AC/DC hand portable wet/dry vacuum having improved portability and convenience

A utility vacuum comprising:

• a canister;
• a powerhead assembly coupled to the canister and having a fan inlet, a fan, a motor for providing rotary power to the fan, a receptacle assembly and an electric circuit for distributing electrical power to the motor, the fan being in fluid communication with the fan inlet;
• a filter coupled to the powerhead assembly and in fluid communication with the fan inlet upstream of the motor;
• a shut-off device associated with the powerhead assembly, the shut-off device being configured to prevent the fan from drawing a liquid into the fan inlet when a volume of the liquid in the canister exceeds a predetermined volume;
• and
• a flexible hose assembly that is configured to be coupled to the powerhead assembly;
• wherein the electric circuit is adapted to receive a source of direct current power from a direct current power source and to provide the direct current power to the motor;
• wherein the receptacle assembly includes a receptacle housing and a connector, the receptacle housing defining at least a portion of an exterior surface of the powerhead assembly and being adapted to receive a battery pack, the connector having a plurality of terminals that are configured to electrically detachably couple the battery pack to the electric circuit;
• wherein the powerhead assembly includes an inlet and an outlet and wherein the hose assembly includes a hook that engages the powerhead assembly when the hose assembly is coupled to at least one of the inlet and the outlet to resist removal of the hose from the at least one of the inlet and the outlet;
• wherein the hose assembly further includes a body that is configured to be received into the at least one of the inlet and the outlet;
• and
• wherein the hook includes at least one post that is disposed generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the body.

A utility vacuum comprising:

• a canister;
• a powerhead assembly coupled to the canister and having a fan inlet, a fan, a motor for providing rotary power to the fan, a receptacle assembly and an electric circuit for distributing electrical power to the motor, the fan being in fluid communication with the fan inlet;
• a flexible hose that is configured to be coupled to the powerhead assembly;
• a filter coupled to the powerhead assembly and in fluid communication with the fan inlet upstream of the motor;
• and
• a shut-off device associated with the powerhead assembly, the shut-off device being configured to prevent the fan from drawing a liquid into the fan inlet when a volume of the liquid in the canister exceeds a predetermined volume;
• wherein the electric circuit is adapted to receive a source of direct current power from a direct current power source and to provide the direct current power to the motor;
• and
• wherein the receptacle assembly includes a receptacle housing and a connector, the receptacle housing defining at least a portion of an exterior surface of the powerhead assembly and being adapted to receive a battery pack, the connector having a plurality of terminals that are configured to electrically detachably couple the battery pack to the electric circuit;
• wherein the powerhead assembly includes a housing in which the fan, the motor and the electric circuit are housed, the housing including an inlet and an outlet, wherein operation of the utility vacuum draws an intake flow of air into the canister through the inlet and discharges a discharge flow of air through the outlet, wherein a compartment is defined by the housing and a lid, the lid being rotatable relative to the housing between an open condition and a closed condition, and wherein the battery is adapted to be received in the compartment;
• wherein the utility vacuum further comprise a latch that can be engaged to maintain the lid in the second condition, the latch including a first latch element that is coupled to the lid and a second latch element that is coupled to the housing, the first and second latch elements being engaged to one another to engage the latch, and wherein the second latch element is not threaded;
• and
• wherein the inlet and the outlet are located on opposite sides of the housing and the flexible hose is positionable in a storage position wherein a first end of the flexible hose is coupled to the inlet and a second end of the flexible hose opposite the first end is received in the outlet.

A utility vacuum comprising:

• a canister;
• a powerhead assembly coupled to the canister and having a fan inlet, a fan, a motor for providing rotary power to the fan, a receptacle assembly and an electric circuit for distributing electrical power to the motor, the fan being in fluid communication with the fan inlet;
• a flexible hose that is configured to be coupled to the powerhead assembly;
• a filter coupled to the powerhead assembly and in fluid communication with the fan inlet upstream of the motor;
• a shut-off device associated with the powerhead assembly, the shut-off device being configured to prevent the fan from drawing a liquid into the fan inlet when a volume of the liquid in the canister exceeds a predetermined volume;
• and
• at least one accessory that is removably coupled to the hose;
• wherein the electric circuit is adapted to receive a source of direct current power from a direct current power source and to provide the direct current power to the motor;
• and
• wherein the receptacle assembly includes a receptacle housing and a connector, the receptacle housing defining at least a portion of an exterior surface of the powerhead assembly and being adapted to receive a battery pack, the connector having a plurality of terminals that are configured to electrically detachably couple the battery pack to the electric circuit;
• wherein the powerhead assembly includes a housing in which the fan, the motor and the electric circuit are housed, the housing including an inlet and an outlet, wherein operation of the utility vacuum draws an intake flow of air into the canister through the inlet and discharges a discharge flow of air through the outlet, wherein a compartment is defined by the housing and a lid, the lid being rotatable relative to the housing between an open condition and a closed condition, and wherein the battery is adapted to be received in the compartment;
• and
• wherein the utility vacuum further comprise a latch that can be engaged to maintain the lid in the second condition, the latch including a first latch element that is coupled to the lid and a second latch element that is coupled to the housing, the first and second latch elements being engaged to one another to engage the latch, and wherein the second latch element is not threaded.

