Suction cleaners characteristically are provided with a number of different cleaning tools for performing different cleaning tasks. For example there may be a cleaning head for hard floor surfaces and one for carpeted floor surfaces, intended to be fitted to a rigid, tubular, one or more piece, possibly telescopically extendible and contractible, wand attached to the handle.

Possibly a single cleaning head may be usable, with some readily-performable adjustment of its configuration or otherwise, on both hard and soft floor surfaces. Other tools with which a suction cleaner may be provided include a dusting brush and a cleaning head for furnishings, which may be attached to the handle, to enable them easily to be controlled and manipulated, with or without the intervention of a wand. Yet a further tool with which a suction cleaner may be provided is a so-called crevice tool, which usually takes the form of a relatively short substantially rigid tube of flattened cross-sectional shape, able to be introduced into a space which may be of the order of only 20mm thick, for use in cleaning behind or underneath furniture or radiators for example. If each of the above functions is provided by a separate tool, a person carrying out a cleaning operation may need to change the tool which is attached to the handle (together with the wand where appropriate) several times in the course of the cleaning operation. This is inconvenient.

It is broadly the object of the present invention to provide a handle assembly for a suction cleaner which fulfils a number of functions, thereby enabling some reduction in the number of separate tools required and thus enabling some reduction in the inconvenience thereof.

According to the present invention, we provide a handle assembly for a suction cleaner, connected or adapted for connection to a suction source and providing for attachment of a suction wand, said handle assembly affording a passage for flow of air to said suction source from a first inlet where said wand can be attached and wherein the handle assembly itself comprises a cleaning tool, a second inlet for flow of air to said passage from said cleaning tool, and means for blocking said first inlet when said cleaning tool is in use with said wand not attached.

The wand may itself block the second inlet when it is attached or the handle assembly may have means for blocking said second inlet when said wand is attached.

In referring herein to the handle assembly providing for attachment of a wand, it is to be understood that in some circumstances a cleaning tool might be required to be attached to the handle directly without the intervention of a wand, and we intend to include within the scope of the invention a handle assembly to which a cleaning tool may be attached generally in the manner of a wand.

The cleaning tool which the handle assembly comprises may comprise a surface cleaning tool including a cavity with which said second inlet communicates and which may be presented to and moved over a surface for cleaning it. It may be of a size and shape generally suitable for cleaning stair treads/risers; some or all of boundary walls defining the cavity may be provided with short bristles, portions of pile fabric material, or other means for assisting the cleaning operation.

Alternatively or in addition the cleaning tool which the handle assembly comprises may comprise a crevice tool which is movable between a retracted position when it is not required to be used and a deployed position when it is to be used.

Preferably the crevice tool is pivotally movable between its retracted and deployed positions.

Further preferably, the handle assembly comprises both a surface cleaning tool as above referred to and a crevice tool, the crevice tool when in its retracted position lying within the cavity of the surface cleaning tool. When in its deployed position, the crevice tool is arranged to communicate with said second inlet to the air passage in the handle assemble and block communication between the second inlet and the cavity of the surface cleaning tool.

There may be spring means biasing the crevice tool to its deployed position, and catch means engageable with the crevice tool for holding it in its retracted position and operable to release the crevice tool for deployment as required.

In addition to the above described features which provide a handle assembly in accordance with the invention with a multi-functional capability which can eliminate the necessity for some of the separate cleaning tools which hitherto have been provided for suction cleaners, the handle assembly may be adapted to transmit electrical power between conductors extending along the suction hose and conductors extending along the wand, if the suction cleaner has or might have a powered cleaning head, provided with an electric motor driven agitator/brush bar. The handle assembly may incorporate switch means for controlling the electric motor of such a powered cleaning head.

Yet further, the handle assembly may have means for controlling the source of suction to which the suction hose extends, e. g. an on/off switch and/or a switch for controlling the suction power of the cleaner.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which : - Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a first embodiment of handle assembly in accordance with the invention, in a first operative condition; Figure 2 is a view as Figure 1, in a second operative condition; Figure 3 is a view as Figure 1, in a third operative condition; Figure 4 is an underneath perspective view of the handle assembly, in the condition shown in Figure 2; Figures 5, 6 and 7 are respectively views corresponding to Figures 1,2 and 3, of a further embodiment of handle assembly in accordance with the invention.

