US20130205538A1 - Vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner comprising a main body and a separating apparatus associated with the main body, wherein the main body includes a suction generator for drawing air into the separating apparatus and a handle arrangement including a trigger member for activating the suction generator. The trigger member is resiliently biased into a first position in which the suction generator does not operate, and is movable into a second position to activate the suction generator, wherein, when in the first position, a contact surface of the trigger member is spaced away from an adjacent surface of the handle arrangement and, when in the activated position, the contact face of the trigger member is substantially flush with the adjacent surface of the handle arrangement. The invention also relates for a handle arrangement for such a vacuum cleaner.

Description

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
• This application claims the priority of United Kingdom Application No. 1202349.5, filed Feb. 10, 2012, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
• The invention relates to a vacuum cleaner.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
• There are various types of vacuum cleaners available on the market, and these can be categorized generally into “cylinder” vacuum cleaners, “upright” vacuum cleaners, “handheld” vacuum cleaners and “stick” vacuum cleaners, also known as “stick-vacs”.
• Cylinder and upright vacuum cleaners are commonplace and are generally used as a household's primary vacuum cleaner for heavy-duty cleaning tasks around the home. As a result they tend to be mains-operated. In contrast to cylinder and upright vacuum cleaners, handheld vacuum cleaners are portable in the sense that they are light enough to be carried in the hand and do not need to be supported on the floor by a rolling assembly like cylinder and upright vacuum cleaners. Typically, they are powered by batteries. Because of this, handheld vacuum cleaners are better suited to low-duty cleaning jobs such as spot-cleaning of floors and upholstery and vehicle interiors, for example.
• Stick-vac cleaners are marketed as offering a lightweight alternative to upright cleaners for relatively low duty floor-cleaning applications, such as cleaning up floor spills.
• Common with all types of vacuum cleaners is the requirement for a user to be able to turn them on and off. Typically, a simple on/off button is provided that can be pressed to turn the machine off and then pressed again to turn the machine off.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
• The invention relates to improvements in the means for activating and deactivating vacuum cleaners.
• The invention provides a vacuum cleaner comprising a main body and a separating apparatus associated with the main body, wherein the main body includes a suction generator for drawing air into the separating apparatus and a handle arrangement including a trigger member for activating the suction generator. The trigger member is resiliently biased into a first position in which the suction generator does not operate, and is movable into a second position to activate the suction generator, wherein, when in the first position, a contact surface of the trigger member is spaced away from an adjacent surface of the handle arrangement and, when in the second position, the contact face of the trigger member is substantially flush with the adjacent surface of the handle arrangement.
• Although the trigger member could be a sliding trigger, it is currently preferred that the trigger member is supported on a pivot in the interior of the handle arrangement. A sliding trigger has a relative high friction interface with the handle since it must slide on rails so the pivoting arrangement of the invention beneficially enables a lighter action trigger. In the invention the substantially flush relationship of the contact surface with the adjoining portions of the handle arrangement provides a particularly ergonomic user interface. During extended periods of cleaning, the requirement to depress a ‘dead man's trigger’ arrangement in order to operate the vacuum cleaner may become tiresome, particularly as the user's finger must adopt a slightly extended position to maintain pressure on a trigger surface that stands proud from the grip during operation. This will affect especially those users with comparatively small and/or weak hands. In the invention, since the contact face in effect ‘merges’ with the handle when the trigger is depressed, the user's grip is able to adopt a more natural position which ensures that it is less tiring to maintain the trigger in the operating state for an extended period of time.
• The trigger member may be biased into the first position by way of a spring element which exerts a predetermined activation force on the trigger member and, in one embodiment, the spring element is a compression spring that acts on a part of the contact surface. In addition to the low profile character of the trigger member, to further improve the ergonomics of the trigger member it is preferably biased with a force of less than 8 N (Newtons), and particularly between about 0.5 N and 6 N. Still preferably, between about 0.5 N and 3 N which ensures an easy action to the trigger.
