Abstract: The present invention is a filter assembly for a vacuum cleaner. The vacuum cleaner includes a motor, a housing enclosing the motor, and a fan driven by the motor for producing a vacuum. A canister is removably attached to the front end of the housing and has an intake nozzle for the reception of foreign matter, liquid and air drawn into the canister in response to the vacuum developed by the fan. The assembly includes a filter for filtering foreign matter from the air entering the canister. The asssembly also includes a filter housing for housing the filter. The canister includes an area of thinner material with a smoother texture than the rest of the canister to provide a generally transparent window for visually determining the amount of foreign matter within the canister.

Abstract: A filter assembly for a vacuum cleaner of the type having a motor, a housing enclosing the motor, a fan driven by the motor for producing a vacuum, and a canister removably attached to the front end of the housing and having an intake nozzle for reception of foreign matter, liquid and air drawn into the canister in response to the vacuum developed by the fan. The filter assembly includes an air permeable filter member disposed within a framework. The filter member includes a front wall. A hollow member extends axially from the front wall towards the open end of the canister. The hollow member is readily graspable by a user when the canister is removed. The filter assembly further includes a filter housing disposed within the canister and having a front wall. A member axially extends from the front wall towards the open end of the canister and is accessible by the user when the filter is removed from the filter housing.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner includes a motor, a housing enclosing the motor, and a fan driven by the motor for producing a vacuum. A canister is removably attached to the front end of the housing and has an intake nozzle for the reception of foreign matter, liquid and air drawn into the canister is response to the vacuum developed by the fan. A filter assembly includes a filter for filtering foreign matter from the air entering the canister. The assembly also includes a filter housing for housing the filter. The assembly further includes means for removably and positively securing the filter to the filter housing to allow the filter and the filter housing to form an integral unit.

Abstract: A molded resin integral spring in a latch member is backed up by a prestressed metal flat spring. The flat spring is retained in the latch member by a boss molded into a cavity in a latch button and by a slot in a cantilevered member. The resilient springback of the flat spring backs up the resilience of the integral spring to provide long-term positive latching.

Abstract: An accessory crevice tool for a hand vacuum cleaner includes a stationary portion having an adapter fittable into an inlet opening in the dust bowl of the hand-held vacuum cleaner and a rotatable portion fitted thereon. Detents in the connection between the stationary portion and the rotatable portion of the crevice tool permit stable retention of the crevice tool in a desired rotational position. A spring clip can be positioned in the inlet opening for engagement with a surface of the adapter. A locking portion of the spring clip can extend into the inlet opening for engagement with an optional latching groove in the surface of the adapter. This engagement retains the crevice tool attached to the dust bowl against all but affirmative effort to disengage them.

Abstract: The present invention is a vacuum cleaner recharging assembly. The assembly includes a vacuum cleaner having a motor, a housing enclosing the motor, a fan driven by the motor for producing a vacuum, and a canister for at least the reception of foreign matter and air drawn into the canister in response to the vacuum produced by the fan. The vacuum cleaner has a power source for powering the motor and electrical wiring interconnecting the motor and the power source. The assembly also includes a charging unit cooperable with the vacuum cleaner for charging the power source. The assembly further includes circuitry for disconnecting the flow of electrical power from the power source to the motor when the vacuum cleaner and the charging unit are operatively engaged to allow optimum charging of the power source.

Abstract: A dust bowl of a hand-held vacuum cleaner is attached to a power unit using top and bottom latches which are actuated by pushing a single actuator button. Both latches are outside a sealed space through which air flows, and are thus not sources of air, soil of liquid leakage. A wishbone-shaped pusher transmits mechanical actuation forces from the actuator button for actuating the upper latch to a spring bar connected to a bottom latch cam. When the actuator button is pushed, the spring bar is correspondingly moved to release the bottom latch in coordination with release of the top latch. A forward support member of the power unit cradles a portion of the dust bowl to provide support and lateral stability between the elements. A tab extends from the bottom of the dust bowl to overlap a forward edge of the forward support member to provide further stability to the fit.

