US3438081A - Vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Description

April 1969 J. A. RUZZIER 3,438,081

VACUUM CLEANER Filed July 7, 1967 Sheet of 4 71 is 20 21 g. J4 i6 70 g/ 69 66 3 J2 2g 2g J. A. RUZZIER VACUUM CLEANER April 15, 1969 Filed July '7, 1967 J. A. RUZZIER VACUUM CLEANER Filed Ju y 1967 DRAPES G FLOO 5 I 29 62 32 ill 35 Jr 67 Q' J0 flnveili fill gie 25" United States Patent Ofi ice 3,438,081 Patented Apr. 15, 1969 3,438,081 VACUUM CLEANER John A. Ruzzier, Berwyn, 111., assignor to Sunbeam Corporation, Chicago, I11., a corporation of Illinois Filed July 7, 1967, Ser. No. 651,789 Int. Cl. A471 /36 US. Cl. 15-327 5 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The canister vacuum cleaner has a molded plastic hinge member overlying the cover. A motor-blower unit is mounted on the underside of the cover beneath the hinge member and is exhausted through openings in the cover and hinge member. A switch is also mounted on the underside of the cover and its foot operated button for controlling the motor-blower unit is accessible through aligned openings in the cover and binge member. The hinge member also houses selector means for varying the vacuum available at the air hose and also a vacuum bag fill indicator. The selector means and bag fill indicator are constructed from flexible polypropylene to provide integral hinge connections for their moving parts, Flexible polypropylene hinge connections are also used for the air hose latches at the air inlet and the latch release button for the cover.

This invention relates to a vacuum cleaner, and more particularly, to an improved canister-type vacuum cleaner.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved, low cost, and compact canister-type vacuum cleaner.

In the invention the vacuum cleaner comprises a bottom pan-shaped shell and a top cover therefor. The cover and shell are hinged together by a pair of hinged molded plastic hinge members. The top hinge member, which is connected to the cover provides a housing for selector means for varying the amount of suction available at the air hose of the vacuum cleaner and also a housing for a vacuum bag indicator means for indicating the fill condition of the vacuum cleaner bag. The motor-blower unit of the vacuum cleaner is mounted on the underside of the cover and depends therefrom into the shell. The motor-blower unit is exhausted to the atmosphere through openings formed in the cover and the top hinge member. Aligned openings are also formed in the cover and top hinge member to expose a foot operated button for purposes of actuating a control switch for the motor-blower unit. The selector means and bag indicator each comprise a semi-cylindrical member having a valve element connected thereto. The valve elements operate in openings formed in the cover. These semi-cylindrical members and valve elements are constructed from flexible polypropylene and are connected together by integral hinge portions. On the other side of the vacuum cleaner a pair of top and bottom cover and shell mounted plastic members are provided which serve as a handle for the vacuum cleaner and an air inlet for the vacuum cleaner, respectively. These two members are likewise constructed from flexible polypropylene and have integral flexible air hose latches and cover release button means formed thereon.

The features of the invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying four sheets of drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a canister-type vacuum cleaner utilizing my invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the section line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the vacuum cleaner when the cover is laid open;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the section line 4-4 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view similar to that of the left hand of FIG. 2 and in addition showing an air hose connected thereto;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged bottom plan view of the top hinge member of the vacuum cleaner;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the section line 7--7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged top plan view of the top hinge member to better show the vacuum selector and bag fill indicator means of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along the section line 99 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the integral two element flexible polypropylene vacuum selector means housed in the top hinge member; and

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the integral two element flexible polypropylene bag indicator means housed in the top hinge member.

Referring now particularly to the drawings, illustrated therein is a vacuum cleaner having a bottom pan-type shell 10 closed by a top cover 11. The cover 11 is hinged to shell 10 by a pair of top and bottom molded plastic hinge members 12 and 13, respectively. The hinge members 12 and 13 are located at the rear side of the vacuum cleaner. At the front side of the vacuum cleaner a pair of top and bottom molded plastic members 14 and 15 are connected to the cover 11 and pan 10, respectively. As will be more clear hereinafter, the top member 14 provides a handle 16 for carrying the vacuum cleaner about. The bottom member 15 provides a hose connector on the air inlet side of the vacuum cleaner for purposes of connecting a vacuum cleaner hose 17 thereto in the manner illustrated in FIG. 5 which will be described in greater detail hereinafter. The top and bottom members 14 and 15 also include structure, to be described hereinafter, for releasably latching the cover 11 closed on the shell 10. The cover 11 is unlatched by depressing a release latch button 18 which is integrally formed with the top plastic member 14.