• The trigger member may include an actuating member that is moved by movement of the contact face, the actuating member being arranged to contact an activating switch of a battery pack which is, preferably, carried adjacent an end of the handle arrangement and may include a part which extends inside the interior of the handle, the extending part including the activating switch.
• The vacuum cleaner of the invention may include an electronic control module that is interfaced to the battery pack, the motor and fan unit and, in one embodiment, the trigger member and is operable to activate the motor and fan unit in response to a command signal initiated by the trigger member. Following receipt of the command signal, the controller may implement a predetermined delay period before activating the motor and fan unit. Potentially the delay could be configured (during manufacture for example) for any period of time but it is preferred if the delay is a relatively short period for example less than one second. Preferably the delay period is between half a second (0.5 seconds) and one second. Beneficially, the delay period guards against momentary operation of the motor in the event that the user presses the switch accidentally, for example by brushing the trigger lightly when grasping the vacuum cleaner but before being ready to begin cleaning. Such a feature improves the user experience but also reduces wear on the motor by reducing the number of start/stop cycles significantly over the lifetime of the machine.
• It is envisaged that the handle arrangement may be an integral part of the vacuum cleaner, although it may also be a removable part. Therefore, expressed another way the invention provides a handle arrangement for a vacuum cleaner, the handle arrangement including a trigger member which is movable between first and second positions, the trigger member being resiliently biased into the first position in which position a contact surface of the trigger member is spaced away from an adjacent surface of the handle arrangement and wherein, when in the second position, the contact face of the trigger member is substantially flush with the adjacent surface of the handle arrangement.
• In a second aspect, the invention provides a cylinder vacuum cleaner comprising a main body supportable on a surface by a rolling assembly, and a separating apparatus associated with the main body, wherein the main body includes a suction generator for drawing air into the separating apparatus, wherein a flexible hose extends from the main body and the hose having a handle including a trigger member for activating the suction generator, the trigger member being resiliently biased into a first position in which the suction generator does not operate, and is movable into a second position to activate the suction generator.
• In a third aspect, the invention provides an upright vacuum cleaner comprising a main body supportable on a surface by a rolling assembly, and a separating apparatus associated with the main body, wherein the main body includes a suction generator for drawing air into the separating apparatus through an associated cleaning head, wherein the main body has a handle associated therewith, the handle including a trigger member for activating the suction generator, the trigger member being resiliently biased into a first position in which the suction generator does not operate, and is movable into a second position to activate the suction generator.
• Preferred and/or optional features of the first aspect of the invention may also be combined with the second and third aspects of the invention either alone or in combination.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• So that it may be more readily understood, embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
• FIG. 1 is a perspective side view of a handheld vacuum cleaner in accordance with the invention;
• FIG. 2 is a side view of the vacuum cleaner inFIG. 1 with a section of the handle cut away;
• FIG. 3 is a perspective side view of the handheld vacuum cleaner inFIG. 1 but with the operating trigger/switch in a second position;
• FIG. 4 is a side view of the vacuum cleaner, as inFIG. 2, but with the operating trigger in the second operating position;
• FIG. 5ais a simplified section view through the handle showing the operating trigger in the first operating position;
• FIG. 5bis a view of the handle like that inFIG. 5, but with the operating trigger in the second operating position;
• FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a control system of the vacuum cleaner according to the invention;
• FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a control process implemented by the control system;
• FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of vacuum cleaner in accordance with the invention;
• FIG. 9 is an enlarged side view of a handle arrangement of the vacuum cleaner inFIG. 8;
• FIG. 10 is a view of the handle arrangement inFIG. 9 with a section cut away to show its interior;
• FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of the handle arrangement inFIG. 9 wherein the trigger member is shown in a second operating position; and
• FIG. 12 is a view of the handle arrangement inFIG. 11 with a section cut away to show its interior.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
