Cleaning appliance

• US 8,695,155 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2010
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited (Beeswax Holdings UK Limited)
• Original Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited (Beeswax Holdings UK Limited)
• Inventors: Dyson, James, Gammack, Peter David, Sunderland, David Robert, Genn, Stuart Lloyd
• Primary Examiner(s): Wendell, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Matthew J
• Application Number:
  US12/730,428
• Publication Number:
  US 20100242215A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,483 Days
• Field of Search: 153/54, 153/271, 153/272, 153/402
• US Class Current: 15/340.2
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/362 of the horizontal type, e.g. canister or sledge type
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0081 Means for exhaust-air diffusion; Means for sound or vibration damping
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/127 tube- or sleeve-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1633 Concentric cyclones
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1641 for parallel flow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/22 Mountings for motor fan assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/24 Hoses or pipes; Hose or pipe couplings hoses or hose joints in general F16L
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/327 for suction cleaners with hose between nozzle and casing

Abstract

A cleaning appliance of the canister type includes separating apparatus for separating dirt from a dirt-bearing fluid flow, a floor engaging rolling assembly, and a steering mechanism for steering the cleaning appliance as it is maneuvered over a floor surface and for pivoting the separating apparatus relative to the rolling assembly.

Claims

1. A cleaning appliance of the canister type comprising a separating apparatus for separating dirt from a dirt-bearing fluid flow, a floor engaging rolling assembly, a steering mechanism for steering the cleaning appliance as it is maneuvered over a floor surface, wherein the steering mechanism comprises a plurality of floor engaging steering members and a control mechanism that controls the orientation of the plurality of floor engaging steering members relative to the rolling assembly, and a support member that supports a base of the separating apparatus, wherein the steering mechanism is coupled to the support member such that steering movement of the steering mechanism also moves the support member so as to cause the separating apparatus to move relative to the rolling assembly.

2. The cleaning appliance of claim 1, wherein each steering member comprises a wheel assembly.

3. The cleaning appliance of claim 2, wherein the rotational axes of the wheel assemblies are substantially orthogonal to an axis about which the separating apparatus is caused to move relative to the rolling assembly by the support member.

4. The cleaning appliance of claim 1, comprising a chassis, and wherein the control mechanism comprises a plurality of moveable steering arms each connecting a respective steering member to the chassis.

5. The cleaning appliance of claim 4, wherein the control mechanism comprises a control member for moving the steering arms relative to the chassis.

6. The cleaning appliance of claim 5, wherein the control member is pivotably coupled at or towards each end thereof to a respective steering arm.

7. The cleaning appliance of claim 5, wherein the control mechanism comprises a lever pivotably connected to the chassis for moving the control member relative to the chassis.

8. The cleaning appliance of claim 7, wherein the lever is pivotable about an axis about which the separating apparatus is caused to move relative to the rolling assembly by the support member.

9. The cleaning appliance of claim 7, wherein the separating apparatus is mounted on the support member which is connected to the lever.

10. The cleaning appliance of claim 7, wherein the lever is connected to an inlet duct for conveying the fluid flow to the separating apparatus, and wherein the inlet duct is moveable relative to the rolling assembly.

11. The cleaning appliance of claim 1, wherein the steering mechanism comprises an inlet duct for conveying the fluid flow to the separating apparatus.

12. The cleaning appliance of claim 11, wherein the inlet duct is moveable relative to the rolling assembly.

13. The cleaning appliance of claim 11, wherein the inlet duct comprises a relatively flexible inlet section and a relatively rigid outlet section pivotably connected to the rolling assembly.

14. The cleaning appliance of claim 13, wherein the inlet section comprises a flexible hose.

15. The cleaning appliance of claim 14, comprising a hose support for supporting the flexible hose, the hose support being pivotable relative to the rolling assembly.

16. The cleaning appliance of claim 15, wherein the hose support is pivotable about an axis spaced from an axis about which the separating apparatus is caused to move relative to the rolling assembly by the support member.

17. The cleaning appliance of claim 16, wherein the hose support is pivotable relative to the rolling assembly about an arc no greater than 180°

.

18. The cleaning appliance of claim 16, wherein the hose support is pivotable relative to the rolling assembly about an arc no greater than 142°

.

19. The cleaning appliance of claim 15, wherein the hose support is pivotable about an axis substantially parallel to an axis about which the separating apparatus is caused to move relative to the rolling assembly by the support member.

20. The cleaning appliance of claim 15, wherein the hose support comprises a floor engaging rolling element.

21. The cleaning appliance of claim 20, wherein the hose is constrained to move within a plane substantially parallel to an axis of rotation of the rolling element.

22. The cleaning appliance of claim 11, wherein the hose is connected to a coupling for connecting the inlet duct to a wand and hose assembly.

23. The cleaning appliance of claim 1, wherein the separating apparatus has a longitudinal axis inclined at an acute angle to an axis about which the separating apparatus is caused to move relative to the rolling assembly by the support member.

24. The cleaning appliance of claim 1, wherein the rolling assembly houses a fan unit for drawing the fluid flow through the separating apparatus.

25. The cleaning appliance of claim 1, wherein the rolling assembly houses a filter for removing particulates from the fluid flow.

26. The cleaning appliance of claim 1, wherein the rolling assembly comprises a plurality of floor engaging rolling elements.

27. The cleaning appliance of claim 1, wherein the separating apparatus comprises cyclonic separating apparatus.

28. The cleaning appliance of claim 1, further comprising an outlet duct for conveying fluid flow from the separating apparatus to the floor engaging rolling assembly, and wherein the separating apparatus moves about an axis that passes through the outlet duct.

29. The cleaning appliance of claim 28, wherein the axis is oriented such that it is generally orthogonal to a floor surface.