Housing assembly for a vacuum

Abstract

A central vacuum connectable to an interior portion of an inhabitable structure. The central vacuum system includes a housing having a first housing member and a second housing member secured to the first housing member. Together the first housing member and the second housing member at least partially define a collection chamber. A vacuum motor is supported by the housing and is operable to move debris from the interior portion into the collection chamber. An adapter extends into the collection chamber for supporting a bag. At least one of the bag and the adapter are accessible through an opening defined in one of the first housing member and the second housing member.

1 . A central vacuum connectable to an interior portion of an inhabitable structure, the central vacuum system comprising: 
 a housing having a first housing member and a second housing member secured to the first housing member, together the first housing member and the second housing member at least partially defining a collection chamber;    a vacuum motor supported between the first and second housing members and being operable to move debris from the interior portion into the collection chamber; and    an adapter extending into the collection chamber for supporting a bag, at least one of the bag and the adapter being accessible through an opening defined in one of the first housing member and the second housing member.    
   
   
       2 . The central vacuum of  claim 1 , wherein the first housing member is formed from a glass-filled material.  
   
   
       3 . The central vacuum of  claim 1 , wherein the first housing member is hotplate welded to the second housing member.  
   
   
       4 . The central vacuum of  claim 1 , wherein the housing includes a third housing member secured to the first and second housing members to at least partially define the collection chamber.  
   
   
       5 . The central vacuum of  claim 4 , wherein the third housing member supports the vacuum motor adjacent to the collection chamber.  
   
   
       6 . The central vacuum of  claim 5 , wherein the first housing member is formed from HB material.  
   
   
       7 . The central vacuum of  claim 4 , wherein the third housing member has a substantially domed configuration.  
   
   
       8 . The central vacuum of  claim 5 , wherein the third housing member includes an integral filter.  
   
   
       9 . The central vacuum of  claim 1 , wherein the first housing member is secured to the second housing member along an interface which is non-perpendicular to an axis extending through the motor and the collection chamber.  
   
   
       10 . The central vacuum of  claim 9 , wherein the housing includes a third housing member secured to the first and second housing members along an interface which is substantially perpendicular to the interface between the first and second housing members to at least partially define the collection chamber.  
   
   
       11 . The central vacuum of  claim 1 , wherein the housing includes an upper portion and a lower portion removably secured to the upper portion, and wherein the first housing member and the second housing member at least partially define the upper portion.  
   
   
       12 . The central vacuum of  claim 1 , wherein the second housing member is non-removably secured to the first housing member.  
   
   
       13 . A method of assembling a central vacuum system connectable to an interior portion of an inhabitable structure, the method comprising the acts of: 
 providing a housing having a first housing member and a second housing member;    securing the first housing member to the second housing member to at least partially enclose a collection chamber;    moving debris from the interior portion into the collection chamber with a vacuum motor supported by the housing; and    positioning a bag in the collection chamber to receive the debris.    
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein positioning the bag in the collection chamber includes inserting the bag through an opening defined in one of the first housing member and the second housing member.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising forming at least one of the first housing member and the second housing members from a glass-filed material.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein securing the first housing member to the second housing member includes hotplate welding the first housing member to the second housing member.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising securing a third housing member to the first and second housing members to at least partially enclose the collection chamber.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising supporting the vacuum motor on the third housing member adjacent to the collection chamber.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising forming the first and second housing members from a first material and forming the third housing member from a second material, the second material being different from the first material.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising forming one of the first and second housing members from HB material.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein securing the first housing member to the second housing member includes securing the first housing member to the second housing member along an interface which is non-perpendicular to an axis extending through the motor and the collection chamber.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising securing a third housing member to the first and second housing members along an interface which is substantially perpendicular to the axis extending through the motor to at least partially define the collection chamber.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising providing the third housing member with an integral filter.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising covering the collecting chamber with a third housing member.  
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the third housing member has a substantially domed configuration.  
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the housing includes an upper portion and a lower portion removably secured to the upper portion, wherein the first housing member and the second housing member at least partially define the upper portion, and further comprising removably securing the lower portion to the upper portion and removing the lower portion from the upper portion to remove debris from the collection chamber.  
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein securing the first housing member to the second housing member includes non-removably securing the first housing member to the second housing member.  
   
   
       28 . A central vacuum connectable to an interior portion of an inhabitable structure, the central vacuum system comprising: 
 a housing at least partially defining a collection chamber;    a vacuum motor supported by the housing and being operable to move debris from the interior portion into the collection chamber; and    an acoustic dampening system supported in the housing and positioned along an exhaust flow path extending outwardly from the motor, the acoustic damping system including a damping member at least partially defining three side walls of a dampening chamber.    
   
   
       29 . The central vacuum of  claim 28 , wherein the exhaust flow path extends vertically into an opening in the acoustic damping chamber.  
   
   
       30 . The central vacuum of  claim 28 , wherein the exhaust travels along the three side walls before exiting the damping chamber.  
   
   
       31 . The central vacuum of  claim 28 , wherein the damping member forms a base of the damping chamber.  
   
   
       32 . The central vacuum of  claim 28 , wherein an underside of the damping member at least partially defines an air intake passage communicating between the inhabitable structure and the vacuum motor.  
   
   
       33 . A central vacuum connectable to an interior portion of an inhabitable structure, the central vacuum system comprising: 
 a housing having a housing member and a cover at least partially defining a collection chamber, the housing member including a body and a rib extending inwardly from and around a perimeter of the body of the housing member, the cover including a body and a rib extending outwardly from and around a perimeter of the body of the cover, the rib of the housing member being secured to one of the body and the rib of the cover and the rib of the cover being secured to the body of the housing member; and    a vacuum motor supported by the housing and being operable to move debris from the interior portion into the collection chamber.    
   
   
       34 . The central vacuum of  claim 33 , wherein the rib of the cover extends outwardly from the body of the cover and is oriented at an acute angle with respect to a lower surface of the body of the cover.  
   
   
       35 . The central vacuum of  claim 33 , further comprising an adapter extending into the collection chamber for supporting a bag, at least one of the bag and the adapter being accessible through an opening defined in the housing member.  
   
   
       36 . The central vacuum of  claim 33 , wherein the housing member and the cover are formed from different materials.  
   
   
       37 . The central vacuum of  claim 33 , wherein the housing member is hotplate welded to the cover.  
   
   
       38 . The central vacuum of  claim 33 , wherein the housing member is a first housing member, and wherein the housing includes a second housing member secured to the first housing member and the cover to at least partially define the collection chamber.  
   
   
       39 . The central vacuum of  claim 38 , wherein the first housing member is secured to the second housing member along an interface which is non-perpendicular to an axis extending through the motor and the collection chamber.  
   
   
       40 . The central vacuum of  claim 33 , wherein the cover supports the vacuum motor adjacent to the collection chamber.  
   
   
       41 . The central vacuum of  claim 33 , wherein the cover has a substantially domed configuration.  
   
   
       42 . The central vacuum of  claim 33 , wherein the cover includes an integral filter.  
   
   
       43 . The central vacuum of  claim 33 , wherein the housing includes an upper portion and a lower portion removably secured to the upper portion, and wherein the housing member and the cover at least partially define the upper portion.  
   
   
       44 . The central vacuum of  claim 33 , wherein the rib of the housing member and the rib of the cover at least partially define a channel extending around the perimeter of the body of the housing member, the channel having a generally triangular cross-sectional shape.