CN113163997A

CN113163997A - Storage docking station for battery powered vacuum cleaner

Info

Publication number: CN113163997A
Application number: CN201980081524.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: A.帕贾克; E.霍比
Original assignee: Dyson Technology Ltd
Current assignee: Dyson Technology Ltd
Priority date: 2018-12-24
Filing date: 2019-12-09
Publication date: 2021-07-23
Anticipated expiration: 2039-12-09
Also published as: GB201821173D0; GB2580309A; WO2020136366A1; GB2580309B; CN113163997B

Abstract

A storage docking station for a battery powered vacuum cleaner, comprising: a receptacle configured to hold at least a portion of the vacuum cleaner; a support portion configured to support the accommodating portion; and an electrical connector configured to engage a complementary connector on the vacuum cleaner, thereby enabling charging of a battery of the vacuum cleaner. The receptacle defines an insertion axis along which the portion of the vacuum cleaner can be inserted into the receptacle in a generally downward direction. The receiving portion is pivotable about a pivot axis relative to the support portion between first and second positions to vary the angle of the insertion axis relative to vertical.

Description

Storage docking station for battery powered vacuum cleaner

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a storage docking station (storage dock). More particularly, it relates to a storage docking station for a battery powered vacuum cleaner.

Background

Battery powered vacuum cleaners, such as "hand-held" or "stick" vacuum cleaners, are often provided with a storage docking station to facilitate storage of the vacuum cleaner when not in use. Storage docking stations may sometimes double as charging docking stations, charging the battery pack of the vacuum cleaner when docked.

A common form of storage docking station is a wall station, for example with Dyson V10^TMA wall-mounted docking station is provided for a cordless wand vacuum cleaner. A wall mounted docking station is secured to a wall by drilling a hole in the wall and then mounting the docking station to the wall using screws and wall plugs. Dyson V10^TMAnother example of a storage docking station of (a) is a free standing docking station resting on the ground. In both cases, the docking station has a slot with an open upper end into which the battery of the vacuum cleaner can be inserted. When the vacuum cleaner is docked, a charging plug connected to the main power supply extends into the slot and engages a charging port on the battery.

One problem with existing docking stations is that they typically require the vacuum cleaner to be relatively accurately aligned with the docking station. For example, in the case of the docking station described above, the battery of the vacuum cleaner must be aligned with the slot in the docking station. This can make the vacuum cleaner more difficult to dock for some users, particularly when the docking station is positioned relatively high, because it is difficult to see when the vacuum cleaner is aligned and/or to move the vacuum cleaner in exactly the correct direction. Similarly, if the user does not lift the vacuum cleaner directly upward while pulling the vacuum cleaner, the battery will rotate slightly within the slot, increasing frictional resistance and causing the docking station to be lifted with the vacuum cleaner.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to mitigate or obviate at least one of the above disadvantages and/or to provide an improved or alternative storage docking station.

According to the present invention there is provided a storage docking station for a battery powered vacuum cleaner, the storage docking station comprising:

a receptacle configured to hold at least a portion of the vacuum cleaner;

a support portion configured to support the accommodating portion; and

an electrical connector configured to engage a complementary connector on a vacuum cleaner to enable charging of a battery of the vacuum cleaner, wherein:

the receptacle defines an insertion axis along which the portion of the vacuum cleaner can be inserted into the receptacle in a generally downward direction;

the receiving portion is pivotable about a pivot axis relative to the support portion between first and second positions to vary an angle of the insertion axis relative to the vertical.

The receiving portion is pivotable to change the angle of the insertion axis, so that it is possible for a user to more easily dock or unplug the vacuum cleaner. For example, it can be relatively difficult to precisely align the vacuum cleaner with the insertion axis and then accurately move the vacuum cleaner in that direction during docking or undocking. Any such misalignment, if the receptacle is not pivoted, increases the contact force between the docking station and the vacuum cleaner, increasing the friction therebetween. In the case of a floor docking station, increased friction during docking may result in a greater likelihood of the docking station tipping over, while increased friction during extraction may result in the docking station being lifted with the vacuum cleaner. However, where the insertion axis is capable of changing angles, the docking station is able to accommodate slight misalignments and/or movement of the misalignments, thereby keeping friction at a lower level, making the docking station more user friendly.

