CN212118036U

CN212118036U - Power line communication system and vacuum cleaner

Info

Publication number: CN212118036U
Application number: CN201922286870.0U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 布赖恩·李·维拉罗曼
Original assignee: Pizza Hut Inc
Current assignee: Pizza Hut LLC
Priority date: 2018-12-18
Filing date: 2019-12-17
Publication date: 2020-12-11
Anticipated expiration: 2029-12-17
Also published as: US20200187741A1; CN215078015U; EP3669737A1

Abstract

The present application provides a power line communication system for controlling the function or operation of at least one component within a surface cleaning apparatus, comprising: a power source; at least one user control adapted to receive input from a user; a controller positioned remote from the at least one user control and configured to control operation of the at least one component; and a power line electrically coupling the power source, the controller, and the at least one component, and wherein the power line is further adapted to provide a communication signal between the at least one user control and the controller. The present application further provides a vacuum cleaner. By such an arrangement, the dc power is substantially uninterrupted.

Description

Power line communication system and vacuum cleaner

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a device having a power line communication system and a method for communicating the device via a power line.

Background

Surface cleaning apparatus (e.g., vacuum cleaners) are well known devices for removing dirt and debris (which may include dirt, dust, dirt, hair and other debris) from various surfaces (e.g., soft floors including carpets and rugs, hard or bare floors including tile, hardwood, laminates, vinyl and linoleum, or other fabric surfaces such as upholstery). Such surface cleaning apparatuses generally include a user control portion, which may include a user interface or at least one control button or switch, and a surface cleaning portion operatively coupled to the user control portion. The user control portion and the surface cleaning portion may be remotely located from each other within the surface cleaning apparatus and operatively coupled via at least one of a power line or a communication line.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

In one aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a power line communication system for controlling a function or operation of at least one component within a surface cleaning apparatus, the power line communication system comprising: a power source; at least one user control adapted to receive input from a user; a controller positioned remote from the at least one user control and configured to control operation of at least one component; and a power line electrically coupling the power source, the controller, and the at least one component, and wherein the power line is further adapted to provide a communication signal between the at least one user control and the controller.

Further, the power source comprises a battery-powered direct current power source.

Further, the power line communication system also includes a switch configured to introduce the communication signal as a pulse width modulated signal over the power line based on the input received by the at least one user control.

Further, the controller is configured to determine one of a duty cycle of the pulse width modulated signal and a frequency of the pulse width modulated signal, and the controller is configured to operate the at least one component based on the one of the duty cycle of the pulse width modulated signal and the frequency of the pulse width modulated signal.

Further, the controller is in a base of the surface cleaning apparatus and the user control is in the handle.

Further, the communication signal is transmitted intermittently and the electrical power at the base is uninterrupted.

Further, the at least one user control is a mode selector configured to select one of a set of predefined modes.

The present disclosure also relates to a vacuum cleaner comprising: a base assembly comprising a base housing having a suction nozzle and adapted to move along a surface to be cleaned; an upper unit pivotally coupled to the base housing and having a handle; at least one user control located on the upper unit, the at least one user control adapted to receive input from a user; a suction source in fluid communication with the nozzle for generating a working airflow through the vacuum cleaner; a power source; at least one electrical component provided with a base housing; a controller positioned remote from the at least one user control and configured to control operation of at least one electrical component; and a power line electrically coupling the power source, the controller, and the at least one electrical component, and wherein the power line is further adapted to transmit communication signals between the at least one user control and the controller.

Further, the power source comprises a battery-powered direct current power source, and the power source further comprises a switch configured to introduce a communication signal in the form of a pulse width modulated signal over the power line based on the input received by the at least one user control.

Further, the controller is configured to determine one of a duty cycle of the pulse width modulated signal and a frequency of the pulse width modulated signal, and the controller is configured to operate the at least one electrical component based on the one of the duty cycle of the pulse width modulated signal and the frequency of the pulse width modulated signal, and wherein the controller is provided with the base housing and the at least one user control is on the handle.

By such an arrangement, the dc power is substantially uninterrupted.

Drawings

In the figure:

fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a surface cleaning apparatus having a user control portion and a surface cleaning portion in accordance with various aspects described herein.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a communication device between a user control section and a surface cleaning section.

Fig. 3 is a schematic view of a vacuum cleaner according to aspects of the present disclosure.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the vacuum cleaner of figure 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view, with portions removed, of the base unit of fig. 4, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view, with portions removed, of the diverter assembly of FIG. 5.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view through line VII-VII of fig. 6, with portions removed.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view, with portions removed, of the base unit of fig. 5, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view, with portions removed, of the diverter assembly of FIG. 8.

Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view through line X-X of fig. 9 with portions removed.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the base unit 14 of fig. 4 with the diverter member in a downward position.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the base unit 14 of fig. 4 with the diverter member in an upward position.

Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view through line XI-XI of fig. 11.

Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view through line XIII-XIII of fig. 12.

FIGURE 15 is a perspective view of the vacuum cleaner of FIGURE 3 with the handle in a folded position.

Figure 16 is an exploded view of the vacuum cleaner handle of figure 4.

Fig. 17 is an exploded view of the interlock assembly of fig. 16.

Fig. 18 is a cross-sectional view through line XVI-XVI of fig. 4, with the trigger not in the locked position.

Fig. 19 is a cross-sectional view through line XVI-XVI of fig. 4, with the trigger in the unlocked pivoted position.

Fig. 20 is a schematic view of a surface cleaning apparatus according to various aspects described herein.

Fig. 21 is a perspective view of the surface cleaning apparatus of fig. 20 in the form of a handheld vacuum cleaner including a base assembly and an upright assembly in accordance with various aspects described herein.

Figure 22 is a partially exploded view of the vacuum cleaner of figure 21.

FIGURE 23 is a side sectional view of the vacuum cleaner of FIGURE 21 taken along line IV-IV.

Fig. 24 is a perspective view of the handle of fig. 21 including a user interface in accordance with various aspects described herein.

FIG. 25 is a partially exploded view of the handle of FIG. 24 with the user interface in a first configuration.

Fig. 26 is a cross-sectional view of the handle and user interface of fig. 25.

Figure 27 is a cross-sectional view of the hand-held vacuum cleaner portion of the upright assembly of figure 21 taken along line IV-IV.

FIG. 28 is a cross-sectional view of a dirt separation and collection module in the portion of the handheld vacuum cleaner of FIG. 27 in accordance with various aspects described herein.

Fig. 29A-29B illustrate an emptying process of the dirt separation and collection module of fig. 28.

FIG. 30 is a partially exploded view of the wand of the vacuum cleaner of FIG. 21, in accordance with aspects described herein.

Fig. 31 is a cross-sectional view of the assembled rod of fig. 30 taken along line XXXI-XXXI.

FIG. 32 is a partially exploded view of another wand that may be used in the vacuum cleaner of FIG. 21 in accordance with aspects described herein.

Fig. 33 is a cross-sectional view of the assembled rod of fig. 32 taken along line XXXIII-XXXIII.

Fig. 34 is a partially exploded view of the base assembly of fig. 21 in accordance with various aspects described herein.

FIG. 35 is a perspective view of a brushroll that may be used in the base assembly of FIG. 21, in accordance with various aspects described herein.

Fig. 36 is a cross-sectional view of the base assembly of fig. 21.

Fig. 37 is a partially exploded view of the base assembly of fig. 21 showing an alternative brushroll that may be used in the base assembly.

Fig. 38 is a cross-sectional view of the base assembly of fig. 21.

Detailed Description

The present disclosure relates to a method of communicating within a surface cleaning apparatus. The communication method may be used within a variety of surface cleaning devices having a power source connected to a remote processor via a power line. Non-limiting examples of such suitable surface cleaning apparatus for cleaning debris from a surface include: portable or hand-held surface cleaners (which may be in the form of stick vacuums or stick vacuums), upright vacuums, canister cleaners, cordless surface cleaners (including stick cleaners, sweepers or mops), autonomous or robotic surface cleaners, suction cleaners, steam and hard floor cleaners, upright lift portable cleaners or commercial surface cleaners.

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the various functional systems of a surface cleaning apparatus 2. The surface cleaning apparatus 2 may comprise a user control part 2a and a surface cleaning part 2 b. The surface cleaning portion 2b is the portion of the surface cleaning apparatus 2 that contacts the surface to be cleaned to remove dirt and debris from the surface. In one example, the surface cleaning portion 2b may be a base or pedestal of the surface cleaning apparatus 2. The user control portion 2a may be any portion of the surface cleaning apparatus 2 that includes at least one user control 3 for receiving user input to control various features of the surface cleaning apparatus 2. Non-limiting examples of such at least one user control include a user interface, buttons, switches, and a mode selector.

The user control part 2a and the surface cleaning part 2b may be located remotely from each other. The term remote includes that they are spaced apart within the surface cleaning apparatus 2. By way of non-limiting example, the remotely located user control part 2a and the surface cleaning part 2b may be arranged to: the user control portion 2a is provided on a handle or upright portion of the surface cleaner, while the surface cleaning portion 2b is a base or foot of the surface cleaner; the user control part 2a is provided at the handle and the surface cleaning part 2b is provided on the tank; or the user control part 2a is on the top surface of the autonomous or robotic surface cleaner and the surface cleaning part 2b is at the lower surface of the autonomous or robotic surface cleaner that contacts the floor. The user control portion 2a may be operatively coupled to a power source 4 for powering various operating features of the surface cleaning apparatus 2, including features provided with the surface cleaning portion 2b or located on the surface cleaning portion 2 b. In one aspect, the power source 4 may be located adjacent or near the user control portion 2a and spaced apart or remote from the surface cleaning portion 2 b. The surface cleaning portion 2b may include a controller or processor 5 for receiving control information and power from the power source 4.

The power source 4 may be operatively coupled to a processor 5 on the surface cleaning portion 2b by a power cord 6. In one aspect, the power line 6 may be a direct current power line. The processor 5 may be any suitable processor 5 capable of receiving communications from the power line 6, non-limiting examples of which include a microcontroller unit (MCU), a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) or Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCBA), or other basic processor 5. The power line 6 may be coupled to the processor 5 by any suitable power connector, such as a two-pin connector. Although the power cord 6 is shown as the only connection between the user control part 2a and the surface cleaning part 2b, it will be appreciated that other components, fluid paths, etc. may connect the user control part 2a and the surface cleaning part 2 b.

In a conventional surface cleaning apparatus 2, when the user control part 2a and the surface cleaning part 2b are positioned remote or spaced apart from each other within the surface cleaning apparatus 2, a communication line separate from the power line 6 is provided to transmit control signals from the user control part 2a to the surface cleaning part 2 b. The inclusion of communication lines results in increased costs for manufacturing the surface cleaning apparatus 2. In aspects of the present disclosure, an apparatus and method are provided that allow control signals to be provided from the user control part 2a and the power supply 4 to the surface cleaning part 2b and the processor 5 via the power line 6 itself, without requiring an additional communication line.

