Abstract:
A handle assembly for a cleaning appliance includes a handle portion and a tubular wand having an open end configured to receive tools or other accessories when the cleaning appliance is in use. The handle assembly also includes a wand cap which is movable between a first position in which the wand cap covers the open end of the tubular wand and a second position in which the open end of the tubular wand is not covered by the wand cap. The wand cap is releasably connected to the handle portion or the tubular wand in a snap-fit manner. This provides an advantageous construction which reduces the risk of damage and the cost of repair.

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a national stage application under 35 USC 371 of International Application No. PCT/GB2005/002604, filed Jul. 1, 2005, which claims the priority of United Kingdom Application No. 0416359.8, filed Jul. 22, 2004, the contents of both of which prior applications are incorporated herein by reference. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a handle assembly for a cleaning appliance, particularly but not exclusively to a handle assembly for a vacuum cleaner of the upright type. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The general construction and method of operation of upright vacuum cleaners are both well known. Also well known is the capability of upright vacuum cleaners to be converted from a traditional upright cleaning mode (in which the entire vacuum cleaner is manoeuvred across a floor surface) into a cylinder mode for “above-the-floor” cleaning. For such purposes, upright cleaners often incorporate an integral hose and wand arrangement which can be brought into operation when required. In some cases, the hose and wand assembly consists of an integral hose which forms part of the airflow path between the cleaner head and the separation apparatus when the machine is used in upright mode, with one end of the hose being releasable from a socket in the main body when above-the-floor cleaning is to be carried out. A separate wand, which is often carried on the main body of the vacuum cleaner, can then be attached to the hose for improving the reach of the hose and wand assembly. A disadvantage of this type of arrangement is that, when the machine is used in upright mode, the incoming air still has to travel through the hose which unnecessarily increases losses. 
     Another known type of hose and wand assembly is that used on the Dyson range of upright vacuum cleaners, model numbers DC01, DC03, DC04 and DC07. In these vacuum cleaners, the lower end of the hose is fixedly connected to the main body of the respective cleaner but the upper end is slidingly connected to the tubular portion of a wand handle. The wand handle comprises a moulded handle portion with a tubular wand rigidly connected thereto. The handle portion can be attached to the main body of the vacuum cleaner and used in the manner of a handle, in which case the upper end of the hose is slid to the upper end of the wand so that the wand is then stored inside the hose. When above-the-floor cleaning is required, the handle portion is released from the main body, the upper end of the hose is slid to the lower end of the wand and tools can be attached to the handle portion to effect the cleaning required. A valve arrangement automatically selects the point of entry of the dirty air into the vacuum cleaner: in upright mode the point of entry is via the cleaner head and for above-the-floor cleaning the point of entry is via the hose and wand. The principle by which this entire arrangement operates is described in EP 0037674B. 
     When a wand handle is deliberately designed to act as a handle in one mode of use and as a wand to which tools are to be attached in another mode of use, it is convenient to ensure that large items of debris cannot fall or be sucked into the wand at the wrong time. To this end, the Dyson DC03, DC04 and DC07 vacuum cleaners currently on the market have moveable wand caps which are designed to cover the otherwise open end of the tubular wand when the vacuum cleaner is being used for upright cleaning. In each case, the wand cap is moveable to a position in which accessories and tools can be attached directly to the end of the tubular wand for above-the-floor cleaning. The wand cap used on the Dyson DC03 vacuum cleaner is described in WO99/30605. In other cases, the wand cap used on the relevant vacuum cleaner has included apertures to allow air to be sucked into the wand handle whilst preventing large items of debris from entering the tubular wand. In some cases, the wand cap has proved to be vulnerable to damage and/or complicated or expensive to manufacture or repair. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Other preferable and advantageous features of the invention are set out in the detailed description below. 
     The invention provides a handle assembly for a cleaning appliance comprising a handle portion and a tubular wand, the tubular wand having an open end adapted to receive tools or other accessories when the cleaning appliance is in use, the handle assembly further comprising a wand cap which is movable between a first position in which the wand cap covers the open end of the tubular wand and a second position in which the open end of the tubular wand is not covered by the wand cap, characterised in that the wand cap is releasably connected to the handle portion or the tubular wand in a snap-fit manner. 
     The handle assembly according the invention has the advantage of being effective but also simple and cheap to manufacture. Furthermore, it has the advantage that, should excessive force be applied to the wand cap, the wand cap is liable to become detached from the remainder of the handle assembly before it breaks. It can therefore be easily and quickly re-attached to the handle assembly without the use of specialist tools or replacement parts which is beneficial for the user. 
