Upright vacuum cleaner equipped with electrified stretch hose and wand

Abstract

An upright vacuum cleaner includes a nozzle assembly having an intake opening. A handle assembly is pivotally connected to the nozzle assembly. The vacuum cleaner also includes a suction generator and a dirt collection vessel. In addition, the vacuum cleaner includes a flexible, electrified hose such as a stretch hose.

1 . An upright vacuum cleaner, comprising: 
 a nozzle assembly including an intake opening;    a handle assembly connected to said nozzle assembly;    a suction generator carried on one of said nozzle assembly and said handle assembly;    a dirt collection vessel carried on one of said nozzle assembly and said handle assembly; and    a flexible, electrified hose carried on one of said nozzle assembly and said handle assembly.    
   
   
       2 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  further including an electrified cleaning wand wherein said electrified cleaning wand and said cooperating electrified hose both include at least two insulated electrical conductors.  
   
   
       3 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 2 , wherein said electrified hose is a stretch hose including a reinforcing wire and a collapsible wall.  
   
   
       4 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein said electrified hose includes three insulated electrical conductors.  
   
   
       5 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 2 , further including a cleaning attachment and a first connector securing said cleaning attachment to said wand.  
   
   
       6 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 5 , wherein said cleaning attachment includes an electrical motor that receives electrical power through said two insulated electrical conductors in said wand and said hose.  
   
   
       7 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 6 , wherein said cleaning attachment includes a rotary agitator, said rotary agitator being driven by said electrical motor.  
   
   
       8 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 6 , wherein said cleaning attachment includes a light source that receives electrical power through said two insulated electrical conductors in said wand and said hose.  
   
   
       9 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 6 , wherein said cleaning attachment includes a booster fan, said booster fan being driven by said electrical motor.  
   
   
       10 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 5 , wherein said cleaning attachment includes a light source that receives electrical power through said two insulated electrical conductors in said wand and said hose.  
   
   
       11 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 5 , further including a second connector securing said wand to said hose.  
   
   
       12 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 5 , wherein said wand includes multiple sections.  
   
   
       13 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 12 , wherein said multiple sections of said wand are telescoping.  
   
   
       14 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , further including at least one rotary agitator carried on said nozzle assembly in said intake opening.  
   
   
       15 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein said dirt collection vessel is a dirt filter bag.  
   
   
       16 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein said dirt collection vessel is a dirt cup.  
   
   
       17 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 16 , wherein said dirt cup is substantially cylindrical in shape and includes a tangentially directed inlet opening.  
   
   
       18 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 6 , further including a control switch for selectively activating and deactivating said electrical motor on said cleaning attachment.  
   
   
       19 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 18 , wherein said switch is carried on one of said wand, said hose and said cleaning attachment.  
   
   
       20 . A method of increasing the cleaning versatility and performance of an upright vacuum cleaner, comprising: 
 providing the upright vacuum cleaner with a handle assembly pivotally connected to a nozzle assembly;    providing a suction generator on one of said handle assembly and said nozzle assembly; and    equipping the upright vacuum cleaner with a flexible hose and a powered cleaning attachment tool that may be selectively secured to said flexible stretch hose and used for certain cleaning applications.    
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20  further including equipping said upright vacuum cleaner with a wand where both said flexible hose and said wand include electrical conductors for powering said powered cleaning attachment.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21 , further including equipping said powered cleaning attachment with a rotary agitator and cooperating rotary agitator drive motor.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 21 , further including equipping said powered cleaning attachment with a light source.  
   
   
       24 . An upright vacuum cleaner, comprising: 
 a housing including a handle assembly pivotally connected to a nozzle assembly;    a suction generator carried on said housing;    a dirt collector carried on said housing; and    a flexible, electrified hose carried on said housing.    
   
   
       25 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 24  further including a cleaning attachment having an electrical component powered through said flexible, electrified hose.  
   
   
       26 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 24  wherein said electrified hose is a stretch hose including a reinforcing wire and a collapsible wall.