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of a communication device for the surface cleaning apparatus 2 and which allows control signals to be supplied from the user control part 2a and the power supply 4 to the surface cleaning part 2b and the processor 5 via the power line 6 itself. A power line communication system for dc battery powering a surface cleaning apparatus in which a dc power line connecting a "remote" power source and user controls (e.g., in the handle) to a processor and one or more electrically powered components in the surface cleaning section (e.g., base) is also used to communicate signals between the user controls and the processor.

In this example, the at least one user control 3 is shown by way of non-limiting example as a mode selector 3a by which a user can select between cleaning modes of operation of the surface cleaning apparatus 2. The mode selector 3a may selectively occupy one of a first position 3b, a second position 3c, a third position 3d or a fourth position 3e, by way of non-limiting example, to select different desired operating modes. Such locations have been schematically shown as boxes for illustrative purposes. By way of non-limiting example, the operating mode to be selected from may include an auto-sensing mode, a carpet mode, a hard floor mode, or an edge mode. In one example, one operating mode may correspond to each of the first, second, third and

fourth positions

3b, 3c, 3d, 3e of the mode selector 3 a.

The mode selector 3a is operatively coupled to a toggle switch 7 disposed within the surface cleaning apparatus 2, which may be any suitable toggle switch 7, non-limiting examples of which include solid state switches. The toggle switch 7 receives an input from the mode selector 3a via the power line 6, the input from the mode selector 3a indicating the mode selected by the user. The toggle switch 7 is in turn operatively coupled with the processor 5 via the power line 6 such that the toggle switch 7 can then introduce a Pulse Width Modulated (PWM) signal to the processor 5 via the power line 6, the PWM signal provided to the processor 5 via the power line 6 corresponding to the mode input received by the toggle switch 7 from the mode selector 3 a. In this way, the mode selected by the user at the mode selector 3a produces an input to the toggle switch 7 which determines the pulse width of the PWM signal which is then provided from the toggle switch 7 to the processor 5 to cause an operation at the surface cleaning section 2b corresponding to the mode selected by the user via the mode selector 3 a.

During normal operation of the surface cleaning apparatus 2, when the toggle switch 7 does not introduce a PWM signal through the power line 6, the signal transmitted from the user control part 2a to the processor 5 of the surface cleaning part 2b through the power line 6 is typically high or uninterrupted and can be considered to represent 100% power transmission via the power line 6, and this is shown schematically by the line denoted 6 e. When a communication signal is transmitted from the user control to provide an input to the toggle switch 7 indicating a different mode of operation, the toggle switch 7 is caused to introduce or toggle the PWM signal through the power line 6. PWM is a method of communicating by generating a pulse signal. In this example, the toggle switch 7 generates a pulse signal that is transmitted via the power line 6. The pulse width of the PWM signal encodes the communication signal by the duty cycle of the PWM signal or the frequency of the PWM signal.

During normal operation of the surface cleaning apparatus 2, when the toggle switch 7 does not introduce a PWM signal through the

power line

6, 100% power transmission via the power line 6, shown schematically at 6e, defines a regular interval or period of current supplied through the power line 6. When the toggle switch 7 is actuated to introduce a PWM signal that is transmitted to the power line 6, the power signal is pulsed such that the "on" time of the power supply is less than 100% power transmission, or less than a regular interval or period of current flow. The term duty cycle refers to the proportion or percentage of the "on" time of the PWM signal to the regular interval or period of the power transmitted through the power line 6. A low duty cycle corresponds to low power because the power is off for a greater percentage of the time than the power is on. A high duty cycle corresponds to high power because the power is on for a greater percentage of the time than the power is off. For example, a 50% duty cycle refers to a power signal that is on half of the time and off half of the time. The frequency of the PWM signal is simply the inverse of the pulse width.

In response to an operating mode input provided to the toggle switch 7 from the mode selector 3a, the duty cycle generated by the PWM signal from the toggle switch 7 may provide an input to the processor 5 of the surface cleaning portion 2b, the processor 5 being configured to affect a particular function at the surface cleaning portion 2b in response to a characteristic of the received PWM signal. The functions performed by the processor 5 may also or alternatively include control of a component 8 provided at the surface cleaning portion 2b, which is operatively coupled with the processor 5 to be controlled by the processor 5 in response to the PWM signal received at the processor 5. In the illustrated example where the user control 3 is a mode selector 3a having a plurality of positions corresponding to different modes of operation, it is contemplated that, by way of non-limiting example, an 80% duty cycle 6d may provide an input to the processor 5 to indicate that the surface cleaning portion 2b should operate in the automatic sensing mode, a 60% duty cycle 6c may provide an input to the processor 5 to indicate that the surface cleaning portion 2b should operate in the carpet mode, a 40% duty cycle 6b may provide an input to the processor 5 to indicate that the surface cleaning portion 2b should operate in the hard floor mode, and a 20% duty cycle 6a may provide an input to the processor 5 to indicate that the surface cleaning portion 2b should operate in the edge mode. Although the 6a-6e power transmission has been shown separately for illustrative purposes, it should be understood that such transmissions are all on the same power line 6.

Although the examples described herein relate to selecting a mode of operation of the surface cleaning apparatus 2, it will be appreciated that the method of communicating via the power line 6 may be used to control any function or component 8 of the surface cleaning apparatus 2 disposed at the surface cleaning portion 2b, non-limiting examples of which include a mode of operation, an agitator, a dusting assembly, a fluid dispenser, a steam generator, a sensor (e.g., an ultrasonic floor-type sensor), and a mechanically actuated feature, such as a lifter or door, that may raise or lower the height of the surface cleaning portion 2b relative to the surface to be cleaned, which may be selected based on the detected floor type. Any suitable function or component may be controlled such that the PWM signal input sensed by the processor 5 sends a signal to the processor 5 to effect a change or action at the surface cleaning portion 2 b.

In addition to reducing the cost and complexity of the surface cleaning apparatus 2 by eliminating the need for a separate communication line between the user control part 2a and the surface cleaning part 2b in addition to the power line 6, another advantage of the method of communication via the power line 6 described herein is that the power transmitted via the power line 6 is substantially uninterrupted to the surface cleaning part 2 b. The toggle switch 7 generates a PWM signal to the power line 6, but the PWM signal constitutes a voltage that is small compared to the total voltage generated by the power source 4, and modulates the pulse width only for a percentage of the time so that power to the processor 5 is substantially uninterrupted up to the load at the surface cleaning portion 2 b. Thus, the PWM signal can be used to provide communications via the power line 6 without significantly impeding the ability of the power line 6 to provide the necessary power from the power source 4 to the surface cleaning portion 2 b. Further, a voltage divider (e.g., a potential divider or a resistive divider) may be operably coupled with the power line 6 or the processor 5 to reduce the voltage of the signal to a suitable level that can be sensed or read by the processor 5.

Referring now to fig. 3 and 4, there is shown a schematic diagram of a vacuum cleaner 10 and a perspective view of the vacuum cleaner 10, respectively, that may include the communication apparatus and method described above, according to aspects of the present disclosure. The vacuum cleaner 10 is shown here as a stick-type vacuum cleaner having a housing comprising an upper unit 12 coupled to a base unit 14 adapted to be moved over a surface S to be cleaned. The vacuum cleaner 10 may alternatively be configured as an upright vacuum cleaner, a canister vacuum cleaner, or a hand-held vacuum cleaner. Further, the vacuum cleaner 10 may additionally be configured to dispense and/or extract fluid, where the fluid may be, for example, a liquid or a vapor.

The upper unit 12 is pivotally mounted to the base unit 14 for movement between an upright storage position shown in fig. 4 and a tilted use position (not shown). The vacuum cleaner 10 may be provided with a detent mechanism, such as a pedal pivotally mounted to the base unit 14, for selectively releasing the upper unit 12 from the storage position to the use position. The details of such pawl pedals are known in the art and will not be discussed in further detail herein.

The upper unit 12 may include a vacuum collection system for creating a partial vacuum to draw debris (which may include dirt, dust, dirt, hair and other debris) from the surface S to be cleaned and collect the removed debris in the space above the vacuum cleaner 10 for subsequent processing.

The upper unit 12 includes a suction source 16 in fluid communication with the base unit 14 for generating a working airflow, and a separation and collection assembly 18 for separating and collecting debris (which may be solid, liquid, or a combination thereof) from the working airflow for subsequent processing. The upper unit 12 also includes a handle 28 to facilitate movement of the vacuum cleaner 10 by a user. The handle coupler 30 may receive a proximal end of the handle 28, which may be fixed relative to the upper unit 12, or may pivot to allow the handle 28 to rotate or fold relative to the upper unit 12 about a horizontal axis. As shown, the handle 28 is pivotally mounted to the upper unit 12 via a handle coupler 30 for movement between an upright position shown in fig. 4 and a folded position shown in fig. 15. The handle 28 may also include a power switch 36 and other controls and indicators used during operation. The handle 28 may also include a grip 32 opposite the handle coupler 30.

In one configuration shown herein, the collection assembly 18 may include a cyclone separator 22 for separating contaminants from the working airflow and a removable debris cup 24 for receiving and collecting the separated contaminants from the cyclone separator 22. The cyclone separator 22 may have a single cyclone stage or multiple stages. In another configuration, the collection assembly 18 may include an integrally formed cyclone separator 22 and debris cup 24, wherein the debris cup 24 is provided with a structure such as an open-bottomed debris door for contaminant handling. It should be understood that other types of collection assemblies 18 may be used, such as a centrifugal separator, a bulk separator, a filter bag, or a water bath separator. The upper unit 12 may also be provided with one or more additional filters 20 upstream or downstream of the separation and collection assembly 18 or the suction source 16.

A suction source 16 (e.g., a motor/fan assembly) is disposed in fluid communication with the separation and collection assembly 18 and may be positioned downstream or upstream of the separation and collection assembly 18. The suction source 16 may be electrically coupled to a power source 34, such as a battery or by a power cord plugged into a household electrical outlet. The user, upon pressing the vacuum power button 35, may selectively close a suction power switch 36 disposed between the suction source 16 and the power source 34, thereby activating the suction source 16. As shown herein, the suction source 16 is downstream of the separation and collection assembly 18 for the "clean air" system; alternatively, the suction source 16 may be upstream of the separation and collection assembly 18 for a "dirty air" system.