     In a preferred arrangement, retaining means are provided for retaining the wand cap in either the first position or the second position. Preferably, the retaining means comprise at least one profiled channel and a corresponding projection arranged to travel along the channel as the wand cap moves between the first and second positions. This arrangement is particularly effective and simple to achieve. 
     Other preferable and advantageous features of the invention are set out in the subsidiary claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a side view of a vacuum cleaner incorporating a handle assembly according to the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the vacuum cleaner of  FIG. 1  showing the hose and the wand handle removed from the main body; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic sectional view through the handle assembly forming part of the vacuum cleaner shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  and showing the handle assembly with the wand cap in the first position; 
         FIG. 4  is a view similar to  FIG. 3  but with the wand cap shown in the second position; 
         FIGS. 5(   a ) and  5 ( b ) are top and side views respectively of the wand cap forming part of the wand handle of  FIGS. 3 and 4 ; and 
         FIGS. 6(   a ) and  6 ( b ) illustrate the retaining means forming part of the handle assembly of  FIGS. 3 and 4 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     A vacuum cleaner incorporating a handle assembly according to the invention is shown in  FIG. 1 . The upright vacuum cleaner  10  shown in  FIG. 1  has a main body  12  which includes a motor casing  14 , supporting wheels  16  and dirt- and dust-separating apparatus  18 . The vacuum cleaner  10  also has a cleaner head  20  and a handle assembly  30 . In the embodiment shown, the dirt- and dust-separating apparatus  18  comprises a cyclonic arrangement but this could readily be replaced by a filter, a bag or a combination of different known separation devices. The nature of the dirt- and dust-separating apparatus  18  is not material to the present invention. 
     It will be understood that, in normal upright use, the vacuum cleaner  10  is manoeuvred over a surface to be cleaned (a floor surface) whilst the motor causes dirty air to be sucked into the cleaner  10  via the cleaner head  20 . The dirty air is passed to the dirt- and dust-separating apparatus  18  where the dirt and dust is extracted and clean air is expelled to the atmosphere. 
       FIG. 2  shows the vacuum cleaner  10  with the handle assembly  30  separated from the main body  12 . The handle assembly  30  comprises a hose  40  having a first end  42  and a second end  46 , a tubular wand  50  and a handle portion  60 . The first end  42  of the hose  40  is normally connected to the main body  12  behind the motor casing  14 . The upper end  46  of the hose  40  is connected to the handle portion  60 . Both of these connections are preferably releasable connections to facilitate maintenance and repair. The tubular wand  50  is slidably mounted in the handle portion  60  as will be described in more detail below. 
       FIG. 3  shows the handle assembly  30  in detail, although not to scale. The hose  40  is a sprung hose and is ideally (but not essentially) of sufficient length to enable a full flight of stairs to be cleaned with the vacuum cleaner main body  12  remaining at the foot of the stairs. The first end  42  of the hose  40  has a collar  43  overmoulded or otherwise securely fixed thereto with at least one resilient catch  44  incorporated therein. The resilient catch  44  co-operates with a recess (not shown) in a socket on the main body  12  in which the first end  42  of the hose  40  is received. The catch  44  and recess together form a releasable connection between the first end of the hose  40  and the main body  12 . This type of connection is well known and similar types of releasable connection would be equally suitable for use in this application. 
     The second end  46  of the hose  40  has a similar releasable connection formed by a resilient catch  48  moulded into a collar  47  which is overmoulded or otherwise securely fastened to the second end  46  of the hose  40 . However, in the case of the second end  46  of the hose  40 , the resilient catch  48  is arranged to be received in a recess or aperture  49  moulded into the lower end of the handle portion  60 . Again, the type of connection formed by the catch  48  and the recess  49  is well known and could be replaced by another type of connector having similar functionality. 
     The handle portion  60  will now be described in detail. The handle portion  60  essentially comprises a tubular part  62  having open ends  64 ,  66 . The lower end  64  of the tubular part  62  includes the recess or recesses  49  which receive the resilient catch or catches  48  at the second end  46  of the hose  40 . The internal diameter of the tubular part  62  is dimensioned so that the tubular wand  50  is able to slide within the tubular part  62 . A gripping handle  68  is integrally moulded or is otherwise fixedly attached to a side wall of the tubular part  62  and extends laterally therefrom. Ideally, the gripping handle  68  has a first gripping area  68   a  which is designed for use when the vacuum cleaner  10  is being used for upright cleaning and a second gripping area  68   b  which is designed for use when the vacuum cleaner  10  is being used for above-the-floor cleaning. 
