Patent Document

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a cleaning appliance, such as a vacuum cleaner. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Cleaning appliances such as vacuum cleaners are well known. The majority of vacuum cleaners are either of the ‘upright’ type or of the ‘cylinder’ type. An example of a cylinder vacuum cleaner manufactured by Dyson Limited under the name DC05 (“DC05” is a trade mark of Dyson Limited) is shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     Cylinder vacuum cleaners (called “canister” or “barrel” cleaners in some countries) generally comprise a main body  10  which contains separating apparatus  11  for separating dirt and dust from an incoming dirty airflow and for collecting the separated material. The separating apparatus is usually a filter bag or a cyclonic separator. The dirty airflow is introduced to the main body  10  via a hose and wand assembly  15 ,  16  which is connected to the main body  10 . The main body  10  of the cleaner is dragged along by the hose  15  as a user moves around a room. A cleaning tool  20  is attached to the remote end of the wand  16 . The wand  16  usually comprises a set of two, or sometimes more, telescopic tubes which can be adjusted to a length which is matched to the physical requirements of a user between a fully extended position and a fully retracted position. 
     It is known to provide a socket  18  on the main body of the vacuum cleaner and a hook  17  on the wand so that a user can ‘park’ the wand in the socket  18 . When the wand is parked, it is positioned substantially vertically so that it can be readily grasped by a user. In this manner, a user does not need to bend down to retrieve the wand from the floor. A user may also choose to park the wand in this manner when the vacuum cleaner is stored. The wand can be parked in its fully retracted position for storage. Although this feature is useful, the vacuum cleaner and wand are still quite cumbersome to carry from one place to another and the cleaner is not particularly easy to store in places of limited space. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention seeks to provide a cleaning appliance machine which is more convenient to store and/or to carry. 
     Accordingly, a first aspect of the present invention provides a cleaning appliance of the cylinder type comprising a main body and a hose and wand assembly, the hose and wand assembly comprising a telescopic wand movable between retracted and extended positions and a flexible hose having a first end connected to the main body and a second end connected to the wand, wherein the wand and the main body incorporate retaining means for releasably attaching the wand to the main body when the wand is in the retracted state and the hose passes around the main body. 
     This allows the machine to be more easily stored since the wand is neatly and securely stored on the main body of the machine whilst the hose is wrapped around the main body. 
     Preferably, the main body comprises a cyclonic separator having a collecting bin for collecting dirt and debris and the wand is releasably attachable to the collecting bin. 
     A second aspect of the invention provides a cleaning appliance of the cylinder type comprising a main body and a hose and wand assembly, the hose and wand assembly comprising a telescopic wand movable between retracted and extended positions and a flexible hose having a first end connected to the main body and a second end connected to the wand, wherein the wand and the main body incorporate retaining means for releasably attaching the wand to an upper surface of the main body when the wand is in the retracted state. 
     Preferably the main body comprises a channel for receiving the wand and retaining means are located in the channel. Where the main body comprises two generally cylindrical containers lying next to one another, the channel for receiving the wand can comprise the space between the cylindrical containers. More preferably, the channel has a sufficient depth to allow the wand to lie substantially flush with the upper surface of the main body when the wand is received in the channel. 
     Preferably the wand has a handle by means of which a user may lift the main body when the wand is attached thereto. More preferably, the said handle may also be used by user to manipulate the hose and wand assembly during normal use. It is convenient for the handle to extend in a direction which is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the wand so as to provide a plurality of longitudinally offset positions for lifting the main body and for manipulating the wand. 
     It is preferred that the wand may be attached to the main body when the main body is oriented for normal use. More preferably, the main body has wheels or rollers arranged so as to allow the main body to move across a surface to be cleaned and the said wheels or rollers remain in contact with the surface when the wand is attached to the main body. 
