Abstract: An upright vacuum cleaner is provided having a dirt collecting system with a downwardly pivoting lid for disposing of the collected dirt. The dirt collecting system has a latching arrangement for securing the pivoting lid into the closed position. A release member on the sidewall of the dirt collecting container is in operative engagement with a latching arrangement for releasing the pivoting lid from the closed position when the dirt collecting container is removed from the cleaner housing. The latching arrangement utilizes a slide member that traverses the underside of the pivoting lid. The slide member is biased into the latched position by a pair of resilient members. A pair of torsional springs are disposed in the hinges pivotally connecting the pivoting lid to the sidewall of the dirt collecting container to bias the pivoting lid into the open position when the release member is depressed.

Abstract: The invention is an agitator configuration for a floor care appliance such as an upright vacuum cleaner. The floor care appliance is provided with at least two agitator chambers each having at least one rotary agitator member disposed therein. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a vacuum cleaner suction nozzle is provided with symmetric left and right agitator disposed adjacent one another. A front agitator assembly comprised of a left and right agitator half-section is disposed in the left and right agitator chambers, respectively. A rear agitator is located rearward of the front agitator assembly and is also comprised of a left and right agitator half-section disposed in the left and right agitator chambers, respectively. A plurality of brush members extend from each agitator half-section arranged in a helical pattern around the circumference of each of the agitator-half-sections.

Abstract: The invention is a floor care appliance such as vacuum cleaner having several embodiments of a dirt particle separating and collecting system removably inserted and sidewardly disposed into a recess in the floor care appliance's housing. One embodiment of the dirt particle separating and collecting system includes a translucent dirt cup having an apertured wall between a dirt particle collecting chamber and a second chamber housing a primary filter. One other embodiment is a translucent bag container for housing a filtration bag. The filtration bag may or may not be disposable and may or may not have a HEPA rating. Other embodiments include utilizing a single dirt container for housing the apertured wall and primary filter combination, a filtration bag only, or a combination of a filtration bag and the apertured wall and primary filter combination. Portions of the various embodiments of the dirt collecting systems may be seen through cutaway portions of the cleaner housing.

Abstract: The invention is floor care appliance such as vacuum cleaner having two embodiments of a dirt particle separating and collecting system removably inserted into a recess in the floor care appliance's housing. One embodiment of the dirt particle separating and collecting system includes a translucent dirt cup having an apertured between two adjacent dirt particle collecting chambers and a primary filter located in one of the chambers. The other embodiment is a translucent bag container and a filtration bag. The filtration bag may or may not be disposable and may or may not have a HEPA rating. When either embodiment of the dirt particle separating and collecting system is installed in the housing, a portion of the dirt particle separating and collecting system is not visible in the area in the front of the floor care appliance. Another portion of the dirt particle separating and collecting system is visible in the area in the front of the floor care appliance.

Abstract: A dirt collecting system for a vacuum cleaner includes a dirt cup formed with a first dirt collecting chamber and a second dirt collecting chamber separated by an apertured wall. An inlet opening is formed in the dirt cup and communicates with the first dirt collecting chamber for inputting a stream of dirt laden air into the first dirt collecting chamber. An exhaust opening is formed in the second dirt collecting chamber for allowing the filtered air stream to exit the dirt cup. The aperture wall includes a pre-filter for filtering coarse particles from a stream of dirt laden and depositing the coarse particles in the first dirt collecting chamber. A filter member is positioned within the second dirt collecting chamber and communicates with the exhaust port. The filter element filters fine particles from the air stream and deposits the fine particles within the second dirt collecting chamber.

