US2253310A - Suction cleaner - Google Patents

Description

Aug'. 19, 1941. D. s. SMELLIE SUCTION CLEANER Filed Dec. 14, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 e mi mu m J 6 M m 0 0 ATTORNEY Aug, 19,, 19 4i, 11 sM fi 2,253,310

SUCTION CLEANER Filed Dec. 14,; 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Donald G. dmellie ATTORNEY advantages not heretofore present.

Patented Aug. 19, 1941 SUCTION CLEANER Donald G. Smelli e, Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation'oi Ohio Application December 14, 1938, Serial No. 245,608 I 13 Claims.

It is an object of the present invention to provide anew and improved suction cleaner. It is 'another object of the invention to provide a new and improved air passageway in a suction cleaner. A furtherobject of the invention is to provide a new and novel bag and air passageway unit in a, suction cleaner. A further object of the invention is to provide a suction cleaner in which the exhaust air passageway extends upwardly into the cleaner bag and is resiliently mounted by a flexible bellows. A still further object of the invention is to provide a removable bag unit in which an air passageway element comprising a metallic sleeve and a sound-absorbing material is positioned within the bag and is resiliently connected to the bag ring by a flexible accordion-like element. These .and other more specific objects of the invention will appear upon reading the following specification and claims and upon considering in connection therewith the attached drawings to which they relate.

Referring now to the drawings in which preferred embodiments of the present invention are disclosed:

Figure 1 is a side view of a suction cleaner constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a section through the bag and air passageway unit at their point of connection to the cleaner body;

Figure 3 is a side view of the cleaner constructed in accordance with the second preferred embodiment of the invention.

In cleaner operation a large part of the resulting noise is carried from the cleaner by the high velocity air stream which is exhausted into the filter bag. The use of sound-absorbing means to quiet the noise of cleaner operation and to absorb the sound vibrations in the exhausted air stream has heretofore received attention in the suction cleaner field. The resulting constructions, however, have been open to severe criticism in many respects and in the present design a construction has been provided which has It has been found that the noise-creating vibrations can be cleaner dust bag. In the usual cleaner construction the cleaner handle is pivoted to permit theoperator to exert a propelling force with the cleaner at various distances from its body. This movement of the cleaner causes the handle to pivot and, the cleaner bag which is attached at its upper end to the handle, has its angularity changed ,relative to the cleaner body. The lower end of the cleaner bag is attached to the cleaner body and being of flexible material the relative movement is permissible. With a sound-absorbing unit protruding into the cleaner bag, however, which unit includes a rigid member which will not bend or flex freely, means must be provided to accommodate this relative movement of the cleaner bag relative to the cleaner casing. In the cleaner constructed in accordance with the present invention the cleaner bag and the sound-absorbing element are formed as a unit which is attachable to and removable from the cleaner casing as such, which unit embodies a resilient bendable connection between the bag ring or collar and the sound-absorbing means.

Referring again to the drawings, and to Figures 1 and 2 in particular in which the first embodiment of the invention is disclosed, a modern suction cleaner is illustrated which is seen to comprise a cleaner including a nozzle l which is interiorly connected in a common and well known manner by an air passageway 2 to a fan chamber 3 in which is. positioned the suctioncreating fan 4. A rearwardly extending exhaust passageway 5 from the fan chamber 3 is formed at its rear end with a flange 6 which carries on each side a bag-clamping not 1. The cleaner casing also includes a motor casing 8 which is positioned directly above the fan chamber 3 and houses an unshown driving motor for the suction-creating Ian 4. The cleaner body is movably supported by front and rear wheels 9 and I0, and, as in the usual cleaner, a pivoted handle II is provided to which the incoming current conductor 12 connects and through which the operator can exert a cleaner propelling force. A current-controlling switch I3 is provided on the handle near the upper end thereof by which the operator can control the flow of current to the driving motor and so the operation of the machine.

The bag and sound absorbing passageway unit, or bag-and-muiiier-unit, which comprises the present invention, is removably attached to the cleaner. It is seen to comprise a fllter or dust bag I 5 the open upper end of which is normally closed by a channel member l6 which is itself carried from the upper end of the handle by a coil spring i1. At its lower or inlet end the bag is removably secured to the flange B at the rear of exhaust outlet 5 by means of a bag ring or collar i9 which is secured by manually operable clamping nuts 1. A. surrounding simple clamp secures the bag to the collar. Extending outwardly from the bag collar I8 is a flexible, bendable accordion-like rubber tube 2| which is sufllciently strong to prevent appreciable change in its cross sectional area when flexed or bent. To the outer end of tube 2| is secured a sound-absorbing passageway or muilier unit comprising a cylindrical metallic sleeve 23 which is lined with a sound-absorbing material 24 of sponge rubber, wood fiber or similar sound-absorption material. The inner end of sleeve 23 is doubled back upon itself to clamp the lining 24 in place. The dust bag [5 is also secured to the outer end of the tube 2| by a second clamp 25, similar to the clamp 20, which encircles the bag adjacent the outer end of the tube 2| and clamps therebetween the inner end of the sleeve 23.

Referring now to Figure 3 of the drawings in particular the second preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated and conforms in all particulars to the first embodiment with the exception that the fllter bag does not extend forwardly over the accordion-like tube 2| and is instead connected to its collar i9 through the tube. The functional relationship is the same in the two embodiments.

