Electric vacuum cleaner

#Priority is claimed under 35 U.S.C. 119 from Japanese patent application 2003-49360 filed Feb. 26, 2003.

#The present invention relates to an electric vacuum cleaner. More particularly, it relates to an upright type electric vacuum cleaner which can perform both, floor cleaning and handy cleaning using an attachment, wherein the electric vacuum cleaner is of simple arrangement which does not require a switching mechanism for switching between a flow path for ordinary use and a flow path for use with an attachment.

#An upright type electric vacuum cleaner, which is capable of cleaning not only floors but also places other than floors such as walls, is conventionally known. Such an upright type electric vacuum cleaner is provided with two flow paths, namely a main body flow path which extends from a suction tool main body to a dust chamber of a vacuum cleaner main body and a flow path for handy cleaning which extends to the dust chamber (refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 233482/2002). A flexible hose which forms the flow path for handy cleaning is in communication with a grip portion connected to an upper part of the vacuum cleaner main body in a freely attachable and detachable manner. For performing handy cleaning, the grip portion can be detached from the vacuum cleaner main body so as to use the same as an attachment for handy cleaning.

#FIG. 1 is a perspective explanatory view illustrating one embodiment of the electric vacuum cleaner according to the present invention;

#FIG. 2 is a side view of the electric vacuum cleaner of FIG. 1 when seen from the left-hand side;

#FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the electric vacuum cleaner of FIG. 1 when seen from the rear side;

#The electric vacuum cleaner of the present invention will now be explained in details with reference to the drawings.

#The upright type electric vacuum cleaner illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 6 is composed of a suction tool main body 1, a vacuum cleaner main body 2, a grip portion 3, a tip end side pipe 4 fixedly attached to the grip portion 3, a flexible hose 5, and a rotatable tube 6. A tip end portion of the tip end side pipe 4 is inserted into a tubular tip end side pipe supporting portion 7 of the vacuum cleaner main body 2 to be supported thereby in a freely attachable and detachable manner.

#The suction tool main body 1 includes a suction inlet at a lower surface thereof and a rotating brush (not shown) inside of the suction inlet. The suction tool main body 1 is communicated with a rear portion 12 of the vacuum cleaner main body 2 through a connecting hose 11.