     A wand cap  70  is pivotably mounted on the tubular part  62  at the upper end  66  thereof. The wand cap  70  is moveable between a generally horizontal closed position and a generally vertical open position. The wand cap  70  has a generally circular shape when viewed from above and has a number of bleed holes arranged in its upper surface through which air is able to pass if required, as will be described in more detail below. In the position shown in  FIG. 3 , the wand cap  70  covers the upper end of the tubular wand  50 , although the bleed holes allow air to be drawn into the tubular wand  50  whilst simultaneously preventing large objects from being drawn into the vacuum cleaner  10 . 
     The tubular wand  50  is arranged inside the tubular part  62  of the handle portion  60 . The tubular wand  50  has rounded upper and lower ends  52 ,  54 . The diameter of the tubular wand  50  is such that it will fit with clearance inside the interior of the tubular part  62  and also inside the hose  40 . The tubular wand  50  has a groove  56  formed in its outer surface near the lower end  54  thereof. This groove  56  co-operates with a catch mechanism  63  forming part of the handle portion  60  and which is designed to retain the tubular wand  50  in a predetermined position but the catch mechanism  63  does not form part of the present invention. The upper end  52  of the tubular wand  50  is dimensioned so that it is able to receive floor tools and accessory tools (not shown) which are intended to be used with the vacuum cleaner  10  during above-the-floor cleaning. The length of the tubular wand  50  is such that, when the wand cap  70  is in its horizontal position and the hose is in its relaxed (shortest) state, the tubular wand  50  extends between the wand cap  70  and the collar  43  at the first end of the hose  40 . 
     A handle release catch  90  is pivotably mounted on the tubular part  62  of the handle portion  60  as shown in  FIG. 3 . The handle release catch  90  carries a catch  92  which co-operates with a recess on the main body  12  of the vacuum cleaner  10  so as to secure the handle assembly  60  onto the main body  12  for storage and for upright cleaning. A spring  93  urges the handle release catch  90  away from the tubular part  62  and stop means (not shown) limit the movement of the handle release catch  90  in that direction. Such arrangements are well known. However, in the present embodiment of the invention, an actuator  94  is provided on the rear surface of the handle release catch  90 . 
     The actuator  94  takes the form of a projection which projects from the rear surface of the handle release catch  90  towards the tubular part  62  of the handle assembly  30 . An opening  65  formed in the tubular part  62  of the handle portion  60  allows the actuator  94  to pass through the tubular part  62  and to operate the catch mechanism  63  when the handle release catch is pressed against the action of the spring  93 . It will thus be appreciated that the catch mechanism  63  is operated by the same action as that required to operate the handle release catch  90  to release the handle assembly  30  from the main body  12  of the vacuum cleaner  10 . 
     The wand cap  70  is shown in detail (and on an enlarged scale) in  FIGS. 5(   a ) and  5 ( b ). The wand cap  70  has a generally circular central portion  72  and two rearwardly extending lugs  74 . The central portion  72  has six apertures  76  arranged therein so that, when the wand cap  70  is in the position shown in  FIG. 3 , air can pass through the apertures  76  and into the tubular wand  50  in the event that suction is applied to the tubular wand  50 . The part of the central portion  72  between the apertures  76  prevents large items of debris which happen to be near the end of the tubular wand  50  from entering the vacuum cleaner. A depending rib or fin  78  is located on the underside of the central portion  72 , that is the side of the central portion  72  facing the tubular wand  50  when the wand cap  70  is in the position shown in  FIG. 3 . The rib or fin  78  has a contact surface  79  on the side thereof facing the lugs  74 . The purpose of the rib or fin  78  and the contact surface  79  will be described below. 
     The lugs  74  are spaced apart from one another as shown in  FIG. 5(   a ). Each lug  74  is the mirror image of the other lug  74 . Each lug  74  has a circular socket  80  formed therein on the side facing the other lug  74 . A lead-in face  82  is formed between the socket  80  and the lower edge of the respective lug  74  and a projection  84  is formed in the side wall of the lug  74  next to the socket  80 . The projection  84  preferably has a part-cylindrical surface. The detail of the lug  74  is shown in  FIG. 6(   a ). 
