In vehicle vacuum system

• US 6,813,805 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2002
• Issued: 11/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Great Star Tools USA, Inc.
• Original Assignee: William Ganzenmuller
• Inventors: Ganzenmuller, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Till, Terrence R.
• Application Number:
  US10/279,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20030037401A1
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• Field of Search: 153/13, 153/39, 154/05, 153/30
• US Class Current: 15/313
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/64 for cleaning vehicle interiors, e.g. built-in vacuum cleaners

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaning system and more particularly pertains to a direct port vacuum cleaning system for use in a motor vehicle anytime or anywhere. The system comprises a vacuum generating unit and a vacuum cleaner hose. The vacuum generating unit comprises an electric motor, an impeller and a removable debris canister. The removable debris canister contains a vacuum cleaner hose attachment end and is directly connected to the vacuum cleaner hose. The vacuum generating unit also contains a vacuum exhaust port, located at the opposite end of the vacuum generating unit from the vacuum cleaner hose attachment end. The vacuum generating unit is powered by the vehicle'"'"'s battery. The battery'"'"'s power is converted from DC to AC by power inversion means.

Claims

1. A direct port vacuum cleaning system for use within a vehicle having a battery, said cleaning system comprising:

a) vacuum generating means including blower means within a blower housing, and debris canister means having canister housing means composed of rigid, air impermeable material and detachably mounted directly to the blower housing for providing a defined path for a flow of air through the system,

b) said blower means including rotatably mounted impeller means, and electric motor means for rotating the impeller means within the blower housing, and

c) electric power coupling means for electrically connecting said electric motor means to said vehicle battery to rotate said impeller means,

d) said blower housing including air inlet means and air exhaust means for directing said flow of air from the air inlet means and out the air exhaust means of the blower housing when the impeller means is rotated within said blower housing,

e) said debris canister housing means including canister air input means and air outlet means for directing said flow of air along said defined path into and out of the debris canister housing means into the blower housing when said canister air outlet means is detachably mounted directly to said air inlet means of the blower housing, said canister air input means for receiving an input mixture of air and debris into said debris canister housing means when the canister means is mounted directly to the blower housing and the impeller means is rotated within said blower housing,

f) said canister air input means being effective to separate said debris from said air input mixture received into the canister housing means, and being further effective to direct said flow of air from said canister housing means along said defined air path directly into the air inlet means and out the air exhaust means of the blower housing when said impeller means is rotated.

2. The direct port vacuum cleaning system as defined in claim 1 wherein

said electric power coupling means includes power inversion means connected to said battery.

3. The direct port vacuum cleaning system as defined in claim 2 wherein

said power inversion means is selected from the group consisting of a power inverter, a computer chip, a fuse, or a fusible link.

4. The direct port vacuum cleaning system as defined in claim 2 wherein

said power inversion means supplies 110 volts to said electric motor means.

5. The direct port vacuum cleaning system as defined in claim 2 wherein

said power inversion means is a power inverter.

6. The direct port vacuum cleaning system as defined in claim 1 wherein

said debris canister means is capable of containing liquid and solid debris.

7. The direct port vacuum cleaning system as defined in claim 1 wherein

said canister air input means includes means for removably connecting a vacuum hose attachment to the air input means of said debris canister means.

8. The direct port vacuum cleaning system as defined in claim 1 wherein

said canister air input means receives said input mixture into said debris canister housing means in a direction pointing away from the canister air outlet means for diverting and separating the captured debris from the flow of air so said flow of air goes out said canister air outlet means without carrying debris along with the flow of air moving through said blower housing.

9. The direct port vacuum cleaning system as defined in claim 1 wherein

said canister air input means includes baffle means for diverting and separating the captured debris from the flow of air so said flow of air goes out said canister air outlet means without carrying debris along with the flow of air moving through said blower housing.

10. The direct port vacuum cleaning system as defined in claim 1 wherein

said canister air input means includes means for diverting said debris from said flow of air to separate the captured debris from the flow of air in said input mixture so that said flow of air goes out said canister air outlet means without carrying debris into the flow of air moving through said blower housing.

11. The direct port vacuum cleaning system as defined in claim 10 wherein

said means for diverting the debris from said flow of air includes a downwardly curved extension section of the canister air input means to direct the captured debris to a bottom portion of the canister housing means.

12. The direct port vacuum cleaning system as defined in claim 1 wherein

said canister housing means has a vertically disposed longitudinal axis extending between a top end and a bottom end of the canister housing means, and

the canister air outlet means is located at a first intermediate location between said top and bottom ends, and the canister air input means is located at a second intermediate location between the top and bottom ends with the first intermediate location being closer to the bottom end than the top end, and the second intermediate location being closer to the top end than the bottom end of the canister housing means.

