The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 16, 2000
Filed:
Aug. 07, 1998
Wilhelmus G Ettes, Drachten, NL;
Aafje G Koster, Eindhoven, NL;
Frits Last, Drachten, NL;
Fokke R Voorhorst, Drachten, NL;
U.S. Philips Corporation, New York, NY (US);
Abstract
A vacuum cleaner with a suction nozzle which is coupled to a handle on which a user of the vacuum cleaner can exert a pushing or pulling force for moving the suction nozzle over a surface to be cleaned. The suction nozzle is provided with an electrical drive for exerting a driving force on the suction nozzle, such that the pushing or pulling force to be exerted by the user is limited. According to the invention, the vacuum cleaner comprises a detector capable of measuring the pushing or pulling force, exerted on the handle and an electrical controller for controlling the driving force as a function of the measured pushing or pulling force. The controller controls the driving force in such a manner, for example, that the measured pushing or pulling force remains substantially zero. It is thus possible for the user to move the suction nozzle effortlessly over the surface to be cleaned. In a special embodiment, the handle is coupled to the suction nozzle by an elastically deformable coupling member, while the detector comprises a position sensor for measuring a position of the handle with respect to the suction nozzle.