Panasonic Corporation of North America

Chad D Overvaag

James Todd Crouch

Ronald E Davis

Robert M Mayes

A vacuum cleaner includes a housing having a filter bag cavity. A suction generator and a bag mount are both carried on the housing. Additionally, the vacuum cleaner includes a bag caddy that is displaceable between an operating position connected to the bag mount and a bag disposal position disconnected from the bag mount.

Vacuum cleaner equipped with bag mount and separate bag caddy

A floor cleaning apparatus includes a housing, a dirt collector, a suction generator, a wand, a hose, a light source, a light director and a light transmitter. The light source is provided on the apparatus at a first point while the light director is provided on the apparatus at a second point remote from the first point. The light transmitter extends between the first and second points. The light source, transmitter and director all function together to direct light from the light source past the wand onto a work area to be cleaned.

Lighted wand assembly with remote light source

A vacuum cleaner includes a housing, a nozzle inlet, a suction generator, a dirt cup and a filter assembly. The suction generator, dirt cup and filter assembly are all carried on the housing. The dirt cup includes an inlet and an outlet that provide fluid communication between the nozzle inlet, the dirt cup and the suction generator. The filter assembly is also provided in fluid communication with the nozzle inlet, the suction generator and the dirt cup. The filter assembly includes a filter holder displaceable between an open position and a closed position and a filter element that is held in the filter holder.

Vacuum cleaner equipped with dirt cup and separate filter drawer

A vacuum cleaner is provided including a housing, a nozzle inlet, a suction generator carried on the housing and a dust box carried on the housing. Additionally, a partition is provided dividing the dust box into a coarse particle dirt collecting chamber and a fine particle filtering chamber. Further, a filter assembly including a support frame and a filter element is provided. The support frame holds the filter element in the filtering chamber.

Bagless dust box for vacuum cleaner

A floor care apparatus has a handle, connected to a hose, that pivots about an axis substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of a terminal end of the hose. In this manner, the hose experiences less mechanical stress during use and, when embodied on a canister vacuum cleaner, a nozzle assembly connected to the handle has less tendency to tip over. Preferably, the hose has a cuff mounted at the terminal end with a hose insert therein. The hose insert has two stub shafts on opposing sides of an opening that form a journal defining the handle pivoting axis. The handle has two mating sections that clamshell about the journal and pinch it in place. Each mating section has a bearing surface for receipt of the journal and, when embodied as a cylinder, terminal ends of the journal become inserted therein.

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Danville, KY, United States of America

Chad D Overvaag