Vacuum cleaner

• US 6,345,411 B1
• Filed: 07/06/1999
• Issued: 02/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ito, Koichi, Hayakawa, Hiroshi, Kato, Tomonori, Odachi, Toru, Nishikori, Tamaki, Ohara, Naoyuki, Hayashi, Seizo
• Primary Examiner(s): Till, Terrence R.
• Application Number:
  US09/347,412
• Time in Patent Office: 952 Days
• Field of Search: 153/273, 153/45, 153/46, 153/51, 153/77, 15D/IG.1, 153/52
• US Class Current: 15/412
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/14 cleaning by blowing-off, also combined with suction cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/225 Convertible suction cleaners, i.e. convertible between different types thereof, e.g. from upright suction cleaners to sledge-type suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/28 Suction cleaners with handles and nozzles fixed on the casings, e.g. wheeled suction cleaners with steering handle A47L5/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/30 with driven dust-loosening tools, e.g. rotating brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0072 Mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/08 with means adapted for blowing
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2842 Suction motors or blowers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2863 Control elements activated by pivoting movement of the upright vacuum cleaner handle
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2873 Docking units or charging stations for autonomous or robotic vacuum cleaners A47L2201/02
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2884 Details of arrangements of batteries or their installation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/325 for wheeled suction cleaners with steering handle
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0045 concerning the insertion or the connection of the batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 15/01 Rechargeable batter
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 15/10 Handles, reels and switches

Abstract

In the invention, a brush body 30 that is rotated and driven by a motor 32 is disposed in a suction unit 2, and dust is sucked from the suction unit 2 by a blower 4, while exhaust of the blower 4 is sent to the suction unit 2 side through an exhaust passage 27. While the exhaust of the blower 4 is blown to the motor 32 exhaust is blown to the floor for lifting the dust from the floor to enhance the dust collection efficiency, and moreover, if the output of the motor 32 for driving the brush 30 is increased, temperature rise of the motor 32 can be suppressed, and thus durability may be enhanced.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a suction unit;

a blower for sucking dust from said suction unit;

a dust scraper disposed in said suction unit;

an electric motor for driving said dust scraper about an axis of the dust scraper; and

an exhaust passage for conveying exhaust of said blower to said electric motor to cool said electric motor.

2. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein said suction unit includes an intake unit in fluid communication with said blower and an exhaust unit in fluid communication with said blower.

3. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, wherein said intake unit and said exhaust unit are constructed and arranged such that an air stream exiting from said exhaust unit and entering into said intake unit flows substantially parallel to the surface on which the vacuum cleaner is operating and along the axis of said dust scraper.

4. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, wherein said dust scraper is designed to be one of rotatably driven and oscillatably driven by said electric motor.

5. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein said dust scraper is designed to be one of rotatably driven and oscillatably driven by said electric motor.

6. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein said suction unit includes an intake unit in fluid communication with said blower and an exhaust unit in fluid communication with said blower.

7. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 6, wherein said intake unit and said exhaust unit are constructed and arranged such that an air stream exiting from said exhaust unit and entering into said intake unit flows substantially parallel to the surface on which the vacuum cleaner is operating and along the axis of said dust scraper.

8. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 6, wherein said intake unit is provided at one end of said suction unit and said exhaust unit is provided at an opposite end of said suction unit such that upon operation of said blower an air stream flowing from said exhaust unit to said intake unit is generated.

9. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 6, wherein said dust scraper is designed to be one of rotatably driven and oscillatably driven by said motor.

10. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a suction unit;

a blower for sucking dust from said suction unit;

a dust scraper disposed in said suction unit;

a motor for driving said dust scraper about an axis of the dust scraper; and

an exhaust passage for conveying exhaust of said blower to said motor to cool said motor,

wherein said suction unit includes an intake unit in fluid communication with said blower and an exhaust unit in fluid communication with said blower, and

wherein said intake unit is provided at one end of said suction unit and said exhaust unit is provided at an opposite end of said suction unit such that upon operation of said blower an air stream flowing from said exhaust unit to said intake unit is generated.

11. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a main body to house a battery;

an intake port at a front side of said main body;

at least one of a dust collection chamber and a blower positioned behind said intake port; and

a handle to be interconnected with said main body such that said handle is capable of one of rotating and sliding along an outer periphery of said main body,

wherein when said handle is interconnected with said main body said handle is capable of one of rotating and sliding along an outer circumference of said main body.

12. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 11, wherein when said handle is interconnected with said main body such that said handle is capable of rotating along an outer circumference of said main body, said handle is rotatable nearly about a center of said main body.

13. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 12, wherein when said handle is interconnected with said main body said handle is positioned nearly at a longitudinal center of said main body, and said blower is positioned nearly at an inner side of said handle.

14. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 12, wherein when said handle is interconnected with said main body such that said handle is capable of rotating along an outer circumference of said main body, said handle is rotatable along an outer circumference of a cover for covering an outer circumference of said blower.

15. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 11, wherein when said handle is interconnected with said main body said handle is positioned nearly at a longitudinal center of said main body, and said blower is positioned nearly at an inner side of said handle.