U.S. patent application number 13/147264 was filed with the patent office on 2012-08-09 for vacuum cleaner.
This patent application is currently assigned to KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V.. Invention is credited to Haifeng Jiang, Yang Shi, Neil Wei, Wiebe Wierda.
Application Number | 20120198650 13/147264 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40757010 |
Filed Date | 2012-08-09 |
United States Patent
Application |
20120198650 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Jiang; Haifeng ; et
al. |
August 9, 2012 |
VACUUM CLEANER
Abstract
A vacuum cleaner, comprising a body, a pivotable dust cover and
a pivotable lifting handle, wherein the lifting handle is pivotably
connected to the dust cover, and wherein the dust cover is
pivotably connected to the body of the vacuum cleaner.
Inventors: |
Jiang; Haifeng; (Suzhou,
CN) ; Wierda; Wiebe; (Drachten, NL) ; Wei;
Neil; (Suzhou, CN) ; Shi; Yang; (Suzhou,
CN) |
Assignee: |
KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS
N.V.
EINDHOVEN
NL
|
Family ID: |
40757010 |
Appl. No.: |
13/147264 |
Filed: |
February 5, 2010 |
PCT Filed: |
February 5, 2010 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/IB2010/050531 |
371 Date: |
September 28, 2011 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/347 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L 5/362 20130101;
A47L 9/00 20130101; A47L 9/327 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
15/347 |
International
Class: |
A47L 9/10 20060101
A47L009/10; A47L 9/32 20060101 A47L009/32 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 11, 2009 |
EP |
09152566 |
Claims
1. A vacuum cleaner (1), comprising: a body (8), said body
including a dust collection chamber; a dust cover (200), said dust
cover being pivotably connected to the body such that it is movable
by pivoting the dust cover (200) in an anti-clockwise direction
from a first dust cover position, in which the dust cover at least
partly closes off the dust collection chamber, to a second dust
cover position, in which the dust cover enables manual access to
the dust collection chamber; a lifting handle (300) for lifting the
vacuum cleaner, said lifting handle being pivotably connected to
the dust cover, wherein the dust cover (200) and the handle (300)
are pivotable in opposite directions, such that the lifting handle
(300) is movable by pivoting the lifting handle (300) clockwise
towards its lifting position from a first lifting handle position
to a second lifting handle position, whereby, when the dust cover
is in the first dust cover position, the lifting handle is
substantially in line with the dust cover when it is in the first
lifting handle position and the lifting handle protrudes outward
relative to the body when it is in the second lifting handle
position, wherein the dust cover (200) comprises two dust cover
pivot arms (204), each dust cover pivot arm comprising an extremity
(206) at which it is pivotably connected to the body (8), wherein
the lifting handle (300) comprises two lifting handle pivot arms
(304), each lifting handle pivot arm comprising an extremity (306)
at which it is pivotably connected to the dust cover, characterized
in that a first and a second of the lifting handle pivot arms (304)
are pivotably connected to, respectively, a first and a second of
the dust cover arms (204), in each case at a point (208) of the
respective dust cover pivot arm beyond the extremity (206) at which
the latter is itself pivotably connected to the body (8).
2. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein each of the
dust cover pivot arms (204) has an inner side (210), such that the
inner sides of the dust cover pivot arms face each other, and
wherein the lifting handle pivot arms (304) are pivotably connected
to the dust cover pivot arms at said inner sides.
3. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein each of the
lifting handle pivot arms (304) comprises a decorative band (302),
said decorative bands at least partly covering the extremities
(206) of the dust cover pivot arms (204) when the dust cover (200)
is in the first dust cover position and the lifting handle (300) is
in the first lifting handle position.
4. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 3, wherein each of the
dust cover pivot arms (204) comprises a decorative band (202),
which decorative band extends away from the extremity (206) at
which a respective dust cover pivot arm is connected to the body
(8), starting at a longitudinal position on the dust cover pivot
arm between said extremity (206) and a point (208) where an
extremity (306) of a lifting handle pivot arm (304) pivotally
connects to said dust cover pivot arm.
5. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 4, wherein a first and a
second of the decorative bands (202) of the dust cover (200) are
disposed such that they are substantially in line with,
respectively, a first and a second of the decorative bands (302) of
the lifting handle (300) when the dust cover is in the first dust
cover position and the lifting handle is in the first lifting
handle position
6. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein one of a
lifting handle pivot arm (304) and a dust cover pivot arm (204)
connected thereto comprises at least one protruding member, and
wherein the other of said lifting arm and said dust cover pivot arm
comprises at least one recess configured for receiving said
protruding member, whereby the protruding member and the recess are
disposed such that the protruding member is gradually moved from
the recess when the lifting handle (300) is moved from the first
lifting handle position to the second lifting handle position.
7. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 6, wherein the at least
one protruding member is one of a number of spaced apart,
substantially parallel plate members (312, 212) comprised by the
respective arm (204, 304), and wherein the at least one recess is
formed between one of more substantially parallel plate members
(312, 212) comprised by the other respective arm (204, 304),
whereby the plate members provided on both arms are disposed such
that the plate members (312) of the lifting handle pivot arm (304)
interlock with the plate members (212) of the dust cover pivot arm
(204).
8. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 6, wherein the at least
one protruding member is provided with a stop, which is disposed
such that it engages an edge of the recess when the lifting handle
(300) is in its second lifting handle position.
9. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the two dust
cover pivot arms (204) are spaced apart by a distance that
corresponds to a dimension of the body (8).
10. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, said vacuum cleaner
having a working orientation wherein the dust cover (200) and the
lifting handle (300) are disposed on a top side of the body
(8).
11. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 10, wherein, when the
vacuum cleaner is in its working position and the lifting handle
(300) is in the second lifting handle position, the lifting handle
is disposed substantially vertically above a center of mass of the
vacuum cleaner.
12. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 10, wherein, in a top
view of the vacuum cleaner (1) in its working orientation, when the
lifting handle (300) is in the first lifting handle position and
the dust cover (200) is in the first dust cover position, a first
interruption line extends between the dust cover and a top face
part (28) of the body (8), and second interruption lines extend
between the dust cover and the lifting handle, whereby said first
and second interruption lines are formed such that they appear as
one, substantially straight, continuous line (100).
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner suitable
for, in particular, cleaning carpets and other flooring materials
in buildings, the vacuum cleaner, comprising a body, said body
including a dust collection chamber, a dust cover, said dust cover
being pivotably connected to the body such that it is movable by
pivoting the dust cover in an anti-clockwise direction from a first
dust cover position, in which the dust cover at least partly closes
off the dust collection chamber, to a second dust cover position,
in which the dust cover enables manual access to the dust
collection chamber, a lifting handle for lifting the vacuum
cleaner, said lifting handle being pivotably connected to the dust
cover, wherein the dust cover and the handle are pivotable in
opposite directions, such that the lifting handle is movable by
pivoting the lifting handle clockwise towards its lifting position
from a first lifting handle position and a second lifting handle
position, whereby, when the dust cover is in the first dust cover
position, the lifting handle is substantially in line with the dust
cover when it is in the first lifting handle position and the
lifting handle protrudes outward relative to the body when it is in
the second lifting handle position, wherein the dust cover
comprises two dust cover pivot arms, each dust cover pivot arm
comprising an extremity at which it is pivotably connected to the
body, wherein the lifting handle comprises two lifting handle pivot
arms, each lifting handle pivot arm comprising an extremity at
which it is pivotably connected to the dust cover.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Typically, bag vacuum cleaners may comprise a body that is
set on wheels to enable it to follow the horizontal movements of an
operator. The operator may pull the vacuum cleaner along by means
of a hose that is swivelably connected to the body, and that, due
to the suction of a motor provided in the body, carries dust and
other dirt from a nozzle end of the hose to a dust collection
chamber inside the body. The dust collection chamber may
accommodate a disposable or reusable bag in which the dirt can be
stored. In order to be able to replace the dust bag when it is
full, the dust collection chamber may be accessible via a dust
cover that is pivotably connected to the body. For ease of use, the
dust cover is usually located at a top side of the body when the
vacuum cleaner is in a working orientation.
[0003] To enable an operator to easily lift the vacuum cleaner, for
example to transfer it between different vertical floor levels, or
to vacuum places that cannot be accessed from floor level because
the hose is too short, the vacuum cleaner may be provided with one
or more lifting handles. Such a handle may be pivotably connected
to the body, so as to allow it to be rotated back and forth between
a folded position and a raised position. In the folded position,
the handle may reside close to the body so as not to protrude there
from, while it may be turned to its raised position when lifting of
the body is desired. Naturally, like the dust cover, the lifting
handle is preferably located at a top side of the body when it is
in a working orientation.
