ALL IN THE HEAD SURFACE CLEANING APPARATUS

• US 20160174795A1
• Filed: 12/17/2014
• Published: 06/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
• Original Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
• Inventors: Chen, Roger, Thorne, Jason B., Conrad, Wayne Ernest, Xu, Barry, Hutchinson, Peter, Xu, Robert, Petersen, Dave
• Granted Patent: US 9,883,781 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 9/106 Dust removal
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/16 Arrangement or disposition of cyclones or other devices with centrifugal action
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1691 Mounting or coupling means for cyclonic chamber or dust receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/325 for wheeled suction cleaners with steering handle

Abstract

An all in the head surface cleaning apparatus may have a surface cleaning head including a front end, a rear end, first and second laterally opposed sidewalls. The surface cleaning head may include a cyclone assembly comprising a cyclone chamber and a dirt collection chamber. The cyclone chamber may have a longitudinal cyclone axis, a cyclone assembly air inlet port and a cyclone assembly air outlet port. The cyclone assembly may be moveable from a cleaning position to a cyclone assembly removal position. The surface cleaning head may include a biasing member biasing the cyclone assembly away from the cleaning position, and a suction motor having a suction motor air inlet and a suction motor axis. The apparatus may include an upper portion moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head between a storage position and a floor cleaning position, the upper portion comprising a drive handle.

Claims

1. An all in the head surface cleaning apparatus comprising a surface cleaning head, the surface cleaning head comprising:

(a) a surface cleaning head comprising;

(i) a front end, a rear end, first and second laterally opposed sidewalls;

(ii) a cyclone assembly comprising a cyclone chamber and a dirt collection chamber, the cyclone chamber having a longitudinal cyclone axis, a cyclone assembly air inlet port and a cyclone assembly air outlet port, wherein the cyclone assembly is moveable from a cleaning position to a cyclone assembly removal position;

(iii) a biasing member biasing the cyclone assembly away from the cleaning position; and

,

(iv) a suction motor having a suction motor air inlet and a suction motor axis; and

(b) an upper portion moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head between a storage position and a floor cleaning position, the upper portion comprising a drive handle.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cyclone assembly is rotatably moveable from the cleaning position to the removal position.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the cyclone assembly is pivotally moveable from the cleaning position to the removal position.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the cyclone assembly has a lateral outward end and a lateral inward end and the lateral inward end moves upwardly as the cyclone assembly is moved to the removal position.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the lateral inward end of the cyclone assembly comprises a carry handle.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the carry handle extends laterally away from the lateral inward end of the cyclone assembly.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cyclone assembly is moveable vertically from the cleaning position to the removal position.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cyclone assembly comprises at least one carry handle.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the carry handle is recessed into the surface cleaning head when the cyclone assembly is in the in use position.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the cyclone assembly is moveable vertically from the cleaning position to the removal position.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the carry handle is located at a lateral inward end of the cyclone assembly.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the surface cleaning head further comprises a moveably mounted platform and the cyclone assembly is removably mounted to the platform.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the cyclone assembly is vertically removable from the platform when the cyclone assembly is in the cyclone assembly removal position.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a cyclone assembly lock actuatable by a foot operable lock release actuator, the cyclone assembly lock is moveable between a locked position in which the cyclone assembly is secured in the surface cleaning head and an unlocked position in which the cyclone assembly is moveable.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cyclone assembly further comprises a pre-motor filter.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cyclone assembly further comprises a pre-motor filter chamber and a carry handle, and the carry handle extends inwardly from a position laterally inward of an air inlet end of the pre-motor filter chamber.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cyclone assembly further comprises a carry handle and the carry handle comprises an open frame and the open frame seats around a clean air outlet when the cyclone assembly is in the cleaning position.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the clean air outlet comprises a post-motor filter.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a cyclone assembly lock moveable between a locked position in which the cyclone assembly is secured in the surface cleaning head and an unlocked position in which the cyclone assembly is moveable, the lock comprising a moveable locking arm and a locking portion provided on the cyclone assembly.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the locking arm is moved forwardly when the lock is moved to the unlocked position.

21. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the locking arm comprises the biasing member.

22. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the upper portion comprises a first end coupled to the surface cleaning head and a second end spaced apart from the first end and wherein the drive handle is disposed toward the second end.

23. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a mounting hub extending from the rear side of the surface cleaning head, the upper portion being moveably mounted to the mounting hub and being rotatably connected to the mounting hub whereby the upper portion is rotatable about a rotation axis relative to the surface cleaning head.

24. An all in the head surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) a surface cleaning head comprising;

(i) a front end, a rear end, first and second laterally opposed sidewalls;

(ii) a cyclone assembly comprising a cyclone chamber and a dirt collection chamber, the cyclone chamber having a longitudinal cyclone axis, a cyclone assembly air inlet port and a cyclone assembly air outlet port, wherein the cyclone assembly is moveable from a cleaning position to a cyclone assembly removal position;

(iii) a cyclone assembly lock moveable between a locked position in which the cyclone assembly is secured in the surface cleaning head and an unlocked position in which the cyclone assembly is moveable, the lock comprising a moveable locking arm and a locking portion provided on the cyclone assembly; and

,

(iv) a suction motor having a suction motor air inlet and a suction motor axis; and

(b) an upper portion moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head between a storage position and a floor cleaning position, the upper portion comprising a drive handle.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the locking arm is moved forwardly when the lock is moved to the unlocked position.

26. An all in the head surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) a surface cleaning head comprising;

(i) a front end, a rear end, first and second laterally opposed sidewalls;

(ii) a cyclone chamber, the cyclone chamber having a longitudinal cyclone axis, a cyclone air inlet and a cyclone air outlet;

(iii) a dirt collection chamber moveable from a cleaning position to a dirt collection chamber removal position;

(iv) a dirt collection chamber lock moveable between a locked position in which the dirt collection chamber is secured in the surface cleaning head and an unlocked position in which the dirt collection chamber is moveable, the lock comprising a moveable locking arm and a locking portion provided on the dirt collection chamber; and

,

(v) a suction motor having a suction motor air inlet and a suction motor axis; and

(b) an upper portion moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head between a storage position and a floor cleaning position, the upper portion comprising a drive handle.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the dirt collection chamber comprises a portion of a cyclone assembly.

28. An all in the head surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) a surface cleaning head comprising;

(i) a front end, a rear end, first and second laterally opposed sidewalls;

(ii) a cyclone chamber, the cyclone chamber having a longitudinal cyclone axis, a cyclone air inlet and a cyclone air outlet;

(iii) a moveably mounted platform moveable from a cleaning position to a dirt collection chamber removal position;

(iv) a dirt collection chamber removably mounted to the platform;

(v) a dirt collection chamber lock moveable between a locked position in which the dirt collection chamber is secured in the surface cleaning head and an unlocked position in which the dirt collection chamber is moveable; and

,

(vi) a suction motor having a suction motor air inlet and a suction motor axis; and

(b) an upper portion moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head between a storage position and a floor cleaning position, the upper portion comprising a drive handle.

29. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein the dirt collection chamber comprises a portion of a cyclone assembly.