Surface cleaning apparatus

• US 10,729,295 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2016
• Issued: 08/04/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
• Original Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
• Inventors: Conrad, Wayne Ernest, Conrad, Nina, Petersen, Dave
• Primary Examiner(s): Scruggs, Robert J
• Application Number:
  US15/250,670
• Publication Number:
  US 20180055309A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,436 Days
• 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 5/30 with driven dust-loosening tools, e.g. rotating brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/32 with means for connecting a hose hose couplings for suction cleaners A47L9/24
• 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 7/0019 Details of the casing
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0036 specially adapted for holding the suction hose
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0045 specially adapted for holding the suction tube
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0411 driven by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0477 Rolls
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/106 Dust removal
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/122 flat
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1608 Cyclonic chamber constructions
• 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 9/1666 with filtering means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1683 Dust collecting chambers; Dust collecting receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/22 Mountings for motor fan assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/24 Hoses or pipes; Hose or pipe couplings hoses or hose joints in general F16L
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/242 : Hose or pipe couplings
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/325 : for wheeled suction cleaners with steering handle

Abstract

An upright surface cleaning apparatus comprises a surface cleaning head a cleaning unit moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head between a generally upright position and a rearwardly inclined in use position, a push handle and an above floor cleaning assembly. The above floor cleaning assembly comprises a flexible conduit having an inlet end and an outlet end, wherein in a floor cleaning mode the above floor cleaning assembly is positioned between a front transverse plane that extends transverse to the central longitudinal axis of the surface cleaning head and is located at the front side of the cleaning unit and a rear transverse plane that extends transverse to the central longitudinal axis and is located at the rear side of the cleaning unit.

Claims

1. An upright surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) a surface cleaning head having a front end, a rear end, rear wheels, a central longitudinal axis extending between the front and rear ends, first and second laterally opposed sides, a dirty air inlet and a surface cleaning head air outlet;

(b) an upright section moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head between a generally upright position and a rearwardly inclined in use position, the upright section comprising a cleaning unit, an above floor cleaning assembly and a push handle, the cleaning unit comprising an air treatment member assembly comprising an air treatment member chamber, a first dirt collection chamber that is external to the air treatment member chamber and receives material separated by the air treatment member chamber, a second dirt collection chamber that is external to the air treatment member chamber and receives material separated by the air treatment member chamber and a suction motor, the cleaning unit having an upper end, a front side and a rear side and first and second opposed lateral sides, the air treatment member chamber having a sidewall defining an interior volume of the air treatment member chamber;

(c) the push handle comprising a longitudinally extending member having a longitudinally extending drive axis and a hand grip portion;

(d) the above floor cleaning assembly comprising a flexible conduit having an inlet end and an outlet end and a rigid conduit that is upstream of the flexible conduit in an above floor cleaning mode,

wherein the first dirt collection chamber is located on a first lateral side of the air treatment member chamber, the second dirt collection chamber is located on a second lateral side of the air treatment member chamber, and

wherein in a floor cleaning mode the entire upright section other than the push handle is positioned between a front transverse plane that extends transverse to the central longitudinal axis and is located at the front side of the sidewall of the air treatment member chamber and a rear transverse plane that extends transverse to the central longitudinal axis and is located at the rear side of the sidewall of the air treatment member chamber, and

wherein, in the floor cleaning mode, the rigid conduit is located on a first lateral side of the air treatment member chamber behind the first dirt collection chamber, a first portion of the flexible conduit having the outlet end is located on a second lateral side of the air treatment member chamber behind the second dirt collection chamber and a second portion of the flexible conduit extends from the second lateral side of the air treatment member chamber over an upper end of the air treatment member chamber to the first lateral side of the air treatment member chamber.

2. The upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an up flow duct, wherein the rigid conduit has an upstream end that in the floor cleaning mode is connected to the up flow duct and in the above floor cleaning mode is removed from the up flow duct.

3. The upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the air treatment member chamber has a depth in a direction of the central longitudinal axis that is greater than a depth of the first dirt collection chamber in a direction of the central longitudinal axis.

