Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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FLOOR CLEANING APPARATUS WITH
WIRELESS CONTROL INTERFACE
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application serial
no. 60/615,781 filed on 4 October 2004.
Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to the floor care equipment field
and, more particularly, to a floor cleaning apparatus equipped with a wireless
control interface.
Background of the Invention
Upright vacuum cleaners have become increasingly popular over recent
years. An upright vacuum cleaner may be generally described as comprising a
canister assembly that is pivotally connected to a nozzle assembly. The
canister assembly includes an operating handle that is manipulated by the
operator to move the vacuum cleaner back and forth across the floor during the
cleaning operation. The canister assembly also includes a dirt collection
vessel,
in the form of a dirt cup or filter bag that traps dirt and debris. A suction
generator, in the form of a motor driven fan, is provided on either the nozzle
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assembly or the canister assembly. It is this suction generator that provides
the
drop in air pressure necessary to produce the desired cleaning action.
The nozzle assembly includes a suction inlet through which dirt and
debris is drawn into the vacuum cleaner by the suction generator. In order to
provide more effective cleaning of the nap of rugs and carpets, most upright
vacuum cleaners are also equipped with a rotary agitator. The rotary agitator
is
carried on the nozzle assembly and usually extends substantially across the
full
width of the suction inlet. During vacuum cleaner operation the rotary
agitator
beats dirt and debris from the nap of the underlying carpet. That dirt and
debris
is then drawn in an airstream through the suction inlet into the vacuum
cleaner
by the suction generator. The dirt and debris becomes entrapped in the dirt
collection vessel and the suction generator then moves the clean air through
the
motor to provide cooling before exhausting that air back into the environment.
In order to provide for convenient operation of the upright vacuum
cleaner, it has been found desirable to provide a user interface such as a
series
of buttons or control switches at the end of the operating handle near the
hand
grip. In the past these buttons or switches have been hardwired to the control
circuit board (e.g. CPU) and the various electrical components of the vacuum
cleaner including, for example, the suction generator motor, the agitator
drive
motor if present in the particular model, and the vacuum cleaner propulsion
motor if present in the particular model. In order to provide an aesthetically
pleasing design it has also been found desirable to taper the control handle.
This limits the interior space available for the routing of the hardwiring
from
the control buttons and switches to the other electrical components of the
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vacuum cleaner. As a consequence, routing of the hardwiring has become
quite complicated and the necessary space for hardwiring has often limited the
aesthetic designs that may be applied to the control handle. The present
invention addresses and solves these problems by providing a wireless
connection between the control buttons or switches and the remaining
electrical
components of the vacuum cleaner. Where the vacuum cleaner incorporates a
removable control handle and wand risen ably, the wireless control interface
further eliminates the need to provide control hardwiring from the switches
and
buttons on the control handle through the flexible hose to the remaining
electrical components provided in the main vacuum cleaner housing.
Accordingly, the present invention represents a significant advance in the
art.
Summary of the Invention
In accordance with the purposes of the present invention, an upright
vacuum cleaner is provided comprising a nozzle assembly and a canister
assembly pivotally connected to that nozzle assembly. The vacuum cleaner
further includes a suction generator carried on one of the nozzle assembly and
the canister assembly. Similarly, a dirt collection vessel is also carried on
one
of the nozzle assembly and the canister assembly. Further the vacuum cleaner
includes a control handle with user interface carried on the canister
assembly.
A transmitter is carried on the control handle and a receiver and controller,
remote from the transmitter, are carried on one of the nozzle assembly and the
canister assembly.
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More specifically describing the invention, the nozzle assembly includes
a suction inlet. In addition a rotary agitator may be carried on the nozzle
assembly adjacent the suction inlet. The rotary agitator functions to beat
dirt
and debris from the nap of an underlying carpet being cleaned.
The dirt collection vessel may take the form of a porous filter bag or
alternatively a dirt cup. In one possible embodiment that dirt cup includes a
cylindrical dirt collection chamber and a tangentially directed inlet so as to
provide cyclonic airflow and the airstream cleaning benef is associated
therewith. Still further a first filter may be provided in that dirt cup. In
addition a second filter may be provided downstream from the suction
generator.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention a floor
cleaning apparatus is provided. The floor cleaning apparatus comprises a
housing and both a suction generator and a dirt collection vessel carried on
the
housing. In addition the floor cleaning apparatus includes a handle that is
displaceable between a first, floor cleaning position wherein the handle is
carried on the housing and a second, remote cleaning position wherein the
handle is removed from the housing. A control actuator is carried on the
handle. A transmitter is carried on the handle and operatively connected to
the
control actuator. A receiver responsive to the transmitter is carried on the
housing.
