US2007163075A1PendingUtilityA1

Stair cleaning vacuum cleaner

48
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Jan 17, 2006Filed: Jan 17, 2006Published: Jul 19, 2007
Est. expiryJan 17, 2026(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Dennis ButlerApollo Paul Paredes
A47L 9/0488A47L 9/04A47L 9/02A47L 9/325
48
PatentIndex Score
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Cited by
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References
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Claims

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner having a generally elongated housing having a first housing end and a second housing end, a rear grip located at the first housing end, and an air inlet located at the second housing end. A vacuum fan and a motor are located within the housing and the motor is adapted to drive the vacuum fan to draw a working air flow into the air inlet. A dirt receptacle is operatively associated with the housing and adapted to remove particles from the working air flow. The vacuum cleaner also includes one or more foregrips located on the housing between the rear grip and the air inlet. In various aspects, the foregrips are adapted to: provide a user with multiple hand positions around the perimeter of the housing; simultaneously grasp the rear grip and the one or more foregrips and clean staircase surfaces while remaining substantially upright; and/or hold and operate the vacuum cleaner when the housing is rotated about its longitudinal axis at a first angular position and at a second angular position, the first angular position being approximately 90 degrees or more from the second angular position.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 . A vacuum cleaner comprising: 
 a generally elongated housing having a first housing end and a second housing end;    a rear grip located at the first housing end;    an air inlet located at the second housing end;    a vacuum fan located within the housing;    a motor located within the housing and adapted to drive the vacuum fan to draw a working air flow into the air inlet;    a dirt receptacle operatively associated with the housing and adapted to remove particles from the working air flow; and    one or more foregrips located on the housing between the rear grip and the air inlet, the one or more foregrips being adapted to provide a user with multiple hand positions around the perimeter of the housing.    
   
   
       2 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the rear grip is movable with respect to the housing.  
   
   
       3 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the rear grip is attached to the housing by a telescoping grip member.  
   
   
       4 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the air inlet is attached to the housing by a telescoping inlet member.  
   
   
       5 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the rear grip is attached to the housing by a telescoping grip member, and the air inlet is attached to the housing by a telescoping inlet member.  
   
   
       6 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the rear grip comprises a loop.  
   
   
       7 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 6 , further comprising a protrusion extending into the loop, and a power switch disposed on the protrusion.  
   
   
       8 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the dirt receptacle comprises a dust bag.  
   
   
       9 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the dirt receptacle comprises a filter.  
   
   
       10 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the dirt receptacle comprises a cyclone separator.  
   
   
       11 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the dirt receptacle forms structural portion of housing, and the air inlet is attached to dirt receptacle.  
   
   
       12 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the dirt receptacle is selectively positionable in a pocket formed in the housing.  
   
   
       13 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more foregrips comprise a loop that extends around the housing.  
   
   
       14 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 13 , wherein the loop extends entirely around the housing.  
   
   
       15 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 13 , wherein the housing comprises one or more depressions located radially inward of the loop.  
   
   
       16 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more foregrips comprise at least one grip protruding radially from the housing.  
   
   
       17 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more foregrips are movable with respect to housing.  
   
   
       18 . A vacuum cleaner comprising: 
 a generally elongated housing having a first housing end and a second housing end;    a rear grip located at the first housing end;    an air inlet located at the second housing end;    a vacuum fan located within the housing;    a motor located within the housing and adapted to drive the vacuum fan to draw a working air flow into the air inlet;    a dirt receptacle operatively associated with the housing and adapted to remove particles from the working air flow; and    one or more foregrips located on the housing between the rear grip and the air inlet, the one or more foregrips being positioned to allow a typical user to simultaneously grasp the rear grip and the one or more foregrips and clean staircase surfaces while remaining substantially upright.    
   
   
       19 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 18 , wherein the distance between a distal end of the rear grip and a distal end of the air inlet is about 20 inches to about 30 inches.  
   
   
       20 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 18 , wherein the distance between a rearmost graspable portion of the rear grip and at least one of the one or more foregrips is about 10 inches to about 14 inches.  
   
   
       21 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 18 , wherein the distance between at least one of the one or more foregrips and the air inlet is about 14 inches to about 16 inches.  
   
   
       22 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 18 , wherein the motor is positioned between the rear grip and the one or more foregrips.  
   
   
       23 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 18 , wherein the dirt receptacle is positioned between the one or more foregrips and the air inlet.  
   
   
       24 . A vacuum cleaner comprising: 
 a generally elongated housing having a longitudinal axis, a first housing end, and a second housing end;    a rear grip located at the first housing end;    an air inlet located at the second housing end;    a vacuum fan located within the housing;    a motor located within the housing and adapted to drive the vacuum fan to draw a working air flow into the air inlet;    a dirt receptacle operatively associated with the housing and adapted to remove particles from the working air flow; and    one or more foregrips located on the housing between the rear grip and the air inlet, the one or more foregrips being adapted to allow a user to hold and operate the vacuum cleaner when the housing is rotated about the longitudinal axis at a first angular position, and at a second angular position, the first angular position being approximately 90 degrees or more from the second angular position.    
   
   
       25 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 24 , wherein the first angular position corresponds to a position in which the air inlet is directed towards an approximately horizontal surface to be cleaned, and the second angular position corresponds to a position in which the air inlet is directed towards an approximately vertical surface to be cleaned.  
   
   
       26 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 24 , wherein the one or more foregrips comprise a loop that extends around the housing.  
   
   
       27 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 24 , wherein the motor is positioned between the rear grip and the one or more foregrips.  
   
   
       28 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 24 , wherein the dirt receptacle is positioned between the one or more foregrips and the air inlet.

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