Patent ID: 9661976
Date: 2017-05-30
CPC Classifications: A47L

Claim:
1. A multi-functional cleaning system, comprising: a body including a suction airway and a blower motor for drawing air through the suction airway, the suction airway extending to a suction opening at a cleaning head interface of the body, the cleaning head interface including a latch element of a user-operated latch and a first electrical connector, the body further including wiring for supplying externally provided electrical power to terminals of the first electrical connector; a vacuum cleaning head releasably coupleable to the cleaning head interface of the body by the latch element, the vacuum cleaning head including a surface-interface portion and a body-interface portion, the body-interface portion sealingly coupleable to the suction opening of the cleaning head interface of the body to provide vacuuming suction to the surface-interface portion for vacuum cleaning; a steam cleaning head releasably coupleable to the cleaning head interface of the body by the user-operated latch, the steam cleaning head including a surface-interface portion, an electrically powered steam generator, and a body interface portion including a second electrical connector configured for mating with the first electrical connector to deliver the electrical power to the steam generator, the steam cleaning head further including a steam delivery passage configured to deliver steam from the steam generator to the surface-interface portion of the steam cleaning head for steam cleaning, wherein: the first electrical connector includes a set of outward-extending insulated female terminals; the second electrical connector includes a set of sockets for receiving the insulated female terminals of the first electrical connector, the second electrical connector further including a pivoting cover actuated from a closed position into an open position by insertion of the insulated female terminals into the sockets, the pivoting cover covering the sockets in the closed position and uncovering the sockets in the open position; and the vacuum cleaning head includes a beater bar assembly and a third electrical connector configured for mating with the first electrical connector to deliver the electrical power to the beater bar assembly.