CLEANING APPLIANCE

• US 20100242208A1
• Filed: 03/25/2010
• Published: 09/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited (Beeswax Holdings UK Limited)
• Original Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited (Beeswax Holdings UK Limited)
• Inventors: Glenn, Stuart Lloyd, Sunderland, David Robert, Gammack, Peter David
• Application Number:
  US12/731,755
• Publication Number:
  US 20100242208A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/327.100
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/362 of the horizontal type, e.g. canister or sledge type
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/127 tube- or sleeve-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1633 Concentric cyclones
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1641 for parallel flow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/22 Mountings for motor fan assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/24 Hoses or pipes; Hose or pipe couplings hoses or hose joints in general F16L
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/327 for suction cleaners with hose between nozzle and casing

Abstract

A cleaning appliance of the canister type includes separating apparatus for separating dirt from a dirt-bearing fluid flow, a floor engaging rolling assembly including a fluid inlet and a device for drawing the fluid flow through the fluid inlet, a duct for conveying the air fluid flow from the separating apparatus to the rolling assembly, and a mechanism for pivoting the separating apparatus relative to the rolling assembly about an axis passing through the duct.

Claims

1. A cleaning appliance of the canister type comprising separating apparatus for separating dirt from a dirt-bearing fluid flow, a floor engaging rolling assembly comprising a fluid inlet and a device for drawing the fluid flow through the fluid inlet, a duct for conveying the fluid flow from the separating apparatus to the rolling assembly, and a mechanism for effecting relative pivotal movement between the separating apparatus and the rolling assembly about an axis passing through the duct.

2. The cleaning appliance of claim 1, wherein the duct comprises an inlet for receiving the fluid flow from the separating apparatus, and wherein the axis passes through the inlet of the duct.

3. The cleaning appliance of claim 2, wherein the inlet of the duct comprises a convex outer surface for engaging a concave surface of an outlet of the separating apparatus.

4. The cleaning appliance of claim 1, wherein the duct extends from the upper surface of the separating apparatus to the rolling assembly.

5. The cleaning appliance of claim 1, wherein the duct is detachable from the separating apparatus.

6. The cleaning appliance of claim 5, wherein the duct is pivotable relative to the rolling assembly.

7. The cleaning appliance of claim 1, wherein the rolling assembly comprises a main body, and wherein the duct extends from the separating apparatus to an upper surface of the main body.

8. The cleaning appliance of claim 1, wherein the separating apparatus has an outer wall extending about a longitudinal axis of the separating apparatus, and wherein the longitudinal axis is inclined to the axis about which said relative pivotal movement is effected.

11. The cleaning appliance of claim 1, wherein the rolling assembly comprises a plurality of floor engaging rolling elements.

12. The cleaning appliance of claim 11, wherein the rotational axes of the rolling elements are inclined to the axis about which said relative pivotal movement is effected.

15. The cleaning appliance of claim 1, wherein the rolling assembly is substantially spherical in shape.

16. The cleaning appliance of claim 1, wherein the separating apparatus is pivotable relative to the rolling assembly about an arc no greater than 90°

, preferably no greater than 60°

.

17. The cleaning appliance of claim 1, wherein the mechanism for effecting relative pivotal movement between the separating apparatus and the rolling assembly comprises an inlet duct for conveying the dirt-bearing fluid flow to the separating apparatus.

18. The cleaning appliance of claim 17, wherein the inlet duct is pivotable with the separating apparatus.

19. The cleaning appliance of claim 17, wherein the separating apparatus is mounted on a support connected to the inlet duct.

20. The cleaning appliance of claim 17, wherein the inlet duct comprises a relatively flexible inlet section and a relatively rigid outlet section pivotably connected to the rolling assembly.

21. The cleaning appliance of claim 20, wherein the inlet section comprises a flexible hose.

22. The cleaning appliance of claim 21, comprising a hose support for supporting the flexible hose, the hose support being pivotable relative to the rolling assembly.

23. The cleaning appliance of claim 22, wherein the hose support is pivotable about an axis spaced from the axis about which said relative pivotal movement is effected.

24. The cleaning appliance of claim 22, wherein the hose support is pivotable about an axis substantially parallel to the axis about which said relative pivotal movement is effected.

25. The cleaning appliance of claim 23, wherein the hose support is pivotable relative to the rolling assembly about an arc no greater than 180°

, preferably no greater than 142°

.

26. The cleaning appliance of claim 22, wherein the hose support comprises a floor engaging rolling element.

27. The cleaning appliance of claim 26, wherein the hose is constrained to move within a plane substantially parallel to an axis of rotation of the rolling element.

28. The cleaning appliance of claim 21, wherein the hose is connected to a coupling for connecting the inlet duct to a wand and hose assembly.

29. The cleaning appliance of claim 1, wherein the separating apparatus comprises cyclonic separating apparatus.

9. A cleaning appliance of the canister type comprising separating apparatus for separating dirt from a dirt-bearing fluid flow, a floor engaging rolling assembly comprising a device for drawing the fluid flow through the separating apparatus, and a mechanism for effecting relative pivotal movement between the separating apparatus and the rolling assembly, the separating apparatus having a longitudinal axis and an outer wall extending about the longitudinal axis, the longitudinal axis of the separating apparatus being inclined to the axis about which said relative pivotal movement is effected.

10. The cleaning appliance of claim 9, wherein the longitudinal axis of the separating apparatus is inclined to the axis about which said relative pivotal movement is effected by an angle in the range from 20 to 50°

.

13. A cleaning appliance of the canister type comprising separating apparatus for separating dirt from a dirt-bearing fluid flow, a floor engaging rolling assembly comprising a main body housing a device for drawing the fluid flow through the separating apparatus and a plurality of floor engaging rolling elements rotatable relative to the main body, and a mechanism for effecting relative pivotal movement between the separating apparatus and the rolling assembly about an axis, wherein the rotational axes of the rolling elements are inclined to the axis about which said relative pivotal movement is effected.

14. The cleaning appliance of claim 13, wherein the rotational axis of each rolling element is inclined to the axis about which the separating apparatus pivots relative to the rolling assembly by an angle in the range from 70 to 85°

.