Dust wand cleaning appliance

• US 6,530,114 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2001
• Issued: 03/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Headwaters Research & Development Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Headwaters Research & Development Incorporated
• Inventors: Anderson, Troy G., Vandenbelt, Rudy A., Hallgrimsson, Bjarki, Bailey, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Snider, Theresa T.
• Application Number:
  US09/882,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20020046437A1
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 153/10, 153/11, 153/19, 15D/IG.1, 15D/IG.9
• US Class Current: 15/310
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/38 Other dusting implements using adhesive surfaces A47L25/005
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/502 Shakers for dust-cloths or mops; Bumpers therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/24 Hand-supported suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0057 Suction cleaners adapted for cleaning of brushes shakers for dust-cloths or mops A47L13/502
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/122 flat
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• 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 9/2878 Dual-powered vacuum cleaners, i.e. devices which can be operated with mains power supply or by batteries
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2884 Details of arrangements of batteries or their installation

Abstract

Insertion of a dust wand into a portable vacuum filtration canister removes foreign matter therefrom when and where necessary without polluting the air. A powerpack provides cordless (rechargeable or non-rechargeable) and corded operation. A readily serviceable grid filter, and a HEPA or other filter provides cleaned air free of dirt, dust and allergens.

Claims

1. A dust wand cleaning appliance for cleaning a reusable dust wand to be cleaned, comprising:

first means for receiving at least a portion of the dust wand to be cleaned;

second means cooperative with said first means for removing foreign matter from the dust wand to be cleaned when it is received by said first means;

wherein said first means includes a canister having a chamber adapted to receive the dust wand to be cleaned and said second means includes a motor driven fan, a filter and a power module operatively connected to said motor driven fan that are mounted to said canister;

wherein said canister is provided by mating, interfitting first and second housing bodies and wherein a baffle cooperates with at least one of said first and second housing bodies to provide said chamber; and

wherein said second means includes an annulus in communication with a portion of said chamber and an agitation member extending circumferentially radially inwardly about said annulus to provide mechanical agitation of the dust wand to be cleaned when it is received in said chamber.

2. The dust wand cleaning appliance of any one of claim 1, wherein said motor driven fan and said power module are mounted in said canister.

3. The dust wand cleaning appliance of claim 2, wherein said filter is mounted in a drawer slidably mounted to said canister.

4. The dust wand cleaning appliance of claim 3, wherein said filter is a grid filter.

5. The dust wand cleaning appliance of claim 4, wherein said grid filter is a mesh filter.

6. The dust wand cleaning appliance of claim 3, wherein said filter is a HEPA filter.

7. The dust wand cleaning appliance of any one of claim 1, wherein said motor driven fan and said power module are mounted in a housing releasably mounted to said canister.

8. The dust wand cleaning appliance of claim 7, wherein said filter is releasably mounted to said canister at the interface between said canister and said housing.

9. The dust wand cleaning appliance of claim 8, wherein said filter is a mesh filter.

10. The dust wand cleaning appliance of claim 7, wherein said filter is mounted to said housing.

11. The dust wand cleaning appliance of claim 10, wherein said filter is a HEPA filter.

12. The dust wand cleaning appliance of claim 1, wherein said power module includes an AC adapter.

13. The dust wand cleaning appliance of claim 1, wherein said power module includes rechargeable batteries.

14. The dust wand cleaning appliance of claim 1, wherein said power module includes non-rechargeable batteries.

15. The dust wand cleaning appliance of claim 1, wherein said second means further includes a switch.

16. The dust wand cleaning appliance of claim 15, wherein said switch is a manually actuated switch.

17. The dust wand cleaning appliance of claim 15, wherein said switch is automatically actuated upon insertion of the dust wand in said chamber.

18. The dust wand cleaning appliance of claim 17, wherein said automatically actuated switch includes an infrared emitter and detector.

19. The dust wand cleaning appliance of claim 1, wherein said motor driven fan is mounted to said canister and said power module is mounted in a housing releasably mounted to said canister.

20. A dust wand cleaning appliance for cleaning a reusable dust wand to be cleaned, comprising:

a canister having an open mouth in communication with an internal chamber adapted to receive the dust wand to be cleaned; and

a particulate removal system including an air inlet, an air outlet, a flow passage, a filter and a motor driven vacuum impeller blade so arranged as to draw air through the air inlet past at least a portion of the internal chamber where it entrains any foreign matter that may be present on the dust wand to be cleaned when it is received in the internal chamber and to move the air along the flow passage and into the filter which separates out entrained foreign matter and discharges purified air cleaned of foreign matter through the air outlet;

wherein said air inlet of said particulate removal system is adapted to draw air radially outwardly circumferentially about at least a major portion of the periphery of the dust wand to be cleaned when it is received in said chamber.

21. A dust wand cleaning appliance for cleaning a reusable dust wand to be cleaned, comprising:

first means for receiving at least a portion of the dust wand to be cleaned;

second means cooperative with said first means for removing foreign matter from the dust wand to be cleaned when it is received by said first means;

wherein said first means includes a canister having a chamber adapted to receive the dust wand and said second means includes a motor driven fan, a filter and a power module operatively connected to said motor driven fan that are mounted to said canister; and

wherein said canister is provided by mating, interfitting first and second housing bodies and wherein a dust wand receiving sleeve is mounted to said first and second housing bodies to provide said chamber.

22. The dust wand cleaning appliance of claim 21, wherein said dust wand receiving sleeve is circumferentially slotted about a portion of its length and said second means includes a wire comb/dust agitation ring mounted in said sleeve about said circumferentially slotted portion thereof to provide mechanical agitation of the dust wand received in said chamber.