Abstract: A dirt collecting system for a vacuum cleaner includes a dirt cup formed with a first dirt collecting chamber and a second dirt collecting chamber separated by an apertured wall. An inlet opening is formed in the dirt cup and communicates with the first dirt collecting chamber for inputting a stream of dirt laden air into the first dirt collecting chamber. An exhaust opening is formed in the second dirt collecting chamber for allowing the filtered air stream to exit the dirt cup. The aperture wall includes a pre-filter for filtering coarse particles from a stream of dirt laden air and depositing the coarse particles in the first dirt collecting chamber. A filter member is positioned within the second dirt collecting chamber and communicates with the exhaust port. The filter element filters fine particles from the air stream and deposits the fine particles within the second dirt collecting chamber.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner of the fixed or floating nozzle type wherein a spring is utilized for urging the suction nozzle into the carpet pile to maintain and improve nozzle suction over a wide range of carpet pile heights and types. Such cleaners often lose nozzle suction as the pile height of the carpet increases and forces the suction nozzle upward away from the carpet. The addition of a spring to force the suction nozzle downward restores and improves nozzle suction and thereby improves overall cleaning efficiency of the vacuum cleaner.

Abstract: The invention is a floor care appliance such as vacuum cleaner having several embodiments of a dirt particle separating and collecting system removably inserted and sidewardly disposed into a recess in the floor care appliance's housing. One embodiment of the dirt particle separating and collecting system includes a translucent dirt cup having an apertured wall between a dirt particle collecting chamber and a second chamber housing a primary filter. One other embodiment is a translucent bag container for housing a filtration bag. The filtration bag may or may not be disposable and may or may not have a HEPA rating. Other embodiments include utilizing a single dirt container for housing the apertured wall and primary filter combination, a filtration bag only, or a combination of a filtration bag and the apertured wall and primary filter combination. Portions of the various embodiments of the dirt collecting systems may be seen through cutaway portions of the cleaner housing.

Abstract: The invention is floor care appliance such as vacuum cleaner having two embodiments of a dirt particle separating and collecting system removably inserted into a recess in the floor care appliance's housing. One embodiment of the dirt particle separating and collecting system includes a translucent dirt cup having an apertured between two adjacent dirt particle collecting chambers and a primary filter located in one of the chambers. The other embodiment is a translucent bag container and a filtration bag. The filtration bag may or may not be disposable and may or may not have a HEPA rating. When either embodiment of the dirt particle separating and collecting system is installed in the housing, a portion of the dirt particle separating and collecting system is not visible in the area in the front of the floor care appliance. Another portion of the dirt particle separating and collecting system is visible in the area in the front of the floor care appliance.

Abstract: A dirt collecting system for a vacuum cleaner includes a dirt cup formed with a first dirt collecting chamber and a second dirt collecting chamber separated by an apertured wall. An inlet opening is formed in the dirt cup and communicates with the first dirt collecting chamber for inputting a stream of dirt laden air into the first dirt collecting chamber. An exhaust opening is formed in the second dirt collecting chamber for allowing the filtered air stream to exit the dirt cup. The aperture wall includes a pre-filter for filtering coarse particles from a stream of dirt laden and depositing the coarse particles in the first dirt collecting chamber. A filter member is positioned within the second dirt collecting chamber and communicates with the exhaust port. The filter element filters fine particles from the air stream and deposits the fine particles within the second dirt collecting chamber.

Abstract: The invention is an agitator configuration for a floor care appliance such as an upright vacuum cleaner. The floor care appliance is provided with at least two agitator chambers each having at least one rotary agitator member disposed therein. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a vacuum cleaner suction nozzle is provided with symmetric left and right agitator disposed adjacent one another. A front agitator assembly comprised of a left and right agitator half-section is disposed in the left and right agitator chambers, respectively. A rear agitator is located rearward of the front agitator assembly and is also comprised of a left and right agitator half-section disposed in the left and right agitator chambers, respectively. A plurality of brush members extend from each agitator half-section arranged in a helical pattern around the circumference of each of the agitator-half-sections.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner of the fixed or floating nozzle type wherein a spring is utilized for urging the suction nozzle into the carpet pile to maintain and improve nozzle suction over a wide range of carpet pile heights and types. Such cleaners often lose nozzle suction as the pile height of the carpet increases and forces the suction nozzle upward away from the carpet. The addition of a spring to force the suction nozzle downward restores and improves nozzle suction and thereby improves overall cleaning efficiency of the vacuum cleaner.

