Patent ID: 7069619

Claim:
A floor care apparatus, comprising: a housing including (a) a nozzle assembly having a suction inlet and (b) a canister assembly; a dirt collector carried on said housing; a suction generator carried on said housing; a wand having an inlet opening; a sealing element includes a plug filling and sealing said inlet opening when said wand is held in a storage position on said housing; a valve; and an airflow conduit system providing fluid communication between said suction inlet, said inlet opening, said valve, said dirt collector and said suction generator; said valve being selectively displaceable between a closed position whereby said suction inlet is sealed off from fluid communication with said suction generator and an open position whereby said suction inlet is in fluid communication with said suction generator; said apparatus being further characterized by said sealing element further including a storage socket carried on said housing, said storage socket engaging a distal end of said wand including said inlet opening and thereby sealing said inlet opening.