Vacuum Cleaner

Abstract

A floor-care vacuum cleaner comprising a floor-contracting body having an air inlet ( 16 ) for vacuuming-up dust, a fan ( 26 ) driven by a motor ( 22 ) permanently installed in the body, and means for accommodating at least one on-board battery ( 34 ) as a source of power for the motor.

1 - 18 . (canceled)  
   
   
       19 . A floor-care vacuum cleaner comprising a floor-contacting body having an air inlet for vacuuming-up dust, a fan driven by a motor permanently installed in the body, and means for accommodating at least one on-board battery as a source of power for the motor.  
   
   
       20 . A vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 19  wherein the motor is of at least 200 w rated power.  
   
   
       21 . A vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 19  comprising a battery or batteries having a total capacity of at least 2.5 Ah.  
   
   
       22 . A vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 19  wherein the fan is located upstream of dust collecting means.  
   
   
       23 . A vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 22  comprising means for passing an airflow from the fan through the dust collecting means, and means for diverting at least part of the airflow if the exit thereof from the dust collecting means is impeded, the arrangement being such that at least a substantial proportion of dust entrained in the to-be-diverted air is captured.  
   
   
       24 . A vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 23  wherein the diverting means is a porous conduit between the fan and the dust collecting means.  
   
   
       25 . A vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 24  wherein the dust collecting means comprises a disposable container formed of porous filtering material.  
   
   
       26 . A vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 24 , being an upright vacuum cleaner and wherein the dust collecting means is contained within or is carried by a handle of the vacuum cleaner, the porous conduit extending upwardly to deliver dust-laden air to an upper part of the dust collecting means.  
   
   
       27 . A vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 19  wherein the fan is located upstream of the air inlet, the arrangement being such that a flow of air from the fan draws in dust-bearing air through the air inlet.  
   
   
       28 . A vacuum cleaner according to  claim 27  comprising an agitator for disturbing dust from a carpeted floor so that it is entrained by air entering the air inlet.  
   
   
       29 . A vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 19  comprising means for passing a portion of the airflow from the fan through the motor as cooling air and thence returning it to the airflow.  
   
   
       30 . A vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 19  wherein the motor has a cooling fan for passing cooling air through the motor and thence delivering it to the airflow from the first-mentioned fan.  
   
   
       31 . A vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 19 , being an upright vacuum cleaner.  
   
   
       32 . A vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 31  comprising a fence bounding at least a substantial proportion of a rear periphery of the air inlet, the fence being displaceable between a retracted position when the floor surface is carpeted and a deployed position when the floor surface is uncarpeted, so as to reduce the ingress of air to the air inlet around the periphery thereof.  
   
   
       33 . A vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 31  comprising a handle wherein the means for accommodating the at least one battery are provided.  
   
   
       34 . A vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 19  wherein the at least one battery is rechargeable, the vacuum cleaner being in combination with a docking station having battery charging means, the cleaner and the docking station having complementary electrical connectors whereby the at least one battery of the cleaner can be charged without removal from the cleaner.  
   
   
       35 . A floor-care vacuum cleaner having an air inlet for vacuuming-up dust from a floor, a fan driven by a motor of at least 200 w rated power and located upstream of dust collecting means, and means for accommodating at least one on-board battery as a source of power for the motor.  
   
   
       36 . A vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 35  comprising means for passing an airflow from the fan through the dust collecting means, and means for diverting at least part of the airflow if the exit thereof from the dust collecting means is impeded, the arrangement being such that at least a substantial proportion of dust entrained in the to-be-diverted air is captured.  
   
   
       37 . A vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 36  wherein the diverting means is a porous conduit between the fan and the dust collecting means.