MXPA05005362A

MXPA05005362A - Wet/dry vacuum.

Info

Publication number: MXPA05005362A
Application number: MXPA05005362A
Authority: MX
Inventors: David A Parrott
Original assignee: Eastway Fair Co Ltd
Priority date: 2004-05-19
Filing date: 2005-05-19
Publication date: 2005-11-24
Also published as: EP1600090A3; EP1600090A2; AU2005201940A1; RU2005115244A; CN1698520A; JP2005329243A; US20050257340A1

Abstract

A wet/dry vacuum is disclosed. The wet/dry vacuum preferably includes a base, a handle coupled with the base, a lid coupled with the handle, and a container that is removable from the base. In operation, the container is placed on the base. As the handle is rotated towards the rear of the base, the handle secures the container to the base by lowering the lid onto the container.

Description

WET VACUUM CLEANER / DRY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Wet / dry vacuum cleaners are commonly used for various cleaning purposes, including the cleaning of both solid and liquid waste. In general, wet / dry vacuum cleaners use a canister in which both solid and liquid waste is carried. A plug is usually found at the bottom of the can, which can be removed when desired to empty the contents of the can. However, it is often desirable to be able to empty the can at a level above the bottom of the can. Therefore, a wet / dry vacuum is required to overcome these deficiencies.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES The invention can be better understood by reference to the following figures and detailed description. The components of the figures are not necessarily to scale to emphasize the principles of the invention. Figure 1 is a perspective view of a wet / dry vacuum of a preferred embodiment. Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the operation of a wet / dry vacuum of a preferred embodiment. Figure 3 is a view of the underside of a modified lid with concentric ridges and gaskets to accommodate cans of different diameter. Figure 4 is a view of the lower part of another modified lid with a different sized package, to accommodate a variety of cans of different diameter. Figure 5 is a view of a truncated cone with a package formed therein that can also accommodate cans of different diameter. Figure 6 is a perspective view of a wet / dry vacuum with a truncated cone with a packing formed on its outside, which can accommodate cans of different diameter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION By way of introduction, the preferred embodiments described below include a wet / dry vacuum and a method for using it. The wet / dry vacuum preferably includes a base, a handle coupled with the base, a lid coupled with the handle, and a container that is removable from the base. The phrase "coupled with", as used herein, means coupled directly, or indirectly by means of one or more intermediate elements. During the operation, the container is placed on the base. As the handle is turned towards the back of the base, the handle secures the container at the base by lowering the lid on the container. In addition, the wet / dry vacuum is designed so that it uses a conventional bucket, which is preferably a 19 liter bucket. Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a wet / dry vacuum, 8. The vacuum cleaner generally includes a base 10, a handle 12, a lid 14 and a container 16. Base 10 includes a lower portion 70 and an upper portion 72. In the preferred embodiment, the lower portion 70 comprises a support plate 18 with an upper surface 20 and a lower surface 22. The preferred shape of the support plate 18 is round, but can also be used alternate shapes such as square or rectangular. The support plate 18 also has a front 24 and a back 26. In the preferred embodiment, the upper portion 72 comprises a rear support member 28 with two sides 52. In the preferred embodiment, the back side of the support plate 18 is attached to the rear support member 28, preferably at the lower end of the rear support member 28. The support plate 18 and the rear support member 28 can be formed integrally as shown, or as separate pieces that are fastened together using bolts, clamps, pins or other fasteners. The preferred shape of the back support member 28 is rectangular, but alternate shapes such as square or circular may also be used. Preferably, the base 10 is formed of plastic. Base 10 can also be formed from alternative materials such as ceramics, wood or metal. During operation of the wet / dry vacuum 8, a container 6 is inserted and placed on the base 10. Similarly, the container 16 is removable from the base 10 once the operation of the wet / dry vacuum 8 is completed. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the wet / dry vacuum 8 is constructed to be operated with a 19 liter canister to be used as the container 16. The container 16 is preferably formed of PVC. The container 16 can also be formed of alternative plastics or other lightweight materials. A 19-liter PVC bucket is the preferred container due to its versatility, durability and availability. The 19 liter PVC buckets are commonly found (especially on construction sites and around many houses), are cheap and can also be purchased at a wide variety of hardware stores. Another advantage of the 19 liter PVC cuvettes is that they are sealable and also recyclable. Alternatively, the wet / dry vacuum 8 can be constructed so that it can be operated with PVC cuvettes of various sizes, different from the preferred size of 19 liters. As will be explained, the operation to seal the vacuum in the bucket may allow the use of buckets of different size with the same vacuum cleaner. In the preferred embodiment, also a plurality of wheels are coupled on the lower surface 22 of the support plate 18, which allows the wet / dry vacuum 8 to be moved easily. Preferably, two convex rear wheels, 30, are coupled on opposite sides to the lower surface 22 of the support plate 18, on the back of the support plate 18. The rear wheels 30 are preferably formed of rubber, but can also be formed. forming of alternative materials such as plastic or metal. The convex characteristic of the rear wheels 30 helps to prevent the rubber from the wheels from rubbing any surface with which the wheels may come into contact, such as walls, baseboards, etc., thus making the wet / dry vacuum 8 favorable for the home. A front wheel 32 is also coupled to the lower surface 22 of the support plate 18, at the front end of the plate. Preferably, the front wheel 32 is located in the middle of the support plate 18, and is formed of a ball-and-socket construction, which allows the direction of the wet / dry vacuum 8 to be easily changed as it is moved. A handle 12 is engaged with the upper portion 72 of the base 0. Preferably, the handle 12 is attached to the upper end of the two sides 52 of the rear support member 28 of the base 10. Preferably, the handle 12 is rotatably coupled with each side 52 of the rear support member 28 with a pivot 34, which allows the handle 12 to rotationally move with respect to the base 10. The handle 12 is preferably comprised of a grip portion 38 and two supports 40. The portion of grip 38 engages at each of its ends with any one of the supports 40. In the preferred embodiment, the grip portion 38 is formed with an overmold construction that provides a secure grip and also adds an aesthetic feature to the handle 12 of the wet / dry vacuum 8.

