UPRIGHT VACUUM CLEANER
An upright vacuum cleaner for cleaning a surface includes a base unit, a carriage configured to provide movement of the base unit on the surface and an upper body including a dust collection container therein. A substantially U-shaped elongated receiving structure is recessed into at least one side surface of the upper body and at least a portion of an upper surface of the upper body. The vacuum cleaner includes an air passageway with an interface and a section formed by a hose or an assembly of the hose and a wand, the section being connected downstream of the interface. The section is externally disposed on the upper body with at least the hose being receivable on the receiving structure. The section is disconnectable in a region of the interface so as to enable a vacuuming mode of operation that is independent of the base unit.
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Priority is claimed to German patent application DE 10 2007 040 956.9, filed Aug. 30, 2007, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
FIELDThe present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner of the upright type, including an upper body containing a dust collection container, a base unit, and a carriage permitting said base unit to move on the surface to be cleaned.
BACKGROUNDThe following is a description of three types of vacuum cleaners which differ in design and operation. All of them have as common features a motor-driven fan, a dust collection chamber, and one or more floor treatment devices which are each adapted for a particular purpose.
The canister vacuum cleaner has a housing which can be moved on the floor to be cleaned on wheels and/or runners. The housing contains the motor-fan unit and the dust collection container. The floor treatment device, here referred to as floor nozzle, is connected to the dust collection chamber via a suction hose, and possibly a suction wand connected therebetween. During vacuuming, the housing is moved to the desired position by pulling on the suction wand.
In a stick vacuum cleaner, the motor-fan unit and the dust collection container are also disposed in a housing. A suction wand extends from one end of the housing, connecting the floor nozzle to the dust collection container, and a handle used to maneuver the housing to the desired position extends from the other end.
Uprights do not have as strictly divided a configuration as the two aforementioned types. One feature of an upright is a movable base unit which carries an upper body containing a large dust collection container. The two parts are tiltable relative to each other and can usually be locked in a parked position in which the upper body is nearly upright when the base unit is located on a horizontal floor in a position of use. In this position, the upright stands unsupported. During vacuuming, the above-described locked engagement is released, and the upper body is tilted through a certain angle to an operating position. The tilt angle depends on the height of the user and on the particular purpose of use. A handle is provided on the upper body for maneuvering the entire appliance. In order to give the user additional options for vacuuming besides vacuum cleaning with the base unit, such as above-the-floor-vacuuming, the air passageway has an interface and, downstream thereof, a section which is formed by a hose or hose/wand assembly. In most designs, a wand member is held in an insertion receptacle. After removing the wand member from the insertion receptacle, different types of vacuum attachments may be attached to the suction end thereof. The assembly so formed can be used in the same manner as with a conventional canister vacuum cleaner. The aforementioned assembly uses a relatively long hose to provide adequate reach for the user (see, for example, WO 2007/008770 A1). Such hoses are then secured in clamps or hooks on the handle. In the process, loops are formed above the upper body. Such loops may get caught on various objects as the user moves around.
SUMMARYAn aspect of the present invention is to provide an upright vacuum cleaner in which the hose is held in a reliable and ergonomically favorable manner.
In an embodiment, the present invention provides an upright vacuum cleaner for cleaning a surface. The upright vacuum cleaner includes a base unit, a carriage configured to provide movement of the base unit on the surface and an upper body including a dust collection container therein. The upper body is supported so as to be at least tiltable relative to the base unit and lockable in a parked position in which the vacuum cleaner has a substantially upright configuration when standing on the surface. The vacuum cleaner includes a motor-fan unit configured to provide a partial vacuum at the surface. A substantially U-shaped elongated receiving structure is recessed into at least one side surface of the upper body and at least a portion of an upper surface of the upper body. The vacuum cleaner includes an air passageway with an interface and a section formed by a hose or an assembly of the hose and a wand, the section being connected downstream of the interface.
The section is externally disposed on the upper body with at least the hose being receivable on the receiving structure. The section is disconnectable in a region of the interface so as to enable a vacuuming mode of operation that is independent of the base unit.
An exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described below and is schematically shown in the drawings, in which:
The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner of the upright type, including an upper body containing a dust collection container, a base unit, a carriage permitting said base unit to move on the surface to be cleaned; the upper body being supported such that it is at least tiltable relative to the base unit and capable of being locked in a parked position in which the vacuum cleaner assumes a substantially upright position when standing on the surface to be cleaned; the vacuum cleaner further including a motor-fan unit for creating a partial vacuum to act on the surface to be cleaned, and an air passageway extending from the base unit to the dust collection container, said air passageway having an interface and including a section which is formed by a hose or hose/wand assembly and is located downstream of said interface, said section being arranged externally on the upper body in such a manner that it is securable thereto and that, when disconnected in the region of the interface, it enables a vacuuming mode of operation which is independent of the base unit.
