Handle assembly for an extraction cleaner

Abstract

A handle assembly for an extraction cleaner including: (a) a housing portion comprising an electronic switch manipulable to, from, and between (i) an ON position and (ii) an OFF position; and (b) a grip portion telescopable into and out of the housing portion, the grip portion including (i) a trigger pivotable about a trigger pivot axis, (ii) a linkage system in communication with the trigger, and (iii) a cam in communication with the linkage system, the cam pivotable about a cam pivot axis. When the grip portion is telescoped out of the housing portion, pivoting of the trigger about the trigger pivot axis causes, via movement of the linkage system, the cam to pivot about the cam pivot axis and manipulate the electronic switch to the ON position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A handle assembly for an extraction cleaner comprising:
 a housing portion comprising an electronic switch manipulable to, from, and between (i) an ON position and (ii) an OFF position; and   a grip portion able to telescope into and out of the housing portion, the grip portion comprising (i) a trigger pivotable about a trigger pivot axis, (ii) a linkage system in communication with the trigger, and (iii) a cam in communication with the linkage system, the cam pivotable about a cam pivot axis,   wherein, when the grip portion is telescoped out of the housing portion, pivoting of the trigger about the trigger pivot axis causes, via movement of the linkage system, the cam to pivot about the cam pivot axis and manipulate the electronic switch to the ON position.   
     
     
         2 . The handle assembly of  claim 1 , wherein
 the cam pivot axis is orthogonal to the trigger pivot axis.   
     
     
         3 . The handle assembly of  claim 1 , wherein
 the housing portion further comprises a support tube portion comprising (i) a first end, (ii) a second end, and (iii) a cam aperture disposed between the first end and the second end, the support tube portion defining a tubular cavity,   the grip portion further comprises a first tube comprising (i) a first end, (ii) a second end disposed within the support tube portion of the housing portion, the second end disposed further within the housing portion when the grip portion is telescoped into the housing portion than when the grip portion is telescoped out of the housing portion, and (iii) a second cam aperture that aligns with the cam aperture of the housing portion when the grip portion is telescoped out of the housing portion but not when the grip portion is telescoped into the housing portion, and   when the grip portion is telescoped out of the housing portion, pivoting of the trigger about the trigger pivot axis causes, via movement of the linkage system, the cam (i) to pivot about the cam pivot axis, (ii) to extend through the cam aperture of the housing portion and the second cam aperture of the grip portion, and (iii) to manipulate the electronic switch to the ON position.   
     
     
         4 . The handle assembly of  claim 3 , wherein
 the housing portion further comprises (i) a front cover and (ii) a rear cover attached to the front cover, and   the support tube portion is sandwiched between the rear cover and the front cover.   
     
     
         5 . The handle assembly of  claim 3 , wherein
 the grip portion further comprises a cam housing disposed within the first tube, the cam housing comprising projection receivers, and   the cam further comprises projections disposed within the projection receivers of the cam housing, the cam pivot axis extending through the projections of the cam.   
     
     
         6 . The handle assembly of  claim 3 , wherein
 the cam is disposed within the first tube and comprises (a) a linkage contact surface and (b) a switch contact surface proximate the second cam aperture of the first tube, and   when the grip portion is telescoped out of the housing portion, pivoting of the trigger about the trigger pivot axis causes the linkage system to contact the linkage contact surface of the cam, which causes (a) the cam to pivot about the cam pivot axis and (b) the switch contact surface of the cam (i) to extend through the cam aperture of the housing portion and the second cam aperture of the grip portion and (ii) to manipulate the electronic switch to the ON position.   
     
     
         7 . The handle assembly of  claim 1 , wherein
 the cam comprises a cantilevered projection, and   as the trigger pivots about the trigger pivot axis causing the cam to pivot about the cam pivot axis, the cantilevered projection of the cam becomes energized and resists the pivoting of the trigger about the trigger pivot axis.   
     
     
         8 . The handle assembly of  claim 7 , wherein
 the cantilevered projection of the cam biases the cam away from manipulating the electronic switch to the ON position, and   the electronic switch is biased to the OFF position.   
     
     
         9 . The handle assembly of  claim 1 , wherein
 the housing portion further comprises a pedal pivotable about a pedal pivot axis, and   the cam pivot axis is orthogonal to the pedal pivot axis of the pedal.   
     
