Cleaning machine and control switch therefor

• US 5,455,984 A
• Filed: 09/01/1993
• Issued: 10/10/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bissell Homecare, Inc. (Bissell Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bissell Inc.
• Inventors: Blase, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Scherbel, David A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Till, Terrence R.
• Application Number:
  US08/115,463
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• Field of Search: 15/321, 15/322, 15/339, 15/DIG. 10, 200/81.4
• US Class Current: 15/339
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4005 Arrangements of batteries or cells; Electric power supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4011 Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4041 Roll shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4069 Driving or transmission means for the cleaning tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0009 with means mounted on the nozzle; nozzles specially adapted for the recovery of liquid
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0028 Security means, e.g. float valves or level switches for preventing overflow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0042 Gaskets; Sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/242 Hose or pipe couplings
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2842 Suction motors or blowers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2889 Safety or protection devices or systems, e.g. for prevention of motor over-heating or for protection of the user

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.

Claims

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. A floor cleaning appliance according to claim 1 wherein said manual pressure controller comprises:

an agitation motor bladder having the manual pressure controller opening formed therein; and

a fluid conduit interconnecting the agitation motor bladder and the agitation motor pneumatic switch;

whereby the agitation motor pneumatic switch selectively closes when the flexible hose is properly interconnected to the wand in response to squeezing of the agitation motor bladder and the agitation motor pneumatic switch is open when the flexible hose is not properly mounted to the wand.

3. A floor cleaning appliance according to claim 1 wherein the closure member comprises a tongue formed on the second end of the wand and further comprising a complementary groove formed on the other end of the flexible hose, and the manual pressure controller opening is closed when the tongue and groove are interengaged.

4. A floor cleaning appliance according to claim 1 wherein said closure member comprises a projection mounted to the second end of the wand and adapted to be received in the manual pressure controller opening to close the opening when the other end of the flexible hose is properly mounted to the second end of the wand.

5. A floor cleaning appliance according to claim 1 wherein the source of suction comprises a vacuum motor and the appliance further comprises;

a vacuum motor pneumatic switch electrically connected to said vacuum motor and adapted to switch between open and closed positions in response to changes in fluid pressure applied to the vacuum motor pneumatic switch, the closed position corresponding to the closing of a second electrical circuit including the vacuum motor and the open position corresponding to an opening of the second electrical circuit; and

a second manual pressure controller mounted on one of the flexible hose and the rigid wand and connected to the vacuum motor pneumatic switch for manually controlling the pressure applied to said vacuum motor control switch;

whereby the operation of the vacuum motor is controlled from one of the wand and the flexible hose.

6. A floor cleaning appliance according to claim 1 and further comprising;

a cleaning solution reservoir mounted in the housing;

a pump motor mounted in the housing and in fluid communication with the reservoir;

a spray nozzle mounted in the power foot and adapted to distribute cleaning solution on a surface to be cleaned;

a spray nozzle conduit extending between the pump motor and the spray nozzle to convey cleaning solution from the pump motor to the spray nozzle;

a pump motor pneumatic switch electrically connected to said pump motor and adapted to switch between open and closed positions in response to changes in fluid pressure in the pump motor pneumatic switch, the closed position corresponding to the closing of a third electrical circuit including the pump motor, and the open position corresponding to an opening of the third electrical circuit; and

a third manual pressure controller mounted on one of the flexible hose and the rigid wand and connected to the pump motor pneumatic switch for manually controlling the pressure applied to said pump motor pneumatic switch;

whereby the operation of the pump motor can be manually controlled from the one of the wand and the flexible hose.

7. A floor cleaning appliance according to claim 6 further comprising a trigger having a lever arm, the trigger being pivotally mounted to the one of the flexible hose and the wand and being adapted to control the flow of cleaning solution from the pump motor to the power foot and wherein the third manual pressure controller is mounted between the trigger lever arm and the one of the flexible hose and the wand such that squeezing of the trigger lever arm relative to the one of the flexible hose and the wand activates the third manual pressure controller.

8. A floor cleaning appliance according to claim 6 and further comprising a pneumatic conduit between the first manual pressure controller and the agitator motor pneumatic switch, and wherein the spray nozzle conduit and the agitation motor conduit are mounted within the flexible hose.

9. A floor cleaning appliance according to claim 1 wherein the appliance comprises a combination vacuum cleaning/water extraction machine.

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;

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.

11. An interconnection assembly for use with a water extraction cleaning machine according to claim 10 and further comprising a vacuum motor bladder, a vacuum motor pneumatic switch and a vacuum motor conduit extending between the vacuum motor conduit and the vacuum motor pneumatic switch, the vacuum motor pneumatic switch being electrically connected to a vacuum motor and adapted to switch between open and closed positions in response to changes in fluid pressure within the vacuum motor pneumatic switch, the closed position corresponding to a closed electrical circuit between the vacuum motor and the source of electricity and the open position corresponding to an open electrical circuit between the vacuum motor and the source of electricity;

whereby the vacuum motor pneumatic switch selectively switches to the closed position in response to squeezing of the vacuum motor bladder which results in an increase in the fluid pressure within the vacuum motor pneumatic switch and the vacuum motor pneumatic switch switches to the open position when the squeezing pressure on the vacuum motor bladder is released due to the decrease in fluid pressure within the vacuum motor bladder and vacuum motor pneumatic switch.

12. An interconnection assembly for use with a water extraction cleaning machine according to claim 10 and further comprising;

a pump motor pneumatic switch electrically connected to a pump motor and adapted to switch between open and closed positions in response to changes in fluid pressure in the pump motor pneumatic switch, the closed position corresponding to a closed electrical circuit between the pump motor and the source of electricity and the off position corresponding to an open electrical circuit between the pump motor and the source of electricity;

a pump motor bladder; and

a pump motor conduit interconnecting the pump motor bladder and the pump motor pneumatic switch;

whereby the pump motor pneumatic switch selectively switches to the closed position in response to squeezing of the pump motor bladder as a result of an increase in the fluid pressure within the pump motor pneumatic switch and the pump motor pneumatic switch switches to the open position when the squeezing pressure on the pump motor bladder is released due to a decrease in fluid pressure within the pump motor bladder and pump motor pneumatic switch.

13. An interconnection assembly for use with a water extraction cleaning machine according to claim 12 and further comprising a trigger having a lever arm, the trigger being pivotally mounted to the grip tube and being adapted to control the flow of a cleaning solution from the pump motor to the power foot wherein the pump motor bladder is mounted between the trigger lever arm and the grip tube such that squeezing of the trigger lever arm relative to the grip tube squeezes the pump motor bladder.

14. An interconnection conduit assembly for use with a water extraction cleaning machine according to claim 10 wherein said bladder opening is mounted adjacent the second end of the grip tube.

15. An interconnection conduit assembly for use with a water extraction cleaning machine according to claim 10 wherein said closure member comprises a projection mounted to the second end of the wand and adapted to be received in the bladder opening when the grip tube is properly mounted to the wand, thereby closing the bladder opening.

16. An interconnection conduit assembly for use with a water extraction cleaning machine according to claim 10 wherein said closure member comprises a tongue formed on the second end of the wand and further comprising a complementary groove formed on the other of the second end of the grip tube, the bladder opening being closed when the tongue is received in the groove.