Vacuum cleaner
A vacuum cleaner comprises a housing having a longitudinal axis. A motor-fan assembly is mounted in the housing and arranged to generate an airflow along an airflow path from a dirty air inlet to an air exhaust. A retractable nozzle defines the dirty air inlet and is moveably mounted on the housing. At least a portion of the retractable nozzle is arranged to move between a retracted configuration within the housing and a deployed configuration outside the housing. The portion of the retractable nozzle in the retracted configuration is aligned in a direction along the longitudinal axis and the portion of the retractable nozzle in the deployed configuration is aligned in a direction across the longitudinal axis.
1 . A handheld vacuum cleaner comprising:
a housing having a longitudinal axis extending from a front portion to a rear portion, the rear portion of the housing comprising a handle extending rearwardly, the handle being capable of being grasped by a user to operate the handheld vacuum cleaner;
a motor-fan assembly mounted in the housing arranged to generate an airflow; and
a retractable nozzle having a dirty air inlet, a nozzle carriage, and a pair of arms rotatably mounted to the nozzle carriage, the nozzle carriage being in slidable engagement with the housing, wherein the retractable nozzle is moveable between a retracted configuration where the nozzle carriage and the pair of arms are positioned completely within the housing and a deployed configuration where the pair of arms are positioned outside the housing and are rotatable away from each other.
2 . The handheld vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle carriage slides along the longitudinal axis into and out of the housing when the retractable nozzle moves between the deployed configuration and the retracted configuration.
3 . The handheld vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein each arm of the pair of arms has a longitudinal axis, wherein when the retractable nozzle is in the retracted configuration, the longitudinal axes of the pair of arms are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing and when the retractable nozzle is in the deployed configuration and the pair of arms are rotated away from each other, the longitudinal axes of the pair of arms are perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing.
4 . The handheld vacuum cleaner of claim 3 , wherein when the retractable nozzle is in the deployed configuration and the pair of arms are rotated away from each other, the pair of arms define a single dirty air inlet.
5 . The handheld vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the pair of arms are adjacent each other when the retractable nozzle is in the retracted configuration.
6 . The handheld vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the longitudinal axis of the housing intersects the retractable nozzle, the motor-fan assembly and the handle.
7 . A handheld vacuum cleaner comprising:
a housing having:
a front portion; and
a rear portion, wherein a longitudinal axis of the housing extends from the front portion to the rear portion;
a dirty air inlet at the front portion of the housing, the dirty air inlet comprising a retractable nozzle, the retractable nozzle comprising:
a nozzle carriage; and
a pair of arms rotatably mounted to the nozzle carriage, wherein the nozzle carriage is in slidable engagement with the front portion of the housing, and wherein the retractable nozzle is moveable between a retracted configuration in which the nozzle carriage and the pair of arms are positioned within the housing and a deployed configuration in which the pair of arms are positioned outside of the housing and are rotatable away from each other;
the rear portion of the housing comprising a handle extending rearwardly, the handle being capable of being grasped by a user to operate the vacuum cleaner; and
a motor-fan assembly mounted in the housing arranged to generate an airflow, wherein the longitudinal axis of the housing intersects the nozzle, the motor-fan assembly and the handle.
8 . The handheld vacuum cleaner of claim 7 , wherein the nozzle carriage slides into and out of the housing along the longitudinal axis of the housing when the retractable nozzle moves between the deployed configuration and the retracted configuration.
9 . The handheld vacuum cleaner of claim 7 , wherein each arm of the pair of arms has a longitudinal axis, wherein when the retractable nozzle is in the retracted configuration, the longitudinal axes of the pair of arms are parallel to the longitudinal axis of the housing and when the retractable nozzle is in the deployed configuration and the pair of arms are rotated away from each other, the longitudinal axes of the pair of arms are perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the housing.
10 . The handheld vacuum cleaner of claim 9 , wherein when the retractable nozzle is in the deployed configuration and the pair of arms are rotated away from each other, the pair of arms define a single dirty air inlet.
11 . The handheld vacuum cleaner of claim 7 , wherein the pair of arms are adjacent each other when the retractable nozzle is in the retracted configuration.
12 . A handheld vacuum cleaner comprising:
a housing having a housing longitudinal axis and a front portion through which air flows into the housing, the front portion having an opening;
a motor-fan assembly mounted in the housing arranged to generate an airflow through the opening in the front portion; and
a retractable nozzle positioned within the opening of the front portion, the retractable nozzle comprising:
a nozzle carriage; and
a pair of arms having respective longitudinal axes and being rotatably mounted to the nozzle carriage, the nozzle carriage being in slidable engagement with the housing, wherein the retractable nozzle is moveable between a retracted configuration where the nozzle carriage and the pair of arms are positioned at least partially within the housing and a deployed configuration where the pair of arms are positioned outside of the housing and are rotatable away from each other, and wherein the each of the pair of arms includes channels that enable air to flow through the pair of arms and into the front portion of the housing when the retractable nozzle is in the retracted configuration and the deployed configuration; and
wherein:
when the retractable nozzle is in the retracted configuration, the respective longitudinal axes of the pair of arms are parallel to the housing longitudinal axis; and
when the retractable nozzle is in the deployed configuration and the pair of arms are rotated away from each other, the respective longitudinal axes of the pair of arms are perpendicular to the housing longitudinal axis.
13 . The handheld vacuum cleaner of claim 12 , wherein the housing comprises a rear portion comprising a handle that extends rearwardly.
14 . The handheld vacuum cleaner of claim 12 , wherein the nozzle carriage comprises a stop tab projecting from a side of the nozzle carriage, wherein the stop tab is to prevent retractable nozzle from being completely removed from the housing when the retractable nozzle is in the deployed configuration.
15 . The handheld vacuum cleaner of claim 12 , wherein the nozzle carriage comprises a recess for holding a protrusion mounted to an inside of the housing when the retractable nozzle is in the retracted configuration to hold the retractable nozzle in the retracted configuration.
16 . The handheld vacuum cleaner of claim 12 , wherein the nozzle carriage comprises a catch for engaging a reciprocal recess mounted on an inside of the housing when the retractable nozzle is in the deployed configuration to hold the retractable nozzle in the deployed configuration.
17 . The handheld vacuum cleaner of claim 12 , wherein the pair of arms each comprises an arm stop element arranged to abut a carriage stop element on the nozzle carriage when the pair of arms are rotated away from each other.