US 12,426,752 B2Granted

Surface cleaning apparatus

AssigneeOmachron Intellectual Property Inc.

InventorsWayne Ernest Conrad, Jason Thorne

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A reconfigurable upright surface cleaning apparatus comprises a surface cleaning head and a support structure moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head. The support structure comprises a lower portion having a lower longitudinal axis and an upper portion having an upper longitudinal axis, the lower portion having a lower end moveably coupled to the surface cleaning head and an upper end that is rotatably coupled to the upper portion about a rotational axis that is generally transverse to the forward direction, wherein, the support structure is reconfigurable between a first configuration in which the lower portion and the upper portion are generally aligned with each other and an operating position in which the lower portion is rotated rearward with respect to the surface cleaning head and the upper portion is rotated in the forward direction with respect to the lower portion. A hand vacuum cleaner comprising a suction motor and an air treatment member is removably mounted to the support structure. An air flow path comprises a flexible hose.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A reconfigurable upright surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) a surface cleaning head having a front end, a dirty air inlet and a rear end, the surface cleaning head is moveable across a surface in a forward direction in which the rear end follows the front end;
(b) a support structure moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head, the support structure comprising a lower portion having a lower longitudinal axis and an upper portion having an upper longitudinal axis, the lower portion having a lower end moveably coupled to the surface cleaning head and an upper end rotatably coupled to the upper portion about a rotational axis that is generally transverse to the forward direction, wherein, the support structure is reconfigurable between a first configuration in which the lower portion and the upper portion extend in a common direction and an operating position in which the lower portion is rotated rearward with respect to the surface cleaning head and the upper portion is rotated in the forward direction with respect to the lower portion;
(c) a hand vacuum cleaner comprising a suction motor and an air treatment member, the hand vacuum cleaner is removably mounted to a mounting portion of the support structure;
and,
(d) an air flow path extending from the dirty air inlet of the surface cleaning head to an outlet port of the support structure, the air flow path comprising the lower portion and a first flexible hose that is downstream of the lower portion,
wherein, when the hand vacuum cleaner is mounted to the mounting portion, a total weight of the hand vacuum cleaner is transferred to the support structure by the mounting portion whereby the support structure supports the total weight of the hand vacuum cleaner, and
wherein the mounting portion comprises the outlet port of the support structure whereby mounting the hand vacuum cleaner to the mounting portion of the support structure connects the hand vacuum cleaner in air flow communication with the surface cleaning head.

4 more elements

A reconfigurable upright surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) a surface cleaning head having a front end, a dirty air inlet and a rear end, the surface cleaning head is moveable across a surface in a forward direction in which the rear end follows the front end;
(b) a support structure moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head, the support structure comprising a lower portion having a lower longitudinal axis and an upper portion having an upper longitudinal axis, the lower portion having a lower end moveably coupled to the surface cleaning head and an upper end rotatably coupled to the upper portion about a rotational axis that is generally transverse to the forward direction, wherein, the support structure is reconfigurable between a first configuration in which the lower portion and the upper portion extend in a common direction and an operating position in which the lower portion is rotated rearward with respect to the surface cleaning head and the upper portion is rotated in the forward direction with respect to the lower portion;
(c) a hand vacuum cleaner comprising a suction motor, an air treatment member and a mount, the mount is removably connectable to the support structure, wherein the mount comprises a hand vacuum cleaner air inlet;
and,
(d) an air flow path extending from the dirty air inlet of the surface cleaning head to the hand vacuum cleaner,
wherein, when the mount is connected to the support structure, the hand vacuum cleaner is downwardly vertically slideable connectable to the support structure whereby the hand vacuum cleaner is supported by the mount, and
wherein, when the upright surface cleaning apparatus is in a storage position, the lower portion extends vertically from the surface cleaning head, the hand vacuum cleaner is mounted to the support structure, and the hand vacuum cleaner is positioned overlying the surface cleaning head.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/571,310Filed 7 Jan 2022 · continuation
Priority: CA CA 265840213 Mar 2009
Published: US 2022/0125257 A128 Apr 2022
Granted: 30 Sep 2025
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification21 codes

A47L 9/0686
With fixed, e.g. adjustably fixed brushes or the like: nozzles with cleaning cloths, e.g. using disposal fabrics for covering the nozzle
A47L 9/325
Handles: for wheeled suction cleaners with steering handle
A47L 5/225
With rotary fans: convertible suction cleaners, i.e. convertible between different types thereof, e.g. from upright suction cleaners to…
A47L 5/24
With rotary fans: hand-supported suction cleaners

Family

Application12/720,570Parent of this division · filed 9 Mar 2010
Application13/541,745Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 4 Jul 2012
Application13/781,441Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 28 Feb 2013
Application14/290,817Parent of this continuation · filed 29 May 2014
US 9,138,114 B2Parent of this division · filed 22 Sep 2015
US 9,198,551 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 1 Dec 2015
US 9,386,895 B2Parent of this continuation-in-part · filed 12 Jul 2016
Application15/280,764Parent of this continuation · filed 29 Sep 2016
US 9,480,373 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 1 Nov 2016
Application16/378,053Parent of this continuation · filed 8 Apr 2019
Application17/158,914Parent of this continuation · filed 26 Jan 2021
US 2022/0125257 A1Pre-grant publication · published 28 Apr 2022
US 11,771,278 B2Parent of this continuation
US 11,612,288 B2Parent of this continuation
Application14/290,817Parent of this continuation-in-part
Application13/781,441Parent of this division
US 2010/0229336 A1Published application
US 2012/0272472 A1Published application
US 2014/0237753 A1Published application
US 2014/0259513 A1Published application
US 2017/0071429 A1Published application
US 2019/0290087 A1Published application
US 2021/0145229 A1Published application
US 12,426,752 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.