Surface cleaning apparatus with different cleaning configurations

• US 10,327,608 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2017
• Issued: 06/25/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
• Original Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
• Inventors: Conrad, Wayne Ernest
• Primary Examiner(s): Scruggs, Robert J
• Application Number:
  US15/586,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20170231444A1
• Time in Patent Office: 782 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/38 Machines, specially adapted for cleaning walls, ceilings, roofs, or the like
• 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 5/24 Hand-supported 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 5/36 Suction cleaners with hose between nozzle and casing; Suction cleaners for fixing on staircases; Suction cleaners for carrying on the back
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0018 integrated in or removably mounted upon the suction cleaner for storing parts of said suction cleaner
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0027 specially adapted for holding the suction cleaning tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0045 specially adapted for holding the suction tube
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/16 Arrangement or disposition of cyclones or other devices with centrifugal action
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/242 Hose or pipe couplings
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/248 Parts, details or accessories of hoses or pipes nozzles A47L9/02
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/325 for wheeled suction cleaners with steering handle

Abstract

A surface cleaning apparatus comprises a floor cleaning unit comprising a surface cleaning head and an upright section moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head between a storage position and a floor cleaning position and a hand vacuum cleaner removably mounted to the upright section. The upright section is connected to the surface cleaning head by a rotatable coupling. When the surface cleaning unit is mounted to the upright section, the surface cleaning unit and the upright section define an upright assembly, the upright assembly having a handle wherein, when the upright assembly is in the inclined use position, the handle is steeringly connected to the surface cleaning head whereby a user may rotate the handle clockwise or counterclockwise with respect to the surface cleaning head to assist in steering the surface cleaning head.

Claims

1. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

a) an air flow passage extending between a dirty air inlet and a clean air outlet;

b) a portable surface cleaning apparatus comprising;

i) a main body comprising a suction motor; and

,

ii) a cyclone unit comprising a first cyclonic stage comprising a cyclone chamber having an air inlet, an air outlet and a cyclone axis;

c) a floor cleaning unit comprising a surface cleaning head having a front end, a rear end positioned in a rearward direction spaced from the front end, first and second opposed lateral sides, the dirty air inlet is provided at the front end of the surface cleaning head, a cleaning head air outlet, a pair of rear wheels and an upright section moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head between an upright storage position and an inclined use position;

d) the upright section having a lower portion and an upper portion having an upper portion axis, the upper portion is rotatably mounted to the lower portion about a rotational axis that is transverse to the upper portion axis, the lower portion is moveably mounted to the floor cleaning head; and

,

e) the portable surface cleaning apparatus is removably mounted to the upright section and supported above a surface on which the floor cleaning unit is located when mounted to the upright section, the upright surface cleaning apparatus is reconfigurable between an upright configuration in which the portable surface cleaning apparatus is provided on the upright section, the suction motor and the cyclone chamber are provided in the air flow passage with the cyclone chamber upstream from the suction motor, and the portable surface cleaning apparatus and the upright section together define an upright assembly and a second configuration in which the portable surface cleaning apparatus is removed from the upright section,

wherein the upright assembly comprises a handle that is steeringly connected to the surface cleaning head,

and wherein when the portable surface cleaning apparatus is mounted to the upright section, the air flow passage comprises an upstream flexible hose and a downstream flexible hose wherein the upstream flexible hose and the downstream flexible hose are connected in air flow communication by a rigid tubular member which comprises the lower portion,

and wherein when the portable surface cleaning apparatus is mounted to the upright section, the portable surface cleaning apparatus is positioned below the rotational axis.

2. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the lower portion has a rearward portion that is located rearward of the rear wheels when the upper support member portion extends generally vertically.

3. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the rearward portion is positioned beneath the portable surface cleaning apparatus when the portable surface cleaning apparatus is mounted to the upright section.

4. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the air flow passage comprises a first portion that extends from the surface cleaning head to a position adjacent a lower end of the portable surface cleaning apparatus when the portable surface cleaning apparatus is mounted to the upright section, wherein the first portion comprises an upstream flexible hose.

5. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 4 wherein a portion of the upstream flexible hose is underneath the portable surface cleaning apparatus when the portable surface cleaning apparatus is mounted to the upright section.

6. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 5 wherein a forward end of the portable surface cleaning apparatus is forward of an inlet end of the upstream flexible hose when the portable surface cleaning apparatus is mounted to the upright section.

7. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the suction motor has a suction motor axis that is parallel to the cyclone axis.

8. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the lower portion is pivotally mounted to the surface cleaning head.

9. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein when the portable surface cleaning apparatus is mounted to the upright section, the rotational axis overlies the portable surface cleaning apparatus.

