US3924291A

US3924291A - Blower connection and exhaust valve configuration for a cleaner or the like

Info

Publication number: US3924291A
Application number: US397614A
Authority: US
Inventors: Donald B Tschudy; John L Fawcett
Original assignee: Hoover Co
Current assignee: Hoover Co
Priority date: 1973-09-17
Filing date: 1973-09-17
Publication date: 1975-12-09
Anticipated expiration: 1992-12-09
Also published as: CA1001811A; FR2244109A1; GB1486284A; JPS5056757A; AU7340274A; DE2444430A1

Abstract

A floor care appliance is provided with an exhaust valve and blower conversion arrangement in which the exhaust valve has high air flow passing characteristics. The exhaust valve includes a fixed, serpentine, vertically extending member and a movable, serpentine, vertically extending member. When the undulations on the two members coincide the valve is closed and blower conversion may be made. When the undulations do not coincide, the valve is open, thus offering a relatively unobstructed, large flow path for air exiting around the periphery of the cleaner.

Description

United States Patent [191 Tschudy et al.

[ Dec. 9, 1975 BLOWER CONNECTION AND EXHAUST VALVE CONFIGURATION FOR A CLEANER OR THE LIKE [75] Inventors: Donald B. Tschudy, Canton; John L.

Fawcett, North Canton, both of Ohio [73] Assignee: The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio [22] Filed: Sept. 17, 1973 21 Appl. No.: 397,614

[52] US. Cl. 15/330 [51] Int. Cl. A47L 9/08 [58] Field of Search 15/328, 330, 339

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Forsberg 15/330 X Acheson 15/330 X Kasper l5/330 X Primary Examinerl-larvey C. Homsby Assistant ExaminerC. K. Moore [57] ABSTRACT A floor care appliance is provided with an exhaust valve and blower conversion arrangement in which the exhaust valve has high air flow passing characteristics. The exhaust valve includes a fixed, serpentine, vertically extending member and a movable, serpentine, vertically extending member. When the undulations on the two members coincide the valve is closed and blower conversion may be made. When the undulations do not coincide, the valve is open, thus offering a relatively unobstructed, large 'flow path for air exiting around the periphery of the cleaner.

11 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures US. Patent Dec. 9 1975 Sheet 1 of6 3,924,291

US. Patent Dec. 9 1975 Sheet 2 of6 3,924,291

U.S. Patent Dec. 9 1975 Sheet 3 of6 3,924,291

US. Patent Dec. 9 1975 Sheet 5 of6 3,924,291

20 FIG. 6

20 FIG. 7 3o US. Patent Dec. 9 1975 Sheet 6 of6 3,924,291

FIG. 8

BLOWER CONNECTION AND EXHAUST VALVE CONFIGURATION FOR A CLEANER OR THE LIKE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION valve and blower conversion arrangement for a vacuum 1 cleaner or the like.

2. Description of the Prior Art It is old and well known in the cleaner art to provide blower conversion for the cleaner so that the same may have sufficient flexibility to permit use of the air stream produced by the cleaner for blowing purposes such as the distribution of the vapors of moth crystals, spray painting and the like. Cleaners with such conversion, however, must still make provision for the exhaust of cleaner air when the floor care appliance is utilized as a vacuum pick-up of household dirt, dust and debris. Ease of conversion and unobjectionable exhaust of suction cleaning air should be the primary aims of these structures.

Cleaner conversion and exhaust air structures, in an attempt to meet these goals, have included: cleaner structures without a conversion valve in which both suction cleaner air and air for blower conversion exits from the cleaner through a single port or opening, adapted for hose connection; cleaners in which an internal valve directs exiting air selectively into one of a pair of passageways, one leading to a hose connector and the other leading to a separate exit means that may discharge the air generally peripherally or locally of the cleaner housing and cleaners having a valving means close to the cleaner discharge which are converted, upon closing of the valve flow passageway to discharge, to blower operation.

