Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02560121 2006-09-15
EV521533794US
CLEANING APPARATUS WITH REMOVABLE HANDLE
TECHNICAL FIELD
This application relates to vacuum cleaners.
BACKGROUND
A vacuum cleaner includes a base and different cleaning attachments and
handles that are
removably attachable to the base. The cleaning attachments include a vacuuming
head for
vacuuming a carpet, a shampooing head for shampooing the carpet, and an
accessory hose for
cleaning above-the-floor household surfaces. The handles include an upright
handle for pushing the
base over the carpet and a portable handle for lifting the base to above-the-
floor surfaces.
SUMMARY
A cleaning apparatus includes a base, a cleaning head and a handle. The
cleaning head is
configured to be attached to the base and moved against a household surface to
clean the surface.
The handle is configured to be removably attached to the base for manually
moving the base by the
handle. The handle has an electronic user interface with which a user can
control or monitor
operation of the base.
Preferably, the user interface is a control for the user to control an
operating condition of the
base. The base is free of an electronic user interface. The cleaning head is a
vacuuming head, and
the base includes a fan for moving dirt laden air through the head into a dirt
receptacle. The handle
is configured to output a signal to the base indicating to the base which type
of handle it is. A
different handle is configured to be removably attached to the base for
manually moving the base
and has an electronic user interface with which the user can control or
monitor operation of the base.
The base and the handle have respective terminals that are interconnectable
and through which the
user interface communicates with the base. The terminals are configured for
the tenninal of the
handle to be moved toward and into connection with the terminal of the base by
movement of the
handle toward and into an installed position removably attached to the handle.
The base is
configured to control an operating condition of the base based on which of the
handles is attached.
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According to a particular aspect of the invention,
there is provided a cleaning apparatus comprising: a base; a
cleaning head configured to be attached to the base and
moved against a household surface to clean the surface; a
handle configured to be removably attached to the base for
manually moving the base by the handle, and having an
electronic user interface with which a user can control or
monitor operation of the base; and a power cord configured
to conduct electricity to the base even when the handle is
removed.
A further aspect of the invention provides a
cleaning apparatus comprising: a base; a cleaning attachment
configured to be attached to the base and moved against a
household surface to clean the surface; and a handle
removably attachable to the base for manually moving the
base by the handle; the base being configured to operatively
sense whether the handle is attached to the base and to
control an operating condition of the apparatus based on
whether the handle is attached.
There is also provided a cleaning apparatus
comprising: a base; a cleaning attachment configured to be
attached to the base and moved against a household surface
to clean the surface; and different handles removably
attachable to the base for manually moving the base by the
handle; the base being configured to sense which of the
handles is attached and control an operating condition of
the apparatus based on which of the handles is attached.
In accordance with a still further aspect of the
invention, there is provided a cleaning apparatus
comprising: a base; a cleaning attachment configured to be
attached to the base and moved against a household surface
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to clean the surface; and different handles removably
attachable to the base for manually moving the base by the
handle, each handle configured to output an electrical
signal to the base when the handle is attached to the base
indicating to the base which handle is attached.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner base and different cleaning
attachments and
handle assemblies that can be removably attached to the base;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the base, showing its external parts;
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the base, showing its internal parts;
Figs. 4 and 5 are exploded views of an upright handle assembly shown in Fig.
1, taken from.
two different viewpoints;
Fig. 6 is a sectional view illustrating a procedure for attaching the upright
handle assembly to
the base;
Fig. 7 is a sectional view showing the upright handle assembly attached to the
base to form
an upright vacuum cleaner;
Fig. 8 is a sectional view illustrating operation of the upright vacuum
cleaner;
fig. 9 is a sectional view showing a blower hose attached to the upright
handle assembly;
Fig. 10 is a perspective view of parts of a handle portion of a portable
handle assembly
shown in Fig. 1;
Fig. 11 is a sectional view illustrating a procedure for attaching the
portable handle assembly
to the base; and
Fig. 12 is a sectional view showing the portable handle assembly attached to
the base.
