Cleaner conversion valve

• US 5,243,734 A
• Filed: 06/24/1991
• Issued: 09/14/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Healthy Gain Investments Limited
• Original Assignee: Hoover Company (Whirlpool Corporation)
• Inventors: Maurer, Edgar A., Louis, Jeffrey S.
• Primary Examiner(s): MOORE, CHRISTOPHER K
• Application Number:
  US07/720,017
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 15/331, 15/332, 15/333, 15/334, 15/337
• US Class Current: 15/334
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/32 with means for connecting a hose hose couplings for suction cleaners A47L9/24

Abstract

A cleaner is disclosed having both above and on floor operation where conversion to off the floor operation is occasioned by a manually operated conversion valve. It is latched in its converted position by manipulation of the cleaner handle to upright stored position prior to its manual operation.

Claims

1. A conversion valve arrangement for use with an upright vacuum cleaner having a manipulating push-pull handle pivotally attached to a main nozzle body comprising;

a) a valve door in a suction duct leading to the main nozzle entrance, said valve door movable between open and closed positions,

b) manually operated means embodied within said main nozzle body for moving said valve door to at least one of its positions,

c) latching means engageable with said movable valve door for latching said valve door in at least one of its positions, said latch means having an engaging position whereby said latch means engages said valve door and a non engageable position whereby said latch means does not engage said valve door, and

d) said handle including actuating means for moving said latching means into said engaging position.

2. The upright cleaner of claim 1 wherein;

a) said valve door includes a first retention member, and

b) said latching means includes a second retention member engageable with said first retention member, said actuating means urging said second retention member into position for engagement with said first retention member upon a selected movement of said handle.

3. The upright cleaner of claim 2 wherein;

a) said first retention member includes at least one cam surface for cammingly engaging said second retention member.

4. The upright cleaner of claim 2 wherein;

a) said first and second retention members are engageable only when said handle is in the upright position.

5. The upright cleaner of claim 1 wherein;

a) said valve door includes a pivoted valve door disposed in said suction duct, and pivoted between said open and closed, positions,

b) said valve door including a latching tang affixed thereto,

c) said latching means including a locking lever pivoted to said upright cleaner body,

d) urging means for abutting said pivoted locking lever, and

e) said urging means moved by said pivoted handle to move said latching means towards engagement with said valve door latching tang.

6. The upright cleaner of claim 5 wherein;

a) said latching tang and said latching means are engaged only when said valve door is in the closed position.

7. The upright cleaner of claim 5 wherein;

a) said urging means includes a fixed tab on said handle and a tab pivoted on said main body and engageable with said latching means.

8. The conversion valve arrangement of claim 1 wherein;

a) said actuating means includes a pivoting tab pivotally mounted to the main nozzle body of said vacuum cleaner whereby said handle acts upon said pivoting tab and said tab acts upon said latching means.

9. The conversion valve arrangement of claim 1 wherein;

a) said manually operated means for moving said valve door includes a slot and pin connection wherein said slot is attached to said valve door and said manually operated means includes a pin for engagement with said slot for effecting movement of said valve door.

10. The conversion valve arrangement of claim 1 wherein;

a) said valve door includes a latching notch and said latching means includes a latching nose.

11. An upright vacuum cleaner comprising:

a) a main body having incorporated therewith a motor fan, said motor fan having an inlet and an outlet,

b) a manipulative handle, said handle including attachment means for pivotally attaching said handle to said main body, said handle having an upright stored position,

c) said main body including a first suction conduit fluidly communicating between said fan inlet and a floor cleaning nozzle and a second suction conduit fluidly communicating between said fan inlet and an above the floor conversion hose,

d) a latching lever pivotally connected to said main body, said latching lever having integral therewith, a latching nose, said latching lever and said latching nose movable about said pivotal connection between a first inoperable position and a second operable position, said latching lever being spring biased to said inoperable position,

e) a movable valve door associated with said first suction conduit whereby the fluid path through said first suction conduit to said motor fan inlet may be selectively closed, said valve door including a notched camming surface whereby said camming surface cammingly engages and interlocks with the latching nose of said latching lever when said valve door is closed thereby locking said valve door in the closed position,

f) means for selectively closing said movable valve door.

12. The vacuum cleaner claimed in claim 11 wherein said valve door is spring biased to the open position.

13. In an upright vacuum cleaner assembly comprising an ambulant main body, having a manipulating push-pull handle pivotally affixed to said main body and wherein said main body includes a primary floor cleaning mode and a converted above the floor cleaning mode, the improvement comprising:

a) a valve door for converting said vacuum cleaner from the floor cleaning mode to the above floor cleaning mode by selectively directing the working air through a floor cleaning nozzle or an above floor cleaning nozzle respectively, said valve door having a first unconverted floor cleaning position whereby said working air is directed through said floor cleaning nozzle, and a second, manually selectable, above floor converted cleaning position whereby said working air is directed through said above floor cleaning nozzle, said valve door biased to the unconverted position,

b) manually operated means positioned on said main body for moving said valve door from the unconverted position to the converted position.

c) latching means for locking said valve door in the converted position, said latching means having a first inoperative and a second operative position whereby said latching means, when in said operative position, is configured to lockingly engage said valve door when said valve door is moved to the converted position thereby locking said valve door in the converted position, said latching means normally biased to said first inoperative position,

d) latch actuation means including said push-pull handle whereby said latch actuation means cooperates with said latching means so as to move said latching means from said first inoperative position to said second operative position when said handle is placed in an upright position.

14. The upright cleaner of claim 13 wherein:

a) said valve door is a pivoted door.

15. The upright cleaner of claim 13 wherein;

a) said handle drives a pivoted tab member during its pivotal movement to the upright stored position,

b) said pivoted tab thereby moving said latching means from said inoperative position to said operative position.

16. The upright cleaner of claim 13 wherein;

a) said handle also moves to permit said latching means to return to its inoperative position.

17. The upright cleaner of claim 16 wherein;

a) said handle moves said latch actuation means to the operative position when pivoted to its upright position, and

b) said handle enables said latching means to return to the inoperative position when moved rearwardly from said upright position.