Vacuum canister and mounting bracket for use therewith

• US 7,080,425 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2003
• Issued: 07/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Products Incorporated (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Products Incorporated (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Gabric, Andrew L., Smith, James F., Nieschwitz, Darrell V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Snider, Theresa T.
• Application Number:
  US10/384,022
• Publication Number:
  US 20040172782A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 153/14, 153/276, 153/277, 153/271, 153/272, 153/47, 153/52, 55D/IG.8, 220/501, 220/503, 220/504, 220/553, 220/554
• US Class Current: 15/327.6
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/38 Built-in suction cleaner installations, i.e. with fixed tube system to which, at different stations, hoses can be connected
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/127 tube- or sleeve-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1608 Cyclonic chamber constructions
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1666 with filtering means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1691 Mounting or coupling means for cyclonic chamber or dust receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/22 Mountings for motor fan assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 55/08 Built-in vacuum cleaners

Abstract

A mounting bracket for use in association with a vacuum canister for a central vacuum system is disclosed. The mounting bracket is received within the housing of the vacuum canister and thereby divides the canister into clean and dirt collection chambers. Dirt collection chamber is adapted to receive dirt-laden air from the central vacuum system while clean chamber is adapted to re-circulate cleaned air back into the building. Mounting bracket is preferably a molded structure having a central bore. A plurality of stepped grooves are provided for receiving one of a variety of sizes of motor therein. A plurality of circuit board brackets are formed on mounting bracket, said circuit board brackets range in size so as to accommodate a range of sizes of circuit boards therein. Mounting bracket further includes a filter support formed therein. The filter support includes a quick attachment/release mechanism for installing filters thereon. Mounting bracket also includes an aperture and straight tube connection for connecting a clean chamber auxiliary intake valve assembly to the dirt collection chamber of the vacuum canister.

Claims

1. A vacuum canister, for use in a central vacuum system, said vacuum canister comprising:

a housing having a dirt collection chamber and a clean chamber; and

an integrally molded mounting bracket extending intermediate the clean chamber and the dirt collection chamber of the housing;

said mounting bracket having an upper surface and a lower surface and defining a bore therethrough that connects the dirt collection chamber and the clean chamber; and

wherein the mounting bracket includes a first motor-receiving groove disposed thereon.

2. The vacuum canister as defined in claim 1, wherein said first motor-receiving groove is concentric with the bore.

3. The vacuum canister as defined in claim 2, further comprising a second motor-receiving groove disposed concentrically around said bore;

said first groove having a first diameter and said second groove having a second diameter;

the first diameter being different to the second diameter.

4. The vacuum canister as defined in claim 3, wherein the second diameter is larger than the first diameter.

5. The vacuum canister as defined in claim 4, wherein said second groove lies in vertical stepped relation to said first groove.

6. The vacuum canister as defined in claim 3, wherein said mounting bracket is molded and said first and second grooves are integrally molded with said mounting bracket.

7. The vacuum canister as defined in claim 3, wherein said mounting bracket has an outer perimeter that is adapted to abut said housing and said mounting bracket further comprises:

a ring of horizontally spaced-apart ribs disposed about said second groove, said ribs radiating outwardly from said second groove toward the outer perimeter of said mounting bracket.

8. The vacuum canister as defined in claim 1, further comprising a first circuit board bracket mounted on the upper surface of said mounting bracket.

9. The vacuum canister as defined in claim 8, wherein said first circuit board bracket comprises a pair of spaced-apart upright first supports, each first support extending at generally ninety-degrees from said upper surface, each first support having a slit therein, the slits being disposed so that the slits of the two first supports lie opposite to each other, the slits being adapted to slidingly receive a circuit board therebetween.

10. The vacuum canister as defined in claim 9, further comprising a second circuit board bracket, the second circuit board bracket comprising a pair of spaced-apart upright second supports, each second support extending upwardly at generally ninety-degrees to said upper surface, each second support having a second slit therein, the second slits being disposed so that the second slits of the two second supports lie opposite to each other, the second slits being adapted to slidingly receive a circuit board;

wherein the distance between the first supports of the first circuit board bracket is smaller than the distance between the second supports of the second circuit board bracket.