Each of these configurations, however, suffers somewhat from generated noise, back pressure and the like, even under normal floor cleaning operation. This is due to the relatively constricted, exiting cleaner suction air flow as it passes through the restricted conduit crosssectional air of the single port or opening in a cleaner having no conversion valve or the conduit cross-sectional air of the open conversion valve in cleaners having the same.

The problems engendered by cleaner air flow rates then remain only partially solved and, considering the new high performance cleaners which are now entering the marketplace, become more critical each day as manufacturers develop new, improved, higher performance cleaners for sale.

Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a vacuum cleaner which has blower conversion and yet provision in the valving thereof to accommodate the high flow rates of modern cleaners.

It would be additionally advantageous to utilize a valving arrangement which acted in an area of the cleaner having potentially the large cross-sectional area so that the valves requisite dimensions to handle a high flow rate would easily be accommodated.

It would be further advantageous to provide an air exhaust valve for a floor care appliance having blower conversion in which the operative parts of the exhaust valve had a minimal constrictive result on suction air while the floor care appliance remained unconverted.

It would be still further advantageous to provide a novel flow valve which could handle large flow rate quantities in open condition, with minimum restriction and maximum conduit cross-sectional area due to its peripheral flow area characteristics.

It would even be still further advantageous to provide a cleaner with a simple shut-off valve for cleaner exhaust air flowing radially in a circular passageway that flowed to a circumferential upward exhaust slot, such a 0 manner of exhaust inducing maximum ambient air entrainment with minimal sensible exhaust temperatures and velocities.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is provided in a canister cleaner, as exemplary of a floor care appliance, with the same including an exhaust valve and blower conversion arrangement disposed generally peripherally near the cleaner bottom side.

The exhaust valve and blower conversion arrangement exhausts air peripherally around the bottom of the canister cleaner through an opening formed be tween a bottom supporting pan for the cleaner and the bottom of an intermediate shell which forms, in large part, the bag-receiving cavity of the cleaner. The exhaust valve has its stationary sealing valve part disposed in the bottom surface of the bottom of the intermediate shell, with the same integrally formed therein when the intermediate shell is press-formed during manufacture.

The stationary valve part takes the form of a downwardly extending, somewhat annular, closed peripheral Wall which, in plan view, has a series of regular undulations that provide peaks and valleys in this valve part as they extend around the bottom of the intermediate shell to form their closed, serpentine loop. Mounted beneath this valve part is the movable valve part that may be conveniently formed from a plastic molding of generally annular shape that includes an integral upstanding wall that undulates as it extends around this valve part to form a closed loop having, in plan view, a series of peaks and valleys. The peaks and valleys of the movable valve part, and thereby the general curvature of the upstanding wall, conform to the peaks and valleys and thereby general curvature of the depending wall on the intermediate shell, Thus, when the undulating, serpentine depending wall of the intermediate shell and the undulating, serpentine upstanding wall of the plastic molding are placed in an in-phase relationship, the bottom face or termination of the depending wall of the stationary valve part sealingly abuts the upper face or termination of the upstanding wall of the movable valve part to provide a closed air volume sealingly trapped by the contiguous walls.

During normal cleaning operation, the movable valve part is spring urged to an out-of-phase relationship with the fixed valve part so that the peaks of one correspond to the valleys of the other and a flat portion of the valve base covers a bottom pan blower access port. This provides an extremely large flow path area that is enhanced by making the diameters of the fixed and movable valve parts large so that it places them radially outwardly (peripherally) of the fan and diffuser system for the canister cleaner, in the flow path of cleaner suction air immediately prior to discharge of it outwardly of the cleaner.

