VACUUM CLEANER STRUCTURE
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A vacuum cleaner structure comprising:
- a nozzle having an annular wall portion defining an air-conducting outlet opening, said annular wall portion being provided with a longitudinally outwardly and radially inwardly opening, longitudinal slot, said nozzle defining inner and outer longitudinally spaced shoulders at the opposite ends of said slot;
a swivel tube having an end removably rotatably disposed in said outlet opening and having an annular, radially outwardly opening groove; and
a swivel retainer element fitted in said slot and having a releasable catch member provided with a shoulder adapted to abut said longitudinally outer shoulder of the nozzle to prevent longitudinal withdrawal of the retainer element outwardly through said slot, said retainer element further having a rounded, radially inwardly projecting shoulder received in said swivel tube annular groove to releasably retain the swivel tube end rotatably in said outlet opening, said retainer element being retained by said swivel tube end against radial inward movement from said slot.
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Abstract
A vacuum cleaner structure wherein a swivel is retained in association with the nozzle by a swivel retainer removably received in a slot in the nozzle outlet opening. The swivel retainer includes a resilient catch member which may be released to permit removal of the swivel from the nozzle when desired with the retainer being held in locking position by the swivel and nozzle in the assembled arrangement. A spring is provided for biasing the nozzle brush into operative position relative to the nozzle, and in one form of the invention, the spring is retained in association with the nozzle by the swivel retainer.
7 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A vacuum cleaner structure comprising:
- a nozzle having an annular wall portion defining an air-conducting outlet opening, said annular wall portion being provided with a longitudinally outwardly and radially inwardly opening, longitudinal slot, said nozzle defining inner and outer longitudinally spaced shoulders at the opposite ends of said slot;
a swivel tube having an end removably rotatably disposed in said outlet opening and having an annular, radially outwardly opening groove; and
a swivel retainer element fitted in said slot and having a releasable catch member provided with a shoulder adapted to abut said longitudinally outer shoulder of the nozzle to prevent longitudinal withdrawal of the retainer element outwardly through said slot, said retainer element further having a rounded, radially inwardly projecting shoulder received in said swivel tube annular groove to releasably retain the swivel tube end rotatably in said outlet opening, said retainer element being retained by said swivel tube end against radial inward movement from said slot.
- a nozzle having an annular wall portion defining an air-conducting outlet opening, said annular wall portion being provided with a longitudinally outwardly and radially inwardly opening, longitudinal slot, said nozzle defining inner and outer longitudinally spaced shoulders at the opposite ends of said slot;
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2. The vacuum cleaner structure of claim 1 wherein said catch member is formed of flexible material which may be manually flexed to interrupt the abutting relationship between the shoulder on the catch member and the shoulder of the nozzle permitting withdrawal of the retainer element.
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3. The vacuum cleaner structure of claim 1 wherein said swivel retainer element includes a longitudinally inner end defining a shoulder longitudinally inwardly of said radially outwardly projecting shoulder abutting the inner shoulder of said nozzle wall portion.
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4. The vacuum cleaner structure of claim 1 wherein said nozzle wall portion is provided with a radial opening at the longitudinally outer end of said slot and said nozzle includes a wall portion at the outer end of said opening defining said outer nozzle shoulder.
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5. The vacuum cleaner structure of claim 1 wherein said nozzle wall portion is provided with a radial opening at the longitudinally outer end of said slot and said nozzle includes a wall portion at the outer end of said opening defining said outer nozzle shoulder and said outwardly projecting shoulder of the swivel retainer extends into said radial opening.
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6. The vacuum cleaner structure of claim 1 wherein said nozzle wall portion is provided with a surface at the longitudinally inner end of said slot defining said nozzle wall portion longitudinally inner shoulder and said swivel retainer defines a complementary end surface at its longitudinally inner end adapted to facially engage said wall portion surface.
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7. The vacuum cleaner structure of claim 1 wherein said nozzle includes a wall portion having an opening formed therein providing access to said catch member for release thereof.
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8. The vacuum cleaner structure of claim 1 further including a brush, means on said nozzle for adjustable mounting said brush to said nozzle;
- and spring means carried by said nozzle biasing said brush to an operative position.
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9. The vacuum cleaner structure of claim 8 wherein the catch member may be manually flexed to interrupt the abutting relationship between the shoulder on the catch member and the shoulder of the nozzle permitting withdrawal of the retainer element and release of the locked relationship between the nozzle, the swivel tube, and the swivel retainer element.
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10. The vacuum cleaner structure of claim 8 wherein said spring means includes means cooperating with said swivel retainer for securing the spring means to the nozzle.
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11. The vacuum cleaner structure of claim 8 wherein said nozzle has a wall portion which defines an opening at the longitudinally inner end of the slot, and said spring includes a retaining portion extending through said opening and secured to said wall portion by said swivel retainer.
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12. The vacuum cleaner structure of claim 8 wherein said brush mounting means on said nozzle defines a socket and spring finger means adjacent said socket, said brush including a back releasably locked in said socket by said spring finger means.
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13. The vacuum cleaner structure of claim 12 wherein said spring finger means is provided with a stop member to prevent over-flexing of said spring finger means.
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14. The vacuum cleaner structure of claim 8 wherein said brush mounting means on said nozzle defines a socket and spring finger means adjacent said socket, said brush including a back releasably locked in said socket by said spring finger means, said spring means biasing said brush back into locked association with said spring finger means.
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15. The vacuum cleaner structure of claim 8 wherein said spring means comprises a leaf spring having one end engaging said brush and an opposite end removably fixed to said nozzle adjacent said swivel retainer.
Specification