GB2580309A

GB2580309A - Storage dock for a battery-powered vacuum cleaner

Info

Publication number: GB2580309A
Application number: GB1821173.0A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jan Pajak Arkadiusz; Fay Hobby Elanor
Original assignee: Dyson Technology Ltd
Current assignee: Dyson Technology Ltd
Priority date: 2018-12-24
Filing date: 2018-12-24
Publication date: 2020-07-22
Anticipated expiration: 2038-12-24
Also published as: CN113163997A; GB201821173D0; GB2580309B; WO2020136366A1; CN113163997B

Abstract

A storage dock for a battery-powered vacuum cleaner comprises a receptacle 4 configured to hold at least part of said vacuum cleaner, a support portion 6 configured to support the receptacle and an electrical connector (42, fig 5) configured to engage a complementary connector on the vacuum cleaner so enable charging of a battery of the vacuum cleaner. The receptacle defines an insertion axis 40 along which said part of the vacuum cleaner can be inserted into the receptacle in a generally downward direction. The receptacle is pivotable about a pivot axis (50, fig 5), relative to the support portion, between first and second positions so as to change the angle of the insertion axis relative to the vertical direction. The receptacle defines a cavity 12 for receiving said at least part of the vacuum cleaner and in the vertical direction the pivot axis is positioned level with, or below a lower half of the cavity.

Description

Storage Dock for a Battery-Powered Vacuum Cleaner The present invention relates to a storage dock. More specifically, it relates to a storage dock for a battery powered vacuum cleaner.

Battery-powered vacuum cleaners such as 'handheld' or 'stick' vacuum cleaners are often provided with storage docks for convenient stowage of the vacuum cleaner when not in use. The storage dock can sometimes double as a charging dock which charges the vacuum cleaner's battery pack while the vacuum cleaner is docked.

A common format for a storage dock is a wall mounted dock, such as the wall-dock provided with the Dyson V1 OT" cord-free stick vacuum cleaner. The wall mounted dock is secured to a wall by drilling holes in the wall, and then using screws and wall plugs to mount the dock to the wall. Another example of a storage dock for the Dyson V1 OT" is a free-standing dock which rests on the floor. In both cases, the dock has a slot with an open upper end into which the battery of the vacuum cleaner can be inserted. A charging plug, connected to mains electricity, projects into the slot and engages a charging port on the battery when the vacuum cleaner is docked.

One problem with existing docks is that they often requires the vacuum cleaner to be aligned with the dock relatively precisely. For instance, in the case of the above docks, the battery of the vacuum cleaner must be aligned with the slot in the dock. This can make docking the vacuum cleaner relatively difficult for some users, particularly if the dock is positioned relatively high up, because it can be difficult to see when the vacuum cleaner is aligned and/or difficult to move the vacuum cleaner in exactly the right direction. Similarly, when un-docking the vacuum cleaner if the user does not lift the vacuum cleaner directly upwards then the battery can rotate slightly within the slot, increasing frictional resistance and causing the dock to be lifted up along with the vacuum cleaner.

It is one 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 dock.

According to the present invention there is provided A storage dock for a battery-powered vacuum cleaner, the storage dock comprising: a receptacle configured to hold at least part of said vacuum cleaner; a support portion configured to support the receptacle; and an electrical connector configured to engage a complementary connector on the vacuum cleaner so enable charging of a battery of the vacuum cleaner, wherein: the receptacle defines an insertion axis along which said part of the vacuum cleaner can be inserted into the receptacle in a generally downward direction; the receptacle is pivotable about a pivot axis, relative to the support portion, between first and second positions so as to change the angle of the insertion axis relative to the vertical direction.

The receptacle being pivotable so as to change the angle of the insertion axis can make it easier for a user to dock or undock the vacuum cleaner. For example, it may be relatively difficult to align the vacuum cleaner precisely with the insertion axis and then move it exactly in that direction during docking or undocking. If the receptacle did not pivot then any such misalignment would increase the contact force between the dock and vacuum cleaner, increasing friction therebetween. In the case of a floor dock, increased friction during docking this may lead to the dock being more likely to topple over and increased friction during undocking may lead to the dock being lifted up along with the vacuum cleaner. With the insertion axis being able to change angle, however, the dock may be able to accommodate slight misalignment and/or misaligned movement, keeping friction at lower levels and thereby making the dock more user-friendly.

Reference to the receptacle being pivotable is intended to mean that it is capable of moving about the pivot axis during normal use (rather than only during assembly or disassembly of the dock, for instance).

For the avoidance of doubt, the insertion axis is an axis which runs in the direction in which the vacuum cleaner should be moved so as to insert it (or a part of it) into the receptacle. The insertion axis may be straight, but may instead take another form (for instance it may be arcuate S-shaped).

The receptacle may be configured to hold the entire vacuum cleaner. Alternatively, the receptacle may be configured to hold only a part of the vacuum cleaner, at which point the part of the vacuum cleaner which is not held by the receptacle may be more easily accessible for the user when they wish to undock it.

The dock may be configured such that the insertion axis is substantially exactly 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 (for instance one or more conductive plates or panels).

The receptacle may be biased to the first position.

The dock may be more visually pleasing and/or easier to dock with when the receptacle is in the first position. Accordingly, it may be beneficial to the aesthetics and/or functionality of the dock for the receptacle to be biased so that it returns to the first position when disturbed therefrom.

The dock may be arranged such that the receptacle is in the first position when a vacuum cleaner is docked with it. As an alternative, however, the dock may be arranged such that the act of docking a vacuum cleaner moves the receptacle away from the first position against its bias (for instance due to the weight of the vacuum cleaner acting on the receptacle).

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

With the pivot axis being positioned relatively low down with respect to the cavity, a mouth at an upper end of the cavity will move a relatively large distance when the receptacle pivots. This movement of the mouth can allow the receptacle to adapt to slight misalignment of the vacuum cleaner with the mouth during docking.

Where the pivot axis is level with the lower half of the cavity it may (though it need not necessarily) intersect the cavity.

The support portion may be configured for attachment to a wall.

This can be beneficial in that it allows a user to utilise the dock without the dock having to take up floor space.

The dock may further comprise a base for resting on a floor.

This can be beneficial in that by resting the dock on the floor it is not necessary to mount the dock to a wall (which may require the wall to be damaged, for instance by drilling screw holes).

The dock may further comprise an elongate pillar which connects the base to the support portion.

This may position the receptacle at a convenient height for a vacuum cleaner supported thereby to be grasped by a user. Instead or as well, it can ensure that the receptacle is high enough off the ground for a stick vacuum cleaner to be docked with the dock without the wand or cleaner head of the vacuum cleaner contacting the floor.

The pillar may extend generally vertically, so as to minimise the floor space that the dock as a whole occupies.

The dock 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.

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

The support surface may be positioned generally vertically.

With the support surface being positioned generally vertically, it will contact a side (either a lateral side or a top/bottom side) of the vacuum cleaner, thereby leaving the front of the vacuum cleaner free (for instance providing space for a wand extending forwards on the front of the vacuum cleaner).

The support surface may be provided on a projection that extends outward from a central region of the support portion.

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

At least part of the support surface may be made of resiliently deformable material This may reduce the risk of injury if a user traps their fingers (or other body parts) between the support surface and the vacuum cleaner.

Differing portions of the support surface may have differing degrees of deformability.

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

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

The use of a deformable pad of varying thickness may be a particularly simple to produce way of varying the deformability across the support surface.

Alternatively or in addition, part of the support surface may be made of a rigid material. For instance, part of the support surface may be provided by a projection which extends through a deformable pad.

The support portion may comprise a stop surface which is positioned to abut a surface of the receptacle so as to limit pivoting movement thereof.

Excessive pivoting movement of the receptacle may reduce, rather than improve, the usability of the dock. For instance during undocking of the vacuum cleaner if the insertion axis is positioned at too great an angle to the vertical then the user lifting the vacuum vertically upwards may actually increase friction and cause the dock to lift up along with the vacuum cleaner. It may therefore be beneficial for pivoting of the receptacle to be limited in this manner.

The support portion may comprise first and second stop surfaces, the receptacle being pivotable between a position at which it abuts the first stop surface and a position in which it abuts the second stop surface. For example, the receptacle may abut the first stop surface when in the first position, and abut the second stop surface when in the second position.

As an alternative, the receptacle may be pivotable between first, second and third positions, the first position being between the second and third positions. In that case, the receptacle may about the first stop surface when in the third position, and abut the second stop surface when in the second position.

The receptacle may be pivotable through an angle of less than 180 degrees, for instance less than 90 degrees or less than 45 degrees.

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

This may allow easier charging of the battery, in contrast to an arrangement where the receptacle holds a different component and means must be provided (on the dock and/or on the vacuum cleaner) to allow electricity to pass from the dock to the battery.

Instead or as well, it may be beneficial in that the battery is a relatively heavy component, and holding the vacuum cleaner by one of its heavier components may make for a more stable connection.

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

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

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

The cavity may have a length in the direction of the insertion axis which is more than 50mm, for instance more than 70mm or more than 80mm. This may be beneficial in that it can provide sufficient area of contact between dock and vacuum cleaner to ensure a strong and stable connection.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a storage dock according to a first aspect of the invention; Figure 2 is a front perspective view of a stick vacuum cleaner which can be docked with the storage dock of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a rear perspective view of a handheld vacuum cleaner which is part of the stick vacuum cleaner shown in Figure 2; Figure 4 is a front perspective view of the dock of figure 1, with the vacuum cleaner of Figure 2 supported thereby; Figure 5 is a front perspective view of an upper end of the dock of Figure 1; Figure 6 is a rear perspective view of the upper end of the dock; Figure 7 is a front perspective view of the upper end of the dock, with a receptacle thereof in a second position; Figure 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the vacuum cleaner of Figure 2 and part of the dock; and Figure 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the vacuum cleaner of Figure 2 and part of a dock according to a second embodiment of the invention.

Corresponding features are labelled using corresponding reference numerals.

Figure 1 shows a storage dock 2 according to a first embodiment of the invention. The dock 2 comprises a receptacle 4, a support portion 6, an elongate substantially vertical cylindrical pillar 8 and a base 10. The base 10 has a flat bottom with feet (not visible) for resting stably on a floor surface. The pillar 8 is separably connected to both the base and the support portion 6 so that the dock 2 can be disassembled for storage or shipping.

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

The support portion 6 has a central region 14 which connects the receptacle 4 to the pillar 8, and a cantilevered arm 16 which projects from the central region 14. The arm 16 terminates at 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 can be docked with the dock 2. This particular vacuum cleaner takes the form of a 'stick vac' which has a handheld vacuum cleaner 22 connected to a cleaner head 24 by an elongate rigid wand 26. The handheld vacuum cleaner 22 attaches to the wand 26, and the wand to the cleaner head 24, via respective push-button catches 27 of known design. The catches 27 are releasable to allow the wand 26 to be separated from the handheld vacuum cleaner 22 and or the cleaner head 24, for instance to change the cleaner head of the stick vacuum cleaner 20, or to connect the cleaner head 24 directly to the handheld vacuum cleaner 22 for cleaning furniture and the like.

Figure 3 shows the handheld vacuum cleaner 22 in isolation. The precise structure and function of the handheld vacuum cleaner 22 (and indeed the stick vacuum cleaner 20) is not material to the present invention therefore will not be described in detail. However in brief, referring to Figures 2 and 3 in combination, the handheld vacuum cleaner 22 has a handle 28 positioned beneath a dirt separator 30 which is supported on top of a spine 31, and beneath a housing 32 which contains a vacuum motor (not visible) that draws air through the vacuum cleaner 22 during use. Positioned beneath the handle 28 is a battery pack 34 which supplies power to the vacuum motor (not visible). The battery pack 34 has a charging port 36 in the form of a socket, through which electrical power can be delivered to the battery pack 34 to charge it.

Figure 4 shows the stick vacuum cleaner 22 docked with the dock 2. The handhled vacuum cleaner 22 can be docked with the dock 2 on its own if required, however the dock 2 is designed so that the receptacle 4 is high enough above the ground (thanks to the height of the pillar 8) so that the entire stick vacuum cleaner 20 can be docked.

Referring now to Figures 1-4 in combination, to dock the vacuum cleaner 20 with the dock 2, the battery pack 34 is inserted into the cavity 12. The receptacle 4 defines an insertion axis 40 along which the battery pack 34 can be inserted into or removed from the cavity 12 of the receptacle 4. The insertion axis 40 in this case is vertical, therefore to insert the battery pack 34 into the receptacle 4 the vacuum cleaner 20 is moved vertically downwards, and to remove 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, at which point the vacuum cleaner would be moved generally downwards, but not precisely vertically, so as to dock it.

Figures 5 and 6 show the receptacle 4 (and indeed the support portion 6) in more detail. As is shown more clearly in Figure 5, the dock 2 has an electrical connector in the form of a hollow cylindrical charging plug 42 on which is provided a concentric pair of electrical contacts 43a, 43b, one on the outer surface and one on the inner surface.

When the vacuum cleaner 20 is docked with the dock 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 those of the plug 42 and power can be delivered from the dock 2 to the battery pack 34 to charge it.

The cavity 12 of the receptacle 4 has a length in the direction of the insertion axis (i.e. vertical height when the receptacle 4 is in the first position) 44 of 85mm. This dimension is a compromise between having a shallow (i.e. vertically short) cavity 12, which allows the battery pack 34 to be inserted into and removed from the cavity with relatively little movement, and a deep (i.e. vertically long) cavity which provides a more robust connection between vacuum cleaner 20 and dock 2 due to a large region of contact therebetween.

As is 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 holes 48 in side walls of the receptacle 4. This forms a hinge joint, allowing the receptacle 4 to pivot relative to the support portion 6 (and thus relative to the pillar 8 and base 10) about a pivot axis 50. In this case the receptacle is pivotable between a first position, shown in Figures 1 and 4-6, and a second position as shown in Figure 7. In this particular case, the receptacle 4 can pivot through an angle of 30 degrees.

As the receptacle 4 pivots from the first position towards the second position, the angle of the insertion axis 40 relative to the vertical direction changes. With the receptacle 4 in the first position the insertion axis 40 runs in the vertical direction, but with the receptacle in the second position the insertion axis 40 is inclined 30 degrees away from to the vertical. This variation in angle of the insertion axis 40 can improve the ease with which the battery pack 34 can be inserted into the cavity 12 or removed therefrom, as discussed in more detail above.

The pivot axis 50 of this embodiment is positioned below the lower half 44a of the cavity 12 in the vertical direction. Indeed, in this case the pivot axis runs directly below the cavity 12 (rather than below and in front, or below and to the side, for example). Accordingly, pivoting of the receptacle 4 results in significant forward/backward movement of the mouth 13 of the cavity. This, in turn, can further increase the ease with which the battery pack 34 can be inserted into the cavity 12 or removed therefrom, as discussed in more detail above.

In this embodiment, the support portion 6 has a pair of stop surfaces 60, 62 which are positioned to contact respective surfaces 64, 66 on the receptacle 4 so as to limit the movement of the receptacle 4 about the pivot axis 50. When the receptacle 4 is in the first position, stop surface 60 abuts surface 64 and prevents the receptacle 4 from pivoting any further forwards. When the receptacle 4 is in the second position, stop surface 62 abuts surface 66 and prevents the receptacle from pivoting any further rearwards.

Furthermore, in this embodiment the receptacle 4 is biased to the first position. As shown in Figure 8, a torsion spring 70 is housed inside the support portion 6. The torsion spring 70 wraps around a peg 72 provided on the support portion 6, has a lower arm 74 which abuts a flange 76 of the support portion, and has an upper arm 78 which abuts a flange 80 of the receptacle 4. Due to elastic deformation applied to the spring 70 during assembly of the dock 2, the arms 74, 78 are biased against their respective flanges 76, 80, therefore the receptacle 4 is constantly urged forwards (however due to the abutment of stop surface 60 and surface 64 the receptacle 4 cannot pivot any further forwards than the first position). Accordingly, the receptacle 4 will return to the first position when disturbed therefrom.

As noted previously, the support portion 6 has a mounting port 19 which depends from the arm 16. The mounting port 19 provides a location for storage of a tool or a part of the vacuum cleaner 22, for instance a crevice tool (not visible), the cleaner head 24 or the wand 26. The mounting port is configured for engagement by a catch 27 of that tool or part, to releasably secure it in place. Additional storage points for tools or parts may be provided by an attachment piece (not visible) which releasably attaches to the pillar and has one or more additional mounting ports provided thereon. Indeed, in this embodiment the pillar 8 has the same size and cross sectional shape as the wand 26 of the vacuum cleaner 22, which allows the same attachment piece to be fitted to the wand or to the pillar. The user can therefore have the choice between taking tools or parts attached to the attachment piece (not visible) with them on the vacuum cleaner, or leaving them stored on the dock.

As also noted previously, the support portion 6 terminates in a support surface 18. The purpose of the support surface 18 is to provide additional support to the vacuum cleaner 20 when docked, on top of the support provided by the receptacle 4. 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 the support surface 18 is positioned vertically and contacts a side of the vacuum cleaner, more particularly an underside of the spine 31, as shown in Figure 9. The support surface 18 is concave to match the convex shape of the underside of the spine 31, providing a good area of contact for the sake of stability.

It will be appreciated that with the battery pack 34 of the vacuum cleaner is received in the cavity 12 of the receptacle 4, if the receptacle is pivoted from the first position towards the second position then the spine 31 will move away from the support surface 18. Likewise, if the receptacle 4 is pivoted from the second position towards the first position then the spine 31 will approach the support surface 18. There is therefore a risk that a user could trap their fingers or another body part between the spine 31 and support surface 18, for instance if inserting the battery pack 34 into the cavity 12 at a slight angle, forcing the receptacle 4 to pivot to a position between the first and second positions before releasing the vacuum cleaner and allowing it and the receptacle to pivot until the receptacle is in the first position.

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

The deformable nature of the support surface 18 can, however, adversely affect the stability of the support provided thereby. To improve the stability of the support offered by the support surface 18, the rubber pad 92 has varying thickness -it has a thinner middle portion 94 and thicker sides 96. The thinner middle portion 94 deforms less under a given force, therefore provides relatively stable support to the vacuum cleaner 20, while the thicker sides 96 are more deformable, therefore provide more protection for the user. One relatively common injury which could occur if the support surface 18 were rigid is the trapping of a small amount of skin between the edge of the support surface 18 and the spine 31. The increased deformability of the support surface 18 at the edges can therefore be particularly beneficial. If the user traps their fingers all the way across the support surface 18 then their fingers may be squashed between the less deformable middle portion 94 and the spine 31, however in these circumstances the squashing force is distributed over a relatively wide area, and the pressure experienced by the user is therefore lower and less likely to be painful.

Figure 10 shows a dock 2 according to a second embodiment of the invention. The dock 2 of this embodiment is generally the same as that of the first embodiment, except that the thinner middle portion of the rubber pad 92 of the first embodiment has been replaced by a projection 98 which projects all the way through the pad 92. Accordingly, the middle part of the support surface 18 is rigid. For the same reasons as discussed above, the user is prevented from trapping skin due to the deformable sides 96 of the rubber pad 92, but more stable support is provided in the middle region of the support surface 18.

It will be appreciated that numerous modifications to the above described embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of invention as defined in the appended claims. For instance, whilst the first and second embodiments the dock is a floor dock in that it has a base for resting on a floor surface, in other embodiments the dock may be a wall dock, having a portion configured for attachment to a wall (for instance a mounting plate with screw holes). In some embodiments the dock may be configured for use either as a floor dock or as a wall dock. For example, the dock may have both a base and a portion configured for attachment 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 utilised in any suitable combinations, and in particular in the combinations set out in the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A storage dock for a battery-powered vacuum cleaner, the storage dock comprising: a receptacle configured to hold at least part of said vacuum cleaner; a support portion configured to support the receptacle; and an electrical connector configured to engage a complementary connector on the vacuum cleaner so enable charging of a battery of the vacuum cleaner, wherein: the receptacle defines an insertion axis along which said pad of the vacuum cleaner can be inserted into the receptacle in a generally downward direction; the receptacle is pivotable about a pivot axis, relative to the support portion, between first and second positions so as to change the angle of the insertion axis relative to the vertical direction.
2. A storage dock according to claim 1 wherein the receptacle is biased to the first position.
3. A storage dock according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the receptacle defines a cavity for receiving said at least part of the vacuum cleaner, and in the vertical direction the pivot axis is positioned level with or below a lower half of the cavity.
4. A storage dock according to any preceding claim wherein the support portion is configured for attachment to a wall.
5. A storage dock according to any preceding claim further comprising a base for resting on a floor.
6. A storage dock according to claim 5 further comprising an elongate pillar which connects the base to the support portion.
7. A storage dock according to 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. A storage dock according to claim 7 wherein the support surface is positioned generally vertically.
9. A storage dock according to claim 7 or 8 wherein the support surface is provided on a projection that extends outward from a central region of the support portion.
10. A storage dock according to any one of claims 7 -9 wherein at least part of the support surface is made of resiliently deformable material
11. A storage dock according to claim 10 wherein differing portions of the support surface have differing degrees of deformability.
12. A storage dock according to claim 10 wherein the support surface is a surface of a resiliently deformable pad of varying thickness.
13. A storage dock according to any preceding claim wherein the support portion comprises a stop surface which is positioned to abut a surface of the receptacle so as to limit pivoting movement thereof
14. A storage dock according to any preceding claim wherein the receptacle is configured to hold a battery pack of the vacuum cleaner.
15. A storage dock according to any preceding claim wherein the receptacle defines a cavity for receiving said at least part of the vacuum cleaner, the cavity having a length in the direction of the insertion axis which is less than 100mm.