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:
Apr. 15, 2008
Filed:
Mar. 14, 2003
Terry G. Jones, Austin, TX (US);
James M. Warren, Austin, TX (US);
Christian Gerard, Austin, TX (US);
Philip Leveridge, Austin, TX (US);
Hoyet H. Andrews, Iii, San Antonio, TX (US);
Jeffrey J. Spurgat, Madison, WI (US);
Terry G. Jones, Austin, TX (US);
James M. Warren, Austin, TX (US);
Christian Gerard, Austin, TX (US);
Philip Leveridge, Austin, TX (US);
Hoyet H. Andrews, III, San Antonio, TX (US);
Jeffrey J. Spurgat, Madison, WI (US);
CrowleyJones, L.P., Austin, TX (US);
Abstract
A vacuum device has a housing. The housing forms an inlet opening and an outlet opening. The housing also forms a viewable compartment for retaining refuse vacuumed by the device. A vacuum motor is located in the housing. The vacuum motor has a suction inlet and a vent outlet. The suction inlet is connected to the viewable compartment. The suction inlet is also connected to the inlet opening of the housing. The vent outlet of the vacuum motor is to the outlet opening of the housing. An electric circuit of the device is connected to the vacuum motor. The electric circuit is connected to a sensor and includes a microcontroller. The sensor, for example, an infrared beam and detector, triggers the electric circuit, and programmed control by the microcontroller, when the beam is broken and not detected by the detector. When the beam is broken, the sensor signals the microcontroller and the microcontroller logically powers-on the vacuum motor to suction the refuse into the housing.