In another configuration, the separation and collection assembly 18, the suction source 16, the filter 20, the power source 34, and the power switch 36 may all be disposed within a removable handheld unit 26 that is removable from the upper unit 12. When disposed in the upper unit 12, the handheld unit 26 provides the vacuum cleaner 10 with the separation and collection assembly 18, the suction source 16, the filter 20, and the power source 34. When removed from the upper unit 12, the handheld unit 26 is operable independently of the upper unit 12 to create a partial vacuum to draw debris (which may include dirt, dust, dirt, hair, and other debris) from the surface S to be cleaned. It should be noted that the features of the present disclosure may be applicable to vacuum cleaners that do not have a handheld unit.

The base unit 14 is in fluid communication with a suction source 16 for engaging and cleaning a surface S to be cleaned. The base unit 14 includes a base housing 40 having a suction nozzle 42 at least partially disposed at the underside and front of the base housing 40. The base housing 40 may secure the agitator 38 within the base unit 14 for agitating debris on the surface S to be cleaned such that the debris is more easily drawn into the suction nozzle 42. Some examples of the agitator 38 include, but are not limited to, a rotatable brush roll, a dual rotating brush roll, or a stationary brush. The agitator 38 shown herein is a rotatable brushroll located within the base unit 14 adjacent the suction nozzle 42 for rotational movement about the axis X, and may be coupled to and driven by a dedicated agitator motor provided in the base unit 14 via known devices including a drive belt. Alternatively, the agitator 38 may be coupled to and driven by the suction source 16 in the upper unit 12. It is also within the scope of the present disclosure that the agitator 38 be mounted within the base unit 14 in a vertical position that is fixed or floating relative to the base unit 14.

The vacuum cleaner 10 can be used to effectively clean a surface S to be cleaned by removing debris (which can include dirt, dust, dirt, hair, and other debris) from the surface S to be cleaned according to the following method. The order of the steps discussed is for illustrative purposes only and is not meant to limit the method in any way, as it is understood that the steps may be performed in a different logical order, additional or intervening steps may be included, or the steps described may be divided into multiple steps, without departing from aspects of the present disclosure.

For vacuum cleaning in the canister configuration shown in fig. 3, the suction source 16 is coupled to the power source 34 and draws the debris laden air through the base unit 14 into the separation and collection assembly 18 where the debris is substantially separated from the process air. The airflow then passes through the suction source 16 and through any optional filters 20 located upstream and/or downstream of the suction source 16 before being exhausted from the vacuum cleaner 10. During vacuum cleaning, the agitator 38 may agitate debris on the surface S to be cleaned so that the debris is more easily drawn into the suction nozzle 42. The separation and collection assembly 18 may be periodically emptied of debris. Likewise, the optional filter 20 may be cleaned or replaced periodically.

Fig. 5 is the base unit 14 of fig. 4 with portions of the base housing 40 removed, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. The base housing 40 encloses the components of the base unit 14 to create a partially enclosed space therein. The agitator 38 is disposed at a front portion of the base housing 40. The base housing 40 may also include a floor 44 secured to the underside of the base housing 40 to secure the agitator 38 within the base housing 40 and to define the suction nozzle 42.

The suction nozzle 42 includes a nozzle opening defined by a lower nozzle opening 43 formed on the lower side of the bottom plate 44 and a front nozzle opening 41 formed in the front of the bottom plate 44 and the front of the base housing 40. The

suction nozzle openings

41, 43 are in fluid communication with a conduit 48 coupled at one end to the base housing 40 that places the

suction nozzle openings

41, 43 in fluid communication with the collection assembly 18 (fig. 4). It should be understood that the lower side nozzle opening 43 and the front nozzle opening 41 may be formed by a single opening in the bottom plate 44, and may be considered a single opening. Alternatively, the

nozzle openings

41, 43 may be considered as separate openings, wherein the nozzle 42 may be provided with at least one of the lower side nozzle opening 43 or the front nozzle opening 41.

Referring now to fig. 5-6, the base unit 14 may also include a nozzle opening diverter assembly 50 including a diverter member 52, two pivot members 54, a solenoid piston 56, a diverter biasing spring 58, and an edge illuminator 60 configured to selectively restrict a portion of the suction nozzle 42 and provide illumination when restriction occurs. The diverter member 52 extends along the front of the base housing 40 between the front vertical edges of the two vertical side walls 62, with the middle portion bottom edge 88 of the diverter member 52 defining the upper boundary of the front nozzle opening 41, and the upper edge of the diverter member 52 communicating with the front portion of the base housing 40 (best seen in fig. 11 and 12). The opposite diverter member end 82 is raised upwardly relative to the diverter member middle 84 such that an end portion bottom edge 86 of the diverter member end 82 is raised above an intermediate portion bottom edge 88 of the diverter member middle 84.

Two pivot members 54 extend from the diverter member 52 substantially perpendicularly along the sides of the base housing 40 toward the rear of the base housing 40. The pivoting member 54 is provided with a hole 80 that receives a horizontal pin (not shown) provided in the base housing 40 for pivotally mounting the pivoting member 54 to the base housing 40, wherein the two holes 80 are axially aligned, defining a pivot axis Y. Alternatively, a pin may be provided on the pivot member 54 and a hole for receiving a shaft in the base housing 40. The rearward end of the at least one pivot member 54 is also provided with a spring mount 90 and a diverter end portion 92 having an inverted diverter end wedge 94 disposed on the underside of the diverter end portion 92 and inclined upwardly toward the solenoid piston 56.

A solenoid piston 56 is disposed at the rear of the base housing 40 and is configured to selectively engage the at least one pivot member 54. The solenoid plunger 56 is of conventional design and includes a stationary housing 64 having an induction coil (not shown) mounted therein that is connected to a power source and is configured to enclose a plunger 66 having a tapered end cap 96. When the induction coil is alternately energized and de-energized, the solenoid plunger 56 is selectively movable between a horizontally extended position, wherein the end cap 96 is in communication with the diverter end wedge 94 of the diverter end portion 92 when extended, and is not in communication when retracted, and a retracted position.

The edge illuminator 60 is mounted in the base housing 40 along two vertical sidewalls 62 behind a light transmissive screen 63, which may form part of the vertical sidewalls 62, so that light illuminated from the edge illuminator 60 passes through the light transmissive screen 63. The edge illuminator 60 may be selected from known configurations, including, for example, a Light Emitting Diode (LED) or an incandescent lamp. The edge illuminator 60 is of conventional construction and includes at least one lens (not shown), at least one light emitting element (LED) (not shown), a Printed Circuit Board (PCB)74 and electrical leads 76.

Referring now to fig. 4-5, electrical leads 68 extend from solenoid plunger 56 and edge illuminator 60, and electrical leads 76 pass through base unit 14 through upper unit 12 and handle 28, and are connected to electrical switch 70 housed in handle 28. Electrical switch 70 is in turn connected to a power source 72 to selectively energize solenoid plunger 56 and edge light 60. In this manner, it will be appreciated that the electrical leads and electrical conductors form a power line. The electrical switch 70 may be operatively coupled to a conventional button 75 (as shown) provided in a front portion of the handle 28, or a "rocker" or toggle switch 73 (fig. 5), as is known in the art, may be included on a portion of the power cord such that it becomes selectively engaged when a user engages the button 75.

An optional visual indicator, such as indicator light 78, may be mounted to an upper portion of the handle 28 for indicating when the solenoid plunger 56 and edge illuminator 60 have been activated. Indicator light 78 may be selected from known configurations, including, for example, a Light Emitting Diode (LED) or an incandescent light. The indicator light 78 is of conventional construction and includes a lens (not shown), a light emitting element (LED) (not shown), and electrical leads (not shown) connected in series with the electrical switch 70, solenoid plunger 56, and edge illuminator 60.

It should be understood that operation of the vacuum cleaner 10 may be controlled via one or more controllers 77 (fig. 5) operatively coupled with one or more components of the vacuum cleaner 10. For example, a controller may be operably coupled with the agitator 38 and the suction source 16 to regulate rotation of the agitator 38 or operation of the suction source 16. The controller (fig. 7) may include a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) operatively coupled with a user interface or user controls. Alternatively, the controller may be part of the component itself, such as a motor controller.

FIG. 7 illustrates a cross-section of the diverter assembly 50 and solenoid piston 56 of FIG. 6 taken along line VII-VII, and more clearly illustrates the interaction between the end cap 96 and the diverter end wedge 94. The tapered shape of the end cap 96 forms a piston wedge 98 that is inclined toward the diverter end portion 92. When the piston 66 of the solenoid piston 56 is in the retracted position as shown, the piston wedge 98 is aligned with, but not fully engaged by, the diverter end wedge 94. When the piston 66 is extended, the piston wedge 98 engages the diverter end wedge 94.

The piston wedge 98 converts the horizontal force of the piston 66 into a force perpendicular to the piston wedge 98 having a horizontal component and a vertical component, and applies it to the steering end wedge 94. As the piston 66 extends, the diverter end wedge 94 and the piston wedge 98 slide relative to each other such that the diverter end portion 92 pivots upward about the pivot axis Y. When the piston 66 is retracted again, the piston wedge 98 and the diverter end wedge 94 disengage and the diverter end portion 92 pivots downward due to the tension of the diverter biasing spring 58, as shown in FIG. 6. The movement of the piston 66 and the diverter end portion 92 is schematically illustrated by arrow 100. It should be appreciated that the force exerted by the solenoid piston 56 on the diverter end wedge 94 as the piston 66 extends may be optimized to overcome all resistance forces, such as friction, weight, and spring tension, in order to provide upward movement of the diverter end portion 92. It should also be appreciated that the diverter biasing spring 58 may have a spring rate optimized to overcome all resistance forces (e.g., friction and weight) to provide downward movement of the diverter end portion 92 when the piston 66 is retracted.

Referring again to fig. 6, the diverter member 52 is configured to selectively pivot about the pivot axis Y to move upwardly and downwardly to selectively restrict a portion of the suction nozzle 42, thereby increasing the suction force through the unrestricted portion assuming the same volume of air is being drawn through the smaller opening. When the piston 66 is retracted, the upward movement of the diverter end portion 92 caused by the piston 66 extending and the downward movement of the diverter end portion 92 caused by the diverter biasing spring 58 cause the diverter assembly 50 to pivot about the pivot axis Y such that the diverter member 52 pivots downward and upward, respectively, as schematically illustrated by arrow 102.

Referring to fig. 8-9, in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure in which like elements from the previous disclosure are designated with like reference numerals and include an apostrophe, the solenoid piston 56 and indicator light 78 of the first aspect are replaced by a foot actuated pedal assembly 104. The pedal assembly 104 includes a mode indicator 106, a pivoting pedal 108, a pedal biasing spring 110, a sliding wedge 112, and a sliding wedge biasing spring 114. The pedal assembly 104 is disposed at the rear of the base housing 40 'and is configured to selectively engage the at least one pivot member 54'. The base housing 40' may further include: a step recess 116 formed in the rear vertical side of the base housing 40' such that a portion of the step 108 can pass through the step recess 116; and an indicator recess 118 formed in a rear portion of the upper horizontal side of the base housing 40' such that the indicator recess 118 is selectively covered by a portion of the mode indicator 106.

The pivot pedal 108 includes an actuating surface 120 connected to a cylindrical shaft 122 by an arm member 124. The actuation surface 120 is configured to be depressed by a foot of a user. The cylindrical shaft 122 is pivotally mounted to the base housing 40', wherein a centerline of the cylindrical shaft 122 is substantially parallel to the pivot axis Y'. The arm member 124 extends between the actuation surface 120 and the cylindrical shaft 122 such that the actuation surface 120 is disposed above and behind the cylindrical shaft 122 and includes a vertical protrusion 126 extending upwardly from a top surface of the arm member 124 adjacent the actuation surface 120. The arm member 124 also includes an arm wedge 125 (shown in fig. 10) disposed on the underside of the arm member 124 that is inclined toward the diverter end portion 92 'of the pivot member 54'.

The pivotal pedal 108 is configured to selectively rotate about the axis of the cylindrical shaft 122 between an upward position in which an upper portion of the arm member 124 is in contact with an upper boundary of the pedal recess 116, and a downward position in which a lower surface of the arm member 124 is in contact with a lower boundary of the pedal recess 116. The pedal biasing spring 110 is attached to the cylindrical shaft 122 and the base housing 40' and provides torsion to the cylindrical shaft 122 to bias the pivotal pedal 108 to the upward position. The pedal assembly 104 may also include a detent mechanism for selectively securing the pivotal pedal 108 in the downward position. The details of such detent mechanisms are known in the art and will not be discussed in further detail herein.

The mode indicator 106 includes an L-shaped indicator portion 128 connected to a body portion 130. The horizontal surface of the indicating portion 128 is configured to selectively cover the indicator recess 118, and the vertical surface of the indicating portion extends downward and is connected to the rear of the main body portion 130. The main body portion 130 includes a guide slot 132 extending horizontally perpendicular to the pivot axis Y'. As shown in fig. 10, the guide slots 132 are configured to receive the set screws 134 with screw heads 138 abutting an underside of the body portion 130 and screw shafts 140 extending through the guide slots 132 and attached to the base housing 40 '(not shown) to slidably secure the mode indicator 106 to the base housing 40'. The body portion 130 may also include a hollow cylindrical spring retainer 136 (fig. 9) configured to receive one end of an indicator biasing spring (not shown), wherein the other end of the spring is attached to the base housing 40'. The indicator biasing spring exerts a horizontal force on the mode indicator 106 such that the rear of the body portion 130 is biased against the front portion of the vertical protrusion 126 (fig. 9).

When the pivoting pedal 108 is pivoted to the downward position, the vertical protrusion 126 pivots downward and away from the mode indicator 106 to allow the mode indicator 106 to move toward the rear of the base housing 40 'under the spring force of the indicator biasing spring (not shown) until the set screw 134 abuts the front portion of the guide slot 132 such that the horizontal surface of the indicator portion 128 covers the indicator recess 118 formed in the base housing 40'. When the pivoting pedal 108 returns to the upward position, the vertical protrusion 126 engages and moves the mode indicator 106 forward such that the horizontal surface of the indicating portion 128 does not cover the indicator recess 118.

The sliding wedge 112 forms an elongated structure extending parallel to the pivot axis Y', with one side of the sliding wedge 112 forming a sliding pedal wedge 142 and a spring mount 144, and the opposite side forming a sliding steering wedge 146. The sliding pedal wedge 142 slopes downwardly and away from the diverter end portion 92' and is disposed below the arm wedge 125 (fig. 10) of the pivoting pedal 108. The sliding diverter wedge 146 is inclined downwardly and toward the diverter end portion 92' and is adjacent to the diverter end wedge 94' of the diverter end portion 92 '. A spring mount 144 is formed at the bottom of the sliding pedal wedge 142 and is configured to attach to one end of the sliding wedge biasing spring 114. The opposite end of the spring 114 is attached to the base housing 40'.

The sliding wedge 112 is configured to slide linearly along the bottom of the base housing 40' along an axis parallel to the pivot axis Y ' toward and away from the diverter end portion 92 '. The base housing 40' may include rails or guides to ensure a linear sliding path. The sliding wedge biasing spring 114 is configured to bias the sliding wedge 112 away from the diverter end portion 92'.

A switch 70 'may be provided in the base housing 40', wherein the switch is in turn connected to a power source 72 'to selectively energize the edge illuminator 60'. The switch 70 'may be configured such that actuating the pivotal pedal 108 to the downward position energizes the edge light 60'. Alternatively, a sensor may be provided in the base housing 40' to sense when the pivotal pedal 108 is actuated and activate the switch 70' to energize the edge illuminator 60 '.

Fig. 10 illustrates a cross-section of the diverter assembly 50' and pedal assembly 104 of fig. 10 taken along line X-X of fig. 9, and more clearly illustrates the interaction between the pivoting pedal 108, the sliding wedge 112, and the diverter end wedge 94' of the diverter end portion 92 '. When the pivotal step 108 is in the up position as shown, the arm wedge 125 on the step 108 is disposed above and aligned with, but not fully engaged with, the sliding step wedge 142. When the pivot pedal 108 is depressed to the downward position, the arm wedge 125 converts the downward force of the pivot pedal 108 into a force perpendicular to the arm wedge 125 having a horizontal component and a vertical component, and applies it to the sliding pedal wedge 142. As the pivot pedal 108 travels downward, the arm wedge 125 and the sliding pedal wedge 142 slide relative to each other such that the sliding wedge 112 moves horizontally and the sliding diverter wedge 146 engages the diverter end wedge 94 'of the diverter end portion 92'. The sliding diverter wedge 146 converts the horizontal force of the sliding wedge 112 into a force perpendicular to the piston wedge 98 having a horizontal component and a vertical component and applies it to the diverter end wedge 94'. As the sliding wedge 112 continues to slide, the diverter end wedge 94' and the sliding diverter wedge 146 slide relative to each other such that the diverter end portion 92' pivots upward about the pivot axis Y '. When the pivot pedal 108 is again returned to the upward position, the sliding wedge 112 slides away from the diverter end portion 92 'under the tension of the sliding wedge biasing spring 114 such that the sliding diverter wedge 146 and the diverter end wedge 94' disengage and the diverter end portion 92 'pivots downward due to the tension of the diverter biasing spring 58', as shown in fig. 8. The movement of the pivot pedal 108, the sliding wedge 112, and the diverter end portion 92' is schematically illustrated by arrow 148. It should be appreciated that the biasing spring may have a spring rate optimized to overcome all resistance forces (e.g., friction, weight, and spring tension) to provide upward and downward movement of the diverter end portion 92' when the pivotal pedal 108 is in the downward or upward position, respectively.

The operation of the diverter assembly 50 will now be described with respect to the first aspect of the base unit 14 shown in figures 4 to 7. It should be noted, however, that the diverter assembly 50 'of the second aspect of the base unit 14' shown in fig. 8-10 operates in a similar manner and therefore the following description of fig. 11-14 also applies to the second aspect.

Fig. 11 shows a perspective view of the base unit 14 with the diverter member 52 in the upward position. The base housing 40 may also include a diverter recess 152 (best seen in fig. 12) configured to receive the diverter member 52 such that the base housing front portion 154 is flush with the front surface of the diverter member 52, as shown. During operation, the diverter member 52 in the upward position allows debris laden air to be drawn into the base unit 14 through the front nozzle opening 41 along the entire length of the diverter member 52, as indicated by arrow 150.

Fig. 12 shows a perspective view of the base unit 14 with the diverter member 52 in the downward position. When in the down position in the diverter member 52, the edge illuminator 60 (FIG. 5) is energized so that light illuminated from the edge illuminator 60 passes through the light-transmissive screen 63, as indicated by arrow 158. During operation, when the diverter member 52 is in the downward position, the diverter member middle portion 84 restricts a portion of the front nozzle opening 41 so that debris-laden air can only be drawn into the base unit 14 through the unrestricted portion of the front nozzle opening 41 disposed below the diverter member end portion 82, as indicated by arrow 156. The restricted portion of the front nozzle opening 41 increases the suction force in the unrestricted portion such that the suction force is concentrated, resulting in a higher velocity airflow in the area below the diverter member end 82 than when the diverter member 52 is in the upward position as shown in FIG. 11.

Fig. 13 shows the front nozzle opening 41 having an open height 159 defined by the height between the surface S to be cleaned and the intermediate portion bottom edge 88 of the diverter member 52. When in the downward position as shown in fig. 14, it can be seen that the intermediate portion bottom edge 88 abuts the surface S to be cleaned such that the closed height 161 of the front nozzle opening 41, defined by the height between the surface S to be cleaned and the end portion bottom edge 86 of the diverter member 52, is less than the open height 159 shown in fig. 13.

It should be noted that regardless of the position of the diverter assembly 50, i.e., whether the front nozzle opening 41 is unrestricted or partially restricted by the diverter member 52, the lower nozzle opening 43 formed in the lower side of the floor 44 may remain open to allow debris-laden air to be drawn into the base unit 14 through the lower nozzle opening 43. Bristles of the agitator 38 may extend through the lower nozzle opening 43 to agitate debris on the surface to be cleaned.

Referring now to fig. 4 and 15, another aspect of the present disclosure relates to the pivoting handle 28 of the vacuum cleaner 10. The handle 28 is selectively pivotable between an upright position, shown in fig. 4, and a folded position, shown in fig. 15. A trigger 162 disposed on the rear of the handle 28 is operatively coupled to the handle coupler 30 to selectively allow the handle 28 to pivot about the handle coupler 30. The trigger is configured to be linearly movable to and from the unlocked pivot position by a user pulling the trigger 162 upward. When the trigger 162 is in the locked position, the handle 28 is locked in the upright position as shown in FIG. 4. When the trigger 162 is in the unlocked pivoted position, the handle 28 can be pivoted to the folded position as shown in fig. 15. It should be noted that the vacuum cleaner having the pivoting handle 28 described herein may be combined with either base unit 14, 14' or may be provided with a different vacuum cleaner base.

Fig. 16 shows an exploded view of the handle 28. Handle 28 includes a front housing 166, a rear housing 168, an interlock assembly 164 forming part of handle coupler 30, buttons 35, 75, their associated

switches

36, 70, 73, and trigger 162. The interlock assembly 164 includes a trigger shaft 170 connected to an interlock mechanism 172 and is disposed within the front and

rear housings

166, 168. A portion of the trigger 162 passes through the rear housing 168 and is coupled to an upper end of a trigger shaft 170. A portion of the interlock mechanism 172 is coupled to the upper unit 12 to form the handle coupler 30.

