FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner suitable for, in particular, cleaning carpets and other flooring materials in buildings, the vacuum cleaner, comprising a body, said body including a dust collection chamber, a dust cover, said dust cover being pivotably connected to the body such that it is movable by pivoting the dust cover in an anticlockwise direction from a first dust cover position, in which the dust cover at least partly closes off the dust collection chamber, to a second dust cover position, in which the dust cover enables manual access to the dust collection chamber, a lifting handle for lifting the vacuum cleaner, said lifting handle being pivotably connected to the dust cover, wherein the dust cover and the handle are pivotable in opposite directions, such that the lifting handle is movable by pivoting the lifting handle clockwise towards its lifting position from a first lifting handle position and a second lifting handle position, whereby, when the dust cover is in the first dust cover position, the lifting handle is substantially in line with the dust cover when it is in the first lifting handle position and the lifting handle protrudes outward relative to the body when it is in the second lifting handle position, wherein the dust cover comprises two dust cover pivot arms, each dust cover pivot arm comprising an extremity at which it is pivotably connected to the body, wherein the lifting handle comprises two lifting handle pivot arms, each lifting handle pivot arm comprising an extremity at which it is pivotably connected to the dust cover.

BACKGROUND

Typically, bag vacuum cleaners may comprise a body that is set on wheels to enable it to follow the horizontal movements of an operator. The operator may pull the vacuum cleaner along by means of a hose that is swivelably connected to the body, and that, due to the suction of a motor provided in the body, carries dust and other dirt from a nozzle end of the hose to a dust collection chamber inside the body. The dust collection chamber may accommodate a disposable or reusable bag in which the dirt can be stored. In order to be able to replace the dust bag when it is full, the dust collection chamber may be accessible via a dust cover that is pivotably connected to the body. For ease of use, the dust cover is usually located at a top side of the body when the vacuum cleaner is in a working orientation.

To enable an operator to easily lift the vacuum cleaner, for example to transfer it between different vertical floor levels, or to vacuum places that cannot be accessed from floor level because the hose is too short, the vacuum cleaner may be provided with one or more lifting handles. Such a handle may be pivotably connected to the body, so as to allow it to be rotated back and forth between a folded position and a raised position. In the folded position, the handle may reside close to the body so as not to protrude there from, while it may be turned to its raised position when lifting of the body is desired. Naturally, like the dust cover, the lifting handle is preferably located at a top side of the body when it is in a working orientation.

In addition to the mere presence of a dust cover and a lifting handle, a desirable vacuum cleaner may preferably fulfill some further desires. Function, for example, prescribes that the dust collection chamber of the vacuum cleaner is as big as possible. Generally, this translates into a vacuum cleaner wherein about one half (or less) of the body is occupied by the motor, while the other half (or more) is occupied by the dust collection chamber. To enable proper access to the dust collection chamber for replacing a full dust bag accommodated therein, the pivotable dust cover must thus extend across about half (or more) of the body. Another noteworthy functional desire is that the lifting handle, in its raised position, is disposed substantially above the center of mass of the body. Otherwise the body would start to rotate instantly when lifted off of the floor. A stable feel may further be imparted to both the handle and the dust cover by spacing apart their pivot points. The pivot points may preferably be disposed near opposite sides of the body so as to maximize the distance between them. In combination, these functional requirements lead the dust cover and the lifting handle to compete for structural junctures halfway the body, on opposite sides thereof. This problem is worsened when a design that is both sleek and functional is strived for. Sleekness may dictate a streamlined body profile, having as few interruption lines in the outer face of the body as possible. Those interruption lines that are practically necessary, such as for example interruption lines between the pivotable dust cover on the one hand, and the lifting handle or a fixed top face part of the body on the other, may preferably be straight and narrow. However, in order to enable both the dust cover and the lifting handle to be pivotably arranged at their preferred positions, bulky constructions and/or irregularly shaped interruption lines have thus far been accepted as a consequence of simple structural solutions. SUMMARY

It is an object of the present invention to provide for a vacuum cleaner, having a lifting handle and dust cover, whose construction mitigates or overcomes the competition between the lifting handle and the dust cover for structural junctures halfway the body, thereby still allowing some or all of the above-mentioned functional and aesthetic desires to be satisfied.