     Preferably a release member for releasing the wand from the main body is also arranged to operate a locking means which locks the wand in the fully retracted position for storage. This avoids the need for a user to operate two separate controls. 
     Although the invention is described in detail with reference to a vacuum cleaner, it will be appreciated that it can also be applied to other forms of cleaning appliance. The term “cleaning appliance” is intended to have a broad meaning, and includes a wide range of machines having a main body and a wand for carrying fluid to or from a floor surface. It includes, inter alia, machines which only apply suction to the surface, such as vacuum cleaners (dry, wet and wet/dry variants), so as to draw material from the surface, as well as machines which apply material to the surface, such as polishing/waxing machines, pressure washing machines and shampooing machines. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  shows a conventional vacuum cleaner of the cylinder type; 
         FIG. 2  shows a first embodiment of a vacuum cleaner according to the invention; 
         FIGS. 3A and 3B  respectively show a side view and a rear view of the vacuum cleaner of  FIG. 2  with the hose omitted for clarity; 
         FIG. 4  shows the wand of the vacuum cleaner of  FIGS. 2 ,  3 A and  3 B in an extended position; 
         FIG. 5  shows the wand of  FIG. 4  in a retracted position for storage; 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-section through the wand while stored on the vacuum cleaner of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a detailed view of the catch on the wand; 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic plan view of the vacuum cleaner showing the storage of the hose; 
         FIGS. 9 to 11  show alternative forms of the handle of the wand; 
         FIG. 12  shows an alternative form of the main body of the vacuum cleaner; and 
         FIGS. 13A to 13D  respectively show perspective, side, front, and rear views of a second embodiment of the invention in a storage position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       FIG. 2  shows a cleaning appliance in the form of a vacuum cleaner. The vacuum cleaner has a main body  100  which supports the main components of the vacuum cleaner. In a traditional manner, the main body  100  has a chassis  110  which supports separating and collecting apparatus  120  and a motor-driven fan (not shown) for generating a suction which can draw dirt laden air into the separating apparatus  120 . The main body  100  also has two main wheels  112 , one on each side of the rear portion of the chassis  110 , and a castor wheel  113  beneath the front portion of the chassis  110  which allow the main body  100  to be dragged along a surface. It will be understood that the wheels  112 ,  113  could be supplemented, or replaced, by other means for allowing the main body  100  to be dragged across a surface, such as skids. The form of the separating apparatus  120  is not important to the invention. While we prefer to use cyclonic separators which spin dirt, dust and debris from the airflow, other forms of separator can be used and examples of suitable separator technology include a centrifugal separator, a filter bag, a porous container, an electrostatic separator or a liquid-based separator. 
     In  FIG. 2 , the separating apparatus comprises two generally cylindrical chambers  121 ,  122  which lie alongside one another. The chambers  121 ,  122  are connected to one another by a central spine  123 . The separating apparatus  120  is removably mounted on the chassis for emptying and for access to components beneath the separating apparatus. 
     A flexible hose  150  and a wand assembly  160  connect to an inlet port  151  on the main body  100 . The main body  100  of the cleaner is pulled along by the hose  150  as a user moves around a room. The hose  150  has a construction which is robust enough to withstand this pulling action, and any normal abrasion which may be encountered as the hose rubs against obstacles in a room. 
     In this embodiment, the air inlet port  151  is centrally mounted on the main body  100  at the forward, lower part of the machine. In alternative embodiments of the machine where the air inlet is not centrally positioned, such as the machine shown in  FIG. 1  where the inlet is near the upper part of the separating apparatus  11 , it is preferable to anchor the hose  150  to the machine at a central position (as with anchor point  25  in the machine shown in  FIG. 1 ) so that when a user pulls the hose  150 , the main body  100  follows the user. 
     Ducting on the chassis  110  connects the air inlet port  151  to an inlet to the separating apparatus  120 . For a cyclonic separating apparatus  120 , the inlet to the separating apparatus is arranged to guide incoming airflow through the wall of the chamber of the cyclonic separator in a tangential manner. 