11. The vacuum canister as defined in claim 10, further comprising a pair of gussets, one gusset connecting each second support to the mounting bracket.

12. The vacuum canister as defined in claim 10, wherein the first and second circuit board brackets are integrally formed with the mounting bracket.

13. The vacuum canister as defined in claim 8, further comprising a stop member disposed between the supports, the stop member being adapted to receive an end of a circuit board thereon.

14. The vacuum canister as defined in claim 1, further comprising a filter support extending outwardly from the lower surface of said mounting bracket, wherein said filter support is concentric with the bore.

15. The vacuum canister as defined in claim 14, wherein said filter support is frusto-conical in shape, having a wider diameter proximate the lower surface of said mounting bracket and tapering in diameter away from the lower surface.

16. The vacuum canister as defined in claim 15, wherein said filter support has an interior that is hollow and said interior is continuous with the bore.

17. The vacuum canister as defined in claim 16, wherein said filter support is integrally formed with said mounting bracket.

18. The vacuum canister as defined in claim 16, wherein said filter support includes a plurality of apertures therein, said apertures opening into the interior of said filter support, thereby allowing for air flow from the dirt collection chamber of the canister through the bore and into the clean chamber.

19. The vacuum canister as defined in claim 15, wherein said filter support terminates in an end cap remote from the lower surface of said mounting bracket.

20. The vacuum canister as defined in claim 19, further comprising a mounting post disposed on the end cap, said mounting post being adapted to be locked to a filter that is received on said filter support.

21. The vacuum canister as defined in claim 20, wherein said mounting post includes a pair of lock posts.

22. The vacuum canister as defined in claim 21, wherein said mounting post includes a pair of release posts.

23. The vacuum canister as defined in claim 22, further comprising a locking member releasably connected to said mounting post, said locking member being selectively rotatable between a first position and a second position;

the first position being one in which the locking member is in a released state wherein the filter may be removed from or installed on said filter support;

the second position being one in which the locking member is in a locked state wherein the filter is locked onto said filter support.

24. The vacuum canister as defined in claim 23, wherein said locking member comprises a pair of detents adapted to engage said release posts when said locking member is in a first released position.

25. The vacuum canister as defined in claim 24, wherein said locking member defines a pair of slots and said slots are adapted to clear the lock posts when said locking member is in the released position.

26. The vacuum canister as defined in claim 25, wherein said locking member has opposing edges, said edges being adapted to engage said lock posts when said locking member is in a locked position.

27. The vacuum canister as defined in claim 26, wherein the mounting post is oblong is shape.

28. The vacuum canister as defined in claim 15, wherein said dirt collection chamber includes a suction intake pipe and said canister further includes an air deflector, said air deflector being mounted on the lower surface of said mounting bracket a spaced distance from said filter support, said air deflector having a lower edge that extends below an ingress point of the suction intake pipe.

29. The vacuum canister as defined in claim 1, wherein said housing has a wall and the wall includes a projection extending inwardly therefrom, and wherein the lower surface of said mounting bracket includes a lip and the lip engages said projection to secure said mounting bracket within said housing.

30. A vacuum canister for use in association with a central vacuum system, the vacuum canister comprising:

a housing having an outer wall that terminates at a lower edge, said housing including;

an upper chamber; and

a lower chamber, said upper and lower chambers being separated from each other by an interior wall which has an opening therein;

a filter disposed in the lower chamber and over the opening;

said filter being adapted to remove particulate matter from air flowing from the lower chamber to the upper chamber;

a collection bin removably positioned beneath the lower chamber of the housing;

the bin having an upper edge disposed adjacent the lower edge of the housing;

said bin including an interior cavity adapted to retain filtered particulate matter therein;

a funnel adapted to direct particulate matter into the interior cavity of the bin;

said funnel having a circumferential flange that extends outwardly beyond both of the upper edge of the bin and lower edge of the housing;

a resilient seal;

disposed around the flange; and

a plurality of latches disposed on the outer wall of the housing and on an exterior wall of the bin;

whereby engagement of the latches secures the housing and bin together and traps the seal and flange therebetween.