     The wand cap  70  is manufactured from a plastics material as a single piece moulding. The resilience of the plastics material allows the lugs  84  to flex slightly away from one another when an appropriate force is applied. 
     The wand cap  70  is mounted on the upper end of the tubular part  62  by the engagement of two opposed pivot pins  86  formed on the upper end  66  of the tubular part  62  in the sockets  80 . A profiled channel  88  is formed in the upper end of the tubular part  62  next to the pivot pins  86  as shown in  FIG. 6(   b ). The channel  88  has recessed end portions  88   a  which are dimensioned so as to receive the projection  84 . The channel  88  also has a central portion  88   b  which follows an arcuate path and whose depth is less than that of the end portions  88   a . The arrangement is such that, as the pivot pins  86  rotate within the sockets  80 , each projection  84  moves along the respective channel  88 . When the wand cap  70  is in one of the positions shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the projection  84  is seated in an end portion  88   a  of the channel  88  and is retained there. If the wand cap  70  is to be moved from one of the illustrated positions to the other, sufficient force must be applied to the wand cap  70  to flex the lugs  74  outwardly in order to allow the projection  84  to travel along the central portion  88   b  to the other end portion  88   a . The projection  84  will then drop into the other end portion  88   a  and be retained therein until sufficient force is applied to the wand cap  70  to release the projection  84  therefrom. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates the relative positions of all of the components of the handle assembly  30  when the handle assembly  30  is stored on the main body  12  of the vacuum cleaner  10  or is being used for upright cleaning. The collar  43  is connected to the socket (not shown) on the main body  12  and the catch  92  on the handle release catch  90  is engaged with the relevant recess on the main body  12  to secure the handle assembly  30  on the main body  12 . In this position, the tubular wand  50  is in its first position extending away from the handle portion  60  inside the hose  40 . The hose  40  is in its relaxed state and so is as short as possible in this configuration. The lower end  54  of the tubular wand  50  reaches substantially to the first end  42  of the hose  40 . The tubular wand  50  is prevented from sliding out of the hose  40  by the fact that the collar  43  has an internal diameter which is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the tubular wand  50 . 
     The upper end  52  of the tubular wand  50  extends through the tubular part  62  of the handle portion  60  as far as the upper end  66 . The wand cap  70  is in its horizontal position as shown so that the otherwise open upper end  52  of the tubular wand  50  is covered to prevent debris being sucked into the tubular wand  50 . As has already been mentioned, air can be sucked into the tubular wand  50  through the apertures  76 . 
       FIG. 4  illustrates the second configuration of the handle assembly  30  with the tubular wand  50  in its second position. In this position, the tubular wand  50  has been slidingly moved upwards relative to the handle portion  60  until the catch mechanism  63  locks the tubular wand  50  relative to the handle portion  60 . Because the lower end  54  of the tubular wand  50  is now located within the handle portion  60 , the hose  40  is free to flex and move in order to facilitate above-the-floor cleaning. 
     As the tubular wand  50  is moved from the position shown in  FIG. 3  to the position shown in  FIG. 4 , the wand cap  70  is automatically pivoted from the generally horizontal position shown in  FIG. 3  to the generally vertical position shown in  FIG. 4 . This is achieved simply by the movement of the tubular wand  50  with respect to the handle portion  60 . As the upper end  52  of the tubular wand  50  is moved towards the wand cap  70 , the upper end  52  comes into contact with the contact surface  79  of the rib or fin  78  on the underside of the wand cap  70 . The inclined shape of the contact surface  79  causes the wand cap  70  to rotate clockwise as the tubular wand  50  is moved upwardly, thus automatically moving out of the path of the tubular wand  50 . The shapings described above then cause the wand cap  70  to be held in the generally vertical position whilst the tubular wand  50  remains in its second position. 
     In this configuration, the handle assembly  30  is highly suitable for above-the-floor cleaning. When it is desired to return the handle assembly  30  to the first configuration, the user is able simply to depress the handle release catch  90  towards the handle portion  60  against the action of the spring  93 . The actuator  94  releases the tubular wand  50  which is thus able to slide within the handle portion  60  back to the first position as shown in  FIG. 3 . The hose  40  is again stored around the tubular wand  50  and the handle assembly  30  can be re-attached to the main body  12  of the vacuum cleaner  10 . The wand cap  70  is pressed into its generally horizontal position by the user. 
     It will be appreciated that the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific details of the embodiment described. Different arrangements and modifications will be apparent to a skilled reader. For example, the configuration of the gripping areas could be very different in design, as could the catches.