Panasonic Corporation of North America

Lexmark International, Inc.

Alan T Pullins

Eric J Streciwilk

Paul Douglas Horrall

Donald Eugene Proffitt

James Todd Crouch

Michael L Fry

Danielle M Hafling

Nathan A Gogel

Joel E Hitzelberger

Donn Duane Bryant

Gary Scott Overall

Hrishikesh Pramod Gogate

Joseph Edwin Domhoff

Michael S Yacobi

Adam Randal Wiedemann

Shannon D Phegley

Geoffrey Kirk Carlson

Michael J Shanor

Matthew David Miles

Gary P Charbonneau

Mark J Medley

An imaging device with a two door interlock system for detecting a positional state of orthogonally mounted first and second access doors of the imaging device. The two door interlock system includes a mounting assembly rotatably mounted to a frame of the imaging device and movable by the first access door between a first position and a second position, and an actuator projecting from an inner surface of the second access door, and a sensor positioned on the mounting assembly and providing an output signal that changes between a first state and a second state. The output signal being in the first state when both of the first and second access doors are in their respective closed positions and in the second state when at least one of the first and second access doors are in their respective open positions.

Two door interlock mechanism for an imaging device

An electrophotographic imaging device, including at least one photoconductive member, a printhead unit, at least one shutter-wiper member, and at least one shutter actuator. The at least one shutter-wiper member is moveable in a first direction between a first position in which the shutter-wiper covers the at least one exit lens of the printhead unit and a second position in which the at least one shutter-wiper does not cover the at least one exit lens so as to allow the at least one light beam generated by the printhead unit to pass therethrough. The at least one actuator is coupled to the at least one shutter-wiper member such that movement of the at least one shutter actuator in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction causes the corresponding shutter-wiper member to move in the first direction.

Automated lens cleaning and shutter system for an electrophotographic imaging device

An electronics device including a haptic-based user interface, including a touch screen; an actuator coupled to the touch screen for selectively vibrating the touch screen responsive to the touch screen being depressed; and a visual display panel. The user interface further includes a plurality of suspension members disposed between the touch screen and the display panel and a plurality of seal members disposed between the suspension members such that the suspension members and the seal members define a volume between the touch panel and the visual display panel. The suspension and seal members may be formed from compressible material, such as foam materials. By separating the visual display panel from the touch panel with the suspension members in this way, vibrations from the actuator that are experienced by the visual display panel are reduced, thereby extending the useful life of the visual display panel.

Haptic based user interface for an electronic device

A floor care apparatus includes a housing having a nozzle assembly and a canister assembly. A suction inlet is provided on the nozzle assembly. A dirt collection vessel, a suction generator and a wand receiver are carried on the housing. The cleaning wand assembly includes a telescoping subassembly, including two telescoping wand sections, and a handle subassembly including a third wand section.

Floor care apparatus with a three section wand assembly

A floor cleaning apparatus includes a housing and a dirt collection vessel carried on that housing. The dirt collection vessel includes a first air inlet, a second air inlet, a dirt collection chamber, a filter chamber and a clean air outlet. A filter is received in the filter chamber. A suction generator is carried on the housing. The floor cleaning apparatus also includes a flow control valve assembly. The flow control valve assembly is selectively displaceable between a first or home position wherein dirt and debris are captured in the dirt collection vessel and a second or filter cleaning position wherein clean air is drawn through at least a portion of the filter to clean the filter. An activator is provided for automatically displacing the flow control valve assembly between the first and second positions.

Floor cleaning apparatus with filter cleaning system

A floor care apparatus includes a housing having a nozzle assembly and a canister assembly. A suction inlet is provided on the nozzle assembly. A dirt collection vessel, a suction generator and a wand receiver are carried on the housing. A first air flow pathway connects the suction inlet to the dirt collection vessel and the suction generator. An air flow control valve includes a valve body received in the first air flow pathway and an actuator having at least a portion thereof extending into the wand receiver. A cleaning wand assembly is displaceable between a first storage position wherein a first end of the cleaning wand assembly is held in the wand receiver engaging the actuator and opening the valve and a second position wherein the cleaning wand assembly is withdrawn from the wand receiver for cleaning with the cleaning wand assembly thereby disengaging the actuator and closing the valve. A second air flow pathway connects the cleaning wand assembly to the first air flow pathway between the valve body and the dirt collection vessel.

Vacuum cleaner with wand activated conversion valve

A vacuum cleaner includes a housing that carries a suction inlet, a dirt collection vessel, a main filter compartment and a suction generator. The main filter is received in the main filter compartment. An airflow pathway connects the suction inlet, the dirt collection vessel, the main filter compartment and the suction generator. A dirt detection sensor is provided in the airflow pathway between the dirt collection vessel and the main filter compartment.

Floor cleaning apparatus with dirt detection sensor

A vacuum cleaner includes a housing, a suction generator and a dirt collection assembly. The dirt collection assembly includes an inlet, an outlet and a concave air deflector. Air is delivered into a dirt collection chamber formed in the dirt collection assembly along a substantially parabolic trajectory.

Bagless vacuum cleaner and dirt collection assembly

A vacuum cleaner is provided including a housing, a nozzle inlet, a suction generator carried on the housing and a dirt vessel carried on the housing. The dirt vessel includes a sidewall, a bottom wall and an air inlet and an air outlet. A filter shield is aligned with the air inlet to deflect an airstream entering the dirt vessel through the air inlet. A filter element is also provided to clean fine dirt and debris from the airstream.

Bagless vacuum cleaner

A dirt cup for a vacuum cleaner includes a housing defining a dirt collection chamber, an inlet and an outlet in the housing in fluid communication with the dirt collection chamber and a selectively attachable and detachable filter holder on the housing external to the dirt collection chamber and downstream from the outlet. A vacuum cleaner incorporating the dirt cup is also provided.

Dirt cup assembly with attachable and detachable external filter holder

A dirt cup for a vacuum cleaner includes a housing defining a dirt collection chamber, an inlet and an outlet in the housing in fluid communication with the dirt collection chamber and a filter holder on the housing external to the dirt collection chamber and downstream from the outlet. A vacuum cleaner incorporating the dirt cup is also provided.

Removable dirt cup assembly with external filter

A vacuum cleaner includes a housing as well as a suction generator and bagless dirt system carried on the housing. The bagless dirt system includes a dirt cup, a prefilter, a filter chamber remote from the dirt cup, a filter in the filter chamber and a first conduit providing fluid communication between the dirt cup and the filter chamber. A second conduit provides fluid communication between the filter chamber and the suction generator.

Growing community of inventors

Lexington, KY, United States of America

Alan T Pullins