Blower conversion is accomplished by movement of the movable valve part rotatably, through the aegis of an integral, radially extending lever tab, until the inphase relationship is reached with the fixed valve part and the blower access port in the bottom pan is uncovered. A circular aperture that includes the female portions of a bayonet Connection is formed in the movable valve part, with this aperture located so that it conforms to a peak in the fixed valve part when the valve parts are in an in-phase relationship to permit insertion and confluent communication between the closed volume formed by the walls of the two valve parts, the bottom pan, and a hose having a hose fitting with male portions of a bayonet coupling. Blower conversion is then completed by insertion of the male hose connector through the bottom pan access port and into twist-lock engagement with the aligned movable valve exhaust port.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Reference may now be had to the accompanying drawings for a better understanding of the invention, both as toits organization and function, with the illustration being of the preferred embodiment but only as exemplary, and in'which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional elevational view of a canister cleaner incorporating the invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the canister cleaner of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view of the canister cleaner taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 1; r

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the canister cleaner taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view, similar to FIG. 4, but showing the valve parts in an in-phase relationship;

' FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional elevational view of the invention taken generally on lines 66 of FIG. 4; I FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional elevational view of the invention taken generally on lines 7-7 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional elevational view of the invention taken on line 88 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the movable valve member in detached condition.

- DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT cludes a housing 11, with a hinged lid 14 mounted to an intermediate housing shell 12. A bottompan 16 and a medallion section 18 also cooperate to form housing A motor 20 drives a fan system 22, including a pair of fans 24, 26, to provide a suction flow of cleaner air passing into cleaner through a hose coupling fitting 28. This hose coupling communicates with a chamber 30, enclosed by housing 11, in which a dirt-collecting bag 32 is disposed so as to separate dust and dirt from the dirt-laden suction air so that relatively clean air may pass through the motor for cooling the same. This air then passes through the fan system 22 for peripheral discharge between a radially outer termination of the intermediate shell 12 and the bottom pan 16 through an opening 34.

Cleaner 10 is transported over and supported above the floor by large rear wheels 44, 44 (only one shown) and front caster wheel 46, with a handle 42 also providing a convenient grasping means for transportation of the canister cleaner 10.

Suction air flow within the cleaner is generally conventional, passing downwardly through a secondary filter and, as set out, previously the motor 20. After passage through first stage fan 26, the flow of cleaner air passes through a first stage diffuser 52 of fan system 22 which directs the air flow, as indicated by the flow arrows, to an eye of the second stage fan 24, from whence air is discharged into a second stage diffuser 54 of fan system 22 that directs the cleaner air flow upwardly, axially relative to the fan system 22 into a tuming chamber 56, formed between a radially inward portion of the bottom face of intermediate shell 12 and an upper, outer periphery of second stage diffuser 54. Air flow is then through a passage 58, located between portions of the bottom face of intermediate shell 12 and portions of a top face of bottom pan 16, to. eventual ambient discharge.

An auxiliary flow of cooling, induced, ambient air may be introduced to the canister cleaner 10 to reduce, primarily, air discharge temperature of 1 the total air flow discharged from the canister cleaner. This airmay conveniently enter the cleaner 10 through a series of ports 59 in the bottom face of bottom: pan 16 and thence through a series of ports 60 (note flow arrows).

in the bottom face of second stage diffuser 24. This air then moves along a bottom face of the second stage fan 24 to mix with air discharged from it as it passes through the diffuser.

A resilient mounting and sealing arrangement for the fan system 22 and motor 20 is provided in the lower portions of the canister cleaner 10. A pair of vertically spaced, resilient,

annular ring members

62 and 64 perform this function. The lower of these resilient ring members is ring member 62. It is disposed between a top face of the bottom pan 16 and a bottom face of ,sec- 0nd stage diffuser 54 to. supportingly maintain this diffuser and, through it, the fan system 22 and motor 20 in a resilient, vibration arresting relationship with the bottom pan 16. The upper resilient ring 64 is mounted between the innermost portions of the bottom face of intermediate shell 12 and an upper face of a motor end support plate 66 so that the resilient ring 64 resiliently and vibrationally isolates the intermediate shell I 12 from the motor 20 and fan system 22. Thus, the

resilient ring members

62, 64 form a sandwich about the motor and fan system to cocoon the same relative to. outward passage of noise and vibration.

These two rings also effect an upper and lower sealing means for the canister cleaner 10. A series of connecting nuts and

studs

68, 68, 68 (only one shown) maintain these resilient rings in a compressed sealing relationship with the fan system 22 by being tightened to maintain the intermediate shell 12 and bottom pan 16 in a compact assemblage. These seals thereby prevent unwanted backflow and serious leakage of cleaner air inwardly and outwardly, respectively, relative to the fan system 22.

