Patent Description:
It is common for a cleaning device to incorporate a handle of the type that is in a fixed position relative to a body of the device, so that the user can steer and manoeuvre the device and/or to lift and carry the device. On floor-standing cleaning devices, a handle is commonly provided on an upper portion of the device - often at the upper end of a frame forming the back part of an upright cleaner, or on an upper-facing surface of the body of the device. Such a handle may be used to lift and carry the device between areas in which the device will be operated, such as to lift the device while carrying it up or down stairs, or simply to lift a handheld unit while it is in use.

In other forms, a handle may be provided on an upper part of a lift-away dirt cup of a cleaner, so that a user can readily grip and lift the detachable cup so as to empty the waste held within the dirt cup. The lift-away unit may itself include one or more of a separator, a power source (such as a battery), a motor, and may have an attached or removable hose and/or cleaning tool to allow the unit to be operated in isolation from the floor-standing body of the cleaning device.

When applied to an upper part of the body of a cleaning device, a handle adds considerably to the size of the device. The handle must stand out from a surface of the body, providing clearance around the graspable portion of the handle so that a user can comfortably grip that portion. By protruding from the surface of the device in this way the handle can cause a cleaning device to appear unduly bulky, and given the increased volume taken up by the device, requires a greater volume in which to store the device when not in use.

The considerations involved in providing a primary handle of a cleaning device (i.e. the 'main' handle, used to steer and manoeuvre the device) are different to those of a secondary handle for merely lifting and carrying the device. A primary handle must be rigidly connected to the body of the cleaner in a manner that can be pushed, pulled and twisted by a user to steer the device during operation. While it is known for a primary handle of a cleaner to fold, to allow the cleaner to be folded to reduce its height for storing during transit, for example, such mechanisms for pivoting the primary handle are typically indiscreet. For the functionality of being able to lift and carry a cleaning device, it is preferred to provide a small handle that is not much larger that the size of a user's hand. Smaller handles of this sort, which are useful for grasping and lifting but are not intended to be used to steer or otherwise manoeuvre a cleaner during operation, are more desirable.

The present invention seeks to reduce or overcome one or more of the problems associated with the prior art.

<CIT> describes a vacuum cleaner which has a foldable handle to reduce the amount of space needed for storage. <CIT> describes a vacuum cleaner having a cord reel releasing device. <CIT> describes a portable cleaning appliance comprising a nozzle and a graspable handle. <CIT> describes a cleaning device has a device housing and a handle arranged on the device housing for pulling the cleaning device by a user.

According to an aspect of the invention we provide a handle assembly of a cleaning device, the handle assembly comprising:.

Further features of the above aspects of the invention are described in the appended claims.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following figures, of which:.

With reference to <FIG>, a cleaning device <NUM> is provided. In embodiments, and as shown, the cleaning device <NUM> is a suction cleaner. In general terms, the suction cleaner comprises an upright body <NUM> providing a primary steering handle <NUM> to allow a user to move and steer the device. The suction cleaner provides a floor head <NUM> defining a suction mouth for applying a suction force to a surface being cleaned, the suction force being generated by a motor disposed fluidly downstream of the suction mouth. The floor head provides rollers (e.g. wheels) for moving the suction cleaner across a surface.

In embodiments, and as shown, the suction cleaner may be of the type generally known as an 'upright' cleaner, in which the upright body <NUM> is pivotally connected to the floor head <NUM>. Such cleaners are typically used to clean a floor surface. In other embodiments, the suction cleaner may be of a canister type in which a separate handheld wand provides the suction mouth, and is connected to the body of the cleaner via a suction hose or the like, or a handheld type cleaner in which the motor, suction mouth, and handle are all provided in a compact handheld unit. In other embodiments, the cleaner may be a stick vac or pole vac type cleaner in which a suction wand is connected to the floor head at one end and to a handheld cleaning device at its other end. In further embodiments, the cleaning device may be a carpet washer or floor-scrubbing device.

