Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6216313
-
Patent Number
6,216,313
-
Date Filed
Friday, May 19, 200024 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, April 17, 200123 years ago
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Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
Agents
-
CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 015 323
- 015 410
- 015 320
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International Classifications
-
Abstract
A tubular plastic handle for a steam cleaning machine with a T-shaped hollow member to which is integrally attached a hollow outrigger supported on hollow posts. The posts provide an integral cord wrap and the outrigger improves flexural rigidity. The hollow member also includes an aperture further improving flexural rigidity through which a linkage controlling the angle of the handle may be accessed.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved hollow, tubular handle for a steam cleaning machine with an integral cord wrap, which design improves the flexural strength of the handle.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
The design of tubular plastic handles for steam cleaning machines, particularly those used by consumers, are motivated by a desire to make the machine as light as possible. Tubular plastic handles for such machines, however, may be lacking in flexural rigidity.
Light weight shell structures may be strengthened with metal parts. Metal clips can also be attached to the handle to provide a cord wrap but such metal parts add expense to the fabrication of a handle because the parts themselves cost money and because additional labor is required for the assembly of the handle. Second, metal parts may become loose over time, decreasing the dependability and strength of the handle. And third, set screws or the like that attach the metal parts and protrude inside the handle may cause an electrical hazard because the fasteners could damage the electrical wires inside the handle.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a light weight tubular plastic handle for a steam cleaner with an integral cord wrap that improves the flexural strength of the handle without the addition of metal parts other than bushings. It is another object to provide such a handle wherein the bushings may be rotationally molded with the handle. Other objects and features of the invention will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.
In accordance with the present invention, a handle for a steam cleaner having a support housing has a hollow tubular member with a flat front and rear face. The tubular member has a longitudinal axis and is T-shaped in longitudinal cross-section with a stem and a cross bar. The cross bar is attached to a first end of the stem and has a pair of grips on opposite sides of the stem. The stem widens towards a second end and is bifurcated into a pair of branches which are adapted to be journaled to the main support housing of the cleaner.
The hollow tubular member has an integrally formed tubular outrigger connected by a pair of hollow posts, lying in the same plane as the hollow tubular member and forming a closed loop with the hollow tubular member. The outrigger provides an integral cord wrap while the closed loop that the outrigger and posts make with the hollow tubular member increases the flexural rigidity of the handle along the longitudinal axis of the hollow tubular member.
A linkage is provided for controlling the angle of the handle with respect to the support housing. Preferably hollow tubular member has an aperture adjacent its bifurcated end providing a second loop increasing the flexural rigidity of the handle. The aperture in the hollow tubular member also permits access to a pin threaded on a rod, under the control of a lever within fingertip reach of the crossbar, forming the linkage for controlling the angle of the handle. Preferably the pin is reciprocated in a bushing integrally molded with the handle. Integrally molded bushings may also be provided in the branches of the tubular member, about which the handle is journaled.
The invention summarized above comprises the constructions hereinafter described, the scope of the invention being indicated by the subjoined claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING
In the accompanying drawings, in which one of various possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated, corresponding reference characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings in which:
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of a steam cleaning machine with a handle in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2
is an exploded rear elevation of the handle and a main support housing of the steam cleaning machine;
FIG. 3
is a fragmentary side elevation of the handle in three of various possible positions;
FIG. 4
is a left side elevation of the handle;
FIG. 5
is a right side elevation of the handle;
FIG. 6
is a section taken along line
6
—
6
in
FIG. 5
; and,
FIG. 7
is a detail taken along line
7
—
7
in FIG.
6
.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring to the drawings more particularly by reference character, starting with
FIG. 1
, reference numeral
10
refers to a portable self-contained carpet steam cleaning machine. Steam cleaner
10
includes, vertically stacked, a vacuum head
12
mounted on a main support housing
14
, a removable waste recovery tank
16
slidable in and out of the main support housing and a bottom clean water tank
18
upon which the main support housing and waste recovery tank are mounted. A handle
20
in accordance with the present invention is pivotally attached to main support housing
14
at the rear of the machine for moving the machine on a pair of wheels
22
attached to the underside of clean water tank
18
, which in addition to serving as a reservoir for premixed cleaning solution, serves as a chassis for the machine.
As shown in
FIGS. 2 and 3
, main support housing
14
has a cylinder
24
along its top rear edge. A groove
26
is formed in cylinder
24
midway the length thereof, about which is wrapped a plate
28
with a plurality of spaced apart apertures
30
. Plate
28
serves as a ferrule protecting the cylinder from wear.
Referring now to
FIGS. 4-6
, it is seen that handle
20
is a hollow tubular member
32
with generally flat front and rear faces
34
,
36
, respectively. Tubular member
32
is T-shaped in longitudinal cross-section with a crossbar
38
mounted at one end of a stem
40
with the crossbar forming a pair of grips on opposite sides of the stem. The grips are ergonomic and preferably taper toward the ends because of the foreshortening of an operator's fingers and the cross-section of the grip perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of crossbar
38
is preferably oval to accommodate a variety of hand sizes. A switch
42
for activating a water pump/brush motor (not shown) is provided at the center of crossbar
38
for right and left handed reach. An internal wiring harness (not shown) provides electrical connections between switch
42
and the water pump/brush motor. Stem
40
widens and is bifurcated at its opposite end forming branches
44
with bushings
46
journaled about a pair of bolts
48
attached to the ends of cylinder
24
.
Handle
20
, thus far described, is similar to the handle described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,513,415 except as to the location of switch
42
and as to bushings
46
which may be integrally molded with hollow tubular member
32
as more particularly described below or may be inserted post molding. Handle
20
differs, however, in the provision of an outrigger
50
and an aperture
52
at its widened end. Outrigger
50
is a hollow tube, generally parallel to a longitudinal axis
56
of hollow tubular member
32
and is connected to the hollow tubular member by a pair of spaced apart hollow posts
58
. Posts
58
are spaced adjacent the ends of outrigger
50
, with the free ends of the tube forming horns
60
for use as a cord. Outrigger
50
and posts
58
are integrally molded in the same plane with hollow tubular member
32
and with member
32
form a first loop
62
. Aperture
52
has sidewalls normal to front and rear faces
34
,
36
of tubular member
32
and forms a second loop
64
in handle
20
.
Flexural rigidity is a measure of an object's resistance to bending and is proportional to the object's (1) moment of inertia about an axis and (2) material stiffness. Applied to handle
20
, the moment of inertia about longitudinal axis
56
is increased by wall components parallel to the normal direction of bending, such as the walls around first and second closed loops
62
,
64
and vertical walls
66
around a boot
68
provided on rear face
36
. The rigidity of the handle is increased by these wall components with height “h” because of their effect on deflection, as illustrated by the formula for deflection in a rectangular beam, supported at both ends, with a single load in the middle: 3lW/2fh
2
, where l=length, W=load and f=stress.
Handle
20
has a rod
70
attached near crossbar
38
to a lever
72
, one end of which is within fingertip reach of the right grip and the other end of which is pivoted in stem
40
about an axis normal to front and rear faces
34
,
36
. An access door
74
is provided in rear face
36
through which lever
72
and the upper end of rod
70
may be accessed for connection to the pivot. An opposite end of rod
70
ends with a pin
76
which is received in one of apertures
30
in plate
28
. Rod
70
is biased with a spring
78
, the details of which are shown in
FIGS. 6 and 7
, such that pin
76
is extended except when lever
72
is pulled up. Depending on the arrangement of apertures
30
, handle
20
can be adjusted between a vertically up and a vertically down position, and at selected angles ergonomic to the operator therebetween as shown in FIG.
3
.
Pin
76
as shown in
FIGS. 6 and 7
, is received in a bushing
80
which is preferably molded in handle
20
. An upper end of pin
76
is threaded for attachment to rod
70
. Within limits, the effective length of pin
76
with respect to plate
28
may be adjusted by threading pin
76
more or less on rod
70
, for which purpose pin
76
may have flats
82
such that it can be gripped with a wrench. This feature is advantageous during assembly of the machine and for maintenance. Once pin
76
has been threaded on the rod to a desired extent, it may be fixed with a locking nut
84
. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, pin
76
increases in diameter below its upper end providing an abutment shoulder
86
between which and a bottom of bushing
80
, spring
78
is compressed. As shown in
FIG. 7
, pin
76
is received in a selected aperture
30
in plate
28
, with the enlarged bottom of the pin providing a second abutment shoulder
88
in contact with plate
28
, locking handle
20
in a selected position. In other embodiments, pin
76
may terminate in a blade which is wedged into aperture
30
in plate
28
or the like.
Hollow handle
20
with bushings
46
and
80
may be rotationally molded as an integral unit from plastic. This feature improves structural integrity and manufacturing efficiency. A preferred material for handle
20
is high density polyethylene (HDPE) but other thermoplastics, including copolymers, may be used. Boot
68
provides a space in the mold for granulated HDPE at the beginning of the molding process, in addition to increasing the flexural rigidity of the finished handle. Boot
68
is advantageous since handle
20
contains many narrow passageways. After hollow tubular member
32
with outrigger
50
is molded, lever
72
, rod
70
and pin
76
are assembled through access door
74
and aperture
52
, respectively. Handle
20
can then be journaled on main support housing
14
with bolts
48
. The power cord (not shown) for steam cleaning machine
10
may be wrapped around posts
58
, under horns
60
. Since outrigger
50
is integrally molded with tubular member
32
, the cord wrap does not loosen with use.
In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained. As various changes could be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
Claims
- 1. A handle for a steam cleaner having a support housing, said handle comprisinga hollow tubular member having a flat front and rear face, said tubular member having a longitudinal axis and being T-shaped in longitudinal cross-section with a stem and a cross bar, said cross bar attached to a first end of the stem and having a pair of grips on opposite sides of the stem, said stem widening towards a second end of the stem and bifurcated into a pair of branches which are adapted to be journaled to the support housing of the cleaner, said hollow tubular member having an integrally formed tubular outrigger connected by a pair of hollow posts, said outrigger and posts lying in the same plane as the hollow tubular member and forming a closed loop with the hollow tubular member, whereby the outrigger provides an integral cord wrap and the closed loop increases the flexural rigidity of the handle along the longitudinal axis of the hollow tubular member.
- 2. The handle of claim 1 wherein the stem of the hollow tubular member has an aperture adjacent the bifurcated second end, said aperture forming a second closed loop which further increases the flexural rigidity of the handle along the longitudinal axis of the hollow tubular member.
- 3. The handle of claim 2 with a molded-in bushing in the stem at the bifurcated second end within which a pin is reciprocated, said pin attached to a rod connected to a lever within fingertip reach of the crossbar and receivable in an aperture of a plate attached to the support housing, said pin biased into engagement with the plate by a spring.
- 4. The handle of claim 3 wherein the pin is threaded on the rod and secured in a selected threaded position on the rod with a lock nut.
- 5. A rotationally molded handle for a steam cleaner having a support housing, said handle comprisinga hollow tubular member having a flat front and rear face, said rear face including a boot, said tubular member having a longitudinal axis and being T-shaped in longitudinal cross-section with a stem and a cross bar, said cross bar attached to a first end of the stem and having a pair of grips on opposite sides of the stem, said stem widening towards a second end of the stem and bifurcated into a pair of branches which are adapted to be journaled to the support housing of the cleaner, said stem having a molded-in bushing at the bifurcated second end, said hollow tubular member having an integrally formed tubular outrigger connected by a pair of hollow posts, said outrigger and posts lying in the same plane as the hollow tubular member and forming a closed loop with the hollow tubular member, whereby the outrigger provides an integral cord wrap and the closed loop increases the flexural rigidity of the handle along the longitudinal axis of the hollow tubular member.
- 6. The handle of claim 5 wherein the stem of the hollow tubular member has an aperture adjacent the bifurcated second end, said aperture forming a second closed loop which further increases the flexural rigidity of the handle along the longitudinal axis of the hollow tubular member.
- 7. The handle of claim 6 wherein a pin is reciprocated in the bushing in the stem, said pin attached to a rod connected to a lever within fingertip reach of the crossbar and receivable in an aperture of a plate attached to the support housing, said pin biased into engagement with the plate by a spring.
- 8. The handle of claim 7 wherein the pin is threaded on the rod and secured in a selected threaded position on the rod with a lock nut.
- 9. The handle of claim 5 wherein the journaled branches have molded-in bushings.
- 10. The handle of claim 5 formed of high density polypropylene.
US Referenced Citations (16)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
62985 |
Mar 1994 |
JP |