Patent Publication Number: US-2009223183-A1

Title: Vacuum collector having sweeping device

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a vacuum collector, and more particularly to a vacuum collector having a stirring or sweeping device disposed in a screen filter member and operated with a separated motor for sweeping dirt from the screen filter member and for allowing the dirt or the ash to be easily and automatically collected. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Typical vacuum collectors comprise a duct arm or a trunk for directing toward the dust or dirt or fume to be collected, an electric vacuum motor or pump for vacuuming or drawing the dust or dirt or fume into or through the duct arm or the trunk, and a screen filter member attached to one end of the duct arm or the trunk for receiving and collecting the dirt. 
     For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,186,281 to Cheng discloses one of the typical dust collecting machines having a dust removing device disposed in a dust collecting tank for sweeping or removing dirt or ash from the dust collecting tank manually with two handles and a pulling unit. 
     However, a worker is required to hold the handles and to actuate the handles to pull the pulling unit in order to actuate or operate the dust removing device to sweep or remove the dirt or ash from the dust collecting tank such that the dust removing device for the typical dust collecting machines may not be operated automatically. 
     The applicant of the present invention has developed another typical vacuum collector which is allowed and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 7,318,249 to Lin and which includes a filter member disposed in a filter canister, and a sweeping device disposed in the filter member for sweeping the filter member and for removing the dirt or ash from the filter member. 
     However, in the typical vacuum collectors, the sweeping device is also required to be operated with a handle such that a worker is also required to hold the handle and to actuate the handle to actuate or operate the sweeping device to sweep or remove the dirt or ash from the filter member such that the filter member device for the typical vacuum collectors also may not be operated automatically. 
     The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional vacuum collectors. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a vacuum collector including a stirring or sweeping device disposed in a screen filter member and operated with a separated motor for sweeping dirt from the screen filter member and for allowing the dirt to be easily and automatically collected. 
     The other objective of the present invention is to provide a vacuum collector including a control device coupled to the sweeping device and the vacuum motor for selectively or alternatively or automatically actuating or operating the sweeping device and the vacuum motor. 
     In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a vacuum collector comprising a housing; a filter canister disposed below the housing, a filter member disposed in the filter canister, a dust removing device disposed in the filter member and disposed in the filter canister for sweeping dust from the filter member, a driving device disposed on the housing and coupled to the dust removing device for actuating the dust removing device to automatically sweep and remove the dust from the filter member, a dust collecting receptacle disposed below the housing and coupled to the housing, a fan device disposed in the housing and disposed above the dust collecting receptacle for drawing air and dust into the housing and for collecting particles in the dust collecting receptacle, and a vacuum motor disposed on the housing and coupled to the fan device for automatically drawing the air and the dust into the housing. 
     The dust removing device includes a shaft rotatably disposed in the filter canister, and at least one blade adjustably attached to the shaft for engaging with the filter member to sweep of the dust from the filter member when the blade is rotated relative to the filter member. 
     A control device may further be provided and coupled to the driving device and the vacuum motor for selectively or alternatively or automatically actuating or operating the driving device and the vacuum motor. 
     The control device includes a switch for selectively or alternatively actuating or operating the driving device and the vacuum motor. The control device includes a plug for electrically coupling to a power source. 
     A base may further be provided and includes a post extended upwardly therefrom, the housing being disposed on the post. The base includes an opening formed in the base for slidably receiving the dust collection receptacle. 
     Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a vacuum collector in accordance with the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a partial perspective view illustrating the filter device for the vacuum collector; 
         FIG. 3  is a partial cross sectional view of the filter device for the vacuum collector taken along lines  3 - 3  of  FIG. 2 ; and 
         FIG. 4  is a partial cross sectional view similar to  FIG. 3 , illustrating the operation of the filter device for the vacuum collector. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the drawings, and initially to  FIG. 1 , a vacuum collector  1  in accordance with the present invention comprises a base  10  including an upright support or post  11  extended upwardly therefrom, and including a chamber  12  formed in the post  11  and defined by such as two side panels  14 , and including an opening  15  formed in the base  10  for slidably receiving a dust collection barrel or dust collecting receptacle  30 , the dust collecting receptacle  30  may include two or more wheels  31  attached to the bottom thereof for moving the dust collecting receptacle  30  away from or toward the base  10 , and the base  10  may also include two or more wheels  13  attached to the bottom thereof for moving the base  10  to any suitable positions or locations. 
     The vacuum collector  1  further includes a housing  20  disposed on top of the post  11  and having a duct  22  attached to or extended downwardly from the housing  20 , the duct  22  is arranged or disposed above the dust collecting receptacle  30  and selectively coupling or locking or securing to the dust collecting receptacle  30  with one or more locking or latching devices  22 , such as the quick-release locking or latching devices  22  for selectively locking or securing the dust collecting receptacle  30  to the housing  20 , and for selectively closing the dust collecting receptacle  30  and for allowing the dust collecting receptacle  30  to be selectively removed or disengaged from the housing  20  and the base  10 . A fan device  23  is disposed or engaged into the housing  20  ( FIG. 2 ) and preferably arranged or disposed above the duct  22  for air drawing or vacuuming purposes. 