Referring firstly to Figures 1 to 4 of the drawings, these show, in diagrammatic form, an embodiment of handle assembly indicated generally at 10 which includes a curved hand grip portion 11 within which is defined an airflow passageway 12. At one end of the hand grip portion 11 there is a connection indicated generally at 13 to a suction source by way of a suction hose 14. The suction source may be a main unit of a suction cleaner of the "cylinder"type or of the"upright"type. The connection 13 includes a first swivelling connection 19 whereby the hose is able to swivel relative to the handle assembly about an axis 15, as indicated by arrow 16, and a second connection 17 in the form of a rotatable cuff whereby the hose is able to rotate about its own longitudinal axis, relative to the handle assembly, as indicated by arrow 18.

At the opposite end of the hand grip portion 11 to that at which the hose 14 is connected, the handle assembly has a hollow body part indicated generally at 20. At the front of the body part 20, there is an opening 21 providing a first inlet to the air passage 12, and in the opening 21 there is able to be received an end part 22 of a tubular wand 23. The wand 23 may be of one or two part construction, and in the latter case may be telescopically extendible and contractible. When the wand is fitted the end part 22 extends sufficiently far into the body part 20 of the handle assembly to block communication between the air passage 12 and the rest of the body part 20 as described hereafter.

In use, a wand 23 will normally have fitted to it, at its end opposite the end part 22 which is attached to the handle assembly, a cleaning head, e. g. for floor cleaning. However, it is understood that in certain circumstances a floor cleaning head or other cleaning tool might be connected directly to the handle assembly without the intervention of the wand. In this case, a connecting spigot portion of the tool would be fitted into the handle assembly as for the end part 22 of the wand.

Adjacent the opening 21 of the handle assembly there is mounted within the body part 20 a pivoted flap 24 which is spring biased to the position in which it is shown in Figures 2 and 3, to close the opening 21 when the wand is not fitted to the handle assembly. In the course of fitting of the wand, the flap 24 is simply pivoted against its biasing spring to the position in which it is shown in Figure 1.

A body part 30 extends rearwardly from the body part 20 of the handle assembly. The body part 30 has parallel or slightly convergent side walls 31, 32, a rear wall 33, and an upper wall 34 which together with a front wall portion 35 of the body part 20 define a downwardly-open cavity 36 enabling the handle assembly itself to be used as a cleaning tool for cleaning e. g. stair treads when a wand is not attached. The air passage 12 in the hand grip portion of the handle assembly communicates with the cavity 36 at its front end by way of the interior of the body part 20 and an opening 44 which provides a second inlet to the air passage: suction is established in the cavity 36 by virtue of the fact that the flap 24 has closed the opening 21 of the handle assembly. Figure 4 shows that the side walls 31,32 may be provided along their bottom edges with short bristles, or strips of fibre pile other material to assist use of the handle assembly as a cleaning tool.

The handle assembly is also provided with a crevice tool 40 which is pivotable between a retracted position in which it is shown in Figures 1,2 and 4 and a deployed position in which it is shown in Figure 3. It is mounted in the body part 20 of the handle assembly for such pivoting movement about a transversely extending axis 41. The form of the crevice tool 40 is, as is well known, a relatively short substantially rigid tube of flattened, in this case substantially rectangular, cross-sectional shape with an oblique nozzle end 42.

Adjacent its pivoted end, an opening 43 leads into the interior of the crevice tool and when the crevice tool is deployed as shown in Figure 3 the opening 43 provides for airflow through the crevice tool into the hollow body part 20 of the handle assembly and thus into the airflow passage 12. The opening 43 registers with the opening 44 which leads into the hollow body part 20 and provides a second inlet to the airflow passage 12. When in this position, the crevice tool shuts off the opening 44 from the cavity 36 of the body part 30.

The crevice tool 40 preferably is spring biased towards its deployed position in which it is shown in Figure 3, and a catch element 46 movable on the upper wall 34 of the body part 30 and engageable with a formation 47 on the crevice tool is provided for holding the crevice tool in its retracted position in which it is disposed within the cavity 36.

