Vacuum Cleaner
A vacuum cleaner comprising a floor-engaging unit having a suction inlet, an upright body mounted to said floor-engaging unit and including means for creating a suction and means for separating and collecting dirt from an airstream drawn in by said suction, a unit having a handle and a tubular portion extending from said handle, said tubular portion forming a suction inlet and being coupled to said body via a flexible hose, and said tubular portion being attachable to said body with said handle projecting for the user to grasp for manoeuvring the cleaner over the floor, wherein said tubular portion comprises first and second tubes which are telescopically coupled together to enable said tubular portion to be extended when detached from said body.
The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner and more particularly to a vacuum cleaner having a telescopic suction nozzle.
Our European patent application No. 1,464,267 discloses a vacuum cleaner of the upright type, which comprises an upright body pivotally mounted at its lower end to a floor-engaging unit enabling limited rotation of the body forwardly and rearwardly, relative to the floor-engaging unit, about an axis extending transverse of the cleaner. The body houses a motor-driven fan unit which serves to develop suction to draw air in through an inlet in the floor-engaging unit and into a dust-separation unit, mounted to the body of the cleaner. A motor-driven, rotary agitator brush is mounted across the floor-engaging unit, in the air inlet thereof, to beat and sweep the floor in the region of the airflow into the cleaner. The cleaner also comprises a combined handle and suction nozzle unit of elongate form, having an end portion formed as a handle or handgrip and a tubular portion extending from the handle to form a suction nozzle: the free end of the tubular portion forms a second suction inlet of the cleaner and an air outlet is formed in the side of the tubular portion, adjacent its junction with the handgrip, a flexible hose being coupled between this air outlet and the upright body of the cleaner.
For use of the cleaner for floor cleaning, the tubular portion of the combined handle and suction nozzle unit is inserted into a socket with which the upright body of the cleaner is formed, the handle portion of the unit projecting to form a handgrip for use in manoeuvring the cleaner over the floor: the free end of the tubular portion of the handle and suction nozzle unit abuts a spring-biassed actuating member of a changeover valve to depress this actuating member and hold the valve in a position to communicate suction, developed by the fan unit of the cleaner, to the suction inlet in the floor-engaging unit. When the combined handle and suction nozzle unit is withdrawn from its socket, the actuating member of the valve is free to move under its spring bias and so move the valve into a position to communicate suction to the suction nozzle, via the flexible hose, instead of to the air inlet in the floor-engaging unit of the cleaner: the user is now able to use the suction nozzle for above-floor cleaning. The tubular portion which forms the suction nozzle is shaped to form a so-called crevice tool, its cross-section changing from a circular shape to a generally rectangular shape as the nozzle tapers to its free end.
Although the combined handle and suction nozzle unit is instantly ready for many above-floor cleaning tasks upon being withdrawn from the cleaner body, the fitting of accessories, for example an extension tube, is necessary for other tasks. It is known to store such accessories on the cleaner body, typically in retaining sockets or by means of retaining clips. For cleaning some relatively inaccessible locations, for example, the user must remove an extension tube from its receptacle on the body of the cleaner, and fit this extension tube to the suction nozzle before cleaning can commence. After the cleaning operation, the extension tube must be detached from the suction nozzle and returned to its storage location on the cleaner body.
We have now devised arrangements which enable further simplification in use of vacuum cleaners of the above-described type. The terms tube and tubular are used throughout to define an elongate hollow member. The elongate hollow member may have a generally constant cross-section e.g generally circular, elliptical, square or alternatively may be of varying cross-section.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a vacuum cleaner which comprises a floor-engaging unit having a suction inlet, an upright body mounted to said floor-engaging unit and including means for creating a suction and means for separating and collecting dirt from an airstream drawn in by said suction, a unit having a handle and a tubular portion extending from said handle, said tubular portion forming a suction inlet and being coupled to said body via a flexible hose, and said tubular portion being attachable to said body with said handle projecting for the user to grasp for manoeuvring the cleaner over the floor, wherein said tubular portion comprises first and second tubes which are telescopically coupled together to enable said tubular portion to be extended when detached from said body.
