Upright vacuum cleaner incorporating telescopic wand assembly

Abstract

A floor cleaning apparatus includes a housing having a nozzle assembly and a canister assembly. The canister assembly is pivotally connected to the nozzle assembly. Both a suction generator and dirt collection vessel are carried on the housing. The apparatus also includes a telescopic wand assembly having a first end equipped with an operator handle and a second end incorporating an airstream inlet. A wand assembly coupler is provided on the housing. The wand assembly coupler receives and holds the second end of the telescopic wand assembly. A flexible hose is connected to the first end of the telescopic wand assembly and provides fluid communication between the wand assembly and the dirt collection vessel and suction generator. The telescopic wand assembly is displaceable between a floor cleaning position wherein the second end of the wand assembly is held in the coupler and a specialty cleaning position wherein the second end is released from the coupler.

1 . A floor cleaning apparatus, comprising: 
 a housing including a nozzle assembly and a canister assembly pivotally connected to said nozzle assembly;    a suction generator carried on said housing;    a dirt collection vessel carried on said housing;    a telescopic wand assembly having a first end equipped with an operator handle and a second end incorporating an airstream inlet;    a wand assembly coupler on said housing receiving and holding said second end of said telescopic wand assembly; and    a flexible hose connected to said first end of said telescopic wand assembly and providing fluid communication between said telescopic wand assembly and said dirt collection vessel and suction generator;    wherein said telescopic wand assembly is displaceable between a floor cleaning position wherein said second end of said telescopic wand assembly is held in said coupler and a specialty cleaning position wherein said second end is released from said coupler.    
   
   
       2 . The floor cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said telescopic wand assembly includes a first wand section and a second wand section forming a telescoping air path.  
   
   
       3 . The floor cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said nozzle assembly includes a suction inlet and carries at least one rotary agitator adjacent said suction inlet.  
   
   
       4 . The floor cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said dirt collection vessel is a filter bag.  
   
   
       5 . The floor cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said dirt collection vessel is a dirt cup.  
   
   
       6 . The floor cleaning apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein said dirt cup is cylindrical in shape and includes a tangentially directed inlet.  
   
   
       7 . The floor cleaning apparatus of  claim 2 , further including a wand lock for securing said first wand section together with said second wand section.  
   
   
       8 . The floor cleaning apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein said nozzle assembly includes a suction inlet and carries at least one rotary agitator adjacent said suction inlet.  
   
   
       9 . The floor cleaning apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein said dirt collection vessel is a filter bag.  
   
   
       10 . The floor cleaning apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein said dirt collection vessel is a dirt cup.  
   
   
       11 . The floor cleaning apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein said dirt cup is cylindrical in shape and includes a tangentially directed inlet.  
   
   
       12 . The floor cleaning apparatus of  claim 6 , further including a first filter in said dirt cup.  
   
   
       13 . The floor cleaning apparatus of  claim 12 , further including a second filter downstream from said suction generator.