Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L5/00—Structural features of suction cleaners
  • A47L5/12—Structural features of suction cleaners with power-driven air-pumps or air-compressors, e.g. driven by motor vehicle engine vacuum
  • A47L5/22—Structural features of suction cleaners with power-driven air-pumps or air-compressors, e.g. driven by motor vehicle engine vacuum with rotary fans
  • A47L5/24—Hand-supported suction cleaners
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A46—BRUSHWARE
  • A46B—BRUSHES
  • A46B9/00—Arrangements of the bristles in the brush body
  • A46B9/02—Position or arrangement of bristles in relation to surface of the brush body, e.g. inclined, in rows, in groups
  • A46B9/028—Bristle profile, the end of the bristle defining a surface other than a single plane or deviating from a simple geometric form, e.g. cylinder, sphere or cone
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L9/00—Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
  • A47L9/02—Nozzles
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L9/00—Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
  • A47L9/32—Handles
  • A47L9/322—Handles for hand-supported suction cleaners
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A46—BRUSHWARE
  • A46B—BRUSHES
  • A46B2200/00—Brushes characterized by their functions, uses or applications
  • A46B2200/30—Brushes for cleaning or polishing
  • A46B2200/302—Broom

Definitions

• the present disclosure relates an electric vacuum cleaner with a sweepable feel for a more broom-like use in households.
• Electric brooms are known in the art.
• One such broom is described in U.S. Patent No. 5,638,572, and another is described at U.S. 5,839,158.
• the broomish looking devices of '572 and '158 include a handle in the form of an elongated stick and a broom body or head fixed to the handle.
• Cleaning means are provided on the broom body.
• the cleaning means in the '572 device include a pad of elastic material provided with at least one rectilinear cleaning lip.
• a vacuum cleaner unit is housed in the broom body and a suction opening is located in a position adjacent the cleaning pad.
• the batteries can be housed in the elongated handle of the direct current vacuum cleaner which has a head with a nozzle having two lines of bristles outside of the elongated pads that partly close off the dust passage in the nozzle.
• This unit also has a centrally longitudinally located motor above a centrally located dirt or dust cup.
• the present disclosure in one embodiment pertains to an improved floor care cleaner with a suction source having a more sweepable broom-like feel or action in use to provide clear advantages to the use of a broom or brush with a dust pan.
• the sweepable electric floor care cleaner provides a less cumbersome cleaning experience over the use of a broom or brush and dust pan and over harder to handle prior electric broom vacuum cleaners as the above-mentioned devices.
• the disclosed floor care cleaner can operate in the direct current ("dc") mode providing increased mobility of use. Also the disclosed floor care cleaner can provide an enhanced cleaning performance even without the use of brushes in or near the intake nozzle that is close to the surface to be cleaned.
• the cleaner can have a dust or dirt collection container or cup that is more facilely removed, emptied and reinstalled into the cleaner.
• a dust or dirt collection container or cup that is more facilely removed, emptied and reinstalled into the cleaner.
• One or more of these afford the user a better overall cleaning experience.
• the weight distribution of the unit has been improved and the controls are easy to reach and use.
• FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a broom according to the present disclosure
• FIGURE 2 is a right side elevational view of the broom of FIGURE 1 ;
• FIGURE 3 is a cross sectional view of the broom of FIGURE 1 ;
• FIGURE 4 is a cross sectional view of the broom of FIGURE 1 taken from a left side thereof;
• FIGURE 5 is an exploded perspective view of the broom of FIGURE 1 ;
• FIGURE 6 is an enlarged bottom plan view of the broom of FIGURE 1 ;
• FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of a bottom portion of the broom of FIGURE 1 with a dirt cup thereof shown in a detached condition;
• FIGURE 8 is a perspective view of the dirt cup of FIGURE 7 with a filter assembly thereof shown as being pivoted away from the dirt cup;
• FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of the dirt cup of FIGURE 8 with the filter assembly being rotated into an operative position
• FIGURE 10 is a perspective view of the dirt cup of FIGURE 9 in a different orientation.
• FIGURE 11 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a lower portion of the electric broom of FIGURE 1 showing a path for air flow through the broom.
• a stated range of "1 to 10" should be considered to include any and all sub-ranges-between (and inclusive of) the minimum value of 1 and the maximum value of 10; that is, all subranges beginning with a minimum value of 1 or more and ending with a maximum value of 10 or less, e.g., 5.5 to 10.
• spatial or directional terms in regards to the position such as “left”, “right”, “inner”, “outer”, “above”, “below”, “top”, “bottom” “over”, “on”, “side”, “front”, “back” and the like have their standard dictionary meanings.
• FIGURE 1 shows a vacuum cleaner assembly 10 including a head 12 and an elongated handle 14.
• the handle can include several hollow sections 20, 22 and 24 and a top portion comprising a hook 26. Such hook can enable the broom assembly to be hung on a closet hook or the like, for storage purposes.
