SELF-CLEANING FILTER ARRANGEMENT WITH ACTIVATION SIGNAL FOR FLOOR CARE APPARATUS

• US 20080201898A1
• Filed: 02/23/2007
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation Of North America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation Of North America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Dever, Kerry L., Charbonneau, Gary P.
• Application Number:
  US11/678,339
• Publication Number:
  US 20080201898A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/347
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/20 Means for cleaning filters
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2821 Pressure, vacuum level or airflow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays

Abstract

A floor care apparatus has a filter with an intake and out take. A first pressure sensor is arranged on the intake while a second pressure sensor is arranged on the out take. A controller connects to the sensors to receive signals indicative of relative pressure. Whenever a predetermined pressure differential between the signals is achieved, an undesirable load on the filter is deemed occurred and initiation of a self-cleaning of the filter begins. In this manner, filter cleaning only occurs on an as-needed basis and user intervention is avoided, thereby adding convenience. The controller is also able to ascertain a clogged airway condition. Various features contemplate pressure sensor signals arranged to scale suction as positive pressures, meeting the predetermined pressure differential at other than a maximum pressure differential between the first and second pressure sensors, and scaling the predetermined pressure differential relative to the maximum pressure differential.

Claims

1. A floor care apparatus, comprising:

a filter with an intake and out take; and

a first pressure sensor arranged on the intake and a second pressure sensor arranged on the out take, wherein a predetermined pressure differential between the first and second pressure sensors indicates an undesirable load on the filter and causes activation of a signal to initiate a self-cleaning of the filter.

2. The floor care apparatus of claim 1, wherein a controller responds to the predetermined pressure differential between the first and second sensors and causes the activation of the signal.

3. The floor care apparatus of claim 2, wherein the controller distinguishes between the signal to initiate the self-cleaning of the filter and a clogged airway.

4. The floor care apparatus of claim 1, further including a visual display identifying the self-cleaning of the filter.

5. The floor care apparatus of claim 3, further including a visual display identifying the clogged airway.

6. The floor care apparatus of claim 3, wherein the controller distinguishes between the signal to initiate the self-cleaning of the filter and the clogged airway by comparison to a predetermined threshold.

7. The floor care apparatus of claim 1, wherein the filter is disposed in a dirt cup.

8. The floor care apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second pressure sensors are both arranged to scale suction of the floor care apparatus as positive pressures.

9. The floor care apparatus of claim 1, wherein the predetermined pressure differential is a pressure differential other than a maximum pressure differential between the first and second pressure sensors.

10. The floor care apparatus of claim 9, wherein the pressure differential other than the maximum pressure differential is in a range from about one-half to about three-quarters percent of the maximum pressure differential.

11. The floor care apparatus of claim 1, wherein the filter is not a dust bag.

12. A floor care apparatus, comprising:

a filter with an intake and out take;

a first pressure sensor arranged on the intake and a second pressure sensor arranged on the out take, both the sensors providing a signal indicative of pressure; and

a controller in receipt of the signals from the sensors, wherein a predetermined pressure differential between the signals indicates an undesirable load on the filter and causes activation of another signal to initiate a self-cleaning of the filter, the controller able to distinguish between the signals from the sensors to either initiate the self-cleaning of the filter or to indicate a clogged airway condition.

13. The floor care apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first and second pressure sensors are both arranged to scale suction of the floor care apparatus as positive pressures in a range between 0 and about 3 psi.

14. The floor care apparatus of claim 12, wherein the predetermined pressure differential is a pressure differential other than a maximum pressure differential between the first and second pressure sensors.

15. The floor care apparatus of claim 14, wherein the pressure differential other than the maximum pressure differential is in a range from about one-half to about three-quarters percent of the maximum pressure differential.

16. The floor care apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a visual indicator to indicate a self clean, replace filter, or clogged airway condition.

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

providing a filter with an intake and an out take;

arranging a first pressure sensor on the intake and a second pressure sensor on the out take;

determining a pressure differential between the first and second pressure sensors; and

initiating a self-cleaning of the filter based on the determining.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the initiating the self-cleaning occurs when the pressure differential reaches a predetermined value.

19. The method of claim 18, further including connecting a controller to the first and second pressure sensors for ascertaining whether the pressure differential reaches the predetermined value.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the determining further includes calculating a maximum pressure differential.

21. The method of claim 17, further including ascertaining a clogged airway condition.

22. The method of claim 17, further including providing a visual indicator to indicate a self clean, replace filter, or clogged airway condition.