Convertible blower port for vacuum cleaner

• US 6,499,182 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2001
• Issued: 12/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Great Star Tools USA, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Shop-Vac Corporation (Hangzhou Great Star Industrial Company Limited)
• Inventors: Fry, Kevin, Buss, Randy L., Griffin, Ronald, Berfield, Robert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): MOORE, CHRISTOPHER K
• Application Number:
  US09/867,069
• Publication Number:
  US 20020178533A1
• Time in Patent Office: 581 Days
• Field of Search: 154/05, 153/30, 153/37
• US Class Current: 15/330
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/14 cleaning by blowing-off, also combined with suction cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0081 Means for exhaust-air diffusion; Means for sound or vibration damping

Abstract

A convertible blower port for a vacuum cleaner includes a cylindrical port wall carried by a portion of a vacuum cleaner. The port wall has a first end facing inwardly toward the vacuum cleaner and a second end opposite the first end. The port wall defines a blower passage in communication with the plenum of the vacuum cleaner. A blower port outlet is provided on the second end of the port wall. A removable cap closes off the blower port outlet and has an exterior surface for gripping the cap and has a hub configured to fill the blower passage. The hub has a substantially smooth inner end face that is positioned generally across the first end of the port wall and faces the plenum of the vacuum cleaner.

Claims

1. A convertible blower port for a vacuum cleaner, the blower port comprising:

a cylindrical port wall carried by a portion of the vacuum cleaner, the port wall having a first end facing inwardly toward the vacuum cleaner and a second end opposite the first end, the port wall defining a blower passage in communication with a plenum of the vacuum cleaner;

a blower port outlet on the second end of the port wall; and

a removable cap closing off the blower port outlet and having an exterior surface for gripping the cap and having a hub configured to fill the blower passage, the hub having a substantially smooth inner end face positioned generally across the first end of the port wall and facing the plenum of the vacuum cleaner.

2. The blower port according to claim 1, further comprising:

a tether connected to the cap and a portion of the vacuum cleaner such that the cap can be secured over the blower port outlet or suspended from the tether when removed from the blower port outlet.

3. The blower port according to claim 1, wherein the port wall extends outward from the vacuum cleaner around the blower port such that the first end is connected to the vacuum cleaner and the second end and the blower port outlet are spaced from the vacuum cleaner.

4. The blower port according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one mechanical thread on the port wall; and

at least one corresponding mechanical thread on a portion of the cap for removably securing the cap to the blower port.

5. The blower port according to claim 1, wherein the cap further comprises:

an annular cap wall defining a center axis and having an exterior cap wall surface defining the exterior cap surface and having a generally cylindrical interior cap wall surface; and

an exterior annular hub surface spaced radially inward from the interior annular wall surface defining a gap between the hub and the annular cap wall, wherein at least a portion of the port wall is received in the gap.

6. A convertible blower port according to claim 5, further comprising:

at least one mechanical port thread provided on an exterior surface of the port wall; and

at least one corresponding mechanical cap thread provided on the interior surface of the cap wall within the gap, the port and cap threads cooperating to removably secure the cap to the blower port.

7. A convertible blower port according to claim 5, wherein the exterior surface of the annular cap wall is generally cylindrical and includes a plurality of grip assist features thereon.

8. A cap for selectively closing off a blower port of a vacuum cleaner, the cap comprising:

an annular wall defining a central cap axis and having an inwardly facing end, an outwardly facing end, an exterior wall surface and a generally cylindrical interior wall surface;

an outer cap end face that faces in the direction of the outwardly facing end of the cap wall;

a cylindrical hub disposed concentric with the cap axis and having an exterior annular hub surface spaced radially inward from the interior annular wall surface;

a substantially smooth hub end face that faces in the direction of the inwardly facing end of the cap wall; and

a tether extending from a portion of the cap for attachment to the vacuum cleaner.

9. A cap according to claim 8, further comprising:

an annular gap between at least a portion of the exterior hub surface and the interior wall surface.

10. A cap according to claim 8, further comprising:

at least one mechanical thread carried on the interior wall surface for removably attaching the cap to the blower port of the vacuum cleaner.

11. A cap according to claim 8, wherein the exterior surface of the annular wall is generally cylindrical and includes a plurality of grip assist features thereon.

12. A cap according to claim 8, wherein the outer cap end face is provided on a cap cover plate removably secured to a portion of the cap.

13. A cap according to claim 8, further comprising:

a blind bore provided concentric with the cap axis and carried by a portion of the hub;

a cap cover plate having a center opening and a surface that defines the outer cap end face; and

a fastener received through the cover plate opening and within the blind bore securing the cap cover plate to the cap.

14. A cap according to claim 13, wherein the hub further comprises:

an interior recess defining a concave surface within the hub facing opposite the inner cap end face;

an axial post extending from concave surface within the recess and defining the blind bore; and

a plurality of ribs extending radially from the post and interconnecting the post to the concave surface of the hub, wherein the cap cover plate covers the recess when attached to the cap.

15. A cap according to claim 13, wherein the center opening in the cap cover plate includes a recessed sink portion permitting a head of the fastener to seat flush with or recessed into the outer cap end face.

16. A cap according to claim 8, wherein the outer cap end face is a separate discrete component secured to the cap.

17. A cap according to claim 8, wherein the hub and the annular wall are provided as a unitary one-piece structure.

18. A cap according to claim 17, wherein the hub and the annular wall are molded from a plastic material.

19. A cap according to claim 8, wherein one end of the tether is integrally formed as a portion of the cap.

20. A cap according to claim 19, wherein the outer cap end face is provided on a molded plastic cap cover plate removably secured to a portion of the cap and wherein the one end of the tether is integrally molded as a portion of the cap cover plate.

21. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a tank;

a motor assembly supported by a portion of the tank and having a motor housing, a motor, and a plenum;

a blower port in communication with the motor via the plenum and having a port wall defining a blower passage, the port wall having a first end facing inward toward the vacuum cleaner and a second end facing outward away from the vacuum cleaner and defining a blower port outlet; and

a removable cap closing off the blower port outlet and having an exterior surface for gripping the cap and having a hub configured to fill the blower passage, the hub having a substantially smooth inner end face positioned generally across the first end of the port wall and facing the plenum of the vacuum cleaner.