Floor care apparatus with cord reel and nozzle assembly

• US 8,844,095 B2
• Filed: 12/27/2011
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation Of North America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation Of North America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hawkins, Kyle A., Fry, Michael L., Marsh, Samuel A., Dant, Ryan T., Phegley, Shannon D., Streciwilk, Eric J.
• Primary Examiner(s): REDDING, DAVID A
• Application Number:
  US13/337,744
• Publication Number:
  US 20120167333A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,008 Days
• Field of Search: 154/13, 15D/IG.10, 153/51
• US Class Current: 15/413
• 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 9/02 Nozzles suction nozzles for fluid transport B65G51/00
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/26 Incorporation of winding devices for electric cables devices specially adapted for repeatedly paying-out or re-storing cables B65H75/34; arrangements of electrical cables or lines between relatively-movable parts H02G11/00

Abstract

A floor care apparatus includes a body having a nozzle assembly and a handle assembly. The handle assembly is pivotally attached to the nozzle assembly. Both a suction generator and a dirt collection vessel are carried on the body. Further, the nozzle assembly includes a cord reel.

Claims

1. A floor care apparatus, comprising:

a body including a nozzle assembly and a handle assembly pivotally attached to said nozzle assembly;

a suction generator carried on said body; and

a dirt cup carried on said body;

said apparatus being further characterized by said nozzle assembly including a cord reel.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said nozzle assembly includes a cord reel compartment that receives and holds said cord reel, said cord reel compartment further including a cooling air inlet and an exhaust outlet.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said suction generator is connected to said cooling air inlet.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said nozzle assembly includes a housing having a bottom plate and a cover, said bottom plate including a suction inlet and said cover including an electrical cord opening.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further including an electrical power cord wound onto said cord reel and projecting through said electrical cord opening wherein said electrical cord opening is provided no more than 17 vertical centimeters above said bottom plate when said vacuum cleaner is positioned on a floor in an operating position.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said nozzle assembly includes (a) a suction generator chamber receiving and holding said suction generator, (b) a cord reel chamber receiving and holding said cord reel and (c) a handle mount pivotally mounting said handle assembly to said nozzle assembly.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said airflow passageway is adjacent and parallel to a suction inlet provided on said nozzle assembly.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said suction inlet is connected to a suction duct and said airflow passageway crosses said suction duct.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said airflow pathway extends transversely across said nozzle assembly between (a) said suction generator and cord reel chambers on a first side and (b) said suction inlet on a second side.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said nozzle assembly includes a housing having a bottom plate and a cover, said bottom plate including a suction inlet and said cover including an electrical cord opening.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further including an electrical power cord wound onto said cord reel and projecting through said electrical cord opening wherein said electrical cord opening is provided no more than 17 vertical centimeters above said bottom plate when said vacuum cleaner is positioned on a floor in an operating position.

12. The apparatus of claim 6, further including a rotary agitator carried in said nozzle assembly and wherein said cord reel has a first axis of rotation and said rotary agitator has a second axis of rotation where said first axis of rotation and said second axis of rotation are parallel to one another.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein an electrical cord opening opens rearwardly on said nozzle assembly away from said suction inlet.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein a first exhaust vent is provided in said housing and a second exhaust vent is provided in said housing in communication with said cord reel compartment whereby a first portion of said airstream from said suction generator is exhausted from said first exhaust vent directly into ambient air while a second portion of said airstream from said suction generator is passed over said cord reel to provide cooling before being exhausted from said second exhaust vent directly from said cord reel compartment into ambient air.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further including a filter mounted over an exhaust port of said suction generator.

16. A floor care apparatus, comprising:

a body including a nozzle assembly and a handle assembly pivotally attached to said nozzle assembly wherein said nozzle assembly includes (a) a suction generator chamber receiving and holding a suction generator, (b) a cord reel chamber receiving and holding a cord reel, (c) a handle mount pivotally mounting said handle assembly to said nozzle assembly and (d) an airflow passageway directing an airstream from an exhaust port of said suction generator chamber into an inlet port of said cord reel chamber; and

a dirt collection vessel carried on said body.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said chamber further including a cooling air inlet and an exhaust outlet.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said suction generator is connected to said cooling air inlet.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said nozzle assembly includes a housing having a bottom plate and a cover, said bottom plate including a suction inlet and said cover including an electrical cord opening.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further including an electrical power cord wound onto said cord reel and projecting through said electrical cord opening wherein said electrical cord opening is provided no more than 17 vertical centimeters above said bottom plate when said vacuum cleaner is positioned on a floor in an operating position.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said airflow passageway is adjacent and parallel to a suction inlet provided on said nozzle assembly.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said suction inlet is connected to a suction duct and said airflow passageway crosses said suction duct.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said airflow pathway extends transversely across said nozzle assembly between (a) said suction generator and cord reel chambers on a first side and (b) said suction inlet on a second side.

24. The apparatus of claim 19, further including a rotary agitator carried in said nozzle assembly and wherein said cord reel has a first axis of rotation and said rotary agitator has a second axis of rotation where said first axis of rotation and said second axis of rotation are parallel to one another.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein an electrical cord opening opens rearwardly on said nozzle assembly away from said suction inlet.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein a first exhaust vent is provided in said housing and a second exhaust vent is provided in said housing in communication with said cord reel chamber whereby a first portion of said airstream from said suction generator is exhausted from said first exhaust vent directly into ambient air while a second portion of said airstream from said suction generator is passed over said cord reel to provide cooling before being exhausted from said second exhaust vent directly from said cord reel chamber into ambient air.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, further including a filter mounted over an exhaust port of said suction generator.