• the handle 14 and head 12 can be made from aluminum or another suitable conventional material, such as plastic or another metal.
• a plurality of batteries 30 located in the handle can be a plurality of batteries 30.
• the batteries can be rechargeable or replaceable as such batteries are well known in the art.
• the batteries are electrically connected to a switch 32, which selectively activates a motor 34 that drives a fan 36.
• a switch 32 which selectively activates a motor 34 that drives a fan 36.
• Such a device can be a primary fuse element constructed, sized, and dimensioned to melt, disintegrate, vaporize, or otherwise structurally open or interrupt upon the occurrence of a predetermined overcurrent condition, such as an overload, overcurrent or short circuit condition, to break or open the conductive current path and electrical connection through the fuse by preventing current flow between terminal elements. Opening of a primary fuse element in such a manner isolates one portion of an electrical system from another portion of an electrical system and protects electrical components and equipment associated with the fuse from damage which may otherwise result. This can provide battery protection and a control of battery failure in a safe, predictable manner.
• a predetermined overcurrent condition such as an overload, overcurrent or short circuit condition
• the motor and fan are preferably located in an upper portion of the housing 12. More particularly, the housing 12 can comprise a head upper portion 40 and a head lower portion 42. These two sections of the head are separated by an air outlet 44 for the fan.
• the motor 36 is positioned along the axial center line of the electric broom. It is arranged to cause a swirling air stream as shown by the air stream arrows in FIGURE 11.
• the fan draws in dirt laden air through a nozzle 50, located at a lower end of the head 12.
• the nozzle can be quite elongated, thus taking the shape of the broom head itself. This is advantageous to allow dirt to be picked up along the width of the broom head.
• the nozzle Surrounding the nozzle are a plurality of bristles 52 mounted to a bristle holder 53.
• the nozzle includes a nozzle inlet opening 54 and a nozzle rear wall 56.
• an exit opening 57 is provided preferably in the rear wali.
• the nozzle can be made from a resilient material such as any plastic material such as poly(vinylchloride) PVC and the like plastic or elastomeric materials to enhance the suction provided by a suction source such as a motor and fan. Since the nozzle can be made from a thin material generally less than a centimeter thick and in one preferred embodiment up to a few millimeters thick, it is flexible which can assist in providing an improved sweeping or sweepable feel in using the cleaner, while also improving the suction delivered to the floor.
• a resilient material such as any plastic material such as poly(vinylchloride) PVC and the like plastic or elastomeric materials to enhance the suction provided by a suction source such as a motor and fan. Since the nozzle can be made from a thin material generally less than a centimeter thick and in one preferred embodiment up to a few millimeters thick, it is flexible which can assist in providing an improved sweeping or sweepable feel in using the cleaner, while also improving the suction delivered to the floor.
• the nozzle 50 is flexible, thereby allowing the electric broom-like cleaner to retain the favorable flexible bristle quality of an ordinary broom.
• the nozzle design enables an improved air flow to allow for more effective pick up of dirt and debris.
• the air flow is biased to one side of the nozzle to allow for improved edge cleaning with use on that designated side. That is why the exit opening 57 is located toward one side edge of the nozzle 50.
• the bristles can be variable in height. For instance the bristles on one long side of the electric broom-like cleaner can be generally longer and the bristles on the other long side can be generally shorter.
• the row of bristles indicated at side 69 is longer than the row of bristles indicated at side 71.
• This difference provides for an angular shift of the longitudinal axis of the broom-like cleaner from the vertical when substantially all or most of the bristles from both rows contact a horizontal surface to be cleaned.
• This angular shift can vary from 15 to 40°, where in one preferred embodiment the angular shift is around 30°.
• the bristles are not of the same length, even on one side of the electric broom-like cleaner.
• the bristles on the side edges of the broom-like cleaner can be longer and the ones in the middle of the broom-like cleaner can be shorter so as to give a concave appearance in side view.
• Such a construction allows the electric broom-like cleaner to have more effective pick-up of dirt and debris and it can be used effectively when sweeping, while the vacuum cleaner is on.
• the length can also vary from one side edge 67 to the other side edge 73 depending on the shape of the bristle holder 53, shown in FIGURE 5.
• most of the bristles in a first row of the long width of the head 12 can have approximately the same length, while most of the bristles in the other row can have approximately the same shorter length from the bristles in the first row.
• the shorter length of bristles in the one row provides for the above-discussed angular shift. If the holder 53 slopes from one side edge to the other side edge, the length of the bristles in both rows from one side edge to the other can match the degree of slope or concave or convex curve from the horizontal for the holder. So when the holder slopes up the bristles can be longer and where the holder slopes down the bristles can be shorter.
