Black Decker Inc.

Stanley Black Decker, Inc.

Barry Pears

Martyn Riley

Stephen Andrew Houghton

David Rowntree

David Thomas Barker

Andrew Walker

Eric Coburn

Danny Bone

Derek Muir

Eric Cockburn

Cheung Wun Yau

Daniel W K Hong

David Roundtree

David Barker

A steam cleaning apparatus comprising: a main body having a boiler and a pump; a main power switch; a cleaning head coupled to a main body through a joint; a yoke in the main body or the cleaning head, the yoke having an arm contacting a position sensitive switch so that when the main body is in a non-use position, the position sensitive switch prevents the main switch from supplying power, and when the main body is in an in-use position, the position sensitive switch allows the main switch to provide power.

Steam cleaning apparatus

A steam cleaning apparatus including a main body having a main switch, a steam cleaning head coupled to the main body, and a position sensitive switch having a first state when the steam apparatus is in a substantially vertical storage position and a second state when the steam cleaning apparatus is in a tilted, cleaning position, the position sensitive switch being connected in electrical series with the main switch such that when the position-sensitive switch is in the first state the position-sensitive switch interrupts the flow of electrical current from the main switch and when the position-sensitive switch is in the second state, electrical power is supplied by the main switch.

A vacuum cleanerhaving a housinghaving an inletand an outletis disclosed. Actuation of a motorcauses a fan to displace air out of outlet, and the resulting suction upstream of the fan draws dirty air through inletand inwardly through walls of filter element. In order to clean the filter element, the user lifts lidby means of gripping portion, and then removes filter elementand dirt collection chamber. Because the central portion of the dirt collection chamberis raised, dirt trapped on the outer surface of filter elementhas a tendency to fall into trough regionsand avoids falling into outlet. If the motorshould accidentally be actuated when the filter elementis removed, the opening provided by opened lidis nearer to outletthan inlet, as a result of which relatively clean air from the atmosphere passes into recessin preference to dirty air from the inlet, thus minimizing the risk of the motorbeing damaged by dirt.

Air inlet for a vacuum cleaner

The present invention provides an upright vacuum cleaner () having an elongate body () and comprising a floorhead () on which the elongate body is mounted, the floorhead () having a first inlet () for dirty air, a wand having a second inlet for dirty air, a changeover valve () for selecting between a flow of dirty air from the first or second inlet, a dust collection chamber () also having a dirty air inlet (), a duct () for conveying said flow of dirty air from the changeover valve () to the dust collection chamber inlet (), and a source of suction power for drawing the dirty air from the first or second inlet through said changeover valve () and said duct () to the dust collection chamber inlet (). The changeover valve () comprises a linear conduit () positionable in fluid flow between the first inlet () for dirty air of the floorhead () and said duct (), the duct () having a sigmoid curve () from the changeover valve () to the dust collection chamber inlet (). When the conduit () is positioned in fluid flow between the first inlet () and the duct (), the flow of dirty air from the first inlet (), through the changeover valve () and the duct () to the dust collection chamber inlet () all lies in a plane.

Upright vacuum cleaners

The present invention provides a vacuum cleaner having an inlet () for dirty air, an outlet () for clean air, and a filter () located in fluid communication between the inlet and the outlet. A motor drives a fan for moving air into the inlet and through the filter to the outlet. A filter cleaning mechanism for removing dirt from the filter is provided and is operatively associated with an on/off switch for the fan motor or alternatively a separate user-operated switch, whereby operation of the switch results in operation of the filler cleaning mechanism.

