Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Machines – With air blast or suction
Patent
1997-05-07
1998-05-26
Moore, Chris K.
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Machines
With air blast or suction
15339, A47L 536
Patent
active
057550077
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to portable cleaning apparatus particularly, but not exclusively, to a cylinder-type vacuum cleaner.
A major problem whilst using vacuum cleaners occurs when vacuuming stairs. Ideally, vacuum cleaners would incorporate a very long hose so that the machine can be left at the bottom of the stairs with the hose reaching all the way to the top of the stairs. This is impractical because such a long hose would be heavy and unwieldy as well as expensive to manufacture and fit. Under normal circumstances, users of vacuum cleaners balance the machine on the stairs at various positions along the flight but this puts the machine in a very unstable position. Upright-type machines, or machines which are convertible between upright use and cylinder use, are slightly more stable when used on stairs than cylinder machines because of the location of their centre of gravity but, in general, vacuum cleaners are positioned very precariously when they are used on stairs. It is common for the user to support the machine with one hand which leaves only one hand free for operation of the hose. Also, because upright-type machines are supported on wheels which contact the stair treads when used in this manner, the vacuum cleaner can roll off the stair tread when the operator's attention is directed elsewhere. This can be dangerous.
It is an object of the present invention to provide portable cleaning apparatus which can be positioned stably on a flight of stairs. It is a further object of the invention to provide portable cleaning apparatus which does not roll off a stair tread when in use on stairs.
The invention provides portable cleaning apparatus as set out in claim 1. Preferable and advantageous features are set out in the subsidiary claims.
The provision of an upwardly extending recess within the lower surface of the body of the portable cleaning apparatus means that, when the apparatus is positioned on the stairs, the corner of a stair tread can project into the recess with the apparatus being supported by two adjacent stair treads. This allows the apparatus to be positioned so that the centre of gravity of the body of the apparatus is adequately spaced from the lowest point of support of the apparatus and lowers the centre of gravity of the body of the apparatus with respect to apparatus not having such a recess. Portable cleaning apparatus according to the invention is thus more stable than prior art apparatus when used on stairs. If the recess is substantially symmetrical in cross section, the position of the apparatus on the stairs can be reversed without any risk of apparatus becoming unstable. The provision of means for preventing relative movement between the apparatus and a stair tread also avoids the problem of the apparatus rolling off the stair tread.
An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of portable cleaning apparatus according to the present invention; and
FIG. 2 is a schematic view of the lower surface of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 shows, in schematic side view, a vacuum cleaner 10 according to the present invention and sitting on a flight of stairs 20. The vacuum cleaner 10 shown in the drawings is a cylinder-type vacuum cleaner; i.e., the only air inlet to dust separating apparatus is via a head or tool connected to the machine by means of a hose. In the embodiment shown, the vacuum cleaner 10 has a body 12 having an inlet 14 connectable to a hose (not shown). The nature of the dust separating apparatus housed within the body 12 is immaterial to the present invention and therefore will not be described in any detail. However, the dust separating apparatus of the cleaner 10 shown in FIG. 1 is preferably cyclonic in nature.
The body 12 of the cleaner 10 has a lower surface 16. Also, wheels 18a and 18b are positioned on the body 12 so that the rims of the wheels 18a, 18b project beneath the plane of the lower surface 16. The wheels 18a, 18b form support means for the vacuum
REFERENCES:
patent: 3820808 (1974-06-01), Brunning et al.
patent: 4357177 (1982-11-01), Knox
patent: 5263223 (1993-11-01), Fiegel et al.
McLeod Ian C.
Moore Chris K.
Notetry Limited
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