Wet/dry vacuum cleaner

• US 8,997,308 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2012
• Issued: 04/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Koblenz Elã©Ctrica SA de CV
• Original Assignee: Koblenz Elã©Ctrica SA de CV
• Inventors: Cortes Ruiz, Marco Antonio, Rodriguez Perfino, Felix, Kohler, Richard Arthur
• Primary Examiner(s): Spisich, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): HORTON, ANDREW ALAN
• Application Number:
  US13/556,446
• Publication Number:
  US 20140026355A1
• Time in Patent Office: 987 Days
• Field of Search: 153/271, 153/276, 153/47, 153/53, 210/457, 210/416.1, 210/493.1, 210/493.2, 210/493.5, 963/33, 96/33, 963/38, 963/39, 963/37, 55D/IG.3, 16/29, 16/30
• US Class Current: 15/347
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0004 Suction cleaners adapted to take up liquids, e.g. wet or dry vacuum cleaners floor-scrubbing machines taking-up dirty liquid by suction A47L11/30
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0042 Gaskets; Sealing means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/242 Hose or pipe couplings
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 55/03 Vacuum cleaner

Abstract

A wet/dry vacuum cleaner having a cover closing off the upper end of the vacuum cleaner, a lid connected to the cover having a collector extending into the lid and a filter assembly extending downwardly from the collector into water tank, the lid having an exhaust port for the vacuum cleaner communicating with a exterior thereof.

A volute is disposed internally of the lid and coupled to the exhaust port, the volute being generally horizontally mounted in the lid forming a flat volute for accumulating air flow.

Claims

1. In a wet/dry vacuum cleaner having a cover closing off the upper end of the vacuum cleaner, a lid connected to the cover having a collector extending into the lid and a filter assembly extending downwardly from the collector into a water tank, said lid having a volute for the vacuum cleaner communicating with a exterior thereof, said volute for said vacuum cleaner being disposed internally of said lid and coupled to an exhaust port, said volute being generally horizontally mounted in said lid forming a flat volute for accumulating air flow, wherein said filter assembly includes a pleated filter having a throughbore with a filter cage mounted in said throughbore, said filter having peripheral end caps at the upper and lower ends thereof, said upper end cap having an inward and upwardly extending peripheral tapered lip at the upper end thereof, and said lower end cap having an inward and downwardly extending peripheral tapered lip at the lower end thereof, said filter cage having an upper peripheral rim, and a lower peripheral rim, said upper peripheral rim of said filter cage having a outwardly and downwardly extending tapered lip engaging the inward and upwardly extending peripheral tapered lip at the upper end of said filter, and said lower peripheral rim of said filter cage having an outwardly and upwardly extending tapered lip engaging the inward and downwardly extending peripheral lip at the lower end of said filter.

2. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein said volute has a curved portion extending to said exhaust port.

3. The wet/dry vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein said water tank is square shaped in cross-section having an upwardly extending square-shaped peripheral rim, said lid having a square shaped peripheral rim conforming to the square-shaped peripheral rim of said tank.

4. The vacuum cleaner of claim 3 wherein said tank has four interconnected outer walls extending upwardly from a bottom wall, a recessed area formed in the interior of tank at the lower end of each outer wall extending from the outside of said tank into the interior thereof and through said bottom wall, each recessed area being closed off on the outside thereof by an appearance wall generally flush with the respective outer wall of said tank.

5. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein each of said end caps of said filter is of a soft urethane material.

6. In a wet/dry vacuum cleaner having a cover closing off the upper end of the vacuum cleaner, a lid connected to the cover having a collector extending into the lid and a filter assembly extending downwardly from the collector into a water tank, said lid having a volute for the vacuum cleaner communicating with a exterior thereof, said volute for said vacuum cleaner being disposed internally of said lid and coupled to an exhaust port, said volute being generally horizontally mounted in said lid forming a flat volute for accumulating air flow, wherein said tank has a plurality of spaced wheel support assembles at the bottom thereof, each of said wheel support assembles including a rotatable wheel journalled for rotation in a wheel support, each of said wheel supports having a shaft mounted thereon, and a mounting hole on each side of said shaft, and said tank having a wheel support recess area at the lower end thereof, each wheel support recess area being adapted to receive a respective wheel support therein, and a generally flat upstanding rib on said wheel support extending inwardly from said wheel support shaft, each of said wheel support recesses having a slot for receiving said rib therein and a hole for receiving said wheel support shaft, and a pair of bosses on each side of said hole for entering the holes in each of said wheel supports.

7. In a wet/dry vacuum cleaner having a cover closing off the upper end of the vacuum cleaner, a lid connected to the cover having a collector extending into the lid and a filter assembly extending downwardly from the collector into a water tank, said lid having a volute for the vacuum cleaner communicating with a exterior thereof, said volute for said vacuum cleaner being disposed internally of said lid and coupled to an exhaust port, said volute being generally horizontally mounted in said lid forming a flat volute for accumulating air flow, wherein said filter assembly includes a pleated filter having a throughbore with a filter cage mounted in said throughbore, said filter having peripheral end caps at the upper and lower ends thereof, said upper end cap having an inward and upwardly extending peripheral tapered lip at the upper end thereof, and said lower end cap having an inward and downwardly extending peripheral tapered lip at the lower end thereof, said filter cage having an upper peripheral rim, and a lower peripheral rim, said upper peripheral rim of said filter cage having a outwardly and downwardly extending tapered lip engaging the inward and upwardly extending peripheral tapered lip at the upper end of said filter, and said lower peripheral rim of said filter cage having an outwardly and upwardly extending tapered lip engaging the inward and downwardly extending peripheral lip at the lower end of said filter, a diffuser mounted on said tank for changing the direction of air flow and liquids vacuumed by said vacuum cleaner, said diffuser extending out of said tank and having a filter bag lock thereon adapted to engage an opening in a seal in a disposable filter bag and lock said bag to said diffuser, said diffuser also having a hose lock on the portion thereof extending out of said tank locking the connector portion of a vacuum cleaner hose thereto.

8. In a wet/dry vacuum cleaner having a cover closing off the upper end of the vacuum cleaner, a lid connected to the cover having a collector extending into the lid and a filter assembly extending downwardly from the collector into a water tank, said lid having a volute for the vacuum cleaner communicating with a exterior thereof, said volute for said vacuum cleaner being disposed internally of said lid and coupled to an exhaust port, said volute being generally horizontally mounted in said lid forming a flat volute for accumulating air flow, wherein said tank has a plurality of spaced wheel support assembles at the bottom thereof, each of said wheel support assembles including a rotatable wheel journalled for rotation in a wheel support, each of said wheel supports having a shaft mounted thereon, and a mounting hole on each side of said shaft, and said tank having a wheel support recess area at the lower end thereof, each wheel support recess area being adapted to receive a respective wheel support therein, and a generally flat upstanding rib on said wheel support extending inwardly from said wheel support shaft, each of said wheel support recesses having a slot for receiving said rib therein and a hole for receiving said wheel support shaft, and a pair of bosses on each side of said hole for entering the holes in each of said wheel supports, a diffuser mounted on said tank for changing the direction of air flow and liquids vacuumed by said vacuum cleaner, said diffuser extending out of said tank and having a filter bag lock thereon adapted to engage an opening in a seal in a disposable filter bag and lock said bag to said diffuser, said diffuser also having a hose lock on the portion thereof extending out of said tank locking the connector portion of a vacuum cleaner hose thereto.