Patent Publication Number: US-9402516-B2

Title: Vacuum cleaner including a removable dirt collection assembly

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/907,881, filed Nov. 22, 2013, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The present disclosure relates to vacuum cleaners and, more particularly, to upright vacuum cleaners. 
     Upright vacuum cleaners are typically used to clean floor surfaces, such as carpeting, by generating suction to draw air and dirt through a suction nozzle. The dirt is separated from the air inside the vacuum cleaner and clean air is discharged from the vacuum cleaner. The dirt is collected inside the vacuum cleaner and can be emptied or removed. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one aspect, the disclosure provides a vacuum cleaner including a base including a suction nozzle, a handle assembly pivotally coupled to the base, and a dirt collection assembly removably coupled to at least one of the handle assembly or the base. The dirt collection assembly includes a suction motor operable to generate an airflow through the suction nozzle when powered by a power source, and a dirt separator in fluid communication with the suction nozzle operable to separate and collect dirt particles from the airflow drawn through the suction nozzle by the suction motor. The suction motor is unpowerable when the dirt collection assembly is removed from the at least one of the handle assembly or the base. 
     In another aspect, the disclosure provides a vacuum cleaner having a support assembly, a suction nozzle, and a dirt collection assembly removably coupled to the support assembly. The dirt collection assembly includes a suction motor operable to generate an airflow through the suction nozzle when powered by a power source, and a dirt separator in fluid communication with the suction nozzle operable to separate and collect dirt particles from the airflow drawn through the suction nozzle by the suction motor. The suction motor is unpowerable when the dirt collection assembly is removed from the support assembly. 
     In yet another aspect, the disclosure provides a vacuum cleaner including a support assembly including a suction nozzle and a battery, and a first electrical connector disposed on the support assembly. The first electrical connector configured to be electrically coupled to the battery. The vacuum cleaner also includes a dirt collection assembly removably coupled to the support assembly. The dirt collection assembly includes a second electrical connector, and a suction motor electrically coupleable to the battery through the first and second electrical connectors. The suction motor is operable to generate a suction force through the suction nozzle when the first and second electrical connectors are electrically connected. The dirt collection assembly also includes a dirt separator configured to remove and collect dirt particles from an airflow drawn through the suction nozzle by the suction motor. The dirt collection assembly is moveable between a connected position in which the dirt separator is in fluid communication with the suction nozzle for collecting the dirt particles and suction motor is electrically connected to the battery through the first and second electrical connectors, and a disconnected position in which the dirt collection assembly is separated from the support assembly and in which the suction motor is electrically disconnected from the battery. 
     Other aspects of the disclosure will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a vacuum cleaner having a support assembly and a dirt collection assembly according to one construction of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the vacuum cleaner of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a rear view of the vacuum cleaner of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a side perspective cross-sectional view of the vacuum cleaner of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a partial front perspective view of the vacuum cleaner of  FIG. 1  having the dirt collection assembly removed from the support assembly. 
         FIG. 6  is a partial rear perspective view of the vacuum cleaner of  FIG. 1  having the dirt collection assembly removed from the support assembly. 
         FIG. 7  is a partial cross-sectional view of the vacuum cleaner of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 8  is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of the vacuum cleaner of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Before any constructions of the disclosure are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The disclosure is capable of other constructions and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. 
       FIGS. 1-4  illustrate a vacuum cleaner  10 . The illustrated vacuum cleaner  10  is an upright vacuum cleaner having a support assembly which, in the illustrated construction, includes a handle assembly  12  and a base  14 . The base  14  is movable along a surface to be cleaned  16 , such as a carpeted or hard-surface floor. The handle assembly  12  extends from the base  14 . The handle assembly  12  allows a user to move and manipulate the base  14  along the surface to be cleaned  16 . The handle assembly  12  is movably coupled to the base  14  such that the handle assembly  12  is movable relative to the base  14  between an upright storage position ( FIG. 1 ) and an inclined operating position (not shown). In other constructions, the vacuum cleaner  10  may include other types of vacuum cleaners having other configurations of support assemblies, such as stick vacuum cleaners, canister vacuum cleaners, hand-held vacuum cleaners, carpet cleaners, etc. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the base  14  includes a floor nozzle  18  (or suction nozzle) providing an inlet for receiving an airflow  13  into the vacuum cleaner  10  and a brushroll  20  disposed proximate the floor nozzle  18  for agitating dirt on the surface to be cleaned  16 . The brushroll  20  is powered for rotation by a brushroll motor (not shown) (e.g., powered by a power source discussed below). In other constructions, the brushroll  20  could be powered by a turbine disposed in the airflow passageway powered by the flow of air or by a suction motor. Power to the brushroll motor can be selectively controlled by an “on/off” switch disposed on the handle assembly or elsewhere on the vacuum cleaner. The illustrated floor nozzle  18  includes an opening formed in a bottom surface  22  of the base  14  adjacent a forward end  24  of the base  14 . The base  14  includes an airflow passageway  26  and a first hose connector  28  disposed at a distal end of the airflow passageway  26 . The airflow passageway  26  extends from the floor nozzle  18  to the first hose connector  28 . A first end  30  of a hose  32  (e.g., a flexible hose) is mechanically coupled to the first hose connector  28  and is thus fluidly coupled to the airflow passageway  26  ( FIGS. 2 and 3 ). A second end  34  of the hose  32  is coupled to an anchor  33  on the handle assembly  12 . 