In an embodiment of the present invention the hose can be held in an elongated receiving structure which is substantially U-shaped and is recessed into at least one side surface and at least a portion of the upper surface. Thus, on the one hand, loops projecting beyond the upper body are avoided and, on the other hand, this assists in the placing back of the hose, because when the vacuum cleaner is in the parked position, the hose automatically moves toward the receiving structure with the assistance of gravity, and remains therein.
In an embodiment, the U-shaped receiving structure extends along nearly the entire length of the hose in the retained position, with only a transition region from the hose to the upper body being left free. Thus, when vacuuming with the base unit while the upper body is tilted rearward, the hose is prevented from hanging down, and thus, from forming loops.
In the transition region, the receiving structure may have a cross-section of a quadrant of a circle. Thus, the transition region may include an elbow which is swivel-mounted to the upper body, which increases the vertical stability of the upright when the hose is pulled far in a rearward direction. In order to prevent the hose from being damaged at the frequently stressed point immediately downstream of the swivel elbow, it is advantageous if the transition region is formed by the elbow and a hose section which is surrounded by an anti-kink sleeve.
In another embodiment, the section downstream of the interface includes a wand member which can also be held in a U-shaped receiving structure, said receiving structure being recessed into another side surface of the upper body. This wand member, which may be in the form of a telescoping wand and, in addition, is supplemented by a wand handle, allows the upright to be used without stooping in the manner of a conventional canister vacuum cleaner.
The hose may be in the form of a flexible hose which is extensible in length. Thus, the reach is increased.
In one embodiment vacuum attachments can be attached to the hose or wand end adjacent to the interface. Such vacuum attachments may be securable to the rear wall of the upper body.
The upright vacuum cleaner shown in different views in
Upright 1 can be brought from an upright position (see
Base unit 2, shown in the exploded view of
The air generated by the motor-fan unit 11 is discharged into the environment through an opening 35 in housing insert 5 and a corresponding opening 36 in cover part 9. A filter frame 37 is inserted into opening 36 to hold an exhaust filter for removing ultrafine particles from the exhaust air. Filter frame 37 is covered by a grating holder 38 and a grating 39 within cover part 9, from where it can be replaced.
Both the tilting joint and the swivel joint between base unit 2 and upper body 3, which will be described in greater detail hereinafter, are provided by a rigid, yoke-shaped duct member. This member also contains portions of the air passageway from suction mouth 15 to upper body 3, and the air passageway from upper body 3 to the exhaust port (openings 35 and 36). This member is hereinafter referred to as yoke 40. It is formed by two plastic parts, an upper shell 41 and a lower shell 42, which are welded together. In order to create the tilting joint, the two ends 43 (right) and 44 (left) of yoke 40 are pivotably mounted in openings 45 and 46 provided for this purpose, and are surrounded by metal bearing sleeves 47 and 48, respectively, in order to avoid wear. Yoke end 44, which is on the left side as viewed in the direction of travel, is hollow and is coupled to fan inlet 12 via a seal 49. A trunnion 50 is integrally formed with yoke end 43, which is on the right side as viewed in the direction of travel. Moreover, the right yoke end has an opening 51 which is connected by a flexible tube 52 to suction mouth 15. In order to prevent the interior of base unit 2 from becoming visible when tilting the upper body 3, the connecting portion between the two yoke ends 43 and 44 (hereinafter referred to as bridge portion 53) is enclosed by a front cover 54 and a rear cover 55, which are provided on base unit 2 and are capable of following the swivel motion of yoke 40. The gap between the front and rear covers and housing insert 5 is bridged by covering members 56 and 57. The first 58 of two cable ducts 58 and 59 is attached to left yoke end 44. Furthermore, yoke ends 43 and 44 carry toothed segments 60 and 61, which cooperate with wheel mechanisms 29 and 30. A covering cap 62 for a connecting cable is secured to bridge portion 53. To enable the upright to be locked in the upright position (
An air path system allows dirt-laden air to be optionally sucked in either through the suction mouth in the base unit or through a telescoping wand to which may be attached vacuum attachments such as a crevice tool, a dusting brush, an upholstery tool, etc. To this end, the suction air is directed from suction mouth 15 through flexible tube 52 and right yoke end 43, and further through the inner tube of first section 66 of the coaxial conduit in bridge portion 53 into the inner tube of a second section 87 of the coaxial conduit. This section 87 is continued in rear wall 67, where it is divided into two separate conduits. The air path continues through a suction duct member 88 into an elbow 89. A telescoping wand 90 is loosely, and therefore removably, inserted into elbow 89. The aforesaid telescoping wand merges into a wand handle 91 and further into a flexible suction hose 92. Suction hose 92 is held in a receiving structure 93 provided for this purpose, as can be seen also in
The lower portion of
The air path portion that enables vacuuming independently of base unit 2 is shown in an exploded view in
It can be seen from
Swivel elbow 94 is rotatably mounted on the inlet of duct 83, which is provided by rear wall 67 and the air duct member 95 placed thereon. Projection 941, which projects into the duct, is surrounded by a seal 112 and a torsion spring 113, one end 114 of which is secured to swivel elbow 94 itself. The other end 115 rests in a guide in duct 83. Thus, rotation of swivel elbow 94 from the position shown in
When, as shown in
The present invention has been described herein based on one or more exemplary embodiments, but is not limited thereto. Reference should be had to the appended claims.
