Vacuum cleaner with ultraviolet light source and ozone

• US 7,530,140 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2005
• Issued: 05/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Royal Appliance Manufacturing Company (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Royal Appliance Manufacturing Company (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Inventors: Kloeppel, Gregg M., Makarov, Sergey V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Redding; David A
• Application Number:
  US11/234,534
• Publication Number:
  US 20070067943A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,327 Days
• Field of Search: 153/39, 15347-353, 15D/IG.8, 554/85, 554/86, 554/29, 55D/IG.3
• US Class Current: 15/339
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/04 for using the exhaust air for other purposes, e.g. for distribution of chemicals in a room, for sterilisation of the air spraying or atomising in general B05
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/122 flat
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1608 Cyclonic chamber constructions
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1641 for parallel flow
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 55/03 Vacuum cleaner

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a vacuum cleaner including a nozzle base having a main suction opening and a housing pivotally mounted on the nozzle base. An airstream suction source is mounted to one of the housing and the nozzle base for selectively establishing and maintaining a suction airstream flowing from the nozzle main suction opening to an exhaust outlet of the suction source. A filter housing is mounted to one of the nozzle base and the housing. The filter housing comprises a filter mounted in the filter housing. An ultraviolet light source is disposed in the filter housing and shines on the filter for disinfecting same.

Claims

1. A filter housing assembly for a vacuum cleaner including a suction airstream inlet and a suction airstream outlet, said filter housing assembly comprising:

a housing member mounted to the vacuum cleaner;

a first filter mounted in said housing member;

an ultraviolet light source located in said housing member for disinfecting an interior of said filter housing; and

an electrical circuit for providing a power source to said ultraviolet light source,

wherein said first filter is in fluid communication with said suction airstream inlet and further including a second filter disposed downstream of said first filter, said second filter being in fluid communication with said suction airstream outlet.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said first filter includes an open cell flexible foam material.

3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said second filter includes a High-Efficiency Particulate Arresting (HEPA) filter material.

4. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said ultraviolet light source is disposed between said first filter and said second filter.

5. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said second filter comprises a pleated filter material.

6. The assembly of claim 1 wherein the electrical circuit includes an electrical socket mounted on an outer surface of said housing member.

7. The assembly of claim 1 further comprising an ozonizer.

8. A vacuum cleaner including:

a nozzle base including a main suction opening;

a housing pivotally mounted on said nozzle base;

an airstream suction source mounted to one of said housing and said nozzle base for selectively establishing and maintaining a suction airstream flowing from said nozzle main suction opening to an exhaust outlet of said suction source;

a filter housing assembly mounted to one of said nozzle base and said housing, said filter housing assembly comprising;

a filter mounted in said filter housing assembly; and

an ultraviolet light source disposed in said filter housing assembly and shining on said filter for disinfecting same; and

a dirt cup selectively mounted to said housing, said dirt cup being located upstream of said filter housing assembly.

9. The vacuum cleaner of claim 8 wherein said filter housing assembly further includes an electrical socket for providing a power source to said ultraviolet light source.

10. The vacuum cleaner of claim 8 wherein said filter housing assembly further includes a cover releasably secured to a base, said cover including a suction airstream inlet in fluid communication with said nozzle main suction opening, said base including a suction airstream outlet in fluid communication with an inlet of said suction source.

11. The vacuum cleaner of claim 8 further including a cyclonic airflow chamber.

12. The vacuum cleaner of claim 11 further including an ozone source for disinfecting the air inside said cyclonic airflow chamber.

13. The vacuum cleaner of claim 8 further including an indicator for indicating a power status of said ultraviolet light source.

14. A vacuum cleaner including:

a housing in fluid communication with a main suction opening;

an airstream suction source mounted to said housing for selectively establishing and maintaining a suction airstream flowing from said main suction opening to an exhaust outlet of said suction source; and

a filter housing assembly mounted to said housing, said filter housing assembly comprising;

a first filter,

a second filter, and

an ultraviolet light source shining on said first and second filters for disinfecting same.

15. The vacuum cleaner of claim 14 wherein said filter housing assembly further includes an electrical socket for providing a power source to said ultraviolet light source.

16. The vacuum cleaner of claim 14 wherein said filter housing assembly further includes a base and a cover releasably secured to the base, said cover including a suction airstream inlet in fluid communication with said main suction opening, said base including a suction airstream outlet in fluid communication with an inlet of said airstream suction source.

17. The vacuum cleaner of claim 14 further including a dirt cup selectively mounted to said housing, said dirt cup being located upstream of said filter housing assembly.

18. The vacuum cleaner of claim 17 wherein said dirt cup includes a cyclonic airflow chamber.

19. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a dirt cup;

a cyclonic flow chamber located upstream from said dirt cup;

a filter housing assembly disposed downstream from said cyclonic flow chamber for accommodating at least one filter for filtering dirt from the airstream; and

an ultraviolet light source secured to at least one of said dirt cup and said filter housing assembly,

wherein said ultraviolet light source shines on dirt accumulated in said dirt cup for disinfecting same.

20. The vacuum cleaner of claim 19 wherein said ultraviolet light source is mounted to said cyclonic flow chamber.

21. The vacuum cleaner of claim 19 wherein said ultraviolet light source is disposed inside said filter housing assembly.

22. The vacuum cleaner of claim 19 further comprising an ozonizer communicating with at least one of said dirt cup and said filter housing assembly.

23. The vacuum cleaner of claim 19 wherein said ultraviolet light source generates a concentration of ozone.

24. The vacuum cleaner of claim 19 wherein said filter housing assembly is in fluid communication with said dirt cup for disinfecting dirt accumulated in said dirt cup.