Patent ID: 8020251

Claim:
A vacuum cleaner comprising: a base adapted to be moved on a surface to be cleaned; an inlet nozzle disposed on a lower surface of the base; a vacuum source operatively associated with the vacuum cleaner and adapted to draw a working airflow into the inlet nozzle; a dirt receptacle operatively associated with the vacuum cleaner and adapted to remove dirt from the working airflow; a lower handle pivotally attached to the base at a lower pivot; an automatically-operated lower pivot lock including a locking member and a catch, the automatically-operated lower pivot lock having a first lower pivot lock position in which the lower pivot lock restricts relative rotation between the lower handle and the base, and a second lower pivot lock position in which the lower pivot lock does not restrict relative rotation between the lower handle and the base; an upper handle pivotally attached to the lower handle at an upper pivot; and a manually-operated upper pivot lock including a connecting member operably coupled with the lower pivot lock and a driving member operably coupled with the connecting member, the manually-operated upper pivot lock having a first upper pivot lock position in which the upper pivot lock restricts relative rotation between the upper handle and the lower handle, and a second upper pivot lock position in which the upper pivot lock does not restrict relative rotation between the upper handle and the lower handle; whereby when the upper handle is manually rotated relative to the lower handle, the driving member moves the connecting member and the connecting member releases the locking member from the catch of the lower pivot lock, thereby automatically allowing rotation of the lower handle relative to the base.