Abstract: An upright vacuum cleaner having a slide retractable handle which is used in a floor-cleaning mode to maneuver the cleaner across the floor, and a telescopic suction wand which is fluidly connected to separating apparatus on the cleaner via a hose and which is used, as required, to clean above the level of the floor. An upper telescopic section of the wand is releasably connected with a sliding handle assembly incorporating the handle, and a lower telescopic section of the wand is releasably connected to some other part of the cleaner so that sliding extension and retraction of the handle assembly relative to that other part of the cleaner effects telescopic extension and retraction of the wand sections.

Abstract: A surface treating appliance includes a surface treating head, a hose, and a main body including a fan unit for generating a flow of fluid, and a rotary changeover valve including a valve member which is selectively rotatable between a first position allowing fluid flow between the hose and the fan unit, and a second position allowing fluid flow between the surface treating head and the fan unit, the valve member comprising a hub having an internal surface shaped to receive a boss about which the valve member is selectively rotatable. To facilitate the breaking of seals by valve member and other parts of the appliance as the valve member moves away from one of its first and second positions, the external surface of the boss and the internal surface of the hub each has a profile generally in the form of a triangular prism, the profile of the external surface of the boss tapering towards the valve member.

Abstract: An upright vacuum cleaner comprising a wand fluidly connected to a separating apparatus on the cleaner via a hose and which is used, as required, to clean above the level of the floor. The wand is at least partly retractable inside the hose for storage, and a hose catch is provided at the end of the hose, this hose catch being biased towards a locking position in which the hose catch locks the wand in an extended position. According to the invention, the hose is a stretch hose arranged, in its coil-bound state, to act as a reaction member against which a user may readily force the biased hose catch out of said locking position using the extended wand.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner has a removable cyclonic separator that includes a cyclone chamber; a dirt-collection chamber, open at one end; and an outlet duct from the cyclone chamber. An open end of the outlet duct is arranged for connection to a motor intake duct on the cleaner, the outlet duct and dirt collection chamber sharing a common wall section which divides the open end of the outlet duct from the open end of the dirt collection chamber. A cover closes off the open end of the dirt collection chamber and can be opened to allow access to the dirt collection chamber for emptying. When the cover is in the closed position, a cover sealing member forms an air seal between the cover and the common wall section. When the outlet duct is connected to the motor inlet duct, an outlet duct sealing member forms an air seal between the ducts.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner comprises a removable dust separator. The dust separator has an inlet duct and an outlet duct. The inlet duct is arranged for fluid connection to a dirt-air duct on the cleaner, and the outlet duct is arranged for fluid connection to a motor intake duct on the cleaner. In accordance with the invention, the inlet duct and outlet duct share a common wall which divides the open ends of the ducts, an inlet duct sealing member is provided for forming an air-seal between the inlet duct and the dirty-air duct, and an outlet duct sealing member is provided for forming an air seal between the outlet duct and the motor intake duct. Both seals are thus required to fail in order to short-circuit the two dirty-air duct and the motor intake duct, despite there being a common wall section between the inlet duct and the outlet ducts.

Abstract: A surface treating appliance includes a surface treating head, a hose, and a main body including a fan unit for generating a flow of fluid, and a rotary changeover valve including a valve member which is selectively rotatable between a first position allowing fluid flow between the hose and the fan unit, and a second position allowing fluid flow between the surface treating head and the fan unit, the valve member comprising a hub having an internal surface shaped to receive a boss about which the valve member is selectively rotatable. To facilitate the breaking of seals by valve member and other parts of the appliance as the valve member moves away from one of its first and second positions, the external surface of the boss and the internal surface of the hub each has a profile generally in the form of a triangular prism, the profile of the external surface of the boss tapering towards the valve member.

Abstract: A surface-treating appliance includes a main body, a surface-treating head, and a stand. The stand is located on a rear portion of the appliance and is moveable between a supporting position, in which it supports the main body in an upright position, and a stored position. The stand is moveable between the supporting and stored positions in response to movement of the main body between its upright position and an inclined position.