NOZZLE ASSEMBLY FOR VACUUM CLEANER INCLUDING WAND RELEASE LEVER

Abstract

A nozzle assembly is provided for a vacuum cleaner. That nozzle assembly includes a housing having a suction opening. A suction conduit is carried on the housing. The suction conduit includes an inlet and an outlet. The nozzle assembly also includes a release lever carried on the suction conduit. The release lever includes a wand lock displaceable between a wand locking position and a wand releasing position.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

This document relates generally to the vacuum cleaner equipment field and, more particularly, to a nozzle assembly incorporating a release lever that may be manipulated to release the nozzle assembly from the wand of the vacuum cleaner.

BACKGROUND

This document relates to a new and improved nozzle assembly that incorporates a release lever. That release lever includes a wand lock displaceable between a wand locking position and a wand releasing position. Advantageously, the nozzle assembly has a clean and sharp aesthetic appearance while providing a simple and efficient mechanism for releasing the nozzle assembly from the wand assembly of the vacuum cleaner.

SUMMARY

In accordance with the purposes and benefits described herein, a nozzle assembly is provided for a vacuum cleaner. That nozzle assembly comprises a housing including a suction opening and a suction conduit carried on the housing. That suction conduit includes an inlet and an outlet. In addition, the nozzle assembly includes a release lever that is carried on the suction conduit. The release lever includes a wand lock displaceable between a wand locking position and a wand releasing position.

The nozzle assembly may further include a spring that biases the wand lock into the wand locking position. Further, the suction conduit may include a pivoting coupler for pivotally securing the suction conduit to the housing with the inlet thereof in communication with the suction opening of the housing.

Still further, the suction conduit may include a pivot support carrying the release lever. That pivot support may comprise two mounting lugs and two opposed pivot pins. Further, the release lever may include two opposed sockets for receiving the two opposed pivot pins.

In one possible embodiment, the release lever extends continuously around the suction conduit. In such an embodiment, the pivot support may be concealed in a cavity within the release lever. This provides a clean and aesthetically pleasing appearance.

The wand lock may also include a latch having an arcuate profile matching a sidewall of the suction conduit. Further, the wand lock may include a D-shaped notch provided in the latch.

In the following description, there are shown and described several preferred embodiments of the nozzle assembly. As it should be realized, the nozzle assembly is capable of other, different embodiments and its several details are capable of modification in various, obvious aspects all without departing from the nozzle assembly as set forth and described in the following claims. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions should be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

The accompanying drawing figures incorporated herein and forming a part of the specification, illustrate several aspects of the nozzle assembly and together with the description serves to explain certain principles thereof. In the drawing figures:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the nozzle assembly including the housing, the suction conduit pivotally connected to and carried on the housing and the release lever carried on the suction conduit.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the nozzle assembly illustrated in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a detailed cross-sectional view clearly illustrating the connection of the release lever to the suction conduit and the spring between the release lever and the suction conduit.

FIG. 4a is a cross-sectional view illustrating the nozzle assembly connected to a wand with the release lever in the wand locking position.

FIG. 4b is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 4a but illustrating the release lever in the wand releasing position.

Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the wand assembly, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference is now made to FIGS. 1-4b illustrating the nozzle assembly 10. As illustrated, the nozzle assembly includes a housing 12 having a lower section 14 and an upper section 16. Lower section 14 defines a nozzle cavity 18 with a central suction opening 20. The lower section 14 may further carry one or more brushes 22 and a felt pad 24 to support the nozzle assembly 10 and allow it to glide more freely across a bare floor.

The upper section 16 includes two mounting tabs 26. When the upper section 16 is assembled to the lower section 14, the mounting tabs 26 extend through the apertures 28 in the lower section and engage locking lugs (not shown) provided on the lower section 14.

As further illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, the nozzle assembly 10 also includes a suction conduit 30 carried on the housing 12. The suction conduit 30 includes an inlet 32 and an outlet 34. The suction conduit 30 also includes a pivoting coupler 36 that pivotally secures the suction conduit to the housing 12 with the inlet 32 in communication with the suction opening 20. More specifically, the upper and lower sections 14, 16 of the housing 12 include a trunnion mounting section 38 that captures the opposed pivot pins 40 of the pivoting coupler 36 when the upper and lower sections 14, 16 are secured together with the screws 42.

As further illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, the nozzle assembly 10 also includes a release lever 44 including an integral wand lock 46. The wand lock 46 is sized to match a cutout 48 provided in the sidewall of the suction conduit 30. It should be appreciated that the wand lock 46 includes an arcuate profile having a radius of curvature matching the sidewall of the suction conduit 30. Further, the wand lock 46 includes a D-shaped notch 49.

The release lever 44 is carried on the suction conduit 30. More specifically, as best illustrated in FIG. 3 the suction conduit 30 includes a pivot support comprising two mounting lugs 50 and two opposed pivot pins 52. The release lever 44 includes two opposed sockets 54 for receiving the two opposed pivot pins 52 and pivotally mounting the release lever 44 to the suction conduit 30.