Vacuum cleaner filter cleaning mechanisms

The present invention provides an airflow control mechanism comprising a conduit for air having an inlet located at a first end thereof and an outlet located at a second end thereof; a first opening formed in a side of said conduit and able to provide a secondary inlet thereto; a movable collar at least partially surrounding said conduit at a location alignable with said first opening, such that said collar is able to at least partially occlude said first opening; further comprising a second opening beside the first opening as part of the secondary inlet, wherein the collar is also alignable with the second opening, such that the collar is able to at least partially occlude the second opening at the same time as the first opening. Thus with this airflow control mechanism, a user may select whether to occlude both the first and the second openings, in which case air will pass directly from the inlet to the outlet without any air also entering through the secondary inlet, or to occlude neither the first and second openings, in which case air entering the secondary inlet will contribute to the total amount of air exiting the outlet, or to occlude just one of the first and second openings, in which case, a fixed amount of air which is less than the secondary inlet being fully open, but more than the secondary inlet being fully closed, will enter through the secondary inlet and contribute to the total amount of air exiting the outlet. Thus the user will be provided with a highly predictable and repeatable setting for the airflow control mechanism between the fully open and fully closed positions of the secondary inlet.

Airflow control mechanism

A mounting devicefor mounting accessoriesof a vacuum cleaner to an elongate tubeof the vacuum cleaner for storage is disclosed. The devicecomprises a collarfor mounting to the elongate tubeand a body portionhas open ends for accommodating accessoriesfor storage. The devicealso includes a latching portionfor releasably mounting the device to a housing of the vacuum cleaner.

Mounting device for vacuum cleaner accessory

A dual filter arrangement for a vacuum cleaner for filtering particles of dust and debris from an airflow passing through the vacuum cleaner. The dual filter comprises a coarse pre-filter having an array of pores formed therein of substantially uniform diameter and a fine primary filter which is located rearwardly of the pre-filter in the direction of flow of the airflow. The dual filter is releasably latched to a main housing portion of the vacuum cleaner housing. A nose cone is removably secured to the housing and circumscribes the dual filter assembly. The dual filter enables even more efficient filtering of contaminants from dust and dirt entrained air ingested by the vacuum cleaner. Attachment of the dual filter to the main housing portion provides the additional advantage of increasing the capacity of the nose cone and eliminating the need for the user to handle the dual filter assembly when emptying contaminants collected within the nose cone. A unique seal arrangement provides a substantially airtight seal between the dual filter system and the main housing to which it is secured.

Dual filter vacuum cleaner apparatus

A vacuum cleanerhaving a housinghaving an inletand an outletis disclosed. Actuation of a motorcauses a fan to displace air out of outlet, and the resulting suction upstream of the fan draws dirty air through inletand inwardly through walls of filter unit. Air from filter unitpasses along a duct to the motorand fan. The housingis formed from a first housing part defining a recess, and the recess is then closed by means of a closure memberto define the duct between the filter unitand the motor

Vacuum cleaner

A cleaning tool having a clamp-on handle assembly. The clamp-on handle assembly includes a slidable locking element which can be moved from an open position, wherein the handle assembly can be placed over a handle portion of the cleaning tool, to a locked position wherein the locking element clamps the handle assembly securely onto the handle portion of the cleaning tool. Advantageously, no external tools or fastening implements are required to secure the handle assembly to the handle portion of the cleaning tool. The handling assembly allows the user to use the cleaning tool to reach elevated areas or other areas that would be difficult to reach with the user holding directly onto the handle portion of the cleaning tool.

Motorized hand held cleaning tool with clamp on extension handle

A multi-operational battery powered vacuum cleaner () comprising a hand held vacuum cleaner () releasably mounted within a caddy () which has a detachable handle () and a floor engaging head (). The hand held unit () may be released from the caddy to be used in a first hand held operation. It may alternatively be mounted within the caddy with the handle attached for use as an upright vacuum cleaner in a second operational mode. In a third operational mode the handle () may be removed from the caddy while the hand held unit remains mounted in the caddy to provide a compact vacuum cleaner system with a floor engaging head (). The cleaner further comprises a first spring biased latch member () mounted within the caddy () to releasably restrain the hand held unit therein A second latch member () is mounted within the handle () for releasably connecting the handle to the caddy ().

Growing community of inventors

Langley Moor, United Kingdom

Barry Pears