# US 2017/0280955 A1 · Latch for vacuum cleaner

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- Number: US 2017/0280955 A1
- Document ID: US20170280955A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/086,351
- Filed: 2016-03-31
- Published: 2017-10-05
- Earliest claimed: 2016-03-31
- Assignees: Shop Vac Corporation
- Applicants: Shop Vac Corporation
- Inventors: Jason Gottschall
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170280955A1

## CPC

- A47L 7/0019: {Details of the casing}
- A47L 5/365: {of the vertical type, e.g. tank or bucket type}
- A47L 9/00: Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
- A47L 9/1409: {Rigid filtering receptacles (dust collecting receptacles for cyclones A47L9/1683)}
- A47L: DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING (brushes A46B; cleaning quantities of bottles or of other hollow articles of one kind B08B9/00; laundry D06F); SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL (cleaning in general B08)

## Abstract

A latch mechanism has two pieces that mount in an opening on the lid of a conventional vacuum cleaner. A stationary part is held in place by a hooked end that fits over a pivot edge on the lid, and by a retaining surface that engages a retaining edge on the lid. The other part is a pivoting latch that hooks onto the same pivot edge. In a latched position, an engagement surface on a deflectable arm fits over a latching surface on the stationary part, holding a moving part in position with a latching part beneath a bead on the tank. A tab surface can be used to force the deflectable arm to deflect over the latching part and simultaneously move the latching part clear of the bead.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vacuum cleaner that has:
a tank that has an open upper end;
a removable lid that fits on the tank and closes the open upper end of the tank;
a latching surface that is on a part that is made separately from the lid, and is held on the lid by a hooked end that fits over an edge on the lid and by a stationary retaining surface that engages a retaining edge on the lid;
a latch that, when the lid is on the tank, pivots about a pivot axis between a latched position in which a latching part inhibits the lid from being lifted from the tank, and an unlatched position in which the latching part is moved to a different position and does not inhibit the lid being lifted from the tank;
an engagement surface that is on the latch, pivots about the pivot axis, and fits over the latching surface when the latch is in the latched position; and
a tab that is positioned where it can be engaged by a user to push the latch from the latched position to the unlatched position.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 1, in which:
the engagement surface is on a deflectable arm that is longer than it is thick.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 1, in which:
the tab has a tab surface that is positioned where it can be engaged by a user to push the latch outwardly from the latched position to the unlatched position; and
the engagement surface is on a deflectable arm that has a base end that is positioned at a proximal end of the tab surface.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 1, in which:
the latching surface has an extended portion that is spaced at locking distance from the pivot axis;
the engagement surface is on a deflectable arm that has a latching portion that is positioned at a distance from the pivot axis that is shorter than the locking distance; and
the deflectable arm has a central portion that aligns with the extended portion of the deflectable arm, and is no more than four times thicker than the difference between the locking distance and the shorter distance from the pivot axis to the latching portion of the engagement surface.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 1, in which:
the deflectable arm is an integrally formed part of the latch.

### Claim 6

A vacuum cleaner that has:
a tank that has an open upper end;
a removable lid that fits on the tank and closes the open upper end of the tank;
a latching surface that is on a part that is made separately from the lid, and is held on the lid by a hooked end that fits over a pivot edge on the lid and by a stationary retaining surface that engages a retaining edge on the lid;
a latch that has a hooked latch end that fits over the pivot edge and, when the lid is on the tank, pivots about the pivot axis between a latched position in which a latching part of the latch inhibits the lid from being lifted from the tank, and an unlatched position in which the latching part is moved to a different position and does not inhibit the lid being lifted from the tank;
an engagement surface that is on the latch, pivots about the pivot axis, and fits over the latching surface when the latch is in the latched position, holding the latch in the latched position; and
a tab that is positioned where it can be engaged by a user to push the latch from the latched position to the unlatched position.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

A vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 6, in which:
the engagement surface is on a deflectable arm that is longer than it is thick.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

A vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 6, in which:
the tab has a tab surface that is positioned where it can be engaged by a user to push the latch outwardly from the latched position to the unlatched position.
the engagement surface is on a deflectable arm that has a base end that is positioned at a proximal end of the tab surface.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

A vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 6, in which:
the latching surface has an extended portion that is spaced at locking distance from the pivot axis;
the engagement surface is on a deflectable arm that has a latching portion that is positioned at a distance from the pivot axis that is shorter than the locking distance; and
the deflectable arm has a central portion that aligns with the extended portion of the deflectable arm, and is no more than four times thicker than the difference between the locking distance and the shorter distance from the pivot axis to the latching portion of the engagement surface.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

A vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 7, in which:
the deflectable arm is an integrally formed part of the latch.

### Claim 11

A vacuum cleaner that has:
a tank that has an open upper end;
a removable lid that fits on the tank and closes the open upper end of the tank;
a part that is made separately from the lid, is held on the lid by a hooked end that fits over an edge on the lid and by a stationary retaining surface that engages a retaining edge on the lid, and has a latching surface with a slot;
a latch that has a deflectable arm and, when the lid is on the tank, pivots about a pivot axis between a latched position in which a latching part inhibits the lid from being lifted from the tank, and an unlatched position in which the latching part is moved to a different position and does not inhibit the lid being lifted from the tank;
an engagement surface that is on the deflectable arm, pivots about the pivot axis, and fits over the latching surface when the latch is in the latched position:
a tab that is positioned where it can be engaged by a user to push the latch from the latched position to the unlatched position;
a rib that connects a distal part of the deflectable arm to a base on the latch and moves within the slot when the latch is moves to the latched position.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

A vacuum cleaner as recited in claim 11, in which:
the tab has a tab surface that is positioned where it can be engaged by a user to push the latch outwardly from the latched position to the unlatched position;
the latching surface has an extended portion that is spaced at locking distance from the pivot axis;
the deflectable arm is an integrally formed part of the latch, is longer than it is thick, and has a base end that adjoins a proximal end of the tab surface; and
the engagement surface has a latching portion that is positioned at a distance from the pivot axis that is shorter than the locking distance, and has a central portion that aligns with the extended portion of the deflectable arm and is no more than four times thicker than the difference between the locking distance and the shorter distance from the pivot axis to the latching portion of the engagement surface.