It is known to provide a suction cleaner with a cleaning head for floor cleaning incorporating an electric-motor-driven brush bar/beater bar, to enhance its cleaning efficiency. For use with such a powered head, it is necessary to provide electrical conductors extending lengthwise of the suction hose from the suction unit of the cleaner and thence by way of the handle and wand to the head. For such use, electrical connectors are indicated at 50 in Figure 4 for engagement with complementary electrical connectors provided at the cooperating end of a wand. The handle assembly may incorporate an electrical switch for switching the electrical power supply to the cleaning head on and off : such a switch may have an operating member disposed as indicated at 51 so as to be readily usable by a person grasping the hand grip portion 11 of the handle assembly. A further switch may be provided for controlling the electric motor of the suction unit, at least to switch it on or off and possibly also to control the suction power. It will be appreciated that the hose connection indicated generally at 13 then needs to provide a suitable electrical connection between conductors associated with the hose and conductors in the handle assembly, able to accommodate the movement of the hose relative to the handle assembly.

Referring now to Figures 5 to 7 of the drawings, these show a further embodiment of handle assembly in accordance with the invention with a slightly different arrangement of crevice tool from that above described. The general configuration of the hand grip portion, hose connection, and body parts as 20 and 30 of the handle assembly are all as above described and will not therefore be described in any greater detail hereafter: where this further embodiment differs from Figures 1 to 4 is in respect of the arrangement by which the inlets to the air passage in the handle assembly are blocked according to whether the crevice tool is in use, the handle assembly is to be used as a stair cleaning tool, or a wand is to be attached.

In this embodiment, the crevice tool (indicated at 60) again is pivotally mounted at one end within a front body part (61) of the handle assembly, and pivotable with the crevice tool is a ring or drum member 62 provided with two pivoted outwardly extending flaps 63,64. The flap 63 is spring biased to a position in which it is shown in Figure 6 in which it blocks the first inlet to the air passage of the handle assembly where a wand can be attached. When a wand is attached, as shown in Figure 5, flap 63 is pushed out of the way against its spring biasing. The wand blocks communication between the air passage and the crevice tool and the cavity in which it is accommodated in its retracted position.

When the flap 63 blocks the inlet where the wand is to be attached, the space within the space around the retracted crevice tool communicates with the air passageway in the hand grip portion of the handle assembly, enabling the use of the handle assembly as a stair cleaning tool for example.

When the crevice tool is pivotally deployed, as shown in Figure 7, the drum 62 moves with it about the pivotal axis of the crevice tool and then the flap 64 blocks the inlet from the wand to the air passage in the hand grip portion. The flap 63 blocks communication between the air passage and the cleaning tool body part 65. Flow of air to the air passage in the hand grip portion of the handle assembly is possible only from the interior of the crevice tool, as indicated by arrow 67.

Various modifications may be made to the handle assembly above described whilst remaining within the broadest scope of the present invention.

For example in the described embodiment the air flow passage 12 extends through a part of the handle which also serves as a hand grip portion, to be grasped by the user. It would be possible for there to be a separate hand grip portion which does not have the air flow passageway extending through it: this may be desirable for ergonomic or other reasons.

The handle assembly described above is intended to be connected to a source of suction by way of a suction hose. Suction cleaners are known wherein a handle assembly is connected directly to a source of suction without any intervening hose; the source of suction and handle assembly may be designed as an integrated unit of relatively light weight. The invention is applicable to such cleaners.

The crevice tool described above is pivotally movable relative to the handle assembly between its retracted and deployed positions. It would be within the scope of the invention for it to be movable in some other way, e. g. in a sliding, possibly linear, movement. Further, as above described the crevice tool when in its retracted position lies generally within the part of the assembly which forms a surface cleaning tool, such that when the surface cleaning tool of the handle assembly is in use flow of air in the handle assembly to the source of suction has to take place around the crevice tool. It would be possible for the crevice tool when retracted to occupy some other position, e. g. alongside or otherwise adjacent the part of the handle assembly providing the surface cleaning tool. Also, it would be within the broadest scope of the present invention for a handle assembly to comprise only the retractable crevice tool or the surface cleaning tool, e. g. for stair treads, as well as providing for wand attachment.

In the present specification"comprises"means"includes or consists of' and"comprising"means"including or consisting of'.

The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.