Vacuum Cleaner

• US 5,214,822 A
• Filed: 12/30/1991
• Issued: 06/01/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Sakurai, Hidetoshi, Sasai, Gorou, Sagawa, Kouiti
• Primary Examiner(s): MOORE, CHRISTOPHER K
• Application Number:
  US07/814,762
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• Field of Search: 15/327.1, 15/327.2, 15/327.4, 15/325
• US Class Current: 15/325
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/362 of the horizontal type, e.g. canister or sledge type
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner includes a cleaner body to which an intake hose is connectable, traveling members for enabling the traveling of the cleaner body, and an obstacle-escaping angularly-movable member angularly movably mounted on the cleaner body. A dust collector chamber is formed in a front portion of the cleaner body, and an electrically-operated fan is mounted in a rear portion of the cleaner body. The angularly-movable member is so arranged as to be angularly movable around an outer wall of the dust collector chamber. A portion of the angularly-movable member projects outwardly from the front face of the cleaner body and the front side portions of the cleaner body.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a cleaner body to which an intake hose is connectable, said cleaner body having a front lower surface and a rear lower surface;

a swinging plate mounted through a pivot shaft angularly movable on the front lower surface of said cleaner body so as to be angularly movable about said pivot shaft and having a portion projecting outwardly from the outer periphery of said cleaner body to contact an obstacle before said cleaner body contacts the obstacle; and

caster means for movably supporting said cleaner body, said caster means comprising first caster means mounted on a lower surface of the swinging plate and second caster means mounted on the rear lower surface of said cleaner body, said angularly-movable member being mounted by a shaft on a front lower surface of said cleaner body so as to be angularly movable about said shaft.

2. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a cleaner body to which an intake hose is connectable, said body having a front lower surface and a rear lower surface;

an obstacle-avoiding angularly-movable member angularly movable mounted on said cleaner body and having a portion projecting outwardly from the outer periphery of said cleaner body, said angularly-movable member being constituted by a swinging plate, said angularly-movable member being mounted on a shaft on the front lower surface of said cleaner body so as to be angularly movable about said shaft;

casters mounted on a lower surface of said swinging plate; and

a resilient member attached to said swinging plate and a portion of the cleaner body for normally holding said swinging plate in a neutral position.

3. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, wherein a handle portion is formed at said swinging plate.

4. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, wherein a lock mechanism is provided at said handle portion, said lock mechanism being adapted to stop the angular movement of said swinging plate when grasping said handle portion of said swinging plate.

5. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, wherein said intake hose is disposed substantially on a centerline of a transverse width of said cleaner body when viewed from a top of the cleaner body, said swinging plate being divided into two portions which are symmetrically disposed to the right and the left with respect to said centerline, and wherein said casters are mounted on each of said divided portions of said swinging plate.

8. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, wherein said resilient member is a spring.

6. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

first caster means for movable supporting said cleaner body;

a suction member connected to said cleaner body via an intake hose;

means for fixing said suction member to said cleaner body; and

a support base having second caster means mounted on a lower surface thereof for movable supporting said support base, said support base being swingably mounted on said cleaner body so as to be swung upon contact of the support base with an obstacle before said cleaner body contacts the obstacle.

7. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a cleaner body;

a suction member connected to said cleaner body via an intake hose;

means for fixing said suction member to said cleaner body;

a support base having casters mounted on a lower surface thereof, said support base being swingably mounted on said cleaner body so as to be angularly moved in one direction upon contacting an obstacle on a surface to be cleaned and angularly movable in an opposite direction to said one direction to return to an initial position when said support base is moved away from said obstacle and;

return means for angularly returning said support base to the initial position.