     A pair of wheels  36  are coupled to the base  14  adjacent a rearward end  38  of the base  14 . The wheels  36  facilitate moving the base  14  along the surface to be cleaned  16 . In the illustrated construction, the base  14  includes two wheels positioned on opposing sides of the base. In other constructions, the base  14  may include fewer or more wheels. The wheels  36  may be idle wheels or driven wheels. 
     The handle assembly  12  includes a power source  40  for powering a motor  42  (e.g., a suction motor). In the illustrated construction, the power source  40  includes a battery pack having battery cells  44 . In other constructions, other power sources may be used, such as a fuel cell, or a cord and a plug for plugging into a source of utility power, etc. The handle assembly  12  also includes a maneuvering handle  46  having a grip  50  for a user to grasp and maneuver the vacuum cleaner  10 , a wand  50 , and a spine  52  extending from the base  14  towards the maneuvering handle  46 . The handle assembly  12  includes a switch  54  for activating the motor  42 . In other constructions, the switch  54  may be disposed proximate the power source  40 , proximate the maneuvering handle  46 , or elsewhere on the handle assembly  12 . 
     The spine  52  includes an elongated tubular receptacle  56  for receiving the wand  50 , the receptacle  56  defining a longitudinal axis A. The wand  50  is coupled to the maneuvering handle  46 , and the maneuvering handle  46  and wand  50  are removable from the receptacle  56  together as a unit. A second hose connector  58  is disposed at a first distal end  51  of the wand  50  proximate the maneuvering handle  46  for receiving the hose  32  to fluidly connect the wand  50  to a suction force generated by the motor  42 . The wand  50  may be used to clean above-floor surfaces, e.g., stairs, drapes, corners, furniture, etc. An accessory tool  60  (e.g., a crevice tool, an upholstery tool, a pet tool, etc.) is detachably coupled to the handle assembly  12  for storage and may be coupled to a second distal end  53  of the wand  50  for specialized cleaning of non-floor surfaces. 
     The vacuum cleaner  10  includes a dirt collection assembly  62  supported by the support assembly, e.g., the handle assembly  12  in the illustrated construction. The dirt collection assembly  62  includes a dirt cup  64 , a dirt separator  66 , the motor  42 , a motor housing  74 , a diffuser  68 , and a dirt collection handle  70  defining a hand grip  72 . The motor  42  is disposed generally on top of the dirt cup  64  and dirt separator  66 , e.g., in a direction defined generally from the base  14  towards the maneuvering handle  46  generally parallel to the longitudinal axis A when the dirt collection assembly  62  is supported by the handle assembly  12 . The motor  42  is substantially enclosed by the motor housing  74 . The motor  42  is disposed substantially between the dirt separator  66  (or dirt cup  64 ) and the dirt collection handle  70  (or hand grip  72 ). In the illustrated construction, the dirt collection handle  70  is disposed on the motor housing  74 . In other constructions, the dirt collection handle  70  may be disposed elsewhere on the dirt collection assembly  62 , such as on the dirt cup  64 . 
     The motor  42  drives an impeller  116  and generates a vacuum or suction force in the vacuum cleaner  10 . The suction force draws air and dirt into the vacuum cleaner  10  through the floor nozzle  18 , through the airflow passageway  26 , through the hose  32 , through the anchor  33 , and into the dirt collection assembly  62  by way of an inlet  76  in the dirt collection assembly  76 . The inlet  76  is mechanically coupled to the anchor  33 , thereby fluidly coupling the dirt collection assembly  62  to the second end  34  of the hose  32 . Thus, the dirt collection assembly  62  is fluidly coupled to the hose  32  and to the airflow passageway  26  in the base  14 . If the first end  30  of the hose  32  is connected to the second hose connector  58  in the wand  50 , then the suction force draws air and dirt into the vacuum cleaner  10  through the wand  50 , through the hose  32 , and into the dirt collection assembly  62 . 
