Corded handheld vacuum cleaner

• US 5,551,122 A
• Filed: 03/20/1995
• Issued: 09/03/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Electrolux PLC (AB Electrolux)
• Original Assignee: Electrolux Canada Corporation (AB Electrolux)
• Inventors: Mancl, Dennis J., Burkhardt, Robert W., Owens, Ricky A., Walch, John W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Scherbel, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Till, Terrence R.
• Application Number:
  US08/407,117
• Time in Patent Office: 533 Days
• Field of Search: 15/344, 15/351, 15/389, 15/412, 15/413, 248/561, 248/562, 248/638, 267/141, 267/153
• US Class Current: 15/344
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/24 Hand-supported suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/22 Mountings for motor fan assemblies

Abstract

A handheld vacuum cleaner is provided that has a motor mounted with the rotational axis of its shaft parallel to the rotational axis of the rotating brush. The vacuum cleaner motor has an end bell, which is attached to the motor stator, and which holds a motor shaft bearing. The end bell is secured to the vacuum housing with an elastomeric mounting ring to dampen motor vibrations. The need for most motor mounting hardware is eliminated, because the housing supports the motor stator directly. The intake orifice of the vacuum is shaped to lie in two distinct planes, so that flat cleaning surfaces do not obstruct the orifice. The shape of the intake also allows one to clean immediately adjacent to a vertical wall.

Claims

1. A handheld vacuum cleaner for removing dirt from a cleaning surface, the handheld vacuum cleaner comprising:

a housing having portions that define an intake orifice, and at least one motor mounting rib;

a motor having a rotating motor shaft that rotates about a rotational axis, and an end bell, the end bell having a cylindrical surface;

an elastomeric member that fits between the motor mounting rib and the end bell for securing the motor within the housing, wherein the elastomeric member has a plurality of raised elastomeric ribs that extend substantially parallel to the rotational axis of the motor shaft, the raised elastomeric ribs being compressed between the motor mounting rib and the end bell so that the motor is secured in the housing;

a suction fan chamber in the housing coupled to the intake orifice;

an exhaust chamber in the housing coupled to the suction fan chamber;

a suction fan rotatably positioned in the suction fan chamber, the suction fan being coupled to the motor shaft so that the suction fan is rotated by the motor during operation of said vacuum cleaner, the suction fan drawing air through the intake orifice into the suction fan chamber and passing said air into the exhaust chamber; and

dirt collection means connected to the exhaust chamber for receiving said air from the exhaust chamber and for collecting any dirt present in said air.

2. The handheld vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a plurality of the motor mounting ribs, each of which lies in a plane substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis of the motor shaft.

3. The handheld vacuum cleaner of claim 2, wherein:

the elastomeric member is a ring that fits over the cylindrical surface of the end bell; and

the motor mounting ribs are semicircles that are joined to form substantially circular ribs that radially compress the elastomeric ring.

4. The handheld vacuum cleaner of claim 1, further comprising:

a bearing for supporting the motor shaft, the bearing having a slot; and

a ridge formed as an integral part of the housing, the ridge mating with the slot to prevent rotation of the bearing with respect to the housing.

5. The handheld vacuum cleaner of claim 4 wherein the housing includes an integrally formed indentation adjacent to the bearing and the handheld vacuum cleaner further comprises an elastomeric ball disposed in the indentation adjacent to the bearing, the elastomeric ball being compressed between the indentation and the bearing so that the bearing is held in place.

6. A handheld vacuum cleaner for removing dirt from a cleaning surface, the handheld vacuum cleaner comprising:

a housing having an intake orifice;

a motor mounted in the housing, the motor having a rotating motor shaft with two extreme ends;

a bearing for supporting one of said extreme ends of the rotating motor shaft to substantially prevent wobbling of said one of said extreme ends;

a suction fan chamber coupled to the intake orifice;

an exhaust chamber coupled to the suction fan chamber;

a suction fan rotatably positioned in the suction fan chamber at a position between the bearing and the motor, the suction fan being coupled to the motor shaft so that the suction fan is rotated by the motor during operation of said vacuum cleaner, the suction fan drawing air through the intake orifice into the suction fan chamber and passing said air from said suction fan chamber into the exhaust chamber, said bearing located exteriorly of said suction fan chamber and said exhaust chamber; and

dirt collection means connected to the exhaust chamber for receiving said air from the exhaust chamber and for collecting any dirt present in said air.