• Referring firstly toFIGS. 1 and 2, ahandheld vacuum cleaner2 has amain body4 which houses a motor and fan unit, an outer housing of which is indicated generally at6. The motor andfan unit6 is located above a generally upright handle orgrip portion8. Thelower end8aof thehandle8 supports a generally slab-like battery pack10. A set ofexhaust vents12 are provided on themain body4 for exhausting air from thehandheld vacuum cleaner2.
• Themain body4 supports a cyclonic separatingapparatus14 that functions to remove dirt, dust and other debris from a dirt-bearing airflow drawn into the vacuum cleaner by the motor and fan unit. The cyclonic separatingapparatus14 is attached to aforward part4aof themain body4 and an air inlet conduit/nozzle16 extends along a longitudinal axis X-X from a forward portion of the cyclonic separatingapparatus14 that is remote from themain body4. Theair inlet nozzle16 is configured so that a suitable brush tool can be mounted to it and includes acatch18 for securely holding such a brush tool when the tool is engaged with the inlet. The brush tool is not material to the present invention and so is not shown here. An elongate extension tube or wand (not shown) may also be mounted to theair inlet nozzle16 to extend the cleaning reach of the vacuum cleaner.
• The cyclonic separatingapparatus14 is located between themain body4 and theair inlet nozzle16 and has a longitudinal axis Y-Y which extends in a generally upright direction so that it is substantially orthogonal with the longitudinal axis X-X of theinlet nozzle16. Thehandle8 extends along an axis Z-Z that lies at a shallow angle to the axis Y-Y and which, in the exemplary embodiment is approximately 10 degrees, although any angle from orthogonal to about 20 degrees is suitable.
• Thehandle8 is oriented in a pistol-grip formation which is a comfortable interface for a user since it reduces stress on a user's wrist during cleaning. Thecyclonic separating apparatus14 is positioned close to thehandle8 which also reduces the moment applied to the user's wrist when thehandheld vacuum cleaner2 is in use. Thehandle8 carries an on/off switch arrangement in the form of atrigger member20 for turning the motor andfan unit6 on and off. In use, the motor and fan unit draws dust laden air into thevacuum cleaner2 via theair inlet nozzle16. Dirt and dust particles entrained within the air flow are separated from the air and retained in thecyclonic separating apparatus14. The cleaned air is ejected from the rear of thecyclonic separating apparatus14 and conveyed by ashort duct section22 to the motor andfan unit6 located within themain body4, and is subsequently expelled through theair outlets12 which may also include a fine particle filter by way of a final filtering stage to remove micro-contaminants from the airflow that exits the cleaner.
• It should be noted at this point that although the cyclonic separating apparatus described here is cyclonic, this is not essential to the invention and other separating apparatus are viable, for example other bagless-type separating apparatus which feature a fibrous filter element in a whirl-chamber to separate contaminants from the airstream, or even a bagged-type separating apparatus as is common in the art. The precise configuration of the cyclonic separating apparatus is not material to the present invention and so will not be described in detail here. However, one particular configuration of cyclonic separation that is suitable is described in the Applicant's co-pending application GB2475312A.
• Turning now toFIG. 2, there is shown a side view of thehandheld vacuum cleaner2 inFIG. 1 but with a portion of the outer skin of the handle cutaway so the interior of the handle can be seen and, in particular, the on/off trigger arrangement.
• Thebattery pack10 has a generally rectangular block-like base portion23. Anupstanding post24 extends upwardly at an angle of approximately 80° to the plane of thebase portion23. Thehandle8 is tubular in cross section with a generally oval shape that complements the cross section of thepost24 of thebattery10. Therefore, thepost24 of thebattery10 is receivable by the openlower end8aof thehandle8 so that thebattery pack10 may be docked onto thevacuum cleaner2. An upper end of thepost24 includes electrical terminals (not shown) that connect to corresponding electrical connectors housed in the interior of thehandle8 and which lead to an electronic control module (not shown) that is interfaced to the motor and fan unit. Electrical power is therefore transmitted from thebattery pack10 to the motor andfan unit6 via the electrical connectors. The exact configuration of the electrical battery terminals and their respective connectors are not essential to the invention so will not be described in more detail here.
• Thebattery post24 also includes a mechanically actuatedswitch unit26 that is oriented so as to extend upwardly from the top face of thepost24. Theswitch unit26 includes apush switch member28 and is operated by an end of thetrigger member20, as will now be described.