     The dirt separator  66  removes dirt from the airflow  13  drawn into the vacuum cleaner  10  by the suction force, and the dirt cup  64  collects the dirt separated by the dirt separator  66 . In the illustrated construction, the dirt separator  66  includes a cyclonic separator, which is best illustrated in  FIG. 7 . The cyclonic separator includes a first cyclone  78  and a second cyclone  80  arranged substantially concentrically with the first cyclone  78 . In the illustrated construction, the dirt separator  66  also includes a filter  82  ( FIG. 7 ) disposed downstream of the dirt separator  66  for trapping additional dirt. In other constructions, the dirt separator  66  may include other types of dirt separators, such as fabric filters, filter bags, static filters, electrostatic precipitators (ESP), wet scrubbers, other inertial separators, etc. The diffuser  68  is disposed downstream of the impeller  116  and slows down the flow of clean air (air from which at least a portion of the dirt has been separated) and reduces noise before the clean air is discharged from openings  84  in the dirt collection assembly  62 , specifically, in the motor housing  74 . 
     The dirt collection assembly  62  is removably coupled to the handle assembly  12  such that the dirt collection assembly  62  is moveable between a connected position ( FIGS. 1-4 ) in which the dirt separator  66  is in fluid communication with the floor nozzle  18  for collecting the dirt particles and a disconnected position ( FIGS. 5-6 ) for emptying the dirt particles from the dirt separator  66  in which the dirt separator  66  is not in fluid communication with the floor nozzle  18 . The dirt collection assembly  62  includes a latch  86  for removably coupling the dirt collection assembly  62  to the handle assembly  12 . The latch  86  is coupled to, and actuatable by, an actuator  88 . In the illustrated construction, the actuator  88  is disposed proximate the dirt collection handle  70 , preferably on or near the hand grip  72 . In other constructions, the actuator  88  may be located on the handle assembly  12  (e.g., on or near the spine  52 ), on the base  14 , or elsewhere on the vacuum cleaner  10 . In the illustrated construction, the actuator  88  includes a button depressible to move the latch  86  from an engaged position in which the dirt collection assembly  62  is coupled to the handle assembly  12  (i.e., the connected position) to a released position in which the dirt collection assembly  62  is de-coupled (and may be removed) from the handle assembly  12  (i.e., the disconnected position). The handle assembly includes a latch receptacle  90  ( FIGS. 5 and 8 ) for receiving the latch  86  and a catch  92  for engaging the latch  86  to secure the dirt collection assembly  62  to the handle assembly  12 . The actuator  88  is biased to the engaged position by a biasing member  94  ( FIG. 8 ), such as a coil spring. In other constructions, the actuator  88  may include other types of buttons actuatable in different ways, levers, rotatable knobs, magnets, etc., and may include other types of biasing members such as leaf springs, cup springs, elastic members, magnets, etc. In yet other constructions, the dirt collection assembly  62  may be removably coupled to the base  14 , or to another portion of the vacuum cleaner  10 . 
     The dirt collection assembly  62  includes a first electrical connector  96  ( FIG. 6 ) electrically coupled to the motor  42 . The first electrical connector  96  is disposed in a connector receptacle  98  on the dirt collection assembly  62  (more specifically, on the motor housing  74 ) that receives a corresponding second electrical connector  100  disposed on the handle assembly  12  (more specifically, on the spine  52 ) ( FIGS. 5 and 8 ). The second electrical connector  100  is electrically coupled to the power source  40  for providing power to the motor  42  when the first and second connectors  96 ,  100  are coupled. The second electrical connector  100  protrudes from the handle assembly  12  and is shaped and configured to mate with the connector receptacle  98  such that the first electrical connector  96  electrically couples to the second electrical connector  100  when mated (e.g., in the connected position), thereby electrically coupling the power source  40  to the motor  42 . When the first and second electrical connectors  96 ,  100  are not coupled (e.g., in the disconnected position when the dirt collection assembly  62  is removed from the vacuum cleaner  10 ), the motor  42  is electrically disconnected to the power source  40  and the switch  54  and is unpowerable as the dirt collection assembly  62  does not contain its own independent power source. Thus, the motor  42  cannot be powered unless the dirt collection assembly  62  is in the connected position. In other constructions, the switch  54  may be disposed on the dirt collection assembly  62  and the power source  40  disposed on the handle assembly  12  such that the motor  42  is electrically connected to the switch  54  but not the power source  40  in the disconnected position. The second electrical connector  100  protrudes from the spine  52 . In other constructions, the first electrical connector  96  may protrude from the dirt collection assembly  62  and the handle assembly  12  may include the corresponding connector receptacle  98 . In yet other constructions, other configurations are possible. For example, the latch  86  and the electrical connectors  96 ,  100  may be integrated. 
