Abstract: A can opener having a housing, a cutting blade, a can moving system, and a lid retainer. The cutting blade is movably connected to the housing between a cutting position and a retracted position. The lid retainer is pivotably connected to the housing between a recessed position in a recess of the housing and an extended position. The cutting blade is located in front of the recess when it is in its retracted position to keep the lid retainer in the recess. However, when the cutting blade is moved to its cutting position, the cutting blade is moved out of the path of the recess to allow the lid retainer to move from its recessed position to its extended position. The cutting blade can also push the lid retainer back to its recessed position when the cutting blade is moved back to its retracted position.

Abstract: An electric toaster includes a housing defining a toaster cavity. A comestible support rack is mounted within the toasting cavity for supporting the bread to be toasted in a horizontal plane within the cavity. The toaster includes first and second heaters mounted respectively above and below the support rack. The cavity includes radiant energy reflecting surfaces above and below the support tray to direct energy generated by the heaters of the toaster to uniformly toast each side of the comestible. Heat shields are positioned between each of the heaters and the food support rack. The heat shields aid the reflective surfaces in uniformly toasting the surfaces of the comestible.

Abstract: A kitchen appliance has a working unit with a motor and a mounting bracket for pivotably mounting the working unit under a kitchen cabinet. The working unit has a housing with a working area at a first face and a decorative second face. In a first position of the working unit, the working area is exposed at a first location. In a second position of the working unit, the working area is concealed by the mounting bracket and the decorative second face is exposed at the first location. Deflectable cantilevered detents are provided to stationarily hold the working unit at the first and second positions until moved by a user.

Abstract: An electric toaster includes a housing defining a toaster cavity. A comestible support rack is mounted within the toasting cavity for supporting the bread to be toasted in a horizontal plane within the cavity. The toaster includes first and second heaters mounted respectively above and below the support rack. The cavity includes radiant energy reflecting surfaces above and below the support tray to direct energy generated by the heaters of the toaster to uniformly toast each side of the comestible. Heat shields are positioned between each of the heaters and the food support rack. The heat shields aid the reflective surfaces in uniformly toasting the surfaces of the comestible.

Abstract: A support system for suspending a kitchen appliance from the bottom surface of a kitchen cabinet includes a pair of horizontally spaced mounting brackets connected to the bottom surface of the kitchen cabinet. Each bracket includes a plurality of vertically spaced horizontally extending ribs. Each of the ribs includes a trailing edge and a leading edge. Each leading edge includes a first vertically extending wall and each trailing edge includes a second vertically extending wall. Adjacent pairs of ribs define therebetween a horizontally extending slot. The kitchen appliance includes a housing having sidewalls. Each sidewall includes a handle-like member extending horizontally towards the rear wall of the kitchen appliance. The member includes a leading edge and a trailing edge. Each trailing edge includes a vertically extending wall which abuts the first vertically extending wall of one of the ribs when the member is placed in the slot defined between adjacent ribs.

Abstract: A hand-held vacuum cleaner including a housing having mating first and second half housing elements. The housing has a handle and a nozzle. A motor is mounted within the housing for driving a shaft. A fan is mounted on the shaft for rotation therewith. A selectively separable bag assembly is mounted on the housing. A working air channel is defined within the housing communicating the nozzle with the bag assembly. The bag assembly includes a collar, a dirty air collector bag attached to the collar, and a combination latch and handle member pivotally connected to the collar. The housing includes a wall member for receiving the collar of the bag assembly and a detent member for holding the latch and handle member in a locking position when the member is pivoted into engagement therewith for securing the bag assembly onto the wall member of the housing.

Abstract: A hand-held vacuum cleaner including a housing comprising mating first and second half housing elements. The housing has a handle and a nozzle. A motor is mounted within the housing for driving a shaft. A fan is mounted on the shaft for rotation therewith. A selectively separable bag assembly is mounted on the housing. A working channel is defined within the housing communicating the nozzle with the bag assembly. A connector joins a hose or similar attachment to the vacuum cleaner. The connector extends the flow path of the working air from the attachment to the nozzle. The connector comprises a first section for direct engagement with the attachment and a second section adapted for fitting over the housing in underlying registration with the nozzle. The second section includes a fluid flow channel and an edge wall surrounding the fluid flow channel and an edge wall surrounding the fluid flow channel and having an extent and configuration to fit in substantially fluid tight engagement with the nozzle.

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: 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 an accessory brush attachment for a vacuum cleaner including an accessory motor and an accessory housing having a front end and a back end. The accessory housing encloses the accessory motor. The accessory housing has an intake aperture for reception of dirt, liquid and air drawn into the accessory housing in response to a vacuum produced by the vacuum cleaner. A rotatable brush is disposed within the intake aperture for contacting a surface to be cleaned. A means interconnects the brush and the accessory motor for allowing the accessory motor to rotate the brush. The housing includes first means for mounting the accessory brush attachment at a first point to the canister of the vacuum cleaner and a second means for mounting the accessory brush attachment at a second point to the vacuum cleaner housing.

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: A hookswitch mechanism for use in a telephone instrument utilizing a compound form cantilever spring fastened to a printed wiring card with circuit connections made to the printed wiring card. A contact engaging portion on the cantilever spring wipes across a contact located on the printed wiring card before disengaging the contact to insure a clean contact surface regardless of surrounding atmospheric conditions.

Abstract: A wall telephone cradle assembly comprised of a housing having a cup shaped pocket on a front face thereof, arranged to hold a hand-held telephone instrument therein. Mounting structures located within the housing are disposed to mount the assembly to a two pin wall telephone receptacle plate.

Abstract: Terminal apparatus comprised of an interconnecting terminal and an insulated base complementary to the terminal. The terminal includes a center section providing an electrical connection. The center section which includes slot-type termination devices is connected to an electrical conductor held within a support channel on the base, by moving the center section and the base together in a linear direction. The outer sections of the terminal are left in an angled position. In making subsequent connections to other electrical conductors held on the base, the ends of the outer sections are moved downward in a pivoting fashion. Slot-type termination devices on the outer sections engage the respective conductors.