Preferably the first tube is joined to or extends from the handle.
Preferably, the second tube is formed as a suction nozzle or tool, for example as a so-called crevice tool.
Preferably the second tube forms an outer tube disposed over the first or inner tube.
Preferably the combined handle and suction inlet or suction nozzle unit includes means serving to lock or latch the first and second tubes against relative longitudinal displacement, when the tubes are in one or more predetermined positions relative to one another: in a preferred embodiment, the tubes latch together only when in the fully extended condition or in the fully contracted condition, but not when in any intermediate positions.
In a preferred embodiment, a latching mechanism is provided, which comprises a sleeve mounted on the second or outer tube and arranged for limited displacement longitudinally of that tube: the latching mechanism is arranged so that upon displacement of the sleeve forwardly, when the tubes are in a contracted condition, the latch between the two tubes becomes disengaged to permit the tubes to be extended by a continuing displacement of the sleeve in the forward direction.
Preferably the latching mechanism includes a resiliently biased part provided at one end thereof with a projection which engages with a recess formed in the outer surface of the first or inner tube when the tubes are in their contracted condition, and an element coupled to the sleeve and arranged to act on the resiliently biased part, to displace its projection out of its recess in the first tube, upon displacement of the sleeve in the forward direction.
Preferably the resiliently biased part comprises a leaf spring. Alternatively the resiliently biased part is biased by a spring, most preferably a compression spring.
Preferably the latching mechanism is also arranged so that upon displacement of the sleeve rearwardly, when the tubes are in an extended condition, the latch between the two tubes becomes disengaged to permit the tubes to be contracted by a continuing displacement of the sleeve in the rearward direction.
Preferably the latching mechanism includes a second resiliently biased part, provided at one end thereof with a projection which engages with a recess formed in the outer surface of the inner tube when the tubes are in their extended condition, the element coupled to the sleeve being arranged to act on the second resiliently biased part, to displace its projection out of its recess in the first tube, upon displacement of the sleeve in the rearward direction.
Preferably the second resiliently biased part comprises a leaf spring. Alternatively the second resiliently biased part is biased by a spring, most preferably a compression spring.
Preferably the element coupled to the sleeve comprises a roller. Preferably the roller is coupled to the sleeve by a member which fits into a window formed in the sleeve, and includes at least one projection which is formed with a notch which receives an axle portion of the roller.
It will be appreciated that the above-described latching mechanism may be used with advantage in other tubular arrangements of telescopic construction, particularly but not solely for vacuum cleaner suction inlets. Also in accordance with the present invention, therefore, there is provided a tubular arrangement which comprises inner and outer tubes which are longitudinally slidable relative to one another, and means for latching said tubes at least in one relative longitudinal position, said latching means comprising a sleeve disposed around said outer sleeve and arranged for limited longitudinal displacement along said outer tube and so that displacement of said sleeve in a predetermined longitudinal direction serves to disengage the latch between the two tubes to permit said outer tube to be displaced in said direction relative to said inner tube by a continuing displacement of said sleeve in said direction.
In an alternative embodiment of the above-defined vacuum cleaner, the second or outer tube is provided, at its rear end, with an external screw-thread, and an internally screw-threaded sleeve is engaged over this: rotation of the sleeve serves to compress a compression ring disposed between the outer tube and the inner tube, in order to clamp these together.
Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Referring to
The vacuum cleaner further comprises a combined handle and suction nozzle unit 12, which is of elongate form and shown, in
When the cleaner is used for conventional floor cleaning, the unit 12, in its contracted condition, is fitted into the socket 16 of the body 10, as shown in
As mentioned above, the tubular portion 22 of the unit 12 is telescopic in form. Referring to
When the suction nozzle is in its contracted condition, the pin 37 of the first spring 36 engages into a socket or recess formed in the outer surface of the inner tube 30 as shown in
It will be appreciated that the arrangements which have been described provide for a suction nozzle of improved versatility, which is simple to extend or contract as desired and is of simple construction.