Abstract: A height adjustment mechanism for a vacuum cleaner includes a wheel carriage pivotally mounted to a foot of the vacuum cleaner, a height adjustment cam which engages the wheel carriage, and a cam actuator which attaches to the height adjustment cam for camming the height adjustment cam against the wheel carriage. The height adjustment cam is formed with a stepped bottom camming surface. The camming surface is formed with a plurality of spaced parallel ribs having a rounded outer surface which minimizes the surface-to-surface contact between the height adjustment cam and the wheel carriage. This reduced surface-to-surface contact reduces the frictional resistance between the height adjustment cam and the wheel carriage allowing the cam actuator to be easily slid for height adjustment of the vacuum cleaner foot.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner suction nozzle is provided with inner front and rear ducts and a duct cover piece disposed within the agitator chamber. This chamber is formed by a tunnel piece that is at least partly user observable from above the nozzle. The nozzle includes a hood piece which melds with its underbody at, at least, a portion of their juncture. This is occasioned by an offset in their underbody.

Abstract: A height adjustment mechanism for a vacuum cleaner includes a wheel carriage pivotally mounted to a foot of the vacuum cleaner, a height adjustment cam which engages the wheel carriage, and a cam actuator which attaches to the height adjustment cam for camming the height adjustment cam against the wheel carriage. The height adjustment cam is formed with a stepped bottom camming surface. The camming surface is formed with a plurality of spaced parallel ribs having a rounded outer surface which minimizes the surface-to-surface contact between the height adjustment cam and the wheel carriage. This reduced surface-to-surface contact reduces the frictional resistance between the height adjustment cam and the wheel carriage allowing the cam actuator to be easily slid for height adjustment of the vacuum cleaner foot.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner suction nozzle is provided with inner front and rear ducts and a duct cover piece disposed within the agitator chamber. This chamber is formed by a tunnel piece that is at least partly user observable from above the nozzle. The nozzle includes a hood piece which melds with its underbody at, at least, a portion of their juncture. This is occasioned by an offset or undercut formed in one of the hood piece or underbody, whereby the hood piece and underbody join with coplaner outer surfaces.

Abstract: A suction nozzle is provided with a linearly movable, stepped cam which adjusts the height of the suction nozzle by acting against a pivoted wheel carriage. The stepped cam is relatively fixedly positioned by an indexing means including a deflectable arm which is manually deformed to release the fixed indexing and then manipulated in a sideward direction to move the position of the stepped linear cam means.

Abstract: A hard bag cleaner door is disclosed having air directing rib vanes integral with its inner surface. These vanes take the form of, alternately, angled J-shaped ribs and short straight interleaved ribs. All the ribs are stepped so that the flow passage for air moving along the interior side of the bag door diverges as more bag air is introduced to it so that it directs efficiently air flow to a lower disposed motor-fan section of an adjoining hard bag portion. In a second embodiment, an exhaust opening is formed in the hard bag cleaner door below the air directing rib vanes and is covered by a final filter and final filter door. The air moving along the interior side of the bag door is directed out the exhaust opening, through the final filter which filters small dust particles which may be present in the exhaust air and out vent openings formed in the final filter door.

Abstract: A hard bag cleaner door is disclosed having air directing rib vanes integral with its inner surface. These vanes take the form of, alternately, angled J-shaped ribs and short straight interleaved ribs. All the ribs are stepped so that the flow passage for air moving along the interior side of the bag door diverges as more bag air is introduced to it so that it directs efficiently air flow to a lower disposed motor-fan section of an adjoining hard bag portion.