Wet/dry vacuum dolly

• US 6,237,187 B1
• Filed: 08/05/1999
• Issued: 05/29/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Emerson Tool Co. (Emerson Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: Emerson Electric Company
• Inventors: Young, Jeffrey L., Hult, David R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Till, Terrence R.
• Application Number:
  US09/369,111
• Time in Patent Office: 663 Days
• Field of Search: 15/323, 15/327.1, 15/327.2, 15/327.6, 15/327.7, 15/353, D32/21-24
• US Class Current: 15/323
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/365 of the vertical type, e.g. tank or bucket type
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0038 with means for emptying the tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0042 Gaskets; Sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles

Abstract

A wet/dry vac comprises a generally U-shaped dolly having wheels mounted thereon; a collection drum; a dolly; a lid coupled to the collection drum; a powerhead assembly coupled to the lid; an inlet port disposed in one of the lid or the collection drum; and a receptacle coupled to the input port. The dolly includes a collection drum, the dolly comprises a generally U-shaped member, which is adapted to have wheels mounted thereon, and at least two mounting members situated on either side of the open end of the U-shaped member. Each mounting member is adapted to mate with a corresponding mounting cavity defined by the collection drum. The dolly further includes a locking member adapted to snap into a locking cavity defined by the collection drum. The dolly further includes at least two extending members. Each extending member is adapted to mate with a recess defined by the collection drum.

Claims

1. A dolly for a wet/dry vacuum which includes a collection drum, the dolly comprising:

a generally U-shaped member adapted to have wheels mounted thereon, the U-shaped member having open and closed ends;

at least two mounting members situated on either side of the open end of the U-shaped member, each mounting member adapted to mate with a corresponding mounting cavity defined by the collection drum; and

a locking member;

wherein the collection drum defines an opening, the opening adapted to lock with the locking member.

2. The dolly as recited in claim 1, wherein the locking member is defined by the U-shaped member and situated generally at the closed end of the U-shaped member.

3. The dolly as recited in claim 1, wherein the opening is positioned generally at the closed end of the U-shaped member.

4. A dolly for a wet/dry vacuum which includes a collection drum, the dolly comprising:

a generally U-shaped member having an inside surface and open and closed ends;

at least two mounting members situated on either side of the open end of the U-shaped member, each mounting member adapted to mate with a corresponding mounting cavity defined by the collection drum; and

at least two extending members, each extending member protruding beyond the inside surface of the U-shaped member and adapted to mate with a recess defined by the collection drum.

5. The dolly as recited in claim 4, wherein the at least two extending members are situated on either side of the open end of the U-shaped member and define angled shoulders with the inside surface of the open end of the U-shaped member on either side of the extending members.

6. The dolly as recited in claim 4, wherein a first of the at least two mounting members is situated against a first of the at least two extending members, and a second of the at least two mounting members is situated against a second of the at least two extending members.

7. The dolly as recited in claim 6, wherein the at least two mounting members protrude from the at least two extending members.

8. A dolly for a wet/dry vacuum which includes a collection drum, the dolly comprising:

a generally U-shaped member adapted to have wheels mounted thereon;

a locking member defined by the U-shaped member;

said locking member comprising a bendable tab portion snap-lockable with a mating recess in the collection drum.

9. The dolly as recited in claim 8, further comprising at least two extending members, each extending member adapted to mate with a recess defined by the collection drum.

10. The dolly as recited in claim 9, wherein the at least two extending members are situated on either side of the open end of the U-shaped member and define angled shoulders with the inside surface of the open end of the U-shaped member on either side of the extending members.

11. The dolly as recited in claim 9, wherein a first of the at least two mounting members is situated against a first of the at least two extending members, and a second of the at least two mounting members is situated against a second of the at least two extending members.

12. A dolly for a wet/dry vacuum which includes a collection drum, the dolly comprising:

a generally U-shaped member adapted to have wheels mounted thereon;

a locking member defined by the U-shaped member;

wherein the collection drum defines an opening receptive of the locking member by a snap-fit; and

wherein the locking member is situated generally at the closed end of the U-shaped member.

13. The dolly as recited in claim 12, wherein the opening is positioned generally at the closed end of the U-shaped member.

14. A dolly for a wet/dry vacuum which includes a collection drum, the dolly comprising:

a generally U-shaped member adapted to have wheels mounted thereon;

a locking member defined by the U-shaped member;

wherein the collection drum defines an opening receptive of the locking member by a snap-fit; and

at least two mounting members situated on either side of the open end of the U-shaped member, each mounting member adapted to mate with a corresponding mounting cavity defined by the collection drum.

