Flow control valve system for an upright vacuum cleaner with a cleaning hose

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner having a cleaning head engagable with a floor and a first suction nozzle and a brush roller mounted therein; a housing connected to the cleaning head, the housing having a dirt storage container and a first passageway leading from the cleaning head to the storage container; a cleaning hose having an at least partially flexible second passageway in communication with the first passageway and having a second suction nozzle at one end; a suction motor mounted in the housing and operatively associated with the storage container for drawing dirt laden air from the cleaning head through the first passageway and from the hose through the second passageway, into the storage container; a flow control valve having a generally cylindrical body mounted for rotation in the housing with one end of the cylindrical body having an opening in constant communication with the suction motor, a first opening in a side portion of the cylindrical body which can be brought into and out of alignment with the first passageway upon rotation of the cylindrical body, a second opening in another side portion of the cylindrical body offset circumferentially from the first opening and which can be brought into and out of alignment with the second passageway upon rotation of the cylindrical body, the first and second openings being in constant communication with the opening in the end of the cylindrical body and the suction motor, and the first opening being sealed off from the first passageway upon rotation of the valve so that the second opening is in communication with the second passageway and the second opening being sealed off from the second passageway when the valve is rotated so that the first opening is in communication with the first passageway.

1 . A vacuum cleaner, comprising: 
 a cleaning head engagable with a floor and having a first suction nozzle and a brush roller mounted therein;    a housing connected to the cleaning head, the housing having a dirt storage container and a first passageway leading from the cleaning head to the storage container;    a cleaning hose having an at least partially flexible second passageway in communication with the first passageway and having a second suction nozzle at one end thereof;    a suction motor mounted in the housing and operatively associated with the storage container for drawing dirt laden air from the cleaning head through the first passageway and from the hose through the second passageway, into the storage container;    a flow control valve having a generally cylindrical body mounted for rotation in the housing with one end of the cylindrical body having an opening in constant communication with the suction motor, a first opening in a side portion of the cylindrical body which can be brought into and out of alignment with the first passageway upon rotation of the cylindrical body, a second opening in another side portion of the cylindrical body offset circumferentially from the first opening and which can be brought into and out of alignment with the second passageway upon rotation of the cylindrical body, the first and second openings being in constant communication with the opening in the end of the cylindrical body and the suction motor, and the first opening being sealed off from the first passageway upon rotation of the valve so that the second opening is in communication with the second passageway and the second opening being sealed off from the second passageway when the valve is rotated so that the first opening is in communication with the first passageway.    
   
   
       2 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein the flow control valve is manually operable.  
   
   
       3 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 2  wherein the cylindrical body of the flow control valve is disposed in an upper portion of the vacuum cleaner housing.  
   
   
       4 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 3  wherein the cylindrical body of the flow control valve includes a larger cylindrical portion and a smaller cylindrical portion with the first passageway being in the larger portion and the second passageway being in the smaller portion.  
   
   
       5 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 2  wherein a grip is mounted to the cylindrical body adjacent the vacuum cleaner housing for manual rotation of the handle and cylindrical body.  
   
   
       6 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 5  wherein a drive motor is mounted in the cleaning head for rotating the brush roller and a first switch operatively associated with the drive motor for turning it on and off is mounted adjacent the flow control valve cylindrical body and is engagable by the cylindrical body when the cylindrical body is moved to where the second opening is aligned with the second passageway such that the switch turns the drive motor off when the cylindrical body is in that position.  
   
   
       7 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 6  wherein the cylindrical body includes an extension which engages the switch to turn off the motor associated with the brush roller.  
   
   
       8 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 6  including: 
 the housing having a handle for moving the vacuum cleaner along the floor during floor cleaning use and the housing being pivotally connected to the cleaning head for movement between a substantially vertical position and some other position;    a second switch mounted in either the housing or the cleaning head and engagable by a lever mounted in the other of the housing or cleaning head when the housing is moved to the substantially vertical position, the second switch being operatively connected to the drive motor so that when it is engaged by the lever it turns the drive motor off if it is on and when the lever is not engaged with the switch the drive motor may be activated.    
   
   
       9 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 8 , including: 
 a main switch mounted on the handle and being manually actuated for turning off the drive motor if it is on and for allowing the drive motor to be activated.    
   
   
       10 . A vacuum cleaner, comprising: 
 a cleaning head engagable with a floor and having a first suction nozzle and a brush roller mounted therein;    a housing connected to the cleaning head, the housing having a dirt storage container and a first passageway leading from the cleaning head to the storage container;    a cleaning hose having an at least partially flexible second passageway in communication with the first passageway and having a second suction nozzle at one end thereof;    a suction motor mounted in the housing and operatively associated with the storage container for drawing dirt laden air from the cleaning head through the first passageway and from the hose through the second passageway, into the storage container;    a flow control valve including a cylinder having a central passageway therethrough the cylinder being mounted for rotation in the housing with one end of the cylinder being open with the opening being in constant communication with the suction motor and the central passageway, a first opening in a side portion of the cylinder in communication with the central passageway and which can be brought into and out of alignment with the first passageway upon rotation of the cylinder, a second opening in another side portion of the cylinder offset circumferentially from the first opening and also in communication with the central passageway and which can be brought into and out of alignment with the second passageway upon rotation of the cylinder, and the first opening being sealed off from the first passageway upon rotation of the valve so that the second opening is in communication with the second passageway and the second opening being sealed off from the second passageway when the valve is rotated so that the first opening is in communication with the first passageway.    
   
   
       11 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 10  wherein the flow control valve is manually operable.  
   
   
       12 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 11  wherein the cylinder of the flow control valve is disposed in an upper portion of the vacuum cleaner housing.  
   
   
       13 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 12  wherein the cylinder of the flow control valve includes a larger portion and a smaller portion with the first passageway being in the larger portion and the second passageway being in the smaller portion.  
   
   
       14 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 11  wherein a handle is mounted to the cylinder adjacent the vacuum cleaner housing for manual rotation of the handle and cylinder.  
   
   
       15 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 14  wherein a drive motor is mounted in the cleaning head for rotating the brush roller and a first switch operatively associated with the drive motor for turning it on and off is mounted adjacent the flow control valve cylinder and is engagable by the cylinder when the cylinder is moved to where the second opening is aligned with the second passageway such that the switch turns the drive motor off when the cylinder is in that position.  
   
   
       16 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 15  wherein the cylinder includes an extension which engages the switch to turn off the motor associated with the brush roller.  
   
   
       17 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 15  including: 
 the housing having a handle for moving the vacuum cleaner along the floor during floor cleaning use and the housing being pivotally connected to the cleaning head for movement between a substantially vertical position and some other position;    a second switch mounted in either the housing or the cleaning head and engagable by a lever mounted in the other of the housing or cleaning head when the housing is moved to the substantially vertical position, the second switch being operatively connected to the drive motor so that when it is engaged by the lever it turns the drive motor off if it is on and when the lever is not engaged with the switch the drive motor may be activated.    
   
   
       18 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 17 , including: 
 a main switch mounted on the handle and being manually actuated for turning off the drive motor if it is on and for allowing the drive motor to be activated.