     The second end of the hose  150  connects to the wand  160 . A suitable wand assembly  160  is described in our co-pending International Patent Application WO 02/071913. As shown in  FIG. 4 , the wand comprises a set of three tubes  161 ,  162 ,  163  of progressively decreasing diameter. The tubes  161 ,  162 ,  163  can telescope inside one another and are retractably housed inside a storage tube  165 . The three tubes  161 ,  162 ,  163  are slideable inside one another and can be moved between a stored position (as best shown in  FIG. 6 ) and an extended position (as shown in  FIG. 4 ) in which one tube is extended from another such that only the ends of the tubes overlap one another. Securing mechanisms  400  secure the tubes in an extended position. The precise arrangement of the securing mechanisms does not form part of the present invention and so will not be described in any further detail here. Tubes  161 ,  162 ,  163  are progressively longer in length. The length of each tube is chosen so that it fully occupies the available space within the storage tube  165  when the securing mechanisms  400  are lying alongside one another. 
     The distal end of tube  163  has a connector  280  which is adapted to receive a floor tool, such as the floor tool shown  20  in  FIG. 1 , in any known manner. For example, the floor tool can be connected to the tube  163  by means of an interference fit, interconnecting bayonet fittings, snap-fit connections, a screw threaded collar and sleeve, or by any other suitable means. Accessory tools may also be fitted to the tube  163  in place of the floor tool. A handle  200  is located on the storage tube  165  to allow a user to manipulate the wand  160 . A flexible hose  150  extends from one end of the storage tube  165  and is connected to the storage tube  165  by an outlet connector  168  which is rotatable about axis X-X′, as shown in  FIG. 5 . This part of the wand is described more fully in our International Patent Application WO 01/50940. 
     For ease of storage, and ease of carrying, the wand assembly  160  can be releasably attached to the main body  100  of the vacuum cleaner, as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . 
     As is best seen in  FIG. 3A , the length of the storage tube  165  is substantially equal to the length of the part of the main body  100  against which the wand is stored. In this manner, the wand  160  does not protrude substantially beyond the main body  100  when it is fully retracted and stored on the main body  100 . 
     As is best seen in  FIG. 6 , the wand  160  is stored alongside the uppermost surface of the main body  100 .  FIG. 6  shows a cross-section through the wand  160  and the upper part of the separating apparatus  120  taken along the longitudinal axis of the vacuum cleaner. In this embodiment the upper surface of the separating apparatus  120 , which itself is releasable from the remainder of the chassis  110  for emptying, is the part of the main body against which the wand  160  is secured. Fittings on the storage tube  165  of the wand assembly cooperate with complementary fittings on the upper surface of the separating apparatus  120  to retain the storage tube  165 . The lower end of the storage tube  165  has a hooked projection  220  which extends outwardly from the tube  165 . The hook  220  can locate beneath a hook  130  on the separating apparatus  120 . This pair of hooks  220 ,  130  provides some mechanical support for the wand  160  during carrying, and also helps properly to locate the wand  160 . The majority of the mechanical support is provided by a locking catch at the other end of the storage tube  165 . The locking catch comprises a movable catch ring  222  with a catch face  225  and is shown in more detail in  FIG. 7 . The catch face  225  locates beneath another hook  135  on the upper face of the separating apparatus  120 . The locking catch mechanism comprises a catch ring  222  which is pivotably mounted about the outside of the storage tube  165  about pivot point  223 . The lower part of the catch ring  222  carries a catch face  225  for engaging with the main body. The catch ring is biased, by spring  241 , into the locked position shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 . An actuator member  235  is pivotably mounted to the storage tube  165  about pivot point  236 . The actuator member  235  has a part which serves as a button  230  which can be operated by a user. The actuator member is biased by a spring  242  into the position in which it lies alongside the tube, as shown in  FIGS. 2 ,  3 A,  5  and  6 . Actuator member  235  has an arm  237  on each of its sides, the end of the arm  237  locating within a notch  238  on the catch ring  222 . In use, movement of the actuator member  235 , by a user pressing button  230  in clockwise direction  239 , causes