DESCRIPTION
Overview
The apparatus 1 shown in Fig. 1 has parts that are examples of the elements
recited in the
claims. The apparatus thus includes examples of how a person of ordinary skill
in the art can make
and use the claimed invention. It is described here to meet the requirements
of enablement and best
mode without imposing limitations that are not recited in the claims.
The apparatus 1 is a cleaning system used for cleaning household surfaces,
such as a carpeted
floor 6. The system 1 includes a base 10 and different cleaning attachments
and handle assemblies
that can be removably attached to the base 10. The cleaning attachments
include a vacuuming head
12, a power head assembly 14, an accessory hose 16 and a shampooing head 18.
The handle
assemblies include an upright handle assembly 20 and a portable handle
assembly 22. Any of the
attachments 12, 14, 16 and 18 can be installed on the base 10 with any of the
handle assemblies 20
and 22.
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Base
As shown in Fig. 2, the base 10 has a housing 30 located on a horizontal
longitudinal axis 31.
The housing 30 has a front face 40 with upper and lower inlet ports 46 and 48.
Two front wheels 50
and two rear wheels 52 are rotatable connected to the housing 30 for wheeling
the base 10 over the
floor 6. The rear wheels 52 are fixed to a common axle 56. The base 10 has two
perch pins 60 and a
bear claw latch 64 with a release button 66 for securing the cleaning
attachments to the base 10. It
also has four electrical contacts 71, 72, 73 and 74 -- respectively designated
ground, SVDC-out,
24VDC-out and resistance-sense. An attachment sensor 76 on the housing 30, in
this example a
pushbutton switch, senses whether the upper inlet port 46 is covered by a
cleaning attachment.
As shown in Fig. 3, the housing 30 encases a fan 80 that has an inlet 82 and
an outlet 84 and
is driven by a motor 88. The motor 88 also drives a drive pulley 90 through a
drive train that
includes shafts 93, belts 94, pulleys 95, a bevel gear 96 and an electrically
actuated clutch 98. A
drive assist motor 99 rotates the rear wheels 52 to propel the base 10.
A handle mounting bracket 100 is pivotally attached to the housing 30 by two
prongs 102.
The bracket 100 has a flat top surface 104 with an outlet port 105. The port
105 is connected to the
fan outlet 84 by a flexible tube 106 that extends downward from a gasket 108
surrounding the port
105. Two spacers 110 at the top surface 104 prevent over-compression of the
gasket 108. The
bracket 100 has two pins 112 in respective notches 114 and a wedge surface
116, for securing the
handle assemblies to the bracket 100.
An electronic position sensor 120 senses whether the bracket 100, and thus the
upright
handle assembly 20, is in an upright or inclined position. In this example,
the sensor is a contact
switch that is attached to the base 10 and contacts the bracket 100 when the
bracket 100 is upright.
A multi-contact electrical base terminal 124 is located at the top surface 104
of the handle bracket
100.
A controller circuit 130 is electrically connected to the electrical
components 71-74, 76, 88,
98, 99, 120 and 124 (Fig. 2 and 3) of the base 10 to monitor and control
operation of the base 10.
The circuit 130 receives wall current through a power cord 132. It generates a
5VDC and 24VDC
supply that is output through the 5VDC-out and 24VDC-out contacts 72 and 73.
It senses electrical
resistance applied across the sense contact 73 and ground contact 71 by
whichever attachment is
installed on the base 10. Since each attachment applies a unique resistance,
the controller 130 can
determine which attachment, if any, is installed.
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Cleanine Attachments
The four cleaning attachments 12, 14, 16 and 18 are shown in Fig. 1. They are
described
individually as follows.
