Panasonic Corporation of North America

Matsushita Electric Corporation of America

Eric E Muhlenkamp

Jeffrey T Roney

Danielle M Hafling

Joseph Blue Wofford

Joe M Reynolds

A floor cleaning apparatus includes a body having a suction inlet and an exhaust outlet. A dirt collection vessel and a suction generator are both carried on the body. The suction generator moves an airstream through the suction inlet, the dirt collection vessel and the exhaust outlet. A filter drawer is carried on the body. A filter stop on the body aligns a filter in the filter drawer with an airstream port on the body as the filter drawer is moved from a fully opened toward a fully closed position.

Floor cleaning apparatus with filter drawer

A floor care apparatus includes a body having a nozzle assembly and a canister assembly. A suction generator and a dirt collection vessel are carried on that body. The floor care apparatus also includes a control handle, a swivel assembly and a swivel lock.

Canister vacuum cleaner incorporating a control handle and nozzle assembly with upright swivel lock

A floor cleaning apparatus includes a housing having a nozzle assembly and a canister assembly. The nozzle assembly includes a suction inlet. Both a suction generator and a dirt collection assembly are carried on the housing. The dirt collection assembly includes a dirt cup, a shroud concentrically received within the dirt collection chamber defined by the dirt cup and at least one rib projecting from the shroud toward the bottom wall of the dirt cup. The rib is positioned so as to reduce air turbulence in the dirt collection chamber between an airflow guide on the shroud and the bottom wall of the dirt cup.

Dirt cup assembly with a pre-filter having a plurality of ribs

A floor care apparatus includes a telescoping handle stalk and a handle adjustment mechanism. The handle adjustment mechanism includes a control switch, an adjustment block, a linkage connecting the control switch and adjustment block and a locking pin for securing the handle stalk in a selected position.

Floor care apparatus with telescoping handle stalk

A nozzle assembly housing includes a first wall, a second wall and an access opening in those walls. A locking tab receiver is provided on the first wall adjacent the access opening. A notch is provided on the second wall adjacent the access opening. Finally, a separate, removable panel closes the access opening. That panel includes a locking tab on a first edge that engages the locking tab receiver and a hinge lug on a second edge that is pivotally received in the notch.

Nozzle assembly housing for vacuum cleaner

An agitator includes a high strength, continuous metal axle, a pulley held on one end of the metal axle and a sleeve of lightweight plastic material received over the axle. The agitator is manufactured by molding a pulley body onto an underlying metal support or D-nut, fitting an axle into the pulley, molding a sleeve around the axle and securing a cleaning structure on the sleeve.

Agitator construction

An agitator includes an axle, a pulley having a hub mounted to the axle and a belt receiving face having at least one lengthwise channel and a sleeve of molded material received over the axle and in the at least one lengthwise channel. A method of constructing an agitator from an axle and pulley includes the fitting of the axle into the pulley, the injecting of plastic resin into one end of the agitator forming mold on a first side of the pulley and the directing of plastic through at least one channel in the pulley to a second side of the pulley.

Agitator for vacuum cleaner/extractor

A two-piece caddy and vacuum cleaner accessory assembly is provided. The caddy includes first and second body sections that are connected together without the use of a separate independent fastener. The first body section includes first, second and third accessory receptacles. The second body section includes first, second and third accessory engaging clips. The receptacles and clips function to hold various vacuum cleaner tools and accessories such as an extension hose, a wand, a crevice cleaning tool and a nozzle brush.

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Lexington, KY, United States of America

Eric E Muhlenkamp