• Thetrigger member20 takes the form of a bell crank having afirst end20ain the form of an actuating finger that is engageable with thebattery switch unit26 and asecond end20bthat provides a contact face for thetrigger member20 and which protrudes through a forwardly facingaperture30 in thehandle8. Thecontact face20bof the trigger is seen clearly inFIG. 1 extending through theaperture30. A plate-like finger rest32 extends forwardly from thehandle8 at a position just below theaperture30 and provides a means to prevent a user's finger from slipping off thetrigger member20 in use. It also allows a user to grasp the handle without actuating the trigger, during carrying for example.
• Thetrigger member20 is biased into a non-actuating position by aspring element34 which, in this embodiment is a coil spring, that extends between aspring retaining member36 provided on the rear of thecontact face20band aspring abutment member38 provided in thehandle8. Thespring element34 therefore biases the trigger member such that thecontact face20bprotrudes from theaperture30 in the handle and theactuating finger20ais spaced from theactuating switch unit26 of thebattery pack10. When thetrigger member20 is in this position, the motor andfan unit6 does not operate. Expressed another way, the trigger arrangement takes the form of a so-called ‘dead man's trigger’ which will only operate the vacuum cleaner whilst it is being depressed by a user. Thecoil spring element34 preferably biases the trigger member so that the trigger has a light action. For example, for a suitable light action thecoil spring element34 should have a spring constant so that the trigger member is biased outwardly with a force less than 8 Newtons. In the preferred embodiment, the coil spring has a spring constant which biases the trigger with a force of about 4 Newtons. However, a suitable range for the spring force is between about 0.5 and 5 Newtons.
• In order to operate thevacuum cleaner2, a user depresses thetrigger member20 to an operating position, which is shown inFIGS. 3 and 4. In this position, the activatingfinger20aof thetrigger member20 engages the activatingswitch unit26 of thebattery pack10 which initiates power supply to the electronic control module of the motor andfan unit6 thereby operating the vacuum cleaner. Also, in this position thecontact face20bof thetrigger member20 recedes into thetrigger aperture30 on thehandle8 so that it lies substantially flush with the adjoining portions of thehandle8.
• The two positions of thetrigger member20 are also shown inFIGS. 5aand5bfrom an alternative perspective. As can be seen thecontact face20aof thetrigger member20 has an outwardly curvedforward portion40 bridged between twoparallel walls42 which act as a sliding guide for thetrigger member20 against edges of thetrigger aperture30 of thehandle8. In the non-operating position, as is shown inFIG. 5a, thecontact face30 of thetrigger member20 extends beyond and therefore stands proud of the adjacent surface of thehandle8. Conversely, pressing the trigger, as shown inFIG. 5b, causes the outwardlycurved contact face40 to ‘merge’ with the outer profile of thehandle8. It will be noted that in this position the edges of the contact face lie substantially flush with the neighbouring surfaces of the handle. The effect of this is to provide a particularly ergonomic user interface. During extended periods of cleaning, the requirement to depress a ‘dead man's trigger’ arrangement in order to operate the vacuum cleaner may become tiresome, particularly as the user's finger must adopt a slightly extended position to maintain pressure on a trigger surface that stands proud from the grip during operation. This will affect especially those users with comparatively small or weak hands and particularly those users with limited mobility. In the invention, since the contact face in effect ‘merges’ with the handle when the trigger is depressed, the user's grip is able to adopt a more natural position in which all of the fingers are in-a-line which ensures that it is less tiring to maintain the trigger in the operating state for an extended period of time. It should be noted that, although the contact face is shown as described as having a curved profile in the specific embodiment, a substantially flat contact face would be a suitable alternative and would achieve the same ergonomic benefits.
• As has been mentioned, theupstanding post24 of thebattery pack10 includes electrical contacts to interface with corresponding electrical connectors in thehandle8 which, in turn, extend to an electronic control module. Although the control module is not shown physically inFIGS. 1 to 4, a control system schematic of the vacuum cleaner is shown inFIG. 6 and as can be seen acontrol module50 receives power andsignal inputs52,54 from acontrol circuit56 associated with the battery pack and also supplies apower input58 to the motor60, a well as receiving astatus input62 from themotor64. The exact nature of the status input from the motor is not material to the invention and will not be described here.
• In the operation described above, thecontrol module50 activates themotor64 as soon as it detects power from the battery back10 as initiated from the triggering of the batterypack switch unit26. However, due to the light action of thetrigger member20, there is a risk that a user may inadvertently toggle the trigger between on and off positions rapidly for example when grasping thehandle8 and before the user is ready to begin vacuuming. A control method to guard against this is shown inFIG. 7.
• From aninitial condition100, the routine executed by thecontrol module50 enters amonitoring state102 during which the status of the power lines from the battery pack is monitored. In effect, therefore, in this embodiment it is the voltage on the battery power connections to thecontrol module50 that serves as an activation command for the controller. Atdecision gate104, if the battery pack power signal is negative control passes back to themonitoring step102. If the battery pack power signal is positive, that is to say, a user has pressed the trigger, the routine continues to step106 which implements a delay state before proceeding to step108 at which point the controller activates the motor.
• Thedelay step106 introduces a predetermined delay period between the action of the user pressing the trigger, and therefore thecontrol module50 receiving an activation command, and the activation of the motor. Potentially the delay could be configured (during manufacture for example) for any period of time but it is preferred if the delay is a relatively short period for example less than one second. Preferably the delay period is between 0.2 seconds and one second and more preferably about 0.5 seconds. Beneficially, the delay period guards against momentary operation of the motor in the event that the user presses the trigger accidentally, for example by brushing the trigger lightly when grasping the vacuum cleaner but before being ready to being cleaning. Such a feature improves the user experience but also reduces wear on the motor by reducing the number of start/stop cycles significantly over the lifetime of the machine.
• Following the activation of the motor, the process flow continues to step110 which checks the status of the power signal from the battery. For as long as the power signal remains positive, the process flow loops throughdecision gate112 back to checkingstep110. However, if a user releases the trigger, thereby causing the power signal from the battery to go negative, the process flows through the decision gate to step114 at which the motor is deactivated. Following this, the control process returns to monitoring the status of the power input signal while the motor is not running.
• Although not mentioned above, it should be appreciated that additionally, or alternatively, a predetermined delay period could also be added between thedecision step112 and themotor deactivation step114. This would guard against the motor being turned off inadvertently, for example due to a user's finger momentarily relieving pressure slightly on the trigger. Such a deactivation delay could be implemented for between 0.2 and 1 second, for example.
• Although the trigger arrangement has been described with reference to a handheld vacuum cleaner, it also applies to other categories of vacuum cleaners such as cylinder vacuum cleaners and upright vacuum cleaners. Referring now toFIG. 8, acylinder vacuum cleaner120 includes abase unit122 connected to awand124 by aflexible hose126. Thewand124 is carried by the hand of auser128 at one of its ends and a cleaner head, orfloor tool130, is connected to the other end of thewand124. Thebase unit122 includes acyclonic separating apparatus132 that is supported on a rollingassembly134 which, in this case, takes the form ofupright wheels136 mounted either side of achassis136. Theflexible hose126 is mounted to the forward part of thechassis136 and ducts air from the rear end of thewand124 into thecyclonic separating apparatus132 in a known manner. Thebase unit122 also includes a motor and fan unit (not shown) which is operable to draw a flow of air through thewand124 and theseparating apparatus132. The motor and fan unit is powered by a mains power source source via a flex orcable138. The skilled person will appreciate that the term ‘mains power’ is known by alternative expressions in some countries, including ‘domestic power’, ‘line power’ or ‘wall power’ for example. However, the term mains power is used here for simplicity and is intended to cover any alternating power source, be it 240 v/50 Hz or 120V/60 Hz for example, that is available from wall sockets in domestic dwellings and other buildings.
• Thewand124 includes ahandle assembly140 which is shown generally inFIG. 8, but shown more clearly inFIGS. 9 to 12, and which will now be described. Thehandle assembly140 includes amain body portion142 and ahandgrip portion144 that is configured so as to be graspable by a user and extends between a fronttubular section146 and a reartubular section148 of themain body portion142. The fronttubular section146 is adapted to be connectable to the rear end of the wand124 (shown ghosted inFIG. 9) by means of acatch system150 and includes atubular air inlet152 for receiving an air flow from thewand124.
• Between its ends, themain body portion142 of the handle assembly supports a cylindricalrotatable section154 which includes anair outlet portion156 that extends away from themain body portion142 at an angle from the side wall of therotatable section154. Anouter end158 of theair outlet portion156 is adapted for connection to the hose (not shown inFIGS. 9 to 12) and so therotatable section154 serves to convey an air flow from the front end of thehandle assembly140 to thecyclonic separating apparatus132 of thevacuum cleaner120 via theflexible hose126.
• Thehandgrip portion144 includes atrigger arrangement160 in a similar manner to the previous embodiment. InFIG. 9, thetrigger arrangement160 is shown in a first, non-operating, position andFIG. 10 shows thehandgrip portion144 in the same state but partially cutaway so that the interior of thehandgrip portion144 surrounding thetrigger arrangement160 can be seen. In a manner similar to the previous embodiment, the trigger arrangement includes atrigger member162 having anarm164 that is pivotably mounted inside thehandgrip portion144. At the end of thetrigger member162 opposite thearm164 is acontact face166 that extends through anaperture168 provided in thehandgrip portion144.
• Thecontact face166 of thetrigger member162 stands proud of the adjacent surfaces of thehandgrip portion144 and is biased into this position by a switch means170 in the form of a miniature snap-action switch (commonly known as a Micro-Switch™) that is located in the interior of thehandgrip portion144 adjacent the trigger member. As can be seen inFIG. 10, theswitch170 has a spring-like actuating arm172 which engages anabutment member174 on the interior surface of thecontact face166 and so the trigger is biased outwardly. Such a configuration ensures that thetrigger member162 has a light action, and preferably is operable with a force in the region of 0.5 N to 1.5 N such that operation of such a trigger is easy for the user and avoids fatigue. If a slightly stronger trigger operation is desired, further spring means may be incorporated. In this embodiment, for example, a coiled torsion spring may be incorporated at the pivot.
• Electrical contacts176 of the snap action switch are connected to acontrol board178 by way of a lead (not shown). In the embodiment illustrated, thecontrol board178 also supports variousother control switches180 to access other functions of the vacuum cleaner—for example activating and deactivating the rotatable brush bar, and modulating the suction power of the vacuum cleaner. Furtherelectrical leads182,184 are provided to connect thecontrol board178 to thevacuum cleaner120 by way of power leads184 configured to extend along the flexible hose, and to connect thecontrol board178 to thewand124 andcleaner head130 by way of an electrical connection block186 provided on thefront section146 of thehandle assembly140.
• FIGS. 11 and 12 show thehandle assembly140 with thetrigger member162 in an activated position. In the same manner as the first embodiment, in this position thecontact face166 of thetrigger member162 recedes into thetrigger aperture168 on the handle so that it lies substantially flush with the adjoining portions of the handle. In effect, therefore, thecontact face166 of thetrigger member162 merges with the profile of the handle. It should be noted that although thehandle assembly140 is described as being used on a cylinder vacuum cleaner, the handle assembly could also be incorporated into an upright vacuum cleaner.
• In addition to the ergonomic benefits conferred by the invention, a further advantage of is that a cylinder or, indeed, an upright vacuum cleaner is provided with a operating switch that is not latchable in the ‘on’ position as is the case for known switch mechanisms on cylinder and upright vacuum cleaners. This provides a surprising effect in that a user only activates the vacuum cleaner whilst grasping the handle rather than the known switch means on cylinder and upright vacuum cleaner in which the activating switch is required to be pressed a first time to turn the vacuum cleaner on, and then pressed a second time to turn the vacuum cleaner off. Therefore, a cylinder or upright vacuum cleaner incorporating the invention will be more energy efficient than known vacuum cleaners which tend to be turned on at the beginning of a cleaning session and left on throughout the duration of the session, whether or not the user is actually grasping the handle of the vacuum cleaner.
• As an alternative to a mechanically operable switch, it should be noted that other trigger means are viable in the context of this embodiment, for example touch sensitive switches such as light sensors, capacitive sensors or resistive sensors. Such switch arrangements are all operable to act as a ‘dead man's switch like the specific embodiment described above and therefore achieve the same energy efficiency advantages for cylinder and upright vacuum cleaners. It will also be appreciated that the control process described above with reference toFIGS. 6 and 7 could also be implemented in this embodiment.
• The skilled person will appreciate that variations on the above embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined by the claims.
• For example, although the trigger member has been described above as being mounted at a pivot in the handle arrangement, it may also be slidably mounted.
• Also, although it has been described above that the trigger member operates a switch mounted on the battery, it should be appreciated that this is only one way in which the battery pack, the trigger member and the controller may be interfaced. Alternatively, the trigger member could be arranged to activate a switch mounted directly, or indirectly, on the circuit board of the controller. In this case, it would be the activation of the circuit board mounted switch that would provide the controller with the activation command, rather than the specific embodiment described in which the controller ‘watches’ for a predetermined voltage on the battery connections.