     The dirt collection assembly  62  includes a door  102  and a dirt latch  104  for opening the door  102  ( FIG. 6 ). The door  102  is disposed on the bottom of the dirt cup  64  (e.g., in a direction extending generally from the maneuvering handle  46  towards the base  14  substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis A) generally opposite the motor  42  and the dirt collection handle  70 . The door  102  is pivotably coupled to the dirt cup  64  and moveable between a closed position ( FIG. 6 ) in which the dirt is collected in the dirt cup  64  and an open position (not shown) in which the dirt is released from the dirt cup  64 . The dirt latch  104  is disposed proximate the handle assembly  12  when the dirt collection assembly  62  is in the connected position ( FIG. 7 ). In the illustrated construction, the dirt latch  104  includes a lever pivotable about a pivot axis P ( FIG. 6 ), the lever  104  including a first portion  106  on one side of the pivot axis P and a second portion  108  on an opposite side of the pivot axis P. The second portion  108  includes a latch portion  110  that engages with a door catch  112  ( FIG. 7 ) to hold the door  102  in the closed position. The first portion  106  is depressible to release the latch portion  110  from the door catch  112  when the dirt cup assembly  62  is in the disconnected position to allow the door  102  to move to the open position. The dirt latch  104  can be actuated when the dirt collection assembly  62  is in the disconnected position. In the connected position, the dirt collection assembly  62  is supported on a support surface  114 , which prevents the door  102  from being able to open; and, the dirt latch  104  is inaccessible because it is disposed proximate the spine  52  of the handle assembly  12 . In other constructions, other types of dirt latches  104  may be employed, such as other configurations of levers, buttons, magnets, rotatable knobs, etc. 
     In operation, when the motor  42  is energized, the airflow  13  is drawn by the motor  42  into the vacuum cleaner  10  through the floor nozzle  18  in the base  14 . The base  14  directs the airflow  13  into the airflow passageway  26 , which directs the airflow  13  into the hose  32  ( FIG. 4 ). The hose  32  directs the airflow  13  into the dirt separator  66  of the dirt collection assembly  62  in the connected position. The airflow  13  then circulates sequentially within the first and second cyclones  78 ,  80  to remove relatively large dirt and particles from the airflow  13 . The airflow  13  also passes through the filter  82  of the dirt collection assembly  62  to remove relatively small dirt and particles from the airflow  13 . After passing through the filter  82 , the airflow  13  passes through the impeller  116 , is directed through the diffuser  68 , and toward the motor  42 . The cleaned airflow  13  is then exhausted out of the dirt collection assembly  62  through the openings  84  formed in the motor housing  74 . 
     The dirt collection assembly  62  is manufactured and assembled together as a subassembly of the vacuum cleaner  10  that is removable from the vacuum cleaner  10  (e.g., from the support assembly) as one unit. That is, the motor  42 , the motor housing  74 , the dirt separator  66 , and the dirt cup  64  are removable together as one unit. The user grasps the dirt collection handle  70 , actuates the latch  86  to release the dirt collection assembly  62  to the disconnected position, and lifts the dirt collection assembly  62  from the handle assembly  12  (or from the base  14  or other portion of the vacuum cleaner  10  in other constructions). Then, the user actuates the dirt latch  104  to release the door  102  to the open position for emptying dirt from the dirt cup  64 . The motor  42  and motor housing  74  may be removed from the dirt cup  64  to facilitate changing or cleaning of the filter  82 . When the dirt collection assembly  62  is in the disconnected position, the motor  42  is disconnected from both the power source  40  and the switch  54  and cannot be activated. Therefore, the motor  42  is unpowerable in the disconnected position. 
     Thus, the disclosure provides, among other things, a vacuum cleaner having a dirt collection assembly that is removable to a disconnected position together with the motor such that the motor cannot be activated in the disconnected position. Various features and advantages of the disclosure are set forth in the following claims.