Construction of a vacuum cleaner head

• US 6,173,474 B1
• Filed: 07/14/1999
• Issued: 01/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Polar Light Limited
• Original Assignee: Fantom Technologies Inc.
• Inventors: Conrad, Wayne Ernest
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden, Sr., Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Snider, Theresa T.
• Application Number:
  US09/353,443
• Time in Patent Office: 552 Days
• Field of Search: 153/47, 153/50, 153/51, 153/52, 154/10
• US Class Current: 15/351
• 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 9/0009 Storing devices winding devices for electric cables A47L9/26; Supports, stands or holders
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1625 for series flow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1641 for parallel flow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/165 Construction of inlets
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/32 Handles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/325 for wheeled suction cleaners with steering handle
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 45/16 generated by the winding course of the gas stream , the centrifugal forces being generated solely or partly by mechanical means, e.g. fixed swirl vanes
• CPC Class Codes: B04C 5/02 Construction of inlets by which the vortex flow is generated , e.g. tangential admission, the fluid flow being forced to follow a downward path by spirally wound bulkheads, or with slightly downwardly-directed tangential admissionfluid dynamics in general F15D
• CPC Class Codes: B04C 5/103 Bodies or members, e.g. bulkheads, guides, in the vortex chamber cores B04C5/107

Abstract

An upright vacuum cleaner has a vacuum cleaner head for cleaning a floor having a forward portion and two spaced apart rear portions extending rearwardly from the forward portion, the spaced apart rear portions defining an open space there between, and a longitudinally extending upper body portion having a longitudinal axis, the upper body portion being pivotally mounted on the vacuum cleaner head and moveable between a raised position and a lowered position in which the longitudinal axis is generally parallel to the floor, a portion of the upper body portion being received in the open space between the rear portions when in the lowered storage position.

Claims

1. An upright vacuum cleaner comprising:

(a) a vacuum cleaner head for cleaning a floor having a dirty air inlet, an air flow passageway positioned downstream from the dirty air inlet and connectable to a source of suction, a forward portion and two spaced apart rear portions extending rearwardly from the forward portion, the spaced apart rear portions defining an open space there between; and

,

(b) a longitudinally extending upper body portion having a longitudinal axis, the upper body portion being pivotally mounted on the vacuum cleaner head and moveable between a raised position and a lowered position in which the longitudinal axis is generally parallel to the floor, a portion of the upper body portion being received in the open space between the rear portions when in the lowered storage position, the upper body portion is pivotally mounted on the vacuum cleaner head at a position forward of the spaced apart rear portions.

2. The upright vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1 wherein the upper body portion includes a dirt separation member and a handle.

3. The upright vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1 wherein the forward portion has a rearward surface and the rear portions extend rearwardly of rearward surface.

4. The upright vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1 further comprising front wheels positioned on the forward portion and rear wheels positioned on the rear portions.

5. The upright vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 4 wherein each rear portion has a rearward end and rear wheels are positioned adjacent the rearward end of rear portions.

6. The upright vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1 wherein the head further comprises a front and spaced apart lateral sides extending longitudinally from the front towards the rear portions and the rear portions extend rearwardly from a position adjacent the lateral sides.

7. The upright vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1 wherein the head further comprises rear wheels and the upper body portion has dirt separation means and a portion of the upper body portion containing a portion of the dirt separation means is positioned forward of the rear wheels when the upper body portion is positioned in the lowered storage position.

8. The upright vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a biasing member engaging the vacuum cleaner head and the upper body portion to bias the upper body portion to the raised position.

9. A vacuum cleaner head adapted for connection to a longitudinally extending upper body portion defining an upper body axis, a dirty air inlet and an air flow passageway positioned downstream from the dirty air inlet and connectable to a source of suction, the vacuum cleaner head comprising:

(a) a main portion defining a vacuum cleaner head axis, rear wheel mount portions positioned rearward of the main portion and a passage for receiving the upper body portion; and

,

(b) a pivot member for pivotally mounting the upper body portion to the vacuum cleaner head for movement of the upper body portion between a raised position in which the upper body axis is at an angle to the vacuum cleaner head axis and a lowered storage position in which the upper body axis and the vacuum cleaner head axis are substantially parallel, the pivot member is mounted on the vacuum cleaner head at a position forward of the rear wheel mount portions.

10. The vacuum cleaner head as claimed in claim 9 wherein the upper body portion includes a dirt separation member and a handle and the passage is sized to receive therein a portion of the upper body portion including the dirt separation member.

11. The vacuum cleaner head as claimed in claim 9 wherein the rear wheel mount portions are positioned on either side of the passage.

12. The vacuum cleaner head as claimed in claim 11 wherein each rear wheel mount portion has a rearward end and rear wheels are positioned adjacent the rearward end of rear wheel mount portions.

13. The vacuum cleaner head as claimed in claim 9 further comprises a front and spaced apart lateral sides extending longitudinally from the front towards the rear wheel mount portions and the rear wheel mount portions extend rearwardly from a position adjacent the lateral sides.

14. The vacuum cleaner head as claimed in claim 9 further comprising a biasing member engagable to the upper body portion to bias the upper body portion to the raised position when the upper body portion is connected to the vacuum cleaner head.

15. A vacuum cleaner head adapted for connection to a longitudinally extending upper body portion defining an upper body axis, a dirty air inlet and an air flow passageway positioned downstream from the dirty air inlet and connectable to a source of suction, the vacuum cleaner head comprising:

(a) a main portion defining a vacuum cleaner head axis, rear wheel mount means positioned rearward of the main portion and storage means extending in the direction of the vacuum cleaner head axis for receiving the upper body portion; and

,

(b) pivot means for pivotally mounting the upper body portion to the vacuum cleaner head for movement of the upper body portion between a raised position in which the upper body axis is at an angle to the vacuum cleaner head axis and a lowered storage position in which the upper body portion is received in the storage means, the pivot means is mounted on the vacuum cleaner head at a position forward of the rear wheel mount means.

16. The vacuum cleaner head as claimed in claim 15 wherein the upper body portion includes a dirt separation member and the storage means is sized to receive therein a portion of the upper body portion including the dirt separation member.

17. The vacuum cleaner head as claimed in claim 15 wherein the rear wheel mount means are positioned on either side of the storage means.

18. The vacuum cleaner head as claimed in claim 17 wherein each rear wheel mount means has a rearward end and rear wheels are positioned adjacent the rearward end of rear wheel mount means.

19. The vacuum cleaner head as claimed in claim 15 further comprising biasing means for biasing the upper body portion to the raised position when the upper body portion is connected to the vacuum cleaner head.