Vacuum electronic water sense circuit

• US 8,516,650 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2007
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Beers, David R.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DUNG V
• Application Number:
  US11/870,950
• Publication Number:
  US 20090094778A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,147 Days
• Field of Search: 153/19, 153/39, 153/001
• US Class Current: 15/319
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0019 Details of the casing
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0028 Security means, e.g. float valves or level switches for preventing overflow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0038 with means for emptying the tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/20 Means for cleaning filters
• 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 9/2889 Safety or protection devices or systems, e.g. for prevention of motor over-heating or for protection of the user

Abstract

A vacuum electronics system is provided including an electronic water sense circuit for sensing the water level and preventing the vacuum source from operating when the water level approaches the vacuum filter.

Claims

1. A vacuum comprising:

a housing defining a debris chamber;

a vacuum source disposed in said housing;

a transformer having a first winding and a second winding inductively coupled to said first winding; and

a pair of water sensing probes disposed in said debris chamber and attached to said second winding, wherein current does not flow through said second winding when water is not sensed by said pair of water sensing probes, and wherein current flows through said second winding in response to water being sensed by said pair of water sensing probes, and

wherein said vacuum source is disabled when current is flowing through said second winding.

2. The vacuum of claim 1, further comprising a controller for preventing operation of said vacuum source in response to water being sensed by said pair of water sensing probes.

3. The vacuum of claim 2, further comprising:

a pulse drive oscillator attached to said first winding;

a third winding inductively coupled to said first winding; and

a triac attached to said third winding, wherein said pulse drive oscillator provides a gate signal to said triac through said third winding when no water is being sensed by said pair of water sensing probes, and wherein said triac does not receive said gate signal when water is being sensed by said pair of water sensing probes.

4. The vacuum of claim 3, wherein said gate signal is diverted from said third winding in response to water being sensed by said pair of water sensing probes.

5. The vacuum of claim 2, further comprising:

an oscillator attached to said first winding that provides an oscillator signal; and

an operational amplifier attached to said first winding that provides a signal to said controller that selectively prevents operation of said vacuum source based on said signal, wherein said oscillator signal is received by said operational amplifier when no water is being sensed by said pair of water sensing probes, and wherein said oscillator signal is not received by said operational amplifier when water is being sensed by said pair of water sensing probes.

6. The vacuum according to claim 5, wherein said controller prevents operation of said vacuum in response to water being sensed by said pair of water sensing probes until a power switch is cycled off then on again.

7. The vacuum of claim 5, wherein said oscillator signal is diverted from said operational amplifier in response to water being sensed by said pair of water sensing probes.

8. The vacuum of claim 7, wherein said controller prevents operation of said vacuum in response to water being sensed by said pair of water sensing probes until a power switch is cycled off then on again.

9. The vacuum of claim 2, further comprising:

a first triac attached to said first winding; and

a second triac attached to said first winding via said first triac, wherein said first triac provides current to said second triac when no water is being sensed by said pair of water sensing probes.

10. The vacuum of claim 9, wherein current is diverted from said first triac in response to water being sensed by said pair of water sensing probes.

11. The vacuum of claim 10, wherein said controller prevents operation of said vacuum in response to water being sensed by said pair of water sensing probes until a power switch is cycled off then on again.