[0004] In addition to the mere presence of a dust cover and a
lifting handle, a desirable vacuum cleaner may preferably fulfill
some further desires. Function, for example, prescribes that the
dust collection chamber of the vacuum cleaner is as big as
possible. Generally, this translates into a vacuum cleaner wherein
about one half (or less) of the body is occupied by the motor,
while the other half (or more) is occupied by the dust collection
chamber. To enable proper access to the dust collection chamber for
replacing a full dust bag accommodated therein, the pivotable dust
cover must thus extend across about half (or more) of the body.
Another noteworthy functional desire is that the lifting handle, in
its raised position, is disposed substantially above the center of
mass of the body. Otherwise the body would start to rotate
instantly when lifted off of the floor. A stable feel may further
be imparted to both the handle and the dust cover by spacing apart
their pivot points. The pivot points may preferably be disposed
near opposite sides of the body so as to maximize the distance
between them.
[0005] In combination, these functional requirements lead the dust
cover and the lifting handle to compete for structural junctures
halfway the body, on opposite sides thereof. This problem is
worsened when a design that is both sleek and functional is strived
for. Sleekness may dictate a streamlined body profile, having as
few interruption lines in the outer face of the body as possible.
Those interruption lines that are practically necessary, such as
for example interruption lines between the pivotable dust cover on
the one hand, and the lifting handle or a fixed top face part of
the body on the other, may preferably be straight and narrow.
However, in order to enable both the dust cover and the lifting
handle to be pivotably arranged at their preferred positions, bulky
constructions and/or irregularly shaped interruption lines have
thus far been accepted as a consequence of simple structural
solutions.
SUMMARY
[0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide for a
vacuum cleaner, having a lifting handle and dust cover, whose
construction mitigates or overcomes the competition between the
lifting handle and the dust cover for structural junctures halfway
the body, thereby still allowing some or all of the above-mentioned
functional and aesthetic desires to be satisfied.
[0007] To this end, in the vacuum cleaner according to the
invention a first and a second of the lifting handle pivot arms are
pivotably connected to, respectively, a first and a second of the
dust cover arms, in each case at a point of the respective dust
cover pivot arm beyond the extremity at which the latter is itself
pivotably connected to the body. provides a vacuum cleaner
comprising a body, said body including a dust collection chamber,
and a dust cover, said dust cover being pivotably connected to the
body such that it is movable between a first dust cover position
and a second dust cover position. In the first dust cover position,
the dust cover at least partly closes off the dust collection
chamber. In the second dust cover position, the dust cover enables
manual access to the dust collection chamber. The vacuum cleaner
further comprises a lifting handle for lifting the vacuum cleaner.
The lifting handle is pivotably connected to the dust cover such
that it is movable between a first lifting handle position and a
second lifting handle position. When the dust cover is in the first
dust cover position, the lifting handle is substantially in line
with the dust cover when it is in the first lifting handle
position, while the lifting handle protrudes outward relative to
the body when it is in the second lifting handle position.
[0008] A construction wherein the lifting handle is pivotably
connected to the dust cover, and wherein the dust cover is itself
pivotably connected to the body of the vacuum cleaner, allows the
lifting handle and the dust cover to co-exist in something like a
cross-relationship. The battle for a place to connect to the body
is thereby resolved. The pivot points of the lifting handle may
reside under the dust cover, while the pivot points of the dust
cover may reside under the lifting handle. Accordingly, the pivot
points of the dust cover may for example even be disposed beyond
halfway the body (e.g. in favor of enlargement or better
accessibility of the dust collection chamber), without potentially
pushing aside pivot points of the lifting handle from a position
halfway the body. All pivot points may be arranged close to the
sides of the body to ensure the stability of the lifting handle and
the dust cover. Furthermore, visually, a single straight and narrow
interruption line may extend between the dust cover on the one
hand, and a top surface part of the body and the lifting handle on
the other.
[0009] These and other features and advantages of the invention
will be more fully understood from the following detailed
description of certain embodiments of the invention, taken together
with the accompanying drawings, which are meant to illustrate and
not to limit the invention.
