US2244843A - Vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Description

June 10, 1941. F REN 2,244,843

VACUUM CLEANER Filed Jan. 28, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A ZATTO E Patented June 10, 1941 VACUUM CLEANER Gustaf Einar Lofgren, Riverside, Conn., assignor to Electrolux Corporation, Dover, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application January 28, 1938, Serial No. 187,451

4 Claims.

My invention relates to vacuum cleaners and more particularly to vacuum cleaners of the type having a uni-t supported on the floor and connected to a cleaning tool by a flexible hose or conduit. a

In vacuum cleaners of this type the cleaning tool is normally connected by the flexible hose to the suction end of the vacuum cleaner unit. The cleaning tool may be connected to the flexible hose with or without substantially rigid tubular members. In the use of the cleaner as a suction cleaner dirt is picked up by air drawn in through the cleaning tool and passes through the conduit to the cleaner unit. As the air passes through theunit, entrained dust is collected in a dust-separating member and the air passes out an exhaust opening. For eificiently cooling the motor driving the fan the air may be passed wholly or partly through the motor before it passes out through the exhaust opening. Some carbon dust may be picked up by the air as it passes through the motor, also some very fine dust particles may pass through the dust-separating member.

air passes before it leaves, the casing which serves to separate from it any carbon particles or fine dust which may have been entrained by the air.

In'accordance with my invention, a louver as sembly is mounted at the rear end of the casing.

with an exhaust opening, carries the filter, and is arranged so that it may be easily removed from the casing for inspection of the filter. A rear end housing for the casing houses the filter element and may be removed for inspection of the motor. the louver assembly soi-t maybe readily removed and replaced after the louver assembly hasbeen removed from the rear end housing.

What I consider to be novel and my invention may be better understood by'reference to the following specification and appended claims, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side view partially in section of a vacuum cleaner unit embodying my invention;

Fig. 2- is a rear view of the devices shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2:

Fig. '4 is a cross-sectional view of a portionof the cleaner unit;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the lines 55 of Figs. 3 and 4.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, numeral l0 designates generally a vacuum cleaner, Vacuum cleaner It] includes a casing ll of substantially cylindrical cross section which is adapted for mounting on a horizontal axis. One end of the casing II is closed by a removable cover I2 in which an aperture [3 is provided for connecting a hose It. At the other end'of hose M a cleaning tool It may be connected by means oi a tubular handle member l6.

Within casing II, a dust-separating member I! is located with a flanged ring l8 which is secured to the end of easing II by means of frontend cover II. The dust-separating member I! is preferably made of a fine texture cloth which will permit the passage of air therethrough but will separate any dust particles entrained in the air. ber 11 is periodically emptied from the separating member H by removing it from the casing H which may be done by removing the frontend cover I2.

A filter element is provided adjacent the exhaust opening through which the The filter element is removably secured to A motor fan unit including an electric motor l9 and a centrifugal fan 20 is mounted with the casing H. The housing of fan 2| is sealed to the casing of motor I!) so. that all of the air passing through the fan l'9 must pass through the interior of the motor it.

After the air has passed through the motor I! it enters a rear end housing 22 carried by the end of casing ll. Rear end housing 22 has an exit fitting or louver assembly 23 in the form of a hollow body in which the exhaust openings 2| and 2-5 are provided. The air in'passage through the separating member ll may carry with it very fine dust particles which are fine enough to pass through the separating member l1. As the air passes through the motor l9 car- -bon dust particles from the motor brushes may be entrained by the air. It is not desirable to pass this air with the fine dust particles and the carbon particles out through the exhaust openings 24 and 25. For the purpose of separatcured at their front ends to a ring 28 and at their rear ends to a ring 29. Ring 28 is secured directly to the casing H at one end and the ring '29 is secured to the casing II at the other end.

As it may be seen by reference to Fig. 3, the

The dust collected in the separating memrear end housing 22 is in the form of a castin and is secured to ring 29 with an interposed packing ring 36 which provides a fluid-tight seal between the casing II and the housing 22. Ring 29 carries a pivot pin 3| for a handle 32 for the vacuum cleaner unit l0.

Louver assembly 23 is which the exhaust openings 24 and 25 are located is secured to housing 22 by means of two screws 33 located at opposite sides. The exhaust openings 24 and 25 are provided with inclined vanes 34 and 35, respectively, for directing air upwardly as it leaves vacuum cleaner unit In. The exhaust opening 24 is divided intotwo symmetrical halves, in each half the vanes 34 are provided.

In the operation of the vacuum cleaner unit II), it is desirable at times to use a blower action instead of a suction action. To provide for the connecting of the hose I4, for blower action the exhaust opening 25 is provided with a cylindrical sliding louver 36 which carries vanes 35. The sliding louver 36 is held flush with the outer surface of louver assembly 23 by means of a spiral spring 31 which in its distended form is of substantially conical shape. The hose I4 is inserted in the opening 25 moving the sliding louver 36 to the left, as shown in Fig. 3, against the bias of spring 31.

