Patent ID: 9345371
Filing Date: 2016-05-24
CPC Classification: A47L

Claim Text:
1. A vacuum cleaner comprising: a base assembly having a bottom face, a left side region, a right side region spaced apart in a lateral direction from the left side region, an opening between the left side region and the right side region, and a resiliently-deformable crossbeam extending across the opening and joining the left side region to the right side region, the crossbeam having a left end integrally formed as a unitary part with the left side region, a right end integrally formed as a unitary part with the right side region, and a fixed middle portion extending from the left end to the right end; a handle assembly at least partially located in the opening and pivotally mounted to the base assembly about a first pivot axis extending in the lateral direction, the handle assembly being rotatable, relative to the base assembly, between an upright position and a reclined position; a protrusion extending from the handle assembly and rotatable therewith through an arc of travel that at least partially intersects the middle portion of the crossbeam when the crossbeam is in an undeformed position, the protrusion being positioned on a first side of and in contact with the middle portion of the crossbeam when the handle assembly is in the upright position, and on a second side of and spaced from the middle portion of the crossbeam when the handle assembly is in the reclined position, and wherein the protrusion is shaped to deform the middle portion of the crossbeam linearly away from the opening from the undeformed position to a deformed position when the protrusion is moved between the first side of the crossbeam and the second side of the crossbeam; a suction inlet on the bottom face of the base assembly; a suction source located in one of the base assembly and the handle assembly; a dirt collection device located in one of the base assembly and the handle assembly; and an air passage system fluidly connecting the suction inlet, the suction source and the dirt collection device.