10. An upright surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

a) an air flow passage extending between a dirty air inlet and a clean air outlet;

b) a hand vacuum cleaner comprising;

i) a main body comprising a suction motor, a front end and a rear end spaced apart from the front end in the forward/rearward direction, the suction motor having a suction motor axis extending in the forward/rearward direction; and

,

ii) a air treatment unit comprising a first air treatment stage;

c) a floor cleaning unit comprising a surface cleaning head having a front end, a rear end positioned in a rearward direction spaced from the front end, first and second opposed lateral sides, the dirty air inlet is provided at the front end of the surface cleaning head, a surface cleaning head air outlet, a pair of rear wheels and an upright section, the upright section having a lower portion and an upper portion having an upper portion axis, the upper portion is rotatably mounted to the lower portion about a rotational axis that is transverse to the upper portion axis, the lower portion is moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head between an upright storage position and an inclined use position; and

,

d) the hand vacuum cleaner is removably mounted to, and supported solely by, the lower portion of the upright section, the upright surface cleaning apparatus is reconfigurable between an upright configuration wherein the hand vacuum cleaner is provided on the lower portion and the suction motor and the first air treatment stage are provided in the air flow passage with the first air treatment stage upstream from the suction motor, and a second configuration wherein the hand vacuum cleaner is removed from the lower portion, in the upright configuration the hand vacuum cleaner is moveable with the upright section between the upright storage position and the inclined use position,

wherein when the hand vacuum cleaner is mounted to the lower portion, the hand vacuum cleaner and the upright section define an upright assembly, and wherein the upright assembly comprises a handle,

and wherein the upright section is connected to the floor cleaning unit by a coupling whereby, when the upright assembly is in the inclined use position, the handle is steeringly connected to the surface cleaning head whereby a user may rotate the handle clockwise or counterclockwise with respect to the surface cleaning head to assist in steering the surface cleaning head,

and wherein when the portable surface cleaning apparatus is mounted to the lower portion, the portable surface cleaning apparatus is positioned below the rotational axis and the upper portion is rotatable forwardly with respect to the lower portion.

11. The upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 10, wherein the lower portion has a rearward portion that is located rearward of the rear wheels when the upright section extends generally vertically.

12. The upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 11, wherein the front end has a front width in a lateral direction that is transverse to the rearward direction, each lateral side having a rear wheel wherein the rear wheels are spaced apart in the lateral direction by a width that is less than the front width.

13. The upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 11, wherein when the upper portion extends generally vertically, the lower portion includes a section that extends upwardly at an inclined angle from the surface cleaning head.

14. The upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 11 wherein the hand vacuum cleaner is mounted to the lower portion by a hand vacuum cleaner air inlet.

15. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

a) an air flow passage extending between a dirty air inlet and a clean air outlet;

b) a portable surface cleaning apparatus comprising;

i) a main body comprising a suction motor; and

,

ii) a cyclone unit comprising a first cyclonic stage comprising a cyclone chamber having an air inlet, an air outlet and a cyclone axis;

c) a floor cleaning unit comprising a surface cleaning head having a front end, a rear end positioned in a rearward direction spaced from the front end, first and second opposed lateral sides, the dirty air inlet is provided at the front end of the surface cleaning head, a cleaning head air outlet, a pair of rear wheels and an upright section comprising a lower portion and an upper portion having an upper portion axis, the upper portion is rotatably mounted to the lower portion about a rotational axis that is transverse to the upper portion axis, the lower portion is moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head between an upright storage position and an inclined use position; and

,

d) the portable surface cleaning apparatus is removably mounted to, and supported solely by, the lower portion, the surface cleaning apparatus is reconfigurable between an upright configuration wherein the portable surface cleaning apparatus is provided on the lower portion and the suction motor and the cyclone chamber are provided in the air flow passage with the cyclone chamber upstream from the suction motor, and a second configuration wherein the portable surface cleaning apparatus is removed from the lower portion, in the upright configuration the portable surface cleaning apparatus is moveable with the upright section between the upright storage position and the inclined use position,

wherein when the portable surface cleaning apparatus is mounted to the lower portion, the portable surface cleaning apparatus and the upright section define an upright assembly,

and wherein the upright assembly comprises a handle,

and wherein, when the upright assembly is in the inclined use position and the portable surface cleaning apparatus is mounted to the lower portion, the handle is steeringly connected to the surface cleaning head

and wherein when the portable surface cleaning apparatus is mounted to the lower portion, the air flow passage comprises an upstream flexible hose and a downstream flexible hose wherein the upstream flexible hose and the downstream flexible hose are connected in air flow communication,

and wherein when the portable surface cleaning apparatus is mounted to the lower portion, the portable surface cleaning apparatus is positioned below the rotational axis and the upper portion is rotatable forwardly with respect to the lower portion.

16. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 15, wherein the lower portion has a rearward portion that is located rearward of the rear wheels when the upright section extends generally vertically.

17. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 15, wherein the front end has a front width in a lateral direction that is transverse to the rearward direction, each lateral side having a rear wheel wherein the rear wheels are spaced apart in the lateral direction by a width that is less than the front width.

18. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 15, wherein and when the upper portion extends generally vertically, the lower portion includes a section that extends upwardly at an inclined angle from the surface cleaning head.

19. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 15, wherein the portable surface cleaning apparatus is mounted to the lower portion by a portable surface cleaning apparatus air inlet.

20. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 15, wherein the suction motor has a suction motor axis that is parallel to the cyclone axis.

21. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 15, wherein the lower portion comprises a rigid tubular member that is pivotally mounted to the surface cleaning head and wherein the upstream flexible hose and the downstream flexible hose are connected in air flow communication by the rigid tubular member.