arm  237  to urge catch ring  222  in an anti-clockwise direction about pivot point  223  to release catch  225 . Actuator member  235  also has two further locking functions which are simultaneously actuated when button  230  is pressed. Firstly, the furthest end of the actuator member has a hook  231  which can engage with the connector  280  on the end of the tube  163 . When all of the tubes  161 ,  162 ,  163  have been retracted into the storage tube  165 , connector  280  lies alongside the end of storage tube  165  and hook  231  can hook onto connector  280 . All of the tubes  161 ,  162 ,  163  are held securely within storage tube  165  until the actuator member  235  is operated to release the hook  231 . The leading edge of hook  231  has an inclined face which can be displaced by the leading edge of connector  280  as the tubes are retracted inside the storage tube  165 . This allows the hook  231  automatically to ride onto, and thus retain, the cap  280  as the tubes are moved towards a stored position. Connector  280  has a cap which, in the stored position (best shown in  FIG. 6 ) accommodates all of the securing mechanisms  400  of the tubes and thus serves to protect them from damage during storage. 
     Another feature of the locking mechanism is that projection  232  on the actuator member  235  can seat itself in a depression in the wall of tube  161  to lock the position of tube  161 . Operating the actuator member  235  raises the projection  232  from its seated position and thus allows tube  161  to be moved. Tube  161  has a series of similar depressions  233  along its length. Projection  232  also serves to secure the tube  161  in a desired extended position with respect to the storage tube  165 . 
     It will be appreciated that operation of the single button  230  simultaneously releases the wand  160  from the main body  100  of the vacuum cleaner, releases the end connector  280  which in turn allows the tubes  161 ,  162 ,  163  to be withdrawn from the storage tube  165 , and locks tube  161  in a selected extended position. 
     The method of storing the vacuum cleaner will now be described. To store the wand a user brings the storage tube  165  of the wand assembly, in its fully retracted state, alongside the uppermost face of the main body  100  and engages the hooked projection  220  behind hook  130  on the main body. The user then pivots the storage tube  165  towards the main body so that the catch face  225  engages with the hook  135  on the main body. The inclined shape of the catch face  225  causes the catch ring to move away from the hook  135 , against the bias of the spring, as the storage tube is pushed against the main body, and to reseat itself beneath the hook  135 . At this point the wand  160  is now fully locked in position on the main body  100  and a user can then use the handle  200  on the storage tube  165  of the wand assembly to carry the vacuum cleaner. 
     A floor tool can be left in place on the end of the wand  160  or it can be removed and stored elsewhere on the main body  100 . 
     To release the wand  160  from the storage position, a user operates the button  230  to move catch ring  222  and catch face  225 . This releases the catch face  225  from the hook  135 . The user can then pull the wand  160  away from the main body and slide the wand upwards, to remove the hooked projection  220  from the main body  100 . 
     The position in which a user will naturally feel comfortable grasping the handle  200  to lift and carry the vacuum cleaner may well be different from the position in which the user will wish to grasp the handle  200  to operate the wand for cleaning. In this embodiment, the handle  200  extends for some distance along the length of, and parallel to, the longitudinal axis of the storage tube  165  so as to provide the user with a plurality of comfortable, longitudinally offset, positions for both carrying the vacuum cleaner and operating the wand for cleaning. Portion  205  of the handle, adjacent the end of the storage tube  165 , is intended to be used to manipulate the wand during normal cleaning. Portion  205  lies at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the storage tube. This angled position, together with the position adjacent the end of the storage tube, has been found to be a comfortable position for manipulating the wand. Portion  208  of the handle is intended to be used to carry the cleaner. Control buttons for operating the vacuum cleaner can be provided in region  207 . These controls can include an on/off switch, a suction power control etc. as is well known in the art. A bleed valve  209  is also located near to the part of the handle  205  which is used during cleaning. The bleed valve admits air when the trigger  209  is pulled, so as to reduce the suction force at the remote end of the wand. 
