Patent Publication Number: US-2017347853-A1

Title: Nozzle assembly for vacuum cleaner including wand release lever

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This document relates generally to the vacuum cleaner equipment field and, more particularly, to a nozzle assembly incorporating a release lever that may be manipulated to release the nozzle assembly from the wand of the vacuum cleaner. 
     BACKGROUND 
     This document relates to a new and improved nozzle assembly that incorporates a release lever. That release lever includes a wand lock displaceable between a wand locking position and a wand releasing position. Advantageously, the nozzle assembly has a clean and sharp aesthetic appearance while providing a simple and efficient mechanism for releasing the nozzle assembly from the wand assembly of the vacuum cleaner. 
     SUMMARY 
     In accordance with the purposes and benefits described herein, a nozzle assembly is provided for a vacuum cleaner. That nozzle assembly comprises a housing including a suction opening and a suction conduit carried on the housing. That suction conduit includes an inlet and an outlet. In addition, the nozzle assembly includes a release lever that is carried on the suction conduit. The release lever includes a wand lock displaceable between a wand locking position and a wand releasing position. 
     The nozzle assembly may further include a spring that biases the wand lock into the wand locking position. Further, the suction conduit may include a pivoting coupler for pivotally securing the suction conduit to the housing with the inlet thereof in communication with the suction opening of the housing. 
     Still further, the suction conduit may include a pivot support carrying the release lever. That pivot support may comprise two mounting lugs and two opposed pivot pins. Further, the release lever may include two opposed sockets for receiving the two opposed pivot pins. 
     In one possible embodiment, the release lever extends continuously around the suction conduit. In such an embodiment, the pivot support may be concealed in a cavity within the release lever. This provides a clean and aesthetically pleasing appearance. 
     The wand lock may also include a latch having an arcuate profile matching a sidewall of the suction conduit. Further, the wand lock may include a D-shaped notch provided in the latch. 
     In the following description, there are shown and described several preferred embodiments of the nozzle assembly. As it should be realized, the nozzle assembly is capable of other, different embodiments and its several details are capable of modification in various, obvious aspects all without departing from the nozzle assembly as set forth and described in the following claims. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions should be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
       The accompanying drawing figures incorporated herein and forming a part of the specification, illustrate several aspects of the nozzle assembly and together with the description serves to explain certain principles thereof. In the drawing figures: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the nozzle assembly including the housing, the suction conduit pivotally connected to and carried on the housing and the release lever carried on the suction conduit. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the nozzle assembly illustrated in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a detailed cross-sectional view clearly illustrating the connection of the release lever to the suction conduit and the spring between the release lever and the suction conduit. 
         FIG. 4 a    is a cross-sectional view illustrating the nozzle assembly connected to a wand with the release lever in the wand locking position. 
         FIG. 4 b    is a cross-sectional view similar to  FIG. 4 a    but illustrating the release lever in the wand releasing position. 
     
    
    
     Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the wand assembly, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing figures. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference is now made to  FIGS. 1-4   b  illustrating the nozzle assembly  10 . As illustrated, the nozzle assembly includes a housing  12  having a lower section  14  and an upper section  16 . Lower section  14  defines a nozzle cavity  18  with a central suction opening  20 . The lower section  14  may further carry one or more brushes  22  and a felt pad  24  to support the nozzle assembly  10  and allow it to glide more freely across a bare floor. 
     The upper section  16  includes two mounting tabs  26 . When the upper section  16  is assembled to the lower section  14 , the mounting tabs  26  extend through the apertures  28  in the lower section and engage locking lugs (not shown) provided on the lower section  14 . 
     As further illustrated in  FIGS. 1-3 , the nozzle assembly  10  also includes a suction conduit  30  carried on the housing  12 . The suction conduit  30  includes an inlet  32  and an outlet  34 . The suction conduit  30  also includes a pivoting coupler  36  that pivotally secures the suction conduit to the housing  12  with the inlet  32  in communication with the suction opening  20 . More specifically, the upper and lower sections  14 ,  16  of the housing  12  include a trunnion mounting section  38  that captures the opposed pivot pins  40  of the pivoting coupler  36  when the upper and lower sections  14 ,  16  are secured together with the screws  42 . 
     As further illustrated in  FIGS. 1-3 , the nozzle assembly  10  also includes a release lever  44  including an integral wand lock  46 . The wand lock  46  is sized to match a cutout  48  provided in the sidewall of the suction conduit  30 . It should be appreciated that the wand lock  46  includes an arcuate profile having a radius of curvature matching the sidewall of the suction conduit  30 . Further, the wand lock  46  includes a D-shaped notch  49 . 
     The release lever  44  is carried on the suction conduit  30 . More specifically, as best illustrated in  FIG. 3  the suction conduit  30  includes a pivot support comprising two mounting lugs  50  and two opposed pivot pins  52 . The release lever  44  includes two opposed sockets  54  for receiving the two opposed pivot pins  52  and pivotally mounting the release lever  44  to the suction conduit  30 . 
     As should be appreciated from the following description, the release lever and wand lock  46  are displaceable between a wand locking position illustrated in  FIG. 4 a    and a wand releasing position illustrated in  FIG. 4 b   . A spring  56  biases the release lever  44  and integral wand lock  46  into the wand locking position. More specifically, the spring  56  includes mounting loops  58  at each end that are received over opposed mounting posts  60  carried on the suction conduit  30  (see  FIG. 3 ). When the nozzle assembly  12  is properly assembled, the spring  56  nests under the suction conduit  30  with the arcuate bottom center section thereof engaging against the tab  62  provided at the bottom of the suction conduit. As should be further appreciated, the release lever  44  extends around the suction conduit  30  with the pivot support  50  concealed in a cavity on the underside of the release lever. Thus, the release lever  44  forms a continuous ring concentrically received around the suction conduit  30  that conceals the spring  56  and the pivot support  50  to provide a very aesthetically pleasing appearance. 
     Reference is now made to  FIG. 4 a    illustrating the nozzle assembly  10  connected to the wand assembly  70 . The wand assembly  70  includes a tubular wand  72  carrying a wand lock mechanism  74  in a housing  76 . More specifically, the wand lock mechanism  74  comprises an actuator  78  including a projecting push button  80  adjacent one end and a locking hook  82  adjacent the other. A spring  84  biases the actuator  78  into the illustrated locking position with the locking hook  82  received in the D-shaped notch  49  and engaging the wand lock  46  integrally formed with the release lever  44  that is carried on the nozzle assembly  10 . Thus, in this position, the nozzle assembly  10  is securely connected to and retained on the wand assembly  70 . 
     There are two ways to release the locking hook  82  from the D-shaped notch  49  so as to allow the nozzle assembly  10  to be freely removed from the wand assembly  70 . In the first, the push button  80  is depressed in the direction of action arrow A (note  FIG. 4 a   ) thereby pivoting the hook  82  upwardly until it is free from the D-shaped notch  49  in the wand lock. This allows one to pull the nozzle assembly  10  in the direction of action arrow B and disconnect the nozzle assembly  10  from the wand assembly  70 . 
     Alternatively, as illustrated in  FIG. 4 b   , one may directly engage the release lever  44  and pivot the release lever about the pivot pins  52  in the direction of action arrow C. This serves to pivot the integral wand lock  46  downwardly as illustrated by action arrow D until the D-shaped notch  49  is free of the locking hook  82  thereby allowing one to freely pull the nozzle assembly  10  in the direction of action arrow E to disconnect the nozzle assembly from the wand assembly  70 . 
     From the foregoing description, it should be appreciated that the nozzle assembly  10  and wand assembly  70  may be freely disconnected from one another by either depressing the push button  80  carried on the wand assembly  70  or pivoting the release lever  44  carried on the nozzle assembly  10  depending on the preference of the operator. This versatility increases user convenience and the operating efficiency of the nozzle assembly  10 . 
     In contrast, when one wishes to connect the nozzle assembly  10  to the wand assembly  70 , one simply aligns the nozzle assembly  10  properly with the wand assembly  70  and pushes the nozzle assembly into the open end of the wand assembly. When the end of the wand lock  46  engages the angled face  85  of the locking hook  82 , the wand lock  46  is deflected slightly downwardly against the biasing force of the spring  56  while the locking hook  82  is deflected slightly upwardly against the biasing force of the spring  84  until the locking hook is aligned with and received in the D-shaped notch  49  of the wand lock  46  thereby locking the nozzle assembly  10  to the wand assembly  70 . 
     The foregoing has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally and equitably entitled.