Upright vacuum cleaner

Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of vacuum cleaners for cleaning carpets and other floor surfaces. The invention particularly relates to upright cleaners which have a cleaning head portion and an upstanding handle portion which typically carries a collection device for collecting detritus lifted by a vacuum induced airflow. The present invention provides an upright vacuum cleaner, the cleaning head portion being provided with wheel means which allow the cleaner to be moved over a floor surface, wherein the wheel means comprises first and second laterally spaced apart rear wheels and a castor wheel that is located at a position forward of the rear wheels and preferably aft of the roller brush. The castor wheel is preferably located in a domed recess in an underside of the cleaning head.

1 . An upright vacuum cleaner comprising a cleaning head portion which includes a brush roller and an upright handle portion which includes a collector for vacuumed detritus, the cleaning head portion being provided with wheel means which allow the cleaner to be moved over a floor surface, wherein the wheel means comprises first and second laterally spaced apart rear wheels and a castor wheel that is located at a position forward of the rear wheels and aft of the brush roller. 
     
     
         2 . An upright cleaner as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the handle portion has a lower region pivotally connected to the cleaning head portion so as to permit directed pushing of the cleaning head portion over a floor surface by user-manipulation of a grip provided at an upper region of the handle portion. 
     
     
         3 . An upright cleaner as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the brush roller has a transverse axis of rotation and is disposed above an elongate transverse sweeping aperture formed in a front underside region of the work head. 
     
     
         4 . An upright vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the castor wheel depends from an underside of the cleaning head. 
     
     
         5 . An upright cleaner as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the castor wheel is accommodated in a domed recess provided in an underside of the cleaning head. 
     
     
         6 . An upright cleaner as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the castor wheel is located equidistant from each of the rear wheels. 
     
     
         7 . An upright cleaner as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the castor is generally centrally located between rear and front ends of an underside of the cleaning head. 
     
     
         8 . An upright vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 1  wherein the castor wheel depends from an underside of the cleaning head and is accommodated in a domed recess therein. 
     
     
         9 . An upright vacuum cleaner comprising a cleaning head portion which includes a brush roller and an upright handle portion which includes a collector for vacuumed detritus, the cleaning head portion being provided with wheel means which allow the cleaner to be moved over a floor surface, wherein the wheel means comprises first and second laterally spaced apart rear wheels and a castor wheel that is located at a position forward of the rear wheels and aft of the brush roller,
 wherein the handle portion has a lower region pivotally connected to the cleaning head portion so as to permit directed pushing of the cleaning head portion over a floor surface by user-manipulation of a grip provided at an upper region of the handle portion, and   wherein the brush roller has a transverse axis of rotation and is disposed above an elongate transverse sweeping aperture formed in a front underside region of the work head.   
     
     
         10 . An upright vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 9  wherein the castor wheel depends from an underside of the cleaning head. 
     
     
         11 . An upright cleaner as claimed in  claim 9  wherein the castor wheel is accommodated in a domed recess provided in an underside of the cleaning head. 
     
     
         12 . An upright cleaner as claimed in  claim 9  wherein the castor wheel is located equidistant from each of the rear wheels. 
     
     
         13 . An upright cleaner as claimed in  claim 9  wherein the castor is generally centrally located between rear and front ends of an underside of the cleaning head. 
     
     
         14 . An upright vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 9  wherein the castor wheel depends from an underside of the cleaning head and is accommodated in a domed recess therein.