Vacuum cleaner with display

• US 8,726,457 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2011
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Techtronic Floor Care Technology Limited (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Techtronic Floor Care Technology Limited (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Inventors: Liu, Andrew Q., Roberts, Susan S., Kostreba, Steven W.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DUNG V
• Application Number:
  US13/340,898
• Publication Number:
  US 20130167320A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 153/19, 153/39, 345/659, 345/658
• US Class Current: 15/339
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/30 with driven dust-loosening tools, e.g. rotating brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2863 Control elements activated by pivoting movement of the upright vacuum cleaner handle

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner includes a foot, a handle pivotally attached to the foot, a suction source, and a display disposed on one of the handle and the foot. The foot includes a suction nozzle. The handle is pivotal relative to the foot about an axis of rotation. The suction source is in fluid communication with the suction nozzle. The display is for displaying content in a first orientation relative to the display and a second orientation relative to the display based on the position of the handle relative to the foot. The second orientation is different than the first orientation.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a foot including a suction nozzle;

a handle pivotally attached to the foot, the handle pivotal relative to the foot about an axis of rotation;

a suction source in fluid communication with the suction nozzle; and

a display disposed on one of the handle and the foot, the display for displaying content in a first orientation relative to the display and a second orientation relative to the display based on the position of the handle relative to the foot, the second orientation different than the first orientation.

2. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, further comprising:

a controller; and

a switch coupled to the controller, the switch providing an input signal to the controller, the input signal indicating the position of the handle;

wherein the handle is pivotable about the axis of rotation to an upright position and an inclined position; and

wherein the display is coupled to the controller and the display is instructed by the controller in response to the input signal to display the content at the first orientation when the handle is in the upright position and to display the content at the second orientation when the handle is in the inclined position.

3. The vacuum cleaner of claim 2, wherein the handle includes a switch actuator;

and

wherein the switch is disposed on the foot and is triggered by the switch actuator when the handle is in the upright position.

4. The vacuum cleaner of claim 2, wherein the foot includes a switch actuator;

and

wherein the switch is disposed on the handle and is triggered by the switch actuator when the handle is in the upright position.

5. The vacuum cleaner of claim 2, wherein the handle includes a switch actuator;

and

wherein the switch is disposed on the foot and is triggered by the switch actuator when the handle is in the inclined position.

6. The vacuum cleaner of claim 2, wherein the foot includes a switch actuator;

and

wherein the switch is disposed on the handle and is triggered by the switch actuator when the handle is in the inclined position.

7. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the second orientation is rotated at least ninety degrees relative to the first orientation.

8. The vacuum cleaner of claim 7, wherein the second orientation is rotated between one-hundred seventy degrees and one-hundred ninety degrees relative to the first orientation.

9. The vacuum cleaner of claim 8, wherein the second orientation is rotated one-hundred eighty degrees relative to the first orientation.

10. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the display further comprises a display surface, the display surface positioned at an acute angle relative to horizontal when the handle is in the upright position.

11. The vacuum cleaner of claim 10, wherein the acute angle is equal to or less than forty-five degrees.

12. The vacuum cleaner of claim 11, wherein the acute angle is thirty degrees.

13. A method of orienting content on a display of a vacuum cleaner, the vacuum cleaner including a foot and a handle pivotally attached to the foot, the method comprising:

displaying content on the display at a first orientation relative to the display and at a second orientation relative to the display different from the first orientation based upon the position of the handle relative to the foot.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

displaying content on the display at the first orientation when the handle is at an upright position; and

displaying content on the display at the second orientation when the handle is at an inclined position.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the second orientation is rotated at least ninety degrees relative to the first orientation.

16. The vacuum cleaner of claim 15, wherein the second orientation is rotated one-hundred eighty degrees relative to the first orientation.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

attaching the display to the handle such that a display surface of the display is positioned at an acute angle relative to horizontal when the handle is in the upright position.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the acute angle is equal to or less than forty-five degrees.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

detecting the position of the handle relative to the foot with a switch;

providing an input signal from the switch to a controller, the input signal indicating the position of the handle;

instructing the display with the controller in response to the input signal such that the content is displayed at the first orientation when the handle is in the upright position and the content is displayed at the second orientation when the handle is in the inclined position.

20. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a foot including a suction nozzle;

a handle pivotally attached to the foot, the handle pivotal about an axis of rotation to an upright position and an inclined position;

a suction source in fluid communication with the suction nozzle, the suction source providing suction to draw dirty air into the vacuum cleaner through the suction nozzle;

a dirt collector in fluid communication with the suction nozzle and the suction source, the dirt collector configured to receive the dirty air from the suction nozzle, remove dirt from the dirty air, and store the removed dirt;

a controller;

a switch coupled to the controller, the switch providing an input signal to the controller, the input signal indicating the position of the handle relative to the foot; and

a display disposed on the handle and coupled to the controller, the display including a display surface on which content is displayed, the display instructed by the controller in response to the input signal to display the content at a first orientation relative to the display when the handle is in the upright position and to display the content at a second orientation relative to the display when the handle is in the inclined position, the second orientation rotated one-hundred eighty degrees relative to the first orientation.