In embodiments, the cleaning device <NUM> is provided with a mains power connection. In other embodiments, the cleaning device <NUM> includes a battery pack <NUM> which maybe rechargeable in situ on the device, or may be removable for recharging or otherwise replacing the battery pack <NUM>.

For simplicity, features of various embodiments will be described in the context of an upright suction cleaner, but it should be understood that the features described herein are applicable to any types of cleaning device, unless otherwise stated, and for cleaners configured to clean any type of surface.

The cleaning device is provided with a handle assembly <NUM>, as shown in more detail in <FIG>. The handle assembly <NUM> is provided on an upper part of the body <NUM> of the cleaning device <NUM>. The handle assembly <NUM> provides a user-graspable portion 112a by which a user may grasp and hold the handle, which is of a size roughly the same or slightly larger than a standard hand width, so as to provide a comfortable grasping surface for a user to hold. In this way, the handle assembly <NUM> is suitable for a user to lift the cleaner.

As can be seen in <FIG> in particular, an upper surface of the handle body <NUM> lies flush with the surrounding portion <NUM> of the body of the cleaning device <NUM>. In this way, when the handle body <NUM> is stowed, no part of the handle assembly <NUM> protrudes beyond the outer surface of the body of the device, so that the handle is effectively concealed and no part projects outwardly from the surface of the cleaner.

The handle assembly <NUM> comprises the handle body <NUM> having a first end <NUM> and a second end <NUM>, the handle body <NUM> providing the user-graspable portion 112a by which a user may grasp and hold the handle. The user-graspable portion 112a as shown in the appended Figures corresponds to a length of the handle body <NUM> around which a user may grip the handle so as to lift the cleaning device <NUM> or a portion of the cleaning device <NUM>. In the embodiments illustrated, the user-graspable portion 112a provides a length of handle against which a user may place the palm of their hand and around which a user may wrap their fingers so as to lift the portion of the cleaning device <NUM> to which the handle assembly <NUM> is connected.

The handle body <NUM> is pivotably attached to a body of the cleaning device <NUM> at a first end of the handle <NUM>. The handle assembly <NUM> also provides a deployment assembly <NUM> for moving the handle body <NUM> from a first stowed position (as shown in <FIG>, <FIG>) towards a second deployed position (as shown in <FIG>, <FIG>).

The configuration of the deployment assembly <NUM> and handle body <NUM> provides a handle which is deployed by a user pressing on a portion of the handle so as to actuate the deployment assembly <NUM>, to release the handle from its stowed position. In embodiments, a user may then grasp the released handle body <NUM>, and move it to its fully deployed position. In other embodiments, the deployment assembly <NUM> itself causes the handle body <NUM> to move to its second (i.e. deployed) position. To return the handle to its stowed position, the user again exerts a force on the handle body <NUM> in the direction towards the body of the cleaning device <NUM>, moving the handle body <NUM> back to its stowed position, which in turn causes the deployment assembly <NUM> to return to its original configuration.

In its first position the handle body <NUM> lies against the body of the cleaning device <NUM>, within a recess <NUM> defined by the body of the cleaning device <NUM>, and in its second position the user graspable portion of the handle 112a is spaced from the body of the cleaning device <NUM> so as to be graspable by a user. Where the cleaning device <NUM> is a suction cleaner, the portion of the body of the cleaning device <NUM> to which the handle body <NUM> of the handle assembly <NUM> is pivotably attached, typically comprises one or more of: a motor, a separator, and a dirt cup. For example, the handle assembly <NUM> may be provided on an upper portion of the body of an upright cleaner, or on a lift-away portion of a cleaner, for example. The handle assembly <NUM> may be provided on an upper portion of a dirt cup assembly that comprises at least a dirt storage portion and a separator device, for example.

In embodiments and as shown in the Figures, the deployment assembly <NUM> comprises a push-push mechanism, which is operable to move the handle body <NUM> from its first position to its second position. In broad terms, the deployment assembly <NUM> provides a closed cam mechanism with two stable states <NUM>, <NUM>, within which a pin <NUM> acts as a follower.