As should be appreciated from the following description, the release lever and wand lock 46 are displaceable between a wand locking position illustrated in FIG. 4a and a wand releasing position illustrated in FIG. 4b. A spring 56 biases the release lever 44 and integral wand lock 46 into the wand locking position. More specifically, the spring 56 includes mounting loops 58 at each end that are received over opposed mounting posts 60 carried on the suction conduit 30 (see FIG. 3). When the nozzle assembly 12 is properly assembled, the spring 56 nests under the suction conduit 30 with the arcuate bottom center section thereof engaging against the tab 62 provided at the bottom of the suction conduit. As should be further appreciated, the release lever 44 extends around the suction conduit 30 with the pivot support 50 concealed in a cavity on the underside of the release lever. Thus, the release lever 44 forms a continuous ring concentrically received around the suction conduit 30 that conceals the spring 56 and the pivot support 50 to provide a very aesthetically pleasing appearance.

Reference is now made to FIG. 4a illustrating the nozzle assembly 10 connected to the wand assembly 70. The wand assembly 70 includes a tubular wand 72 carrying a wand lock mechanism 74 in a housing 76. More specifically, the wand lock mechanism 74 comprises an actuator 78 including a projecting push button 80 adjacent one end and a locking hook 82 adjacent the other. A spring 84 biases the actuator 78 into the illustrated locking position with the locking hook 82 received in the D-shaped notch 49 and engaging the wand lock 46 integrally formed with the release lever 44 that is carried on the nozzle assembly 10. Thus, in this position, the nozzle assembly 10 is securely connected to and retained on the wand assembly 70.

There are two ways to release the locking hook 82 from the D-shaped notch 49 so as to allow the nozzle assembly 10 to be freely removed from the wand assembly 70. In the first, the push button 80 is depressed in the direction of action arrow A (note FIG. 4a) thereby pivoting the hook 82 upwardly until it is free from the D-shaped notch 49 in the wand lock. This allows one to pull the nozzle assembly 10 in the direction of action arrow B and disconnect the nozzle assembly 10 from the wand assembly 70.

Alternatively, as illustrated in FIG. 4b, one may directly engage the release lever 44 and pivot the release lever about the pivot pins 52 in the direction of action arrow C. This serves to pivot the integral wand lock 46 downwardly as illustrated by action arrow D until the D-shaped notch 49 is free of the locking hook 82 thereby allowing one to freely pull the nozzle assembly 10 in the direction of action arrow E to disconnect the nozzle assembly from the wand assembly 70.

From the foregoing description, it should be appreciated that the nozzle assembly 10 and wand assembly 70 may be freely disconnected from one another by either depressing the push button 80 carried on the wand assembly 70 or pivoting the release lever 44 carried on the nozzle assembly 10 depending on the preference of the operator. This versatility increases user convenience and the operating efficiency of the nozzle assembly 10.

In contrast, when one wishes to connect the nozzle assembly 10 to the wand assembly 70, one simply aligns the nozzle assembly 10 properly with the wand assembly 70 and pushes the nozzle assembly into the open end of the wand assembly. When the end of the wand lock 46 engages the angled face 85 of the locking hook 82, the wand lock 46 is deflected slightly downwardly against the biasing force of the spring 56 while the locking hook 82 is deflected slightly upwardly against the biasing force of the spring 84 until the locking hook is aligned with and received in the D-shaped notch 49 of the wand lock 46 thereby locking the nozzle assembly 10 to the wand assembly 70.

The foregoing has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally and equitably entitled.

Claims

1. A nozzle assembly, comprising:

a housing including a suction opening;

a suction conduit carried on said housing, said suction conduit including an inlet and an outlet; and

a release lever carried on said suction conduit, said release lever including a wand lock displaceable between a wand locking position and a wand releasing position.

2. The nozzle assembly of claim 1 further including a spring biasing said wand lock into said wand locking position.

3. The nozzle assembly of claim 2, wherein said suction conduit includes a pivoting coupler pivotally securing said suction conduit to said housing with said inlet in communication with said suction opening.

4. The nozzle assembly of claim 3 wherein said suction conduit includes a pivot support carrying said release lever.

5. The nozzle assembly of claim 4, wherein said pivot support comprises two mounting lugs and two opposed pivot pins and said release lever includes two opposed sockets for receiving said two opposed pivot pins.

6. The nozzle assembly of claim 5, wherein said release lever extends continuously around said suction conduit.

7. The nozzle assembly of claim 6, wherein said wand lock includes an arcuate profile matching a sidewall of said suction conduit.

8. The nozzle assembly of claim 7, wherein said wand lock further includes a D-shaped notch.

9. The nozzle assembly of claim 8, wherein said pivot support is concealed in a cavity in said release lever.

10. The nozzle assembly of claim 2 wherein said suction conduit includes a pivot support carrying said release lever.

11. The nozzle assembly of claim 10, wherein said pivot support comprises two mounting lugs and two opposed pivot pins and said release lever includes two opposed sockets for receiving said two opposed pivot pins.

12. The nozzle assembly of claim 11, wherein said release lever extends continuously around said suction conduit.

13. The nozzle assembly of claim 12, wherein said wand lock includes an arcuate profile matching a sidewall of said suction conduit.

14. The nozzle assembly of claim 13, wherein said wand lock further includes a D-shaped notch.

15. The nozzle assembly of claim 14, wherein said pivot support is concealed in a cavity in said release lever.

16. The nozzle assembly of claim 10, wherein said release lever extends continuously around said suction conduit.

17. The nozzle assembly of claim 16, wherein said wand lock includes an arcuate profile matching a sidewall of said suction conduit.

18. The nozzle assembly of claim 17, wherein said wand lock further includes a D-shaped notch.

19. The nozzle assembly of claim 18, wherein said pivot support is concealed in a cavity in said release lever.

20. The nozzle assembly of claim 10, wherein said pivot support is concealed in a cavity in said release lever.