In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, an
upright vacuum cleaner is provided. The upright vacuum cleaner comprises a
nozzle assembly including a suction inlet and a canister assembly pivotally
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connected to the nozzle assembly. A suction generator is carried on either of
the nozzle assembly or the canister assembly. Similarly, a dirt collection
vessel
is carried on either the nozzle assembly or the canister assembly.
The upright vacuum cleaner further includes a handle that is
displaceable between a first, floor cleaning position wherein the handle is
carried on one of the nozzle assembly and the canister assembly and a second,
remote cleaning position wherein the handle is removed from the nozzle
assembly or canister assembly. A control actuator is carried on the handle. A
transmitter is carried on the handle and operatively connected to the control
actuator. Further a receiver responsive to the transmitter is carried on one
of
the nozzle assembly and the canister assembly. Together the control actuator,
transmitter and receiver function as a wireless control interface for the
vacuum
cleaner.
More specifically describing the invention, the vacuum cleaner includes
at least one rotary agitator mounted for rotation relative to the nozzle
assembly
in the suction inlet. The dirt collection vessel may take the form of a porous
filter bag or a dirt cup. In one possible embodiment that dirt cup includes a
cylindrical dirt collection chamber and a tangentially directed inlet so as to
provide cyclonic airflow. A first filter may be provided in the dirt cup. In
one
possible embodiment the suction generator is provided downstream from the
dirt cup and a second filter is provided downstream from the suction
generator.
In the following description there is shown and described a preferred
embodiment of this invention, simply by way of illustration, of one of the
modes best suited to carry out the invention. As it will be realized, the
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invention is capable of other different embodiments and its several details
are
capable of modification in various, obvious aspects all without departing from
the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions will be regarded as
illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.
Brief Description of the Drawing
The accompanying drawing incorporated in and forming a part of this
specification, illustrates several aspects of the present invention, and
together with the description serves to explain certain principles of the
invention. In the drawing:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of an upright vacuum cleaner constructed
in accordance with the teachings of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective view similar to Figure 1 but showing the wand
assembly withdrawn from the canister assembly to allow for above floor
cleaning;
Figure 3 illustrates a dirt cup of cylindrical construction including a
tangentially directed inlet and a centrally located filter so as to provide
for
cyclonic airflow;
Figures 4 and 5 are schematic illustrations of two possible embodiments
of the wireless control interface provided on the floor cleaning apparatus of
the
present invention.
Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred
embodiment of the invention, an example of which is illustrated in the
accompanying drawing.
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Detailed Description of the Invention
As illustrated in Figure 1, the present invention relates to an upright
vacuum cleaner 10 including a housing comprising both a nozzle assembly 12
and a canister assembly 14. The canister assembly 14 is pivotally connected to
the nozzle assembly 12. The upright vacuum cleaner 10 rides over the floor
surface being cleaned on wheels 15 carried on the housing.
The nozzle assembly 12 includes a suction inlet 16. A rotary agitator 18
carried on the nozzle assembly 12 is mounted in the suction inlet 16. The
rotary agitator 18 includes bristle tufts 20, brushes, wipers or the like to
beat
dirt and debris from the nap of an underlying carpet being cleaned as the
agitator 18 is rotated at high speeds with respect to that carpet and the
nozzle
assembly 12.
The canister assembly 14 includes a dirt collection vessel 22 housed in
an internal cavity 23. As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 the dirt collection
vessel
22 is a filter bag of permeable filter material adapted to entrap dirt and
debris
while allowing the passage of clean air through the bag. In an alternative
embodiment the dirt collection vessel 22 may take the form of a dirt cup 24.
As illustrated in Figure 3, such a dirt cup 24 may include a cylindrical dirt
collection chamber 26 having a tangentially directed inlet 26 and an axial
outlet
28. Such an arrangement promotes cyclonic airflow in the chamber 26 which
efficiently removes dirt and debris from the airstream in a manner well known
in the art. A filter 30 may be concentrically mounted within the dirt
collection
chamber 26 over the outlet 28. Such a filter 30 strips any remaining fine dirt
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and debris from the airstream as it moves through the filter toward the outlet
28.