In embodiments, the deployment assembly <NUM> provides a contact portion <NUM> that is moved by a biasing mechanism configured to urge the contact portion <NUM> into contact with a body-facing surface <NUM> of the handle body <NUM>. The deployment assembly <NUM> has a first state and a second state, as illustrated in <FIG>, respectively. In embodiments, and as shown in the Figures, the biasing mechanism is a spring-biased mechanism.

In its first state (<FIG>), the deployment assembly <NUM> is compressed, such that the spring-biasing mechanism <NUM> - which includes a helical spring - is at least partially compressed. A catch mechanism holds the spring-biasing mechanism <NUM> in its first state until actuation by a user. In this state, the handle body <NUM> is in its stowed position as shown in <FIG>. In this position, the user may apply a downwards force on the handle body <NUM>, which in turn causes the body-facing surface <NUM> of the handle body <NUM> to press against the contact portion <NUM>. This causes the catch to release as described below. When the catch is released, the spring-biased mechanism <NUM> acts to move the assembly to its second state from its first state under the force of the spring moving from the partially compressed state to a less compressed state, causing the contact portion <NUM> to press against the handle body <NUM>, causing movement of the handle body <NUM> away from its first position (as seen in <FIG>).

In embodiments and as shown, the point of contact between the contact portion <NUM> and the body-facing surface <NUM> of the handle body <NUM> is at a position on the handle body <NUM> adjacent the pivotal attachment point at its first end <NUM>. As shown, the contact point is between that pivot point and the user graspable portion 112a of the handle body. This arrangement causes the user graspable portion 112a to be pivoted away from the body of the cleaning device <NUM> so as to stand clear of the surface of the body of the cleaning device <NUM>.

A suitable catch mechanism is illustrated generally in <FIG>, which describe the operation of a so-called "push-push" mechanism. In such a mechanism, the deployment assembly <NUM> has two stable states in which the biasing mechanism <NUM> is held by a catch mechanism so as to resist movement. The spring of the spring-biasing mechanism is connected at one end to a carriage <NUM> and at its other end to a base portion <NUM>. As the contact portion <NUM> moves downwards, the carriage <NUM> fixed to the contact portion <NUM> is also moved downwards against the force of the spring, towards the base portion <NUM>, causing compression of the spring.

A catch arm <NUM> is pivotally connected at one end to the base portion <NUM>, and at its other end to the carriage <NUM> via a pin and slot connection with a slot <NUM> formed in the carriage <NUM>. The pin <NUM> attached to the catch arm <NUM> follows a path defined by the slot <NUM>, between a first position <NUM> and a second position <NUM>. In each of the first <NUM> and second <NUM> positions, the pin <NUM> is held by the catch arm <NUM> at a stable position within the closed cam mechanism, i.e. a position that defines a local minima in terms of the distance from the base portion <NUM> to its position within the slot <NUM>. Movement of the pin <NUM> along the slot <NUM> in either direction (pivoting the catch arm <NUM> clockwise or anticlockwise) would require the carriage <NUM> to move closer to the base portion <NUM> and thus compress the spring. In these first and second stable positions <NUM>, <NUM> the action of the spring-biasing mechanism <NUM> on the carriage <NUM> thus retains the carriage <NUM> and its attached contact portion <NUM> at a fixed position relative to the base portion <NUM> under the force exerted by the spring-biasing mechanism <NUM>.

Exertion of a downward force on the contact portion <NUM>, where the pin <NUM> is in either its first or its second position <NUM>, <NUM>, causes compression of the spring, to a point in which the catch mechanism may be released. Looking at <FIG>, <FIG>, sufficient application of force to the contact portion from the first state of the deployment assembly <NUM> as illustrated in 5D, wherein the pin <NUM> is in its first position <NUM>, causes the pin <NUM> to travel along the slot to a position (see <FIG>) in which releasing the force on the contact portion <NUM> allows the spring-biasing mechanism <NUM> to extend, pushing upwards on the carriage <NUM>, so that the pin <NUM> moves along the slot <NUM> (via the position shown in <FIG>) to its second position <NUM> (as shown in <FIG>).