The inventive aspects of the instant Application will now be detailed, the environment in which thesame might be utilized having now just been described. Exhaust valve and blower conversion means 70 is located between the bottom of the intermediate shell 12 and the top of the bottom pan 16 in the passageway 58 so as to be capable of controlling the outward flow of discharge air from cleaner 10. As can be clearly seen in FIG. 1, the exhaust valve and blower conversion means 70 is located radially outwardly of the fan system 22 and extends around it outwardly of its periphery adjacent the outer periphery of canister cleaner 10.

Turning now to FIGS. 2 through 9, it can be seen that a pair of vertically transversely extending valve walls or

dikes

72 and 74 are provided in exhaust valve and blower conversion means 70. The valve wall 72 may be formed in a conventional manner, in a bottom, generally flat, radially intermediate laterally extending portion of intermediate shell 12 when the same is made by press-forming. This valve wall includes a pair of tapered, radially spaced inner and

outer portions

76, 78, respectively, that merge into a bottom portion 80 of widened extent so as to provide a seat for a top face 82 of valve wall 74. It should be apparent that when the top face 82 of valve wall 74 is in complete peripheral engagement with the bottom portion 80 of valve wall 72, that air flow outwardly of the cleaner is restricted so that an air exit connection that could be made to passage 58 will pass substantially all the exit cleaner air generated by the fan system 22. In this manner, blower conversion (to be described later) for the canister cleaner 10 is had.

Depending valve wall 72, because of its integral relationship with relatively fixed intermediate shell 12 is the fixed valve part, while valve wall 74 is made the movable valve part by being made an integral portion of a relatively laterally extending movable valve means 83, the movable valve means 83 being mounted for guided rotation on the bottom pan 16 through an annular, upstanding rib 84, integral with the bottom pan and conveniently formed at the time of formation of bottom pan 16.

In order to provide a means for maintaining the movable valve means 83 centered relative to the vertical axis of canister cleaner 10, the movable valve means 83 is generally flat but includes a downwardly opening, grooved portion 86 that extends annularly, nearly the whole way around the approximately annular movable valve means 83, terminating only in the area utilized for blower conversion. This grooved portion, of course, receives the rib 84 of bottom pan 16 so that it is guided as aforesaid as movable valve means 83 is rotated. As the movable valve means rotates from the position illustrated in FIGS. 5, 7 and 8, it opens exhaust valve and blower conversion means 70 to permit flow of cleaner air to pass out through the cleaner exit opening 34. This is accomplished in the following manner.

Each of

valve wall portions

72 and 74 are in the form of an undulating, serpentine configuration of generally annular extent and closed configuration when viewed in plan, with the undulating, serpentine arrangement of each being similar to the other so that they may conform and have abutting edges when placed in an inphase relationship (e.g., FIG. 5). At the same time, when the

valve wall portions

72 and 74 are in an out-ofphase relationship (e.g., FIG. 2), the

valve wall portions

72 and 74 only have conforming abutment at widely spaced points on the bottom portion 80 and top face 82 of

valve walls

72 and 74, respectively. Those crosssectional areas enveloped by those portions of

valve walls

72 and 74 not in abutment are open to provide a significantly large flow path for the passage of cleaner exhaust air outwardly between the bottom of intermediate shell 12 and top face of valve 82 and on through opening 34.

More specifically, chain dashed line 88 (FIG. 4) has been drawn to represent the mean circumference of the radial width of

valve walls

72 and 74. Thus, a series of valleys or inner

radial portions

90 and 92 are formed by the

valve walls

72, 74, respectively, inwardly of the mean circumference 88 and a series of peaks or outer

radial portions

94 and 96 are formed by the

valve walls

72, 74, respectively, outwardly of the mean circumference 86. The area between a peak on one of the valve parts and the valley on the other valve part, e.g., area 98 represents one segment of the cross-sectional area of flow path for the exiting cleaner air. The total area available for exit air flow is, thus, the summation of the individual areas 98. An extremely large air flow is thereby provided, relative to valve size, by the undulating, serpentine configuration of the valve walls or dikes so that relatively little pressure drop and noise occurs due to valve-imposed flow restriction resistance with the valve in open condition.