Fig. 17 shows an exploded view of the interlock mechanism 172 and a lower portion of the trigger shaft 170. The lower portion of the trigger shaft 170 includes a shaft wedge 174 having bisected

inclined walls

173, 175 that are inclined away from each other and extend perpendicular to the vertical portion of the trigger shaft 170. The interlock mechanism 172 includes first and second pivotal handle mounts 178, 182, two interlock members 186, two retaining springs 198, and two upper unit fixed mounts 202.

The first and second pivoting handle mounts 178, 182 form a generally cylindrical body having internal and external features and include

circular locking projections

181, 183, wherein the locking projection 181 on the first pivoting handle mount 178 is configured to be coaxially received by the locking projection 183 on the second pivoting handle mount 182. First and second pivoting handle mounts 178 and 182 also include a rectangular sleeve 184 configured to receive two interlocking members 186. The first pivoting handle mount 178 also includes a handle mounting flange 180 that is attached to the rear housing 168 (fig. 16).

Both interlock members 186 include a wedge-shaped protrusion 190, a male locking connector 194 opposite the wedge-shaped protrusion 190, a rectangular middle portion 191, and a void 195 configured to receive a retaining spring 198.

The two upper unit mount mounts 202 form a generally cylindrical body having an inner feature and an outer feature and include: a spring holder 210 configured to hold two holding springs 198; an upper unit mounting flange 206 configured to attach to the upper unit 12 (fig. 16); and a rectangular female locking connector 212 disposed on the interior of the two upper unit fixed mounts 202 and configured to selectively receive the male locking connector 194.

Fig. 18 shows a cross-sectional view taken along line XVI-XVI of fig. 4, with trigger 162 (fig. 16) in the locked position. The different components of the interlock mechanism are assembled together along the handle pivot axis Z as indicated by assembly arrow 214 shown in fig. 17. The two upper unit fixed mounts 202 and the first and second pivoting handle mounts 178, 182 are assembled together such that a portion of the exterior of the two upper unit fixed mounts 202 is received by a portion of the interior of the first and second pivoting handle mounts 178, 182. The retaining spring 198 is retained between the two upper unit fixed mounts 202 and the two interlocking members 186. Two interlocking members 186 are retained between the two upper unit fixed mounts 202 and the first and second pivoting handle mounts 178, 182 such that the male locking connector 194 is received by the female locking connector 212 and the wedge projection 190 is in communication with the bisected, angled

walls

173, 175 of the axle wedge 174. The interlock member 186 is coupled to the first and second pivotal handle mounts 178, 182 by a rectangular middle portion 191 received in a rectangular sleeve 184, and the male locking connector 194 engages the female locking connector 212 to prevent rotation of the interlock member 186, and thus also the first and second pivotal handle mounts 178, 182.

Fig. 19 shows a cross-sectional view taken along line XVI-XVI of fig. 4, with trigger 162 (fig. 16) in the unlocked pivot position. When the trigger 162 (fig. 16) is in the unlocked pivot position, the trigger shaft 170 and shaft wedge 174 move upward. The bisecting angled

walls

173, 175 apply a force perpendicular to the bisecting angled

walls

173, 175 having a horizontal component and a vertical component, and transmit motion to the wedge-shaped protrusion 190 of the interlock member 186. As the trigger shaft 170 and shaft wedge 174 move upward, the bisecting

angled walls

173, 175 and the wedge-shaped protrusion 190 slide relative to each other, causing the interlock member 186 to move outward toward the spring retainer 210 until the male locking connector 194 disengages the rectangular female locking connector 212. Once disengaged, the interlocking member 186 is free to rotate relative to the two upper unit fixed mounts 202 while still being coupled to the first and second pivotal handle mounts 178, 182 that are connected to the handle 28. Thus, the trigger shaft 170, the first and second pivotal handle mounts 178, 182 and the interlocking member 186 all rotate with the handle 28, while the two upper unit fixed mounts 202 connected to the upper unit 12 do not pivot.

When the handle is returned to the upright position as shown in fig. 4 and the trigger 162 is in the locked position, the retention spring 198 moves the interlock member 186 toward the axle wedge 174 such that the male locking connector 194 engages the rectangular female locking connector 212 and prevents rotation of the handle 28. It should be appreciated that the retention spring 198 may have a spring rate optimized to disengage the interlock member 186 from movement by the user linearly moving the trigger 162 and overcome all resistance forces such as friction and weight to provide the engagement movement of the interlock member 186. It is contemplated that the trigger shaft 170 may optionally be configured to actuate one or more additional interlock members 186 to provide increased strength of the interlock mechanism 172 and increased torsional stiffness at the handle coupler 30 connecting the handle 28 to the upper unit 12. The at least one additional locking member (not shown) may function in a substantially similar manner as the previously disclosed locking member 186, but may include alternative structures, such as a cylindrical pin.

The vacuum cleaner 10 disclosed herein provides improved cleaning performance and ease of use. One advantage that may be realized in the practice of some aspects of the vacuum cleaner 10 described is that the vacuum cleaner 10 may be configured to selectively provide increased suction to the edges of the suction nozzle 42 to increase the cleaning potential along the edges and walls. Further, the edge or wall to be cleaned may be automatically illuminated to increase user visibility to the user. Another advantage is that the vacuum cleaner 10 can be configured so that the handle 28 can be easily folded by a user simply pulling the trigger 162.

By incorporating the communication method described with reference to fig. 1-2 into the vacuum cleaner 10 described with reference to fig. 3-19, various functions and features of the vacuum cleaner 10 may be controlled by the power source 34 via power lines or electrical leads 68. Without requiring a separate communication line coupling the electronic controls of the upper unit 12 with the base unit 14, a toggle switch 73 (fig. 5) may be operatively coupled with the power lines or electrical leads 68 to introduce PWM signals via the power lines or electrical leads 68 in response to input from the electronic controls of the upper unit 12, which may be considered a user control portion, and to effect operation of functions or components at the base unit 14, which may be considered a surface cleaning portion. Non-limiting examples of such exemplary functions, components, and features that can be controlled include a diverter assembly 50, 50' that includes a solenoid plunger 56 and an induction coil, a marginal illuminator 60 for operating in a marginal mode, a pivoting pedal 108, and a switch 70. It should be understood that communication via power lines or electrical leads 68 may be used to control any function or component of the vacuum cleaner 10. Any suitable function or component may be controlled such that the PWM signal input sensed by the PCB 74 or other controller 77 sends a signal to the PCB 74 or other controller 77 to effect the change or action.

Figure 20 is a schematic view of various functional systems of the surface cleaning apparatus 2 in the form of an exemplary vacuum cleaner 310. The functional systems of the exemplary vacuum cleaner 310 can be arranged in any desired configuration, including a portable cleaner adapted to be held by a user for cleaning a relatively small area. The vacuum cleaner 310 may be adapted to include a hose or other conduit that may form a portion of the working air conduit between the suction nozzle and the suction source.

The vacuum cleaner 310 can include a recovery system 314 for removing debris from the surface to be cleaned and storing the debris. The recovery system 314 may include a suction inlet or nozzle 316, a suction source 318 in fluid communication with the nozzle 316 for generating a working airflow, and a recovery tank 320 for separating and collecting debris from the working airflow for subsequent processing.

The suction nozzle 316 may be provided on a base or cleaning head adapted to be moved over a surface to be cleaned. An agitator 326 may be disposed adjacent to the suction nozzle 316 for agitating the surface to be cleaned so that debris is more easily drawn into the suction nozzle 316. Some examples of agitators 326 include, but are not limited to, a horizontally rotating brushroll, a dual horizontally rotating brushroll, one or more vertically rotating brushrolls, or a stationary brush.

The suction source 318 may be any suitable suction source and is disposed in fluid communication with the recovery tank 320. The suction source 318 may be electrically coupled to a power source 322, such as a battery or through a power cord plugged into a household electrical outlet. The user may selectively close a suction power switch 324 between the suction source 318 and the power source 322, thereby activating the suction source 318.

A separator 321 may be formed in a portion of the recovery tank 320 for separating entrained debris from the working air stream.

The vacuum cleaner 310 shown in figure 20 can be used to effectively remove debris from a surface to be cleaned according to the following method. The order of the steps discussed is for illustrative purposes only and is not meant to limit the method in any way, as it is understood that the steps may be performed in a different logical order, additional or intervening steps may be included, or the steps described may be divided into multiple steps.

In operation, the vacuum cleaner 310 is ready for use by coupling the vacuum cleaner 310 to the power source 322. During operation of the recovery system 314, the vacuum cleaner 310 draws in debris-laden working air through the suction nozzle 316 and into the downstream recovery tank 320, where the fluid debris is substantially separated from the working air. The airflow then passes through a suction source 318 before being exhausted from the vacuum cleaner 310. The recovery tank 320 may be periodically emptied of collected fluid and debris.

Figure 21 is a perspective view that illustrates that the vacuum cleaner 310 can include a housing 330 having an upright assembly 332 and a base assembly 334. The upright assembly 332 is pivotally connected to the base assembly 334 for guiding the base assembly 334 over a surface to be cleaned. It is contemplated that the vacuum cleaner 310 may include any or all of the various systems and components described in fig. 20, including a recovery system 314 for separating and storing dirt or debris from a surface to be cleaned. The various systems and components schematically depicted in fig. 20 may be supported by either or both of the base assembly 334 and the upright assembly 332 of the vacuum cleaner 310.

Figure 22 shows a partially exploded view of the vacuum cleaner 310 of figure 21. The upright assembly 332 includes a hand-held portion 336 that supports the components of the recovery system 314, including, but not limited to, the suction source 318 and the recovery tank 320. By way of non-limiting example, the suction source 318 may include a motor/fan assembly 424 (fig. 27).

The hand-held portion 336 can be coupled to a wand 340 having at least one wand connector 342. In the illustrated example, both the first end 344 of the rod 340 and the second end 346 of the rod 340 include the rod connector 342. The rod connector 342 at the second end 346 of the rod 340 may be coupled to the base member 334 via a rod receiver 348. The wand connector 342 at the first end 344 of the wand 340 may be coupled to a second wand receiver 350 within the hand-held portion 336. It is contemplated that the rod connector 342 may be the same type of connector or may vary. Any suitable type of connector mechanism may be used, such as a quick connect mechanism or a pipe coupler in non-limiting examples.