Similarly, looking at the deployment assembly <NUM> in its second state with the pin <NUM> in its second position <NUM>, as seen in <FIG> (and matching the position of the handle assembly <NUM> as shown in <FIG>), application of a downwards force to the contact portion <NUM> causes compression of the spring biasing mechanism <NUM> so that the pin <NUM> moves along the slot <NUM> to the position illustrated in <FIG> as the carriage <NUM> moves towards the base portion <NUM>. The application of that force to the contact portion <NUM> is made by the user exerting a force on the handle body <NUM> so as to move it back towards its first position.

In embodiments, this movement of the handle <NUM> by the user is against the force of the spring biasing mechanism <NUM>, so that the handle body <NUM> resists movement towards its first position. In other embodiments, the handle body <NUM> only meets resistance from the spring biasing mechanism <NUM> when at or reaching its first position. In the latter embodiments, a further retaining mechanism (not shown) is provided to hold the handle body in its second (i.e. deployed) position, which must be released by the user in order to move the handle back to its first position.

Further movement of the contact portion <NUM> in the direction of the base portion <NUM> causes the pin <NUM> to travel further in the slot <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>. At which point, releasing the force on the contact portion <NUM> results in movement of the pin <NUM> towards the position shown in <FIG>, such that the pin is returned to its first position <NUM>.

It should be understood that while in the example described, the spring-biasing mechanism <NUM> included a helical spring in a compressed configuration attached to a base portion <NUM>, in alternative embodiments other forms of spring or biasing means may be used in the same or different configurations. For example, a helical spring may instead by attached on the opposite side of the carriage, in an extended state, and thus providing a force is the same direction (i.e. away from the base portion <NUM>).

In this way, when the handle body <NUM> is in its first position, application of a force on the handle body <NUM> in a first direction generally towards the body <NUM> of the cleaning device <NUM> causes the body-facing surface of the handle <NUM> to press against the contact portion <NUM> of the deployment assembly <NUM>. This is illustrated in <FIG>, wherein application of force by a user on the handle body <NUM>, towards the body of the cleaning device <NUM>, causes the underside of the handle to abut the contact portion of the deployment assembly <NUM>. In turn, this releases the catch mechanism and causes actuation of the deployment assembly <NUM> from its first state to its second state, causing the contact portion <NUM> of the deployment assembly to <NUM> move generally in a second direction opposite to the first direction, against the body-facing surface <NUM> of the handle body <NUM>. This is shown in <FIG>, as the catch is released, and the pin <NUM> travels from its first position <NUM> to its second position <NUM>.

In embodiments and as shown, the handle assembly <NUM> includes a restrictor arm <NUM> connected to the body of the cleaning device <NUM>. The restrictor arm <NUM> is configured to restrict movement of the handle body <NUM> beyond its second position in the direction away from the body of the cleaning device <NUM>. In this way the restrictor arm <NUM> provides a connection between the second end <NUM> of the handle body <NUM> so as to support the handle in use as the user grasps the handle to lift the device, for example.

With reference to <FIG>, the restrictor arm <NUM> is connected at a first end to the handle body <NUM>, at or adjacent the second end <NUM> of the handle body <NUM>. In other words, the restrictor arm <NUM> may be connected at the very end of the handle body <NUM>, or slightly inset from the end of the handle. The restrictor arm <NUM> is also connected at its second end to the body of the cleaning device <NUM>, such that a closed loop is formed between the handle and the body of the cleaning device <NUM>. i.e. the handle body <NUM> is connected at its first end <NUM> to the body of the cleaning device <NUM> via the pivoting connection, at its second end <NUM> via the restrictor arm <NUM>. By forming what is effectively a closed loop between the handle and body, this provides a suitable grasping formation through which the digits of a user's hand may extend as the user grasps the handle assembly <NUM>.