Preferably, the upper portion of each support 40 is engaged with the grip portion 38, and the lower portion of each support 40 is coupled with the base 10. In addition, the two supports 40 can also be coupled to each other by means of a support bar 42 located between the two members. The handle 12 is preferably formed of plastic. A cover 14 is engaged with the handle 12 so that the rotation of the handle 12 simultaneously moves the positioning of the cover 14 with respect to the base 10. Preferably, the cover 14 is rotatably coupled with the support bar 42 of the handle 12 with a pivot 44. The pivot 44 also operates as a cam locking mechanism to assist in securing the lid 14 in the trough 16. Alternatively, a secondary locking mechanism 80, placed in the lid 14, could be used to securing the lid 14 in the bowl 16, either as a substitute for the cam located in the pivot 44, or as an additional means for securing the lid 14 in the bowl 16. Preferably, the lid 14 also has a rim 54 which allows coupling the lid 14 with the tray 16, for example by means of snapping or snapping into place on the tray 16. However, as a vacuum is created, the flange 54 is not necessary to secure the lid 14 in the tray 16. In the preferred modality, the t apa 14 is comprised of a housing 46 for a vacuum motor (not shown) and an attachment 48 for a hose that engages the housing 46. Preferably a sealing gasket 50 is attached around the bottom of the motor housing, 46. The package 50 provides an airtight seal with the container 16 when the lid 14 is lowered onto the container 16, to operate the wet / dry vacuum 8. The package 50 can be manufactured from a variety of materials that are capable of forming a seal between the lid 14 and the container 16. In the preferred embodiment, the package 50 is made of foam rubber. Figure 2 shows the operation of the wet / dry vacuum of a preferred embodiment. To operate the wet / dry vacuum 8, it is necessary to insert and place a container 16 on a base 16 of the wet / dry vacuum 8. During operation, the handle 12 and cover 14 of the wet / dry vacuum 8 they can move between two positions. In the first position 210, the handle 12 is positioned forward of the rear support member 28 of the base 10, while the lid 14 is positioned so that when the container 16 is inserted in the base 10, the cover 14 is in a position above the container 16 and not in contact with the container 16. To put the handle 12 and the lid 14 in the second position, the handle 12 is rotated towards the rear part of the base 10, until it closes in place in its second position, 220. As the handle 12 is rotated on the pivots 34, the lid 14 is simultaneously lowered onto the container 16. When the handle 12 is locked in its second position 220, the lid lowers to the point where it locks onto the container 16. The opening of the lid 14 together with the rubber gasket fit over the edge of the container 16 to secure the lid 14 to the container 16 (as shown in figure 1), which allows the operation of the vacuum cleaner. wet / dry 8. Cuvettes of different sizes can be used or with a single vacuum cleaner making some modifications to the vacuum cleaner. Specifically, by allowing a wide scale of rotational movement of the handle 12 on the pivots 34, buckets of different height can be accommodated between the lid 14 and the base 16. As shown in Figure 3, the lid 14 can also be modified with a series of concentric rims 54 'which allow the lid 14 to be coupled with different diameter cuvettes. In addition, the packages 50 can be provided between each concentric flange 54 'on the underside of the lid 14, to provide efficient sealing of the cuvettes of different size. Of course, any number of concentric flanges and gaskets can be used. As an alternative, since the rims 54 'are not necessary to secure the lid 14 with the tray, a lid 14 having a larger package 50 on its underside (i.e., a larger difference between the internal 56 and external 58 diameters of packaging), as shown in figure 4, will also allow to use buckets of different diameter with the same vacuum cleaner. Again, cuvettes of different sizes can be used to accommodate a variable scale of cuvette diameters. As another alternative way to use buckets of different size with the same vacuum cleaner, the package 50 can be formed around the inside of a tapered truncated cone 60, as shown in Figure 6. The truncated cone 60 can be formed with the largest diameter. large at the bottom 62 of the cone 60, with the diameter of the cone 60 decreasing from the bottom 62 to the top 64 of the cone 60. In this embodiment, the packing 50 is formed around the interior of the cone 60, so that when the lid 14 is lowered onto a tray, the package 50 is capable of efficiently securing the lid 14 in the tray. In addition, the taper effect of the cone 60 will allow the package 50 to secure the lid 14 in buckets of variable diameter. Therefore, the size of the truncated cone 60 (that is, the distance between the top 64 and the bottom 62 of the cone 60), can be varied based on the scale of bucket sizes with which the vacuum cleaner can be used. Alternatively, the truncated cone 60 shown in Fig. 5 can be inverted with respect to the lid 14, as shown in Fig. 6, and still can be used with cuvettes of different size. In this embodiment, the package 50 will be formed around the outside of the truncated cone 60 '. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the largest diameter of the cone 60 'is formed at the top 64' of the cone 60 ', with the diameter of the cone 60' decreasing from the top 64 'a! 62 'cone 60' background. The tapering effect of the cone 60 'together with the packing 50 formed on its outside, will allow the packing 50 to secure the lid 14 to vats of variable diameter. Various embodiments of the invention have been described and illustrated. However, the description and illustrations are only exemplary. Many other embodiments and embodiments are possible within the scope of this invention, and will be apparent to the person skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention is not intended for specific applications, representative mogos and examples illustrated in this description. Accordingly, the invention is not to be restricted except to the light required by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. - A wet / dry vacuum comprising: a base having an upper portion and a lower portion; a handle pivotally mounted in said upper portion of said base, said handle being movable between a first position and a second position; a lid incorporating a vacuum motor housing, said lid being attached to said handle so that said lid moves to a first lid position when said handle is in said first position, and to a second lid position when said handle is in said second position; and a container removably mounted on said base, wherein said container is removable when said handle is in said first position, and is secured when said handle is in said second position.

