Patent ID: 8234750

Claim:
A vacuum cleaner comprising: a base having a downward-facing nozzle opening; a rear housing pivotally attached to the base; a dirt separator having a separator inlet passage and a separator outlet passage; a vacuum fan adapted to generate a working air flow from the separator inlet passage to the separator outlet passage; an accessory hose movably attached to at least one of the base and the rear housing; and a valve system adapted to connect the dirt separator alternately to the nozzle opening and the accessory hose, the valve system comprising: a valve body having a first valve inlet fluidly connected to the nozzle opening and a second valve inlet fluidly connected to the accessory hose, a hose connector mounted on a pivot to be pivotable with respect to the valve body, a hose connector passage passing through the hose connector, the hose connector passage having a hose connector passage inlet and a hose connector passage outlet located between the hose connector passage inlet and the pivot, a flexible outlet hose having a first flexible hose end fluidly connected to the hose connector passage outlet such that at least a portion of the flexible outlet hose is located between the hose connector passage outlet and the pivot, and a second flexible hose end fluidly connected to the separator inlet passage, wherein the first valve inlet and the second valve inlet are generally equidistant from the connector pivot and located at separate locations in relation to a movement path of the hose connector, and the hose connector is pivotable to rotate the first flexible hose end relative to the second flexible hose end between a first position in which the hose connector passage inlet is in fluid communication with the first valve inlet and a second position in which the hose connector passage inlet is in fluid communication with the second valve inlet.