Upright vacuum cleaner

• US 9,301,662 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2013
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
• Original Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
• Inventors: Conrad, Wayne Ernest
• Primary Examiner(s): Muller, Bryan R
• Application Number:
  US14/036,818
• Publication Number:
  US 20140082881A1
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 153/53, 153/31, 153/34, 153/28, 153/29, 153/35
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 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 5/32 with means for connecting a hose hose couplings for suction cleaners A47L9/24
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/365 of the vertical type, e.g. tank or bucket type
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1608 Cyclonic chamber constructions
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/165 Construction of inlets

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 portable cleaning unit is removably mounted to the surface cleaning apparatus.

Claims

1. An upright surface cleaning apparatus operable in an upright configuration and a portable configuration, the upright surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) a surface cleaning head having a first dirty fluid inlet;

(b) a support member moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head between an upright storage position and a reclined in use position, the support member comprising an up flow duct;

(c) a cleaning and suction unit removably mounted to the support member and useable when removed from the support member, the cleaning and suction unit comprising, a suction motor and a cleaning stage, the cleaning stage being removable from the cleaning and suction unit for emptying when the cleaning and suction unit is mounted to the support member, wherein the support member terminates below an upper end of the cleaning and suction unit when the support member is in the upright storage position and the cleaning and suction unit is mounted to the support member;

(d) an above floor cleaning wand moveable between a floor cleaning position and an above floor cleaning position, the above floor cleaning wand comprising a rigid conduit having a lowermost end that has a second dirty fluid inlet and an upright section handle proximate a downstream end of the rigid conduit and a flexible hose having an air inlet end and an air outlet end, the lowermost end of the rigid conduit is removably connectable to the cleaning and suction unit, wherein in the floor cleaning position, the rigid conduit extends from the cleaning and suction unit to the flexible hose, and the upright section handle is drivingly connected to the surface cleaning head, and when in the portable configuration the air inlet end of the flexible hose is in flow communication with the downstream end of the rigid conduit; and

(e) a fluid flow path from the first dirty fluid inlet to the cleaning and suction unit when the apparatus is in the upright configuration,

wherein the cleaning and suction unit includes an interface for the rigid conduit and the support member, the up flow duct is removably receivable in a lower end of the interface and the lowermost end of the rigid conduit is removably receivable in the interface and, when the rigid wand and the up flow duct are received in the interface, the up flow duct is longitudinally aligned with the rigid conduit,

wherein, in the upright configuration, an upright assembly is provided that comprises the surface cleaning head, the support member, the above floor cleaning wand and the cleaning and suction unit and, when in the portable configuration a portable assembly is provided that comprises the cleaning and suction unit and the above floor cleaning wand,

and wherein the air outlet end of the flexible hose remains connected to the cleaning and suction unit when the cleaning and suction unit is removed from the support member.

2. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the interface is provided on a side of the cleaning and suction unit.

3. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the interface is provided on a rear side of the cleaning and suction unit.

4. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 2 wherein the support member comprises a rigid up flow duct.

5. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 2 wherein the above floor cleaning wand extends along a first longitudinal axis when connected to the cleaning and suction unit and the interface further comprises an air inlet that communicates with the air outlet of the above floor cleaning wand and that has a longitudinal axis that is generally parallel to the first longitudinal axis.

6. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cleaning and suction unit is vertically removeable from the support member.

7. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the support member comprises a rigid up flow duct and the cleaning and suction unit is vertically removeable from the up flow duct.

8. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cleaning stage comprises a first cyclonic cleaning stage comprising a single cyclone and a second cyclonic cleaning stage downstream from the first cyclonic cleaning stage and comprising a plurality of second cyclones in parallel.

9. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cleaning and suction unit is removable from the up flow duct by translating the cleaning and suction unit in a direction parallel to an axis of the up flow duct thereby extracting the up flow duct from the opening.

10. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a filter that is in the air flow path between the cleaning stage and the clean air outlet, the filter being positioned within a filter housing that is disposed between the one end of the cleaning stage and the suction motor, wherein the filter housing is accessible when the cleaning stage is removed from the cleaning and suction unit.

11. An upright surface cleaning apparatus having a cyclonic cleaning stage and comprising:

(a) a surface cleaning head having a dirty fluid inlet and a support member moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head and comprising an up flow duct;

(b) a fluid flow path extending from the dirty fluid inlet to a clean air outlet of the upright surface cleaning apparatus when the apparatus is in an upright configuration; and

