Domestic appliance

Abstract

A domestic appliance, such as a cyclonic vacuum cleaner, includes a component such as a separating apparatus, carried by a chassis. A catch is operable to release the component from the chassis. The component and the chassis can move with respect to each other. When the appliance is lifted there is relative movement, against the force of a resilient member, between the component and the chassis, so that the catch occupies a position that inhibits its release. Previous catches that inhibited from release when the appliance is lifted had a drawback in that slight relative movement between the component and the chassis when the appliance was resting on a surface tended to put the catch into the unreleasable position. The resilient member provides resistance to the catch moving into the locked position, thereby ensuring that the catch is inhibited from release only when the appliance is lifted from a surface.

1 . An appliance comprising a chassis, a component carried by the chassis, a catch operable to releasably hold the component to the chassis, and a resilient member,
 wherein the component, the chassis, the catch and the resilient member are configured in combination such that there is relative movement, against a force exerted by the resilient member, between the component and the chassis when the appliance is lifted, so that the catch occupies a position that inhibits its release.   
   
   
       2 . An appliance as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the catch is releasable when the appliance is placed on a surface. 
   
   
       3 . An appliance as claimed in  claim 1  or  2 , in which a portion of the catch is arranged to urge the component away from the chassis when the catch is released. 
   
   
       4 . An appliance as claimed in  claim 1  or  2 , in which the resilient member is arranged to bias the catch into a position whereby the component is held to the chassis. 
   
   
       5 . An appliance as claimed in  claim 1  or  2 , further comprising a user-operable actuator for releasing the catch. 
   
   
       6 . An appliance as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the actuator is located on the chassis. 
   
   
       7 . An appliance as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the actuator is located adjacent a handle for carrying the component. 
   
   
       8 . An appliance as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the actuator is configured to be movable between a first position, in which the catch is arranged to hold the component to the chassis and a second position, in which the catch is released, and the resilient member is arranged to bias the actuator into the first position. 
   
   
       9 . An appliance as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the actuator is pivotably moveable against the force of the resilient member. 
   
   
       10 . An appliance as claimed in  claim 1  or  2 , further comprising a stop arranged to prevent the catch from moving out of a position that inhibits its release when the appliance is lifted. 
   
   
       11 . An appliance as claimed in  claim 1  or  2 , further comprising a carrying handle. 
   
   
       12 . (canceled) 
   
   
       13 . A vacuum cleaner comprising the domestic appliance as claimed in  claim 1  or  2 . 
   
   
       14 . A vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 13 , in which the component comprises a separating apparatus for separating dirt and dust from an airflow. 
   
   
       15 . A vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the separating apparatus further comprises a chamber for collecting the dirt and dust. 
   
   
       16 . A vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 15 , further comprising a handle for carrying the appliance when the separating apparatus is attached to the chassis and for carrying the separating apparatus when it is released from the chassis. 
   
   
       17 . (canceled) 
   
   
       18 . A vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein the separating apparatus is a cyclonic separating apparatus. 
   
   
       19 . An appliance as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the actuator is pivotably moveable against the force of the resilient member.