Reference to a pivotable receptacle is intended to mean that it is able to move about a pivot axis during normal use (and not only during assembly or disassembly of, for example, a docking station).

For the avoidance of doubt, the insertion axis is an axis extending in the direction in which the vacuum cleaner should be moved to insert it (or a portion thereof) into the receptacle. The insertion axis may be straight, but may also take another form (e.g., it may be arcuate, S-shaped).

The receptacle may be configured to hold the entire vacuum cleaner. Alternatively, the receptacle may be configured to retain only a portion of the vacuum cleaner, in which case the portion of the vacuum cleaner not retained by the receptacle is more accessible to the user when the user wishes to pull the vacuum cleaner out.

The docking station may be configured such that the insertion axis is substantially completely vertical when the receptacle is in the first position.

The electrical connector may take the form of a plug or socket, or may take any other suitable form (e.g. one or more conductive plates or panels).

The receptacle may be biased to the first position.

The docking station may be more visually pleasing and/or easier to dock when the receptacle is in the first position. Thus, biasing the receptacle to return to the first position when disturbed may be beneficial to the aesthetics and/or functionality of the docking station.

The docking station may be arranged such that the receptacle is in the first position when the vacuum cleaner is docked therewith. However, as an alternative, the docking station may be arranged such that the action of docking the vacuum cleaner moves the receptacle away from the first position against the bias of the receptacle (e.g. due to the weight of the vacuum cleaner acting on the receptacle).

The receptacle may define a cavity for receiving the at least part of the vacuum cleaner, and the pivot axis may be located, in the vertical direction, flush with or lower than the lower half of the cavity.

In case the pivot axis is positioned relatively low with respect to the cavity, the mouth of the upper end of the cavity will move a relatively large distance when the receiving portion is pivoted. This movement of the mouth may allow the receptacle to accommodate slight misalignments of the vacuum cleaner with the mouth during docking.

Where the pivot axis is flush with the lower half of the cavity, it may (although need not) intersect the cavity.

The support portion may be configured to attach to a wall.

This may be beneficial because it allows a user to use the docking station without the docking station having to occupy floor space.

The docking station may also include a base for resting on the ground.

This may be beneficial because by resting the docking station on the ground, there is no need to mount the docking station to a wall (which may require damage to the wall, such as by drilling screw holes).

The docking station may further comprise an elongate strut connecting the base to the support portion.

This allows the receptacle to be positioned at a convenient height for a user to grasp a vacuum cleaner supported thereby. Alternatively or likewise, it may ensure that the receptacle is high enough above the floor surface that the wand vacuum cleaner can be docked with the docking station without the wand or cleaner head of the vacuum cleaner contacting the floor surface.

The support post may extend generally vertically to minimize the floor space occupied by the docking station as a whole.

The docking station may further comprise a support surface, wherein the receptacle is configured to hold a first portion of the vacuum cleaner and the support surface is arranged to contact a second portion of the vacuum cleaner when the receptacle is in the first position.

When docked, the support surface may provide additional structural support to the vacuum cleaner, thereby providing a more stable connection therebetween.

The support surface may be positioned substantially vertically.

Since the support surface is positioned substantially vertically, it will contact one side (lateral or top/bottom) of the vacuum cleaner, leaving the front of the vacuum cleaner free (e.g. to provide space for a wand extending forward in front of the vacuum cleaner).

The support surface may be provided on a protrusion extending outwardly from a central region of the support portion.

This may make the support surface more visually accessible, allow a user to more easily avoid pinching their fingers between the vacuum cleaner and the support surface, and/or allow a user to more easily verify that the vacuum cleaner has been correctly docked.

At least a portion of the support surface may be made of an elastically deformable material.

This may reduce the risk of injury if the user sandwiches a finger (or other body part) between the support surface and the vacuum cleaner.

Different parts of the support surface may have different degrees of deformability.

This may allow a balance to be struck between deformability (and hence safety) and rigidity (and hence support stability), as discussed in more detail later.

The support surface may be the surface of a resiliently deformable pad of varying thickness.

The use of deformable pads of varying thickness makes it particularly simple to produce ways of varying the deformability of the entire support surface.