     The hooked projection  220  on the storage tube  165  and hook  130  on the main body both extend for some distance perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis Y-Y′ of the storage tube  165 . This helps to minimise any rotational movement, or wobble, of the wand about its longitudinal axis. While the hooked projection  220  and catch ring  222  adequately secure the wand to the main body  100 , it is preferred to add some further features to the wand  160  and the main body for additional security. Ribs  250  extend radially outwardly from each side of the storage tube  165 . Ribs  251  also extend outwardly from the upper face of the separating apparatus  120  at positions adjacent to where the storage tube  165  will lie when it is secured to the main body. The ribs serve to minimise any rotation of the storage tube  165  about its longitudinal axis Y-Y′ when the tube is secured to the main body. In short, they minimise ‘wobble’. A second rib  255  projects outwardly from the storage tube  165 , perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis Y-Y′ of the storage tube  165 . This locates against a similar rib  125  on the main body  100  and serves to minimise movement of the storage tube  165  in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the tube  165 . 
     In this embodiment, the separating apparatus  120  comprises two cylindrical chambers which lie alongside one another on the main body  100 . The hooks  130 ,  135  are formed on the inlet duct structure which lies between the chambers. This allows the wand  160  to fit more snugly against the main body and helps to reduce the amount by which the wand  160  protrudes beyond the envelope of the main body. 
     The hose  150  is stored around the main body  100  of the vacuum cleaner. The hose  150  has a length which is sufficient such that, in use, the main body  100  can sit on a floor surface and the user can manipulate the wand  160  at a convenient height, without any excessive drag. In our embodiment the hose  150  has a length of around 1.5 m and a length in the range 1.3-1.8 m is typical. Conveniently, the hose  150  also has a length which is sufficient to lie once around the perimeter of the main body  100 . The hose inlet  151  to the main body  100 , as well as being centrally located for ease of pulling, lies below the position where the hose end  168  of the wand  160  will lie when the wand  160  is stored on the main body  100 . This allows the hose  150  to form one complete perimeter of the main body  100 . Hose retaining features  310  on the main body allow the hose  150  to remain attached to the main body  100  during carrying and during storage. 
     In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3  a single continuous hose receiving channel  300  is provided along the sides and back of the periphery of the chassis  110 .  FIG. 2  shows the hose  150  in place in the channel  300  and  FIGS. 3A and 3B  show the hose removed from the channel  300 . The precise means by which the hose  150  is stored on the main body  100  does not form part of the present invention and alternative hose storage means will be readily apparent to a skilled reader. 
     It will be clear from the foregoing description that, when the wand  160  is attached to the main body  100 , the main body remains supported by its wheels  112 ,  113  and able to move across the floor surface to be cleaned. This is in contrast to other prior art machines which must be maneouvred into a position in which their supporting wheels or rollers are lifted away from the floor surface and the main body is commonly supported on a rear surface before the wand can be parked on the main body. 
     In the previously described embodiment, a single handle  200  is provided which serves for both normal cleaning and carrying. In an alternative embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 9 , a first handle  600  is provided for use during cleaning and a second, separate, handle  605  is provided for carrying the vacuum cleaner. 
     Another alternative is shown in  FIG. 10  where a single handle is movable between a first position, for use in carrying the machine, and a second position for use during normal cleaning operations. The handle is pivotable between the two positions and is positively retained in each of the positions. This retention of the handle can be by a locking mechanism which is automatically operated as the handle is moved into the new position, and which is manually released, such as by a user operating a trigger, to release the handle from that position. 