The movable valve means 83 is normally urged counterclockwise to a position where the exhaust valve and blower converter means is fully open by a biasing means consisting of a tension spring 100 (FIG. 2) that is mounted to a radially extending tab 102, integral with movable valve means 83. The opposite, fixed end of the spring 100 engages under a struck-out tab 104 formed on bottom pan 16 so that the spring has a fixed reaction point to place it in resilient tension relative to movable valve part 83. It should be noted that, in this position, a flat 115 on movable valve means 83 covers a port 114 in the bottom pan to prevent air exit therethrough To rotate movable valve means 83 so that movable valve wall 7.4 is in closed relationship with fixed valve wall 72, an additional radially extending, integral tab 106 is provided on movable valve means 83. This tab extends outwardly past the radial outward termination of the bottom plate 16, being bent to extend thereby, and through opening 34 so as to be easily graspable and manipulatable by the user of the canister cleaner 10. The tab 106 then can be manually manipulated clockwise to bring the

valve walls

72 and 74 into an in-phase relationship. In this location of the valve walls blower conversion is made.

In FIGS. 2 and 4 it can be seen that one of the peaks on each of the

valve walls

72 and 74 is made slightly larger to provide a larger flattened area 108 on the movable valve means 83 to accommodate a generally conventional, standard hose coupler l 10 having a standard female-type bayonet fitting 112 for connection to a hose 126. provided with the male half of the bayonet fitting and utilizable for blowing purposes. Connection to the hose coupler is made through the port 114 extending through bottom pan 16, with a male bayonet hose coupler part 128 extended through this port and lockingly coupled with hose coupler 110. This locked coupling also prevents movable valve means 83 from again rotating counter-clockwise due to the biasing of spring 100, since the male hose coupling part abuts against the internal circular periphery of hose coupler 110 to prevent it. Uncoupling of the blowing hose 126 from hose coupler 110 and its removal from port 114 again permits movable valve means 83 to rotate counter-clockwise until the position illustrated in FIG. 4 is reached. Port 114 is closed by a flat portion 115 of movable valve means 83 in this position so that all air flow is between the valve'walls 22 and 74 to exit 34.

In order to positively limit the travel of movable valve part 83, either manually or under the action of the biasing effect of spring 100, a pair of

stops

116 and 118 are included in canister cleaner 10. Stop 116 is formed by one of the studs 68 and a spacer 120 mounted thereon, with the stud and included spacer, of course, fixed with respect to bottom pan 16. The stop 116 is engageable with a ledge 122 integral with the movable valve means 83 to limit counter-clockwise rotation of this valve part under the bias of spring 100.

Stop 118 is similarly formed by a stud 68 around which is a spacer 120. A second ledge 124, again formed integrally with movable valve means 83, may abut the stop 118 when the tab 106 is manually moved clockwise. In this abutting position overtravel of the movable valve means 83 is prevented and the bore 114 is aligned with the hose coupler 110.

It should be clear from the description offered that all the advantages set out for the invention in the beginning of the description have been satisfied. It should, further, be evident that many modifications could be made to the embodiment described which would still fall within its spirit and purview.

What is claimed is:

1. An exhaust valve and blower conversion arrangement for use with a floor care appliance having a fan for inducing a flow of discharge air and an apertured housing section having a first aperture therein for providing an exit, at least part of the time, for said discharge air and including;

a. a first relatively flat, laterally extending portion having a first dike transversely extending therefrom,

b. a second relatively flat, laterally extending portion having a second dike transversely extending therefrom, said first and second portions being relatively movable,

c. said second relatively flat, laterally extending portion having a second aperture extending therethrough, and

d. said first and second transversely extending dikes having substantially closed configurations, in plan view, and being undulating in their closed, configured extent whereby, when abutting conformance of said undulations is effected alignment of said first and second apertures is also effected said first and second apertures providing a passageway whereby said blower conversion is effectable.