Alternatively or additionally, a portion of the support surface may be made of a rigid material. For example, a portion of the support surface may be provided by a protrusion extending through the deformable pad.

The support portion may include a stop surface positioned to abut a surface of the receptacle to limit pivotal movement thereof.

Excessive pivoting movement of the receptacle may reduce rather than increase the usability of the docking station. For example, if the insertion axis is positioned at too large an angle to the vertical during vacuum cleaner extraction, a user lifting the vacuum cleaner vertically upward may actually increase friction and cause the docking station to lift with the vacuum cleaner. It may therefore be beneficial to limit the pivoting of the receptacle in this manner.

The support portion may include a first stop surface and a second stop surface, and the receiving portion may be pivotable between a position where it abuts against the first stop surface and a position where it abuts against the second stop surface. For example, the receiving portion may abut against the first stop surface when in the first position and may abut against the second stop surface when in the second position.

Alternatively, the receiving portion may be pivotable between first, second and third positions, the first position being between the second and third positions. In this case, the receiving portion may abut against the first stop surface when in the third position, and may abut against the second stop surface when in the second position.

The receiving portion may pivot through an angle of less than 180 degrees, such as less than 90 degrees or less than 45 degrees.

The receptacle may be configured to hold a battery pack of a vacuum cleaner.

This may allow for easier charging of the battery compared to arrangements where the receptacle holds a different component and means must be provided (on the docking station and/or on the vacuum cleaner) to allow power to be transferred from the docking station to the battery. Alternatively or also, it is advantageous that the battery is a relatively heavy component and that holding the vacuum cleaner by one of its heavy components may enable a more stable connection.

The electrical connector may be mounted on the receptacle and may pivot therewith.

The receptacle may define a cavity for receiving the at least part of the vacuum cleaner, the cavity having a length in the direction of the insertion axis of less than 100mm, for example less than 95mm or less than 90 mm.

This may allow the vacuum cleaner or a part thereof to be removed from the cavity with relatively little movement.

The length of the cavity in the direction of the insertion axis may be greater than 50mm, for example greater than 70mm or greater than 80 mm. This may be beneficial as it may provide sufficient contact area between the docking station and the vacuum cleaner to ensure a secure and stable connection.

Drawings

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a storage docking station according to a first aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a stick vacuum cleaner that may be docked with the storage docking station of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a rear perspective view of a hand-held vacuum cleaner of a portion of the wand vacuum cleaner shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a front perspective view of the docking station of FIG. 1 with the vacuum cleaner of FIG. 2 supported thereby;

FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of the upper end of the docking station of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of the upper end of the docking station;

FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of the upper end of the docking station with the receiving portion in a second position;

FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the vacuum cleaner and docking station of FIG. 2; and

fig. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a portion of the vacuum cleaner of fig. 2 and a docking station according to a second embodiment of the invention.

Corresponding features are denoted by corresponding reference numerals.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 shows a storage docking station 2 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The docking station 2 comprises a receiving portion 4, a support portion 6, an elongate substantially vertical cylindrical post 8 and a base portion 10. The base 10 has a flat bottom with feet (not visible) for resting stably on a ground surface. The post 8 is detachably connected to the base and support portion 6 so that the docking station 2 may be removed for storage or transport.

The receptacle 4 defines a cavity 12 into which a portion of a vacuum cleaner (not shown) can be inserted to dock the vacuum cleaner, the receptacle 4 then supporting the vacuum cleaner (not visible), the weight of the docking station 2 and vacuum cleaner being borne by the base 10. The cavity 12 has an open mouth 13, and a portion of the vacuum cleaner is insertable into the cavity 12 through the mouth 13.

The support portion 6 has a central region 14 connecting the housing 4 to the pillar 8 and a cantilever 16 projecting from the central region 14. The arm 16 terminates in a support surface 18 and has a bell-shaped mounting port 19 depending therefrom, as described in more detail later.

Figure 2 shows a battery powered vacuum cleaner 20 which may be docked with the docking station 2. This particular vacuum cleaner takes the form of a "stick vacuum cleaner" having a handheld vacuum cleaner 22 connected to a cleaner head 24 by an elongate rigid stick 26. The hand-held vacuum cleaner 22 is connected to a wand 26 by corresponding button fasteners 27 of known design, and the wand is connected to the cleaner head 24. The fastener 27 is releasable to allow the wand 26 to be separated from the hand-held vacuum cleaner 22 and/or cleaner head 24, for example to replace the cleaner head of the wand vacuum cleaner 20, or to attach the cleaner head 24 directly to the hand-held vacuum cleaner 22 for cleaning furniture or the like.