     In another alternative shown in  FIG. 11  there is no handle as such for manipulating the wand. Instead, an angled conduit  610  is rigidly (non-rotatably) fixed to the end of tube  165  and this angled conduit  610  serves as a part by which the user can manipulate the wand. The angled conduit  610  can be shaped to provide a comfortable gripping surface, or it can be overlaid by a material which makes the conduit more comfortable to hold. In a still further embodiment, not illustrated, the carrying handle can be omitted altogether. In this case, the main body can be provided with an alternative carrying handle. 
     In the main embodiment the wand  160  is secured to the main body  100  such that a fairly large proportion of the storage tube  165  of the wand sits above the remainder of the main body  100 . It is possible to increase the size of the retaining channel  660  for receiving the wand, as shown in  FIG. 12 . In this alternative embodiment the receiving channel  660  has a sufficient depth  661  to fully receive the storage tube  165  of the wand, with only the carry handle  200  protruding above the upper surface of the main body  100 . 
     A second embodiment of the invention is shown in  FIGS. 13A to 13D . The vacuum cleaner  500  shown in  FIG. 13A to 13D  has a main body  510  which includes supporting wheels  512 , a front castor wheel  514  and separating apparatus  516 . The separating apparatus  516  shown here operates using cyclonic principles but alternative separating apparatus can be used. Attached to the main body  510  via a connector  518  is a flexible hose  520  to which, in turn, is attached a telescopic wand  522  having a handle  524  and carrying a plurality of tools  526 . The wand  522  is similar to that described above and is here shown in a fully retracted position and attached to the main body  510  for storage. 
     The cyclonic separating apparatus  516  includes a collecting bin  528  for collecting dirt and debris from an airflow passing through the cleaner  500 . Mounted on the exterior surface of the collecting bin  528  is a slot (not shown) into which a hooked projection (not shown) mounted on the wand can be located. The slot and the hooked projection form retaining means for retaining the wand  522  on the collecting bin  528 . 
     As can clearly be seen from  FIGS. 13C and 13D , the wand  522  is located on an upper surface of the main body  510  but to one side thereof. The upstream end of the wand  522  is located at the rear of the main body  510  on the same side thereof. The hose  520  is connected to the main body  510  beneath a central area of the stored wand  522  and passes forwardly of the main body  510  away from the upstream end of the wand  522 . The hose  520  then passes around the main body  510  through approximately one and three quarters of a turn between the connection  518  and the upstream end of the wand  522 . 
     Unlike the embodiment described above, the hose  520  does not follow a fixed path as it is wrapped around the main body  510 . Instead, hose seats (not shown) are provided at the forward end of the collecting bin  528  and on the cyclonic separating apparatus  516  behind the handle  530  located thereon. Thus, the hose  520  is held in a fixed position with respect to the main body  510  at a plurality of points along its length. 
     As can clearly be seen from  FIGS. 13A to 13D , the hose  520  can be wrapped around the main body  510  whilst the wheels  512  and castor wheel  514  remain in contact with the surface to be cleaned. It is not necessary to re-orientate the vacuum cleaner  500  into a position in which the wheels and/or the castor wheel are lifted away from the floor. By adopting the position shown in  FIGS. 13A to 13D , the vacuum cleaner  500  is able to be stored compactly and neatly into a small storage area. When the vacuum cleaner  500  is to be used, the hooked projection on the wand  522  is removed from the slot on the collecting bin and the wand  522  is then removed from the main body  510 . As the wand  522  is moved away from the main body, the hose  520  is unwrapped from around the main body until it is completely free therefrom. The wand  522  is then extended to a length suitable for cleaning the floor surface on which the vacuum cleaner  500  is positioned. 
     It will be understood that modifications and variations will be apparent to a skilled reader. For example, the wand may be stored on the main body in any direction and the hose may be arranged to wrap around the main body more or less than one and three quarter times.

Technology Category: a