The pivotal connection between the upright assembly 332 and the base assembly 334 may be provided by at least one pivot mechanism. In the example shown, the pivot mechanism may include a multi-axis revolute joint assembly 352 configured to pivot the upright assembly 332 from front to back and from left to right relative to the base assembly 334. The lower portion 354 of the swivel assembly 352 is located between the rod 340 and the base assembly 334. The lower portion 354 of the swivel assembly 352 provides pivotal forward and rearward rotation between the wand 340 and the base assembly 334. The upper portion 356 of the swivel assembly 352 is also located between the rod 340 and the base assembly 334 and provides lateral or side-to-side rotation between the rod 340 and the base assembly 334. More specifically, a lower portion 354 of the rotary joint assembly 352 is coupled between the base assembly 334 and an upper portion 356 of the rotary joint assembly 352. The upper portion 356 of the rotary joint assembly 352 is coupled to the rod receiver 348 at the second end 46 of the rod 340. The wheels 358 may be coupled to the lower portion 354 of the rotary joint assembly 352 or directly to the base assembly 334 and adapted to move the base assembly 334 over the surface to be cleaned.

The handheld portion 336 may also include a recovery tank 320, shown here as a dirt separation and collection module 360 fluidly coupled to the suction source 318 via an air outlet 362. The dirt separation and collection module 360 is removable from the handheld portion 336 by a release latch 364 as shown so that it can be emptied of debris.

The upper end of the hand-held portion 336 may also include a handle 366 for manipulating the vacuum cleaner 310 over a surface to be cleaned and for using the vacuum cleaner 310 in a hand-held mode. At least one control mechanism is provided on the handle 366 and is coupled to the power source 322 (fig. 20) for selective operation of the components of the vacuum cleaner 310. In the contemplated example, the at least one control mechanism is an electronic control device that may form the suction power switch 324.

The agitator 326 of the illustrated example includes a brushroll 370 (fig. 23) configured to rotate about a horizontal axis and operatively coupled to a drive shaft of a drive motor via a transmission, which may include one or more belts, gears, shafts, pulleys, or combinations thereof. Examples of which are explained in more detail below. An agitator housing 372 is disposed about the suction nozzle 316 and defines an agitator chamber 374 (FIG. 23) for the brushroll 370 (FIG. 23).

Referring now to FIG. 23, a recovery airflow conduit 375 may be formed between agitator housing 372 and dirt separation and collection module 360. For example, the hose conduit 376 in the base assembly 334 may be fluidly coupled to a wand central conduit 378 within the wand 340. The hose conduit 376 may be flexible to facilitate pivotal movement of the swivel assembly 352 about multiple axes. The wand central conduit 378 is fluidly connected to a dirt inlet 380 on the dirt separation and collection module 360 via the air outlet 362.

In the illustrated example, the power source 322 is in the form of a battery pack 382 containing one or more batteries (e.g., lithium ion batteries). Optionally, the vacuum cleaner 310 may include a power cord (not shown) that connects to a wall outlet. In yet another example, the battery pack 382 can comprise a rechargeable battery pack, such as by connecting to an external power source to recharge a battery contained therein.

During operation of the vacuum cleaner 310, the power supply 322 may power the suction source 318, such as by way of a non-limiting example motor/fan assembly 424 (fig. 27), to provide suction through the recovery airflow duct 375. Debris laden working air within agitator housing 372 may be directed through hose conduit 376 and wand central conduit 378 before flowing into dirt separation and collection module 360 through dirt inlet 380 as shown. In addition, the swivel joint assembly 352 may provide forward/rearward and side-to-side pivotal movement of the upright assembly 332 relative to the base assembly 334 as the base assembly 334 is moved across the surface to be cleaned. Additional details of the motor/fan assembly 424 (fig. 27) are described in us patent No. 10,064,530 issued on 9/4/2018, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Fig. 24 illustrates an exemplary handle 366 that may be used with the vacuum cleaner 310. The handle 366 may include a user interface 384 with at least one status indicator for components of the vacuum cleaner 310. Status indicators are shown in the form of a suction level indicator 386 and a battery level indicator 388. Although not shown, other status indicators may be provided on the user interface 384. In non-limiting examples, an LED or text display (not shown) may also indicate that the filter is clogged, that the recovery tank 320 needs to be emptied, or that the brushroll 370 needs to be cleaned or inspected.

The suction level indicator 386 is shown positioned at a side edge of the user interface 384 and may be illuminated to show the current level of suction power. More specifically, three progressively illuminated LEDs 390 may be positioned at each side edge to indicate a suction level between "high", "medium", and "low" suction powers for the suction level indicator 386. For example, repeated pressing of the suction mode selector button 392 may cycle through "high", "medium", and "low" suction power levels, and each LED 390 of the suction level indicator 386 may be illuminated in turn accordingly. In the illustrated example, a "medium" suction power level is shown, where two of the three LEDs 390 are illuminated on the suction level indicator 386 of the user interface 384. It should be appreciated that in the illustrated example, the suction mode selector button 392 is configured to operate the suction source 318 (FIG. 21) at low, medium, and high suction powers, which in turn operates the suction source 318 including the motor/fan assembly 424 (FIG. 27) at predetermined low, medium, and high rotational speeds. In addition, a power button 394 may be positioned adjacent to the suction mode selector button 392 or elsewhere on the user interface 384 to selectively power the suction source 318.

It should be understood that the modes or options presented to the user may not be labeled "high", "medium", and "low", but rather the modes may relate to "modes" such as carpet, hard floors, and edges. Although the mode selector is shown as a button, it may be any suitable user control device including a switch or other mechanism. Regardless of the particular mechanism used, it should be understood that the mode selector button 392 may also be configured to be operably connected with a toggle switch 373 (fig. 20), which in a non-limiting example comprises a solid state switch. The toggle switch 373 may receive an input from the mode selector button 392 via the power cord 368 and any suitable conductor, the input from the mode selector button 392 indicating the mode selected by the user.

The battery level indicator 388 is in the form of a series of lights, such as Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) 396 that are illuminated gradually to display the charge level of the battery pack 382. In an alternative example, the battery level indicator 388 may be in the form of a pre-drawn icon displayed on the screen to indicate the charge level of the battery pack 382.

Fig. 25 illustrates an exploded view of the handle 366 of fig. 24, which more clearly illustrates that the

LEDs

390 and 396 can be disposed within a substructure of the handle 366. The aperture 402 of the upper handle 400 is configured to receive and enclose the power button 394 and the pumping mode selector button 392. The lower handle 404 coupled to the upper handle 400 may include a reflective concave portion 406, such as a white surface, or a reflective surface, or a mirror surface. The lower handle 404 may also include a plurality of partition walls 408 to isolate the light emitted by the

LEDs

390 and 396. LEDs 390 (fig. 26) and 396 (fig. 24) for the suction level indicator 386 and the battery level indicator 388, respectively, may be positioned on a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) 410. Additionally, the isolator 412 may be coupled to the PCB 410 and include a first seat 416a for a power button 394 and a second seat 416b for a pumping mode selector button 392. The isolator 412 may include

openings

418a, 418b along each side edge to allow light to be emitted for the suction level indicator 386. The isolator 412 may also include an additional opening 420 through which an LED 396 may pass to illuminate the battery level indicator 388.

Fig. 26 shows the handle 366 assembled. When assembled within the handle 366, the PCB 410 defines a lower surface 414a and an upper surface 414 b. An LED 390 for the suction level indicator 386 is positioned on the lower surface 414a of the PCB 410 and shines downwardly toward the lower handle 404 as indicated by a first arrow 423. The reflective concave portion 406 of the lower grip 404 reflects the emitted light upward toward the upper grip 400. The overmolded portion 422 of the lower handle 404 may block or redirect light emitted from the LED 390 to shine upward toward the isolator 412.

Openings

418a, 418b along each side edge of isolator 412 allow emitted light to be illuminated by the edge of upper handle 400, as indicated via arrow 425, thereby forming a suction level indicator 386 at each side edge of handle 366. It is also contemplated that the upper handle 400 may include a molded or shaped portion to further direct or diffuse the emitted light, such as a translucent portion forming a viewing window for each LCD in the suction level indicator 386.

Turning to fig. 27, the assembled hand-held portion 336 of the upright assembly 332 is shown to include a portion of the wand 340, the battery pack 382, the handle 366, the motor/fan assembly 424 and the dirt separation and collection module 360.

As shown, a rod axis 426 may be defined through the center of the rod 340 (FIG. 23) and the rod connector 342. In fig. 27, the wand 340 is held upright and so the wand axis 426 is vertical. In this example, reference to a "vertical axis" will be understood to also refer to the rod axis 426. It will be appreciated that the rod 340 may be oriented in any suitable manner during use, including at an angle relative to a vertical axis.

The collector axis 428 may be defined through the center of the dirt separation and collection module 360 and the motor axis 430 may be defined through the center of the motor/fan assembly 424. It is contemplated that the rod axis 426, collector axis 428, and motor axis 430 may all be parallel to one another, as shown. In other words, when the wand 340 is held upright such that the wand axis 426 is vertical, the collector axis 428 and the motor axis 430 are also vertical.

The handle axis 432 can be defined through the center of the handle 366 as shown. The handle axis 432 forms a handle angle 434 with respect to vertical, such as 60 degrees in a non-limiting example. Further, a battery axis 436 may be defined through the center of the battery pack 382 and intersecting the handle axis 432. The battery axis 436 may also define a battery angle 438, such as 30 degrees in a non-limiting example, relative to vertical. Optionally, the handle axis 432 may be orthogonal to the battery axis 436.

FIG. 28 shows additional details of the dirt separation and collection module 360. The dirt separation and collection module 360 may include a dirt cup in the form of a recovery container 320 having an inlet in the form of a dirt inlet 380, and a separator assembly 440 coupled to the recovery container 320. The working air may enter through the dirt inlet 380 and spin around the first stage separator assembly chamber 444 for centrifugally separating debris from the working airflow. Separator assembly 440 includes a first stage separator 442, such as a grate, that, in combination with the rotating working air, removes relatively large debris from the working air that collects at a lower portion of recovery tank 320 that defines a first stage collection area 446.

The working air moves through an inlet to a second stage separator 448, such as a grate or screen configured to filter smaller debris, in the separator assembly 440 and into a second stage separation chamber 450 (which is shown herein as a cyclone separator). The smaller debris removed from the working air is collected in the second stage collector 452 near the bottom of the recovery tank 230. The first stage collector 446 may surround the second stage collector 452 as shown.

The exhaust outlet 454 and the filter housing 458 are fluidly coupled to an upper portion of the second stage separation chamber 450. With additional reference to FIG. 27, the working air exits the second stage separation chamber 450 through an exhaust outlet 454 and at least one filter in a filter housing 458, shown here as a pre-motor filter 456 of the motor/fan assembly 424. The filtered working air flows into the motor/fan assembly 424, and the working air may then be discharged into the surrounding atmosphere through an exhaust filter (i.e., post-motor filter 455) and an air outlet through the working air channel of the vacuum cleaner 310 (which is here shown as being formed by an exhaust grill 453).

The outer surface of first stage separator 442 may accumulate debris, such as hair, lint, etc., that may become stuck on and may not fall into first stage collection area 446. FIG. 29A shows the separator assembly 440 removed, while FIG. 29B shows the separator assembly 440 completely removed from the recovery tank 320 to empty the dirt and debris collected from the first stage collection area 446 and the second stage collection area 452.

