Vacuum cleaner and filter for a vacuum cleaner

• US 10,470,625 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2017
• Issued: 11/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TTi (Macao Commercial Offshore) Limited (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: TTi (Macao Commercial Offshore) Limited (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Inventors: Burgess, Roderick, Warren, Robert Patrick, Lehman, Joseph M., Fee, Garry, Bloom, Michael, Kozlowski, Jr., William Jacob, Marcus, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Dung Van
• Application Number:
  US15/488,027
• Publication Number:
  US 20170296014A1
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4075 Handles; levers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/24 Hand-supported suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/12 Dry filters
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/14 Bags or the like; Rigid filtering receptacles; Attachment of, or closures for, bags or receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1454 Self-sealing closures, e.g. valves
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1481 Means for removing bags in suction cleaners, e.g. ejecting means; Means for exchanging bags
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1683 Dust collecting chambers; Dust collecting receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/19 Means for monitoring filtering operation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/281 the amount or condition of incoming dirt or dust
• 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 9/2884 Details of arrangements of batteries or their installation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/322 for hand-supported suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2275/203 Shapes flexible in their geometry, e.g. bendable, adjustable to a certain size
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2279/55 for cleaning appliances, e.g. suction cleaners suction cleaners comprising filters A47L9/10
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/0001 Making filtering elements
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/0005 Mounting of filtering elements within casings, housings or frames B01D46/2422 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/0089 Anti-return means
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/02 Particle separators, e.g. dust precipitators, having hollow filters made of flexible material
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/42 Auxiliary equipment or operation thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/4227 : Manipulating filters or filter elements, e.g. handles or extracting tools
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/4254 : Allowing or improving visual supervision, e.g. lamps, transparent parts, windows
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/4272 : Special valve constructions adapted to filters or filter elements
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/521 : using folded, pleated material

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner including a suction inlet, a conduit in fluid communication with the suction inlet, a filter having a valve releasably connected to a filter inlet, the filter configured to collect debris drawn through the suction inlet. The vacuum cleaner further comprising a release mechanism moveable from a first position to a second position. In the first position, the filter is in fluid communication with the conduit to collect debris with the valve being open, and in the second position, the filter is disconnected from the conduit with the valve being closed. Movement of the release mechanism between the first and second positions closes the valve.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a suction inlet;

a conduit in fluid communication with the suction inlet;

a filter having a valve releasably connected to a filter inlet, the filter configured to collect debris drawn through the suction inlet; and

a release mechanism moveable from a first position to a second position, wherein in the first position, the filter is in fluid communication with the conduit to collect debris with the valve being open, and in the second position, the filter is disconnected from the conduit with the valve being closed,

wherein the valve is coupled to the conduit for movement with the conduit to move the valve to the open and closed positions, and

wherein movement of the release mechanism from the first position to the second position closes the valve and ejects the filter from the vacuum cleaner.

2. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein a user can eject the filter without touching the filter.

3. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the conduit extends into the filter when the release mechanism is in the first position.

4. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the release mechanism is operable such that a user can dispose of the filter without touching the filter.

5. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the valve includes an engagement member to engage at least one of the upper housing and the inlet, and a receiver that couples the valve to the conduit.

6. The vacuum cleaner of claim 5, wherein the engagement member is provided on the outer periphery to engage the inlet, and the receiver is a pocket that receives and couples to the conduit.

7. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, further comprising a seal between the valve and the inlet.

8. The vacuum cleaner of claim 7, where the seal is an o-ring.

9. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a suction inlet;

a conduit in fluid communication with the suction inlet;

a filter having a valve releasably connected to a filter inlet, the filter configured to collect debris drawn through the suction inlet; and

a release mechanism moveable from a first position to a second position, wherein in the first position, the filter is in fluid communication with the conduit to collect debris with the valve being open, and in the second position, the filter is disconnected from the conduit with the valve being closed,

wherein the valve is coupled to the conduit for movement with the conduit to move the valve to the open and closed positions, and

wherein movement of the release mechanism between the first and second positions closes the valve,

wherein the filter includes

an upper housing configured to be supported by the vacuum cleaner;

a lower housing coupled to the upper housing;

a filter media coupled to the upper housing, the filter media and the upper housing at least partially define a chamber configured to collect debris; and

wherein the valve is coupled to the upper housing and movable between the open position where debris is permitted to enter the chamber and the closed position where debris is inhibited from entering and exiting the chamber.

10. The vacuum cleaner of claim 9, wherein the lower housing is a film.

11. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a suction inlet;

a conduit in fluid communication with the suction inlet;

a filter having a valve releasably connected to a filter inlet, the filter configured to collect debris drawn through the suction inlet; and

a release mechanism moveable from a first position to a second position, wherein in the first position, the filter is in fluid communication with the conduit to collect debris with the valve being open, and in the second position, the filter is disconnected from the conduit with the valve being closed,

wherein the valve is coupled to the conduit for movement with the conduit to move the valve to the open and closed positions, and

wherein movement of the release mechanism between the first and second positions closes the valve,

wherein the filter includes

an upper housing configured to be supported by the vacuum cleaner; and

a filter media coupled to the upper housing, the filter media and the upper housing at least partially define a chamber configured to collect debris, and the filter media is moveable between a collapsed position and an expanded position,

wherein at least a portion of the filter media is encased by the upper housing when the filter media is in the collapsed position, and the filter media extends away from the upper housing when the filter media is in the expanded position.

12. The vacuum cleaner of claim 11 further comprising a lower housing, wherein the filter media is encased by the upper housing and the lower housing when the filter media is in the collapsed position.

13. The vacuum cleaner of claim 12, wherein the lower housing is movable relative to the upper housing.

14. The vacuum cleaner of claim 12, wherein the lower housing is a film.

15. The vacuum cleaner of claim 11, wherein the filter media includes a nonwoven, HEPA filter material.

16. The vacuum cleaner of claim 11, wherein the valve is coupled to the upper housing and movable between the open position where debris is permitted to enter the filter and the closed position where debris is inhibited from entering and exiting the filter.

17. The vacuum cleaner of claim 16, wherein the upper housing includes an inlet, and wherein the valve is received within the inlet when the valve is in the closed position.

18. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a suction inlet;

a conduit in fluid communication with the suction inlet;

a filter having a valve releasably connected to a filter inlet, the filter configured to collect debris drawn through the suction inlet; and

a release mechanism moveable from a first position to a second position, wherein in the first position, the filter is in fluid communication with the conduit to collect debris with the valve being open, and in the second position, the filter is disconnected from the conduit with the valve being closed,

wherein the valve is coupled to the conduit for movement with the conduit to move the valve to the open and closed positions, and

wherein movement of the release mechanism between the first and second positions closes the valve,

wherein the filter includes

an upper housing configured to be supported by the vacuum cleaner; and

a filter media coupled to the upper housing, the filter media and the upper housing at least partially define a chamber configured to collect debris, and the filter media is moveable between a collapsed position and an expanded position,

wherein at least a portion of the filter media is encased by the upper housing when the filter media is in the collapsed position.

19. The vacuum cleaner of claim 18, further comprising a lower housing, wherein the filter media is encased by the upper housing and lower housing when the filter media is in the collapsed position.

20. The vacuum cleaner of claim 18, wherein an end of the filter media extends away from the upper housing a desired length forming an overlapping filter media section.