[0010] JP 09 192067 A discloses an electric vacuum cleaner in which
a handle is supported. The electric vacuum cleaner has an electric
fan housing part, a case body with an openable upper part of a dust
collection part, an upper case covering an upper opening of the
electric fan housing part, a lid body openably or closably covering
the upper opening of the dust collection part, a lever which
extends to the side of the upper case from the lid body. The lever
has a pivot part at the tip to support the lid body rotatably with
respect to the upper case and to rotatably support a handle which
has a pair of opposed recess parts.
[0011] JP 11318788 discloses a vacuum cleaner main body
incorporating a motorized blower 3 and a dust collecting chamber 4
communicating with the blower. A cap part of the vacuum cleaner is
rotatably connected to a center portion of the main body. The cap
part is disposed on the upper portion of the dust collecting
chamber.
[0012] JP 11221176 discloses an electric vacuum cleaner including a
motor-driven blower installed inside a body. The vacuum cleaner has
a dust collecting chamber which is in communication with the
blower. The vacuum cleaner has a lid with one end rotatably
connected to the vacuum cleaner. The lid covers the chamber and is
installed on an upper part of the body. Also a grip is installed
whose one end is rotatably connected to the body. The lid serves
for carrying the body. The lid is equipped with a first fitting
part while the grip is equipped with a second fitting part. Grip is
operated by interlocking its rotation with the opening/closing
motion of the lid. Thereby the second fitting part abuts to the
first fitting part to open the lid
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
[0013] FIGS. 1-2 are schematic perspective views of different,
known vacuum cleaners that feature a pivotable dust cover and
lifting handle;
[0014] FIG. 3 is a side view of an exemplary vacuum cleaner
according to the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 4 is a top view of the exemplary vacuum cleaner shown
in FIG. 3;
[0016] FIG. 5 is a side view of the exemplary vacuum cleaner shown
in FIG. 3, having the lifting handle turned towards its second
position;
[0017] FIG. 6 is a side view of the exemplary vacuum cleaner shown
in FIG. 3, having the dust cover turned towards its second
position;
[0018] FIGS. 7-9 are perspective views of the structure that
pivotably connects the lifting handle and the dust cover in the
exemplary vacuum cleaner shown in FIG. 3; and
[0019] FIG. 10 is a schematic illustration of part of the geometry
of the connection between the lifting handle and the dust cover
that enables the lifting handle to pivot freely around the
dustcover, even when both are provided with decorative bands with
straight, opposing edges.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0020] In the drawings, identical reference numbers identify same
or similar elements. Furthermore, to improve drawing legibility,
some elements in a figure may not be labeled in case the respective
elements are clearly recognizable and have already been identified
in one or more preceding figures.
[0021] Reference is first made to FIGS. 1 and 2, which are
schematic perspective views of different, known vacuum cleaners 1.
The FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate known solutions to the problem of
providing a vacuum cleaner with a lifting handle and a dust cover
that are both pivotable around an axis at about halfway the body.
It is understood that a vacuum cleaner 1 typically comprises a hose
2 and/or a tube structure 4 having a nozzle 6 provided at an end
thereof. For reasons of clarity, however, these elements are
depicted only in FIG. 2.
[0022] The vacuum cleaners 1, depicted in an upright position,
comprise a body 8 that is set on wheels. In addition to the visible
rear wheels 10 a third, more forwardly disposed wheel may provided
at a bottom side of the body 8, such that, when the vacuum cleaner
1 is in a working position, it is supported by the three wheels
that enable it to stably move across a level floor. The bodies 8 of
the vacuum cleaners 1 comprise a motor, disposed in the back half
thereof (in the upright orientation: the lower half), and a dust
collection chamber, disposed in the front half of the body (in the
upright orientation: the top half thereof). The dust collection
chamber is covered by a dust cover 12 that is provided with a hose
connection opening 14 to which a hose 2 may be swivelably
connected. Clearly visible in both FIGS. 1 and 2 is the
interruption line 22 in the top face of the body 8, which line
demarcates the pivotable dust cover 12 from a non-pivotable, back
top face part 28. To enable the dust cover 12 to pivot around the
interruption line 22, the hinges of the dust cover are located
below (in the upright orientation: behind) the top face part 28,
less than optimally spaced apart.
