Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US8225457?ie=ISO-8859-1
Timestamp: 2015-05-24 04:22:26
Document Index: 306160597

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application no. 0615686', 'art 62', 'art 62', 'art 62', 'art 62', 'art 62', 'art 62', 'art 62']

Patent US8225457 - Handle assembly for a cleaning appliance - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsA handle assembly for a cleaning appliance includes a handle portion for maneuvering the handle assembly during use, a flexible hose having a first end connectable to a main body of the cleaning appliance and a second end connectable to the handle portion, and a tubular wand. The tubular wand is slidably...http://www.google.com/patents/US8225457?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US8225457 - Handle assembly for a cleaning applianceAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS8225457 B2Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 12/376,277PCT numberPCT/GB2007/002675Publication dateJul 24, 2012Filing dateJul 16, 2007Priority dateAug 8, 2006Also published asCA2660550A1, CN101500464A, CN101500464B, EP2048998A1, EP2048998B1, US20100000044, WO2008017803A1Publication number12376277, 376277, PCT/2007/2675, PCT/GB/2007/002675, PCT/GB/2007/02675, PCT/GB/7/002675, PCT/GB/7/02675, PCT/GB2007/002675, PCT/GB2007/02675, PCT/GB2007002675, PCT/GB200702675, PCT/GB7/002675, PCT/GB7/02675, PCT/GB7002675, PCT/GB702675, US 8225457 B2, US 8225457B2, US-B2-8225457, US8225457 B2, US8225457B2InventorsAlan Glynn Sanderson, Hadley WhiteOriginal AssigneeDyson Technology LimitedExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (54), Non-Patent Citations (9), Classifications (10), Legal Events (1) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetHandle assembly for a cleaning appliance
US 8225457 B2Abstract
A handle assembly for a cleaning appliance includes a handle portion for maneuvering the handle assembly during use, a flexible hose having a first end connectable to a main body of the cleaning appliance and a second end connectable to the handle portion, and a tubular wand. The tubular wand is slidably mounted in the handle portion so as to be moveable between a first position in which the tubular wand extends along the handle portion inside the flexible hose and a second position in which the tubular wand extends beyond the handle portion away from the flexible hose. The handle is releasably attachable to the main body by a catch mechanism arranged so as to release the handle portion from the main body when the tubular wand is moved from the first position to the second position.
This application is a national stage application under 35 USC 371 of International Application No. PCT/GB2007/002675, filed Jul. 16, 2007, which claims the priority of United Kingdom Application no. 0615686.3, filed Aug. 8, 2006, the contents of which prior applications are incorporated herein by reference.
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.
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 maneuvered 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.
A disadvantage of this arrangement is that, because the handle portion is designed to be used as the handle of the machine in the upright mode, the arrangement of the handle is not ideally suited for “above-the-floor” mode. The user tends to grip the lower end of the wand remote from the handle portion when carrying out “above-the-floor” cleaning, at least when cleaning areas at high levels such as cornices and curtain rails. In a refinement of the arrangement, some Dyson vacuum cleaners have incorporated a hose and wand assembly in which the handle portion and wand can be released from the upper end of the hose, turned around and reconnected in the reverse orientation. This arrangement is shown and described in detail in WO 01/65989 and provides better grip for the user and better balance of the handle and wand during use. A disadvantage of this reverse orientation wand arrangement is that the user is required to disassemble and reassemble the hose and wand assembly prior to use for “above-the-floor” cleaning and then, of course, to repeat the disassembly operation before returning to normal upright mode.
In a further refinement of the wand arrangement of WO 01/65989 the tubular wand is slidably mounted in the handle portion so as to be movable between a first position (for the “above-the-floor” cleaning mode) in which the tubular wand extends beyond the handle portion away from the flexible hose and a second position (for normal upright mode) in which the tubular wand extends beyond the handle portion inside the flexible hose. The arrangement is described in detail in WO 06/08444. The wand arrangement of WO 06/08444 represents an improvement over the wand arrangement of WO 01/65989 as the user is not required to remove and reverse the wand when changing between different vacuuming modes. Nevertheless, even the refined arrangement of WO 06/08444 involves a two-part procedure for assembling (and disassembling) the wand and handle unit when changing between “above-the-floor” cleaning and normal upright mode. During one part of the procedure the tubular wand is moved within the handle portion and, separately the handle assembly is removed from the main body of the machine. The user must carry out the two-stage procedure when changing from normal upright cleaning mode to “above-the-floor” cleaning and again when returning the handle assembly to normal upright mode. A disadvantage of the wand arrangement of WO 06/08444 is that the mode change operation can be time consuming for the user. Some users may find that the handle assembly becomes awkward and difficult to manipulate through a two stage procedure. In addition, the two-stage manual operation can result in incorrect assembly. An incorrect assembly could lead to a reduction in performance due to air being bled into the assembly through inefficient seals.