2. - The wet / dry vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, further characterized in that said container is a conventional construction tank of 19 liters.

3. - The wet / dry vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, further characterized in that said container is manufactured from PVC

4. - The wet / dry vacuum according to claim 1, further characterized in that said handle is an overmold handle.

5. The wet / dry vacuum according to claim 1, further characterized in that a seal is coupled with an external perimeter of said lid.

6. The wet / dry vacuum according to claim 5, further characterized in that said seal is made of foam rubber.

7. - The wet / dry vacuum according to claim 1, further characterized in that said lid comprises a tapered truncated cone with an outer surface capable of forming a seal with said container.

8. The wet / dry vacuum according to claim 1, further characterized in that said lid comprises a tapered truncated cone with an inner surface capable of forming a seal with said container.

9. - The wet / dry vacuum according to claim 1, further characterized in that a secondary locking mechanism is coupled with said lid to secure said lid with said container.

10. The wet / dry vacuum according to claim 1, further characterized in that it comprises a motor and a hose coupled with said motor.

11. The wet / dry vacuum according to claim 1, further characterized in that a pivot is used to couple said cover with said handle.

12. - A method for operating a wet / dry vacuum, comprising: (a) providing a vacuum unit, said vacuum unit comprising a base, a pivotable handle coupled with said base, and a cover coupled with said handle, wherein said lid houses a vacuum motor; (b) inserting a container on said base; and (c) rotating said handle toward the rear of said unit, wherein the rotation of said handle lowers and secures said lid with said container.

13. - The method according to claim 12, further characterized in that said container is a conventional construction tank of 19 liters.

14. - The method according to claim 13, further characterized in that said container is made of PVC.

15. - A wet / dry vacuum comprising: a base having an upper portion and a lower portion; a handle mounted on said upper portion of said base; and a bucket removably attached to said base.

16. The wet / dry vacuum cleaner according to claim 15, further characterized in that said bucket is a bucket of a construction site.

17. - Wet / dry vacuum cleaner according to claim 15, further characterized in that it comprises a cover attached to said handle, said cover having a seal and incorporating a vacuum motor housing.

18. - Wet / dry vacuum according to claim 17, further characterized in that said lid comprises a tapered truncated cone with an interior capable of forming a seal with said container.

19. - The wet / dry vacuum according to claim 17, further characterized in that said lid comprises a tapered truncated cone with an exterior capable of forming a seal with said container.

20. The wet / dry vacuum according to claim 17, further characterized in that a secondary locking mechanism is coupled with said lid to secure said lid with said tank.