To this end, in the vacuum cleaner according to the invention a first and a second of the lifting handle pivot arms are pivotably connected to, respectively, a first and a second of the dust cover arms, in each case at a point of the respective dust cover pivot arm beyond the extremity at which the latter is itself pivotably connected to the body, provides a vacuum cleaner comprising a body, said body including a dust collection chamber, and a dust cover, said dust cover being pivotably connected to the body such that it is movable between a first dust cover position and a second dust cover position. In the first dust cover position, the dust cover at least partly closes off the dust collection chamber. In the second dust cover position, the dust cover enables manual access to the dust collection chamber. The vacuum cleaner further comprises a lifting handle for lifting the vacuum cleaner. The lifting handle is pivotably connected to the dust cover such that it is movable between a first lifting handle position and a second lifting handle position. When the dust cover is in the first dust cover position, the lifting handle is substantially in line with the dust cover when it is in the first lifting handle position, while the lifting handle protrudes outward relative to the body when it is in the second lifting handle position.

A construction wherein the lifting handle is pivotably connected to the dust cover, and wherein the dust cover is itself pivotably connected to the body of the vacuum cleaner, allows the lifting handle and the dust cover to co-exist in something like a cross- relationship. The battle for a place to connect to the body is thereby resolved. The pivot points of the lifting handle may reside under the dust cover, while the pivot points of the dust cover may reside under the lifting handle. Accordingly, the pivot points of the dust cover may for example even be disposed beyond halfway the body (e.g. in favor of enlargement or better accessibility of the dust collection chamber), without potentially pushing aside pivot points of the lifting handle from a position halfway the body. All pivot points may be arranged close to the sides of the body to ensure the stability of the lifting handle and the dust cover. Furthermore, visually, a single straight and narrow interruption line may extend between the dust cover on the one hand, and a top surface part of the body and the lifting handle on the other.

These and other features and advantages of the invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of certain embodiments of the invention, taken together with the accompanying drawings, which are meant to illustrate and not to limit the invention.

JP 09 192067 A discloses an electric vacuum cleaner in which a handle is supported. The electric vacuum cleaner has an electric fan housing part, a case body with an openable upper part of a dust collection part, an upper case covering an upper opening of the electric fan housing part, a lid body openably or closably covering the upper opening of the dust collection part, a lever which extends to the side of the upper case from the lid body. The lever has a pivot part at the tip to support the lid body rotatably with respect to the upper case and to rotatably support a handle which has a pair of opposed recess parts.

JP 11318788 discloses a vacuum cleaner main body incorporating a motorized blower 3 and a dust collecting chamber 4 communicating with the blower. A cap part of the vacuum cleaner is rotatably connected to a center portion of the main body. The cap part is disposed on the upper portion of the dust collecting chamber.

JP 11221176 discloses an electric vacuum cleaner including a motor-driven blower installed inside a body. The vacuum cleaner has a dust collecting chamber which is in communication with the blower. The vacuum cleaner has a lid with one end rotatably connected to the vacuum cleaner. The lid covers the chamber and is installed on an upper part of the body. Also a grip is installed whose one end is rotatably connected to the body. The lid serves for carrying the body. The lid is equipped with a first fitting part while the grip is equipped with a second fitting part. Grip is operated by interlocking its rotation with the opening/closing motion of the lid. Thereby the second fitting part abuts to the first fitting part to open the lid

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Figs. 1-2 are schematic perspective views of different, known vacuum cleaners that feature a pivotable dust cover and lifting handle;

Fig. 3 is a side view of an exemplary vacuum cleaner according to the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a top view of the exemplary vacuum cleaner shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a side view of the exemplary vacuum cleaner shown in Fig. 3, having the lifting handle turned towards its second position;

Fig. 6 is a side view of the exemplary vacuum cleaner shown in Fig. 3, having the dust cover turned towards its second position; Figs. 7-9 are perspective views of the structure that pivotably connects the lifting handle and the dust cover in the exemplary vacuum cleaner shown in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 10 is a schematic illustration of part of the geometry of the connection between the lifting handle and the dust cover that enables the lifting handle to pivot freely around the dustcover, even when both are provided with decorative bands with straight, opposing edges.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the drawings, identical reference numbers identify same or similar elements. Furthermore, to improve drawing legibility, some elements in a figure may not be labeled in case the respective elements are clearly recognizable and have already been identified in one or more preceding figures.

Reference is first made to Figs. 1 and 2, which are schematic perspective views of different, known vacuum cleaners 1. The Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate known solutions to the problem of providing a vacuum cleaner with a lifting handle and a dust cover that are both pivotable around an axis at about halfway the body. It is understood that a vacuum cleaner 1 typically comprises a hose 2 and/or a tube structure 4 having a nozzle 6 provided at an end thereof. For reasons of clarity, however, these elements are depicted only in Fig. 2.