Figure 3 shows the hand-held vacuum cleaner 22 in isolation. The precise structure and function of the hand-held vacuum cleaner 22 (and indeed the stick vacuum cleaner 20) is not important to the present invention and will not be described in detail. Briefly, however, and in conjunction with fig. 2 and 3, the handheld vacuum cleaner 22 has a handle 28, the handle 28 being positioned beneath a dust separator 30 supported atop a spine 31 and beneath a housing 32, the housing 32 containing a vacuum motor (not visible) that draws air through the vacuum cleaner 22 during use. Located below the handle 28 is a battery pack 34 which powers a vacuum motor (not visible). The battery pack 34 has a charging port 36 in the form of a receptacle through which power can be delivered to the battery pack 34 to charge it.

Figure 4 shows the stick vacuum cleaner 22 docked with the docking station 2. If desired, the handheld vacuum cleaner 22 may be docked separately with the docking station 2, but the docking station 2 is designed so that the receptacle 4 is sufficiently high above the floor (due to the height of the stanchion 8) that the entire stick vacuum cleaner 20 can be docked.

Referring now to fig. 1-4 in combination, to dock the vacuum cleaner 20 with the docking station 2, the battery pack 34 is inserted into the cavity 12. The receptacle 4 defines an insertion axis 40, along which insertion axis 40 the battery pack 34 can be inserted into the cavity 12 of the receptacle 4 or removed from the cavity 12. In this case, the insertion axis 40 is vertical, so for inserting the battery pack 34 into the receptacle 4, the vacuum cleaner 20 is moved vertically downwards, and for removing the battery pack 34 from the receptacle 4, the vacuum cleaner 20 is moved vertically upwards. However, in other embodiments, the insertion axis may be positioned at an angle to the vertical, in which case the vacuum cleaner will move generally downwards, but not exactly vertically, in order to dock it.

Fig. 5 and 6 show the receiving portion 4 (and in fact the support portion 6) in more detail. As shown more clearly in fig. 5, the docking station 2 has an electrical connector in the form of a hollow cylindrical charging plug 42 on which a pair of concentric

electrical contacts

43a, 43b are provided, one on the outer surface and one on the inner surface. When the vacuum cleaner 20 is docked with the docking station 2 (i.e. when the battery pack 34 is received in the cavity 12), the plug 42 is received in the charging port 36 of the battery pack 34, contacts (not visible) in the charging port contact the contacts of the plug 42, and power can be transferred from the docking station 2 to the battery pack 34 to charge it.

The length (i.e., the vertical height when the housing 4 is in the first position) 44 of the cavity 12 of the housing 4 in the insertion axis direction is 85 mm. This dimension is a compromise between a shallow (i.e. vertically short) cavity 12, which allows the battery pack 34 to be inserted and removed from the cavity with relatively small movements, and a deep (i.e. vertically long) cavity, which provides a more secure connection between the vacuum cleaner 20 and the docking station 2 due to the large contact area between the vacuum cleaner 20 and the docking station 2.

As shown more clearly in figures 5 and 6, the support portion 6 has a pair of laterally projecting lugs 46 which are received in corresponding apertures 48 in the side walls of the receptacle 4. This forms a hinged joint which allows the receptacle 4 to pivot about the pivot axis 50 relative to the support portion 6 (and thus relative to the stanchion 8 and base 10). In this case, the receiving portion is pivotable between a first position shown in fig. 1 and 4-6 and a second position shown in fig. 7. In this particular case, the receptacle 4 can be pivoted through an angle of 30 degrees.

As the accommodating portion 4 pivots from the first position toward the second position, the angle of the insertion axis 40 with respect to the vertical direction changes. The insertion axis 40 extends in the vertical direction when the receiving portion 4 is in the first position, but the insertion axis 40 is inclined by 30 degrees with respect to the vertical direction when the receiving portion is in the second position. Such a change in the angle of the insertion axis 40 may improve the ease with which the battery pack 34 may be inserted into the cavity 12 or removed from the cavity 12, as discussed in more detail above.

The pivot axis 50 of the present embodiment is vertically below the lower half 44a of the cavity 12. In fact, in this case, the pivot axis extends directly below the cavity 12 (rather than, for example, in front of, or to the side below). Thus, pivoting of the receiving portion 4 causes the mouth 13 of the cavity to move significantly forward/backward. This, in turn, may further increase the ease with which the battery pack 34 may be inserted into the cavity 12 or removed from the cavity 12, as discussed in more detail above.

In this embodiment, the support portion 6 has a pair of stop surfaces 60, 62 positioned to contact corresponding

surfaces

64, 66 on the receptacle 4 to limit movement of the receptacle 4 about the pivot axis 50. When the receiving portion 4 is in the first position, the stop surface 60 abuts the surface 64 and prevents the receiving portion 4 from pivoting further forward. When the accommodating portion 4 is in the second position, the stop surface 62 abuts against the surface 66 and prevents the accommodating portion 4 from pivoting further rearward.

Further, in this embodiment, the accommodating portion 4 is biased to the first position. As shown in fig. 8, the torsion spring 70 is accommodated in the support portion 6. The torsion spring 70 is wound around a peg 72 provided on the support portion 6, having a lower arm 74 abutting a flange 76 of the support portion, and having an upper arm 78 abutting a flange 80 of the housing 4. The

arms

74, 78 are biased against their

respective flanges

76, 80 due to the elastic deformation applied to the spring 70 during assembly of the docking station 2, and the housing 4 is therefore constantly pushed forward (however, the housing 4 cannot pivot further forward than the first position due to the abutment of the stop surface 60 and the surface 64). Therefore, the accommodating portion 4 will return to the first position when disturbed.

As previously described, the support portion 6 has a mounting port 19 depending from the arm 16. The mounting port 19 provides a location for storing tools or parts of the vacuum cleaner 22, such as crevice tools (not visible), the cleaner head 24 or the wand 26. The mounting port is configured to be engaged by a fastener 27 of the tool or part to releasably secure it in place. Additional storage points for tools or parts may be provided by attachments (not visible) that are releasably attached to the stanchions and on which one or more additional mounting ports are provided. Indeed, in this embodiment, the post 8 has the same size and cross-sectional shape as the wand 26 of the vacuum cleaner 22, which allows the same attachment to be fitted to the wand or post. Thus, the user may choose to put tools or parts attached to the attachment (not visible) on the vacuum cleaner, or to store them on a docking station.

As also previously described, the support portion 6 terminates in a support surface 18. The purpose of the support surface 18 is to provide additional support for the vacuum cleaner 20 on top of the support provided by the receptacle 4 when docked. It is positioned such that it contacts the vacuum cleaner 20 when the battery pack 34 is received by the receptacle 4 and the receptacle is in the first position. In this case, as shown in fig. 9, the support surface 18 is vertically placed and contacts one side of the vacuum cleaner, particularly the bottom side of the ridge 31. The support surface 18 is concave to match the convex shape of the underside of the ridge 31, providing a good contact area for stability.

It will be appreciated that as the battery pack 34 of the vacuum cleaner is received in the cavity 12 of the receptacle 4, the ridge 31 will move away from the support surface 18 if the receptacle is pivoted from the first position towards the second position. Likewise, if the accommodating section 4 is pivoted from the second position toward the first position, the ridge 31 will approach the support surface 18. There is therefore a risk that the user may trap their finger or other body part between the ridge 31 and the support surface 18, for example if the battery pack 34 is inserted into the cavity 12 at a small angle, forcing the receptacle 4 to pivot to a position between the first and second positions and allowing it and the receptacle to pivot until the receptacle is in the first position before releasing the vacuum cleaner.

In view of this possibility, the support surface 18 is made of an elastically deformable material. In this case, the support surface 18 is the outermost surface of the rubber pad 92. The deformable nature of the pad means that it is less likely to cause injury if a user sandwiches their finger between the ridge 31 and the support surface 18.

However, the deformable nature of the support surface 18 can adversely affect the stability of the support provided thereby. To improve the stability of the support provided by the support surface 18, the rubber pad 92 has a different thickness-it has a thinner middle portion 94 and thicker side portions 96. The thinner middle portion 94 deforms less with a given force and thus provides a relatively stable support for the vacuum cleaner 20, while the thicker side portions 96 deform more easily and thus provide more protection for the user. If the support surface 18 is rigid, a relatively common injury that may occur is a small amount of skin being pinched between the edge of the support surface 18 and the ridge 31. Thus, increased deformability of the support surface 18 at the edges may be particularly beneficial. If the user clamps their fingers across the support surface 18, their fingers may be squeezed between the non-deformable intermediate portion 94 and the spine 31, however, in these cases the squeezing force is distributed over a relatively wide area and the user is therefore less subjected to pressure and less likely to be painful.

Fig. 10 shows a docking station 2 according to a second embodiment of the invention. Docking station 2 of this embodiment is substantially identical to docking station 2 of the first embodiment, except that the thinner middle portion of rubber pad 92 of the first embodiment is replaced by a protrusion 98 that extends all the way through pad 92. Thus, the middle portion of the support surface 18 is rigid. For the same reasons as described above, the user's skin may be prevented from being pinched by the deformable side portions 96 of the rubber pad 92, but a more stable support is provided in the middle region of the support surface 18.

It will be appreciated that various modifications may be made to the above described embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. For example, although the docking stations of the first and second embodiments are ground docking stations in that it has a base for resting on a ground surface, in other embodiments the docking station may be a wall docking station having a portion configured to attach to a wall (e.g., a mounting plate with screw holes). In some embodiments, the docking station may be configured to function as a floor docking station or a wall docking station. For example, the docking station may have both a base and a portion configured to attach to a wall, one or both of which may be removable when not needed.

For the avoidance of doubt, the optional and/or preferred features described above may be used in any suitable combination, particularly in the combinations set out in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A storage docking station for a battery powered vacuum cleaner, the storage docking station comprising:

a receptacle configured to hold at least a portion of the vacuum cleaner;

a support portion configured to support the accommodating portion; and

an electrical connector configured to engage a complementary connector on the vacuum cleaner to enable charging of a battery of the vacuum cleaner, wherein:

the receptacle defining an insertion axis along which the portion of the vacuum cleaner is insertable into the receptacle in a generally downward direction;

the receiving portion is pivotable about a pivot axis relative to the support portion between a first position and a second position to change an angle of the insertion axis relative to a vertical direction.

2. The storage docking station of claim 1, wherein the receptacle is biased to the first position.

3. The storage docking station of claim 1 or 2, wherein the receptacle defines a cavity for receiving the at least a portion of the vacuum cleaner, and the pivot axis is located flush with or lower than a lower half of the cavity in the vertical direction.

4. The storage docking station of any preceding claim, wherein the support portion is configured for attachment to a wall.

5. The storage docking station of any of the preceding claims, further comprising a base for resting on the ground.

6. The storage docking station of claim 5, further comprising an elongated strut connecting the base to the support portion.

7. The storage docking station of any preceding claim, further comprising a support surface, wherein the receptacle is configured to hold a first portion of the vacuum cleaner, and the support surface is arranged to contact a second portion of the vacuum cleaner when the receptacle is in the first position.

8. The storage docking station of claim 7, wherein the support surface is positioned substantially vertically.

9. The storage docking station of claim 7 or 8, wherein the support surface is provided on a protrusion extending outwardly from a central region of the support portion.

10. The storage docking station of any of claims 7-9, wherein at least a portion of the support surface is made of an elastically deformable material.

11. The storage docking station of claim 10, wherein different portions of the support surface have different degrees of deformability.

12. The storage docking station of claim 10, wherein the support surface is a surface of a resiliently deformable pad of variable thickness.

13. The storage docking station of any of the preceding claims, wherein the support portion includes a stop surface positioned to abut a surface of the receptacle to limit pivotal movement thereof.

14. The storage docking station of any preceding claim, wherein the receptacle is configured to hold a battery pack of the vacuum cleaner.

15. The storage docking station of any preceding claim, wherein the receptacle defines a cavity for receiving the at least a portion of the vacuum cleaner, the cavity having a length in the direction of the insertion axis of less than 100 mm.