Vacuum cleaner condition indicator and safety device

• US 4,124,916 A
• Filed: 08/04/1977
• Issued: 11/14/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bissell Inc.
• Original Assignee: Singer PLC (Hayleys Plc)
• Inventors: Fromknecht, Charles T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Christopher K.
• Application Number:
  US05/821,878
• Time in Patent Office: 467 Days
• Field of Search: 15/339, 55/274, 55/DIG. 34, 116/114 AD
• US Class Current: 15/339
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/19 Means for monitoring filtering operation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 55/34 Indicator and controllers

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner detector that indicates when the hose is clogged and bleeds in cooling air to the vacuum chamber so as to prevent overheating of the motor blower. The indicator comprises an actuator valve and a relief valve. The actuator valve includes a pressure responsive member having filter bag compartment pressure applied to one side thereof and atmospheric pressure applied to the other side. When the absolute pressure within the filter bag chamber drops, the pressure responsive member is moved toward the low pressure side moving a plunger which opens a port when the pressure drops below that desired to allow filter bag chamber pressure to vent to the low pressure side of a pressure responsive member in the relief valve. The other side of the relief valve pressure responsive member is acted upon by atmospheric pressure which thereby forces the pressure responsive member away from a bleed hole to allow atmospheric pressure to flow into the filter bag chamber to insure that the motor blower has sufficient air flow for cooling, and simultaneously the pressure responsive member forces an indicator button out of the cleaner. Also disclosed is a vacuum cleaner filter bag condition indicator that detects when the bag is substantially full and should be replaced. The use of the two indicators together allows the determination of whether the filter bag is full or whether the hose is clogged.

Claims

1. In a vacuum cleaner having a housing including a suction compartment, an air permeable filter bag mounted in said compartment, means defining an air inlet in said housing communicating with said filter bag, means defining an outlet in said housing, an air-moving unit in flow communication with said compartment and said outlet for drawing dirt-laden air through said inlet and discharging filtered air through the outlet, the improvement comprising:

clog detection means for determining the existence of a predetermined excessively low pressure in said suctin compartment and for bleeding ambient air into said compartment to maintain a sufficient flow of air through said air-moving unit, said detection means comprising pressure responsive means for monitoring the pressure difference between the suction compartment and ambient air, said pressure responsive means including a chamber having a port, a valve normally closing said port and operable to open said port in response to said pressure difference when the pressure in said suction compartment is substantially equal to said predetermined pressure, means defining a bleed hole in said suction compartment, a relief valve normally closing said bleed hold, said relief valve having a pressure responsive member operable to open said hole in response to said pressure difference across said member when the pressure in said suction compartment is substantially equal to said predetermined pressure, means for communicating ambient air to one side of said member, and means for communicating said chamber with the other side of said member, whereby when the pressure in said compartment drops below said predetermined pressure said port is opened and allows said predetermined pressure to vent to said other side of said member to thereby effect opening of said bleed hole.

2. In a vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 1 including an indicator operably secured to said movable with said pressure responsive member, said indicator being supported in said housing and extending externally thereof.

3. In a vacuum having a housing including a suction copartment, an air permeable filter bag mounted in said compartment, means defining an air inlet in said housing communicating with said filter bag, means defining an outlet in said housing, an air-moving unit in flow communication with said compartment and said outlet for drawing dirt-laden air through said inlet and discharging filtered air through the outlet, the improvement comprising:

clog detection means for determining the existence of a predetermined excessively low pressure in said suction compartment and for bleeding ambient air into said compartment to maintain a sufficient flow of air through said air-moving unit, said detection means comprising an actuator and a relief valve, said actuator having a casing supported in the housing, pressure responsive means including a movable partition member mounted in and separating said actuator casing into first and second chamber, means communicating said suction compartment with the first chamber, means communicating ambient air to said second chamber, a third chamber associated with said actuator having a portal in communication with the suction compartment, closure means movable with said partition member for normally closing said portal and for opening said portal when the pressure in said suction compartment equals said predetermined pressure, said relief valve having a casing supported in the housing, pressure responsive means including a movable partition member mounted in and separating said valve casing into first and second chambers, means communicating said third chamber of said actuator with the first chamber of said relief valve, means communicating ambient air to the second chamber of said relief valve, the casing of said second chamber of said relief valve having a wall including a bleed hole communicating said second chamber with said suction compartment and normally closed by said partition member, said partition member being movable to open said bleed hole when the pressure in said first chamber of the relief valve equals said predetermined pressure, and means for normally balancing the pressure across said relief valve partition member, whereby upon detection of said low pressure said closure means opens said portal to vent said first chamber of said relief valve of said suction compartment thereby to open said bleed hole to allow ambient air to enter said suction chamber.

4. In a vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 3 wherein said partition member of said relief valve includes an indicator member extending from said casing and movable with said partition member so as to further extend from said casing up actuation of said partition member.

5. In a vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 3 wherein said suction compartment includes an access opening, and a cover for closing said access opening, said actuator and said relief valve casings each comprising a pocket formed in said cover, a roof positioned on said cover, said roof having an annular rib adapted to cooperate with each respective pocket.

6. In a vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 5 wherein said cover includes a plurality of spaced radial ribs about each pocket, each of said partition members being disposed upon respective radial ribs and secured thereon by a respective annular rib, means defining an air conduit between said cover and said roof communicating with ambient air, said radial ribs being in said air path.