Self-evacuating vacuum cleaner
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A vacuum cleaner comprising:
- a tank for collecting material;
an air impeller housing having an inlet opening in air flow communication with an interior of the tank;
a driven air impeller disposed inside the impeller housing;
a shaft extension extending from the air impeller and rotating with the air impeller;
a powered pump having a pump impeller mechanically connected to the air impeller by the shaft extension, the pump further having an inlet tube communicating with the interior of the tank and an outlet through which pumped material exits the pump;
an upper vacuum assembly carrying the motor, the air impeller, and an upper pump assembly which includes the pump impeller; and
a pump adapter assembly removably attached to the upper pump assembly and including the pump inlet tube.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vacuum cleaner has an electric motor driving an air impeller for creating suction and a pump which draws liquid material through an inlet tube from the bottom of a tank and expels it from the tank. The vacuum cleaner also includes a mechanical shut-off and override assembly that automatically shuts off the motor if the liquid level in the tank gets too high. The user, however, can mechanically override this automatic shut-off in order to continue pumping liquid out of the tank. A priming apparatus is disposed in the tank in fluid communication with the pump, and a valve is selectively actuable to establish a pressure differential across liquid in the priming apparatus to thereby prime the pump.
161 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A vacuum cleaner comprising:
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a tank for collecting material; an air impeller housing having an inlet opening in air flow communication with an interior of the tank; a driven air impeller disposed inside the impeller housing; a shaft extension extending from the air impeller and rotating with the air impeller; a powered pump having a pump impeller mechanically connected to the air impeller by the shaft extension, the pump further having an inlet tube communicating with the interior of the tank and an outlet through which pumped material exits the pump; an upper vacuum assembly carrying the motor, the air impeller, and an upper pump assembly which includes the pump impeller; and a pump adapter assembly removably attached to the upper pump assembly and including the pump inlet tube. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A vacuum cleaner comprising:
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a tank for collecting material; an air impeller housing having an inlet opening in air flow communication with an interior of the tank; an air impeller disposed inside the impeller housing; a pump having an inlet in fluid communication with a lower interior portion of the tank, a pump impeller located above the lower portion of the tank, and an outlet through which pumped material exits the pump; a shaft extension mechanically connecting the air impeller to the pump impeller; and a motor mechanically attached to the air impeller for driving the air impeller and the pump impeller simultaneously; wherein the material is drawn from the lower interior portion of the tank into the pump inlet by the pump impeller and expelled from the pump outlet. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A vacuum cleaner comprising:
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a tank for receiving vacuumed liquid; an air impeller housing having an opening in air flow communication with an interior of the tank; a driven air impeller disposed inside the impeller housing; a powered pump mounted proximate the air impeller, the pump having a pump impeller, an inlet in communication with a lower portion of the interior of the tank, and an outlet through which pumped material exits the pump; and a shaft mechanically connecting the air impeller to the pump impeller. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification