Vacuum cleaner dustcup and conduit construction

Abstract

An upright vacuum cleaner having a housing with a handle at an upper end and a base at the bottom end. The base is pivotally attached to the housing and has a floor inlet nozzle facing generally downwardly from it. A dustcup assembly is associated with at least one of the housing and the base, and includes a sidewall defining an interior space having an open top end and a bottom end, a bottom wall extending across the bottom end and having a dustcup outlet therethrough, a dustcup inlet, a dustcup lid adapted to selectively cover the open top, and a fluid conduit formed separately from the bottom wall and attached to the bottom wall at the dustcup outlet. The fluid conduit extends into the interior space defined by the sidewall. The vacuum cleaner also has a vacuum source associated with at least one of the housing and the base. The vacuum source is adapted to create a working air flow that enters the floor inlet nozzle, passes into the dustcup assembly through the dustcup inlet, and exits the dustcup assembly through the dustcup outlet.

1 . An upright vacuum cleaner comprising: 
 a housing having an upper housing end and a lower housing end;    a handle associated with the upper housing end;    a base pivotally attached to the lower housing end, the base comprising a floor inlet nozzle facing generally downwardly therefrom;    a dustcup assembly associated with at least one of the housing and the base, the dustcup assembly comprising: 
 a sidewall defining an interior space having an open top end and a bottom end,  
 a bottom wall extending across the bottom end and having a dustcup outlet therethrough,  
 a dustcup inlet,  
 a dustcup lid adapted to selectively cover the open top, and  
 a fluid conduit formed separately from the bottom wall and attached to the bottom wall at the dustcup outlet, the fluid conduit extending into the interior space defined by the sidewall; and  
   a vacuum source associated with at least one of the housing and the base, the vacuum source being adapted to create a working air flow that enters the floor inlet nozzle, passes into the dustcup assembly through the dustcup inlet, and exits the dustcup assembly through the dustcup outlet.    
   
   
       2 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid conduit is attached to the bottom wall by one or more screws.  
   
   
       3 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid conduit is attached to the bottom wall by a rotating cam lock arrangement.  
   
   
       4 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid conduit is attached to the bottom wall by one or more flexible latching tabs.  
   
   
       5 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid conduit is attached to the bottom wall by snap-fit engagement.  
   
   
       6 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid conduit is attached to the bottom wall by an interference fit.  
   
   
       7 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid conduit is attached to the bottom wall by bayonet fittings.  
   
   
       8 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid conduit is attached to the bottom wall by a fastening ring.  
   
   
       9 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , further comprising a gasket interposed between the fluid conduit and the bottom wall.  
   
   
       10 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid conduit comprises an airfoil cross-section.  
   
   
       11 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid conduit comprises one or more integrally formed contours to assist with dust separation.  
   
   
       12 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid conduit comprises one or more integrally formed airflow deflectors.  
   
   
       13 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the bottom wall comprises at least one additional dustcup outlet, and the dustcup assembly comprises at least one additional fluid conduit attached to the bottom wall at the at additional dustcup outlet and extending into the interior space defined by the sidewall.  
   
   
       14 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid conduit comprises a first section having a first geometric profile, and a second section having a second geometric profile, the second geometric profile being different from the first geometric profile.  
   
   
       15 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the dustcup assembly is adapted to be releasably attached to the housing, and the dustcup lid is formed by the housing.  
   
   
       16 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the dustcup assembly is adapted to be releasably attached to the housing, and the dustcup lid is a separate part that is removable with the dustcup assembly from the housing.  
   
   
       17 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the dustcup inlet enters the interior space defined by the sidewall through the lid.  
   
   
       18 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the dustcup inlet enters the interior space defined by the sidewall through the sidewall.  
   
   
       19 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid conduit is releasably attached to the bottom wall.  
   
   
       20 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid conduit is not releasably attached to the bottom wall.  
   
   
       21 . A vacuum cleaner comprising: 
 a housing;    one or more air inlet nozzles associated with the housing;    a dustcup assembly associated with the housing, the dustcup assembly comprising: 
 a sidewall defining an interior space having an open top end and a bottom end,  
 a bottom wall extending across the bottom end and having a dustcup outlet therethrough,  
 a dustcup inlet,  
 a dustcup lid adapted to selectively cover the open top, and  
 a fluid conduit formed separately from the bottom wall and releasably attached to the bottom wall at the dustcup outlet, the fluid conduit extending into the interior space defined by the sidewall; and  
   a vacuum source associated with the housing, the vacuum source being adapted to create a working air flow that enters the one or more inlet nozzles, passes into the dustcup assembly through the dustcup inlet, and exits the dustcup assembly through the dustcup outlet.    
   
   
       22 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 21 , wherein the fluid conduit is attached to the bottom wall by one or more of the following devices: one or more screws, a rotating cam lock arrangement, one or more flexible latching tabs, snap-fitting members, interference fitting members, bayonet fittings, a fastening ring.  
   
   
       23 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 21 , further comprising a gasket interposed between the fluid conduit and the bottom wall.  
   
   
       24 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 21 , wherein the fluid conduit comprises an airfoil cross-section.  
   
   
       25 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 21 , wherein the fluid conduit comprises one or more integrally formed contours to assist with dust separation.  
   
   
       26 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 21 , wherein the fluid conduit comprises one or more integrally formed airflow deflectors.  
   
   
       27 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 21 , wherein the bottom wall comprises at least one additional dustcup outlet, and the dustcup assembly comprises at least one additional fluid conduit attached to the bottom wall at the at additional dustcup outlet and extending into the interior space defined by the sidewall.  
   
   
       28 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 21 , wherein the fluid conduit comprises a first section having a first geometric profile, and a second section having a second geometric profile, the second geometric profile being different from the first geometric profile.  
   
   
       29 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 21 , wherein the dustcup assembly is adapted to be releasably attached to the housing, and the dustcup lid is formed by the housing.  
   
   
       30 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 21 , wherein the dustcup assembly is adapted to be releasably attached to the housing, and the dustcup lid is a separate part that is removable with the dustcup assembly from the housing.  
   
   
       31 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 21 , wherein the dustcup inlet enters the interior space defined by the sidewall through the lid.  
   
   
       32 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 21 , wherein the dustcup inlet enters the interior space defined by the sidewall through the sidewall.  
   
   
       33 . A vacuum cleaner comprising: 
 a housing;    one or more air inlet nozzles associated with the housing;    a dustcup assembly associated with the housing, the dustcup assembly comprising: 
 a sidewall defining an interior space having an open top end and a bottom end,  
 a bottom wall extending across the bottom end and having a dustcup outlet therethrough,  
 a dustcup inlet,  
 a dustcup lid adapted to selectively cover the open top, and  
 a fluid conduit attached to the bottom wall at the dustcup outlet, the fluid conduit extending into the interior space defined by the sidewall,  
 wherein the fluid conduit and at least a portion of the bottom wall form a combined conduit/bottom wall part that is formed separately from the sidewall and attached thereto; and  
   a vacuum source associated with the housing, the vacuum source being adapted to create a working air flow that enters the one or more inlet nozzles, passes into the dustcup assembly through the dustcup inlet, and exits the dustcup assembly through the dustcup outlet.    
   
   
       34 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 33 , wherein the combined conduit/bottom wall part is removably attached to the sidewall by a fastener that does not comprise threads formed on the combined conduit/bottom wall part itself.  
   
   
       35 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 33 , wherein the combined conduit/bottom wall part is attached to the sidewall by one or more screws.  
   
   
       36 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 33 , wherein the combined conduit/bottom wall part is attached to the sidewall by a rotating cam lock arrangement.  
   
   
       37 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 33 , wherein the combined conduit/bottom wall part is attached to the sidewall by one or more flexible latching tabs.  
   
   
       38 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 33 , wherein the combined conduit/bottom wall part is attached to the sidewall by snap-fit engagement.  
   
   
       39 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 33 , wherein the combined conduit/bottom wall part is attached to the sidewall by an interference fit.  
   
   
       40 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 33 , wherein the combined conduit/bottom wall part is attached to the sidewall by bayonet fittings.  
   
   
       41 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 33 , wherein the combined conduit/bottom wall part is attached to the sidewall by a fastening ring.  
   
   
       42 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 33 , further comprising a gasket interposed between the combined conduit/bottom wall part and the sidewall.  
   
   
       43 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 33 , wherein the combined conduit/bottom wall part is releasably attached to the sidewall.  
   
   
       44 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 33 , wherein the combined conduit/bottom wall part is not releasably attached to the sidewall.