Vacuum with rechargeable battery

• US 20050155177A1
• Filed: 12/08/2004
• Published: 07/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shop-Vac Corporation (Hangzhou Great Star Industrial Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Shop-Vac Corporation (Hangzhou Great Star Industrial Company Limited)
• Inventors: Liu, Li H., Miller, Jonathan, Baer, Mark E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,015,661 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/353
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/365 of the vertical type, e.g. tank or bucket type
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2873 Docking units or charging stations for autonomous or robotic vacuum cleaners A47L2201/02
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2878 Dual-powered vacuum cleaners, i.e. devices which can be operated with mains power supply or by batteries
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2884 Details of arrangements of batteries or their installation

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner includes a tank having a bottom and an inlet for receiving debris, a motor assembly disposed adjacent to the tank, the motor assembly adapted to draw debris into the tank through the inlet, a battery pack disposed adjacent the bottom of the tank, and a connection from the battery pack to the motor assembly that is adapted to carry current between the battery pack and the motor assembly. The battery pack includes at least one battery and supplies power to the motor assembly.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a tank having a bottom and an inlet for receiving debris;

a motor assembly disposed adjacent to the tank, the motor assembly adapted to draw debris into the tank through the inlet;

a battery pack disposed adjacent the bottom of the tank; and

a connection from the battery pack to the motor assembly adapted to carry current between the battery pack and the motor assembly;

wherein the battery pack includes at least one battery and supplies power to the motor assembly.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one battery of the battery pack is rechargeable.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tank defines a bottom inner surface adapted to support the debris, wherein the battery pack is detachably disposed under the bottom inner surface.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the connection from the battery pack to the motor assembly includes a cord at least in part connecting the battery pack to the motor assembly.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the battery pack is detachably disposed adjacent to the tank.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a battery charger adapted to receive and recharge the battery.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a base disposed under the tank and supporting the tank, the battery being detachably disposed in the base.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, the base further comprising a dolly and a tray, the battery slidably received in the tray beneath the dolly.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a conductor assembly mounted in the base and a cable extending from the conductor assembly to an outlet receptacle in the base and terminating in an outlet, the outlet being mounted in the outlet receptacle.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a second cord with a first end extending from the motor assembly and terminating in a plug at a second end, the plug being releasably disposable in the outlet.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the motor assembly is releasable from the tank, and the battery pack is releasably disposed adjacent the tank, wherein the motor assembly and battery pack are separately usable as a portable blower.

17. The battery pack of claim 11, wherein the housing has a back face on the back side, the battery pack further including a connector extending away from the back face, the connector being adapted to mount the housing to a conductor such that current can be transferred from the battery to the conductor.

18. The battery pack of claim 17, wherein the connector includes top and bottom walls and a first side wall and a second side wall, wherein the first side wall is straight and the second side wall is curved.

19. The battery pack of claim 17, wherein the back face includes at least one pair of slots, the housing further including at least one prong terminal extending through the slots.

29. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein:

the motor assembly is releasably attached to the tank;

the battery is releasably attached to the tank; and

the motor assembly and battery form a portable blower assembly when detached from the tank.

31. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein:

the direct current powered motor assembly and battery form a portable blower assembly when detached from the tank.

12. A battery pack usable with a vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a housing with a front side, a back side, a top side, a bottom side, and left and right sides, and including a body, a handle and a finger space extending through the housing between the handle and the body;

the body having a top face on the top side and a bottom face on the bottom side and having at least one battery therein, and

the handle having a top face on the top side and a bottom face on the bottom side,

wherein the top face of the handle is in stepped relation to the top face of the body and the bottom face of the handle is in stepped relation to the bottom face of the body.

13. The battery pack of claim 12, the housing including at least one channel to aid entry into a tray.

14. The battery pack of claim 12, wherein the top face includes a series of depressions to increase surface area.

15. The battery pack of claim 14, wherein the depressions include slots to allow air transfer.

16. The battery pack of claim 15, wherein the slots are on the sides of the depressions.

20. The battery pack of claim 12, wherein at least one battery is a rechargeable battery.

21. A vacuum cleaner adapted to be powered by a battery pack, comprising:

a tank with an inlet opening;

a motor disposed in fluid communication with the tank, the motor being adapted to draw air into the tank through the inlet opening;

a tray maintained adjacent the bottom of the tank and defining a longitudinal axis;

a conductor assembly maintained adjacent the tray; and

a cord at least in part electrically connecting the conductor assembly to the motor;

wherein the tray is adapted to slidably receive a battery along its longitudinal axis such that the battery is in electrical communication with the conductor assembly and supplies electrical power to the motor through the cord.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, the tray including at least one rail extending along the longitudinal axis.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, the conductor including an insulating bar and a first and a second prong extending from the insulating bar.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, the cord extending from the insulating bar on a first end and terminating at an outlet on a second end.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising a second cord extending from the motor at a first end and terminating at a plug at the second end, the plug adapted to be received by the outlet.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, the tray including an outlet receiver adapted to secure the outlet.

27. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a tank having an inlet for receiving debris;

a motor assembly removably attached to the tank;

a battery disposed on the tank; and

a cord from the motor assembly to the battery pack and adapted to carry current from the battery to the motor assembly;

wherein the cord is detachable between the battery pack and motor assembly when the motor assembly is removed from the tank.

28. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a tank having an inlet for receiving debris, the tank defining a bottom inner surface configured to support the debris;

a motor assembly in fluid communication with the tank, and adapted to draw debris into the tank through the inlet; and

a battery attached to the tank under the bottom inner surface and in electrical communication with the motor assembly.

30. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a tank having an inlet for receiving debris and a motor mount adapted to releasably receive a motor assembly;

an alternating current powered motor assembly, adapted to be releasably disposable in the motor mount and to draw debris into the tank through the inlet;

a direct current powered motor assembly, adapted to be releasably disposable in the motor mount and to draw debris into the tank through the inlet; and

a battery attachable to the tank and in electrical communication with the direct current powered motor assembly.