System and method of resetting power in a cleaning system

• US 9,700,189 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2014
• Issued: 07/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2014
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Techtronic Industries Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Techtronic Industries Company Limited
• Inventors: Pilch, Alan, Horvath, Jamie
• Primary Examiner(s): Ro, Bentsu
• Assistant Examiner(s): DINH, THAI T
• Application Number:
  US14/458,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20160045090A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• Field of Search: 318 3, 318 5, 318671, 318672, 318684, 318159, 318160, 15332, 15334, 15339, 15347, 15351, 15361, 15372
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/30 with driven dust-loosening tools, e.g. rotating brushes
• 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: H02P 6/28 Arrangements for controlling current H02P6/10 takes precedence

Abstract

A cleaning system including a body; a motor; a switch; an unit removable from the body; and a power reset device. The switch configured to provide power to the motor upon receiving a first input, and prohibit power to the motor upon receiving a second input. The power reset device configured to prohibit power to the motor upon removal of the removable unit from the body, and provide power to the motor upon replacement of the removable unit onto the body and the switch receiving a third input.

Claims

1. A cleaning system comprising:

a body;

a motor;

a switch

providing power to the motor upon receiving a first input, and

prohibiting power to the motor upon receiving a second input;

a unit removable from and replaceable onto the body; and

a power reset device

prohibiting power to the motor upon separation of the unit from the body, and

providing power to the motor upon replacement of the unit onto the body and the switch receiving a third input,

the power reset device including

a plunger interacting with the switch and operable by a user-interface, and

an actuator having a first actuator end operable by the unit and a second actuator end engageable with the plunger.

2. The cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the power reset device prohibits power to the motor by deactivating the switch and provides power to the motor by activating the switch.

3. The cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the switch receives the first input, the second input, and the third input from the user-interface.

4. The cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the unit is a dirt receptacle.

5. The cleaning system of claim 1, further comprising a battery receptacle configured to receive a rechargeable battery and the cleaning device receives power from the rechargeable battery.

6. The cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the first input and the third input are the same.

7. The cleaning system of claim 1, wherein the power reset device includes a sensor operable to sense placement of the unit onto the body.

8. The cleaning system of claim 1, wherein

the plunger is moveable between a first vertical position and a second vertical position, the plunger including

a first plunger end operable by the user-interface,

a second plunger end activating the switch providing power to the motor when the plunger is in the second vertical position, and

a projection;

and

the actuator moveable between a first horizontal position and a second horizontal position,

wherein the second actuator end is engageable with the projection when the actuator is in the second horizontal position selectively retaining the plunger in the second vertical position.

9. The cleaning system of claim 8, wherein the plunger is biased toward the first vertical position and the actuator is biased toward the first horizontal position.

10. The cleaning system of claim 8, wherein upon replacement of the unit onto the body, the actuator moves from the first horizontal position to the second horizontal position into engagement with the plunger, and

upon interaction with the user-interface, the plunger moves from the first vertical position to the second vertical position and retained by the second actuator end.

11. The cleaning system of claim 8, wherein when the plunger is in the second vertical position and the actuator is in the second horizontal position, the second actuator end interacts with the projection to hold the plunger in the second vertical position.

12. The cleaning system of claim 8, where the second actuator end includes a pin moveable transverse to the direction of movement of the plunger, the pin being spring-loaded toward a home position such that movement of the plunger presses the projection against the pin moving the pin in a direction away from its home position.

13. The cleaning system of claim 12, where when the plunger moves to the second vertical position at least a portion of the projection passes by the pin allowing the pin to move in the direction of the home position blocking movement of the projection toward the plunger first vertical position.

14. The cleaning system of claim 12, further comprising a motor switch operable to control power to the second motor, wherein the power reset device is further configured to

prohibit power to the second motor upon removal of the unit, and

provide power to the second motor upon replacement of the unit within the body and the user interface receiving one of the first input and a third input.

15. The cleaning system of claim 1, further comprising a second motor.

16. A method of controlling power to a motor of a cleaning device, the cleaning device including a body and a unit removable from and replaceable onto the body, the method comprising:

providing power to the motor in response to receiving a first input via a plunger;

sensing removal of the unit from the body via an actuator having a first actuator end operable by the unit and a second actuator end engageable with the plunger;

prohibiting power to the motor in response to removal of the unit from the body; and

providing power to the motor in response to replacement of the unit to the body and receiving a second input.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first input and the second input are received from a user-interface operating the plunger.

18. The method of claim 16, where

the step of providing power in response to receiving a first input includes holding the plunger activating a switch providing power to the motor,

the step of prohibiting power to the motor includes releasing the plunger deactivating the switch prohibiting power to the motor, and

the step of providing power to the motor in response to replacement of the unit and receiving a second input includes holding the plunger activating the switch providing power to the motor.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the removal of the unit from the body is magnetically sensed.

20. A cleaning system comprising:

a body;

a unit removable from and replaceable onto the body, the unit including a receptacle releasably coupled to a motor;

a switch

providing power to the motor upon receiving a first input, and

prohibiting power to the motor upon receiving a second input; and

a power reset device providing power to the motor upon replacement of the unit onto the body and the switch receiving a third input, the power reset device including

a plunger interacting with the switch and operable by a user-interface, and

an actuator having a first actuator end operable by the unit and a second actuator end engageable with the plunger.

21. The cleaning system of claim 20, wherein the power reset device prohibits power to the motor by deactivating the switch.

22. The cleaning system of claim 20, wherein the switch receives the first input, the second input, and the third input from a user-interface.