Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Machines – With air blast or suction
Patent
1998-11-02
2000-09-26
Moore, Chris K.
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Machines
With air blast or suction
15329, 15352, 15344, A47L 522
Patent
active
06122796&
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a suction cleaner, and in particular to a suction cleaner comprising a primary cleaner and an auxiliary cleaner attachable to the primary cleaner.
This invention also relates to a suction cleaner of the type comprising a housing having a dust container and filter, the dust container being connected to an inlet opening and to a motor-fan unit such that the motor-fan unit creates an air flow via the inlet opening into the dust container and through the filter to atmosphere. Dirt carried by the air flow is separated from the air flow and retained in the dust container by the filter.
A conventional suction cleaner is disclosed in British patent specification 2 126 471 (hereafter referred to as '471). This suction cleaner is a combination of an upright vacuum cleaner and a hand-held suction cleaner. The upright cleaner has a rigid housing, the rigid housing having a pocket in which the hand-held suction cleaner is received. The hand-held cleaner is an accessary for the upright cleaner. This arrangement has a number of disadvantages. For example, when the hand-held cleaner is used, dust is collected in a dust chamber within the hand-held cleaner; and, when the upright cleaner is used, dust is collected in a dust collection bag within the upright cleaner. It is, therefore, necessary to empty two different dust containers instead of one. The dust collection bag of the upright cleaner is normally disposable, so that dust collected therein is disposed of without spillage. The hand-held cleaner does not include a disposable dust bag, having instead a collection chamber and a dust filter disposed between the collection chamber and the fan. To empty the collection chamber, the filter is removed, and the collected dust shaken out. This can result in spillage of the dust.
If both the upright cleaner and the hand-held cleaner are mains powered, it is either necessary to include two separate power cables or to include a single power cable which may be selectively plugged into one or other cleaner. In this latter case, if the upright cleaner is pushed so that the power cable is pulled tight, the power cable will fall out of the upright cleaner and the cleaner will stop.
'471 suggests that the hand-held cleaner be battery operated using rechargeable batteries. In this case, if the hand-held cleaner is to be recharged through the upright cleaner, it is necessary to keep the upright cleaner plugged into the mains, even when stored.
Suction cleaners of the type having a motor-fan unit which causes an air flow through the inlet opening into the dust container and through the filter to atmosphere whereby dirt carried by the air flow is separated from the air flow and retained in the dust container by the filter are well known. Such cleaners exist in several forms, for example, as a conventional so-called canister cleaner, that is a suction cleaner where the inlet opening is disposed at the end of a hose, the other end of which is connected to a separate housing containing the motor fan unit and the dust container. Another form of suction cleaner is an upright cleaner, that is a suction cleaner where the inlet opening, the dust container, the motor fan unit and the handle are combined into one unit. Smaller hand-held units are also known which, in some cases, include rotating brushes in the inlet opening. The hand-held units are often powered by rechargeable batteries, but mains power units are also quite common.
Hand-held units are used because they are easy to handle, particularly when carrying out temporary or very brief cleaning work to collect dust, crumbs, spilled liquids or the like from a surface. These hand-held cleaners are usually emptied by removing the dust container, sometimes together with the filter, from the housing, after which the filter is separated from the dust container and the collected dirt is emptied into a waste bin before the filter and the dust container are reassembled. Since the dust container has a small volume, usually in the range of 0.5 to 10 dl, it must be emptied quite
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Patent Abstracts of Japan, vol. 16, No. 375, (C-0973), Aug. 12, 1992 & JP 04 122329 A (Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd), Apr. 22, 1992.
Downham David
Jankevics Thomas
Ord John Michael
Sjoberg Goran
Electrolux Household Appliances Limited
Moore Chris K.
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