[0023] The body 8 of the vacuum cleaner 1 depicted in FIG. 1
features a circumferential, oval structure 16. Said structure 16,
which may also fulfill a bumper function, incorporates two lifting
handles 18, 20. A first lifting handle 18 is rigidly connected to
the body 8, and its primary use it to enable a user to transport
the body in its upright position, e.g. to and from a storage
cabinet. A second lifting handle 20 is pivotably connected to the
body 8. As can be seen clearly, the interruption lines 24, which
signal the split construction of the oval structure to enable the
pivotability of the handle 20, are not in alignment with the
interruption line 22. This is not beneficial to the appearance of
the vacuum cleaner. The same may in fact be said of the entire oval
structure 16, which seems to manifest itself as a separate identity
that is formed on the body 8, and that protrudes from the basic
outer dimensions thereof. The oval structure does, however, allow
the pivot points of the handle 20 to be placed as desired,
irrespective of the size of the dust cover, as the two do not
interfere.
[0024] The lifting handle 20 of the vacuum cleaner 1 depicted in
FIG. 2 may, in contrast to that in FIG. 1, be folded neatly into
close abutment with the back side of the body 8, as shown. However,
to resolve the issue of connecting both of the oppositely pivoting
dust cover 12 and handle 20 to a point about halfway the body, the
vacuum cleaner 1 has been provided with rather bulky hinges 26. The
hinges 26 project outward from the body, and thereby seriously
impair the sleekness of its design.
[0025] Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, which respectively show a
side view and a top view of an exemplary vacuum cleaner 1 according
to the present invention. In FIGS. 3 and 4, the lifting handle 300
is in the first lifting handle position, while the dust cover 200
is in the first dust cover position. Both the lifting handle 300
and the dust cover 200 thus abut the body 8. What may catch the
eye, in particular in comparison to the known vacuum cleaners 1
shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, is the streamlined appearance of the
device. Particularly striking is the single, substantially straight
and narrow interruption line 100 that runs across the width of the
body 8, from flank to flank. Near the flanks, the interruption line
100 bends somewhat, but this is not out of necessity. Instead, the
bend was deliberately applied such that, in a side view, the
interruption line 100 extends perpendicularly to the horizontally
sloping line that separates the body 8 from the handle 300 and the
dust cover 200. The interruption line 100 demarcates the dust cover
200 on the one hand from the lifting handle 300 and another top
face part 28 of the body 8 on the other. At the flanks of the body
8, decorative bands 202, 302 are visible. The first decorative band
202 is part of the dust cover 200, the second decorative band 304
is part of the lifting handle 300. It is understood that the
decorative bands 202, 302 help to hide the actual construction of
the connection between the lifting handle 200 and the dust cover
200 from view. As can be seen well in FIG. 3, the decorative bands
202, 302 join each other, in line, at the interruption line 100,
which line spaces them apart by a narrow margin. The opposing edges
of the decorative bands 202, 302 immediately adjacent to the
interruption line 100 run substantially parallel to each other,
thereby giving the interruption line part of its straight
shape.
[0026] Surprisingly, and despite the fact that the FIGS. 3 and 4
seem to indicate otherwise, the dust cover 200 and the handle 300
are pivotable in opposite directions. This is shown in FIGS. 5 and
6. FIG. 5 shows another side view of the exemplary vacuum cleaner 1
shown in FIG. 3, now with the handle 300 pivoted clockwise towards
its lifting position. As can be seen, the handle 300 can be pivoted
without being hindered by the proximity of the dust cover 200.
Pivoting the dust cover 200 in an anti-clockwise direction is also
possible, as illustrated by FIG. 6. In this case lifting handle 300
backs away a little, which is a result of the fact that the handle
is pivotably connected to the dust cover 200, at a point beyond
that at which the dust cover itself is pivotably connected to the
body 8.
[0027] The construction that pivotably connects the lifting handle
300 and the dust cover 200 together will now be examined in more
detail with reference to FIGS. 7-10. FIGS. 7 and 8 are exploded
perspective views of the relevant parts of the lifting handle 300
and the dust cover 200, while FIG. 9 is a detailed perspective view
of the hinge construction in action. FIG. 10 schematically
illustrates some of the geometry involved.
