Abstract:
A latching mechanism for the dust cup assembly on a bottom exit cyclone-separator vacuum cleaner, including a non-rotating annular seal member supporting the dust cup assembly above a discharge outlet, and a U-shaped slide lock member movable in and out underneath the dust cup assembly to raise and lower the seal member, thus raising and lower the dust cup assembly into and out of engagement with a cyclone separator chamber.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Applications Ser. No. 60/938,583, filed May 17, 2007, all of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention is in the field of vacuum cleaners that use cyclone separators with removable debris-collecting receptacles. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Upright vacuum cleaners that use cyclone action to separate dust and dirt from the airflow through the vacuum cleaner are well known. A mechanical issue addressed by the prior art is how to secure and release the reusable dirt- and dust-collecting receptacle (“dust cup”) that sits under the cyclone chamber. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 7,191,490 to Lee et al. discloses a top exit cyclone assembly including soil collection receptacle at a lower portion thereof and having a sliding groove formed on the bottom surface that confronts the floor of an accommodation recess on the handle. A guide member is located at the lower end of the soil collection receptacle, wherein the guide member is formed with a pair of guide projections at opposite sides and an operation lever adapted to move the guide member up and down to raise and lower the soil collection receptacle in sealing relation to the cyclone assembly. The guide member moves up and down as the operation lever is pushed and pulled horizontally relative to the handle. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,732,406 to Oh shows a removable dust cup (“barrel”) that slides out from under the cyclone chamber to be emptied. The dust barrel is locked in place and released by a rotating handle that directly engages a slanted, spiraling recess on the bottom of the dust barrel. Rotating the handle in a first direction raises the dust barrel toward the bottom of the cyclone chamber, locking the barrel in place; rotating the handle the opposite direction lowers the dust barrel from the cyclone chamber for emptying. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,735,816 to Oh et al. shows a similar removable dust cup (“container”) raised and lowered into and out of engagement with the cyclone chamber by a rotating lever. The rotating lever raises and lowers the dust cup through an intermediate, non-rotating locking disc operating against the bottom of the dust container. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,991,667 to Yang et al. shows a dust cup (“contaminant collecting receptacle”) supported on a coaxial filter case to provide a direct suction path between the motor below it and the cyclone chamber above it. The filter case provides an extra stage of filtration and dust separation for the air exiting the cyclone chamber through the dust cup into the motor housing. The filter case is securely fixed to an annular lever/seal member that surrounds and seals the airflow path from the filter to the motor housing; the dust cup is detachable from the filter case. The annular lever/seal member is mounted to rotate as a unit on a cam structure on the motor housing cover, raising the lever/seal assembly and filter case up and down, and thus raising and lowering the dust cup into and out of engagement with the cyclone chamber. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the invention, a vacuum cleaner comprises a housing with a cyclone separation chamber and a dust cup removably mounted beneath the cyclone separation chamber. The cyclone separation chamber has an inlet opening and an outlet opening. An exhaust conduit extends through the dust cup between the cyclone separation outlet opening and a discharge opening in a bottom wall of the dust cup. A latching mechanism is positioned beneath the dust cup for raising dust cup into engagement with the cyclone separation chamber and for lowering the dust cup from engagement with the cyclone chamber. A suction source has an inlet opening in communication with the exhaust conduit when the dust cup is in engagement with the cyclone separation chamber. A seal member is mounted on the housing beneath the dust cup in sealing relationship with the dust cup and for selective movement between a raised position and a lowered position. A slide lock member is in sliding engagement with the annular seal member and is movable laterally along a slide axis between a latched and a release position relative to the housing to raise and lower the seal member and thus raise and lower the dust cup into and out of engagement with the cyclone separation chamber. 
     In one embodiment, the vacuum cleaner further comprises a filter case having filter mounted therein and in fluid communication with the dirt cup discharge opening and with the inlet opening of the suction source, and the filter case is removably mounted to the dirt cup. 
     In a preferred embodiment, the slide-lock member movably mounts the annular seal member in guide slots. 
     In one embodiment, the housing has a pair of posts spaced from each other and the slide-lock member has a pair of channels that receive the posts to guide the movement of the slide-lock member with respect to the housing. Preferably, the slide-lock member is generally U-shaped and includes a pair of spaced arms, and the channels are formed in the arms. 
     In one embodiment, the slide-lock member further comprises a pair of guide slots at an upper surface thereof in registry with the channels, and the posts further comprise retainers that overly the guide slots to retain the slide-lock member on the posts. Preferably, the retainers are washers that are removably mounted to an upper portion of the posts. 
     In another embodiment, the upper ends of guide posts include reduced-diameter bosses that ride in guide slots. In addition, there are two posts that are received in each channel. Further, the limits of the movement of the slide-lock member with respect to the housing are defined by the position of the posts in the channels. 
     In a preferred embodiment, slot covers removably mounted on the slide-lock member over the guide slots. 
