US2771151A

US2771151A - Vacuum cleaner

Info

Publication number: US2771151A
Application number: US373541A
Authority: US
Inventors: Ralph C Osborn
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1953-08-11
Filing date: 1953-08-11
Publication date: 1956-11-20
Anticipated expiration: 1973-11-20

Description

Nov. 20, 1956 R. c. OSBORN 2,771,151

VACUUM CLEANER Filed Aug. 11, 1953 IN V EN TOR.

United States Patent VACUUM CLEANER Ralph C. Osborn, Bloomington, Ill.

Application August 11, 1953, Serial No. 373,541

1 Claim. (Cl. 183-37) My invention relates to vacuum cleaners particularly of the canister type. inefficiency of operation frequently results from an accumulation of dirt in the cleaner bag at the portion of the bag where air is drawn through it. This accumulation of dirt blocks the interstices of the bag and places an additional strain on the motor in that the suction fan is required to draw air through a clogged cleaner bag.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a vacuum cleaner in which the conventional cleaner bag is so positioned in the cleaner as to maintain the accumulated dirt out of the suction area.

Another object of my invention is to provide a suction means provided with a convex foraminous member so as to deform the conventional cleaner bag into a suction area and a dirt receiving trough which is spaced from the suction area.

The drawing forming a part of this specification shows a cross section of my vacuum cleaner in which there is disclosed an upper chamber Wall having a shoulder 12 defining an opening adapted to receive a cover 14 to which a handle 16 is pivotally attached. The cover also includes locking means adapted to cooperate with screw threaded means 20 to removably lock the cover in position. The cover is provided with a collar 22 comprising a generally cylindrical nozzle and coupling means 24 to rotatably receive a cleaner hose connector 26. A diaphragm 28 is secured to an annular flange 29 at the lower .edge of the chamber wall 10.

The diaphragm 28 divides the low and high pressure chambers and is provided with an annular shoulder 30 defining an opening 32 in the diaphragm. A resilient ring gasket 34 is carried by the shoulder 30. The bottom or high pressure chamber consists of a pan having a wall 36 to which is attached a hose coupling outlet 38. The bottom of the pan section has a recessed portion 40. The upper opening in pan wall 36 is adapted to be engaged by the underside of the peripheral edge of the diaphragm 28 so that the high and low pressure chambers may be placed in juxtaposed position.

Mounted on the gasket surrounding the opening 30 and the diaphragm 28 is a fan and motor housing 42 surrounding the suction means and which housing extends up into the low pressure chamber. This fan housing is open at its upper end and has placed thereon a generally convex, generally hemispherical foraminous member 44 fitted to the peripheral edge of said housing and extending further upwardly into said low pressure chamber.

A cleaner bag 46 having a gasketed neck portion 48 is adapted to be held securely between the cover 14 and the annular shoulder 12. The cleaner bag is fabricated of a woven material capable of permitting the passage of air but of such texture that it will retain dust particles within the bag. The cleaner bag is of such size that it may be inserted in the low pressure chamber with a portion 49 of the bag resting on the foraminous member 44 which defines the suction area. This portion of the bag will assume the contour of the member 44. The additional In vacuum cleaners generally in use,

2,771,151 Patented Nov. 20, 1956 portion of the bottom of the cleaner bag will overhang the foraminous member forming an annular trough 50 about the upper portion of the fan housing. This trough portion of the bag is of sufficient area so as to be spaced from and below the suction area 49 of the bag.

. The suction means including the motor, fan and fan housing together with the foraminous member 44 may be held in place by means of a bracket 52 supporting the motor and secured to the fan housing 42. The bracket 52 carries U bolts 54 holding a bar 56 to which is welded a threaded bolt 58 adapted to extend through an opening in the recessed portion 40 of the bottom pan wall.. A nut 60 may be threaded on bolt 58 to hold the suction means against the resilient ring gasket 34 on the diaphragm 28 and also to hold the upper and lower chambers in engaged position. I

The motor may be connected to a source of. electrical power by means of wires 62 connected through a switch 64 carried by pan wall 36.

In the operation of my cleaner, air containing dirt particles is drawn into the low pressure chamber through the hose connector 26. The dirt particles will be trapped by the cleaner bag along the suction area 49, which suction area is defined by the convex portion of the foraminous member 44. Continued operation of the cleaner will result in an accumulation of dirt particles along the surface 49 of the cleaner bag and the vibration of the motor and foraminous member 44 permitted by the resilient ring gasket 34 will operate to accomplish a shaking motion and cause the accumulated dirt particles to roll down the'convex surface of the bag into the trough 50 and away from the suction area.

It is, of course, usual in vacuum cleaner operations to move the cleaner from place to place about the enclosure to be cleaned and during such moving, the suction means is rendered inoperative. This moving about with frequent jars or bumps Will operate to accomplish an additional shaking of the dirt particles which may be ac cumulated on the surface 49 down into the trough 50. This additional moving about when the suction means is inoperative will result in the displacement into the trough of dust particles which may have been retained on the surface 49 during a cleaning operation by means of the suction produced by the suction fan.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that I have provided a vacuum cleaner having a novel construction resulting in the removal of dust particles from the suction area of the cleaning bag. With such a construction it is readily apparent that the cleaner bag will not have to be removed to dispose of the accumulated dirt until such time as the dirt in the trough extends above the suction area of the cleaner bag. It will also be readily apparent that with the construction disclosed, the efficiency of the suction means will be greatly enhanced in that during the operation of the cleaner, the dirt and dust particles are prevented from accumulating in the suction area, thereby insuring a suction surface of the cleaner bag which will readily permit the flow of air therethrough.

While I have described a preferred embodiment of my invention, I do not Wish to be limited to the specific details thereof set forth and I wish to avail myself of all the modifications which may come within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

A device of the character described comprising an upstanding wall provided with a top having an inlet opening disposed centrally thereof and provided with an annular bottom Wall presenting an outlet opening in register with the inlet opening, an imperforate, open ended cylindrical fan housing extending axially upwardly from the inner marginal edge portion of said bottom wall defining the -outlet opening therein with the outer surface of said housing being spaced inwardly from the inner surface of said upstanding wall, a fan mounted within said housing for discharging air through said outlet to create a subatmos- :pheric-pressure within the chamber definedby said top, bottom and upstanding Walls, a generallyhemispherical mainder of the bottom of the bag extending below the open upper edge of the fan housing and below the said efiective foraminous portion to encompass a substantial portion of the upper end of the fan housing, and the neck .of the bag being secured in depending relation from said top wall of the chamber whereby that portion of the bag which encompasses the upper end of the imperforate fan housing forms 'an annular dust c'ollectingspace, and

an inlet fitting projecting through said inlet opening and directed downwardly to discharge incoming air toward and through the center of the efiective foraminous portion of said member and axially through said fan housing whereby the dust collecting space is disposed within an area of relative quiescence, and resilient means disposed between said inner marginal edge of the bottom wall and said fan housing, whereby vibrations of said fan will be transmitted from the fan housing to said foraminous member to shake said collectingbag and deposit accumulated dirt withinsaid annular dustcollecting space.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,605,858 Lang Aug. 5, 1952 2,652,902 Sheahan Sept. 22, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 2719,858 Great Britain .Mar. 8, 1928