressure controller operable to supply pneumatic pressure to said agitation motor pneumatic switch when said flexible hose and said rigid wand are properly connected together and to render said manual pressure controller inoperable to supply pneumatic pressure to said agitation motor pneumatic switch when said flexible hose and said rigid wand are disconnected from each other;
whereby, electrical energy can normally be supplied to said connector only when said rigid wand is connected to said flexible hose.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A switch and connector for selectively creating an electrical circuit between a motor mounted in a power foot and a combination vacuum cleaning/water extraction machine is disclosed. The motor mounted in the power foot drives an agitation member rotatively mounted in the power foot. The power foot is inter-connected to the housing of the machine through a rigid wand, a grip tube and a flexible hose. A pneumatic switch is mounted in the electrical circuit between the source of electricity and the power foot motor. A bladder is mounted to the grip tube and in fluid communication with the pneumatic switch through a conduit. The bladder is constructed such that the pneumatic switch cannot be activated to create a complete electrical circuit between the source of electricity and the power foot motor unless the grip tube and wand are properly assembled.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. A floor cleaning appliance comprising:
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a housing; a source of suction in the housing; a receptacle in the housing for receiving collected dirt and dust; a power foot having a suction nozzle; a conduit extending between the housing and the suction nozzle, the conduit comprising a flexible hose having two ends and a rigid wand having first and second ends, one end of the hose being mounted to the source of suction in the housing, the first end of the wand being mounted to the power foot and the second end of the wand being selectively mounted to another end of the flexible hose; an agitation member mounted in the power foot and adapted to agitate a surface to be cleaned; an agitation member motor mounted in the power foot, interconnected to said agitation member and adapted to impart an agitation force to the agitation member; an electrical circuit between the agitation motor and the housing, said electrical circuit including a connector between said flexible hose and said rigid wand and a normally open agitation motor pneumatic switch adapted to switch between open and closed positions in response to changes in fluid pressure applied to the switch, the closed position corresponding to a closed electrical circuit between the agitation member motor and the housing and the open position corresponding to an open electrical circuit between the agitation member motor and the housing; a manual pressure controller mounted to the flexible hose and connected to the agitation motor pneumatic switch for selectively applying pneumatic pressure to the agitation motor pneumatic switch to close the same, the pressure controller having an opening which, when open, renders the pressure controller ineffective for actuating the agitation motor pneumatic switch; and a closure member mounted on the rigid wand and connected to the manual pressure controller opening for closing the controller when the rigid wand is properly mounted to the flexible hose to thereby render said manual pressure controller operable to supply pneumatic pressure to said agitation motor pneumatic switch when said flexible hose and said rigid wand are properly connected together and to render said manual pressure controller inoperable to supply pneumatic pressure to said agitation motor pneumatic switch when said flexible hose and said rigid wand are disconnected from each other; whereby, electrical energy can normally be supplied to said connector only when said rigid wand is connected to said flexible hose. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An interconnection assembly for use with a water extraction cleaning machine wherein the cleaning machine comprises a power foot having an agitation member motor mounted therein for imparting agitation to an agitation member mounted in the power foot, a source of suction and a flexible hose mounted at one end to the source of suction, the assembly being adapted to control the completion of an electrical circuit between a source of electricity and the agitation member motor mounted in the power foot, the assembly comprising;
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a grip tube having first and second ends, the first end being mounted to the flexible hose; a wand having a first end adapted to be mounted to the power foot and a second end selectively mounted to the second end of the grip tube; an agitation motor bladder mounted to the grip tube and having an opening formed therein; a closure member mounted to the wand and adapted to close the opening in the bladder when the grip tube is properly mounted to the wand, the opening in the bladder being open when the grip tube is not properly mounted to the wand; a normally open agitation motor pneumatic switch adapted to be mounted in the electrical circuit between the agitation motor and the source of electricity, the switch being adapted to close in response to the application of fluid pressure within the switch to close the electrical circuit between the agitation member motor and the source of electricity; and an agitation motor conduit extending between the agitation motor bladder and the agitation motor pneumatic switch; the bladder being ineffective to apply pressure to the agitation motor pneumatic switch when the bladder opening is open; whereby the agitation motor pneumatic switch selectively closes when the wand is properly mounted to the grip tube and in response to squeezing of the agitation motor bladder and the agitation motor pneumatic switch is open when the wand is not properly mounted to the grip tube even in response to squeezing of the bladder as a result of fluid pressure venting from the bladder through the opening of the bladder. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification