GB2088705A - Vacuum cleaner carrier arrangement - Google Patents

Abstract

A cannister-type vacuum cleaner is mounted on a chassis member 20 comprising a metal frame 21, the ends 23, 23' of which are adapted to be connected to each other e.g. by a toggle clip, said frame being provided with clamping lugs adapted to engage canister 10 and castors 29. The arrangement is such that when the ends of the frame are connected together, the lugs are brought into engagement with the cannister to secure the chassis member thereto. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in and relating to vacuum cleaners The present invention relates to vacuum cleaners and has particular reference to vacuum cleaners of the canister variety which incorporate a motor and associated fan means for drawing air into an inlet and discharging it from an outlet the inlet being adapted to receive a flexible hose and optionally a plurality of tools whereby the airflow generated by the motor sucks dirt and debris into the cleaner where it is deposited in the canister for subsequent emptying. Cleaners of this type are very well known. High performance units of this type may also be employed for "wet pick-up operations" whereby the motor assembly is adapted, constructed and arranged with associated filter equipment to enable the cleaner to pick-up water from a wet surface such as a lino or tiled floor to incorporate a drying operation as well.

In this latter case the canister collects not only the dirt and debris but also the water collected from the floor. The presence of water in the canister produces a corrosion problem. For strength, the canister is traditionally formed of a deep drawn steel components and hitherto has been provided with rollers or castors attached to the base of the unit itself.

In the case of a wet pick-up device; this is undesirable since in order to attach the castors or rollers to the base of the unit it has been nessary to drill the canister in order to fasten the castors or wheel components thereto. With a canister intended for "wet pick-up operations" this is clearly undesirable since the said drillings represent sites for corrosion and subsequent leakage.

In order to overcome this various manufacturers have produced small porter-type trollies comprising a platform defining a base upon which the canister sits and an upright handle portion together with a pair of fixed wheels at the junction of the base and the handle and a pair of castors at the other extremities of the base. These porter-type trollies have proved to be quite successful. They suffer, however, from the fact that they are not as readily portable as they might be and they are comparatively expensive to manufacture. They do however, have the advantage that they overcome the problem of securing wheel means to the base of the canister for ease of transport thereof.

According to the present invention there is provided a vacuum cleaner of the kind described having an erect canister body in combination with a chassis therefor which chassis comprises a metal tube or channel configured to define a frame, the ends of which tube or channel are in spaced juxtaposition, fastening means adapted to connect one of said ends with the other and to draw the said ends towards each other against the spring resilience of said frame, a plurality of clamp means carried by said frame and adapted to engage said canister body and wheel means to allow translational movement of the chassis over the surface upon which it stands, the arrangement being such that movement of the fastening means from an open position to a secure position serves to bring the clamping means into clamping engagement with the body to secure the chassis thereto.

The frame may be circular, rectangular or square and where the frame is rectangular or square the spacing of the ends is preferably along one of the straight sides. The fastening means may be a screw clamp adapted to draw the ends together thereby tending to reduce the peripheral extent of the frame or a toggle clamp serving the same purpose.

The wheel means may be wheels, rollers or castors or a combination thereof.

The clamp means may comprise a plurality of lugs disposed about the frame adapted to engage the canister. The lugs may be adapted to engage over a peripheral flange provided in the base or alternatively may include resilient clamp surfaces of a high friction material adapted to act on the external cylindrical surface of the canister.

Following is a description by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying informal drawings of methods of carrying the invention into effect.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the cleaner in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a detail inset showing a tool and associated hoses and handle for use in connection with the canister cleaner of Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the chassis of the vacuum cleaner of Fig.1.

Figure 4 is a side view of the chassis frame of Fig. 3.

The cleaner comprises a canister indicated generally at 10 having a hose connection 11 in a cylindrical surface thereof and a demountable top 12 carrying a motor indicated generally at 13 and an associated filter assembly indicated 14 (shown without the filter material in place). The closeable top 12 incorporates a plurality of air outlets 15 for the exhaust of air drawn in by the motor 13 through inlet 11.

The top 12 is retained in position on canister 10 by means of a pair of diametrically disposed toggle clips 16 and is sealed in place by a rubber gasket 17.

The canister body 10 has a generally circular base and the lower periphery of the canister 10 is defined by an annular recess 18 spaced upwardly of the lower most extremity of the canister.

The canister is arranged to sit on chassis member 20 which comprises a steel tube 21 configured to provide a frame of generally square configuration the corners 22 of which are radiused and the ends 23' of which are disposed in a substantially straight side portion 24 of the frame configuration so as to be substantially coaxial one with the other. A first end 23' is provided with a toggle clip 25 welded to the inside of the frame and the second end 23 is provided with a pair of axially spaced screwholes 26 adapted to received a toggle clip indentical with toggle clip 16 described with reference to Fig. 1. The frame carries at each corner a drilling 27 substantially perpendicular to the plane containing the frame 21, each drilling 27 being adapted to receive the upstanding stub 28 of a castor 29 of a known configuration.The chassis 20 is, therefore, supported by four castors, one at each corner 22 of the frame 21.

On the internal surface of each corner 22 there is provided an erect lug 30 comprising a vertical body portion 31 which is welded at 32 to the internal surface of tube 21 and an engaging portion 33 which is adapted to enter the annular recess 18 of the lower end of the canister 10.

In operation with the toggle disengaged from catch 25 the container base can be entered over the chassis until edges engage with and are supported by the generally straight portions 24 of the chassis with the engaging lugs 30 disposed about annular recess 18 of the base of the canister to allow entry and removal of the canister 10 from chassis 20. With a canister supported on the chassis 20 in the manner shown in Fig 1, engagement of the toggle clamp with catch 25 and operation of the toggle clamp serves to draw first end 23' towards second end 23 thereby reducing the peripheral extent of the chassis and drawing the lugs 30 into clamping engagement with the recess of the lower end of the canister.

In this configuration the chassis becomes integral with the canister and the canister is rendered readily mobile, without the problem for a wet pick-up vacuum cleaner of drilling the canister for securing of castors and the like.

Claims (10)

1. A vacuum cleaner of the kind described having an erect canister body in combination with a chassis therefor, which chassis comprises a metal tube or channel configured to define a frame, the ends of which tube or channel are in spaced juxtaposition, fastening means adapted to connect one of said ends with the other and to draw the said ends towards each other against the spring resilience of said frame, a plurality of clamp means carried by said frame and adapted to engage said canister body and wheel means to allow translational movement of the chassis over the surface upon which it stands, the arrangement being such that movement of the fastening means from an open position to a secure position serves to bring the clamping means into clamping engagement with the body to secure the chassis thereto.

2. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1 wherein the frame is circular, rectangular or square.

3. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the frame is rectangular or square and spacing of the ends is along one of the straight sides.

4. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the fastening means is a screw clamp adapted to draw the ends together thereby to reduce the peripheral extent of the frame.

5. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the fastening means is a toggle clamp adapted to draw the ends together thereby reducing the peripheral extent of the frame.

6. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the wheel means may be wheels, rollers or castors or any combination thereof.

7. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the clamp means comprises a plurality of lugs disposed about the frame and adapted to engage the lower periphery of the canister.

8. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the lugs are adapted to engage over a peripheral flange or bead provided in the base thereof.

9. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the lugs include resilient clamp surfaces of high friction material adapted to act upon the external surface of said canister.

10. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1 and substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.