Upright vacuum cleaner equipped with electrified hose and wand

Abstract

An upright vacuum cleaner includes a nozzle assembly and a canister assembly. The upright vacuum cleaner also includes a suction generator and a dirt collection vessel. Further, the upright vacuum cleaner is equipped with a flexible, electrified hose. A cleaning attachment is connected to the hose. The cleaning attachment may be equipped with a booster fan, a powered rotary agitator, a light source or the like.

1 . An upright vacuum cleaner, comprising: 
 a nozzle assembly including an intake opening;    a canister assembly pivotally connected to said nozzle assembly;    a suction generator carried on one of said nozzle assembly and said canister assembly;    a dirt collection vessel carried on one of said nozzle assembly and said canister assembly; and    a flexible, electrified hose carried on one of said nozzle assembly and said canister assembly.    
     
     
         2 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  wherein said electrified hose includes at least two insulated electrical conductors.  
     
     
         3 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 2 , further including a reinforcing wire in said electrified hose.  
     
     
         4 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein said electrified hose includes one ground wire.  
     
     
         5 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 4 , further including a cleaning attachment and a first connector securing said cleaning attachment to said electrified hose.  
     
     
         6 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 5 , wherein said cleaning attachment includes an electrical motor that receives electrical power through said two insulated electrical conductors in said electrified hose.  
     
     
         7 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 6 , wherein said cleaning attachment includes a rotary agitator, said rotary agitator being driven by said electrical motor.  
     
     
         8 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 5 , wherein said cleaning attachment includes a light source that receives electrical power through said two insulated electrical conductors in said electrified hose.  
     
     
         9 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 6 , wherein said cleaning attachment includes a booster fan, said booster fan being driven by said electrical motor.  
     
     
         10 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 6 , wherein said cleaning attachment includes a light source that receives electrical power through said two insulated electrical conductors in said wand and said hose.  
     
     
         11 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 5 , further including an electrified wand and a second connector securing said electrified wand to said electrified hose.  
     
     
         12 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 11 , wherein said electrified wand includes two sections.  
     
     
         13 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 12 , wherein said two sections of said wand are telescoping.  
     
     
         14 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , further including at least one rotary agitator carried on said nozzle assembly in said intake opening.  
     
     
         15 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein said dirt collection vessel is a dirt filter bag.  
     
     
         16 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein said dirt collection vessel is a dirt cup.  
     
     
         17 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 16 , wherein said dirt cup is substantially cylindrical in shape and includes a tangentially directed inlet opening.  
     
     
         18 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 11 , further including an electrical motor on said cleaning attachment and a control switch for selectively activating and deactivating said electrical motor.  
     
     
         19 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 18 , wherein said switch is carried on said electrified wand.  
     
     
         20 . A method of increasing the cleaning versatility and performance of an upright vacuum cleaner, comprising: 
 equipping an upright vacuum cleaner with a flexible hose and a powered cleaning attachment tool that may be selectively secured to said hose and used for certain cleaning applications.    
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  including also equipping said flexible hose with electrical conductors for powering said powered cleaning attachment.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further including equipping said powered cleaning attachment with a rotary agitator and cooperating rotary agitator drive motor.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , further including equipping said powered cleaning attachment with a light source.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21  including also equipping said vacuum cleaner with an electrified wand connected between said electrified hose and said powered cleaning attachment.