Solid fragrance carrier and method of use in a vacuum cleaner

#Vacuum cleaners are well-known household cleaning devices that are used to clean dirt and debris from rugs, carpets, floors and other surfaces. Vacuum cleaners typically use a motor/fan assembly for generating suction to draw air and debris into the vacuum cleaner, a filtration and/or separation assembly for separating dirt and debris from the air drawn into the vacuum cleaner by suction force and a collection chamber for collecting and storing the separated dirt and debris for later disposal. Some types of vacuum cleaners use disposable bag filters to collect debris drawn into the vacuum cleaner. The debris-laden air is drawn into the bag, where it is collected and stored, and the relatively clean air exits through the porous walls of the bag to the surrounding environment.

#Other types of vacuum cleaners, sometimes referred to as bagless cleaners, may employ a debris collection container or cup to collect debris drawn into the vacuum cleaner, which can be removed to dispose of the collected debris and replaced onto the vacuum cleaner. One or more cyclonic separators can be provided to separate the debris from the air and deposit the debris in the collection container. Particulate filters can be provided on the intake side and/or the outlet side of a suction motor to further filter the air before the air is exhausted to the surrounding environment.

#Some vacuum cleaners include a fragrance or deodorizing element to provide a fragrance or deodorize the air that is drawn into and exhausted from the vacuum cleaner during use. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,837,772 and 7,951,230 to Sepke discloses a variety of filter assemblies for a vacuum cleaner that include sodium bicarbonate or other material, such as a fragrance, for deodorizing the air flowing through the vacuum cleaner in both bagless vacuum cleaners and vacuum cleaners which include bag filters. In the context of a vacuum cleaner which uses a filter bag, an air-pervious sachet filled with sodium bicarbonate can be placed within the filter bag, on the outside of the filter bag or within the filter bag compartment. In another example, deodorant sheets with a sodium bicarbonate mixture impregnated in a single sheet or pressed between two air permeable sheets can be placed inside or adhesively bonded to the inner surface of the bag. Alternatively, a slurry of sodium bicarbonate can be printed or painted onto the filter bag material or provided in powdered form between layers of the filter bag.

#In the drawings:

#FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a vacuum cleaner according to a first aspect of the present disclosure.

#FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a filter for a vacuum cleaner according to a second aspect of the present disclosure.

#The aspects of the present disclosure relate to filters for use in upright or canister type vacuums, deep cleaners, sweepers, hand-held vacuum cleaners and any other type of surface cleaner that uses suction to remove debris from a surface being cleaned. The details of the structure of the vacuum cleaner are not germane to the invention and will only be described in such detail as is necessary for a complete understanding of the aspects of the present disclosure.

#FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic of a vacuum cleaner 10 for use according to aspects of the present disclosure. The vacuum cleaner 10 includes an inlet 12 through which an airstream comprising dirt, debris and other material present on the surface being cleaned is drawn into the vacuum cleaner as a result of suction applied to the inlet 12 by a suction source 16 such as a motor and fan assembly, for example. The dirty airstream travels from the inlet 12 to a debris collector 14 where the dirt, debris and other material carried by the airstream can be separated from the airstream and collected. The debris can be separated from the airstream using one or more filters and/or cyclone separators, as is known in the art. The at least partially cleaned airstream then travels through a filter 18 where particles still entrained in the airstream can be filtered out of the airstream before the airstream is exhausted through an exhaust 20 to the surrounding environment. The vacuum cleaner 10 can also be provided with one or more optional filters 21 between the debris collector 14 and the suction source 16 to further clean the airstream.

#Referring now to FIG. 2, an exemplary filter 18 for use with the vacuum cleaner 10 is illustrated. The filter 18 can include a frame 22 which defines an open area 22C through which air may pass and supports a filter media 24. The frame 22 comprises a rectangular rim 22A which may include a flange 22D with an inside edge 22B forming the open area 22C and the filter media 24 is mounted in the frame to cover the open area 22C. The flange 22D may partially retain the filter media 24 in the frame and the flange 22D may extend across the open area 22C. While the frame 22 is shown as rectangular, the frame 22 may have different geometric shapes to suit the cross-sectional area in which the filter may be mounted.