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US RE47,623 E1Granted
Vacuum cleaner handle lock and valve control
AssigneeMidea America Corporation
InventorsArnold Sepke, Benjamin Stephens
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vacuum cleaner having a base with a first air inlet, a rear housing, a removable handle and a socket on the housing to receive the handle. The handle has a grip, a second air inlet, and a hose connected to the second air inlet. The vacuum has a valve with a first inlet connected to the first air inlet, a second inlet connected to the flexible hose, a valve outlet connected to a vacuum fan, and a valve member that moves to connect the valve outlet to either inlet. The vacuum has a handle latch having one position in which it engages the removable handle to hold it in the socket and places the valve in one position, and a second position in which it releases the handle and places the valve member the other position.
Claims32
A vacuum cleaner comprising:
- a base having a first air inlet;
- a rear housing pivotally mounted to the base;
- a removable handle assembly comprising a grip, a second air inlet, and a flexible hose in fluid communication with the second air inlet;
- a socket formed in the rear housing to selectively receive at least part of the removable handle assembly;
- a valve assembly having a first valve inlet in fluid communication with the first air inlet, a second valve inlet in fluid communication with the flexible hose, a valve outlet in fluid communication with a vacuum fan, and a valve member adapted to move between a first valve position in which the first valve inlet is in fluid communication with the valve outlet, and a second valve position in which the second valve inlet is in fluid communication with the valve outlet;
- a handle latch;
- a linkage connecting the handle latch to the valve member to thereby move the valve member in synchronization with the handle latch;
- and
- wherein the handle latch has a first latch position in which it engages the removable handle assembly to hold it in connection with the socket and places the valve member in the first valve position, and a second latch position in which it releases the removable handle assembly to permit the removable handle assembly to be removed from the socket and places the valve member in the second position.
6 more elements
A vacuum cleaner comprising:
- a base having a first air inlet;
- a rear housing extending from the base;
- a removable handle assembly comprising a grip, a second air inlet, and a flexible hose in fluid communication with the second air inlet;
- a socket formed in the rear housing to selectively receive at least part of the removable handle assembly;
- a valve assembly having a first valve inlet in fluid communication with the flexible hose, a valve outlet in fluid communication with a vacuum fan, and a valve member adapted to move between a first valve position in which the first valve inlet is not in fluid communication with the valve outlet, and a second valve position in which the first valve inlet is in fluid communication with the valve outlet;
- a handle latch;
- a linkage connecting the handle latch to the valve member to thereby move the valve member in synchronization with the handle latch;
- and
- wherein the handle latch has a first latch position in which it engages the removable handle assembly to hold it in connection with the socket and places the valve member in the first valve position, and a second latch position in which it releases the removable handle assembly to permit the removable handle assembly to be removed from the socket and places the valve member in the second position.
6 more elements
A vacuum cleaner comprising:
- a base having a first air inlet;
- a rear housing extending from the base;
- a removable handle assembly comprising a grip, a second air inlet, and a flexible hose in fluid communication with the second air inlet;
- a socket formed in the rear housing to selectively receive at least part of the removable handle assembly;
- a valve assembly having a valve inlet in fluid communication with the flexible hose, a valve outlet in fluid communication with a vacuum fan, and a valve member adapted to move between a first valve position in which the valve inlet is not in fluid communication with the valve outlet, and a second valve position in which the valve inlet is in fluid communication with the valve outlet;
- a handle latch having a first latch position in which it engages the removable handle assembly to hold it in connection with the socket, and a second latch position in which it releases the removable handle assembly to permit the removable handle assembly to be removed from the sockets socket;
- a linkage connecting the handle latch to the valve member to thereby move the valve member in synchronization with the handle latch;
- and
- a single user interface adapted to substantially simultaneously operate the valve and the handle latch.
6 more elements
A vacuum cleaner comprising:
- a base having a first air inlet;
- a rear housing pivotally mounted to the base;
- a removable handle assembly comprising a grip, a second air inlet, and a flexible hose in fluid communication with the second air inlet;
- a socket formed in the rear housing to selectively receive at least part of the removable handle assembly;
- a valve assembly having a first valve inlet in fluid communication with the first air inlet, a second valve inlet in fluid communication with the flexible hose, a valve outlet in fluid communication with a vacuum fan, and a valve member adapted to move between a first valve position in which the first valve inlet is in fluid communication with the valve outlet, and a second valve position in which the second valve inlet is in fluid communication with the valve outlet;
- an air filtering device in fluid communication between the valve outlet and the vacuum fan;
- a handle latch having a first latch position in which it engages the removable handle assembly to hold it in connection with the socket and places the valve member in the first valve position, and a second latch position in which it releases the removable handle assembly to permit the removable handle assembly to be removed from the socket and places the valve member in the second position;
- and
- wherein the handle latch comprises a collar pivotally attached to the rear housing about a latch pivot axis generally that is parallel to a long axis of the rear housing, such that the handle latch rotates about the latch pivot axis between the first latch position and the second latch position.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.