Vacuum cleaner with improved auxiliary cleaning
First Claim
1. A vacuum cleaner adapted for use with auxiliary cleaning attachments, said vacuum cleaner comprising:
- a chassis having a main suction intake port area;
suction motor means supported on said chassis;
first and second and means, commonly driven by said suction motor means, for establishing respective suction air flows within said chassis;
first and second suction channel means, defined within said chassis, for respectively guiding said suction air flows between said respective fan means and said main suction intake port area so that dust and dirt adjacent said main suction intake port area may be suctioned into said chassis directed towards said fan means along the respective suction channel means;
auxiliary cleaning means for selectively alternatively directing suction air flow within said flow suction channel means to a desired alternate suction area outside said chassis for suctioning dust and dirt from adjacent such alternate suction area instead of from adjacent said main suction intake port area; and
air flow blocking means for causing interruption of suction air flow within said second suction channel means so as to remove from said second fan means the work load of moving air flow within said second suction channel means, which thereby relieves part of the commonly-driven load of said suction motor means resulting in relatively increased operational speed for said first fan means and correspondingly increased suction air flow in said first suction channel means and at said alternate suction area.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vacuum cleaner main cleaning chassis has a pair of suction air channels leading from a principal suction area thereof. Suction force is provided in common in the air channels with a single suction motor. One of the suction air channels is adapted to receive an auxiliary cleaning hose which diverts the suction force in such air channel into the auxiliary hose. During such auxiliary cleaning, increased suction force may be created in the auxiliary hose by closing off air flow in the other suction air channel, which relieves part of the load on the common suction motor. Such relief results in increased rotational speed of the motor, which in turn correspondingly increases the suction air flow in the air channel associated with the auxiliary hose. In an upright vacuum cleaner, such close-off is accomplished by pivoting the handle and dirt bag carried thereon into an upright position so that a relatively rigid portion of the bag engages against an extended exhaust port corresponding with the suction air channel in which air flow is to be interrupted. The exhaust port corresponding with the air channel in which the auxiliary hose is interposed is not similarly extended, so that auxiliary suction air flow continues unimpeded even when the control handle and bag carried thereon are pivoted into an upright position. The resulting boost in suction air force in the auxiliary hose provides for improved auxiliary cleaning performance.
31 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A vacuum cleaner adapted for use with auxiliary cleaning attachments, said vacuum cleaner comprising:
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a chassis having a main suction intake port area; suction motor means supported on said chassis; first and second and means, commonly driven by said suction motor means, for establishing respective suction air flows within said chassis; first and second suction channel means, defined within said chassis, for respectively guiding said suction air flows between said respective fan means and said main suction intake port area so that dust and dirt adjacent said main suction intake port area may be suctioned into said chassis directed towards said fan means along the respective suction channel means; auxiliary cleaning means for selectively alternatively directing suction air flow within said flow suction channel means to a desired alternate suction area outside said chassis for suctioning dust and dirt from adjacent such alternate suction area instead of from adjacent said main suction intake port area; and air flow blocking means for causing interruption of suction air flow within said second suction channel means so as to remove from said second fan means the work load of moving air flow within said second suction channel means, which thereby relieves part of the commonly-driven load of said suction motor means resulting in relatively increased operational speed for said first fan means and correspondingly increased suction air flow in said first suction channel means and at said alternate suction area. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An upright vacuum cleaner with improved auxiliary attachment cleaning, said vacuum cleaner comprising:
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a mobile chassis comprising a main cleaning head having a main dirt intake opening; a suction motor, carried on said chassis, and having a common output shaft means; a pair of fan elements, one each respectively attached to said common output shaft means, for being rotatably driven by said motor as a common load thereon; fan cover means respectively surrounding each of said pair of fan elements, and providing a suction intake port and a compression output port for each one of said pair; a pair of air channels defined by and within said chassis, one each respectively interconnecting each suction intake port with said chassis main dirt intake opening so as to form an air passage therebetween for suction force established by rotation of said fan elements, so that dirt situated exterior to said chassis and adjacent the main dirt intake opening thereof may be suctioned into said air channels by the suction force established therein with said fan elements; a pair of exhaust ports carried on said chassis and associated with the respective fan cover means output ports so as to conduct discharge therefrom to the exterior of said chassis; handle means, pivotably attached to said chassis, for guiding same; and bag means, supported on said handle means for movement therewith and interconnected with said chassis so as to receive discharge from said two exhaust ports; wherein one of said exhaust ports extends from said chassis an amount adequate so as to be sealed by contact with said bag means whenever same is pivoted with said handle means to a generally upright position, which sealing has the effect of precluding suction air flow in the corresponding fan cover means and air channel so as to in turn reduce the common load on said motor, whereby the rotational speed of said suction motor output shaft means is relatively increased, resulting in corresponding relatively increased suction force in the other air channel, said other air channel being adapted for selected alternative operative association with auxiliary attachment tools. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. An upright vacuum cleaner adapted for principal cleaning with a mobile cleaning head and alternative cleaning with auxiliary attachment tools removably associated with such cleaning head, said vacuum cleaner comprising:
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a wheel-supported mobile cleaning head having a main chassis, said chassis having a forwardly-located principal suction intake area, and a pair of suction air channels formed rearwardly from said intake area, situated along generally opposite sides of said chassis, and terminating adjacent the rear of said chassis on (such respective opposite sides, thereof; a suction motor situated adjacent said chassis rear and located generally between the air channel terminations, said motor having a central drive shaft axially aligned between such air channel terminations and extending outward from opposing axial sides of said motor; a pair of fan blade assemblies, one each of which is mounted on said motor drive shaft on a given axial side of said motor, for being rotated by said motor as a common load thereof in a plane generally perpendicular to the axis between said air channel terminations; a pair of covers, one each extending circumferentially about each fan blade assembly, and each having an exhaust opening situated on the rearward side of said chassis; a pair of generally cone-shaped members, one each interconnecting an axially outward side of each cover with a respective one of said air channel terminations, each said cone-shaped member defining a central opening therein for the passage of suction air flow through its respective air channel induced by the rotation of its respective fan blade assembly; a pair of exhaust ports supported on the rear of said chassis and interconnecting respectively with the exhaust openings of each fan blade assembly cover, one of said exhaust ports having a free end extending relatively further rearwardly from said chassis than the other, said extended exhaust port corresponding with a predetermined one of said air channels; a pivoting control handle attached adjacent the rear of said mobile cleaning head for guiding same; a dust bag supported generally along the length of said control handle for pivoting movement therewith relative said chassis, and having a lower end opening thereof which surrounds said pair of exhaust ports; a relatively rigid dirt tube supported internally within said dust bag and operatively interconnected with said exhaust ports so that same at least partially extend into a lower end opening of said dirt tube, said dirt tube having an upper end opening to permit dirt and air forced into the lower end opening thereof from said exhaust ports to be guided upwardly through and enclosed within the dirt tube so as to be deposited into the top of said dust bag; and an attachment port, associated with the air channel other than said predetermined one thereof, and adapted for selectively permitting attachment of an auxiliary hose to said cleaning head with a flange of such hose introduced into said other air channel for diverting suction air flow within said other ai channel into such hose instead of from said principal suction intake area, such hose being adapted for use with auxiliary cleaning implements manipulated independently of said mobile cleaning head; wherein, during auxiliary cleaning with an auxiliary hose attached to said cleaning head, said control handle may be pivoted upward an amount adequate such that said relatively extended exhaust port free end is closed against an internal rear wall of said rigid dirt tube so that suction air flow within said corresponding predetermined one air channel is prevented which in turn removes air flow load from the corresponding fan blade assembly, whereby the common load on said suction motor is relatively reduced so that the rotational speed of said drive shaft thereof is relatively increased for corresponding increased suction air flow in said other air channel for improved auxiliary cleaning. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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Specification