Vacuum cleaner

• US 5,023,973 A
• Filed: 12/18/1989
• Issued: 06/18/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakanishi, Yuki, Tsuchida, Yasuyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): MOORE, CHRISTOPHER K
• Application Number:
  US07/452,594
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• Field of Search: 15/319, 15/339, 15/412
• US Class Current: 15/319
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2821 Pressure, vacuum level or airflow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2842 Suction motors or blowers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2847 Surface treating elements
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2894 Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner includes a cleaner body provided with an air inlet and an air outlet, a dust chamber provided in the cleaner body and communicating with the air inlet, a housing provided in the cleaner body, communicating with the dust chamber and the air outlet and accommodating an electric air blower, a suction force level selector for the electric air blower, a pressure sensor provided on the suction side of the electric air blower, a comparator for comparing an output of a detected pressure from the pressure sensor with a reference value, a varying device for varying the reference value in proportion to the selected suction force level, and an indicator for indicating an accumulated state of dust in the dust chamber based upon the comparison result from the comparator.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a cleaner body provided with an air inlet and an air outlet;

a dust chamber provided in said cleaner body and communicating with said air inlet;

a housing provided in said cleaner body, communicating with said dust chamber and said air outlet and accommodating an electric air blower;

means for selecting inlet suction force levels produced by said electric air blower;

a pressure sensor in communication with the suction side of said electric air blower;

means for comparing an output of a detected pressure from said sensor with a reference value;

means for varying said reference value in proportion to the suction force level selected by said selecting means; and

means for indicating an accumulated state of dust in said dust chamber based upon the comparison result from said comparing means.

2. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein said reference value is settable to at least two different values, and said indication means indicates one of a plurality of levels of accumulated dust in said dust chamber.

3. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein said reference value is settable to at least four different values, and said indicating means gives an indication of one of at least five levels.

4. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein said indicating means includes a light emitting diode.

5. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising means for indicating the inlet suction force level selected by said selecting means.

6. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein said comparing means compares a sample value of said output with said reference value, the sample value being the maximum output obtained by sampling outputs from said pressure sensor a plurality of times within a predetermined period of time.

7. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein functioning of said comparing means is initiated after the level of suction force selected by said selection means is stabilized.