The canister assembly 14 also includes a telescopic wand assembly
generally designated by reference numeral 32. The wand assembly 32 includes
first and second telescopic wand sections 34, 36. The second wand section 36
is telescopingly received in the first wand section 34. The wand sections 34
and 36 are connected together by a wand lock, generally designated by
reference numeral 38, that is carried on the end of the section 34. A control
handle 40 having a hand grip 42 is provided at the end of the first wand
section 34 opposite the wand lock 38. The end of the second wand section 36
opposite the wand lock 38 is received in a connector 44 mounted to the rear of
the canister assembly 14. A flexible hose 46 extends from the control handle
40 to the inlet 48 connected to the dirt collection vessel 22.
During standard floor cleaning operation, the rotary agitator 18 scrubs
and beats dirt and debris from the nap of an underlying carpet being cleaned.
A suction generator 50 carried on the housing draws air entrained with that
dirt
and debris through the suction inlet 16, the connector 44, the wand section
36,
the wand section 34, the control handle 40, the hose 46 and the inlet 48 into
the dirt collection vessel 22. The dirt and debris is captured in the vessel
22
while relatively clean air is drawn over the motor of the suction generator 50
in
order to provide cooling. That air is then exhausted through a final filter 53
and returned to the environment through an exhaust port 54.
As illustrated in Figure 2 the wand assembly 32 includes a distal end
that is removable from the canister assembly 14 to allow manipulation and
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specialty cleaning. More specifically, the distal end of the wand section 36
is
removable from the connector 44. The telescopic sections 34, 36 of the wand
assembly 24 may then be retracted or extended as desired to produce a wand of
desired length. The wand assembly 32 is then manipulated by the operator
through the control handle 40. In this mode of operation air including dirt
and
debris is drawn into the open distal end of the wand assembly 32. That air
then
travels through the wand section 36, the wand section 34, the control handle
40, the hose 46 and the inlet 48 into the dirt collection vessel 22. There the
dirt becomes trapped and clean air then passes over the motor of the suction
generator 50 before being exhausted through the final filter 52 and exhaust
port 54 into the environment.
The operation of the suction generator 50 and rotary agitator 18 are
controlled by the operator through manipulation of the control actuator or
user
interface 60 provided on the control hand grip 42. As best illustrated in
Figure
4, the control actuator 60 is connected to a transmitter 62 through a control
line
63. The user selected control setting is transmitted (see action arrow A) by
the
transmitter 62 to one or more remote receivers 64 provided in the nozzle
assembly 12 and/or the canister assembly 14. The receiver 64 is connected to
the controller/CPU 66 of the vacuum cleaner 10 through the signal line 68.
Thus, the user selected setting information signal is passed from the receiver
64
to the controller 66 along the line 68. The controller 66 then sends control
signals to the motor 80 of the suction generator 50, the motor 82 of the
rotary
agitator 18 and/or the self propulsion motor 84 so that both operate in
accordance with the user selected settings.
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In summary, numerous benefits result from employing the concepts of
the present invention. By eliminating the need for hard wiring between the
user interface 60 in the control hand grip 42 and the CPU 66, there is no need
to provide this wiring in the flexible hose 36, thereby reducing hose
production
costs. Further, there is no longer any need to accommodate such wiring in the
control handle 40 and, accordingly, no associated limits are placed upon
aesthetic handle design.
The foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention
has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not
intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form
disclosed. For example, while an upright vacuum cleaner is illustrated in the
drawing figures, the invention broadly encompasses other floor cleaning
apparatus such as, for example, extractors. Further, while only one agitator
is
illustrated in the drawing figures, the vacuum cleaner could include multiple
agitators or even none at all. Further, for single motor units, the CPU 66
sends
a control signal that operates a transmission or pto drive thereby allowing
interruption of the drive to the agitator while allowing that same motor to
continue driving the suction fan.
An additional alternative embodiment is schematically illustrated in
Figure 5. This embodiment includes two receivers 64 and CPUs 66 with one
of each positioned in the canister assembly 14 and in the nozzle assembly 12.
The embodiment was chosen and described to provide the best
illustration of the principles of the invention and its practical application
to
thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in
various
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embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use
contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of
the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in
accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally and equitably
entitled. The drawings and preferred embodiment do not and are not intended
to limit the ordinary meaning of the claims and their fair and broad
interpretation in any way.
