Vacuum cleaner

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner including a debris collector having a base, a longitudinal axis extending perpendicular to the base, and a plurality of housing segments coupled to the base. A lid is coupled to the debris collector and a suction source is configured to generate an airflow to draw fluid and debris into the debris collector. The vacuum cleaner further includes an exhaust passageway downstream from the suction source for discharging the airflow from the debris collector. The debris collector is moveable between a collapsed position and an extended position along a longitudinal axis, thereby changing a distance between the base and the lid. At least one of the plurality of housing segments nest within a remainder of the plurality of housing segments when the debris collector is in the collapsed position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A vacuum cleaner comprising:
 a debris collector including a base, a longitudinal axis extending perpendicular to the base, and a plurality of housing segments coupled to the base;   a lid coupled to the debris collector;   a suction source configured to generate an airflow to draw fluid and debris into the debris collector; and   an exhaust passageway downstream from the suction source for discharging the airflow from the debris collector,   wherein the debris collector is moveable between a collapsed position and an extended position along a longitudinal axis, thereby changing a distance between the base and the lid, and   wherein at least one of the plurality of housing segments nest within a remainder of the plurality of housing segments when the debris collector is in the collapsed position.   
     
     
         2 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein when the debris collector is in the collapsed position, a first distance is defined between the base and the lid, and when the debris collector is in the extended position, a second distance is defined between the base and the lid, and wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance. 
     
     
         3 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein when the debris collector is in the collapsed position, the base and the lid are adjacent each other, and when the debris collector is in the extended position, the base and the lid are spaced apart by the plurality of housing segments. 
     
     
         4 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the debris collector defines a first volume when the debris collection chamber is in the collapsed position, and the debris collector defines a second volume that is greater than the first volume when the debris collector is in the extended position. 
     
     
         5 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of housing segments are concentrically disposed relative to each other. 
     
     
         6 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of housing segments includes a protrusion and an adjacent one of the plurality of housing segments includes a slot that receives the protrusion, thereby coupling the at least one housing segment to the adjacent housing segment. 
     
     
         7 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 6 , wherein the slot includes a first channel that extends generally parallel to the longitudinal axis and a second channel that extends generally perpendicular to the first channel. 
     
     
         8 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 7 , wherein the debris collector is moveable between the collapsed position and the extended position when the protrusion is in the first channel. 
     
     
         9 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 7 , wherein the debris collector is maintained in either the collapsed position or the extended position when the protrusion is in the second channel. 
     
     
         10 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the exhaust passageway is coupled to the lid such that the exhaust passageway is removable with the lid from the debris collector. 
     
     
         11 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the exhaust passageway includes an exhaust outlet port that is disposed on the lid. 
     
     
         12 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , further comprising a filter disposed within the debris collector for separating debris from the airflow. 
     
     
         13 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the suction source is removable from the debris collector with the lid, wherein the suction source includes a motor and an impeller driven by the motor. 
     
     
         14 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , further comprising a power source to supply power to the motor, and wherein the power source is a battery. 
     
     
         15 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 14 , wherein the battery is removably coupled to the lid. 
     
     
         16 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 14 , wherein the battery is removably coupled to the base. 
     
     
         17 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the suction source is operable when the debris collector is in both the collapsed position and the extended position. 
     
     
         18 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the suction source is operable only when the debris collector is in the extended position. 
     
     
         19 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of housing segments include at least two rigid segments and a flexible segment extending between the at least two rigid segments.