Abstract: The present invention is a vacuum cleaner and accessory attachment assembly including a vacuum cleaner and an accessory attachment. The vacuum cleaner includes a motor, a housing enclosing the motor and a fan driven by the motor for producing a vacuum. The vacuum cleaner also includes a canister removably attached to the housing for reception of air and foreign matter into the canister in response to the vacuum produced by the fan. The vacuum cleaner further includes a power source and electrical wiring interconnecting the power source and the motor. The accessory attachment is removably mounted to the vacuum cleaner and includes a motor, and means for electrically connecting the motor to the vacuum cleaner. The vacuum cleaner includes means for allowing the speed of the motor of the vacuum cleaner to change while allowing the speed of the motor for the accessory attachment to remain constant.

Abstract: A cylindrical power brush for a vacuum cleaner includes two types of bristle tufts. One type of bristle tuft is short and stiff for contacting and agitating a carpeted surface. The other type of bristle tuft is longer and softer for contacting a hard surface. In addition to the differences in length and bristle stiffness, the tufts for the hard surface contain substantially fewer bristles, whereby catching and rolling of carpet edges is avoided. One embodiment alternates types of bristle tufts in a row of bristle tufts. Another embodiment employs multiple rows of bristle tufts arranged such that a point on a surface being cleaned is contacted alternately by the two types of bristle tuft. Winding up of thread and hair on the axle of the rotating brush is avoided by overlapping annular extensions on a support wheel and a brush spindle. The brush support wheel is locked in place in the floor tool by a resilient locking tab integrally formed with one of the halves of the floor tool.

Abstract: An electric toaster oven wherein a unique protective hood and toaster oven construction are provided for supporting a toaster oven under a kitchen cabinet in such a manner that the kitchen cabinet is effectively protected from heat, steam and flames that could come from the toaster oven. Generally horizontal handles are integrally formed on plastic side walls of the toaster oven for cooperating with horizontal guide flanges that are provided on the protective hood for supporting and spacing the toaster oven from the hood.

Abstract: An electric oven toaster construction wherein a unique cam follower and rotatable cam accurately sets the threshold temperature of a thermostat switch. The rotatable cam includes relatively steep rise surfaces and the cam follower includes a generally flat mounting portion, a short blade portion and a slide portion in contact with the rotatable cam. An adjusting screw is threaded through the short blade portion close to the mounting portion. With this construction, the rotary position of the cam may be manually adjusted to accurately move the short blade portion and the adjusting screw to accurately move a thermostat switch contact only approximately one-third of the distance that the steep cam surfaces move the cam follower to accurately set the position of the thermostat switch contact to set the threshold temperature of the oven toaster.

Abstract: A portable electric appliance steaming hair rollers prior to use includes a closed box-shaped housing removably holding a plurality of foam covered steam absorbent hair rollers. A manually actuated pump is provided in the housing for transferring a measured charge of water from a water reservoir removable from the housing for filling to an electrically heated steam boiler located in the housing and communicating with a cup-shaped roller support designed to support a single roller for steaming. The support is provided with an orifice receiving steam from the boiler through a predetermined path to soak or saturate a supported roller with steam to prepare the roller for use. A flexible membrane type valve is located below the orifice between the support and the boiler for permitting steam only to flow to the roller from the boiler and preventing flooding of the boiler should water be mistakenly dumped into the cup-shaped roller support.

Abstract: An electric oven toaster construction wherein a unique rotatable cam controls the bake, toasting and broiling modes of the oven toaster and simultaneously sets the threshold temperature of a thermostat switch during toasting, baking and broiling. The rotary cam includes a rearwardly extending rod portion having a radially outwardly extending lobe for cooperating with a cam follower portion of a bake switch for opening the bake switch when a bake operation is set and closing the bake switch when a toast operation is set. The rotatable cam also includes a circular disc portion positioned in front of the rod portion and integrally formed therewith. The circular disc portion has a cam surface that extends rearwardly and is in sliding engagement with a thermostat cam follower blade to set the thermostat cam follower for a particular toast color.

Abstract: A safety coupling for an X-ray table tilt drive. An auxiliary coupling means in parallel with the main mechanical drive coupling has a substantially constant amount of free play over the entire operational tilt range of the table so that it ordinarily carries none of the drive force. In the event of mechanical failure of the main drive coupling the free play is taken up and the auxiliary coupling prevents the table from abruptly falling to the rest position.