Claims
1: An upright vacuum cleaner for cleaning a surface, the upright vacuum cleaner comprising:
- a base unit;
- a carriage configured to provide movement of the base unit on the surface;
- an upper body having a dust collection container disposed therein, the upper body being supported so as to be at least tiltable relative to the base unit and lockable in a parked position in which the vacuum cleaner has a substantially upright configuration when standing on the surface;
- a motor-fan unit configured to provide a partial vacuum at the surface;
- a substantially U-shaped elongated receiving structure recessed into at least one side surface of the upper body and at least a portion of an upper surface of the upper body; and
- an air passageway including an interface and a section formed by a hose or an assembly of the hose and a wand, the section being connected downstream of the interface, the section being disposed externally on the upper body and at least the hose being receivable by the receiving structure, the section being disconnectable in a region of the interface so as to enable a vacuuming mode of operation that is independent of the base unit.
2: The upright vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 1 wherein, in a received position of the hose, the U-shaped receiving structure extends along an entire length of the hose except at a region of transition of the hose to the upper body.
3: The upright vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 2 wherein the receiving structure has a cross-section of a quadrant of a circle in the region of transition.
4: The upright vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 3 further comprising an elbow swively disposed on the upper body in the region of transition.
5: The upright vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 4 further comprising an anti-kink sleeve disposed in the region of transition and configured to receive a section of the hose.
6: The upright vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 1 wherein the at least one side surface includes a first and a second side surface and wherein the air passageway section includes the assembly of the hose and the wand, at least a portion of the hose being receivable in the first side surface and the wand being receivable in the second side surface.
7: The upright vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 2 wherein the at least one side surface includes a first and a second side surface and wherein the air passageway section includes the assembly of the hose and the wand, at least a portion of the hose being receivable in the first side surface and the wand being receivable in the second side surface.
8: The upright vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 3 wherein the at least one side surface includes a first and a second side surface and wherein the air passageway section includes the assembly of the hose and the wand, at least a portion of the hose being receivable in the first side surface and the wand being receivable in the second side surface.
9: The upright vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 4 wherein the at least one side surface includes a first and a second side surface and wherein the air passageway section includes the assembly of the hose and the wand, at least a portion of the hose being receivable in the first side surface and the wand being receivable in the second side surface.
10: The upright vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 5 wherein the at least one side surface includes a first and a second side surface and wherein the air passageway section includes the assembly of the hose and the wand, at least a portion of the hose being receivable in the first side surface and the wand being receivable in the second side surface.
11: The upright vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 6 wherein the wand includes a telescoping wand.
12: The upright vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 6 wherein the air passageway section includes a wand handle disposed between the wand and the hose.
13: The upright vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 11 wherein the air passageway section includes a wand handle disposed between the wand and the hose.
14: The upright vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 1 wherein the hose includes a flexible hose that is extensible in length.
15: The upright vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 2 wherein the hose includes a flexible hose that is extensible in length.
16: The upright vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 3 wherein the hose includes a flexible hose that is extensible in length.
17: The upright vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 4 wherein the hose includes a flexible hose that is extensible in length.
18: The upright vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 5 wherein the hose includes a flexible hose that is extensible in length.
19: The upright vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 1 wherein an end of the air passageway section adjacent to the interface is configured to receive vacuum attachments.
20: The upright vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 19 wherein a rear wall of the upper body is configured to secure the vacuum attachments thereto.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 27, 2008
Publication Date: Mar 5, 2009
Applicant: Miele & Cie. KG (Guetersloh)
Inventors: Klemens Andrup (Verl), Udo Mersmann (Guetersloh)
Application Number: 12/199,095
International Classification: A47L 9/28 (20060101);