Patent Publication Number: US-10758101-B2

Title: Upright vacuum cleaner with battery support plate

Description:
FIELD 
     The field relates to upright vacuum cleaners and, in particular, battery-powered upright vacuum cleaners. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Vacuum cleaners typically include a power cord that extends from the vacuum cleaner and connects to a power source. During operation, the maneuverability of the vacuum cleaner may be limited by the power cord. In addition, the vacuum cleaner may not be able to reach some areas while the power cord is connected to the power source. Moreover, the power cord may experience stress and may be disconnected from the vacuum or the power source as a user attempts to maneuver the vacuum cleaner. 
     Upright vacuum cleaners may be powered by a battery in a cordless mode to improve maneuverability of the vacuum cleaner. Conventional battery-powered upright vacuum cleaners are often underpowered and/or may not be well suited for larger battery systems. A need exists for an upright vacuum cleaner that can support relatively large battery systems such as 92 volt battery systems. 
     This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the disclosure, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art. 
     SUMMARY 
     One aspect of the present disclosure is directed to an upright vacuum cleaner. The vacuum cleaner includes a cleaning head for removing debris from a floor and into the vacuum cleaner and a filter assembly to filter and collect debris from an airstream. A debris tube is connected to the cleaning head and filter assembly. The debris tube is further connected to the cleaning head. The vacuum cleaner includes a battery support plate adapted to support a battery. The battery support plate is attached to the debris tube. 
     Various refinements exist of the features noted in relation to the above-mentioned aspects of the present disclosure. Further features may also be incorporated in the above-mentioned aspects of the present disclosure as well. These refinements and additional features may exist individually or in any combination. For instance, various features discussed below in relation to any of the illustrated embodiments of the present disclosure may be incorporated into any of the above-described aspects of the present disclosure, alone or in any combination. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an upright vacuum cleaner; 
         FIG. 2  is a detailed perspective view of the cleaning head of the vacuum cleaner; 
         FIG. 3  is another detailed perspective view of the cleaning head; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-section side view of the vacuum cleaner; 
         FIG. 5  is a rear view of the vacuum cleaner; 
         FIG. 6  is a rear view of the upright vacuum cleaner showing an electrical connection interface; 
         FIG. 7  is a rear view of the vacuum cleaner in a corded mode; 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the handle assembly, debris tube and battery support plate of the vacuum cleaner; 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the handle assembly and debris tube; 
         FIG. 10  is a perspective view of the battery support plate; 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view of the battery support plate and a debris tube bracket; 
         FIG. 12  is a perspective view of the debris tube, battery, battery support plate and support bracket; 
         FIG. 13  is a perspective view of the battery; and 
         FIG. 14  is a perspective view of the battery support plate. 
     
    
    
     Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an example vacuum cleaning system  10 . The vacuum cleaning system  10  includes an upright vacuum cleaner  12  and battery  57 . The vacuum cleaner  12  includes a cleaning head  15  for removing debris from a floor and into the vacuum cleaner  12 . The cleaning head  15  includes a motor assembly  19  ( FIG. 2 ) having a motor that powers a brush unit  21 . The brush unit  21  includes one or more brushes (not shown) that rotate and contact the floor to agitate debris to promote entrainment of the debris into an airflow pulled within the vacuum cleaner. A blower or fan  25  pulls air and debris from the brush unit  21 , through a blower housing  27  ( FIG. 3 ) and into the blower  25 . The blower  25  pushes the air and debris into a debris tube  31  ( FIG. 4 ) that extends upward from the cleaning head  15 . The debris tube  31  is pivotally attached to the cleaning head  15 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 4 , the debris tube  31  is fluidly connected to the blower  25  and a filter assembly  35 . Air and debris travel up the debris tube  31  and are discharged into the filter assembly  35 . The filter assembly  35  filters and collects debris from the airstream. The filter assembly  35  is disposed within a filter housing  39  ( FIG. 5 ). The filter housing  39  may be rigid (e.g., plastic) or flexible (e.g., flexible thermoformed foam housing with a fabric exterior) or a combination of rigid and flexible components. 
     The filter housing  39  includes an access door  49  to allow access to the filter assembly  35  ( FIG. 4 ) to allow the filter assembly  35  to be removed or connected to the vacuum cleaner  12 . The filter assembly  35  may be a bag filter or panel or cartridge filter. The filter assembly  35  selectively allows air to pass through the filter and retain debris within the filter assembly. 
     A handle assembly  41  ( FIG. 8 ) is attached to the debris tube  31 . The handle assembly  41  includes a power switch  43  ( FIG. 1 ) that, once actuated, causes the vacuum cleaner  12  to be powered. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the vacuum cleaner  12  may be selectively powered by a battery in a cordless mode ( FIGS. 1-5 ) or by an AC power source (i.e., AC electricity supplied to households and businesses) in a corded mode ( FIG. 7 ). The vacuum cleaner  12  includes an electrical connection interface  44  (shown as a power connector in  FIG. 6 ) for connecting the battery  57  ( FIG. 1 ) or for connecting the power cord  46  ( FIG. 7 ). In other embodiments, the vacuum cleaner  12  is powered only by a battery. 
     The battery  57  comprises a battery power pack  53  ( FIG. 4 ) having a plurality of rechargeable batteries cells within a casing. The battery cells may include any suitable battery chemistry and design such as lithium ion batteries, lead-acid batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-zinc batteries and nickel metal hydride batteries. In some embodiments, the batteries are lithium-ion. In some embodiments, when the battery  57  is at least partially charged, the battery  57  is capable of providing 92-volt, DC power to the vacuum cleaner  12  (e.g., 92.4 VDC). Other suitable output voltages of the battery  57  include, for example and without limitation, about 80 VDC and about 108 VDC. 
     The battery  57  is suspended from a battery support plate  61 . The battery support plate  61  ( FIG. 8 ) is attached to the debris tube  31  and is disposed below the filter assembly  35  ( FIG. 4 ). As shown in  FIG. 9 , the debris tube  31  includes a main body portion  65  and mounting members  69  that extend from the main body portion  65  for supporting the battery support plate  61 . 
     The battery support plate  61  includes recesses  71  ( FIG. 10 ) formed within the plate  61 . The mounting members  69  ( FIG. 9 ) are received in the recesses  71 . In the illustrated embodiment, the debris tube  31  includes two mounting members  69  and the battery support plate  61  includes two recesses  71 . In other embodiments, the debris tube  31  includes more or less than two mounting members  69  and the battery support plate  61  includes more or less than two recesses  71 . In yet other embodiments, the battery support plate  61  includes one or more mounting members that are received in one or more recesses within the debris tube  31 . 
     The battery support plate  61  may be a single piece or may be two or more pieces fastened together by fasteners (e.g., screws). 
     The vacuum cleaner  12  includes a debris tube bracket  75  ( FIG. 11 ) that fastens to the battery support plate  61 . The battery support plate  61  and debris tube bracket  75  form a chamber  77  through which the debris tube  31  ( FIG. 9 ) passes. Bracket fasteners (not shown) fasten the support plate  61  to the debris tube bracket  75 . 
     A support bracket  79  ( FIG. 12 ) is disposed above and attached to the battery support plate  61 . The support bracket  79  includes openings  81  which receive fasteners (not shown) that mate with threaded connections  83  ( FIG. 11 ) of the support plate  61 . The support bracket  79  also includes openings  87  that receive fasteners (not shown) that mate with threaded connections  89  ( FIG. 9 ) of the debris tube  31 . The filter housing  39  includes a bottom portion (not shown) that is disposed between the support bracket  79  and battery support plate  61  to secure the filter housing  39 . 
     The battery  57  is releasable attached to the battery support plate  61 . Referring now to  FIG. 13 , the battery  57  includes a cover plate  91  and sidewalls  92  that extend down from the cover plate  91 . The cover plate  91  includes two rails  93  that may be received in grooves  95  ( FIG. 14 ) formed in the battery support plate  61 . Alternatively, the cover plate  91  may include grooves (not shown) that mate with rails (not shown) of the battery support plate  61 . In the illustrated embodiment, the cover plate  91  includes two rails  93  and the battery support plate  61  includes two grooves  95 . In other embodiments, the cover plate  91  includes more or less than two rails  93  and the battery support plate  61  includes more or less than two grooves  95 . 
     The battery support plate  61  and grooves  95  thereof angle downward toward the debris tube  31 . The rails  93  of the battery cover plate  91  also angle downward (e.g., toward the debris tube  31  when connected to the vacuum cleaner  12 ). 
     The battery support plate  61  includes a cavity  85  adapted to receive an electrical connection interface  90  (shown as a power connector in  FIG. 13 ) of the battery  57  to allow the battery to electrically couple to the electrical connection interface  44  ( FIG. 6 ) of the vacuum cleaner  12 . 
     The battery  57  includes a latch  97  ( FIG. 12 ) having an upper portion that fits within an opening  99  formed in the battery support plate  61 . Springs (not shown) bias the latch upward. While positioning the battery  57  into the battery support plate  61  by sliding the rails  93  ( FIG. 13 ) into grooves  95  ( FIG. 14 ) of the support plate  61 , the latch  97  mates with the opening  99  to lock the battery  57  onto the support plate  61 . The latch  97  may be depressed to release the battery  57  from the support plate  61 . 
     Compared to conventional upright vacuum cleaners, the upright vacuum cleaner of embodiments of the present disclosure has several advantages. The battery support plate and battery are configured to allow the battery to be disposed on and removed from the vacuum cleaner. By removably receiving the battery, the vacuum cleaner is configured to be converted from battery power to AC main power. The mounting members that extend from the main body of the debris tube provide support for the battery. This is especially advantageous for larger battery systems such as 92 volt battery systems. As the support bracket is connected to the debris tube and the support plate, the support bracket also supports the weight of the battery. The battery support plate may be relatively low on the handle assembly to create a better weight distribution and a lower center of gravity to reduce the handle weight of the vacuum thereby reducing operator fatigue. In embodiments in which the grooves of the support plate and the battery rails angle downward toward the debris tube, the battery may more easily be removed and disposed on the vacuum cleaner. The weight of the battery assists to dispose the battery on the vacuum cleaner into the locked position. 
     When introducing elements of the present disclosure or the embodiment(s) thereof, the articles “a”, “an”, “the” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising,” “including,” “containing” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. The use of terms indicating a particular orientation (e.g., “top”, “bottom”, “side”, etc.) is for convenience of description and does not require any particular orientation of the item described. 
     As various changes could be made in the above constructions and methods without departing from the scope of the disclosure, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawing[s] shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.