Optical indication and operation monitoring unit for vacuum cleaners
First Claim
1. An optical indication and function monitoring unit for a vacuum cleaner of the type having a suction duct through which dust particles pass to a dust bag, comprising a housing adapted to be connected with the suction duct, optical dust detection means in said housing positioned to be traversed by the dust particles, a plurality of different indication lamps in said housing, amplifier means connecting said plurality of lamps to the output end of said dust detection means, a vacuum switch in said housing responsive to the value of the vacuum in the suction duct for connecting said unit to a source of power, said vacuum switch including adjustment means for adjusting said switch to disconnect the source of power from said unit when the suction falls to a preselected value corresponding to a predetermined level of dust in the dust bag, at least one of said plurality of indication lamps being connected in circuit with said switch to be illuminated thereby when said switch is operated to connect said unit to the power source.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In connection with an optical indication and function monitoring unit for vacuum cleaners comprising optical dust detection means in the form of a luminous diode and a phototransistor provided adjacent the suction duct, and optical indication means for the user, it is proposed to provide, in addition to first delay means for the dust detection means, second delay means having a longer time constant and designed in such a manner that a third flashing luminous diode, which also lights up when the supply battery is nearly run down, is triggered when the dust indication does not operate for an extended period. Further, the pressure switch connecting the unit with the supply battery and responding to a vacuum condition generated by the associated vacuum cleaner is adjusted in such a manner that the whole unit is repeatedly connected to the supply battery when a sufficiently high dust level is reached in the dust bag of the vacuum cleaner so that at least one of the luminous diodes provided for the indication seems to flash.
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11 Claims
- 1. An optical indication and function monitoring unit for a vacuum cleaner of the type having a suction duct through which dust particles pass to a dust bag, comprising a housing adapted to be connected with the suction duct, optical dust detection means in said housing positioned to be traversed by the dust particles, a plurality of different indication lamps in said housing, amplifier means connecting said plurality of lamps to the output end of said dust detection means, a vacuum switch in said housing responsive to the value of the vacuum in the suction duct for connecting said unit to a source of power, said vacuum switch including adjustment means for adjusting said switch to disconnect the source of power from said unit when the suction falls to a preselected value corresponding to a predetermined level of dust in the dust bag, at least one of said plurality of indication lamps being connected in circuit with said switch to be illuminated thereby when said switch is operated to connect said unit to the power source.
Specification