     In another embodiment, the sidewalls of the slide lock arms are provided with tracks that extend at an acute angle to the slide axis and mount laterally extending arms of the seal member. Further, the outer ends of the tracks are higher than their inner ends thereof whereby pushing the slide lock fully into housing forces the dust cup into sealing engagement with the cyclone separation chamber. Further, outer ends of the tracks level off to secure the seal in its fully raised position. 
     In another embodiment, friction latches between the slide-lock member and the housing to releasably retain the slide-lock member in the latched position. 
     In a further embodiment, the slide lock member is generally U-shaped and includes cam guides that slidingly engage lateral arms on the seal assembly to raise and lower the seal member. In yet another embodiment, the seal assembly is annular in shape. 
     These and other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent on further reading of the detailed description below, in light of the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of an upright vacuum cleaner with a dust cup assembly and latching mechanism according to the invention. 
         FIG. 1A  is a rear perspective view of the vacuum cleaner of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 1B  is a cross-sectional, side elevation view of the vacuum cleaner taken along lines  1 B- 1 B of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded front perspective view of the dust cup assembly and latching mechanism of the vacuum cleaner of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 2A  is an enlarged perspective view of the latching mechanism of  FIG. 1  in its latch-engaged position. 
         FIG. 3  is an enlarged, cross-sectional, side elevation view of the circled lower portion III of  FIG. 1B , illustrating the lower end of the dust cup assembly and the latching mechanism of  FIG. 2A , with the latch engaged and the dust cup assembly raised against the cyclone chamber. 
         FIG. 4  is a view like  FIG. 3 , but with the latch disengaged and the dust cup assembly lowered away from the cyclone chamber, so that the dust cup can be removed for emptying. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring first to  FIGS. 1 ,  1 A and  1 B, a cyclone-separation type upright vacuum cleaner is shown at  10 . The vacuum cleaner  10  has an operating handle  12 ; a cleaner body  14  including a cyclone chamber  30 , a dust-collecting cup  40 , and a filter case  50 ; a vacuum body  16  containing an internal suction-generating vacuum motor  16   a  ( FIG. 1A ); a brush housing  18  with a rotating brush  18   a  ; and a carry handle  20 . A suction passage  22  is connected to receive dirt- and dust-laden air drawn in through the brush housing  18  in known manner and to deliver it in known cyclone-generating fashion to cyclone separator chamber  30  through a cyclone inlet  24 . 
     The cyclone chamber  30  centrifugally separates dirt, dust, and other debris (hereafter collectively “dust”) from the swirling airflow in the chamber in known fashion. The separated dust moves to the outer wall of the cyclone chamber  30  via inertia and falls down through one or more peripheral passages  30   a  ( FIG. 1B ) in the lower end of cyclone chamber  30  that communicate with the open upper end  40   a  of dust cup  40 , while the cleaned air passes through a grill assembly  30   b  and into a central discharge passage  30   c . The cyclone discharge passage  30   c  communicates with a vacuum motor inlet  16   b  of known type (not shown) within the cleaner body  14 , through aligned discharge passages  40   c  and  50   c  in dust cup  40  and filter case  50 , and further through a bore  60   c  of an annular seal member  60  mounted on a dust cup base  100  on the vacuum body  16 . The upper inlet end of discharge passage  50   c  in filter case  50  includes a secondary filter element  50   b  with a cover  50   d  to separate and/or filter out any fine dust remaining in the discharge airflow before it is exhausted from the vacuum cleaner. 
     The dust cup  40  and filter case  50  is collectively referred to as a dust cup assembly  51 . The dust cup  40  and filter case  50  are separate assemblies, removably connected with a friction-fit lap joint  45  (best shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 ), and can accordingly be removed as a unit from the vacuum cleaner  10 . The filter case  50  can subsequently be detached from the dust cup  40  to be emptied and cleaned on its own. Alternately, the dust cup assembly  51  can be an integrated (non-separable) dust cup and filter case, or a dust cup without a separate, secondary filtration structure. 
     As best shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , a lower outlet end  50   e  of filter case  50  rests on an upper sealing face  60   a  of the seal member  60 . A lower end  60   e  of seal member  60  is in fluid communication with the vacuum motor inlet  16   b  in the dust cup base  100  on motor housing  16 . The seal member  60  is trapped for up-and-down movement on collar structure  110 ,  112  around the vacuum motor inlet  16   b . A generally U-shaped slide lock member  70  is mounted to slide generally horizontally in and out on the dust cup base  100  in a substantially straight path, in sliding contact with portions of the trapped seal member  60  to cam the seal member up and down.  FIGS. 1 ,  1 A,  1 B, and  3  show the slide lock  70  in its fully-inserted latching position, in which the seal member  60  is raised to its uppermost position, in turn raising the dust cup assembly  51  to secure the upper end of dust cup  40  against the bottom of cyclone chamber  30  for vacuum operation. 
     As best shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the bottom of filter case  50  is preferably shaped with cutouts or relief areas  55  on each side to provide clearance for the slide lock member  70 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 2A , the dust cup base  100  includes a sliding surface  102  with a downwardly-angled outer end  102   a , guide posts  104  formed on each side of vacuum motor inlet  16   b , outer guide walls  106  and inner guide walls  108  forming channels  107  aligned with guide posts  104 , and the earlier-mentioned retaining and support collars  110  and  112  surrounding the vacuum motor inlet  16   b . A rear wall  116  and a curved backstop portion  116   a  conforms to and supports a back side of the dust cup assembly  51 . 
