Rotatable coupling for steering vacuum cleaner

• US 8,082,624 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2009
• Issued: 12/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Techtronic Floor Care Technology Limited (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Oreck Holdings LLC (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Inventors: Myers, Steven Wayne
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DUNG V
• Application Number:
  US12/615,972
• Publication Number:
  US 20110107553A1
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 154/11, 153/23, 153/50, 153/51, 154/10, 153/77, 154/151, 153/61, 153/69
• US Class Current: 15/411
• 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 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/9029 With coupling

Abstract

A steerable vacuum cleaner and a method to steer the vacuum is described. The vacuum cleaner include: a base; a handle having a longitudinal axis and including a conduit; and a rotatable coupling pivotally attached between the base and the handle, with the coupling defining an air channel for providing a flow of air from the base to the conduit in the handle. The base of the vacuum rotates about the longitudinal axis while pushing the vacuum by twisting the handle. The rotatable coupling of the vacuum cleaner includes: an inner conduit having an outer surface; a compressible strip disposed on the outer surface of the inner conduit, wherein the strip is disposed the outer surface of the inner conduit; an outer conduit adapted to snugly fit over the strip and the first conduit; and a non-reactive high-viscosity lubricant disposed on the outer surface of the inner conduit adjacent the strip. The outer conduit of the coupling is rotatable about the inner conduit and an interference fit is formed between the inner conduit and the outer conduit.

Claims

1. A steerable vacuum cleaner comprising:

a base;

a handle having a longitudinal axis and including a conduit; and

a rotatable coupling pivotally attached between the base and the handle, with the coupling defining an air channel for providing a flow of air from the base to the conduit in the handle,

wherein the base rotates about the longitudinal axis while pushing the vacuum by

twisting the handle, wherein the rotatable coupling comprises;

a compressible strip disposed on an outer surface of an inner conduit, wherein the strip encircles the inner conduit,

an outer conduit adapted to snugly fit over the strip and the inner conduit.

2. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the handle conveys an airflow generated in the vacuum cleaner base.

3. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the handle is pivoted about the base by raising or lowering the handle.

4. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the handle is locked in an upright position by centering the handle and raising the handle to engage a lock.

5. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the handle is unlocked from an upright position by placing a foot on the base and lowering the handle to disengage a lock.

6. A steerable vacuum cleaner comprising:

a base;

a handle having a longitudinal axis and including a conduit;

a rotatable coupling pivotally attached between the base and the handle, with the coupling defining an air channel for providing a flow of air from the base to the conduit in the handle, wherein the rotatable coupling comprises;

a compressible strip disposed on an outer surface of an inner conduit, wherein the strip encircles the inner conduit,

an outer conduit adapted to snugly fit over the strip and the inner conduit, and

a non-reactive lubricant disposed on the outer surface of the inner conduit adjacent the strip, wherein the outer conduit is rotatable about the inner conduit and an interference fit is formed between the inner conduit and the outer conduit,

wherein the base rotates about the longitudinal axis while pushing the vacuum by twisting the handle.

7. The vacuum cleaner of claim 6, wherein the non-reactive lubricant and the strip form an interference fit.

8. The vacuum cleaner of claim 6, further comprising a bearing surface disposed in the outer conduit and a bearing detent complementing the bearing surface disposed in the inner conduit.

9. The vacuum cleaner of claim 6, further comprising a bearing surface disposed in the inner conduit and a bearing detent complementing the bearing surface disposed in the outer conduit.

10. The vacuum cleaner of claim 6, wherein the inner conduit is pivotally connected to a vacuum base.

11. The vacuum cleaner of claim 6, further comprising a handle including the coupling wherein the steerable handle is pivotally connected to a vacuum base.

12. The vacuum cleaner of claim 6, wherein the outer conduit includes a dog-leg turn.

13. The vacuum cleaner of claim 6, further comprising a volute disposed at a distal end of a conduit selected from either the inner or outer conduit.

14. The vacuum cleaner of claim 13, wherein a longitudinal axis of the conduit traversing through a conduit center does not traverse a center of the volute.

15. The vacuum cleaner of claim 13, wherein the volute is rotatable and allows the conduit to pivot about a volute center.

16. The vacuum cleaner of claim 6, further comprising an air moving unit to generate the airflow and the coupling is disposed on the pressure-side of the air moving unit.

17. The vacuum cleaner of claim 6, wherein the airflow comprises a dirty airflow.

18. The vacuum cleaner of claim 6, wherein the non-reactive lubricant is disposed on the strip.

19. The vacuum cleaner of claim 6, wherein the strip comprises synthetic felt.

20. The vacuum cleaner of claim 6, further comprising a clamp to restrain a movement of the inner conduit with the respect to outer conduit along a longitudinal axis of the inner and outer conduits.

21. The vacuum cleaner of claim 6, wherein the inner conduit comprises a first longitudinal portion including a groove along the first longitudinal portion'"'"'s length, and a second longitudinal portion including a tongue along the second longitudinal portion'"'"'s length.

22. The vacuum cleaner of claim 6, further comprising a compression seal disposed in the groove along the first longitudinal portion'"'"'s length.

23. The vacuum cleaner of claim 6, further comprising a groove disposed in the outer surface of the inner conduit, which is adapted to receive the strip.

24. The vacuum cleaner of claim 6, further comprising:

a pair of detents disposed on the outer surface of the inner conduit proximate the end,

wherein the bearing surface comprises a pair of grooves disposed on the inner surface of the outer conduit and the pair of grooves complements the pair of detents.

25. The vacuum cleaner of claim 24, wherein the strip is disposed between the pair of detents.

26. A steerable vacuum cleaner comprising:

a base;

a handle having a longitudinal axis and including a conduit;

a rotatable coupling pivotally attached between the base and the handle, with the coupling defining an air channel for providing a flow of air from the base to the conduit in the handle; and

a rotatable volute disposed at a distal end of the conduit, wherein a longitudinal axis of the conduit traverses through a conduit center that does not traverse a center of the volute and a rotation of the volute allows the conduit to pivot about a volute center;

wherein the base rotates about the longitudinal axis while pushing the vacuum by twisting the handle.

27. A method to steer a vacuum cleaner comprising:

providing a base;

providing a vacuum cleaner handle having a longitudinal axis and including an conduit; and

pivotally attaching a rotatable coupling between the base and the handle, with the coupling defining an air channel for providing a flow of air from the base to the conduit in the handle, wherein the rotatable coupling comprises;

a compressible strip disposed on an outer surface of an inner conduit, wherein the strip encircles the inner conduit,

an outer conduit adapted to snugly fit over the strip and the inner conduit,

wherein the base rotates about the longitudinal axis while pushing the vacuum by twisting the handle.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the rotatable coupling further comprises:

a non-reactive lubricant disposed on the outer surface of the inner conduit adjacent the strip, wherein the outer conduit is rotatable about the inner conduit and an interference fit is formed between the inner conduit and the outer conduit.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the handle conveys an airflow generated in the vacuum cleaner base.

30. The method of claim 27, further comprising providing a rotatable volute disposed at a distal end of the conduit, wherein a longitudinal axis of the conduit traversing through a conduit center does not traverse a center of the volute and a rotation of the volute allows the conduit to pivot about a volute center.

31. The method of claim 27, further comprising pivoting the handle about the base by raising or lowering the handle.

32. The method of claim 27, further comprising locking the handle by centering the handle and raising the handle to engage a lock.

33. The method of claim 27, further comprising unlocking the handle by placing a foot on the base and lowering the handle to disengage a lock.