SURFACE CLEANING APPARATUS WITH ENHANCED OPERABILITY

• US 20110219573A1
• Filed: 03/12/2010
• Published: 09/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
• Original Assignee: GBD Corporation (G.B.D.)
• Inventors: Conrad, Wayne Ernest
• Granted Patent: US 8,875,340 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/347
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/225 Convertible suction cleaners, i.e. convertible between different types thereof, e.g. from upright suction cleaners to sledge-type suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/122 flat
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1608 Cyclonic chamber constructions
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1666 with filtering means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1683 Dust collecting chambers; Dust collecting receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/242 Hose or pipe couplings

Abstract

An upright surface cleaning apparatus comprises a floor cleaning head having a dirty air inlet and an upright section moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head. The surface cleaning apparatus also includes an air flow passage extending from the dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet. The air flow passage includes a conduit section. The surface cleaning apparatus also includes a suction motor and an air treatment member positioned in the air flow passage, provided in one of the floor cleaning head and the upright section. The conduit section has an inlet end and an outlet end. The inlet end is rotatably connected to the air flow passage about an axis parallel to air flow through the inlet end, and the outlet end is rotatably connected to the air flow passage about an axis parallel to air flow through the outlet end.

Claims

1. An upright surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) a floor cleaning head having a dirty air inlet;

(b) an upright section moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head between an storage position and an in use position;

(c) an air flow passage extending from the dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet and including a conduit section;

(d) a suction motor and an air treatment member positioned in the air flow passage and provided in one of the floor cleaning head and the upright section;

(e) the conduit section having an inlet end and an outlet end, the inlet end is rotatably connected to the air flow passage about an axis parallel to air flow through the inlet end and the outlet end is rotatably connected to the air flow passage about an axis parallel to air flow through the outlet end.

2. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the passage comprises a hose and the surface cleaning apparatus further comprises a cleaning unit removably mounted to the upright section and including the suction motor, the cleaning unit is removable from the upright section with the conduit and the hose and is useable when removed from the upright section.

5. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a cleaning unit removably mounted to the upright section and including the suction motor.

6. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 5 wherein the conduit section is removable from the upright section with the cleaning unit.

7. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the passage comprises a hose.

8. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 7 wherein the hose is rotatably connected to one of the inlet and outlet ends of the conduit section.

9. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the inlet and outlet ends are oriented in differing directions.

10. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 9 wherein the conduit section comprises an elbow.

11. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the passage comprises a hose, the hose is rotatably mounted to the inlet end and the hose is releasably mounted to the inlet end.

12. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 11 wherein the outlet end of the conduit is rotatably mounted to the cleaning unit and the outlet end is releasably mounted to the cleaning unit.

13. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the outlet end of the conduit is rotatably mounted to the cleaning unit and the outlet end is releasably mounted to the cleaning unit.

14. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the air treatment member comprises a cyclone having an air inlet and the outlet end of the conduit is linearly aligned with the air inlet of the cyclone.

15. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the air treatment member comprises a cyclone having an air inlet and the outlet end of the conduit and the air inlet of the cyclone are in a common plane.

16. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the passage comprises a hose rotatably mounted to the inlet end of the conduit, the surface cleaning apparatus further comprises a cleaning unit removably mounted to the upright section and including the suction motor and the air treatment member, the cleaning unit is removable from the upright section with the conduit and the hose and is useable when removed from the upright section, the outlet end of the conduit is rotatably mounted to the cleaning unit and at least one of the inlet end and the outlet end includes a releasable connection.

17. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 16 wherein the hose is releasably mounted to the inlet end.

18. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 16 wherein the outlet end is releasably mounted to the cleaning unit.

3. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 3 wherein the outlet end of the conduit is rotatably mounted to the cleaning unit and the inlet end is rotatably mounted to the hose.

4. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 3 wherein the conduit section comprises an elbow.