The vacuuming head 12 has a brushro11202. When the head 12 is attached to the
base 10,
the brushro11202 is driven by the drive pulley 90 of the base 10 to rotate
against the floor 6 to
dislodge dirt from the floor 6. The fan 80 generates an air flow that draws
the dirt from the floor 6
through the head 12. A headlight 210 is powered by electricity supplied by the
base.10 through the
ground an d 5VDC-out contacts 71 and 72 (Fig. 2).
The power head assembly 14 has a power head 300 with a brushro11302 driven by
a motor
304. The assembly 14 further has a tube structure comprising a rigid tube 374,
a flexible tube 376
and a connector 378. The connector 378 can be removably attached to the base
10. In operation, the
user grasps the rigid tube 374 by its handgrip 380 to push and pull the power
head 300 over the floor
6. The flexible tube 376 enables the power head 300 to move independently of
the base 10. The
brushro11302 rotates against the floor 6 to dislodge dirt. The fan 80
generates an air flow that carries
the dirt from the floor 6, through the power head 300 and the tubes 374 and
376 into the upper inlet
port 46 of the base 10. A headlamp 390 on the power head 300 illuminates the
floor 6 in front of the
power head 300: The headlamp 390 and the motor 304 are respectively powered by
5VDC and
24VDC supplied by the base 10 through the electrical contacts 71-73 (Fig. 2).
The accessory hose 16 includes a flexible tube 400 extending from a connector
410 that is
attachable to the base 10. In operation, the fan 80 draws air through the
flexible tube 400 and the
upper inlet port 46 of the base 10.
The shampooing head 18 has front and rear brushrolls 501 and 502, both driven
by the drive
pulley 90 of the base 10. Shampoo is deposited onto the carpet 6 by a shampoo-
dispensing device
504 of the head 18 and brushed into the carpet 6 by the brushrolls 501 and 502
to entrain dirt from
the carpet 6. The shampoo is lifted from the carpet 6 by the rear brushro11502
and collected in a
take-up tray 506 in the head 18. The head 18 blocks air from entering the
inlet ports 46 and 48.
Unright Handle Assembly
The upright handle assembly 20 shown in Figs. 4-5 includes an upright handle
602 and a dirt
receptacle 604. It enables the base 10 and the vacuuming head 12 to be used
together as an upright
vacuum cleaner. This type of cleaner is configured for the user to stand
upright while manually
pushing the cleaner by its handle 602 over the floor 6 to clean the floor 6.
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The handle 602 has a handgrip 610 configured to be grasped by a user. A force
sensor 612 in
the handgrip 602 senses the direction and magnitude of the force applied by
the user to push and pull
the cleaner. The handle 602 further has a flat bottom 620 with an inlet port
622. An exhaust tube
624 extends upward from the inlet port 622. At the handle bottom 620, a multi-
contact electrical
termina1630 mates with the terminal 124 on the base 10 to enable the
controller 130 to communicate
with electrical components of the handle 602. Two hooks 634 and a lever 638
with a wedge 639 are
for attaching the handle 602 to the base 10.
The handle 602 has a user interface pane1640. The pane1640 has user interfaces
642
comprising controls and displays with which the user communicates with the
controller 130. The
controls are for manually selecting operating conditions of the cleaner. They
include membrane
switches for powering the fan motor 88 (Fig. 3), selecting motor speed,
engaging the clutch 98, and
activating the drive-assist motor 99. In contrast, the displays are for
displaying operating conditions
of the cleaner. They include lights for indicating fan motor speed, whether
the brushroll is rotating,
whether the drive-assist feature 99 is activated, and whether the dirt
receptacle 602 is full. The base
10 is free of any operating controls and displays, because they are all on the
handle 602. The panel
640 also outputs a signal to the controller 130 indicating what type of handle
it is -- in this case
identifying itself as an upright handle. The panel 640 is sufficiently close
to the handgrip 610 to
enable a finger of a user's hand to press the controls while the hand is
grasping the handgrip 610.
