WO2008005014A1

WO2008005014A1 - Spot sweeper with powered suction unit

Info

Publication number: WO2008005014A1
Application number: PCT/US2006/026198
Authority: WO
Inventors: Charles Barker; Michael J. Stuckey
Original assignee: The Scott Fetzer Company
Priority date: 2006-07-06
Filing date: 2006-07-06
Publication date: 2008-01-10

Abstract

A spot sweeper (10) having a casing, a battery (38) powered suction system (41) housed in the casing, said casing having a platen (23) along the lower extremity thereof, said casing further including a shroud (25), said shroud (25) and said platen (23) together defining a trap (34) in said casing, a debris collecting pocket (in front of 49) on said shroud (25) where a first slot' (49) in said shroud (25) is provided and said slot opening (49) to sa'ijd trap (32) is located in said debris pocket to allow dust and debris in said pocket to be sucked into said trap (32), a second slot (54) defined between the extremities of said shroud (25) and said platen (23), said second slot (54) defining a passage to said trap to draw debris into said trap when said suction system (41) is actuated.

Description

SPOT SWEEPER WITH POWERED SUCTION UNIT

The present invention relates, in a general sense, to powered, portable sweepers, and, more particularly, to a sweeper which is especially effective in cleaning small areas where small remnants of debris have been left by more conventional cleaning devices.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

Since the memory of man runneth not to the contrary, the venerable broom has been man's tool for moving dirt and debris away from chosen areas to other places, At some time it became prudent to remove the fugitive material completely from the area. Enter the dust pan.

Since the industrial revolution, several devices have been devised to make the chore of cleaning less so. The vacuum cleaner has evolved in several recognizable forms and all claim to be the end and all of cleaning appliances. Inherent in such devices is the inability to reach, and extract, debris from a variety of places, e.g., corners and under and behind furniture.

In response to this apparent deficiency, manufacturers add attachments. Thus, after wielding an eight pound vacuum cleaner about the premises, the dutiful user must drag out a six foot hose and a host of attachments and, while pulling the vacuum behind, attempt to reach those otherwise unreachable places.

Overview of the Prior Art It is clear from a review of the prior art that the present invention is not the first to see a need for a dust pan like device which is capable of picking up dirt and debris with the use of a vacuum device. Reference is made to Rood patent 6,671,924, which is interesting only to the extent that it is a box which is plugged into a conventional socket and has an opening which receives dirt and debris from a broom and deposits it in a collection chamber. It is in no sense portable, nor it is capable of achieving the objectives of the present invention. Douglas patent 5,953,788 is, for all intents and purposes, an upright vacuum cleaner which, again, uses conventional AC power to suck up dirt from a room.

Naul patent 1,898,887 envisions a mop cleaner and dust pan which is an accessory to the upright vacuum cleaner of the day. Naul has a slanted lid 19 upon which he puts a soiled mop and the vacuum cleaner then creates a vacuum in the accessory, presumably pulling dirt and debris from the mop.

The Courcelles patent, 5,437,078 envisions a broom which is usable with a central vacuum system to retrieve dirt and debris. In a similar vein, Crochett patent 5,560,077, envisions a rechargeable vacuum on wheels for retrieving dirt and debris beneath it. This appears to be the forerunner to the self-propelled vacuum.

Murray patent 6,895,632 is just one of several different hand- held portables, and Yau, publication number US 2005/0132528, is yet another example of such a device. Finally, DeCosa et al. patent 4,360,947 is an example of a shop vac with a dust pan type attachment.

It is apparent that none of these devices are structurally similar to the present invention, nor can they perform in the same or similar manner to achieve the same results.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In the simplest possible terms, it is the function and the objective of the spot sweeper of the present invention to provide the user with the capacity to retrieve dirt and debris from otherwise inaccessible spots.

It is another objective of the present invention to capture dirt and debris, once retrieved, in order to carry it away for disposal. Yet another objective of the present invention is to provide an appliance, as described, that is light weight, exceptionally easy to manipulate, and a versatile adjunct to cleaning chores, at a cost which makes the appliance accessible to all. Related to the foregoing, is the provision of a hand-held, portable power sweeper which fills a void in sweeper technology by retrieving dirt and debris which conventional upright or cannister sweepers either can not, or will not, reach and it do its work with exceptional efficiency and alacrity, without need for hoses and attachments.

The foregoing, as well as other objects and advantages of the present invention, will be evident to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment, in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the spot sweeper of the present invention as viewed from above;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to that of FIG. 1, but viewed from beneath the sweeper; and,

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the sweeper of the present invention, cut away to show the inner mechanism thereof. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, and initially to FIG. 1, a spot sweeper 10, which is fully portable and instantly operable to extract debris left behind by more conventional cleaning devices, is shown. The sweeper 10 is formed with a housing, or casing, 12 which includes an ergonomically shaped handle 14 and a power source 16. Electrically connected with, and forward of, the power source in the housing is a powered suction/pickup assembly 21.

The heart of the present invention rests in its versatility and ease of use. Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 3, the casing 12 is compact and easy to manipulate, bears a resemblance to the venerable dust pan, and is as easy to handle. The casing includes a relatively flat platen 23, covered by a shroud 25. The platen 23 is capable of being positioned essentially flush with the surface to be cleaned and provided with a forward edge, or blade, 27 which is beveled to an edge 29.