[0028] As can be seen, the dust cover 200 comprises two dust cover
pivot arms 204. Each of these arms 204 comprises an extremity 206
at which it may be pivotably connected to the body 8. Preferably,
the dust cover pivot arms 204 are connected to the body 8 such that
a distance between the arms measures a dimension, e.g. a width, of
the body. The relatively large separation of the arms 204, and
hence of their pivoting connections, may impart a feel of stability
to the dustcover 200 when it is in its opened position. The lifting
handle 300 comprises two lifting handle pivot arms 304. Each of
these lifting handle pivot arms 304 comprises an extremity 306 at
which it may be pivotably connected to the dust cover 200, more in
particular to a dust cover pivot arm 204. To this end, the dust
cover pivot arms 204 may for example be fitted with a cylindrical
recess 208 in which a pivot pin (not shown) may be receivable. The
pivot pin may also extend through an eye 308 provided in the
extremity 306 of the associated lifting handle pivot arm 304. The
recess 208 is preferably provided in an inner side of the dust
cover pivot arms 204, so as to facilitate hiding the hinging
connection from view. As well illustrated by FIG. 8, a lifting
handle pivot arm 304 may preferably be pivotably connected to a
dust cover pivot arm 204 at a point (i.e. recess 208) beyond that a
which the latter is itself connectable to the body 8 (i.e. at
extremity 206). In addition, the point 208 where the lifting handle
pivot arm 304 connects to the dust cover pivot arm 204 is
preferably located at a longitudinal point of the latter arm that
is provided with the aforementioned decorative band 302. This
allows for a neatly narrow interruption line 100.
[0029] FIG. 10 schematically illustrates in more detail how the
construction of FIGS. 7 and 8 allows the decorative bands 202, 302
to be separated by a narrow, straight split line 100 (cf. FIG. 3)
without impairing their mutual pivotability. In addition to said
decorative bands 202, 302, which are shown in a side view (like in
FIG. 3), FIG. 10 schematically shows the interruption line 100 and
the recess 208 in the dust cover pivot arm 202 (cf. FIG. 8). It is
understood that the decorative band 302 pivots around the center of
the recess 208. To enable such rotation, the depicted distance `b`
must be equal to or larger than the depicted distance `a`. Here `b`
is the perpendicular distance from the straight edge of decorative
band 302 to the center of rotation, while `a` is the distance from
said center to the corner of decorative band 202 around which
decorative band 302 will pass during its rotation. The reason that
the condition b.gtoreq.a must be fulfilled is that `b` is in fact
the shortest distance between the center of rotation and the
decorative band 302. If this distance would be smaller than `a`,
decorative band 302 would inevitably run into the aforementioned
corner of decorative band 202. FIG. 10 makes it clear that, by
making the distance `a` smaller, the distance `b` may be diminished
as well. Practically, this means that moving the recess 208 upwards
(towards the higher horizontal edge of the decorative band 202) may
allow for a narrower interruption line 100. This explains why the
recess 208 is preferably located at a relatively high position,
close to the top edge of the decorative band 302, as can be seen in
FIG. 8.
[0030] Put together, a connection between the lifting handle pivot
arm 304 and a dust cover pivot arm 204 may look like the one shown
in perspective in FIG. 9. As was already visible in FIGS. 7 and 8,
both the lifting handle pivot arm 304 and the dust cover pivot arm
204 may comprise a number of spaced apart, substantially parallel
plate members 212, 312. The number of plate members 212, 312 may
vary per embodiment. In FIG. 9, a middle one of the three
protruding plate members 312 provided on the lifting handle pivot
arm 304 is receivable in a recess between the two plate members 212
of the dust cover pivot arm 204 to improve the stability of the
connection. To the same end, the plate members 212, 312 provided on
both arms 204, 304 are arranged such that they interlock (i.e. the
plate members of the lifting handle pivot arm 304 interlock with
the plate members of the dust cover pivot arm 204). In an
embodiment of the vacuum cleaner, the middle one of the plate
members 312 may be provided with a stop 314 that is disposed such
that it engages an edge of the recess between the two plate members
212 when the lifting handle 300 is in its second lifting handle
position (as shown in FIG. 9). This allows the lifting handle 300
to be fixed in its raised position. As the plate members 212, 312
are typically flexible, a little force may suffice to move the
lifting handle 300 back into its first position.
[0031] Although illustrative embodiments of the present invention
have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, it
is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these
embodiments. Variations to the disclosed embodiments can be
understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing
the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the
disclosure, and the appended claims. Reference throughout this
specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a
particular feature, structure or characteristic described in
connection with the embodiment is included in at least one
embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearances of the
phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places
throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to
the same embodiment. Furthermore, it is noted that the particular
features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any
suitable manner in one or more embodiments.
* * * * *