The dirt receptacle 604 includes a permanent outer filter bag 650. The bag 650
is suspended
from a mounting tab 652 that snaps into a clip 654 on the handle 602. A rigid
connector 656 at the
bottom of the bag 650 has a hole 657 configured to receive the handle's
exhaust tube 624. Bayonet
slots 658 around the hole 657 receive bayonet lugs 659 on the exhaust tube
624. A fill tube 660
extends upward from the inlet port 657 into the outer bag 650. A disposable
inner filter bag 670 is
inserted into the outer bag 650 through a zippered opening 672 and press-
fitted over the fill tube 660.
The handle 602 can be attached to the base 10 as shown in Fig. 6. First, the
hooks 634 of the
handle 602 are hooked onto the pins 112 of the base bracket 100. Next, the
handle 602 is pivoted
(arrow 673) forward and downward into its installed position shown in Fig. 7.
Then, the lever 638 is
pivoted (arrow 674) and wedged under the wedge surface 116 to lock the handle
602 in place.
In the installation procedure illustrated in Fig. 6, the pivoting movement
(arrow 673) of the
handle 602 toward and into its installed position moves its bottom surface 620
toward and into
sealing engagement with the gasket 108 and also toward and into engagement
with the spacers 100,
and also moves the handle terminal 630 toward and into engagement with the
base terminal 124. As
the handle 602 pivots forward(arrow. 673), proper alignment of the handle's
inlet port 624 with the
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base's outlet port 105 is ensured by each hook 634 being closely captured by
and between the
respective pin 112 and walls 675 (Fig. 3) of the respective notch 114.
The sequence of steps of 1) installing the inner bag 670 in the outer bag 650,
2) installing the
outer bag 650 on the handle 602, and 3) installing the handle 602 on the base
10 can be performed in
any order.
The handle 602 in Fig. 7 can be removed from the base 10 by first pivoting the
lever 638 out
of engagement with the wedge surface 116 and then pivoting the handle 602
rearward about the
pivot pins 112. The hooks 634 can then removed from the pivot pins.
As shown in Fig. 8, a user can grasp the handgrip 610 to pivot (arrow 677) the
handle 602
rearward and push/pull the base 10 over the floor 6. When the user presses the
power switch of the
control panel 640, the controller 130 powers the motor 88 to drive the fan 80.
The fan 80 generates
an air flow (arrows 678) that carries dirt from the floor 6 through the
vacuuming head 12, the lower
inlet ports 48, the fan 80, the outlet port 105 and the fill tube 660 into the
inner bag 670.
The controller 130 inputs operating parameters of the cleaner from various
sensors and
switches of the cleaner. Specifically, from the force sensor 612 in the
handgrip 610, the controller
130 inputs the direction and magnitude of force manually applied to the handle
602. From the
position sensor 120 in the base 10, the controller 130 determines whether the
handle 602 is in the
upright or inclined position. Through the control panel 640, the controller
130 determines which
switch the user presses and the type of handle installed, and displays
information to the user. No
signal being received through the base terminal 124 indicates that no handle
602 is installed. From
the attachment sense switch 76 (Fig. 2), the controller 130 determines whether
the upper inlet port 46
is covered by a cleaning attachment. By sensing the electrical resistance
across the ground and
resistance-sense contacts 71 and 74, the controller 130 determines if a
cleaning attachment, and
which cleaning attachment, is installed.
The controller 130 controls operation of the cleaner based on the parameters
input from the
sensors and switches. For example, the controller 130 applies a higher default
motor speed when the
accessory hose 16 (Fig. 1) is attached than when the vacuuming head 12 is
attached. The controller
130 engages the clutch 98 (Fig. 3), and thus engages the motor 88 to the drive
pulley 90, only when,
concurrently, a handle is installed and either the vacuuming hear 12 or
shampooing head 18 is
installed. The controller 130 will not power the motor 88 if no handle is
installed or no cleaning
attachment is installed. The controller 130 powers the drive assist motor 99
(Fig. 3) to rotate the rear
wheels 52 in a direction and at a speed that correspond respectively to the
direction and magnitude
of the force manually applied to the handle 602. The drive assist motor 99
thus assists the user in
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propelling the base 10 over the floor 6. The controller 130 activates the
drive-assist motor 99 (Fig.
