Rexair, Inc.

Steven R Selewski

Dean R Rohn

Roy O Erickson

Craig R Cummins

Gary A Kasper

John J Alberts, Iii

Stephen John Wood

Todd C Cote

William R Daws

Dennis M Futo

Roger H Ramsey

Robert G Martinez

Mark Howie

Anthony T Alexander

George H Holling

A vacuum cleaner assembly includes a motor having a rotor and a stator for providing motive power to the assembly. The rotor and stator each include armatures having tips. In one aspect, the widths of the rotor and stator tips are different. In another aspect, the rotor armatures have a non-constant width. Another aspect discloses the motor being a two-phase brushless motor having an even number (N) of stator armatures and N&plus;2 rotor armatures. In another aspect, a rotor armature includes an aperture. In another aspect, each rotor armature includes a plurality of layers laminated together, with one layer being dimensionally different than the other layers. In another embodiment of the present invention, a control circuit energizes the windings of the stator so as to toggle the rotor in a first direction before alternately energizing the windings to drive the rotor in a second direction.

Brushless motor

A vacuum cleaner assembly comprising a main housing, a primary filter system, and a secondary filter system. The main housing includes an inlet and an outlet. The primary filter system filters the air prior to being exhausted outwardly through the outlet. The secondary filter system is placed in downstream airflow from the primary filter system and provides additional filtering of the air prior to being exhausted to atmosphere.

Vacuum cleaner

A vacuum cleaner assembly (,) includes a main housing (,) having an inlet (,) and an outlet (,). A motor (,) is disposed within the main housing (,) for providing motive force to a cooling fan (,), a blower (,), and a separator (,). The separator (,) circulates the air and water bath (,) within a water bath pan (,) and provides, in combination with the water bath (,), a primary filter for filtering the air. A second filter assembly (,) is also provided preferably including a high efficiency filter (,or,), or HEPA rated filter, for filtering microscopic dust and dirt particles that escape the separator (,) and water bath (,) and is disposed after both the water bath (,) and the separator (,) for additional filtering of the air. Alternatively, it may be a non-HEPA rated filter (,). The second filter assembly (,) may also include a third filter element, which may be a carbon impregnated filter (,) for absorbing or trapping odors and is disposed in the air flow path after the second filter (,, or,). The second filter (,or,) and third filter (,) element are secured in a frame (,) as part of the second filter assembly (,). The second filter (,or,) and the carbon impregnated filter (,) within the frame (,) are disposed in a recess (,) which is integral with the main housing (,) allowing for direct and efficient flow of the air through the water bath (,), separator (,), and second filter assembly (,).

Housing design for a power nozzle

For a vacuum cleaning unit, a cleaning tool employing a rotatably driven brush and having a split manifold therein which allows a vacuum airflow to be directed to the outermost longitudinal ends of the brush without interference with a drive belt rotatably driving the brush at its approximate longitudinal midpoint. The cleaning tool includes an upper housing having a centrally disposed cut-out portion and a semi-circular portion for partially housing the brush therein. A cut-out is formed in a base portion of the upper housing. A lower housing also has a cut-out shaped identically to that of the cut-out portion of the upper housing. A front sole plate is included which is secured to the lower housing and which includes a pair of openings separated by a central portion, where the openings allow portions of the brush to protrude. Each of the upper and lower housings further have runner portions which form airflow channels through which a vacuum airflow may be generated. When the upper and lower housings are secured together, a drive belt is able to extend through the centrally disposed cut-out portion, the cut-out portion in the base of the upper housing and the cut-out portion in the lower housing to engage at its approximate longitudinal mid-point. The apparatus thus allows a brush to be rotatably driven from its approximate longitudinal mid-point while providing an increased vacuum airflow to the outermost end portions of the brush. In an alternative embodiment, a snappingly engageable front sole plate is provided which allows quick and easy access to the interior of the cleaning tool with the need to remove threaded fasteners or the like, or the need for any external tools.

