Patent Publication Number: US-2022218166-A1

Title: Modular vacuum system

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 16/426,068, filed May 30, 2019, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,291,339, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/680,134 filed on Jun. 4, 2018, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The present invention relates to vacuum cleaners. 
     Vacuum cleaners may include a power head including a fan and a motor for generating a suction airflow. The suction airflow supplied by the vacuum cleaner is often used for collecting debris and depositing the debris in a collector or compartment. These collectors are often removable from the power head to empty the collector 
     SUMMARY 
     In one embodiment, the invention provides a modular vacuum system including a first canister with a first capacity configured to store debris, a second canister with a second capacity greater than the first capacity, a first power head and a second power head. The first power head is coupled to either the first canister or the second canister. The first power head is operable at a first voltage to generate a first suction airflow, and the first power head can be coupled to the first canister such that the first canister receives the first suction airflow. The first canister stores debris separated from the first suction airflow. The first power head can be coupled to the second canister such that the second canister receives the first suction airflow. The second canister stores debris separated from the first suction airflow. The second power head can be coupled to either the first canister or the second canister. The second power head is operable at a second voltage, greater than the first voltage, to generate a second suction airflow, and the second power head can be coupled to the first canister such that the first canister receives the second suction airflow. The first canister stores debris separated from the second suction airflow. The second power head can be coupled to the second canister such that the second canister receives the second suction airflow. The second canister stores debris separated from the second suction airflow. 
     In another embodiment, the invention provides a modular vacuum system including a first canister with a first capacity configured to store debris, a second canister with a second capacity greater than the first capacity, and a power head that can be coupled to either the first canister or the second canister. The power head is operable to generate a suction airflow. The power head can be coupled to the first canister such that the first canister receives the suction airflow and the first canister stores debris separated from the suction airflow. The power head can be coupled to the second canister having a greater capacity than the first canister such that the second canister receives the suction airflow and the second canister stores debris separated from the suction airflow. 
     Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the modular vacuum system according to one embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the modular vacuum system of  FIG. 1  with a canister and a power head removed from a cart. 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the power head removed from the canister. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a variety of canisters with mating cross-sections corresponding to a mating cross-section of the power head. 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a variety of canister paired with a variety of power heads. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention 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 invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. 
       FIGS. 1-5  illustrate a modular vacuum system  10 . The modular vacuum system  10  includes a first power head  12 , a second power head  14 , a first canister  16 , a second canister  17 , a third canister  18  and a base  20 . The power heads  12 ,  14  can be connected to canisters  16 ,  17 ,  18  by using a latch  19 , and the canisters  16 ,  17 ,  18  can be connected to the base  20 . The latch  19  can be actuated to lock or release the power heads  12 ,  14  to the canisters  16 ,  17 ,  18 . The power heads  12 ,  14  have different performance levels and the canisters  16 ,  17 ,  18  have different capacities. Therefore, the user can select the power head performance, the canister size, and the base  20  for a modular and custom design to fit the user&#39;s needs. 
       FIG. 5  illustrates the first power head  12  and the second power head  14 . The first power head  12  has a first performance level and includes a first fan  21  and a first motor  22 . The second power head  14  has a second performance level generally exceeding the first performance level and includes a second fan  23  and a second motor  24 . The first performance level has a first voltage and the second performance level has a second voltage greater than the first voltage. The first voltage is provided by an 18 volt lithium-ion battery  25 . The second voltage is provided by two of the 18 volt lithium-ion batteries  25  that create a 36 volt system. In other embodiments, different battery voltages can be used. In another embodiment, the power heads  12 ,  14  include an AC power input  26  to charge the 18 volt lithium-ion battery  25 , and/or to power the power heads  12 ,  14  when the 18 volt lithium-ion battery  25  is not used. In yet another embodiment, the power heads  12 ,  14  may be only powered by the AC power input  26 . The power heads  12 ,  14  may include a horizontal filter. The filter is interchangeable for various purposes—wet, dust, HEPA, etc. In one embodiment, the filter includes a visual indicator on the side of the filter so the user knows what type of filter (e.g. wet, dust, HEPA, etc.) is installed. 
     As shown in the  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the canisters  16 ,  17 ,  18  have multiple canister sizes. In the illustrated embodiment, the first canister  16  has a capacity ranging from two gallons to six gallons. The second canister  17  has a capacity ranging seven gallons to sixteen gallons. In other embodiments the canisters  16 ,  17 ,  18  may have capacities ranging from two gallons to twenty gallons. The canisters  16 ,  17 ,  18  have an open upper end  27  and a closed lower end  28 .  FIG. 5  illustrates the first canister  16  with a first height  30  measured from the open upper end  27  to the closed lower end  28 . The second canister  17  has a second height  31  and the third canister  18  has a third height  32 . The shape of the open upper end  27  has a first polygonal cross-section  33  and the shape of the closed lower end  28  has a second polygonal cross-section  34 . The size and shape of the open upper end  27  and closed lower end  28  are consistent across the canisters  16 ,  17 ,  18 . Therefore, the capacity of each canister in the illustrated embodiments is varied by the heights  30 ,  31 ,  32  of the canisters  16 ,  17 ,  18 . The canisters  16 ,  17 ,  18  can connect with the power heads  12 ,  14  at the open upper end  27 , and they can connect to the base  20  at the closed lower end  28 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the base  20  includes a handle  38 , a release  40 , a wheels  41 , and a brake  42 . The release  40  is used for unlocking the canisters  16 ,  17 ,  18  from the base  20  (e.g., for emptying or for changing the canister or the base). In the illustrated embodiment, the handle  38  is an adjustable handle connected to the base  20  used to move the canisters  16 ,  17 ,  18  when they are attached to the base  20 . The release  40  is a release lever actuated to remove the canisters  16 ,  17 ,  18  from the base  20 . In one embodiment, the release  40  may be foot actuated release lever. In the illustrated embodiment, the brake  42  prevents the base  20  from moving by locking at least one of the wheels  41 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 3-5 , the canisters  16 ,  17 ,  18  can stand freely without the base  20 . That is, the canisters  16 ,  17 ,  18  can be set on the ground, and the modular vacuum system  10  can be used without the base  20 . In some embodiments, the canisters  16 ,  17 ,  18  may include integrated handle(s) for emptying. 
     In the illustrated embodiment of  FIG. 2 , the modular vacuum system  10  includes an inlet  44  attached to the first power head  12 . A hose  48  is removably coupled to the inlet  44 . During the operation of the modular vacuum system  10 , the first motor  22  is operated at the first voltage to generate a first suction airflow through the inlet  44 . The first suction airflow collects debris that passes through the inlet  44 . The debris is separated from the first suction airflow and stored in the canisters  16 ,  17 ,  18 . In one embodiment, the inlet  44  may be attached to the second power head  14 . In that embodiment, the second motor  24  generates a second suction airflow through the inlet  44 , where the second suction airflow collects debris, and the debris is separated from the second suction airflow and deposited in the canisters  16 ,  17 ,  18 .  FIG. 5  illustrates the modularity of the modular vacuum system  10  illustrates the canisters  16 ,  17 ,  18  coupled to the power heads  12 ,  14  such that the canisters  16 ,  17 ,  18  may receive the first or second suction airflow generated by the power heads  12 ,  14 . In yet another embodiment, the inlet  44  may be attached the canisters  16 ,  17 ,  18 .