3) only when, concurrently, either the vacuuming or shampooing head 12 or 18
is installed, the
upright handle 602 is installed and inclined, and a "drive-assist" switch on
the control pane1640 has
been pressed.
As shown in Fig. 9, in place of the dirt receptacle 604 (Fig. 8), a blower
hose 680 can be
friction-fitted over the exhaust tube 624 of the handle 602 for use in blowing
debris or inflating
things.
Portable Handle Assembly
A portable handle assembly 22 shown in Fig. 1 includes a portable handle 702
and a dirt
receptacle 704. It enables the base 10 and the vacuuming head to be used
together as a portable
vacuum cleaner. This type of cleaner is configured for the user to manually
lift and move the
cleaner by the handle 702 to clean vertical or above-the-floor household
surfaces.
As shown in Fig. 10, the portable handle 702 has several parts that have the
same functions
as corresponding parts of the upright handle 602. These include a handgrip
710, a flat bottom 720
with an inlet port 722, an exhaust tube 724 extending upward from the port
722, an electrical
termina1730, two hooks 734, and a locking lever 738 with a wedge 739.
As shown in Fig. 11, the dirt receptacle 704 has a permanent outer filter bag
750. A rigid
connector 756 at the bottom of the bag 750 is similar to the connector 656 of
the upright handle
assembly 20. The connector 756 has an inlet port 757 and bayonet slots 758
secured to bayonet lugs
759 of the handle's exhaust tube 724. A fill tube 760 extends from the inlet
port 757 into the outer
bag 750. A disposable inner filter bag 770 is inserted into the outer bag 750
through a zippered
opening in the outer bag 750 and press-fitted over the fill tube 760.
The portable handle 702 can be installed in a manner similar to that of the
upri.ght handle
602. First, as shown in Fig. 11, the hooks 734 are hooked onto the pins 112
(Fig: 3) of the base
bracket 100. Then, the handle 702 is pivoted (arrow 775) into the installed
position shown in Fig.
12, and the lever 638 is pivoted to wedge the wedge 739 against the wedge
surface 116 of the
bracket 100.
The sequence of steps of 1) installing the inner bag 770 in the outer bag 750,
2) installing the
outer bag 750 on the handle 702, and 3) installing the handle 702 on the base
10 can be performed in
any order. In place of the bag assembly 704, the blower hose 680 (Fig. 9) can
be friction-fitted over
the exhaust tube 724 of the handle 702 for use in blowing debris or inflating
things.
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The portable handle 702 is different than the upright handle 602 in several
ways. As shown
in Fig. 12, the portable handle 702 projects forward over the base 10 instead
of rearward away from
the base 10. This is to orient its handgrip 710 directly above the center of
gravity of the cleaner. In
place of the upright handle's control pane1640 (Fig. 4), the portable handle
702 has, a single
rocker-type power switch 776 for powering the fan motor 88, and no displays.
Unlike the upright
handle 602, the portable handle 702 lacks a switch for activating the drive-
assist, lacks a display for
indicating whether the drive-assist is activated, and lacks the force sensor
used for the drive-assist
feature. Also unlike the upright handle 602, the portable handle 702 has a
pivot-preventing
projection 780 (Fig. 10) configured to be closely received in a groove (not
shown) in the base 10 to
prevent the handle 702 from pivoting.
This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including
the best mode,
and also to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the
invention. The patentable scope
of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that
occur to those skilled
in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the
claims if they have
elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if
they include equivalent
structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language
of the claims.
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