Vacuum appliance having push and pull handles

A vacuum cleaning appliance comprising:

• a vacuum cleaner drum having a bottom wall, a sidewall, and a rim surrounding an open upper end;
• a lid detachably mounted to the rim and extending across the open upper end of the vacuum cleaner drum;
• a journal mounted on one of the drum or the lid;
• a motor powered blower at least partially received within the lid for creating a vacuum in the drum;
• a first handle connected to a first side of at least one of the vacuum cleaner drum or the lid;
• and
• a second handle connected to a second side of at least one of the vacuum cleaner drum or the lid generally opposite the first side, the second handle comprising:
• a grip portion;
• at least two side portions each having a first end attached to the grip portion and a second end;
• and
• a plurality of bearing pockets arranged adjacent the second ends along an axis, each of the pockets positioned to slidably engage the journal and to rotate on the axis about the journal;
• and
• an attachment portion extending from each of the side portions, each of the attachment portions having a first bore therethrough at a point remote from the axis, such that when the journals are engaged in the bearing pockets and the handle is rotated by a predetermined angle about the axis, the attachment portions contact the appliance and each of the first bores aligns with a second bore in the appliance, the first and second bores adapted to receive a fastener to secure the handle and prevent further rotation about the axis.

A vacuum cleaning appliance comprising:

• a vacuum cleaner drum having a bottom wall, a sidewall, and a rim surrounding an open upper end;
• a lid detachably mounted to the rim and extending across the open upper end of the vacuum cleaner drum;
• a rib defined on one of the drum or the lid;
• a motor powered blower at least partially received within the lid for creating a vacuum in the drum;
• a first handle connected to a first side of at least one of the vacuum cleaner drum or the lid, and
• a second handle connected to a second side of at least one of the vacuum cleaner drum or the lid generally opposite the first side, the second handle comprising:
• a grip portion;
• at least two side portions each having a first end attached to the grip portion;
• an attachment portion extending from each of the side portions, each of the attachment portions having a first bore therethrough;
• and
• wherein each of the side portions further comprises a bottom surface defining a slot therein, each of the slots positioned to engage the rib so as to place the second handle in a position of alignment between the first bores in the handle and corresponding second bores in the appliance after the handle is rotated through a predetermined angle about a handle axis.

A vacuum cleaning appliance comprising:

• a vacuum cleaner drum having a bottom wall, a sidewall, and a rim surrounding an open upper end;
• a lid detachably mounted to the rim and extending across the open upper end of the vacuum cleaner drum;
• a bearing pocket defined in one of the drum or lid;
• a motor powered blower at least partially received within the lid for creating a vacuum in the drum;
• a first handle connected to a first side of at least one of the vacuum cleaner drum or the lid;
• and
• a second handle connected to a second side of at least one of the vacuum cleaner drum or the lid generally opposite the first side, the second handle comprising:
• a grip portion;
• at least two side portions each having a first end attached to the grip portion and a second end;
• a plurality of journals arranged adjacent the second ends along an axis, each of the journals positioned to engage the bearing pocket and to rotate within the bearing pocket about the axis;
• and
• an attachment portion having a first bore therethrough at a point remote from the axis, such that when the journals are engaged in the bearing pockets and the handle is rotated by a predetermined angle about the axis, the attachment portions contact the appliance and each of the first bores aligns with a corresponding second bore in the appliance, the first and second bores adapted to receive a fastener to secure the handle and prevent further rotation about the axis.

A vacuum cleaning appliance comprising:

• a vacuum cleaner drum having a bottom wall, a sidewall, and a rim surrounding an open upper end;
• a lid detachably mounted to the rim and extending across the open upper end of the vacuum cleaner drum;
• a bearing pocket and a slot defined in one of the drum or the lid;
• a motor powered blower at least partially received within the lid for creating a vacuum in the drum;
• a first handle connected to a first side of at least one of the vacuum cleaner drum or the lid;
• and
• a second handle connected to a second side of at cast one of the vacuum cleaner drum or the lid generally opposite the first side, the second handle comprising:
• a grip portion;
• at least two side portions each having a first end attached to the grip portion, a second end, and a bottom surface;
• a plurality of journals arranged adjacent the second ends along an axis, each of the journals positioned to engage the bearing pocket and to rotate within the bearing pocket about the axis;
• and
• and at least one rib formed in the bottom surface, the rib located along the axis and positioned to engage the slot so as to secure the journals in the bearing pockets after the handle is rotated through a predetermined angle about the axis.

A wet-dry vacuum cleaning appliance comprising:

• a vacuum cleaner drum having a bottom wall, a sidewall, and a rim surrounding an open upper end;
• a lid detachably mounted to the rim and extending across the open upper end of the vacuuming cleaner drum;
• first means for creating a vacuum within the drum;
• second means for pushing the appliance in a direction of travel;
• and
• third means for pulling the appliance in the travel direction, the third means comprising:
• a handle;
• support means for the handle;
• first mounting means disposed on the support means, adapted to engage second, complementary mounting means fixed on one of the drum or the lid and then to permit rotation of the support means on an axis passing through the second mounting means;
• means for preventing further rotation of the support means after a predetermined rotation of the support means about the axis;
• and
• means for securing the handle to one of the drum or the lid after the predetermined rotation.