The invention covers not only individual embodiments as discussed but combinations of embodiments as well. It is to be understood that modifications and variations of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art and it is intended that all such modifications will be included within the scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. A vacuum cleaner comprising a floor-engaging unit having a suction inlet, an upright body mounted to said floor-engaging unit and including means for creating a suction and means for separating and collecting dirt from an airstream drawn in by said suction, a unit having a handle and a tubular portion extending from said handle, said tubular portion forming a suction inlet and being coupled to said body via a flexible hose, and said tubular portion being attachable to said body with said handle projecting for the user to grasp for manoeuvring the cleaner over the floor, wherein said tubular portion comprises first and second tubes which are telescopically coupled together to enable said tubular portion to be extended when detached from said body.
2. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the first tube is joined to or extends from the handle.
3. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the second tube is formed as a suction nozzle or tool.
4. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the second tube forms an outer tube disposed over the first or inner tube.
5. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the tubular portion includes means serving to lock or latch the first and second tubes against relative longitudinal displacement, when the tubes are in one or more predetermined positions relative to one another.
6. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 5, wherein the tubes latch together only when in a fully extended condition or in a fully contracted condition, but not when in any intermediate positions.
7. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 4, further comprising a latching mechanism which comprises a sleeve mounted on the second tube and arranged for limited displacement longitudinally of that tube.
8. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 7, wherein the latching mechanism is arranged so that upon displacement of the sleeve forwardly, when the tubes are in a contracted condition, the latch between the two tubes becomes disengaged to permit the tubes to be extended by a continuing displacement of the sleeve in the forward direction.
9. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 7, wherein the latching mechanism includes a resiliently biased part provided at one end thereof with a projection which engages with a recess formed in the outer surface of the first or inner tube when the tubes are in their contracted condition, and an element coupled to the sleeve and arranged to act on the resiliently biased part, to displace its projection out of its recess in the first tube, upon displacement of the sleeve in the forward direction.
10. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 9, wherein the latching mechanism is also arranged so that upon displacement of the sleeve rearwardly, when the tubes are in an extended condition, the latch between the two tubes becomes disengaged to permit the tubes to be contracted by a continuing displacement of the sleeve in the rearward direction.
11. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 10, wherein the latching mechanism includes a second resiliently biased part, provided at one end thereof with a projection which engages with a recess formed in the outer surface of the inner tube when the tubes are in their extended condition, the element coupled to the sleeve being arranged to act on the second resiliently biased part, to displace its projection out of its recess in the first tube, upon displacement of the sleeve in the rearward direction.
12. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 9, wherein the resiliently biased part comprises a leaf spring.
13. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 9, wherein the element coupled to the sleeve comprises a roller.
14. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 13, wherein the roller is coupled to the sleeve by a member which fits into a window formed in the sleeve, and includes at least one projection which is formed with a notch which receives an axle portion of the roller.
15. A vacuum cleaner according claim 1, wherein the second tube is provided, at its rear end, with an external screw-thread, and an internally screw-threaded sleeve is engaged over this.
16. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 15, wherein rotation of the sleeve serves to compress a compression ring disposed between the second tube and the first tube, in order to clamp these together.
17. A tubular arrangement which comprises inner and outer tubes which are longitudinally slidable relative to one another, and means for latching said tubes at least in one relative longitudinal position, said latching means comprising a sleeve disposed around said outer tube and arranged for limited longitudinal displacement along said outer tube and arranged so that displacement of said sleeve in a predetermined longitudinal direction serves to disengage the latch between the two tubes to permit said outer tube to be displaced in said direction relative to said inner tube by a continuing displacement of said sleeve in said direction.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 12, 2006
Publication Date: Dec 21, 2006
Inventors: Ross Richardson (Auchterarder), Christopher Henderson (Shanghai), William Edwards (Bellshill), Andrew Sherriff (Airdrie)
Application Number: 11/423,466
International Classification: A47L 9/00 (20060101); A47L 9/32 (20060101);