Vacuum cleaner with improved hygenic performance

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner comprises a handle assembly pivotally attached to a foot assembly, where the handle assembly removably mounts a cyclone separator module. An ultraviolet sanitation assembly is provided on the vacuum cleaner for sanitizing the working air before it is exhausted from the vacuum cleaner. One or more component parts of the vacuum cleaner, particularly the components making up the working air path of the vacuum cleaner can be made from a plastic material that includes at least one anti-microbial agent in an effective amount sufficient to impart microbe-inhibiting properties to the working air path.

1 . A vacuum cleaner comprising:
 a housing;   a cleaning head assembly in the housing and having a suction nozzle and a working air path therethrough;   a dirt collector in the housing for removing dirt from a dirt-containing airstream;   a suction source having an inlet connected to the dirt collector and adapted to draw the dirt-containing airstream from the suction nozzle and through the dirt collector, and an outlet;   a filter positioned between the dirt collector and the inlet to the suction source; and   an ultraviolet light source positioned between the dirt collector and the filter, wherein the ultraviolet light source is positioned to illuminate the filter.   
   
   
       2 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises a handle assembly pivotally coupled with the cleaning head assembly and the ultraviolet light source is positioned in the handle assembly. 
   
   
       3 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 2 , wherein the dirt collector and the suction source are positioned in the handle assembly. 
   
   
       4 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 1 , and further comprising a second filter positioned downstream of the outlet of the suction source. 
   
   
       5 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 4 , wherein at least one of the first and second filters is a HEPA filter. 
   
   
       6 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 1 , wherein the ultraviolet light source is annular and the airstream passes through the open center of the ultraviolet light source. 
   
   
       7 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 6 , wherein the ultraviolet light source is mounted in an annular casing. 
   
   
       8 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 7 , wherein the annular casing is transparent. 
   
   
       9 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 7 , wherein the annular casing comprises a plurality of openings. 
   
   
       10 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 1 , wherein the filter is treated with a photocatalyst. 
   
   
       11 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 1  wherein the photocatalyst is titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ). 
   
   
       12 . A vacuum cleaner comprising a working air path formed at least in part from a plastic material that includes at least one anti-microbial agent in an effective amount sufficient to impart microbe-inhibiting properties to the working air path. 
   
   
       13 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 12 , wherein the at least one anti-microbial agent is incorporated in the plastic material. 
   
   
       14 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 13 , wherein the at least one anti-microbial agent is selected from the group consisting of phenol derivatives, organotins, and mixtures thereof. 
   
   
       15 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 14 , wherein the phenol derivative is 2,4,4′-trichloro-2′-hydroxydiphenol and the organotin is Tri-n-butyltin maleate. 
   
   
       16 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 12 , wherein the plastic material is treated with the at least one anti-microbial agent to impart microbe-inhibiting properties to the working air path. 
   
   
       17 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 16  wherein the plastic material is soak-treated in an aqueous solution containing the at least one anti-microbial agent, and the at least one anti-microbial agent comprises stabilized chlorine dioxide. 
   
   
       18 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 12 , and further comprising:
 a housing;   a cleaning head assembly in the housing and having a suction nozzle;   a dirt collector in the housing for removing dirt from a dirt-containing airstream; and   a suction source having an inlet connected to the dirt collector and adapted to draw the dirt-containing airstream from the suction nozzle and through the dirt collector, and an outlet;   wherein the working air path is positioned at least between the cleaning head assembly and the dirt collector.   
   
   
       19 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 18  wherein the working air path includes the dirt collector. 
   
   
       20 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 18  wherein the working air path includes a conduit between the dirt collector and the suction source.