The platen 23 and shroud 25 together define a chamber, or trap, 32 into which dirt and debris are received and confined. A trap door 34 is provided in the platen beneath the trap and is removable to empty the trap.

Utility is enhanced by the provision of the powered suction/pickup system 21. Suction is created in the spot sweeper by means of a DC motor 36, powered by batteries 38 which are conveniently housed in the handle 14. The motor 36 drives a fan 41 which pulls air through the filter 43 creating a vacuum up stream of the filter so as to pull dirt and debris into the trap 32. Filtered air drawn through the filter is exhausted through ports 45. The trap door 34 is sufficiently elongated to permit changing of the filter as needed.

One of the key features of the sweeper of the present invention is its unique capability of serving the function of a dust pan and retrieving dirt and debris in seemingly inaccessible places, both with considerable ease. More particularly, its versatility is evident from its ability to accomplish these functions under power, where appropriate, thereby removing, as distinguished from simply relocating, debris.

In achieving these features, the nose 45 of the shroud slopes toward the platen. A riser 46 is formed in the shroud before the nose which is sloped, or ramped, upwardly from its terminus at the point of intersection with a downwardly sloping wall 47 of the shroud. The riser 46, together with the wall 47, defines a shallow, yet discernable, pocket, or depression, similar in size and depth to one might expect in a receptacle such as a conventional dust pan. A significant advance, however, is found in the provision of an elongated slot 49 at the intersection of the wall 47 and riser 46. The slot runs transverse to the longitudinal axis of the shroud at its deepest point in the depression. Thus, if the dirt is swept into the depression by, for example, a broom B, such debris may be caused to fall, in one embodiment, gravitationally into the trap 32.

The present spot sweeper in its dust pan mode will, in all likelihood, leave a line of dirt which is not uncommon for dust pans. By switching to its power vac mode, this device is capable of capturing and confining that line of dirt, referred to above, as well as debris and dirt from other relatively inaccessible areas quickly and with minimum effort. A switch between modes in accomplished without changing hands or doing anything other than depressing a trigger and holding the device to the area to be swept.

Once in the power vac mode, the forward end of the casing is especially constructed to function as a power sweeper. It will be seen in the present device that the nose 45 of the shroud 25 overlaps the forward edge of the platen 23, leaving a slot, or gap, 54, which is parallel to the slot 49, but substantially flush with the surface to be swept. Sweeping is accomplished by simply squeezing the trigger 52, thereby actuating the motor 36 and the suction fan 41 to create a vacuum at the slot 54, which draws dirt and debris at the slot into the trap 32.

In the power vac mode, it is possible to employ a vacuum in accomplishing removal of dirt and debris, not only from a surface, but from the pocket formed in the shroud. A flapper valve 56 is provided, one end of which is anchored to the rear of the slot 54 with a free end, normally spring loaded to a position immediately to the low point in the slot 49. A material such as spring steel may be used to effect the positioning of the free end against the inside wall of the shroud behind the slot therein. When the motor 36 is actuated, the flapper valve 56 is drawn down into engagement with the platen 23 and both slots are then effected by the suction created in the trap, causing the dirt and debris in proximity to each slot to be drawn into, and confined, in the trap. The filter 43, of course, prevents the dirt and debris from passing through it, and the accumulated dirt and debris is then manually extracted from beneath the trap by removing the trap door 34. Accordingly, such residual dirt and debris as may remain, e.g., the line of dirt commonly left by the use of broom and dust pan, may be readily picked up, trapped, and disposed of. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that some structural and other modifications may be made without sacrifice to the objectives of the invention. Such modifications are within the contemplation of the invention which is defined by the claims, wherein:

Claims

1. A spot sweeper having a casing; a battery powered suction system housed in the casing; said casing having a platen along the lower extremity thereof; said casing further including a shroud, said shroud and said platen together defining a trap in said casing; a first slot in said shroud , said slot opening to said trap to thereby permit debris in said pocket to feed into said trap; a second slot defined between the termini of said shroud and said platen, said second slot defining a passage to said trap to draw debris into said trap when said suction system is actuated.

2. The spot sweeper of Claim 1, wherein said shroud has a pocket formed therein, and said first slot is at the deepest point in said pocket.

3. The spot sweeper of Claim 1, wherein said shroud includes a downwardly sloping wall, and a riser at the end of said wall; said wall and said riser forming a pocket in said shroud.

4, The spot sweeper of Claim 1, wherein said battery powered suction system is so positioned as to selectively create a vacuum at said slots for urging debris in proximity thereto into said trap.

5. The spot sweeper of Claim 1, wherein a trap door is provided in said platen for removal of debris in said trap,

6. The spot sweeper of Claim 3, wherein said pocket is capable of receiving debris swept into it, and funneling said debris to said trap through said first slot.

7. The spot sweeper of Claim 1, wherein said spot sweeper includes a flapper valve, said flapper valve positioned to selectively close said first slot to said trap.

8. The spot sweeper of Claim 7, wherein said flapper valve is so positioned as to permit access to said trap by said second slot when said suction assembly is actuated.

9. The spot sweeper of Claim 7, wherein said flapper valve provides access to both said first slot and said second slot when said battery powered suction assembly is actuated.

10. The spot sweeper of Claim 7, wherein said flapper valve is biased toward a position which restricts access between said first slot and said trap.