(c) a cleaning and suction unit removably connected to the support member and useable as a portable surface cleaning apparatus, the cleaning and suction unit comprising a linking portion, a suction motor, an above floor cleaning wand comprising a rigid conduit having an upstream end that is removably receivable in the linking portion, a unit fluid inlet and at least one cyclone having a cyclone inlet in fluid communication with the unit fluid inlet and a cyclone chamber, a dirt collection region of the at least one cyclone is removably connected to the cleaning and suction unit and removable for emptying when the cleaning and suction unit is connected to the support member, the suction motor being disposed below the at least one cyclone and the up flow duct is received in a lower portion of the linking member and a longitudinal axis of the rigid conduit extends into the up flow duct when the cleaning and suction unit is connected to the support member and the support member extends upwardly;

wherein the rigid conduit comprises a handle, the handle being drivingly connected to the surface cleaning head along a driving axis when the cleaning and suction unit is mounted to the support member; and

,

wherein the surface cleaning apparatus is operable in;

i) a floor cleaning mode in which the clearing suction unit is mounted on the support member, the up flow duct is received in the lower portion of the linking member, the cyclone is in fluid communication with the first dirty fluid inlet and the above floor cleaning wand is mounted to the cleaning and suction unit with the handle drivingly connected to the surface cleaning head;

ii) an above floor cleaning mode in which the cleaning and suction unit is mounted on the support member, the up flow duct is received in the lower portion of the linking member, the upstream end of the wand is removed from the cleaning and suction unit and functions as a second dirty fluid inlet that is in fluid communication with the cyclone via a flexible hose and the support member terminates below an upper end of the cleaning and suction unit; and

,

iii) a portable mode in which the cleaning and suction unit is removed from the support member and the upstream end of the wand is removed from the cleaning and suction unit and functions as the second dirty fluid inlet that is in fluid communication with the cyclone via the flexible hose.

12. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 11 wherein, in the upright configuration, the air inlet end of the flexible hose is above the upstream end of the rigid conduit.

13. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 11 wherein the upright section handle is provided proximate a downstream end of the rigid conduit.

14. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 11 wherein the linking portion is provided on a rear side of the cleaning and suction unit.

15. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 11 wherein the support member comprises a rigid up flow duct.

16. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 11 wherein the cleaning and suction unit is vertically removeable from the support member.

17. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 11 wherein the support member comprises a rigid up flow duct and the cleaning and suction unit is vertically removeable from the up flow duct.

18. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a second cyclonic cleaning stage downstream from the cyclone and comprising a plurality of second cyclones in parallel.

19. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 11, wherein the cleaning and suction unit is removable from the up flow duct by translating the cleaning and suction unit in a direction parallel to an axis of the up flow duct thereby extracting the up flow duct from the opening.

20. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a filter that is in the air flow path between the cyclone and the clean air outlet, the filter being positioned within a filter housing that is disposed between the one end of the cyclone and the suction motor, wherein the filter housing is accessible when the cyclone is removed from the cleaning and suction unit.

21. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) a surface cleaning head having a first dirty fluid inlet;

(b) a cleaning and suction unit comprising a linking portion having a lower opening and an upper opening, a cleaning, stage, a suction motor fluidly connected downstream from the cleaning stage and a clean air outlet fluidly connected downstream from the suction motor;

(c) a support member moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head and comprising an up flow duct extending along a duct axis and fluidly connected downstream from the first dirty air inlet, the cleaning and suction unit being removably mounted to the support member and usable when removed from the support member, the up flow duct is received in the lower opening of the linking portion when the cleaning and suction unit is mounted to the support member; and

,

(d) a rigid above floor cleaning wand extending along a wand axis and having an upstream end that is removably mounted to the cleaning and suction unit and receivable in the upper opening and a downstream end that is axially spaced apart from the upstream end and includes a handle;

wherein the surface cleaning apparatus is operable in;

(i) a floor cleaning mode in which the cleaning and suction unit is mounted on the support member, the up flow duct is received in the lower opening, the cleaning stage is in fluid communication with the first dirty fluid inlet and the above floor cleaning wand is mounted to the cleaning and suction unit with the upstream end in the upper opening so that the wand axis is coaxial with the up flow duct axis and the handle is drivingly connected to the surface cleaning head;

(ii) an above floor cleaning mode in which the cleaning and suction unit is mounted on the support member, the up flow duct is received in the lower opening, the upstream end of the wand is removed from the cleaning and suction unit and functions as a second dirty fluid inlet that is in fluid communication with the cleaning stage via a flexible hose; and

,

(iii) a portable mode in which the cleaning and suction unit is removed from the support member and the upstream end of the wand is removed from the cleaning and suction unit and functions as the second dirty fluid inlet that is in fluid communication with the cleaning stage via the flexible hose.

22. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 21, wherein the cleaning stage comprises a first cyclonic cleaning stage comprising a single cyclone and a second cyclonic cleaning stage downstream from the first cyclonic cleaning stage and comprising a plurality of second cyclones in parallel.

23. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a filter that is in the air flow path between the cleaning stage and the clean air outlet, the filter being positioned within a filter housing that is disposed between the one end of the cleaning stage and the suction motor, wherein the filter housing is accessible when the cleaning stage is removed from the cleaning and suction unit.