The present invention seeks to provide an improved handle assembly for a vacuum cleaner which obviates disadvantages of the prior art.
The handle assembly according to the invention has the advantages of the prior art in that it is integral with the vacuum cleaner and does not require separately stored parts to be assembled together before use, and in that the handle portion can be easily gripped and maneuvered during above floor cleaning. In addition, because the handle assembly is released from the main body of the vacuum cleaner by the movement of the tubular wand with respect to the handle portion, the task of releasing the wand and wand handle ready for “above-the-floor” cleaning, is an easy, simple single-step operation for the user. As the handle portion is released when the tubular wand is in the “above-the-floor” mode and wand position, the wand is “ready to go” in one movement. The sometimes awkward, two-stage procedure, is reduced to a single action and can in fact be performed using only one hand. The handle assembly according to the invention is thus easier to operate and more reliable than the known assemblies.
In a further preferred embodiment, the tubular wand is held in the second position by a releasable catch mechanism located in the handle portion. Preferably, the releasable wand catch mechanism comprises a catch which interengages with a detent in the tubular wand, and inclined facing surfaces located on the handle portion and the catch, the arrangement being such that an axial force applied to the tubular wand will urge the catch into the detent. This mechanism ensures that, when the handle assembly is being used for “above-the-floor” cleaning, any forces applied to the tubular wand which would encourage it to move from the first position to the second position in fact urge the catch further into engagement with the detent. This is essentially, therefore, a self-locking mechanism and will reduce the risk of the tubular wand becoming inadvertently released from the first position.
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.
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.
The tubular wand 50 is arranged inside the tubular part 62 of the handle portion 60. The tubular wand 50 has 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 portion 51 of increased diameter near the lower end 54 of the wand. As shown in FIG. 4, the increased diameter portion 51 creates a shoulder 58 on the wand at the point of change of tube diameter. Further, the tubular wand 50 has a groove 56 formed in its outer surface near the lower end 54 thereof. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 the location of the groove 56 is further from the lower end 54 of the tubular wand 50 than the shoulder 58. The groove 56 and shoulder 58 co-operate with a catch mechanism forming part of the handle portion 60 as will be described in more detail below. 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 cap 70 is in its horizontal position and the hose is in its relaxed (shortest) state, the tubular wand 50 extends between the cap 70 and collar 43 at the first end of the hose 40.
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No. 11/632,851; 15 pages.2Gammack, P. et al., U.S. Office Action mailed Jun. 24, 2010, directed to U.S. Appl. No. 11/632,851; 12 pages.3Gammack, P. et al., U.S. Office Action mailed Oct. 14, 2011, directed to U.S. Appl. No. 11/632,851; 14 pages.4GB Search report mailed on Oct. 26, 2006 directed at counterpart application No. GB0615686.3; 1 page.5Helps, D. F. et al., U.S. Office Action mailed May 27, 2011, directed to U.S. Appl. No. 12/338,785; 7 pages.6Helps, D. F., U.S. Office Action mailed Feb. 7, 2012, directed to U.S. Appl. No. 12/338,785; 6 pages.7International Search report and written opinion mailed on Oct. 8, 2007 directed at counterpart international application PCT/GB2007/002675; 11 pages.8White, R., et al., U.S. Office Action mailed Feb. 10, 2011, directed to U.S. Appl. No. 12/184,858; 6 pages.9Wood, R. M., U.S. Office Action mailed Mar. 30, 2011, directed to U.S. Appl. No. 12/185,635; 7 pages.Classifications U.S. Classification15/410, 15/334, 15/335International ClassificationA47L5/32Cooperative ClassificationA47L5/32, A47L9/325, A47L9/244European ClassificationA47L9/24B2, A47L9/32C, A47L5/32Legal EventsDateCodeEventDescriptionJul 24, 2009ASAssignmentOwner name: DYSON TECHNOLOGY LIMITED, UNITED KINGDOMFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:SANDERSON, ALAN GLYNN;WHITE, HADLEY;REEL/FRAME:023001/0329;SIGNING DATES FROM 20090616 TO 20090720Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:SANDERSON, ALAN GLYNN;WHITE, HADLEY;SIGNING DATES FROM 20090616 TO 20090720;REEL/FRAME:023001/0329Owner name: DYSON TECHNOLOGY LIMITED, UNITED KINGDOMFree format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:SANDERSON, ALAN GLYNN;WHITE, HADLEY;SIGNING DATES FROM 20090616 TO 20090720;REEL/FRAME:023001/0329RotateOriginal ImageGoogle Home - Sitemap - USPTO Bulk Downloads - Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - About Google Patents - Send FeedbackData provided by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services