     The seal member  60  has lateral arms  60   b  that ride in vertical slots  110   a  on the outer retaining collar  110 . An upper end  60   d  of the seal member  60  is raised off the upper edge of collar  112  when the seal member  60  is raised to its dust-cup-securing position by the slide lock  70  ( FIG. 3 ), and rests on the upper edge of inner collar  112  when the seal member  60  is in its lowermost, dust-cup-detaching position ( FIG. 4 ). The lower end  60   e  of the seal member  60  rides up and down and is in fluid communication with vacuum motor inlet  16   b  between the raised and lowered positions. 
     The slide lock  70  is a generally U-shaped member with an outer handle portion  72 ; hollow, open-ended and open-bottomed arms  74  sized to slide over guide posts  104  in channels  107  between walls  106  and  108 ; a seal-admitting opening  76  sized to slide back and forth past outer retaining collar  110  and seal member  60 ; and guide slots  78  sized to be trapped in sliding fashion on the upper ends of guide posts  104 . A lower surface  72   a  of the outer end of the slide lock  70  is angled downwardly to mate with the angled front ramp portion of sliding surface outer end  102   a  of dust cup base  100  when the slide lock  70  is fully inserted. A pair of covers  80  fit over guide slots  78  in a removable snap-fit fashion, providing access to the sliding connection between the guide posts  104  and the slide lock  70 . 
     Still referring to  FIGS. 2 and 2A , the upper ends of guide posts  104  include reduced-diameter bosses  104   a  that ride in guide slots  78 , protruding sufficiently to mount retainers such as screw-secured washers  105  (phantom lines) for a sliding fit on a lower shelf  78   a . An upper shelf  78   b  defines a mating recess for slot covers  80 . The open inner ends of slide lock arms  74  abut rear wall  116  when the slide lock is fully inserted, and the outer guide post pins  104   a  abut the outer ends of slots  78 . Optional shoulders  74   e  can be formed on outer sidewalls  74   g  of arms  74  to abut the outer ends of outer guide walls  106 , as shown. The outer sidewalls  74   g  of arms  74  can also be provided with friction latches  74   f  ( FIG. 2 ) for releasably engaging mating portions of walls  106  to more securely latch the slide lock  70  in its fully inserted position. 
     Inner sidewalls  74   a  of the slide lock arms  74  include angled tracks  74   b  extending partly or fully through the inner sidewalls, sized and located to trap and slidingly engage the lateral arms  60   b  of seal member  60  as the slide lock  70  moves in and out of the dust cup base  100 . The outer ends of cam slots  74   b  are higher than their inner ends, so that pushing the slide lock fully into the dust cup base  100 , as shown in  FIG. 2A , forces lateral arms  60   b  and seal  60  up. As shown in the illustrated example, the upper, outer ends of cam slots  74  preferably level off for a short distance of horizontal travel, to help secure the seal  60  in its fully raised position. 
     Pulling the slide lock  70  out of dust cup base  100  correspondingly forces the lateral arms  60   b  and seal  60  down. The slide lock  70  is limited in its outward travel by the sliding connections between the guide slots  78  and the guide posts  104 , and between the cam slots  74   b  and the seal member  60 . 
     The sectioned side views of  FIGS. 3 and 4  show the fully raised and fully lowered positions of the seal member  60  in response to the insertion and withdrawal of the slide lock  70 , and the corresponding fully raised and fully lowered positions of the dust cup assembly  51 . 
       FIG. 3  shows the slide lock  70  fully inserted, with the handle portion  72  resting on base ramp  102   a . The seal member  60  is raised off the inner collar  112 , while the lower end  60   e  of the seal member  60  remains in fluid communication with the vacuum motor inlet  16   b . The filter case  50  and dust cup  40  are raised such that the upper end of the dust cup  40  is in its sealed dust-collecting position against the cyclone chamber  30  ( FIG. 1 ). The dust cup assembly is supported on the upper surface of seal member  60 . 
       FIG. 4  shows the slide lock  70  disengaged or pulled out from dust cup base  100  to the limit of its travel, forcing the seal member  60  downwardly against the discharge collar  1   12 . The dust cup assembly  51  is accordingly lowered out of engagement with cyclone chamber  30  to rest on seal member  60 , guide walls  106  and  108 , and slide lock arms  74 . The dust cup assembly  51  can then be removed as a unit from the vacuum cleaner  10  by simply lifting and pulling it out of the dust cup base  100 . 
     It will be understood that the disclosed embodiments are illustrative rather than definitive of the invention. The illustrated upright vacuum cleaner is but one example of the variety of cyclone-separating type vacuum cleaners with which the invention can be used. Reasonable variation and modification are possible within the scope of the foregoing disclosure and drawings without departing from scope of the invention which is defined by the appended claims.