Slide-out drum with filter for a wet/dry vacuum appliance

• US 8,973,196 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2009
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emerson Electric Company
• Original Assignee: Emerson Electric Company
• Inventors: Tomasiak, Mark J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Steitz, Rachel
• Assistant Examiner(s): GILL, JENNIFER FRANCES
• Application Number:
  US12/633,791
• Publication Number:
  US 20100139032A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,918 Days
• Field of Search: 153/271, 153/272, 153/277, 153/47
• US Class Current: 15/3
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/365 of the vertical type, e.g. tank or bucket type
• 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 7/0042 Gaskets; Sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0018 integrated in or removably mounted upon the suction cleaner for storing parts of said suction cleaner
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/106 Dust removal
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49718 Repairing

Abstract

A wet and dry vacuum cleaner system is disclosed, wherein the system includes a debris container having an inlet and outlet, a filter support having a filter and being adapted to situate at least a portion of the filter within the container and intermediate between the inlet and outlet, a vacuum unit adapted to be coupled to the container, and a housing. A wet/dry vacuum appliance system is also disclosed, which includes means for housing a vacuum unit, means for slidably receiving a debris container, and means for releasably holding the container in sealed engagement with the vacuum unit. In addition, methods of removing debris from such a vacuum cleaner and vacuum appliance systems are described.

Claims

1. A wet and dry vacuum cleaner system, comprising:

a container for receiving debris, the container having an air inlet and an air outlet;

a filter support assembly removably coupled at least partially within the container;

a vacuum unit assembly adapted to be sealingly coupled to the container;

a housing having two side panels, wherein the container and filter support assembly are adapted to be removable from, and removably coupled within, the housing while the vacuum unit assembly remains coupled between the two side panels of the housing, immediately above the container;

each side panel including a slot with a ramp adjacent to a terminal region thereof;

the container having two supports, one on either side thereof, the supports configured to slide within the slots, and up the ramps to the terminal regions, thereby lifting a rear portion of the container;

the system further including one or more latches on a front portion thereof configured to lift a front portion of the container, thereby holding the container in an upward sealed position wherein the container is sealingly coupled to the vacuum unit.

2. The vacuum cleaner system of claim 1, wherein the air outlet is at least partially defined by the filter support assembly and wherein the air outlet is in fluid communication with the vacuum inlet when the vacuum unit assembly is coupled to the container.

3. The vacuum cleaner system of claim 1, wherein the filter support assembly is coupled at or below the top of the container and wherein at least a portion of the filter assembly is disposed inside the container.

4. The vacuum cleaner system of claim 3, wherein the filter assembly or the support assembly has at least one gasket adapted to sealingly engage the vacuum unit.

5. The vacuum cleaner system of claim 1, wherein the container is freely mobile upon being decoupled from the housing.

6. The vacuum cleaner system of claim 1, wherein the housing includes storage compartments located above the vacuum unit assembly.

7. The vacuum cleaner system of claim 1, wherein the housing is a cart.

8. The vacuum cleaner system of claim 1, wherein the container is substantially rectangular in shape.

9. The vacuum cleaner system of claim 1, wherein the container is round.

10. The vacuum cleaner system of claim 1, wherein the container has at least two sides coupled in substantially perpendicular relation to one another.

11. The vacuum cleaner system of claim 1, wherein the filter support assembly having a filter assembly comprising a filter element and being adapted to situate at least a portion of the filter assembly within the container and intermediate between the air inlet and the air outlet.

12. The vacuum cleaner system of claim 1, wherein at least one element of the filter assembly is adapted to be uncoupled from the filter support when the filter support assembly is uncoupled from the container and the vacuum unit assembly.

13. The vacuum cleaner system of claim 1, wherein the filter support assembly and the container are removable from the housing together.

14. The vacuum cleaner system of claim 1, wherein the supports are rollers.

15. A wet and dry vacuum cleaner system, comprising:

a housing having a frame, two opposite and parallel side panels and a back panel in a perpendicular arrangement relative to the two side panels, each side panel including a slot with a ramp adjacent to a terminal region thereof;

a vacuum unit assembly housing a vacuum motor and having a vacuum inlet, a vacuum outlet, and sealing surfaces on a bottom face of the vacuum unit assembly, wherein the vacuum unit assembly is coupled between the two side panels of the housing;

a substantially rectangular container located below the vacuum unit assembly and having an air inlet on one side and being open on the top, wherein the container is removably coupled to the bottom face of the vacuum unit assembly such that the vacuum inlet of the vacuum unit assembly is in fluid communication with the interior of the container, the container having two supports, one on either side thereof, the supports configured to slide within the slots, and up the ramps to the terminal regions, thereby lifting a rear portion of the container;

one or more accessory drawers located above the vacuum unit assembly and slidably engaged with the side panels;

a lid located above the accessory drawers and hingably attached to at least one of the side panels; and

a filter support assembly having a top face, a bottom face, and a filter assembly attached thereto and extending downwardly from the bottom face of the filter support assembly, the filter support assembly being shaped such that it is substantially removably sealed against a top region of the container between the inside of the container and the vacuum inlet of the vacuum unit assembly such that air traveling from the container to the vacuum inlet passes through the filter;

wherein the container and filter support assembly are adapted to be slidingly removable from the housing together;

the system further including one or more latches on a front portion thereof configured to lift a front portion of the container, thereby holding the container in an upward sealed position wherein the container is sealingly coupled to the vacuum unit.

16. The vacuum cleaner system of claim 15, wherein at least one element of the filter assembly is adapted to be uncoupled from the filter support assembly when the filter support assembly is uncoupled from the container.

17. The vacuum cleaner system of claim 15, wherein the supports are rollers.

18. A wet and dry vacuum cleaner system, comprising:

a housing having two side panels, each side panel including a slot with a ramp adjacent to a terminal region thereof;

a vacuum unit assembly coupled between the two side panels above the slots;

a container for receiving debris, the container having two supports, one on either side thereof, the supports configured to slide within the slots, and up the ramps to the terminal regions, thereby lifting a rear portion of the container; and

the system further including one or more latches on a front portion thereof configured to lift a front portion of the container, thereby holding the container in an upward sealed position wherein the container is sealingly coupled to the vacuum unit.

19. The vacuum cleaner system of claim 18, wherein the supports are rollers.

20. The vacuum cleaner system of claim 18, further including a filter support between the container and the vacuum unit assembly.

21. The vacuum cleaner system of claim 18, wherein the ramps are configured to lift the rear portion of the container and the latches are configured to lift the front portion of the container, such that together they compress a gasket between the filter support and the vacuum unit assembly, thereby sealing the container to the vacuum unit assembly.