Secured to the louver assembly 23 by means of screws 39 is an exhaust cover 40 in the form of a stamping. Cover 40 is provided with a port 4| with a curved lip 42. Extending transversely across port 4| is a cross-bar 43 with a central seat 44 for spring 31. Tracks 45 are secured to cover 48 serving to guide sliding louver 36 in its movement upon insertion of the hose l4 in opening 25.

Filtering member 26 is provided with a substantially cylindrical perforated frame 46 with a recess 41 at one end. A filtering material 48 is preferably in the form of a fabric or cloth with interspersed layers of felted fibers. The filtering member 26 is mounted on the louver assembly 23 by means of fingers 49 with inwardly extending projections 50 which are adapted to snap into an annular recess provided in cover 48. The filtering material surrounds the frame 46 to a point where it overlies the cover 40 so all of the air that enters-port 4| passes through filter material 48. The surface; of filter material 48 is larger in area than the area of the opening of the rear end housing 22 in which louver assembly 23 is inserted.

Cleaning or replacement of the filtering member 26 or the covering of filtering material 48 may be accomplished by removing the louver assembly 23 from housing 22. The louver assembly 23 is removed simply by loosening the screws 33. While it will seldom be found necessary to replace the filtering member 26.. it is desirable to remove the louver assembly 23 00- casionally for examination of the filtering member 26 to determine whether or not itneed be replaced.

Mounted in the top of housing 22 is a switch 52 for controlling the operation of the motor l9. Switch 52 has a button 53 for actuating the switch 52. Connected to the switch 52 are two terminals 54 which are provided for connection with a source of electrical supply. A plate 55 covers the switch 52 and has an opening through which the button 53 passes.

In the assembling of the rear end housing 22, the switch 52 and plate 55 are. first secured to the housing. The housing may then be m u ted on the casing H by means of screws 56 which are threaded in engagement with the ring 29. Ordinarily it will be more convenient to assemble the louver assembly 23 with the cover 40 and filtering member 26 and secure it to the housing 22 after housing 22 has been mounted on the casing ll. However, whenever it is desirable to examine or replace the filtering material 26 it is not necessary to remove the housing 22 as only the louver assembly 23 need be removed. To obtain access to the motor, it is more convenient to remove the whole of the assembly of housing 22.

The operation of the vacuum cleaner I0 is as follows:

Air drawn in through the cleaning tool |6 picks up dirt or dust located on the surface being cleaned and passes through the tubular member 6, flexible hose l4, through the aperture B in front end cover l2 into the casin ll. As the air passes through the dust-separating member I! the dust is collected by the dustseparating member H. The air passes through the centrifugal fan 20 and is then directed through the motor l9. As the air passes through the motor l9 carbon particles from the motor brushes may be picked up. Also very fine dust may have passed through the dust-separating member H. The air with carbon particles and fine dust particles which may have been entrained then passes through the filterelement 26. As the air passes through the filter element 26 these carbon particles and very fine dust particles are removed from the air. The air enters a port in the exhaust cover 40. A portion of the air passes out the exhaust opening 24 of the louver assembly 23 and another portion passes out the exhaust opening 25. The air in passing through the exhaust openings 24 and 25 is directed upwardly by the vanes 34 and 35, respectively, away from the surface on which the cleaner unit is supported.

After the vacuum cleaner ID has been used for a while it is desirable to remove the dust-separating member I! and empty it which may be done by first removing the front end cover l2. At less frequent intervals it is advantageous to remove the filter element 26 for inspection to see, whether or not it is desirable to clean or replace it. This may be done by unscrewing the two thumb screws 33 and removing the louver assembly 23 from the rear end housing 22. When the louver assembly 23 is removed the filter element 26 carried by it is also removed. After inspecting the filter element 26 it may be removed, if necessary, by removing the frame 46 from the louver assembly 23. The whole filter element 26 may then be replaced, or the filter material 48 on the frame 46 may be replaced. A new or clean filter element 26 or one with a cleaned or replaced filter material 48 is replaced on the louver assembly 23 by simply passing the fingers 49 over the cover 48 until the projections 50 snap into the annular recess 5|. The filter element 26 and the louver assembly 23 may then be replaced in the rear end housing 22. The vacuum cleaner I0 is then ready for continued use as a suction cleaner or when desired its blower action may be utilized by connecting the flexible hose 4 in the exhaust opening 25.

What I claim is: v

1. In a vacuum cleaner having a casing with a suction opening at one end and an exit opening at the other end, a removable exit fitting for said last-mentioned opening, said exit fitting comprising a hollowbody, means on said hollow body for attachment to said casing with the major portion of the hollow body within the casing, a filter for said major portion of the hollow body, said filter having a filtering surface spaced from the wall of the casing and of an area materially greater than the area of the exit opening in the end of the casing in which the hollow body is applied.

2. The structure defined in claim 1, wherein said filter is readily detachable from said hollow body.

3. The structure defined in claim 1, that includes means supportin'gsaid filter in a manner such that the air passing through the casing passes through said filter.

4. The structure defined in claim 1 that includes means for securing 'said exit fitting in place in a manner to permit the same to be 10 readily applied or removed.

GUSTAF EINAR LOFGREN.

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