Upright vacuum cleaner
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An upright surface cleaning apparatus having a cyclonic cleaning stage and comprising:
- (a) a surface cleaning head having a dirty fluid inlet;
(b) a fluid flow path extending from the dirty fluid inlet to a clean air outlet of the upright surface cleaning apparatus;
(c) an upright section comprising a support member, the upright section moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head;
(d) a cleaning and suction unit removable and useable as a portable surface cleaning apparatus, the cleaning and suction unit comprising a suction motor, an above floor cleaning wand comprising a rigid conduit having an air inlet and a flexible hose having an air outlet and at least one cyclone having a cyclone inlet and a cyclone chamber;
(e) an airflow conduit extending from the air inlet of the rigid conduit to the cyclone inlet and comprising the flexible hose;
(f) a mounting assembly removably mounting the cleaning and suction unit to the upright section of the upright surface cleaning apparatus, the mounting assembly having an upper section for removably receiving an end of the above floor cleaning wand and a lower section for removably receiving an end of the support member; and
,(g) at least two operating components of the upright surface cleaning apparatus including the cyclonic cleaning stage mounted directly or indirectly to the mounting assembly, wherein the air inlet of the above the floor cleaning wand is removably received in the upper section and the above floor cleaning wand further comprises a handle, whereby the handle is drivingly connected to the surface cleaning head when the cleaning and suction unit is mounted to the upright section.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Several embodiments of an upright surface cleaning apparatus are disclosed. The surface cleaning apparatus has a first cyclonic cleaning stage and comprises a surface cleaning head having a dirty fluid inlet. A fluid flow path extends from the dirty fluid inlet to a clean air outlet of the upright surface cleaning apparatus. A support member is mounted to the surface cleaning head. A mounting member mounted to the support member. At least one of a first cleaning stage of the upright surface cleaning apparatus and a suction motor is mounted directly or indirectly to the mounting member. A suction motor is provided in the fluid flow path.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. An upright surface cleaning apparatus having a cyclonic cleaning stage and comprising:
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(a) a surface cleaning head having a dirty fluid inlet; (b) a fluid flow path extending from the dirty fluid inlet to a clean air outlet of the upright surface cleaning apparatus; (c) an upright section comprising a support member, the upright section moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head; (d) a cleaning and suction unit removable and useable as a portable surface cleaning apparatus, the cleaning and suction unit comprising a suction motor, an above floor cleaning wand comprising a rigid conduit having an air inlet and a flexible hose having an air outlet and at least one cyclone having a cyclone inlet and a cyclone chamber; (e) an airflow conduit extending from the air inlet of the rigid conduit to the cyclone inlet and comprising the flexible hose; (f) a mounting assembly removably mounting the cleaning and suction unit to the upright section of the upright surface cleaning apparatus, the mounting assembly having an upper section for removably receiving an end of the above floor cleaning wand and a lower section for removably receiving an end of the support member; and
,(g) at least two operating components of the upright surface cleaning apparatus including the cyclonic cleaning stage mounted directly or indirectly to the mounting assembly, wherein the air inlet of the above the floor cleaning wand is removably received in the upper section and the above floor cleaning wand further comprises a handle, whereby the handle is drivingly connected to the surface cleaning head when the cleaning and suction unit is mounted to the upright section. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An upright surface cleaning apparatus comprising:
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(a) a surface cleaning head having an airflow path from a first dirty fluid inlet to a clean air outlet; (b) an above floor cleaning wand having a second dirty fluid inlet at one end thereof and a handle for the upright surface cleaning apparatus distal thereto; (c) an upright section pivotally mounted to the surface cleaning head between a storage position and an in use position and comprising a removable cleaning and suction unit useable as a portable surface cleaning apparatus, the cleaning and suction unit comprising a mounting assembly, a suction motor positioned in the airflow path, a cyclonic cleaning stage and the above floor cleaning wand, the cyclonic cleaning stage alternately treating air drawn in through the first dirty fluid inlet and the second dirty fluid inlet, the second dirty fluid inlet is removably received in an upper section of mounting assembly; (d) the cyclonic cleaning stage having a longitudinally extending outer surface, a cyclone chamber and a cyclone inlet; and
,(e) the wand with the handle drivingly connected to the surface cleaning head when the cleaning and suction unit is mounted to the upright section. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An upright surface cleaning apparatus operable in an upright configuration and a portable configuration, the upright surface cleaning apparatus comprising:
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(a) a surface cleaning head having a first dirty fluid inlet; (b) an above floor cleaning wand having a second dirty fluid inlet at one end thereof and a handle for the upright surface cleaning apparatus distal thereto; (c) a tubular support member moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head; (d) upright section comprising a cleaning and suction unit removable and useable when removed from the support member, the cleaning and suction unit comprising the above floor cleaning wand, a mounting assembly positioned on a side of the cleaning and suction unit and removably mountable to the support member, a suction motor and a cyclonic cleaning stage, the cyclonic cleaning stage alternately treating air drawn in through the first dirty fluid inlet and the second dirty fluid inlet; and
,(e) a fluid flow path from the first dirty fluid inlet to the cyclonic cleaning stage and including a transverse passage, which extends generally transverse to the support member, and connects with a side wall inlet of the cleaning and suction unit, wherein, when the upright surface cleaning apparatus is the upright configuration, the surface cleaning head, the support member and the upright section define an assembly and wherein the above floor cleaning wand includes a rigid conduit and a flexible hose having an air inlet end and an air outlet end, and the air outlet end remains connected to the suction and cleaning unit when the suction and cleaning unit is removed from the support member and the inlet end remains connected to the rigid conduit when the suction and cleaning unit is removed from the support member, and wherein the air outlet end is located at the transverse passage of the fluid flow path. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:
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(a) a floor cleaning unit comprising a surface cleaning head having a dirty air inlet, a cleaning head air outlet and an upright section drivingly connected to the surface cleaning head; (b) a cleaning and suction unit having an air inlet, an air outlet and a suction motor; (c) an air flow path extending through the surface cleaning apparatus from the dirty air inlet to the air outlet; (d) a mounting member provided on a side of the cleaning and suction unit and having an air flow passage therein and removable with the cleaning and suction unit; (e) a thin support member moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head comprising an upflow duct fluidly connected with the dirty air inlet and the cleaning and suction unit is removably mounted to the support member; (f) an above floor cleaning wand removably connected to the mounting member and comprising a handle, a rigid wand and a flexible hose; and
,wherein the surface cleaning apparatus has at least two operating modes comprising; (i) a first upright operating mode wherein the surface cleaning apparatus is operable with the cleaning and suction unit forming part of the air flow path, wherein the handle is drivingly connected to the surface cleaning head when the above floor cleaning wand is connected to the mounting member; and
,(ii) a second operating mode wherein the cleaning and suction unit is operable when removed from the surface cleaning head. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification