Abstract:
A floor cleaner including a nozzle and a handle assembly pivotably mounted to the nozzle. The handle assembly including a handle, a motor housing supporting a suction source in fluid communication with the nozzle, and a bag housing. A door is removably coupled to the bag housing and includes a door handle and a filter bag retaining structure.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This patent application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/313,414 filed Mar. 12, 2010, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety herein. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to floor cleaners. Specifically, the present invention relates to floor cleaners that utilize a filter bag, and structures for retaining the filter bag. 
         [0003]    Typical upright floor cleaners include a suction source and a nozzle. Filter bags are commonly used to filter air drawn through the nozzle by the suction source to trap debris and dust. A filter bag door may be used to access the filter bag so that the filled bag can be removed and replaced with an empty bag within the bag housing. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    In one embodiment, the invention provides a floor cleaner that includes a nozzle and a handle assembly that is pivotably mounted to the nozzle. The handle assembly includes a handle, a motor housing that supports a suction source in fluid communication with the nozzle, and a bag housing. A door is removably coupled to the bag housing and includes a door handle and a filter bag retaining structure. 
         [0005]    In another embodiment, the invention provides a floor cleaner that includes a nozzle and a handle assembly pivotably mounted to the nozzle. The handle assembly includes a handle, a latch structure, a motor housing that supports a suction source in fluid communication with the nozzle, and a bag housing that defines a dust cavity. The floor cleaner further includes a door that is removably coupled to the handle assembly and at least partially encloses the dust cavity. The door includes a door handle and a latch that is movable between a first position and a second position. The latch is configured to engage the latch structure when in the first position and to disengage the latch structure when in the second position. The floor cleaner is configured to be lifted by the door handle. 
         [0006]    In another embodiment, the invention provides a floor cleaner including a nozzle, a handle assembly that is pivotably mounted to the nozzle and includes a handle, a motor housing that supports a suction source in fluid communication with the nozzle, and a bag housing defining a dust cavity. The floor cleaner also includes a door that is removably coupled to the handle assembly to at least partially enclose the dust cavity. The door includes a door handle. A closure assembly is connected to the door handle and is movable between a first position and a second position. The closure assembly includes a push button, a catch for engaging the handle assembly, a body that connects the push button and the catch, and a spring that biases the catch toward the first position. The door is inhibited from removal from the handle assembly when the closure assembly is in the first position and the door is free to be removed from the handle assembly when the closure assembly is in the second position. The floor cleaner is configured to be lifted by the door handle. 
         [0007]    Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the Detailed Description and accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a floor cleaner incorporating the present invention. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a door assembled with the floor cleaner of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view the floor cleaner of  FIG. 1  with the door removed. 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a close-up view of a portion of the door of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is another close-up view of a portion of the door of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is an exploded view of the door portion of  FIG. 5 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a latch of the door of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is a section view of the door assembled-with the floor cleaner taken along line  8 - 8  of  FIG. 2 . 
           [0016]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the door of  FIG. 2 , showing a filter bag attached to the door. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0017]    Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. In the following description, “up” refers to a direction perpendicular to a floor and extending vertically away from the floor, and “down” refers to a direction opposite “up” and toward the floor. Likewise, “top” refers to a location above, or in a direction vertically down with respect to a reference and “bottom” refers to a location below, or in a direction vertically down with respect to a reference. Similar references and descriptions will be obvious to a reasonable observer. For example, an object near the bottom of a body  118  is closer to the bottom of the body  118  than the top. 
         [0018]      FIG. 1  shows a floor cleaner  10  or a vacuum cleaner that utilizes a filter bag ( FIG. 9 ). The floor cleaner  10  includes a base portion  34  and a handle assembly  38  that rotates relative to the base portion  34 . The base portion  34  includes a nozzle  42 . Sets of opposed wheels  54  (only one wheel being shown) are rotatably connected to the base portion  34  such that the floor cleaner  10  can move across the floor. 
         [0019]    The handle assembly  38  includes a dust cavity  58 , a cleaner handle  78 , vacuum controls  82 , an extension tube  86 , a power cord  90 , and a motor housing  91  that supports a fan (not shown) or suction source driven by a motor (not shown). The motor selectively rotates the fan to create a suction at the nozzle  42  such that debris and dust are sucked into the nozzle  42  along with air. Alternatively, the suction source or other components may be located in another part of the floor cleaner  10 . The physical layout and particular design of the floor cleaner  10  does not limit the scope of the invention. For example, many cosmetic changes may be made to the illustrated upright floor cleaner  10 . Further, the floor cleaner  10  may include other features not mentioned herein. Further details about floor cleaners, and vacuums in particular, may be found in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0271285 published Nov. 6, 2008, assigned to the same Assignee as the present invention, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein. 
         [0020]    With reference to  FIG. 2 , a door  94  is removably coupled to the handle assembly  38  to cover the dust cavity  58 , and is movable between an installed or a closed position (shown in solid lines in  FIG. 1 ) and a removed or an open position (shown in broken lines in  FIG. 1 ). With reference to  FIG. 9 , the door  94  includes a filter bag retaining structure  95  that holds the filter bag  96  during operation of the floor cleaner  10 , and when the door  94  is in the open position and the closed position. In the illustrated construction, the door  94  covers, and substantially encloses the dust cavity  58  when in the closed position, and is removed from the handle assembly  38  when in the open position. In other constructions, the door  94  may cover or enclose a portion of the dust cavity  58  when in the closed position. For example, the handle assembly  38  may enclose a portion of the dust cavity  58  or a portion of the dust cavity  58  may be uncovered. The door  94  includes a door handle  98 , a closure assembly  102 , and closure members  106  (see  FIG. 9 ). 
         [0021]    With reference to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the illustrated closure assembly  102  is positioned on the door handle  98  and includes a push button  110  and a latch  114 . In the illustrated construction, the push button  110  and the latch  114  are formed as a single piece. The latch  114  includes a projection or catch  116 , a body  118  that extends between the catch  116  and the push button  110 , and a spring member  120 . The catch  116  is sized and shaped to be received within a catch recess  122  of a latch structure  124  formed in the handle assembly  38 . The body  118  translates movement of the push button  110  to the catch  116 . The spring member  120  includes a projection  126  and a spring  127  is sized to engage the projection  126 . The door handle  98  includes a door spring member  128  with a projection  130  sized to engage the spring  127  such that the spring  127  is engaged between the door handle  98  and the latch  114  (see  FIG. 8 ). 
         [0022]    The latch  114  also includes pivot structure that defines an axis A. The illustrated pivot structure includes two pins  132  disposed on opposite sides of the latch  114 . The door handle  98  includes door pivot structure in the form of apertures  134  sized to receive the pins  132 . The latch  114  is rotatable about the axis A between a first position (shown in solid lines in  FIG. 8 ) and a second position (shown in broken lines in  FIG. 8 ) in response to movement of the push button  110 . 
         [0023]    When the door  94  is in the closed position, the latch  114  is biased toward the first position by the spring  127  and the catch  116  engages the catch recess  122  (see  FIG. 8 ) on the handle assembly  38  to maintain the door  94  in the closed position. The latch  114  rotates with respect to the door handle  98  from the first position to the second position when the push button  110  is pushed such that the catch  116  releases the catch recess  122  and the door  94  may be moved from the closed position to the open position. The illustrated catch  116  is shaped such that the catch  116  will rotate from the first position to the second position upon being pressed against the catch recess  122  when moving the door  94  from the open position to the closed position. In this way, the door  94  snaps into position from the open position to the closed position. In other constructions, the closure assembly  102  may be arranged differently to maintain the door  94  in the closed position, as desired. 
         [0024]    The closure members  106  cooperate with the closure assembly  102  to maintain the door  94  in the closed position. The illustrated closure members  106  extend from the bottom of the door  94  and engage corresponding closure structure in the handle assembly  38  to fix the bottom of the door  94  to the handle assembly  38 . The closure structure includes recesses sized to receive the closure members  106 . In other constructions, the closure members  106  may be recesses and the closure structure may be projections that extend from the handle assembly  38 . Likewise another form of engagement may be used to selectively fix the bottom of the door  94  to the handle assembly  38 . 
         [0025]    The door  94  and the handle assembly  38  include further features to stabilize the door  94  when in the closed position. For example, a projection  136  is received in the door  94  and helps stabilize the structure. Other stabilizing features could be used. 
         [0026]    In operation, with the door  94  installed on the handle assembly  38  in the closed position, a user grasps the door  94  by the door handle  98  and depresses the push button  110 . The latch  114  is moved from the first position to the second position and releases the latch structure  124  of the handle assembly  38 . The user then rotates the door  94  away from the handle assembly  38  about the closure members  106 . When the door  94  is substantially disengaged from the handle assembly  38 , the door  94  is lifted such that the closure members  106  disengage the closure structure of the handle assembly  38  and the door  94  is disconnected from the handle assembly  38  and in the open position. 
         [0027]    To move the door  94  from the open position to the closed position, the user engages the closure members  106  with the closure structure by inserting the projecting closure members  106  into the recesses of the closure structure. The door  94  is then rotated toward the handle assembly  38  until the latch  114  contacts the latch structure  124  of the handle assembly  38 . The door  94  is then pressed toward the handle assembly  38  such that the latch  114  is moved, via its shape, from the first position to the second position. The latch  114  then snaps over and engages the latch structure  124  to secure the door  94  in the closed position. Alternatively, the user may depress the push button  110  to move the latch  114  to the second position before moving the door  94  from the open position to the closed position, then release the push button  110  to allow the spring to move latch  114  to the first position. 
         [0028]    When the door  94  is in the closed position, the door handle  98  is used to lift and move the floor cleaner  10 . When the door  94  is in the open position, the door handle  98  is used to lift and move the door  94 . In other constructions, the door handle  98  may be a different shape or positioned differently, as desired. 
         [0029]    In an alternative construction, the closure assembly  102  does not rotate but translates to move between the first and second positions. Several latching structures may be employed to couple the door  94  to the handle assembly  38 . 
         [0030]    Thus, the invention provides a floor cleaner that allows a user to carry the floor cleaner with a handle and also use that handle to carry a door. The carry/door handle and the door may be formed as a single piece. The door may include mounting structure for holding the 
         [0031]    Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.