In embodiments, the restrictor arm <NUM> provides a sliding connection with the body of the cleaning device <NUM>, such that the point of connection between the restrictor arm and the body of the cleaning device <NUM> is moveable relative to the body <NUM>, or relative to the restrictor arm <NUM>. The sliding connection as shown in the Figures is defined by a guide pin <NUM> and guide slot <NUM>, wherein one of the guide pin <NUM> and guide slot <NUM> is located on the restrictor arm <NUM> and the other of the guide pin <NUM> and guide slot <NUM> is located on the body of the cleaning device <NUM>. In this way, sliding movement of the guide pin <NUM> within the guide slot <NUM> between a first and a second end of the guide slot <NUM> guiding the movement of the restrictor arm <NUM> relative to the body of the cleaning device <NUM>, thereby controls movement of the handle body <NUM> between its first and second positions. Movement of the handle body <NUM> away from the body of the cleaning device <NUM> beyond its second position is prevented by contact between the guide pin <NUM> and a first end of the guide slot <NUM> (the configuration shown in <FIG>).

Another feature of the handle assembly <NUM> is that in its stowed position, the handle is effectively hidden. A recess <NUM> is defined by the body of the cleaning device <NUM>, in which the handle body <NUM> is stowed when not in use. In other words, when the handle body <NUM> is in its first position the handle body <NUM> is received within the recess <NUM> such that the handle body lies within the profile <NUM> formed by the body of the cleaning device <NUM>. In this way, the outer-facing surface of the handle (i.e. opposite to the body-facing surface <NUM> of the handle body <NUM>) lies substantially in line with the surface of the body of the cleaning device <NUM> in which the recess <NUM> is formed. This configuration means that the handle body <NUM> fits within the outer profile of the cleaning device <NUM> rather than standing proud of the body of the device as is the case with a fixed handle, for example.

Preferably, when the handle body <NUM> is in its first position, an upper-facing surface of the handle body <NUM> is aligned with the surrounding portion <NUM> of the body of the cleaning device <NUM>. In this way, while the handle of the device is not needed during use, the handle remains substantially concealed from view. Therefore, in embodiments, the cleaner is operable so that the cleaning device <NUM> is steered using the primary handle <NUM>, while the secondary carrying handle provided by the handle assembly <NUM> remains stowed. The handle assembly <NUM> is almost wholly concealed from view while the handle body <NUM> is in the first position, so that only the upper-facing surface of the handle body <NUM> is visible to a user. This results in a compact cleaner configuration, since no part of the handle assembly <NUM> projects outwardly from the surface of the body <NUM> of the cleaning device <NUM>. This means that the cleaning device <NUM> is compact allowing for simple storage, and has fewer parts extending from its body during use - any one of which may accidentally come into contact with objects, furniture, or the user as the device is manoeuvred.

Claim 1:
A handle assembly (<NUM>) of a cleaning device (<NUM>), the handle assembly (<NUM>) comprising:
a handle body (<NUM>) having a first end (<NUM>) and a second end (<NUM>), the handle body (<NUM>) providing a user-graspable portion (112a) by which a user may grasp and hold the handle,
the handle body (<NUM>) being pivotably attached to a body (<NUM>) of the cleaning device (<NUM>) at a first end (<NUM>) of the handle, and
a deployment assembly (<NUM>) for moving the handle body (<NUM>) from a first stowed position towards a second deployed position,
wherein in its first position the handle body (<NUM>) lies against the body (<NUM>) of the cleaning device (<NUM>) or within a recess (<NUM>) defined by the body (<NUM>) of the cleaning device (<NUM>), and in its second position the user graspable portion (112a) of the handle is spaced from the body (<NUM>) of the cleaning device (<NUM>) so as to be graspable by a user,
characterised in that the deployment assembly (<NUM>) comprises a push-push mechanism.