The separator assembly 440 can also include a ring 461 slidably coupled to the recovery tank 320. Ring 461 may be coupled to a wiper 460, such as an annular wiper, configured to contact first stage separator 442. The separator assembly 440 can be lifted upward relative to the ring 461 and recovery tank 320. During this lifting, loop 461 remains temporarily coupled to recovery tank 320, such as by a friction fit or mechanical coupling (e.g., bayonet hook), and wiper 460 slides or scrapes along first stage separator 442 to remove accumulated debris from first stage separator 442 or the outer surface of the grate, which falls downward to first stage collection area 446.

When the separator assembly 440 has been raised to a predetermined level, it may be lifted away from the recovery tank 320 along with the ring 461 and wiper 460. The recovery tank 320 may then be inverted to remove dirt and debris from the first stage collection area 446 and the second stage collection area 452. After emptying, the separator assembly 440 may be repositioned within the recovery tank 320, and the ring 461 may be coupled again to the recovery tank 320 for additional use of the vacuum cleaner 310.

Fig. 30 shows additional details of an example wand assembly, which may include a wand body 462 surrounding a wand central conduit 378. In one example, the rod body 462 can be formed of an extrusion of aluminum and is shown having an outer rounded triangular geometric profile defining an outer periphery 468 (FIG. 31). The wand connector 342 may be coupled to the wand body 462 at each

end

344 and 346. The first wand connector 342 may couple the wand body 462 to the base assembly 334 and the second wand connector 342 may couple the wand body 462 to the hand-held portion 336 (fig. 22).

The trim insert 466 may be coupled to at least a portion of the wand body 462. In the illustrated example, the trim insert 466 may be in the form of a flat plate and configured to be coupled to a recessed portion of the face 464 of the bar body 462 defining a triangular shape. Optionally, the decorative insert 466 may include rounded edges to form a smooth surface transition between the outer surface of the decorative insert and the second face of the rod body. It is contemplated that the trim insert 466 may be formed of plastic, including transparent or translucent plastic. Optionally, the cosmetic insert 466 may include a logo or other indicia or indicator for operation of the vacuum cleaner 310, or a locating feature to couple the correct end of the wand body 462 to one of the base assembly 334 or the hand-held portion 336 of the upright assembly 332, for example.

Fig. 31 shows a cross-sectional view of the rod 340. It is contemplated that the wand body 462 may include an outer wall defining an outer periphery 468, wherein at least one inner baffle 470 defines a wand central conduit 378. The outer wall defining outer periphery 468 is also shown to include hooks 472 defining corresponding recesses 474 on either side of face 464. The protrusions 476 on either side of the trim insert 466 may be received within the recesses 474. It is contemplated that the protrusion 476 or the entire decorative insert 466 may have material flexibility such that the protrusion 476 may "snap fit" into the recess 474 of the wand body 462. In another non-limiting example, the protrusion 476 may be made of a material having a higher elasticity than the remainder of the trim insert 466, such as a plastic trim insert having a rubber hook portion configured to snap fit or tightly insert into the recess 474 of the wand body 462.

Figure 32 shows another example of a wand assembly which may be used in a vacuum cleaner 310. In the example shown, the rod body 462a may have a generally V-shaped geometric profile with an open face 463 on one side, such as by an aluminum extrusion forming a V-shape. The tubular member 465 may be coupled within the wand body 462 a. The tubular member 465 may have an inner surface defining a wand central conduit 378a and an outer surface shaped to form a smooth surface transition between the tubular member 465 and the wand body 462 a.

Fig. 33 shows a sectional view of the tubular member 465a assembled within the wand body 462 a. The rod body 462a can have an outer wall 468a with at least one protrusion 476 a. The tubular member 465a may have a corresponding at least one recess 472c formed by spaced apart

walls

472a and 472 b. The at least one recess 472c is configured to surround the at least one protrusion 476a to securely fix the tubular member 465a in place. In one example, the at least one protrusion 476a may be formed from a resilient material to provide a "snap-fit" coupling between the tubular member 465a and the wand body 462 a. In another example, the wand body 462a may be sufficiently resilient such that the tubular member 465a may be press-fit into the wand body 462a and the at least one protrusion 476a may be "snapped" into place within the corresponding at least one recess 472 c.

The tubular member 465a may be formed from a transparent material, such as an extruded thermoplastic or polycarbonate material. In this case, when assembled within the wand body 462a, the assembled wand will include a transparent face defined by the exposed face of the tubular member 465 a. In this configuration, the transparent tubular member will provide visibility within the wand central conduit 378a such that dirt and debris moving through the conduit during operation of the vacuum cleaner 310 will be visible to a user. In addition, potential blockages or blockages within the tubular member can also be seen through the transparent tubular member in an easy manner. Transparent portion 467 is shown by way of non-limiting example in tubular member 465 a.

Fig. 34 shows an example of a base assembly 334. The base assembly 334 may extend between a first side 480 and a second side 482, and the cover 484 may at least partially define the agitator chamber 374 therebetween. An aperture 486 is located in a portion of the second side 482 and allows insertion and removal of the brushroll 370. A front bar 488 extends along a lower portion of the base assembly between the first side 480 and the second side 482. Front bar 488 is configured to be positioned behind cap 484 when cap 484 is installed. An array of headlamps 490 is shown positioned on the front bar 488 and extending along the width of the base assembly between the first side 480 and the second side 482. The headlamp array 490 may be any suitable lighting assembly, including an array of LED headlamps. Even if headlamp array 490 is positioned below cover 484, it can be considered to be positioned along an exterior portion of base assembly 334. In one example, the cover 484 can include a transparent portion such that when installed, the transparent portion covers and protects the headlamp array 490 and allows emitted light to shine through to the surface to be cleaned. In another example, the cover 484 may leave the headlamp array 490 uncovered so as not to block light emitted from the headlamp array 490.

The brushroll 370 may be positioned within the agitator chamber 374 by sliding the first end through an aperture 486 located at the second side 482 of the base assembly 334. When fully inserted, the second end 370b of the brushroll 370 may be flush with the aperture 486. Additionally, a hose conduit 376 may fluidly couple agitator chamber 374 to wand central conduit 378 (fig. 23).

The base assembly 334 may include a brush drive assembly 492 positioned opposite the aperture 486 and configured to drive rotational movement of the agitator 326 (e.g., brushroll 370) within the agitator chamber 374. The brush drive assembly 492 may have components including, but not limited to, a brush motor 526, a belt 528 within a belt housing 529, and a brush drive gear 520.

Additional details of the brushroll 370 are shown in FIG. 35. The first end of the brushroll 370 may include an end plate 494 having projections 496 (such as teeth) configured to engage a portion of a brush drive assembly 492 (fig. 34). The brushroll 370 also includes a central shaft 522 coupled to brush bearings 524 (FIG. 36) at each end. In the illustrated example, the brushroll 370 includes a bristled brushroll 370 having offset, swept tufts 502 extending along an outer surface of the brushroll 370. The bristle tufts 502 may be positioned off-center from a centerline 504 of the tufting platform 506, and the bristle tufts 502 may also be non-orthogonal to the tufting platform 506. In this manner, the bristled brush roll 370 may be configured to prevent hair from wrapping around the brush roll 370 during operation. Additional details of similar brush rolls are described in U.S. publication No. 2018-0125315, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The assembled base assembly 334 is shown in fig. 36, wherein the projections 496 of the end plate are coupled with the brush drive gear 520. In this manner, brush drive gear 520 is also coupled to shaft 522 through the drive gear bearing. With additional reference to FIG. 34, as the brush motor 526 drives rotation of the belt 528 and brush drive gear 520, the brushroll 370 may be rotated at various speeds depending on the suction mode selected (FIG. 24). A brush removal end cap 530 at a second end of the brush roll 370 provides for unlocking or removing the brush roll 370 from the agitator chamber 374, for example, for cleaning of the bristle tufts 502.

It is contemplated that a variety of agitators 326 and brushrolls 370 may be used within agitator chamber 374.

Fig. 37 shows a microfiber brush roller 510 that may be used. The microfiber brush roll 510 is similar to the brushed roll 370; one difference is that the outer surface comprises a microfiber layer rather than bristles. While bristles can be used to lift hair and debris from carpet fibers, the microfiber layer can lift dirt and debris from hard surfaces (e.g., wood or tile). Each brushroll may include a brush removal end cap 498 having a fastener 512. In the illustrated example, the fasteners 512 comprise bayonet fasteners, wherein a given brushroll is inserted through the apertures 486 and rotated, for example, 30 degrees, to lock the brushroll in place within the agitator chamber 374 (fig. 38) via the corresponding fastener receivers 514. It should be understood that other brushroll types not specifically described may be used in the vacuum cleaner 310.

Fig. 38 shows the base assembly 334 positioned on a surface to be cleaned, the surface to be cleaned defining a first plane 530. As shown in the cross-sectional view, the centerline of the headlamp array 490 can be defined as a second plane 532. The second plane 532 is spaced above the first plane defined by the surface to be cleaned by a height 534. It has been determined that positioning the headlamp array 490 proximate the first plane 530 and relatively low on the base assembly 334 provides unexpected benefits. The height may be any suitable small height that provides such benefit, including by way of non-limiting example, spaced no more than 30mm, less than 20mm, and 15.8mm above the surface to be cleaned. Further, by way of non-limiting example, the illuminance measurement, which is an increment of the ambient value at 2 meters from the headlamp array 490, may be 16Lux, and may be greater than 1000Lux at 10 cm. In another example, the headlamp array 490 can be aligned with a lower front edge of the front bar 488.

More specifically, during operation of the vacuum cleaner 310, when the headlamp array 490 provides illumination, it has been determined that placement of the headlamp array 490 in this very low position across the front of the base assembly 334 well illuminates the surface to be cleaned, including well illuminating dust and/or debris. It has been determined that performance is significantly better than when the LED is mounted higher and pointed downward toward the surface to be cleaned. Due to the lower position of the headlight array 490, and due to the headlight array 490 facing forward and projecting illumination in a substantially horizontal projection along the second plane 532, shadows are cast by debris on the surface to be cleaned, and these shadows are very noticeable to a user of the vacuum cleaner 310. It will be appreciated that the light beam provided by the headlamp array 490 may be projected at a zero angle, which provides a light beam that is parallel to the surface to be cleaned defined by the first plane 530.

