Handheld cleaning appliance

• US 7,931,716 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2007
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited (Beeswax Holdings UK Limited)
• Original Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited (Beeswax Holdings UK Limited)
• Inventors: Oakham, George Francis Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Greene; Jason M
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI, DUNG H
• Application Number:
  US12/307,682
• Publication Number:
  US 20090308254A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,390 Days
• Field of Search: 553/37, 553/43, 553/45, 553/46, 553/56, 554/22, 554/24, 554/28, 554/67, 55470-473, 55D/IG.3, 55D/IG.34, 95/8, 95/1, 964/23, 73/250.2, 73/310.2, 73/310.3, 116/268, 116/283, 116/DIG.25, 153/19, 153/39, 153/47, 153/52
• US Class Current: 55/337
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/24 Hand-supported suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/122 flat
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/19 Means for monitoring filtering operation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2889 Safety or protection devices or systems, e.g. for prevention of motor over-heating or for protection of the user
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2894 Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 55/03 Vacuum cleaner
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 55/34 Indicator and controllers

Abstract

A cleaning appliance includes a main body, a filter and an interlock. The main body includes an airflow generator, a separating apparatus separating dirt and dust from an airflow, and a flowpath between the separating apparatus and the airflow generator delimited by a wall. The interlock has a first part located on the filter and a second part located on the main body outside the flowpath, arranged to communicate remotely when the filter is correctly located in the pre-determined position. The interlock is arranged selectively to allow or prevent operation of the airflow generator depending upon the relative separation between the first and second parts. By providing an interlock which has first and second parts which communicate remotely, the second part located on the main body can be isolated from the airflow path so that the second part is not subject to dirt and dust carried by the airflow.

Claims

1. A cleaning appliance comprising:

a main body,

a filter, and

an interlock,

the main body including,

an airflow generator,

a separating apparatus for separating dirt and dust from an airflow, and

a flowpath between the separating apparatus and the airflow generator, the flowpath being delimited by a wall,

the filter being removably located in a pre-determined position in the flowpath, and

the interlock having a first part located on the filter and a second part located on the main body outside the flowpath, the first and second parts being configured to communicate remotely when the filter is correctly located in the pre-determined position, and

the interlock being configured selectively to allow or prevent operation of the airflow generator depending upon a relative separation between the first and second parts.

2. The cleaning appliance of claim 1, wherein the first and second parts are spaced from one another when the filter is correctly located in the pre-determined position.

3. The cleaning appliance of claim 1 or 2, wherein the separating apparatus is cyclonic separating apparatus.

4. The cleaning appliance of claim 1 or 2, wherein the filter has a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis, and the first part is spaced from at least one of the longitudinal and transverse axes.

5. The cleaning appliance of claim 4, wherein the first part is spaced from both the longitudinal axis and the transverse axis.

6. The cleaning appliance of claim 1 or 2, wherein the cleaning appliance is a vacuum cleaner.

7. The cleaning appliance of claim 6, wherein the cleaning appliance is a hand-held vacuum cleaner.

8. The cleaning appliance of claim 1 or 2, wherein the first part includes an emission source and the second part includes a detector.

9. The cleaning appliance of claim 8, wherein the first part includes a passive emission source.

10. The cleaning appliance of claim 8, wherein the first part is a magnetic element and the second part is a Hall sensor.

11. The cleaning appliance of claim 8, wherein the first part is an electromagnetic transmitter and the second part is an electromagnetic receiver.

12. The cleaning appliance of claim 11, wherein the first part is a radio frequency emitter and the second part is a radio frequency detector.

13. The cleaning appliance of claim 1 or 2, wherein the interlock is configured to prevent operation of the airflow generator when the separation between the first and second parts exceeds a pre-determined distance.

14. The cleaning appliance of claim 13, wherein the filter has a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis, and the first part is spaced from at least one of the longitudinal and transverse axes.

15. The cleaning appliance of claim 14, wherein the first part is spaced from both the longitudinal axis and the transverse axis.

16. The cleaning appliance claim 13, wherein the first part includes an emission source and the second part includes a detector.

17. The cleaning appliance of claim 16, wherein the first part includes a passive emission source.