• nozzle supports or mounting elements 58 and 60 located on the nozzle rear wall 56. These also serve to mount the nozzle to the head 12.
• Fluidiy connected to the nozzle is an air conduit or tube 62. More particularly, and with reference again to FIGURE 4, the tube includes an inlet end 64 which communicates with the nozzle exit opening 57 and an outlet end 66 which communicates with a dirt collector such as a dirt cup 70.
• the tube outlet end communicates with a dirt cup inlet 72, as best shown in FIGURE 9.
• the dirt cup also includes an outlet 74 spaced from the inlet.
• a filter assembly 80 Located adjacent the dirt cup outlet is a filter assembly 80.
• the filter assembly includes a housing 82 which supports a filter cage 84 in which a mesh filter or pre-filter 86 is disposed.
• the filter cage includes a closed lower end 88 so that air flow through the filter cage is only via the side walls thereof, and through the mesh filter.
• the filter assembly also includes an upper housing section 90. Formed in the upper housing section is a cavity 91 for accommodating a pleated filter 92.
• the filter assembly 80 is mounted via a hinge 94 to the dirt cup 70.
• an actuation surface or tab 96 for selectively moving the filter from a dosed position, as illustrated in FIGURE 9, to an open position, as shown in FIGURE 8.
• the dirt cup includes first and second clam shell halves 102 and 104, which are secured together by conventional means.
• the dirt cup also includes a latch 106.
• the latch 106 actuates a locking assembly 108.
• This includes a saddle-like element 110 comprising a pair of upper tips 112 and a downwardly extending pin 114.
• the pin 114 is mounted in a track 116 defined along an edge of the dirt cup 70.
• the pin 114 is moved downwardly and pushes a button 118 (which is normally biased upwardly by a spring 120) out of engagement with a lower end of the dirt cup 70.
• the dirt cup 70 can be selectively attached to or detached from the remainder of the broom-like cleaner assembly 10. It should be apparent from FIGURE 7 that the dirt cup 70 is removed from one side of the broom-like cleaner head 12. In one embodiment of the present disclosure this side is opposite the side of the head 12 where air conduit 62 rises from the nozzle exit 57.
• Improvement to the user interaction of the dirt cup and filter is achieved by providing the dirt cup with a side entry to the main housing of the unit. Also, the release button 106 is conveniently located and is readily accessible, as shown in FIGURE 2.
• the dirt cup filter assembly serving as a lid of the dirt cup, is pivotally mounted to the dirt cup and can be conveniently opened by pushing on the actuation surface or tab 96. This allows for one handed operation for ease of use and emptying of the dirt cup.
• the pleated filter 92 is washable.
• the mesh screen 86 allows for improved cleaning by allowing the filter to be used longer before it needs to be cleaned.
• the combination of the bristles 52 with the nozzle 50 can act somewhat like a squeegee that give the electric broom-like cleaner of the instant disclosure a broom- like sweeping feel.
• the consumer has a better, more realistic broom- ⁇ ke action when using the electric broom-like cleaner of the instant disclosure than with prior art designs.
• the bristles 52 could be replaced with foam or the like, as has been used in prior designs.
• FIGURE 11 an air flow path through the head of the electric broom-like cleaner is there illustrated.
• dirt laden air is picked up at the nozzle inlet opening 54. Dirt is swept into this area by the bristles 52, as well as by any contact between the nozzle and the floor surface, since the nozzle can act somewhat like a squeegee, as it is flexible.
• the air laden dirt exits the nozzle at exit opening 57 and flows through air conduit 62.
• the positioning of the exit 57 and air conduit 62 in a position other than along the axial center line of the cleaner can aid in edge cleaning and in providing an entrance to the dirt cup to enhance the swirling action of the air flow especially for the dirt cup that can have at feast one non-rectilinear side. It exits the air conduit and flows into the inlet opening 72 of the dirt cup. There, dirt accumulates at the lower portion of the dirt cup as is illustrated at 132. The dirt can settle out simply due to gravity. Air, and to some extent entrained dirt, then flows upwardly toward the filter assembly. There, the mesh filter 86 and the pleated filter 92 will remove dirt and only allow twice cleaned air to flow towards the motor fan assembly. The air is then urged to flow out of the broom head 12 via air outlet or exhaust opening 44.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Geometry (AREA)
• Nozzles For Electric Vacuum Cleaners (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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ID=40795925

Family Applications (1)

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Families Citing this family (14)

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• 2008
  • 2008-12-18 US US12/338,639 patent/US20100132151A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2008-12-18 WO PCT/US2008/087480 patent/WO2009079638A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2008-12-18 EP EP08862514A patent/EP2224838A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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