In the operation of the suction cleaner embodying the present invention as the cleaner is propelled over the floor-in the operation, the suction-creating fan draws cleaning air through the cleaner nozzle in contact with the surface covering undergoing cleaning, which air removes toreign material from the covering. The foreignmaterial-laden air is then drawn through the cleaner and exhausted by the fan from the exhaust outlet 5 into the bag unit. The air traverses the bag collar, the accordion-like tube, the sound-absorbing passageway or muiiler unit and enters the bag. In the bag the suspended foreign material is removed and the air itself escapes into the surrounding atmosphere. In passing through the muflier unit the vibrations in the air stream are eliminated by the operation of the sound-absorbing material 24 against which the sound waves in the air have impinged.

'The pivotal movement of the handle as the cleaner is moved to and from upon the, covering causes the bag to be flexed, particularly at its lower end where it connects to the cleaner body. As previously stated the flexure of the bag itself is'entirely permissible for the bag is made of a fabric but the presence of a relatively long soundabsorblng passageway or muifler unit requires the flexible mounting thereof. As the bag is flexed and pulled upwardly the accordion-like element.

the air passageway element itself by the lower,

side of the bag. In both embodiments of Figures 2 and 3, however, the functional relationship is the same, the accordion-like tube functioning to permit the muiiier unit to adjust its angular position to conform, so far as is necessary, to the position of the enclosing bag.

I claim:

1. In a suction cleaner, a nozzle, an exhaust outlet, suction-creating means to draw air through said nozzle and expel it through said outlet, a fllter bag connected to said outlet, sound-absorbing means in said bag, and an accordion-like rubber tube flexibly mounting said sound-absorbing means in said bag.

2. In a suction cleaner, a nozzle, an exhaust outlet, suction-creating means to draw air through said nozzle and expel it through said outlet, a filter bag, a ring detachably connecting said bag to said outlet, sound-absorbing means comprising sound-absorbing material in said bag, and an accordion-like rubber tube connecting said sound-absorbing means to said ring.

3. In a suction cleaner, a nozzle, an exhaust outlet, suction-creating means to draw air through said nozzle and expel it through said outlet, 9. filter bag connected to the exhaust outlet, sound-absorbing means including a rigid metallic element and sound-absorbing material positioned in said bag, and a rubber accordion-like tube connected between said metallic element and the exhaust outlet.

4. A removable fllter bag and sound-absorbing air passageway unit, comprising a filter bag having an inlet opening, a mounting collar at the inlet end of said bag adapted to be secured to the port of a suction cleaner, a sound-absorbing air passageway in said bag, and a flexible accordion-like rubber tube between said passageway and said collar.

5. A removable dust bag and sound-absorbing air passageway unit, comprising a dust bag having inlet and outlet openings, a securing collar for said inlet opening adapted to mount said bag on a port of a suction cleaner, a sound-absorbing air passageway including sound-absorbing material and a form-retaining metallic sleeve positioned in said bag and open to the inlet thereof, and an accordion-like rubber tube connecting said passageway to said collar.

6. In a suctioncleaner, a nozzle, an exhaust outlet, suction-creating means to draw air through said nozzle and expel it through said outlet, a filter bag connected to said outlet, sound-absorbing means in said bag, and an accordion-like rubber tube adapted to flex without alteration in its eflective cross-sectional area mounting said sound-absorbing means in said bag.

'7. A mui'iier structure, comprising an acoustic absorption material, for the dust bag of a vacuum cleaner including a flexible tube connection between the muiiier elements and the dust bag collar, said flexible tube connection having means to prevent any alteration in the effective interior cross-sectional area of the tube when such tube is bent.

8. In a vacuum cleaner, an ambulant frame, electric motor, suction fan, suction nozzle and a dust bag. said dust bag having a mufller structure comprising an acoustic absorption material, flexibly mounted therein by means of an accordion-like rubber tube.

9. A vacuum cleaner having an ambulant frame, electric motor, suction fan, suction nozzle and a dust bag, a mufller structure, comprising an acoustic absorption material, mounted in said dust bag, and a flexible connection, in the form of a bellows structure, between said muiller and dust bag inlet. 7

10. A bag and muiiler construction for a vacuum cleaner of the type including an ambulant frame, an electric motor, a suction nozzle, and an exhaust outlet; said construction comprising a bag, a mufller structure including acoustic absorption material positioned in said bag, and means to connect said bag and muiller to the exhaust outlet of the cleaner including an accordion-like rubber tube flexibly supporting said muflier.

11. In a suction cleaner, an ambulant body, a propelling handle pivotally connected, thereto, a suction nozzle, suction-creating means connected thereto, an exhaust outlet to convey dirt-laden air Iromsaid means, a dirt-filtering bag to receive air from said outlet supported at its upper,

end by said handle, a muiller structure including an acoustic absorption material positioned within said bag, and means to connect interiorly said bag and muilier to said exhaust outlet to receive air therefrom including a flexible connection in .ing means and acoustic absorption material, a

flexible connection in the form of a bellows structure between said mufller structure and said'exhaust outlet whereby said munler structure is angularly displaceable, and a dust bag enclosing said muflier, lnteriorly connected thereto and supported at its upper end by said handle.

13. In a vacuum cleaner, an ambulant frame, electric motor, suction fan, suction nozzle and a dust bag, a mufiler structure, comprising an acoustic absorption material, mounted in said dust bag, and a flexible connection, in the form or a bellows structure, between said muiller and dust bag inlet.

DONALD. G. BLIELLIE.

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