13. The direct port vacuum cleaning system as defined in claim 12 wherein

the canister air input means is effective to receive said flow of air mixed with debris into said canister housing means along a first direction that extends through said longitudinal axis, and the canister air outlet means is effective to discharge air from the canister housing means along a second direction that extends through said longitudinal axis,

said first and second directions being disposed at an angle with respect to each other to enhance diversion of the captured debris from said input mixture.

14. The direct port vacuum cleaning system as defined in claim 13 wherein

said first and second directions are disposed at an angle of about 90°

with respect to each other.

15. A direct port vacuum cleaning system for use within a vehicle having a battery, said cleaning system comprising:

a) vacuum generating means including blower means within a blower housing, and debris canister means having canister housing means detachably directly connected to the blower housing for providing a defined path for a flow of air through the system,

b) said blower means including rotatably mounted impeller means, and electric motor means for rotating the impeller means within the blower housing, and

c) electric power coupling means for electrically connecting said electric motor means to said vehicle battery to rotate said impeller means,

d) said blower housing including air inlet means and air exhaust means for directing a flow of air from the air inlet means and out the air exhaust means of the blower housing when the impeller means is rotated within said blower housing,

e) said debris canister housing means including canister air input means and canister air outlet means for directing said flow of air along said defined path into and out of the debris canister housing means and out the canister air outlet means into the blower housing when the canister air outlet means is detachably connected directly to said air inlet means of the blower housing, said canister air input means being effective to receive an input mixture of air and debris into said debris canister housing means when the canister means is connected directly to the blower housing and the impeller means is rotated within said blower housing,

f) said canister air input means includes means for diverting said debris from said flow of air to separate the captured debris from the flow of air in said input mixture so that said flow of air goes out said canister air outlet means without carrying debris into the flow of air moving through said blower housing.

16. A direct port vacuum cleaning system as defined in claim 15 wherein

said means for diverting said debris comprises baffle means.

17. The direct port vacuum cleaning system as defined in claim 15 wherein

said means for diverting the debris from said flow of air includes a downwardly curved extension section of the canister air input means to direct the captured debris to a bottom portion of the canister housing means.

18. A direct port vacuum cleaning system for use within a vehicle having a battery, said cleaning system comprising:

a) vacuum generating means including blower means within a blower housing, and debris canister means having canister housing means detachably directly connected to the blower housing for providing a defined path for a flow of air through the system,

b) said blower means including rotatably mounted impeller means, and electric motor means for rotating the impeller means within the blower housing, and

c) electric power coupling means for electrically connecting said electric motor means to said vehicle battery to rotate said impeller means,

d) said blower housing including air inlet means and air exhaust means for directing a flow of air from the air inlet means and out the air exhaust means of the blower housing when the impeller means is rotated within said blower housing,

e) said debris canister housing means including canister air input means and canister air outlet means for directing said flow of air along said defined path into and out of the debris canister housing means and out the canister air outlet means into the blower housing when the canister air outlet means is detachably connected directly to said air inlet means of the blower housing, said canister air input means being effective to receive an input mixture of air and debris into said debris canister housing means when the canister means is connected directly to the blower housing and the impeller means is rotated within said blower housing,

f) said canister air input means receives said input mixture into said debris canister housing means in a direction pointing away from the canister air outlet means for diverting and separating the captured debris from the flow of air so said flow of air goes out said canister air outlet means without carrying debris along with the flow of air moving through said blower housing.

19. The direct port vacuum cleaning system as defined in claim 18 wherein

said canister housing means has a vertically disposed longitudinal axis extending between a top end and a bottom end of the canister housing means, and

the canister air outlet means is located at a first intermediate location between said top and bottom ends, and the canister air input means is located at a second intermediate location between the top and bottom ends with the first intermediate location being closer to the bottom end than the top end, and the second intermediate location being closer to the top end than the bottom end of the canister housing means.

20. The direct port vacuum cleaning system as defined in claim 19 wherein

the canister air input means is effective to receive said flow of air mixed with debris into said canister housing means along a first direction that extends through said longitudinal axis, and the canister air outlet means is effective to discharge air from the canister housing means along a second direction that extends through said longitudinal axis,

said first and second directions being disposed at an angle with respect to each other to enhance diversion of the captured debris from said input mixture.

21. The direct port vacuum cleaning system as defined in claim 20 wherein

said first and second directions are disposed at an angle of about 90°

with respect to each other.