Thermal protection system for electrical appliance

• US 7,640,621 B2
• Filed: 04/25/2005
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation Of North America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation Of North America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Cloud, John A. III
• Primary Examiner(s): CHIN, RANDALL E
• Application Number:
  US11/113,643
• Publication Number:
  US 20050235452A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,716 Days
• Field of Search: 153/19, 153/39, 154/12, 318471-473
• US Class Current: 15/319
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0411 driven by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/281 the amount or condition of incoming dirt or dust
• 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 9/2889 Safety or protection devices or systems, e.g. for prevention of motor over-heating or for protection of the user

Abstract

An electrical appliance includes a housing carrying a drive motor, a temperature sensor and a controller. The temperature sensor monitors the operating temperature of the drive motor. The controller is responsive to the temperature sensor. The controller adjusts the current applied to the drive motor in response to a high temperature condition detected by the temperature sensor.

Claims

1. An electrical appliance, comprising:

a housing;

a drive motor carried on the housing;

a temperature sensor carried on said housing, said temperature sensor monitoring an operating temperature of said drive motor;

a controller carried on said housing, said controller being responsive to said temperature sensor and adjusting current applied to said drive motor in response to a high temperature condition detected by said temperature sensor; and

a position sensor, selected from a group consisting of an accelerometer and a mercury switch, connected to said controller, upon said temperature sensor detecting said high temperature condition, said controller maintaining current applied to said drive motor in an adjusted condition until both said motor cools below said high temperature condition and said position sensor detects said electrical appliance in a restart position.

2. The electrical appliance of claim 1, further including a porous filter bag carried on said housing.

3. The electrical appliance of claim 1, further including a dirt cup carried on said housing.

4. The electrical appliance of claim 1, further including a rotary agitator carried on said housing.

5. The electrical appliance of claim 1, wherein said electrical appliance is a canister type vacuum cleaner.

6. The electrical appliance of claim 1, wherein said electrical appliance is an upright type vacuum cleaner.

7. The electrical appliance of claim 1, further including an indicator indicating when said high temperature condition has been detected.

8. The electrical appliance of claim 7, wherein said indicator is selected from a group consisting of a light source and a sound source.

9. An electrical device, comprising:

an electric motor;

a temperature sensor monitoring an operating temperature of said electric motor;

a controller responsive to said temperature sensor and adjusting current applied to said electric motor in response to a high temperature condition detected by said temperature sensor; and

a position sensor, selected from a group consisting of an accelerometer and a mercury switch, connected to said controller, upon said temperature sensor detecting said high temperature condition, said controller maintaining an adjusted condition until both said motor cools below said high temperature condition and said position sensor detects said electrical device in a restart position.