Drain system and method for vacuum cleaner

• US 9,192,270 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2013
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Great Star Tools USA, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Shop-Vac Corporation (Hangzhou Great Star Industrial Company Limited)
• Inventors: Westbrook, Kurt, Bartley, Seth A., Martinez, David, Shultz, Zachary A.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DUNG V
• Application Number:
  US14/025,401
• Publication Number:
  US 20150067978A1
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4025 Means for emptying
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/365 of the vertical type, e.g. tank or bucket type
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0038 with means for emptying the tanks
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 47/205 the valve being formed by a tubular flexible sleeve surrounding a rod-like element provided with at least one radial passageway which is normally closed by the sleeve
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 55/1152 fixed by screwing or by means of a screw-threaded ring
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 55/1157 using hooks, pawls, or other movable or insertable locking members
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0318 Processes

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner comprising a tank for collecting material having a base, an outside surface and an opening disposed at the base. A drain system is disposed adjacent the opening and includes a drain tube having an outlet and a cap mounted to the drain tube and removably secured to prevent material from exiting the drain system. When the cap is removed, the drain tube slides out of the opening in a first direction and the outlet permits material to leave the drain tube in a direction other than the first direction.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a tank for collecting material having a base, an outside surface and an opening disposed near the base;

a drain system disposed adjacent the opening and including a drain tube having an outlet and a cap mounted to the drain tube and removably secured to prevent material from exiting the drain system, the drain system further comprising a drain fitting disposed within the opening of the tank and secured to the tank, the drain fitting further including an inside surface and an outside surface, wherein a drive rib is disposed on the inside surface;

wherein, when the cap is removed, the drain tube slides out of the opening in a first direction, and the outlet permits material to leave the drain tube in a direction other than the first direction.

2. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the outside surface includes a cylindrical portion having a flange extending radially therefrom and a threaded portion, such that the cylindrical portion is disposed within the opening of the tank.

3. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, the drain tube further comprising a cylindrical body having an exterior surface with at least one groove for receiving the drive rib of the drain fitting upon insertion of the drain tube into the drain fitting.

4. The vacuum cleaner of claim 3, wherein the inside surface of the drain fitting includes a plurality of drive ribs equally spaced along a circumference of the drain fitting, and the exterior surface of the drain tube includes a plurality of grooves that are also equally spaced along a circumference of the drain tube, such that each of the drive ribs fit within each of the grooves to prevent rotation of the drain tube during movement.

5. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, the drain tube further comprising a reduced diameter portion disposed near the drain fitting, a main diameter portion disposed near the cap and an angled step disposed between the reduced diameter portion and the main diameter portion for directing material through the outlet of the drain tube.

6. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the drain fitting includes a threaded portion and the cap includes a cylindrical sidewall having a threaded portion that engages the threaded portion of the drain fitting to removably secure the cap to the drain fitting when the drain system is in a closed position.

7. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, the drain tube further comprising an interior surface having a flange radially extending therefrom and a channel extending from an end portion of the flange, the channel disposed in a central area of the drain tube and adapted to receive a portion of the cap to help secure the cap to the drain tube.

8. The vacuum cleaner of claim 7, the cap further comprising an exterior surface having a grip extending therefrom, a cylindrical side wall having a recess, and a cap insert disposed within the recess.

9. The vacuum cleaner of claim 8, wherein the cap insert includes a top portion having a top surface and a bottom surface, a tab extending from the top surface and a projection extending from the bottom surface, the projection having an interior portion with threads for receiving a fastener that removably secures the cap to the channel of the drain tube.

10. The vacuum cleaner of claim 9, wherein the fastener comprises one of a truss screw, a snap or other structure capable of securing the cap to the channel of the drain tube.

11. A drain system for a wet/dry vacuum, the wet/dry vacuum having a base and an opening disposed near the base, the drain system comprising:

a drain tube having an outlet and a longitudinal axis; and

a cap mounted to the drain tube and removably secured to prevent material from exiting the drain system;

wherein, upon removal of the cap, the drain tube slides out of the opening in a first direction, and the outlet permits material to leave the drain tube in a direction other than a first direction, and wherein the direction other than a first direction includes a generally downward direction.

12. The drain system of claim 11, the drain tube further comprising a cylindrical body, a first end having a spherical radius, a second end, an exterior surface extending along the length of the tube between the first and second ends, a main diameter portion disposed near the second end of the pair of ends, and a reduced diameter portion disposed near the first end, wherein the outlet is disposed between the main diameter portion and the reduced diameter portion.

13. The drain system of claim 11, the drain system further comprises a drain fitting disposed within the opening and secured to the tank, the drain fitting having a drive rib.

14. The drain system of claim 13, wherein the exterior surface of the drain tube includes at least one groove extending along the length of the exterior surface, wherein each groove is adapted to receive the drive rib to prevent rotation of the drain tube.

15. The drain system of claim 11, the cap further comprising an exterior surface having a grip extending therefrom, a cylindrical side wall having a recess, and a cap insert disposed within the recess.

16. The drain system of claim 15, wherein the cap insert includes a top portion having a top surface and a bottom surface, a tab extending from the top surface and a channel extending from the bottom surface, the channel having an interior portion with threads for receiving a fastener that removably secures the cap to the drain tube.

17. A method of draining a tank of a wet/dry vacuum comprising:

mounting a cap to a drain tube having an outlet;

inserting the drain tube into an opening disposed near a base of a wet/dry vacuum tank;

removably securing the cap to prevent material from exiting the drain tube;

removing the cap, to allow the drain tube to slide out of the opening in a first direction;

permitting material to leave the drain tube via the outlet in a direction other than the first direction; and

preventing rotational movement of the drain tube when the drain tube slides out of the opening in the first direction, wherein preventing rotational movement of the drain tube comprises inserting a drive rib into a groove disposed on the drain tube, allowing the drain tube to slide out of the opening without rotation.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein removably securing the cap comprises engaging a threaded portion of a cylindrical sidewall of the cap to a threaded portion of a drain fitting disposed in the opening of the tank.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein permitting material to leave the tank in a direction other than the first direction comprises forming an angled step between a main diameter portion and a reduced diameter portion of the drain tube, and guiding material via the angled step to the outlet of the drain tube.

20. A drain system for a wet/dry vacuum, the wet/dry vacuum having a base and an opening disposed near the base, the drain system comprising:

a drain tube having an outlet;

a cap mounted to the drain tube and removably secured to prevent material from exiting the drain system; and

a drain fitting disposed within the opening and secured to the tank, the drain fitting having a drive rib,

wherein, upon removal of the cap, the drain tube slides out of the opening in a first direction, and the outlet permits material to leave the drain tube in a direction other than a first direction.