SURFACE CLEANING APPARATUS

• US 20100229338A1
• Filed: 03/10/2010
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
• Original Assignee: GBD Corporation (G.B.D.)
• Inventors: Conrad, Wayne Ernest
• Granted Patent: US 8,646,147 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/415.100
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/24 Hand-supported suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/28 Suction cleaners with handles and nozzles fixed on the casings, e.g. wheeled suction cleaners with steering handle A47L5/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/32 with means for connecting a hose hose couplings for suction cleaners A47L9/24
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/02 Nozzles suction nozzles for fluid transport B65G51/00
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/242 Hose or pipe couplings

Abstract

Various uses and constructions for an open sided nozzle for a surface cleaning apparatus are provided. Alternate constructions for a surface cleaning head are also provided.

Claims

1. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising a nozzle, an air outlet and an enclosed airflow passage from the nozzle to the air outlet, an air treatment unit and a suction motor in the airflow passage, the nozzle comprising an airflow chamber having an open lower side, an opening to the enclosed airflow passage, the nozzle being selectively connectable in air flow communication with a remote cleaning head.

2. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the remote cleaning head comprises at least one of an accessory cleaning tool and surface cleaning head provided on an upright vacuum cleaner.

3. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 2 further comprising a portable surface cleaning apparatus that comprises the nozzle, the air outlet, the enclosed airflow passage, the air treatment unit and the suction motor, the portable surface cleaning apparatus is removably mounted to the upright vacuum cleaner, the upright vacuum cleaner comprising a handle that is drivingly connected to the surface cleaning head having a dirty air inlet.

4. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 3 wherein the nozzle is selectively connectable in air flow communication with the accessory cleaning tool and the surface cleaning head.

5. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 3 wherein the airflow chamber further comprises at least one open side wall and defines a flow passage such that air travels from the at least one open side wall under the portable surface cleaning apparatus to the opening.

6. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 further comprising at least one attachment member, the attachment member connectable in fluid flow communication with the opening.

7. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 6 wherein the at least one attachment member comprises an auxiliary cleaning tool.

8. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 7 wherein the attachment member comprises a mounting portion removably connectable with the surface cleaning apparatus and a flexible hose extending from the auxiliary cleaning tool to the mounting portion.

9. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 5 wherein the at least one attachment member comprises an attachment member that is mountable to the floor cleaning unit.

10. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 9 wherein the attachment member has an air inlet that is in airflow communication with an air flow conduit extending from the surface cleaning head.

11. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 10 wherein the attachment member comprises a mounting portion removably connectable with the portable surface cleaning apparatus and the air inlet is provided on the mounting portion.

12. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 6 wherein the at least one attachment member comprises a first attachment member comprising an auxiliary cleaning tool and a second attachment member that is mountable to the floor cleaning unit and has an air inlet that is in airflow communication with the air flow conduit.

13. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 6 wherein the at least one attachment member comprises an attachment member that is removably mountable to the floor cleaning unit and comprises a flexible hose that is connectable with an auxiliary cleaning tool and the surface cleaning head.

14. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 6 wherein the attachment member has an air inlet and an attachment member passageway extends in a downstream direction from the air inlet to the opening and the attachment member passageway does not increase in diameter in the downstream direction.

15. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 6 wherein the attachment member has an air inlet, an attachment member passageway extends in a downstream direction from the air inlet to the opening, and air traveling from the air inlet to the opening passes through less than a 45°

bend.

16. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 6 wherein the attachment member has an air inlet, an attachment member passageway extends in a downstream direction from the air inlet to the opening, and air traveling from the air inlet to the opening travels in a generally straight line.

17. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 6 wherein the attachment member is releasably secured to the portable surface cleaning apparatus by at least one magnet.

18. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 6 wherein the attachment member is releasably secured to the portable surface cleaning apparatus by a pair of opposed pivotal arms.

19. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 18 wherein the arms are provided on the attachment member and are releasably secured to the portable surface cleaning apparatus.

20. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 3 wherein the portable surface cleaning apparatus is removably mounted to the handle.

21. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 3 wherein the portable surface cleaning apparatus is removably mounted to the handle and the surface cleaning apparatus further comprises a flexible hose extending from the surface cleaning head to the portable surface cleaning apparatus.

22. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 6 wherein the portable surface cleaning apparatus is removably mounted to the handle and the surface cleaning apparatus further comprises a flexible hose extending from the surface cleaning head to the attachment member.

23. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 3 wherein the portable surface cleaning apparatus comprises a hand vacuum cleaner and the nozzle is configured for directly cleaning a surface.

24. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

a) a surface cleaning head comprising a front, a rear, a dirty air inlet and a cleaning head air outlet; and

,

b) an air flow path extending from the dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet, the air flow path including at least one of an air treatment unit and a suction motor, the air flow path comprising an upstream flexible conduit and a downstream flexible conduit.

25. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 24 wherein the downstream flexible conduit is proximate the upstream flexible conduit.

26. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 24 wherein an upstream end of the downstream flexible conduit is releaseably connected to a downstream end of the upstream flexible conduit.

27. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 24 further comprising a surface cleaning unit removably mounted to the surface cleaning apparatus and positioned in the air flow path.

28. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 27 wherein the surface cleaning unit is operable when removed from the air flow path.

29. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 27 wherein the surface cleaning unit is removably mounted to the surface cleaning apparatus together with the downstream flexible conduit.

30. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 27 wherein the surface cleaning unit is removably mounted to the surface cleaning apparatus and is removable from air flow communication with the downstream flexible conduit.

31. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 27 wherein the surface cleaning unit comprises a hand vacuum cleaner.

32. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 24 further comprising a support structure moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head and having provided thereon the air treatment unit and the suction motor.

33. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 32 wherein the upstream flexible conduit and the downstream flexible conduit extend from the cleaning head air outlet to the support structure.

34. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 32 wherein the support structure is moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head adjacent the rear wheels.

35. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 32 wherein the support structure is pivotally mounted to the surface cleaning head coaxial with an axle of the rear wheels.

36. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 32 wherein the support structure is pivotally mounted to the surface cleaning about a pivot axis wherein the pivot axis is at least as rearward as an axle of the rear wheels.

37. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 32 wherein the support structure has an absence of a housing defining a recess for receiving the surface cleaning unit.

38. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 24 wherein the upstream flexible conduit is under tension.

39. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 24 further comprising a support structure pivotally mounted to the surface cleaning head and wherein the upstream flexible conduit is under tension, has a portion connected to the surface cleaning head at a location forward of a pivot axle for the support structure and another portion is connected to at least one of the support structure and a pivot mount for the support structure.

40. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 24 further comprising a support structure pivotally mounted to the surface cleaning head by a pivot mount and the pivot mount includes a housing having a passage and at least a portion of the upstream flexible conduit extends through the passage.

41. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 24 wherein the upstream flexible conduit comprises a stretch hose.

42. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 34 wherein the downstream flexible conduit comprises a stretch hose.

43. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 32 wherein the surface cleaning unit is useable in a first configuration wherein the surface cleaning unit is mounted on the support structure and at least one additional configuration wherein the surface cleaning unit is removed from the support structure and attached in air flow communication with the surface cleaning head or wherein the surface cleaning unit is removed from the support structure and removed from air flow communication with the surface cleaning head.

44. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 32 wherein the surface cleaning unit is useable in a first configuration wherein the surface cleaning unit is mounted on the support structure, a second configuration wherein the surface cleaning unit is removed from the support structure and attached in air flow communication with the surface cleaning head and a third configuration wherein the surface cleaning unit is removed from the support structure and removed from air flow communication with the surface cleaning head.

45. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 24 wherein the upstream flexible conduit is stored as part of the surface cleaning head.

46. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 24 wherein the upstream flexible conduit is mounted to the surface cleaning head and is extendable while in fluid flow communication with the cleaning head air outlet.

47. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 24 further comprising support structure pivotally mounted to the surface cleaning head and a pivot mount comprising a housing having a passage wherein at least a portion of one of the flexible conduits is positioned in the passage.

48. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 47 wherein the downstream flexible conduit extends from the pivot mount to the support structure.

49. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 48 further comprising a surface cleaning unit removably mounted to the surface cleaning apparatus and positioned in the air flow path and the downstream flexible conduit comprises at least part of an air flow path extends to an air inlet of the surface cleaning unit.

50. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

a) a surface cleaning head comprising a front, a rear, a dirty air inlet and a cleaning head air outlet;

b) a support structure pivotally mounted to the surface cleaning head; and

,

c) an air flow path extending from the dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet, the air flow path including at least one of an air treatment unit and a suction motor,

d) the air flow path comprising a flexible conduit that is under tension, wherein a portion of the flexible conduit is connected to the surface cleaning head at a location forward of a pivot axle for the support structure and another portion is connected to at least one of the support structure and a pivot mount for the support structure.

51. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 50 wherein the pivot mount includes a housing having a passage and at least a portion of the flexible conduit extends through the passage.

52. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 50 wherein the flexible conduit comprises a stretch hose.

53. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 50-52 further comprising a surface cleaning unit removably mounted to the surface cleaning apparatus and positioned in the air flow path.

54. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 53 wherein the surface cleaning unit is operable when removed from the air flow path.

55. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 53 wherein the surface cleaning unit is removably mounted to the surface cleaning apparatus together with the flexible conduit.

56. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 53 wherein the surface cleaning unit is removably mounted to the surface cleaning apparatus and is removable from air flow communication with the flexible conduit.

57. The upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 53 wherein the surface cleaning unit comprises a hand vacuum cleaner.

58. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 50 wherein the at least one of an air treatment unit and a suction motor are provided on the surface cleaning head and having provided thereon the at least one of an air treatment unit and a suction motor.

59. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 50 wherein the support structure is moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head adjacent the rear wheels.

60. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 50 wherein the support structure is pivotally mounted to the surface cleaning head coaxial with an axle of the rear wheels.

61. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 50 wherein the support structure is pivotally mounted to the surface cleaning about a pivot axis wherein the pivot axis is at least as rearward as an axle of the rear wheels.

62. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 50 wherein the support structure has an absence of a housing defining a recess for receiving the surface cleaning unit.

63. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 50 wherein the flexible conduit is under tension.

64. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 50 wherein the flexible conduit is under tension, has a portion connected to the surface cleaning head at a location forward of a pivot mount for the support structure and another portion is connected to at least one of the support structure and the pivot mount.

65. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 50 wherein the support structure is pivotally mounted to the surface cleaning head by a pivot mount and the pivot mount includes a housing having a passage and at least a portion of the flexible conduit extends through the passage.

66. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 50 wherein the surface cleaning unit is useable in a first configuration wherein the surface cleaning unit is mounted on the support structure and at least one additional configuration wherein the surface cleaning unit is removed from the support structure and attached in air flow communication with the surface cleaning head or wherein the surface cleaning unit is removed from the support structure and removed from air flow communication with the surface cleaning head.

67. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 50 wherein the surface cleaning unit is useable in a first configuration wherein the surface cleaning unit is mounted on the support structure, a second configuration wherein the surface cleaning unit is removed from the support structure and attached in air flow communication with the surface cleaning head and a third configuration wherein the surface cleaning unit is removed from the support structure and removed from air flow communication with the surface cleaning head.

68. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

a) a surface cleaning head comprising a front, a rear, a dirty air inlet and a cleaning head air outlet;

b) a support structure pivotally mounted to the surface cleaning head;

c) a pivot mount comprising a housing having a passage; and

,

d) an air flow path extending from the dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet, the air flow path including at least one of an air treatment unit and a suction motor, the air flow path comprising a flexible conduit and at least a portion of the flexible conduit extends through the passage.

69. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 68 wherein the flexible conduit comprises a stretch hose.

70. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 68 further comprising a surface cleaning unit removably mounted to the surface cleaning apparatus and positioned in the air flow path.

71. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 70 wherein the surface cleaning unit is operable when removed from the air flow path.

72. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 70 wherein the surface cleaning unit is removably mounted to the surface cleaning apparatus together with the flexible conduit.

73. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 70 wherein the surface cleaning unit is removably mounted to the surface cleaning apparatus and is removable from air flow communication with the flexible conduit.

74. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 70 wherein the surface cleaning unit comprises a hand vacuum cleaner.

75. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 68 wherein the at least one of an air treatment unit and a suction motor are provided on the support structure.

76. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 68 wherein the support structure is moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head adjacent the rear wheels.

77. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 68 wherein the support structure is pivotally mounted to the surface cleaning head coaxial with an axle of the rear wheels.

78. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 68 wherein the support structure is pivotally mounted to the surface cleaning about a pivot axis wherein the pivot axis is at least as rearward as an axle of the rear wheels.

79. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 68 wherein the support structure has an absence of a housing defining a recess for receiving the surface cleaning unit.

80. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 68 wherein the flexible conduit is under tension.

81. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 68 wherein the flexible conduit is under tension, has a portion connected to the surface cleaning head at a location forward of a pivot mount for the support structure and another portion is connected to at least one of the support structure and the pivot mount.

82. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 68 wherein the surface cleaning unit is useable in a first configuration wherein the surface cleaning unit is mounted on the support structure and at least one additional configuration wherein the surface cleaning unit is removed from the support structure and attached in air flow communication with the surface cleaning head or wherein the surface cleaning unit is removed from the support structure and removed from air flow communication with the surface cleaning head.

83. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 68 wherein the surface cleaning unit is useable in a first configuration wherein the surface cleaning unit is mounted on the support structure, a second configuration wherein the surface cleaning unit is removed from the support structure and attached in air flow communication with the surface cleaning head and a third configuration wherein the surface cleaning unit is removed from the support structure and removed from air flow communication with the surface cleaning head.