2. The exhaust valve and blower conversion arrangement of claim 1 wherein;

a. said undulations, upon assuming a non-abutting conformance, permit exit of discharge air therebetween in a substantially unimpeded manner.

3. An exhaust valve arrangement for a floor care appliance having a fan means providing a discharge air flow, the exhaust valve arrangement including;

a. a first member having a first dike extending therefrom,

b. a second member movable relative to the first and having a second dike extending therefrom,

c. each of said dikes taking the form, in plan view, of

a closed configuration of a connected series of alternating radially inner and outer segments,

d. said closed configuration on each of said first and second members being of the same shape so that, upon abutting conformance thereof, discharge air is prevented from passing therebetween, and

e. said closed configurations of connected series of radially inner and outer segments, when in nonabutting conformance, permitting the flow of discharge air therebetween.

4. The exhaust valve arrangement for a floor care appliance as set out in claim 3 wherein;

a. one of said first and second members includes a hose coupling structure, and

b. when said dikes are in said abutting conformance, said hose coupling structure receives discharge air therethrough.

5. The exhaust valve arrangement for a floor care appliance as set out in claim 4 wherein;

a. a hose and means for securing said hose is provided for securement to said hose coupling structure,

b. said means for securing said hose when attached to said hose coupling structure abuttingly interfering with movement of one of said first and second members to non-abutting conformance with the other of said members.

6. The exhaust valve arrangement for a floor care appliance as set out in claim 3 wherein;

a. one of said first and second members is biasingly maintained with said dikes in one of said abutting and non-abutting positions by a connected resilient spring biasing arrangement.

7. The exhaust valve arrangement for a floor care appliance as set out in claim 3 wherein;

a. each of said connected series of radially inner and outer segments provide a serpentine-like configuration to each of said dikes.

8. The exhaust valve arrangement for a floor care appliance as set out in claim 3 wherein;

a. said second member rotates relative to the first member, and

b. said dikes each take the general form of a closed annulus.

9. A cleaner having an exhaust valve and blower conversion arrangement, including;

a. a bottom member for said cleaner having an outer p p y b. a member having a relatively flat portion disposed above said bottom member and forming a part of the bag-receiving cavity for said cleaner,

0. a fan system disposed between said bottom member and said flat portion,

(1. said fan system for said floor care appliance providing a flow of discharge air to a passageway extending outwardly between said bottom member and said relatively flat portion of said member disposed above said bottom member,

said passageway also extending peripherally around said fan system, and f. a valve means for controlling the flow of discharge air through said passageway, including a portion of said passageway, wholly disposed radially outwardly of said fan system, and also extending peripherally around said fan system but within the space between said bottom member and said flat portion whereby discharge air is discharged with lowered noise and reduced back pressure as it passes through the valve means when open because of the large valve flow area occasioned by the peripheral extent and placement of said valve means.

10. The cleaner having an exhaust valve and blower 60 conversion means as set out in claim 9 wherein;

a. said valve means, including a portion of said passageway, includes a vertically extending movable dike member and a vertically extending fixed dike member, and

b. each of said dike members has a serpentine-like configuration in plan view, capable of abutting conformance for preventing the discharge of discharge air therebetween.

10 c. a valve member extending annularly around said fan means and disposedly mounted in said passageway means for movement relative to said passageway means to abuttingly conform with and move from conformance with a portion of said passageway means surrounding said fan means, to alternately interrupt and permit surrounding peripheral exit flow of said discharge air.

Claims

1. An exhaust valve and blower conversion arrangement for use with a floor care appliance having a fan for inducing a flow of discharge air and an apertured housing section having a first aperture therein for providing an exit, at least part of the time, for said discharge air and including; a. a first relatively flat, laterally extending portion having a first dike transversely extending therefrom, b. a second relatively flat, laterally extending portion having a second dike transversely extending therefrom, said first and second portions being relatively movable, c. said second relatively flat, laterally extending portion having a second aperture extending therethrough, and d. said first and second transversely extending dikes having substantially closed configurations, in plan view, and being undulating in their closed, configured extent whereby, when abutting conformance of said undulations is effected alignment of said first and second apertures is also effected said first and second apertures providing a passageway whereby said blower conversion is effectable.