15. A dolly for a wet/dry vacuum which includes a collection drum, the dolly comprising:

a generally U-shaped member having an inside surface, open and closed ends, and wheels mounted thereon; and

at least two extending members situated on either side of the open end of the U-shaped member, each extending member protruding beyond the inside surface of the U-shaped member and adapted to mate with a recess defined by the collection drum.

16. The dolly as recited in claim 15, wherein the at least two extending members define angled shoulders with the inside surface of the open end of the U-shaped member on either side of the extending members.

17. The dolly as recited in claim 15, further comprising at least two mounting members situated on either side of the open end of the U-shaped member, each mounting member adapted to mate with a corresponding mounting cavity defined by the collection drum.

18. The dolly as recited in claim 17, wherein a first of the at least two mounting members protrudes from a first of the at least two extending members, and a second of the at least two mounting members protrudes from a second of the at least two extending members.

19. The dolly as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

a locking member;

wherein the collection drum defines an opening; and

wherein the locking member is adapted to snap into the opening.

20. The dolly as recited in claim 19, wherein the locking member is defined by the U-shaped member and situated generally at the closed end of the U-shaped member.

21. The dolly as recited in claim 19, wherein the opening is positioned generally at the closed end of the U-shaped member.

22. A wet/dry vac, comprising:

a generally U-shaped dolly having wheels mounted thereon and open and closed ends;

a collection drum defining an opening, the collection drum removably mounted on the dolly;

a lid coupled to the collection drum;

a powerhead assembly coupled to the lid;

an inlet port disposed in one of the lid or the collection drum; and

wherein the U-shaped dolly includes a locking member, the locking member adapted to lock with the opening defined by the collection drum.

23. The wet/dry vac as recited in claim 22, wherein the U-shaped dolly includes at least two mounting members situated on either side of the open end of the U-shaped dolly, each mounting member adapted to mate with a corresponding mounting cavity defined by the collection drum.

24. The wet/dry vac as recited in claim 22, wherein the U-shaped dolly comprises at least two extending members, each extending member adapted to mate with a recess defined by the collection drum.

25. The dolly as recited in claim 22, wherein the locking member comprises a flexible tab snap-fittable into the opening defined by the collection drum.

26. The wet/dry vac as recited in claim 22, wherein the U-shaped dolly includes a locking member situated at the closed end of the U-shaped dolly;

and wherein the collection drum defines an opening adapted to lock with the locking member.

27. A dolly for a wet/dry vacuum which includes collection drum, the dolly comprising:

a generally U-shaped member, the U-shaped member open and closed ends;

two mounting member situated on either side of the open end of the U-shaped member,

each mounting member comprising a base with a cylindrical post protruding therefrom;

wherein the collecting drum defines two cavities receptive of the two cylindrical posts and;

wherein the two mounting members each further comprise a base member tab, and each collection drum cavity further comprises a cavity tab, the base member tabs and cavity tabs being lockingly engagable with one another.

28. A dolly for wet/dry vacuum which includes a collection drum, the dolly comprising:

a generally U-shaped member, the U-shaped member having open and closed ends;

two mounting members situated on either side of the open end of the U-shaped member,

each mounting member comprising a base with a cylindrical post protruding therefrom;

wherein the collection drum defines two cavities receptive of the two cylindrical posts and;

wherein the U-shaped member further comprises a locking member, the locking member comprising a bendable tab; and

wherein the collection drum further comprises a recess engagable with the bendable tab.

29. The dolly as recited in claim 28, wherein the bendable tab further comprises a vertical portion, a horizontal portion, and a nose bridge extending between the horizontal and vertical portions, wherein the nose bridge locks with the collection drum.

30. The dolly as recited in claim 28, wherein the recess further comprises a lip adapted to mate in a snap-fit with the bendable tab.

31. A dolly for a wet/dry vacuum which includes a collection drum, the dolly comprising:

a generally U-shaped member, the U-shaped member having open and closed ends;

two mounting members situated on either side of the open end of the U-shaped member;

two mounting members situated on either side of the closed end of the U-shaped member;

wherein the collection drum defines four cavities receptive of the four mounting members.

32. The dolly as recited in claim 31, wherein each of the four mounting members comprises a base with a cylindrical post protruding therefrom.

33. The dolly as recited in claim 31 wherein the U-shaped member further includes an inside surface and the four mounting members protrude beyond the inside surface in a radially interior manner.

34. A dolly for a wet/dry vacuum which includes a collection drum, the dolly comprising:

a generally U-shaped member having an inside surface, open and closed ends, and wheels mounted thereon; and

at least two mounting members situated on either side of the open end of the U-shaped member, each mounting member protruding beyond the inside surface of the U-shaped member and adapted to mate with a recess defined by the collection drum.