7. A handheld vacuum cleaner for removing dirt from a cleaning surface, the handheld vacuum cleaner comprising:

a housing having a suction intake orifice, cooling air intake slots, and cooling air outlet slots;

a motor mounted to the housing, the motor having a rotating motor shaft, the motor shaft having two ends;

a suction fan chamber coupled to the suction intake orifice;

an exhaust chamber coupled to the suction fan chamber;

a suction fan rotatably positioned in the suction fan chamber, the suction fan being coupled to the motor shaft so that the suction fan is rotated by the motor during operation of said vacuum cleaner, the suction fan drawing air through the suction intake orifice into the suction fan chamber and passing said air into the exhaust chamber;

dirt collection means connected to the exhaust chamber for receiving said air from the exhaust chamber and for collecting any dirt present in said air;

a cooling fan coupled to one end of the motor shaft for drawing cooling air through the cooling air intake slots, supplying the cooling air to the motor, and exhausting the cooling air through the cooling air outlet slots; and

a bearing for supporting the rotating motor shaft, the bearing being located between the cooling fan and the motor.

8. A handheld vacuum cleaner for removing dirt from a cleaning surface, the handheld vacuum cleaner comprising:

a two-part clamshell housing including an upper housing and a lower housing, wherein the housing defines a suction intake orifice when the upper and lower housings are joined;

a motor mounted within the housing, the motor having a stator and a rotating motor shaft that rotates about a rotational axis;

a suction fan chamber coupled to the suction intake orifice;

an exhaust chamber coupled to the suction fan chamber;

a suction fan rotatably positioned in the suction fan chamber, the suction fan being coupled to the motor shaft so that the suction fan is rotated by the motor during operation of said motor, the suction fan drawing air through the suction intake orifice into the suction fan chamber and passing said air into the exhaust chamber; and

dirt collection means connected to the exhaust chamber for receiving said air from the exhaust chamber and for collecting any dirt present in said air, wherein;

the housing includes portions defining radially supporting stator support ribs that support the stator in the housing when the upper and lower housings are joined; and

the housing includes portions defining axially supporting stator support ribs that are disposed adjacent to each end of the stator to prevent the stator from moving in a direction parallel to the rotational axis of the motor.

9. The handheld vacuum cleaner of claim 8, further comprising a bearing for supporting the rotating motor shaft, wherein the housing further has semicircular portions for engaging and supporting the bearing.

10. A handheld vacuum cleaner for removing dirt from a cleaning surface, the handheld vacuum cleaner comprising:

a housing having portions that define a suction intake orifice, cooling air intake slots, and cooling air outlet slots;

a motor having a rotating motor shaft that rotates about a rotational axis and an end bell;

a suction fan chamber coupled to the suction intake orifice;

an exhaust chamber coupled to the suction fan chamber;

a suction fan rotatably positioned in the suction fan chamber, the suction fan being coupled to the motor shaft so that the suction fan is rotated by the motor during operation of said vacuum cleaner, the suction fan drawing air through the suction intake orifice into the suction fan chamber and passing said air into the exhaust chamber;

dirt collection means connected to the exhaust chamber for receiving air from the exhaust chamber and for collecting any dirt present in said air;

motor mounting ribs integrally formed in the housing for securing the end bell of the motor within the housing, wherein the motor mounting ribs define a gap; and

a cooling fan mounted to one end of the motor shaft for drawing cooling air through the cooling air intake slots, supplying the cooling air to the motor, and exhausting the cooling air through the cooling air outlet slots, the cooling air outlet slots being axially adjacent the cooling fan, such that the cooling air is passed through the gap defined by the motor mounting ribs.