4. The upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the air treatment member chamber has a depth in a direction of the central longitudinal axis that is greater than a depth of the first dirt collection chamber and is also greater than a depth of the second dirt collection chamber in a direction of the central longitudinal axis.

5. The upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the drive axis extends through the air treatment member assembly.

6. The upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the drive axis extends through the air treatment member assembly and, in the floor cleaning mode, the second portion of the flexible conduit is positioned in front of the drive axis.

7. The upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein, in the floor cleaning mode, a rearward extent of a rear side of the above floor cleaning assembly extends at most to a rear side of the air treatment member chamber sidewall.

8. The upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first and second dirt collection chambers define volumes that are isolated from each other.

9. The upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein in a floor cleaning mode the entire above floor cleaning assembly is positioned between a front transverse plane that extends transverse to the central longitudinal axis and is located at the front side of the air treatment member chamber and a rear transverse plane that extends transverse to the central longitudinal axis and is located at the rear side of sidewall of the air treatment member chamber.

10. An upright surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) a surface cleaning head having a front end, a rear end, rear wheels, a central longitudinal axis extending between the front and rear ends, first and second laterally opposed sides, a dirty air inlet and a surface cleaning head air outlet;

(b) a cleaning unit moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head between a generally upright position and a rearwardly inclined in use position, the cleaning unit comprising an air treatment member assembly comprising an air treatment member chamber having an upper end, a front side, a rear side and first and second lateral sides, a first dirt collection chamber that is external to the air treatment member chamber and located on the first lateral side of the air treatment member and a suction motor therein, the first dirt collection chamber having a front side and a rear side, the air treatment member chamber having a sidewall defining an interior volume of the air treatment member chamber;

(c) a push handle comprising a longitudinally extending member having a longitudinally extending drive axis and a hand grip portion;

(d) an above floor cleaning assembly comprising a flexible conduit having an inlet end and an outlet end and a rigid conduit, wherein in a floor cleaning mode the entire above floor cleaning assembly and cleaning unit is positioned at or forward of a rear side of the sidewall of the air treatment member chamber and at or rearward of a front side of the sidewall of the air treatment member chamber

wherein the rigid conduit is located behind the first dirt collection chamber, and

wherein the air treatment member chamber has a depth in a direction of the central longitudinal axis from the front side of the air treatment member chamber to the rear side of the air treatment member chamber that is greater than a depth of the first dirt collection chamber in a direction of the central longitudinal axis from the front side of the first dirt collection chamber to the rear side of the first dirt collection chamber.

11. The upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 10 wherein the rigid conduit is upstream of the flexible conduit in an above floor cleaning mode wherein, in the floor cleaning mode, the rigid conduit is located on the first lateral side of the air treatment member chamber, a first portion of the flexible conduit having the outlet end is located on the second lateral side of the air treatment member chamber and a second portion of the flexible conduit extends from the second lateral side of the air treatment member chamber over the upper end of the air treatment member chamber to the first lateral side of the air treatment member chamber.

12. The upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 11 further comprising an up flow duct, wherein the rigid conduit has an upstream end that in the floor cleaning mode is connected to the up flow duct and in the above floor cleaning mode is removed from the up flow duct.

13. The upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 11 wherein the air treatment member assembly comprises a second dirt collection chamber that is located on the second lateral side of the air treatment member chamber and the first portion of the flexible conduit is located behind the second dirt collection chamber.

14. The upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 11 wherein the air treatment member chamber has a depth of the air treatment member chamber in a direction of the central longitudinal axis that is greater than a depth of the first dirt collection chamber and is also greater than a depth of the second dirt collection chamber in a direction of the central longitudinal axis.

15. The upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 11 wherein the drive axis extends through the air treatment member assembly and, in the floor cleaning mode, the second portion of the flexible conduit is positioned rearward of the drive axis.

16. The upright surface cleaning apparatus of claim 10 wherein the drive axis extends through the air treatment member assembly.