     For example, an electric vacuum motor or pump  24  is disposed or attached to the upper portion of the housing  20  and coupled to the fan device  23  for rotating or driving the fan device  23  to vacuum or to draw the dust or dirt or fume into the housing  20 . For example, the housing  20  includes a hose or inlet port  25  ( FIG. 1 ) for coupling to trunks or duct arms or nozzles (not shown) or the like, and for directing toward the dust or dirt or fume to be collected, in order to vacuum or to drawn the dust or the dirt or the fume through the hose or inlet port  25  and then into the housing  20 . The larger dirt or particles may be dropped into and collected within the dust collecting receptacle  30 . As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a filter canister  40  may further be provided and disposed below the housing  20  and attached or coupled to the lower portion of the housing  20  and communicating with the housing  20  for receiving and collecting the light weight dust or dirt. 
     Another motor or motor driving device  26 , such as a step motor  26  may further be provided and attached or disposed on the housing  20 , and preferably arranged or disposed above the filter canister  40 , and coupled to a stirring or sweeping or dust removing device  50  which is disposed in a filter member  41  ( FIGS. 3 ,  4 ) that is also disposed in the filter canister  40  for sweeping the dust or the dirt from the filter member  41  and for allowing the dust or the dirt to be easily removed from the filter member  41  and/or to be easily collected within the filter member  41 , in which the dust removing device  50  has been disclosed and filed and claimed in the co-pending U.S. Pat. No. 7,318,249 to Lin which may be taken as a reference for the present invention. 
     For example, the dust removing device  50  includes a shaft  51  rotatably disposed in the filter member  41  and in the filter canister  40 , and the shaft  51  includes two ends rotatably secured to the filter canister  40  with such as seats or bearings  52  or the like, and one or more flaps or blades  53  adjustably secured or attached to the shaft  51  with such as a fastener  54  ( FIG. 2 ) for allowing the blades  53  to be adjusted toward and away from the filter member  41  and to be suitably engaged with the filter member  41  and thus for suitably sweeping and removing the dust or the dirt from the filter member  41 . The step motor or motor driving device  26  is coupled to the shaft  51  for driving or rotating the shaft  51  and the blades  53  to engage with and to sweep and remove the dust or the dirt from the filter member  41 . 
     The vacuum collector  1  may further include a control device  80  electrically coupled to the vacuum motor or pump  24  and the motor driving device  26  with electric wires or cables  81 ,  82  ( FIGS. 1 ,  2 ) respectively, and a switch  83  for selectively actuating or operating the vacuum motor or pump  24  and the motor driving device  26 , and an electric coupler or plug  84  electrically coupled to the control device  80  for selectively and electrically coupling the control device  80  to the electric reservoir or power source (not shown) and thus for allowing the vacuum motor or pump  24  and the motor driving device  26  to be suitably and selectively actuated or operated with the control device  80 . It is preferable that the shaft  51  and the blades  53  may be selectively or changeably rotated in either direction ( FIGS. 3 ,  4 ) by the motor driving device  26 . 
     In operation, when the electric coupler or plug  84  is electrically coupled to the power source, for example, the motor driving device  26  may be energized or operated to actuate or to rotate the shaft  51  and the blades  53  of the dust removing device  50  in either or both directions for such as one minute and to suitably sweep and remove the dust or the dirt from the filter member  41 . At this moment, the switch  83  is not required to be depressed or actuated, and the vacuum motor or pump  24  and the fan device  23  are not energized or operated. 
     When the switch  83  is depressed or actuated once, for example, the motor driving device  26  may be switched off and the vacuum motor or pump  24  may be energized or operated to actuate the fan device  23  for few minutes or for a predetermined time interval in order to draw the air and the dust or dirt or fume through the inlet port  25  and then into the housing  20  and/or for vacuuming purposes and thus for collecting the larger dirt or particles within the dust collecting receptacle  30  and for drawing and collecting the light weight dust or dirt into the filter canister  40 . At this moment, the shaft  51  and the blades  53  of the dust removing device  50  are not operated by the motor driving device  26 . 
     When the switch  83  is depressed or actuated again, for example, the vacuum motor or pump  24  may be switched off and the motor driving device  26  may be energized or operated to actuate or to rotate the shaft  51  and the blades  53  of the dust removing device  50  in either or both directions for such as one minute and to suitably sweep and remove the dust or the dirt from the filter member  41  again. At this moment, the vacuum motor or pump  24  and the fan device  23  are not energized or operated. The vacuum motor or pump  24  and the motor driving device  26  may be switched off when the switch  83  is depressed or actuated again, for example. 
     Alternatively, the vacuum motor or pump  24  and the motor driving device  26  may be automatically and alternatively energized or operated or actuated by the control device  80  without depressing or actuating the switch  83  when the electric coupler or plug  84  is electrically coupled to the power source, for example, and the vacuum motor or pump  24  and the motor driving device  26  may be switched off when the switch  83  is depressed or actuated by the user such that the dust removing device  50  is not required to be operated manually. 
     Accordingly, the vacuum collector in accordance with the present invention includes a stirring or sweeping device disposed in a screen filter member and operated with a separated motor for sweeping dirt from the screen filter member and for allowing the dirt or the ash to be easily and automatically collected, and includes a control device coupled to the sweeping device and the vacuum motor for selectively or alternatively or automatically actuating or operating the sweeping device and the vacuum motor. 
     Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.