By incorporating the communication methods described with reference to fig. 1-2 into a vacuum cleaner 310 as described with reference to fig. 20-38, various functions and features of the vacuum cleaner 310 may be controlled by the power cord 368 or one or more wires. By way of non-limiting example, the power communication system can be used rather than requiring a separate communication line to couple the electronic control device of the upright assembly with the base assembly. More specifically, the power communication system of the vacuum cleaner 310 may include at least one user control in the form of a power cord 368 and a suction mode selector button 392, and a toggle switch 373 (fig. 20) operatively coupled with the power cord 368 for introducing a PWM signal via the power cord 368 in response to an input from the suction mode selector button 392 to effect operation of a function or component at the base assembly 334. A separate processor or controller (e.g., controller 377) may be included in the base assembly 334 and configured to receive the PWM signal via the power line 368. Alternatively or additionally, a controller may be included in the components themselves located in the base assembly 334, such as a motor controller for the brushed motor 526. Further, the controller 377 may be separate from a "master controller" (not shown) that may control portions of the upright assembly, such as the motor/fan assembly.

The controller 377 may be configured to receive PWM signals provided by the power communication system via the power line 368 or various conductors. More specifically, during operation, the pumping mode selector button 392 may be used to select a mode. As mentioned above, this mode may refer to an operating mode, such as a floor type, or by way of non-limiting example to a suction level.

The toggle switch 373 may receive input from the mode selector button 392 via the power cord 368 and any suitable conductor, the input from the mode selector button 392 indicating the mode selected by the user. The toggle switch 373 may then introduce a PWM signal into the controller 377 via power line 368, the PWM signal provided to the controller 377 via power line 368 corresponding to a mode input received by the mode selector button 392 or other user control. In this way, the mode selected by the user at the mode selector button 392 generates an input to the toggle switch 373 that determines the pulse width of the PWM signal that is subsequently provided from the toggle switch 373 to the controller 377 to cause an operation at the base member 334 that corresponds to the mode selected by the user.

It is contemplated that during operation of the vacuum cleaner 310, no mode may be selected and the toggle switch 373 does not introduce a PWM signal over the power line 368 and the signal transmitted to the controller 377 over the power line 368 is generally high or uninterrupted and may be considered to represent 100% power transmission. When a communication signal is transmitted from a user control (including, but not limited to, the puff mode selector button 392), this may provide an input to the toggle switch 373 indicating a different operating mode and cause the toggle switch 373 to introduce or toggle the PWM signal through the power cord 368.

It is contemplated that the vacuum cleaner 310 may operate in only one mode or when a suction mode is selected. By way of further non-limiting example, it is contemplated that the first mode may include an auto-sensing mode, and when this mode is selected, an 80% duty cycle may provide an input to the controller 377 to indicate that one or more components of the base assembly 334 should operate in the auto-sensing mode, a 60% duty cycle may provide an input to the controller 377 to indicate that one or more components of the base assembly 334 should operate in the carpet mode, and a 40% duty cycle may provide an input to the controller 377 to indicate that one or more components of the base assembly 334 should operate in the hard-floor mode. The controller 377 as part of the power line communication system is configured to affect a particular function or control of one or more components in response to characteristics of the received PWM signal. The power line communication system may be used to control any number of features and functions. Further, non-limiting examples of such functions, components, and features that may be controlled individually or in combination include the agitator 326 or the brush motor 526, the headlamp array 490, or other components or functions disposed at the base assembly 334.

It will be appreciated that the above disclosure provides many benefits, including the common selection of power lines or electrical leads through the use of power line communications. Power line communication systems and surface cleaners utilize PWM signals introduced through power lines or electrical conductors and the signals are encoded by the duty cycle of the PWM signal or the frequency of the PWM signal, which will be understood as the inverse operation of pulse width modulation. The signal is intermittent because during operation the power line or electrical conductor is predominantly high, and when a communication signal is transmitted, the solid state switch switches the PWM signal on the power line, which then returns high, so that the dc power is substantially uninterrupted with respect to the load at the base.

To the extent not already described, the different features and structures of the various aspects of the present disclosure may be used in combination with each other as desired. Thus, various features of different aspects may be mixed and matched as desired to form new aspects, whether or not the new aspects are explicitly described.

Other aspects of the invention are provided by the subject matter of the following items:

1. a power line communication system for controlling a function or operation of at least one component within a surface cleaning apparatus, the power line communication system comprising: a power source; at least one user control adapted to receive input from a user; a controller positioned remote from the at least one user control and configured to control operation of the at least one component; and a power line electrically coupling the power source, the controller, and the at least one component, and wherein the power line is further adapted to provide a communication signal between the at least one user control and the controller.

2. The power line communication system of any preceding item, wherein the power supply comprises a battery-powered direct current power supply.

3. The power line communication system of any preceding item, further comprising a switch configured to introduce a communication signal as a pulse width modulated signal over the power line based on an input received by the at least one user control.

4. The power line communication system of any preceding item, wherein the controller is configured to determine one of a duty cycle of the pulse width modulated signal or a frequency of the pulse width modulated signal, and the controller is configured to operate the at least one component based thereon.

5. The power line communication system of any preceding item, wherein the controller is in a base of the surface cleaning apparatus and the user control is in a handle.

6. The power line communication system according to any preceding item, wherein the communication signal is transmitted intermittently and the electric power at the base is substantially uninterrupted.

7. The powerline communication system of any preceding item in which the at least one user control is a mode selector configured to select one of a set of predefined modes.

8. A vacuum cleaner comprising: a base assembly comprising a base housing having a suction nozzle and adapted to move along a surface to be cleaned; an upper unit pivotally coupled to the base housing and having a handle; at least one user control located on the upper unit, the at least one user control adapted to receive input from a user; a suction source in fluid communication with the nozzle for generating a working airflow through the vacuum cleaner; a power source; at least one electrical component provided with a base housing; a controller positioned remote from the at least one user control and configured to control operation of the at least one electrical component; and a power line electrically coupling the power source, the controller, and the at least one electrical component, and wherein the power line is further adapted to transmit communication signals between the at least one user control and the controller.

9. The vacuum cleaner of any preceding item, wherein the power source comprises a battery-powered direct current power source.

10. The vacuum cleaner of any preceding item, further comprising a switch configured to introduce a communication signal in the form of a pulse width modulated signal over the power line based on an input received by the at least one user control.

11. The vacuum cleaner of any preceding item, wherein the controller is configured to determine one of a duty cycle of the pulse width modulated signal or a frequency of the pulse width modulated signal, and the controller is configured to operate the at least one electrical component based thereon.

12. The vacuum cleaner of any preceding item, wherein the controller is provided with a base housing and the at least one user control is on the handle.

13. The vacuum cleaner of any preceding item, wherein the communication signal is transmitted intermittently and the electrical power at the base assembly is substantially uninterrupted.

14. The vacuum cleaner of any of the preceding items, wherein the at least one user control is a mode selector configured to select one of a plurality of sets of predefined modes.

15. The vacuum cleaner of any preceding item, wherein the switch is configured to introduce a different duty cycle of the pulse width modulated signal for each of the plurality of sets of predefined patterns.

16. The vacuum cleaner of any preceding item, wherein the base assembly further includes an agitator chamber at the suction nozzle, and the at least one electrical component is a motor operatively coupled to the agitator therein.

17. The vacuum cleaner of any preceding item, wherein the handle is defined on a hand-held portion having a grip and a suction source.

18. The vacuum cleaner of any preceding item, wherein the at least one electrical component is an array of headlamps positioned along the forwardly directed portion of the base housing to provide a beam of light substantially parallel to and spaced no more than 30mm above the surface to be cleaned.

19. The vacuum cleaner of any preceding item, wherein the working air path is defined at least in part by a wand operably coupled between the base assembly and the hand-held portion, and wherein the hand-held portion further comprises a debris removal assembly comprising a recovery receptacle disposed in fluid communication with a suction source, and the suction source comprises a motor/fan assembly operably coupled to the debris removal assembly to form a single hand-holdable unit.

20. A method of communication for a surface cleaning apparatus, the method comprising: outputting power via a battery-powered DC power source over a power line; receiving user input at a user control; generating an input to the toggle switch based on receiving the user input; during the outputting of the power, outputting a pulse width modulated signal along the power line to the controller; and operating, via the controller, a component of the surface cleaning apparatus based on the pulse width modulated signal.

While aspects of the present disclosure have been described in detail in connection with certain specific aspects thereof, it is to be understood that this is by way of illustration and not of limitation. Reasonable variations and modifications are possible within the scope of the foregoing disclosure and the accompanying drawings without departing from the spirit of the disclosure as defined in the appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the aspects disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise.

Claims

1. A power line communication system for controlling a function or operation of at least one component within a surface cleaning apparatus, the power line communication system comprising:

a power source;

at least one user control adapted to receive input from a user;

a controller positioned remote from the at least one user control and configured to control operation of the at least one component; and

a power line electrically coupling the power source, the controller, and the at least one component, and wherein the power line is further adapted to provide a communication signal between the at least one user control and the controller.

2. The power-line communication system according to claim 1, wherein the power supply comprises a battery-powered direct-current power supply.

3. The power line communication system of claim 1 or 2, further comprising a switch configured to introduce the communication signal as a pulse width modulated signal over the power line based on the input received by the at least one user control.

4. The power line communication system of claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to determine one of a duty cycle of the pulse width modulated signal and a frequency of the pulse width modulated signal, and the controller is configured to operate the at least one component based on the one of the duty cycle of the pulse width modulated signal and the frequency of the pulse width modulated signal.

5. The power line communication system of claim 4, wherein the controller is in a base of the surface cleaning apparatus and the user control is in a handle.

6. The power-line communication system according to claim 5, wherein the communication signal is transmitted intermittently and the electric power at the base is uninterrupted.

7. The power line communication system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one user control is a mode selector configured to select one of a set of predefined modes.

8. A vacuum cleaner, characterized in that the vacuum cleaner comprises:

a base assembly comprising a base housing having a suction nozzle and adapted to move along a surface to be cleaned;

an upper unit pivotally coupled to the base housing and having a handle;

at least one user control located on the upper unit, the at least one user control adapted to receive input from a user;

a suction source in fluid communication with the suction nozzle for generating a working airflow through the vacuum cleaner;

a power source;

at least one electrical component provided with the base housing;

a controller positioned remote from the at least one user control and configured to control operation of the at least one electrical component; and

a power line electrically coupling the power source, the controller, and the at least one electrical component, and wherein the power line is further adapted to transmit communication signals between the at least one user control and the controller.

9. The vacuum cleaner of claim 8, wherein the power source comprises a battery-powered direct current power source, and the power source further comprises a switch configured to introduce the communication signal in the form of a pulse width modulated signal over the power line based on the input received by the at least one user control.

10. The vacuum cleaner of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to determine one of a duty cycle of the pulse width modulated signal and a frequency of the pulse width modulated signal, and the controller is configured to operate the at least one electrical component based on the one of the duty cycle of the pulse width modulated signal and the frequency of the pulse width modulated signal, and wherein the controller is provided with the base housing and the at least one user control is on the handle.