A utility vacuum comprising:

• a canister;
• a powerhead housing that includes a handle, a pair of tubular members and a fan inlet, the handle being configured to permit the utility vacuum to be hand carried;
• a receptacle assembly coupled to the powerhead housing;
• a motor coupled to the powerhead housing;
• an electric circuit coupled to the powerhead housing and electrically coupled to the motor;
• a fan driven by the motor to produce a discharge flow that is routed to the outlet, the fan being in fluid communication with the fan inlet;
• a pair of latches coupled to one of the canister and the powerhead housing, the latches being configured to releasably latch the canister and the powerhead housing together;
• a shut-off device that includes a plenum and a float, the plenum being in fluid communication with the housing proximate the fan inlet, the float being disposed in the plenum and being configured to close the fan inlet when the powerhead housing is releasably latched to the canister and a volume of a liquid in the canister exceeds a predetermined volume;
• a filter coupled to the shut-off device;
• and
• a flexible hose that is removably coupled to at least one of the inlet and the outlet;
• wherein a debris-laden air flow is adapted to be drawn into a first one of the pair of tubes during operation of the fan;
• wherein an exhaust flow of air is adapted to be expelled from the second one of the pair of tubes during operation of the fan;
• wherein an annular space is formed about one of the first and second tubes and a flow of air that is employed for cooling the motor is moved through the annular space;
• wherein the receptacle assembly includes a receptacle housing and a connector, the housing being is adapted to receive a battery pack, the connector having a plurality of terminals that are configured to electrically detachably couple the battery pack to the electric circuit.

A utility vacuum comprising:

• a canister;
• a drain plug that is removably coupled to the canister;
• a powerhead assembly coupled to the canister and having a fan inlet, a fan, a motor for providing rotary power to the fan, a receptacle assembly and an electric circuit for distributing electrical power to the motor, the fan being in fluid communication with the fan inlet;
• a flexible hose that is configured to be coupled to the powerhead assembly;
• a shut-off device associated with the powerhead assembly, the shut-off device being configured to prevent the fan from drawing a liquid into the fan inlet when a volume of the liquid in the canister exceeds a predetermined volume;
• and
• a filter coupled to the shut-off device;
• wherein the electric circuit is adapted to receive a source of direct current power from a direct current power source and to provide the direct current power to the motor;
• and
• wherein the receptacle assembly includes a receptacle housing that is adapted to receive a battery pack and a connector with a plurality of terminals that are configured to electrically detachably couple the battery pack to the electric circuit;
• wherein the powerhead assembly includes a housing in which the fan, the motor and the electric circuit are housed, the housing including an inlet and an outlet, wherein operation of the utility vacuum draws an intake flow of air into the canister through the inlet and discharges a discharge flow of air through the outlet , wherein a compartment is defined by the housing and a lid, the lid being movable relative to the housing between an open condition and a closed condition, and wherein the battery is received in the compartment;
• wherein the flexible hose has a first end, a second end opposite the first end and a body interconnecting the first and second ends, the flexible hose being positionable in a storage position wherein the first end is coupled to the inlet and the body is wrapped about the utility vacuum;
• wherein the second end of the flexible hose is received in the outlet when the flexible hose is positioned in the storage position;
• wherein the powerhead assembly includes an inlet and an outlet and wherein the hose assembly includes a hook that engages the powerhead assembly when the hose assembly is coupled to at least one of the inlet and the outlet;
• wherein the hose assembly further includes a body that is configured to be received into the at least one of the inlet and the outlet;
• wherein the hook includes at least one post that is disposed generally perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the body.
• wherein the inlet and the outlet are located on opposite sides of the housing and the flexible hose is positionable in a storage position wherein a first end of the flexible hose is coupled to the inlet and a second end of the flexible hose opposite the first end is received in the outlet;
• wherein the powerhead assembly includes a housing in which the fan and the motor are housed and wherein the shut-off device includes a plenum that is disposed in fluid communication with the fan inlet;
• wherein one of the power head and the canister includes an over-center latch to detachably couple the canister to the power head assembly;
• wherein the utility vacuum further comprises a lid that cooperates with the housing to define a compartment, wherein the lid is movably coupled to the housing;
• and
• wherein the canister has a capacity of about 2 gallons.

A utility vacuum comprising:

• a canister;
• a powerhead assembly coupled to the canister and having a fan inlet, a fan, a motor for providing rotary power to the fan, a receptacle assembly and an electric circuit for distributing electrical power to the motor, the fan being in fluid communication with the fan inlet;
• a filter in fluid communication with the fan inlet;
• a shut-off device associated with the powerhead assembly, the shut-off device being configured to prevent the fan from drawing a liquid into the fan inlet when a volume of the liquid in the canister exceeds a predetermined volume;
• and
• a battery pack providing a source of direct current electrical power for powering the motor, the battery pack including a housing and having a plurality of battery pack terminals;
• wherein the receptacle assembly includes a receptacle housing, which is configured to receive the battery pack, and a connector with a plurality of terminals that are configured to electrically couple the battery to the electric circuit;
• and
• wherein the battery is detachably coupled to the powerhead assembly;
• wherein the powerhead assembly includes a housing in which the fan, the motor and the electric circuit are housed, the housing including an inlet and an outlet, wherein operation of the utility vacuum draws an intake flow of air into the canister through the inlet and discharges a discharge flow of air through the outlet;
• wherein the battery pack is housed in a compartment, the compartment being defined by the housing and a lid, the lid being movable relative to the housing between a first condition, which permits ingress of the battery to the compartment and egress of the battery pack from the compartment, and a second condition, in which ingress of the battery pack to the compartment and egress of the battery pack from the compartment is inhibited;
• and
• wherein a cooling air intake aperture and a cooling air discharge aperture are formed in the powerhead assembly, the cooling air discharge aperture being associated with the outlet so that air flowing through the outlet blows across the cooling air discharge aperture to set up a zone of relatively low pressure that causes air to be drawn out of the cooling air discharge aperture to thereby cool the motor.