Claims (18)

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising a main body and a separating apparatus associated with the main body, wherein the main body includes a suction generator for drawing air into the separating apparatus and a handle arrangement including a trigger member for activating the suction generator, the trigger member being resiliently biased into a first position in which the suction generator does not operate, and is movable into a second position to activate the suction generator wherein, in the first position, a contact surface of the trigger member is spaced away from an adjacent surface of the handle arrangement and, in the second position, the contact face of the trigger member is substantially flush with the adjacent surface of the handle arrangement.

2. The vacuum cleaner ofclaim 1, wherein the trigger member is supported on a pivot in the interior of the handle arrangement.

3. The vacuum cleaner ofclaim 1, wherein the trigger member is biased into the first position by way of a spring element which exerts a predetermined activation force on the trigger member.

4. The vacuum cleaner ofclaim 3, wherein the spring element is a compression spring that acts on a part of the contact surface.

5. The vacuum cleaner ofclaim 1, wherein the trigger member is biased with a force of less than 8 N.

6. The vacuum cleaner ofclaim 1, wherein the trigger member is biased with a force between 0.5 N and 6 N.

7. The vacuum cleaner ofclaim 1, wherein the trigger member is biased with a force between 0.5 N and 3 N.

8. The vacuum cleaner ofclaim 1, wherein the trigger member includes an actuating member that is moved by movement of the contact face, the actuating member being arranged to contact an activating switch of a battery pack.

9. The vacuum cleaner ofclaim 8, wherein the battery pack is carried adjacent an end of the handle arrangement.

10. The vacuum cleaner ofclaim 9, wherein the battery pack includes a part which extends inside the interior of the handle, the extending part including the activating switch.

11. The vacuum cleaner ofclaim 1, comprising a controller operable to activate the motor and fan unit in response to a command signal initiated by the trigger member, wherein the controller implements a predetermined delay period between receiving an command signal and activating the suction generator.

12. A handle arrangement for a vacuum cleaner, the handle arrangement including a trigger member which is movable between first and second positions, the trigger member being resiliently biased into the first position in which position a contact surface of the trigger member is spaced away from an adjacent surface of the handle arrangement and wherein, in the second position, the contact face of the trigger member is substantially flush with the adjacent surface of the handle arrangement.

13. The handle arrangement ofclaim 12, wherein the trigger member is supported on a pivot in the interior of the handle arrangement.

14. The handle arrangement ofclaim 12, wherein the trigger member is biased into the first position by way of a resilient element which exerts a predetermined activation force on the trigger member.

15. The handle arrangement ofclaim 14, wherein the resilient element acts on a part of the contact surface.

16. The handle arrangement ofclaim 12, wherein the trigger member is biased with a force of less than 8 N.

17. The handle arrangement ofclaim 12, wherein the trigger member is biased with a force between 0.5 N and 6 N.

18. The handle arrangement ofclaim 12, wherein the trigger member is biased with a force between 0.5 N and 3 N.

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