Vacuum cleaner

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner includes a handpiece graspable by a hand of a user, a bottom assembly including a housing having a brush roll accommodated within a brush roll compartment of the housing, the housing having a groove that opens vertically upward, a rod coupled to the handpiece, and a pivotal assembly that connects the rod and the bottom assembly, the pivotal assembly including a pivotal tube provided with a joint portion, and a pivotal saddle pivotally connected to the bottom assembly about a first axis such that the pivotal saddle is turnable back and forth relative to the bottom assembly and pivotally connected to the pivotal tube about a second axis. The joint portion and the groove are configured to engage with each other when the pivotal tube is in a vertical plane passing through the second axis such that the pivotal tube is not pivotable about the second axis.

1 . A vacuum cleaner comprising: 
 a handpiece graspable by a hand of a user;   a bottom assembly including a housing having a brush roll accommodated within a brush roll compartment of the housing, the housing having a groove that opens vertically upward;   a rod coupled to the handpiece; and   a pivotal assembly that connects the rod and the bottom assembly, the pivotal assembly comprising a pivotal tube provided with a joint portion, and a pivotal saddle pivotally connected to the bottom assembly about a first axis such that the pivotal saddle is turnable back and forth relative to the bottom assembly and pivotally connected to the pivotal tube about a second axis,   wherein the joint portion and the groove are configured to engage with each other when the pivotal tube is in a vertical plane passing through the second axis such that the pivotal tube is not pivotable about the second axis, and    wherein the joint portion and the groove are configured to disengage with each other such that the pivotal tube is pivotable about the second axis.   
     
     
         2 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the housing of the bottom assembly includes an upper housing and a lower housing that collectively form the brush roll compartment, wherein the groove is formed in the upper housing. 
     
     
         3 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 2 , wherein the upper housing includes a first support surface on a first side of the groove and a second support surface on a second side of the groove, wherein the joint portion abuts the first and second support surfaces when engaged with the groove. 
     
     
         4 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 3 , wherein the joint portion includes a first lower surface and a second lower surface, with a portion configured to extend within the groove positioned between the first lower surface and the second lower surface, wherein the first lower surface abuts the first support surface and the second lower surface abuts the second support surface when the joint portion is engaged in the groove. 
     
     
         5 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 3 , wherein the first support surface and the second support surface are formed as inclined planes angled relative to a ground surface upon which the bottom assembly rests during normal operation. 
     
     
         6 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 5 , wherein, when the joint portion is engaged with the groove, the rod tilts forward by 1-2 degrees relative to a fully upright direction to prevent the rod and handpiece from toppling. 
     
     
         7 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein an entrance of the groove is provided with a slope to facilitate insertion of the joint portion into the groove. 
     
     
         8 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the joint portion has a width and a length, wherein the width of the joint portion includes a central portion, a first side portion positioned on a first side of the central portion, and a second side portion positioned on a second side of the central portion such that the central portion is positioned between the first and second side portions. 
     
     
         9 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 8 , wherein the central portion has a greater length than the first side portion and the second side portion and is configured to extend into the groove. 
     
     
         10 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 9 , wherein the first side portion and the second side portion are positioned outside of the groove when the central portion extends into the groove. 
     
     
         11 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 10 , wherein the first side portion and the second side portion each abut the housing of the bottom assembly when the central portion extends into the groove. 
     
     
         12 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 11 , wherein the first side portion and the second side portion are spaced apart from the housing of the bottom assembly when the central portion is disengaged from the groove. 
     
     
         13 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the groove is integrated into the housing. 
     
     
         14 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein a top of the groove is located below a top of the housing of the bottom assembly. 
     
     
         15 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the second axis is perpendicular to the first axis. 
     
     
         16 . A vacuum cleaner comprising: 
 a rod;   a bottom assembly including a housing having a brush roll accommodated within a brush roll compartment of the housing, the housing having a groove that opens vertically upward; and   a pivotal assembly that connects the rod and the bottom assembly, the pivotal assembly comprising a pivotal tube provided with a joint portion, and a pivotal saddle pivotally connected to the bottom assembly about a first axis such that the pivotal saddle is turnable back and forth relative to the bottom assembly and pivotally connected to the pivotal tube about a second axis,   wherein the joint portion and the groove are configured to engage with each other when the pivotal tube is in a vertical plane passing through the second axis such that the pivotal tube is not pivotable about the second axis,    wherein a width of the joint portion includes a central portion, a first side portion positioned on a first side of the central portion, and a second side portion positioned on a second side of the central portion such that the central portion is positioned between the first and second side portions,   wherein the central portion has a greater length than the first side portion and the second side portion and is configured to extend into the groove, and    wherein the first side portion and the second side portion are positioned outside of the groove when the central portion extends into the groove.   
     
     
         17 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 16 , wherein the first side portion and the second side portion each abut the housing of the bottom assembly when the central portion extends into the groove. 
     
     
         18 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 17 , wherein the first side portion and the second side portion are spaced apart from the housing of the bottom assembly when the central portion is disengaged from the groove. 
     
     
         19 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 16 , wherein the first side portion includes a first lower surface and the second side portion includes a second lower surface, wherein the first lower surface abuts a first support surface of the housing and the second lower surface abuts a second support surface of the housing when the joint portion is engaged in the groove. 
     
     
         20 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 19 , wherein the first support surface and the second support surface are formed as inclined planes angled at 1-2 degrees relative to a ground surface upon which the bottom assembly rests during normal operation.