2. The exhaust valve and blower conversion arrangement of claim 1 wherein; a. said undulations, upon assuming a non-abutting conformance, permit exit of discharge air therebetween in a substantially unimpeded manner.

3. An exhaust valve arrangement for a floor care appliance having a fan means providing a discharge air flow, the exhaust valve arrangement including; a. a first member having a first dike extending therefrom, b. a second member movable relative To the first and having a second dike extending therefrom, c. each of said dikes taking the form, in plan view, of a closed configuration of a connected series of alternating radially inner and outer segments, d. said closed configuration on each of said first and second members being of the same shape so that, upon abutting conformance thereof, discharge air is prevented from passing therebetween, and e. said closed configurations of connected series of radially inner and outer segments, when in nonabutting conformance, permitting the flow of discharge air therebetween.

4. The exhaust valve arrangement for a floor care appliance as set out in claim 3 wherein; a. one of said first and second members includes a hose coupling structure, and b. when said dikes are in said abutting conformance, said hose coupling structure receives discharge air therethrough.

5. The exhaust valve arrangement for a floor care appliance as set out in claim 4 wherein; a. a hose and means for securing said hose is provided for securement to said hose coupling structure, b. said means for securing said hose when attached to said hose coupling structure abuttingly interfering with movement of one of said first and second members to non-abutting conformance with the other of said members.

6. The exhaust valve arrangement for a floor care appliance as set out in claim 3 wherein; a. one of said first and second members is biasingly maintained with said dikes in one of said abutting and non-abutting positions by a connected resilient spring biasing arrangement.

7. The exhaust valve arrangement for a floor care appliance as set out in claim 3 wherein; a. each of said connected series of radially inner and outer segments provide a serpentine-like configuration to each of said dikes.

8. The exhaust valve arrangement for a floor care appliance as set out in claim 3 wherein; a. said second member rotates relative to the first member, and b. said dikes each take the general form of a closed annulus.

9. A cleaner having an exhaust valve and blower conversion arrangement, including; a. a bottom member for said cleaner having an outer periphery, b. a member having a relatively flat portion disposed above said bottom member and forming a part of the bag-receiving cavity for said cleaner, c. a fan system disposed between said bottom member and said flat portion, d. said fan system for said floor care appliance providing a flow of discharge air to a passageway extending outwardly between said bottom member and said relatively flat portion of said member disposed above said bottom member, e. said passageway also extending peripherally around said fan system, and f. a valve means for controlling the flow of discharge air through said passageway, including a portion of said passageway, wholly disposed radially outwardly of said fan system, and also extending peripherally around said fan system but within the space between said bottom member and said flat portion whereby discharge air is discharged with lowered noise and reduced back pressure as it passes through the valve means when open because of the large valve flow area occasioned by the peripheral extent and placement of said valve means.

10. The cleaner having an exhaust valve and blower conversion means as set out in claim 9 wherein; a. said valve means, including a portion of said passageway, includes a vertically extending movable dike member and a vertically extending fixed dike member, and b. each of said dike members has a serpentine-like configuration in plan view, capable of abutting conformance for preventing the discharge of discharge air therebetween.

11. An exhaust valve and blower conversion arrangement for a cleaner, the combination including; a. a fan means for generating a flow of discharge air for said cleaner, b. a passageway means extending entirely around said fan means and formed by said cleaner for providing For a surrounding peripherally extending exit for said flow of discharge air, c. a valve member extending annularly around said fan means and disposedly mounted in said passageway means for movement relative to said passageway means to abuttingly conform with and move from conformance with a portion of said passageway means surrounding said fan means, to alternately interrupt and permit surrounding peripheral exit flow of said discharge air.