Cleaning tool having split manifold

A squeegee apparatus for a vacuum cleaner system. The apparatus includes a main body portion having an integrally formed neck portion operable to releasably connect to a wand of the vacuum cleaner system. The main body portion forms a manifold and includes a lower end portion to which a squeegee member is releasably secured. The squeegee member includes a central portion having a pair of longitudinally parallel extending bumper portions, with the bumper portions each including saw tooth-shaped surfaces. The squeegee blade also depends downwardly from the central portion and outwardly of the bumper portions. The central portion also includes first and second pluralities of ports disposed on opposite sides of the squeegee blade, with one or the other of the pluralities of ports being alternately blocked off during use as the squeegee blade flexes into abutting contact with one or the other of the bumper portions while being moved back and forth over a work surface. The bumper portions also function to maintain the pluralities of ports at a predetermined distance from the work surface during use, thereby maximizing the consistency of the liquid pick-up operation of the apparatus.

Squeegee apparatus for a vacuum cleaner system

A handle assembly for securing a vacuum hose to an intake nozzle of a vacuum cleaner system. A handle housing having first and second mating handle housing sections and a plurality of oppositely facing ridges and oppositely facing grooved portions protruding from inner surfaces of the housing sections is adapted to house a ribbed end portion of a vacuum hose and an elbow section having a shoulder portion protruding therefrom. The ridges and grooved portions are adapted to abuttingly engage the ribbed end portion of the vacuum hose and the shoulder portion of the elbow section respectively when the first and second handle housing sections are matingly engaged, to thereby prevent clockwise or counter-clockwise rotation of the vacuum hose as the handle assembly is articulated into various positions during use. The vacuum hose further includes a relatively smooth inner surface which is operable to slide over a portion of the elbow section housed within the handle assembly housing. The elbow operates to grip onto the vacuum hose to further help secure it to the housing. The vacuum hose is thus secured to the handle housing without the need for screws, adhesives or specially formed fittings secured to the end of the vacuum hose.

Handle assembly for a vacuum system cleaning tool

A separator for use in connection with a liquid bath-type vacuum cleaner system. The separator includes an annular, cup-like housing adapted to rotate axially about its vertical axis for generating a centrifugal force to be applied to intake air therein; and a plurality of intake/exhaust slots particulates entrained in the intake air and liquid particulates from a liquid bath to be drawn into an interior area of the housing and coalesce therein, whereby the coalesced particulates are subjected to centrifugal force and are thereby separated from the intake air. The intake/exhaust slots further enable the coalesced particulates to be forcibly expelled from the interior area of the housing therethrough as they are forced radially outwards by the centrifugal force generated by the rapid, axial rotation of the housing.

Separator for a vacuum cleaner system

A separator for use in connection with a liquid bath type vacuum cleaner system. The separator includes an annular, cup-like housing adapted to rotate axially about its vertical axis for generating a centrifugal force to be applied to intake air therein; a plurality of slots on the housing for allowing dust and dirt particulates entrained in the intake air and liquid particulates from a liquid bath to be drawn into an interior area of the housing and coalesce therein, whereby the coalesced particulates will be subjected to centrifugal force and will thereby be separated from the intake air; and a plurality of exhaust slots for allowing the coalesced particulates to be forcibly expelled from the interior area of the housing as they are forced radially outwards by the centrifugal force towards and through the exhaust slots by rapid, axial rotation of the housing. In one preferred embodiment a plurality of elongated slots in the housing provides both an intake and an exhaust function. In other preferred embodiments the intake slots and the exhaust slots are disposed on various portions of the housing to alter the separating characteristics of the separator. The preferred embodiments each further incorporate a removable spider for providing further structural support to the separator, and for further helping to generate centrifugal force within each separator.

A separator for use in connection with a liquid bath-type vacuum cleaner system. The separator includes an annular, cup-like housing adapted to rotate axially about its vertical axis for generating a centrifugal force to be applied to intake air therein; and a plurality of intake/exhaust slots formed in the housing for enabling dust and dirt particulates entrained in the intake air and liquid particulates from a liquid bath to be drawn into an interior area of the housing and coalesce therein, whereby the coalesced particulates are subjected to centrifugal force and are thereby separated from the intake air. The intake/exhaust slots further enable the coalesced particulates to be forcibly expelled from the interior area of the housing therethrough as they are forced radially outwards by the centrifugal force generated by the rapid, axial rotation of the housing.

Growing community of inventors

Cadillac, MI, United States of America

Steven R Selewski