The vacuum cleaners 1 , depicted in an upright position, comprise a body 8 that is set on wheels. In addition to the visible rear wheels 10 a third, more forwardly disposed wheel may provided at a bottom side of the body 8, such that, when the vacuum cleaner 1 is in a working position, it is supported by the three wheels that enable it to stably move across a level floor. The bodies 8 of the vacuum cleaners 1 comprise a motor, disposed in the back half thereof (in the upright orientation: the lower half), and a dust collection chamber, disposed in the front half of the body (in the upright orientation: the top half thereof). The dust collection chamber is covered by a dust cover 12 that is provided with a hose connection opening 14 to which a hose 2 may be swivelably connected. Clearly visible in both Fig. 1 and 2 is the interruption line 22 in the top face of the body 8, which line demarcates the pivotable dust cover 12 from a non-pivotable, back top face part 28. To enable the dust cover 12 to pivot around the interruption line 22, the hinges of the dust cover are located below (in the upright orientation: behind) the top face part 28, less than optimally spaced apart.

The body 8 of the vacuum cleaner 1 depicted in Fig. 1 features a circumferential, oval structure 16. Said structure 16, which may also fulfill a bumper function, incorporates two lifting handles 18, 20. A first lifting handle 18 is rigidly connected to the body 8, and its primary use it to enable a user to transport the body in its upright position, e.g. to and from a storage cabinet. A second lifting handle 20 is pivotably connected to the body 8. As can be seen clearly, the interruption lines 24, which signal the split construction of the oval structure to enable the pivotability of the handle 20, are not in alignment with the interruption line 22. This is not beneficial to the appearance of the vacuum cleaner. The same may in fact be said of the entire oval structure 16, which seems to manifest itself as a separate identity that is formed on the body 8, and that protrudes from the basic outer dimensions thereof. The oval structure does, however, allow the pivot points of the handle 20 to be placed as desired, irrespective of the size of the dust cover, as the two do not interfere.

The lifting handle 20 of the vacuum cleaner 1 depicted in Fig. 2 may, in contrast to that in Fig. 1, be folded neatly into close abutment with the back side of the body 8, as shown. However, to resolve the issue of connecting both of the oppositely pivoting dust cover 12 and handle 20 to a point about halfway the body, the vacuum cleaner 1 has been provided with rather bulky hinges 26. The hinges 26 project outward from the body, and thereby seriously impair the sleekness of its design.

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4, which respectively show a side view and a top view of an exemplary vacuum cleaner 1 according to the present invention. In Figs. 3 and 4, the lifting handle 300 is in the first lifting handle position, while the dust cover 200 is in the first dust cover position. Both the lifting handle 300 and the dust cover 200 thus abut the body 8. What may catch the eye, in particular in comparison to the known vacuum cleaners 1 shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is the streamlined appearance of the device. Particularly striking is the single, substantially straight and narrow interruption line 100 that runs across the width of the body 8, from flank to flank. Near the flanks, the interruption line 100 bends somewhat, but this is not out of necessity. Instead, the bend was deliberately applied such that, in a side view, the interruption line 100 extends perpendicularly to the horizontally sloping line that separates the body 8 from the handle 300 and the dust cover 200. The interruption line 100 demarcates the dust cover 200 on the one hand from the lifting handle 300 and another top face part 28 of the body 8 on the other. At the flanks of the body 8, decorative bands 202, 302 are visible. The first decorative band 202 is part of the dust cover 200, the second decorative band 304 is part of the lifting handle 300. It is understood that the decorative bands 202, 302 help to hide the actual construction of the connection between the lifting handle 200 and the dust cover 200 from view. As can be seen well in Fig. 3, the decorative bands 202, 302 join each other, in line, at the interruption line 100, which line spaces them apart by a narrow margin. The opposing edges of the decorative bands 202, 302 immediately adjacent to the interruption line 100 run substantially parallel to each other, thereby giving the interruption line part of its straight shape.

Surprisingly, and despite the fact that the Figs. 3 and 4 seem to indicate otherwise, the dust cover 200 and the handle 300 are pivotable in opposite directions. This is shown in Figs. 5 and 6. Fig. 5 shows another side view of the exemplary vacuum cleaner 1 shown in Fig. 3, now with the handle 300 pivoted clockwise towards its lifting position. As can be seen, the handle 300 can be pivoted without being hindered by the proximity of the dust cover 200. Pivoting the dust cover 200 in an anti-clockwise direction is also possible, as illustrated by Fig. 6. In this case lifting handle 300 backs away a little, which is a result of the fact that the handle is pivotably connected to the dust cover 200, at a point beyond that at which the dust cover itself is pivotably connected to the body 8.

The construction that pivotably connects the lifting handle 300 and the dust cover 200 together will now be examined in more detail with reference to Figs. 7-10. Figs. 7 and 8 are exploded perspective views of the relevant parts of the lifting handle 300 and the dust cover 200, while Fig. 9 is a detailed perspective view of the hinge construction in action. Fig. 10 schematically illustrates some of the geometry involved.

As can be seen, the dust cover 200 comprises two dust cover pivot arms 204. Each of these arms 204 comprises an extremity 206 at which it may be pivotably connected to the body 8. Preferably, the dust cover pivot arms 204 are connected to the body 8 such that a distance between the arms measures a dimension, e.g. a width, of the body. The relatively large separation of the arms 204, and hence of their pivoting connections, may impart a feel of stability to the dustcover 200 when it is in its opened position. The lifting handle 300 comprises two lifting handle pivot arms 304. Each of these lifting handle pivot arms 304 comprises an extremity 306 at which it may be pivotably connected to the dust cover 200, more in particular to a dust cover pivot arm 204. To this end, the dust cover pivot arms 204 may for example be fitted with a cylindrical recess 208 in which a pivot pin (not shown) may be receivable. The pivot pin may also extend through an eye 308 provided in the extremity 306 of the associated lifting handle pivot arm 304. The recess 208 is preferably provided in an inner side of the dust cover pivot arms 204, so as to facilitate hiding the hinging connection from view. As well illustrated by Fig. 8, a lifting handle pivot arm 304 may preferably be pivotably connected to a dust cover pivot arm 204 at a point (i.e. recess 208) beyond that a which the latter is itself connectab Ie to the body 8 (i.e. at extremity 206). In addition, the point 208 where the lifting handle pivot arm 304 connects to the dust cover pivot arm 204 is preferably located at a longitudinal point of the latter arm that is provided with the aforementioned decorative band 302. This allows for a neatly narrow interruption line 100.

Fig. 10 schematically illustrates in more detail how the construction of Figs. 7 and 8 allows the decorative bands 202, 302 to be separated by a narrow, straight split line 100 (cf. Fig. 3) without impairing their mutual pivotability. In addition to said decorative bands 202, 302, which are shown in a side view (like in Fig. 3), Fig. 10 schematically shows the interruption line 100 and the recess 208 in the dust cover pivot arm 202 (cf. Fig. 8). It is understood that the decorative band 302 pivots around the center of the recess 208. To enable such rotation, the depicted distance 'b' must be equal to or larger than the depicted distance 'a'. Here 'b' is the perpendicular distance from the straight edge of decorative band 302 to the center of rotation, while 'a' is the distance from said center to the corner of decorative band 202 around which decorative band 302 will pass during its rotation. The reason that the condition b > a must be fulfilled is that 'b' is in fact the shortest distance between the center of rotation and the decorative band 302. If this distance would be smaller than 'a', decorative band 302 would inevitably run into the aforementioned corner of decorative band 202. Fig. 10 makes it clear that, by making the distance 'a' smaller, the distance 'b' may be diminished as well. Practically, this means that moving the recess 208 upwards (towards the higher horizontal edge of the decorative band 202) may allow for a narrower interruption line 100. This explains why the recess 208 is preferably located at a relatively high position, close to the top edge of the decorative band 302, as can be seen in Fig. 8.

Put together, a connection between the lifting handle pivot arm 304 and a dust cover pivot arm 204 may look like the one shown in perspective in Fig. 9. As was already visible in Figs. 7 and 8, both the lifting handle pivot arm 304 and the dust cover pivot arm 204 may comprise a number of spaced apart, substantially parallel plate members 212, 312. The number of plate members 212, 312 may vary per embodiment. In Fig. 9, a middle one of the three protruding plate members 312 provided on the lifting handle pivot arm 304 is receivable in a recess between the two plate members 212 of the dust cover pivot arm 204 to improve the stability of the connection. To the same end, the plate members 212, 312 provided on both arms 204, 304 are arranged such that they interlock (i.e. the plate members of the lifting handle pivot arm 304 interlock with the plate members of the dust cover pivot arm 204). In an embodiment of the vacuum cleaner, the middle one of the plate members 312 may be provided with a stop 314 that is disposed such that it engages an edge of the recess between the two plate members 212 when the lifting handle 300 is in its second lifting handle position (as shown in Fig. 9). This allows the lifting handle 300 to be fixed in its raised position. As the plate members 212, 312 are typically flexible, a little force may suffice to move the lifting handle 300 back into its first position.

Although illustrative embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these embodiments. Variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. Reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, it is noted that the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.