Floor care apparatus having visual dirt indicator with flexible membrane circuit

• US 20070245510A1
• Filed: 04/21/2006
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation Of North America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation Of North America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Bowden, Jason, Charbonneau, Gary
• Granted Patent: US 7,373,689 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/319
• 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 9/30 Arrangement of illuminating devices

Abstract

A floor care apparatus has a housing with a wall having a contour. A flexible membrane circuit includes an adhesive side that attaches the circuit to the wall to generally follow the contour. A controller connects to the circuit and illuminates a visual indicator as a relative function of the cleanliness or dirtiness of a signal of a dirt sensor connected to the controller. A motor is also controlled by the controller as a relative function of the dirt sensor signal. Further, the flexible membrane circuit includes a side opposite the adhesive side to friction fit the visual indicator against the housing. Preferably, the visual indicator includes a plurality of colors, from light emitting diodes, wherein the side opposite the adhesive side of the circuit connects to the light emitting diodes.

Claims

1. A floor care apparatus, comprising:

a housing having a wall with a contour; and

a flexible membrane circuit, the circuit including a first and second side, the second side including an adhesive to attach the second side to the wall to generally follow the contour.

2. The floor care apparatus of claim 1, further including a visual indicator on the housing, the circuit providing electrical connections to the visual indicator.

3. The floor care apparatus of claim 1, further including a controller connected to the circuit.

4. The floor care apparatus of claim 3, further including a dirt sensor providing an input to the controller.

5. The floor care apparatus of claim 4, wherein the controller further includes a control for a motor as a relative function of the input of the dirt sensor.

6. The floor care apparatus of claim 4, further including a visual indicator, the controller controlling illumination of the visual indicator via the circuit as a relative function of the input of the dirt sensor.

7. The floor care apparatus of claim 6, wherein the visual indicator includes a plurality of light emitting diodes having various colors to indicate a relative dirtiness or cleanliness of an airstream related to the input of the dirt sensor.

8. A floor care apparatus, comprising:

a housing;

a controller in the housing;

a dirt sensor providing an input to the controller;

a visual indicator on the housing, the controller controlling illumination of the visual indicator as a relative function of the input of the dirt sensor; and

a flexible membrane circuit electrically connecting the visual indicator and the controller.

9. The floor care apparatus of claim 8, wherein the housing further includes a wall having a contour.

10. The floor care apparatus of claim 9, the circuit including a first and second side, the second side including an adhesive to attach the second side to the wall to generally follow the contour.

11. The floor care apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller further includes a control for a motor as a relative function of the input of the dirt sensor.

12. A floor care apparatus, comprising:

a housing with a wall having a contour;

a controller in the housing;

a dirt sensor providing an input to the controller;

a motor controlled by the controller as a relative function of the input of the dirt sensor;

a visual indicator on the housing, the controller controlling illumination of the visual indicator as a relative function of the input of the dirt sensor; and

a flexible membrane circuit electrically connecting the visual indicator and the controller, the circuit including a first and second side, the second side including an adhesive to attach the second side to the wall to generally follow the contour.

13. The floor care apparatus of claim 12, wherein the visual indicator includes a plurality of colors to indicate a relative dirtiness or cleanliness of an airstream related to the input of the dirt sensor.

14. The floor care apparatus of claim 12, wherein the visual indicator includes a plurality of light emitting diodes.

15. The floor care apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first side of the circuit connects to the plurality of light emitting diodes.

16. The floor care apparatus of claim 12, wherein the circuit friction fits a portion of the visual indicator to the housing.

17. A method of making a floor care apparatus, comprising:

providing a housing with a wall having a contour; and

attaching a flexible membrane circuit to the housing by adhering a side of the circuit to the wall to follow the contour.

18. The method of claim 17, further including connecting the circuit to a controller and a visual indicator.

19. The method of claim 18, further including connecting the controller to a dirt sensor in the housing so during use the controller can control illumination of the visual indicator via the circuit as a function of the dirtiness or cleanliness of an airstream related to a signal of the dirt sensor.

20. The method of claim 19, further including connecting the controller to a motor so during use the controller can control motor speed as a function of the signal of the dirt sensor.