     
         10 . A handle assembly for an extraction cleaner comprising:
 (1) a housing portion comprising
 (a) a support tube portion comprising (i) a first end, (ii) a second end, and (iii) a cam aperture disposed between the first end and the second end, the support tube portion defining a tubular cavity; and 
 (b) an electronic switch manipulable to, from, and between (i) an ON position and (ii) an OFF position to which the electronic switch is biased; and 
   (2) a grip portion manipulable to, from, and between an extracted position and a retracted position further within the housing portion than in the extracted position, the grip portion comprising
 (a) a handle grip housing, the handle grip housing disposed closer to the housing portion in the retracted position than in the extracted position; 
 (b) a trigger at least partially housed within the handle grip housing and partially exposed to an external environment outside of the handle grip housing, the trigger manipulable along a trigger pivot axis to, from, and between (i) an actuating position and (ii) a released position to which the trigger is biased; 
 (c) a handle linkage disposed at least partially within the handle grip housing, the handle linkage comprising (i) a first end proximate the trigger and (ii) a second end; 
 (d) a first tube comprising (i) a first end coupled to the handle grip housing and not disposed within the support tube portion of the housing portion, (ii) a second end disposed within the support tube portion of the housing portion, the second end disposed further within the housing portion when the grip portion is in the retracted position than when the grip portion is in the extracted position, and (iii) a second cam aperture; 
 (e) a tube linkage disposed at least primarily within the first tube, the tube linkage comprising (i) a first end coupled to the second end of the handle linkage and (ii) a second end; and 
 (f) a cam disposed within the first tube closer to the second end than the first end, the cam pivotable about a cam pivot axis and comprising (i) a linkage contact surface proximate the second end of the tube linkage and (ii) a switch contact surface proximate the second cam aperture of the first tube, 
   wherein, as a force manipulates the trigger to the actuating position, (i) the trigger imparts a force to the first end of the handle linkage, (ii) the second end of the handle linkage imparts a force to the first end of the tube linkage to push the tube linkage further toward the second end of the first tube, (iii) the second end of the tube linkage imparts a force on the linkage contact surface of the cam, (iv) the cam pivots, and (v) the switch contact surface extends through the second cam aperture of the first tube and the cam aperture of the support tube portion of the housing portion and forces the electronic switch to the ON position.   
     
     
         11 . The handle assembly of  claim 10 , wherein
 the support tube portion further comprises (i) a lock housing projecting outward from the tubular cavity of the support tube portion, which lock housing houses a lock and a spring, and (ii) a lock aperture through the support tube portion into the tubular cavity aligned with the lock within the lock housing, and   when the grip portion is in the extracted position, the spring biases a locking end of the lock through a lock aperture of the lock housing and through a lock aperture of the first tube that is aligned with the lock aperture of the lock housing to lock the grip portion in the extracted position.   
     
     
         12 . The handle assembly of  claim 11 , wherein
 the lock housing comprises a button aperture,   the lock further comprises an angled portion disposed closer to the spring than the locking end,   the housing portion comprises (a) a rear cover with a button aperture aligned with the button aperture of the lock housing and (b) a button with (i) a first end extending through the button aperture of the rear cover and exposed to an external environment and (ii) a second end extending through the button aperture of the lock housing and abutting the angled portion of the lock, and   a force upon the first end of the button toward the second end of the button causes the second end to force the angled portion and the locking end of the lock out of and away from the lock apertures of the first tube and the support tube portion and into the lock housing, energizing the spring and permitting the grip portion to be manipulated away from the extracted position toward the retracted position.   
     
     
         13 . The handle assembly of  claim 12 , wherein
 as the grip portion is manipulated from the retracted position to the extracted position, and the lock aperture of the support tube portion aligns with the lock aperture of the first tube, the spring (i) forces the locking end of the lock into and through the lock aperture of the support tube portion and into and through the lock aperture of the first tube and (ii) forces the angled portion of the lock to push the second end of the button toward the first end of the button.   
     
     
         14 . The handle assembly of  claim 10 , wherein
 the trigger further comprises a user contact surface open to an external environment and a handle linkage contact surface that is disposed within the handle grip housing, and   a force upon the handle linkage contact surface causes (i) the trigger to rotate about the trigger pivot axis, (ii) the handle linkage contact surface to push the handle linkage, and (iii) the cam to pivot about the cam pivot axis via the handle linkage and the tube linkage so that the switch contact surface of the cam pushes the electronic switch to the ON position.   
     
     
         15 . The handle assembly of  claim 10 , wherein
 the handle grip housing comprises an exterior surface at least partially defining a hand aperture into which the trigger extends,   the handle linkage further comprises (i) a first straight segment terminating in the first end, (ii) a second straight segment terminating in the second end, and (iii) a curved segment between the first straight segment and the second straight segment, and   the first straight segment facing the hand aperture forms an obtuse angle relative to the second straight segment facing the hand aperture.   
     
     
         16 . The handle assembly of  claim 10 , wherein
 the second end of the tube linkage comprises a cam contacting surface,   when the trigger is in the released position, a cam contacting surface at the second end of the tube linkage forms an acute angle relative to the linkage contact surface of the cam, and   when the trigger is in the actuating position, the acute angle that the cam contacting surface of the tube linkage forms relative to the linkage contact surface of the cam is less than when the trigger is in the released position.   
     
     
         17 . The handle assembly of  claim 10 , wherein
 the tube linkage further comprises a centerline that extends from the first end to the second end of the tube linkage, and   the cam pivot axis, the electronic switch, and the switch contact surface of the cam are disposed on a same side of a plane coincident with the centerline of the tube linkage and parallel to the cam pivot axis.   
     
     
         18 . The handle assembly of  claim 10 , wherein
 the cam further comprises (i) a body extending between the linkage contact surface and the switch contact surface and (ii) a cantilevered projection that extends from the main body closer to the switch contact surface than the linkage contact surface, the cantilevered projection extending in a curved manner away from the switch contact surface.   
     
     
         19 . The handle assembly of  claim 18 , wherein
 when the force upon the trigger expires, the cantilevered projection of the cam deenergizes and rotates the cam about the cam pivot axis, forcing, via movement of the tube linkage and the handle linkage, the trigger to the released position.   
     
     
         20 . The handle assembly of  claim 10 , wherein
 the trigger further comprises a cantilevered tab that extends away from the trigger pivot axis within the handle grip housing that becomes energized as the trigger is manipulated to the actuating position so as to bias the trigger back to the released position.