A foot operated button 19 protrudes up through the top hinge member 12 for purposes of controlling the on and off condition of the vacuum cleaner. Button 19 controls a switch 20 positioned thereunder. Top hinge member 12 also provides an integral housing portion 21 for purposes of housing a vacuum selector and vacuum bag fill indicator. The vacuum selector means is indicated generally by reference numeral 22, see FIG. 2; and the bag fill indicator means is indicated generally by reference numeral 23, see FIG. 7. The vacuum selector means is manually adjusted by virtue of a tab 24 protruding up through the integral portion 21.

Opposite lateral sides of shell 10 are provided with a pair of floor engaging wheels 25 for purposes of moving the vacuum cleaner along a floor or the like. An electric extension cord 26 is shown extending out of the vacuum cleaner adjacent the rear hinge. When not in use this cord 26 can be coiled in stored position about integral cord storage hook portions 27 and 28 formed on the bottom plastic members 15 and 13, respectively.

A motor-blower unit indicated generally by reference numeral 29 is suspended off the cover 11 and is positioned inside the shell 10 in spaced relationship with respect thereto to define a generally annular dust collecting chamber 30 between the motor-blower unit 29 and the side walls of shell 10. A generally U-shaped vacuum cleaner bag 31 is positioned in the dust collecting chamber 30. The bight portion of bag 31 is releasably connected to the air inlet formed in member 15 in a manner described hereinafter.

As will be obvious to those skilled in the art, the not shown outer end of hose 17 is adapted to have various floor and off-the-fioor vacuum cleaner tools removably connected thereto. These not shown tools are adapted to be removably stored inside the vacuum cleaner on fiber board or hard cardboard tool storage panel 32 mounted within the cover 11. The vacuum cleaner can be pulled along a fioor by tugging on the hose 17. For purposes of manually carrying the vacuum cleaner about, the handle 16 is provided. The vacuum cleaner can also be positioned vertically on stairs or the like by virtue of the rear hinge. More particularly, the vacuum cleaner can be up ended in stable position by resting the same on the rear cord hook portion 28 and the hinge portion between the two rear hinge members 12 and 13. When the vacuum cleaner is turned to on position by stepping on the switch button 19 the motor-blower unit 29 is energized and the resultant suction draws air, dust, and other debris through the hose 17 into the vacuum cleaner bag 31. The bag 31 retains the dust and debris therein but the incoming air is filtered therethrough. The filtered air enters the motorblower unit 29 at its bottom and passes therethrough and is ultimately exhausted at the upper end thereof through exhaust vents 33 formed in the top hinge member 12.

In view of the foregoing general description of the structure and operation of the vacuum cleaner, the individual components thereof will now be described in detail. Turning first to the bottom pan 10, this member is generally circular in shape. The wheels 25 are recessed into wheel wells 34 depressed in opposite diametrical sides of the vacuum cleaner so as to make the Wheels 25 protrude as little as possible. The bottom rear hinge member 13 is connected to the rear of shell by virtue of a plurality of screws or the like 35. The front end of pan 10 has an air inlet hole 36 formed therein. The bottom tubular member is mounted against the shell 10 and positioned in the hole 36 and provides a hose connector for purposes of removably connecting the hose 17 to the suction side of the vacuum cleaner. The means incorporated in the member 15 and at the inner end of hose 17 for accomplishing this is described in detail in my co-pending and simultaneously filed patent application Ser. No. 651,888 and therefor will not be described in great detail herein. However, the member 15 essentially comprises a single piece unitary member having two main portions. The two main portions are the outer flange part 37 and an integral tubular portion 38. The flange portion 37 rests against the exterior of shell 10 and is fixed thereto by means such as screws 37' so as to fixedly position the tubular portion 38 in the air inlet hole 36. See FIG. 5. The inner end of hose 17 has a tubular member 39 fixed thereto. integrally formed in the tubular part 38 are a plurality of flexible latching fingers 40. When the tube 39 is pushed in to the tube 38, the fingers 40 push a release ring 41 to the left and latch themselves on edge 42 of tubular member 39. In order to release the hose the tubular member 39 is pushed in again. This causes the latching fingers 40 to ride up on the ring 41 and grip the same. Ring 41 operates in an annular groove 42 formed on tube 39. Inasmuch as the fingers 40 are now gripping the ring 41, when hose 17 is pulled out the fingers 40 pull the ring 41 to the right against the edge 42 and thereafter the latches 40 slide off the ring 41 and the outer end of tube 39 for complete release of the hose from the vacuum cleaner. In other words, in order to release hose 17 it is pushed in on. Inward movement of the tube 39 during release of the hose just far enough so that the latching fingers 40 slide up on and grip the ring 41 but do not pass beyond the ring 41 to the left is limited or controlled by a shoulder 43 on tube 39 which engages shoulder means 44 formed within tube 38 just to the left of the outer hook shaped ends of the latches 40, see FIG. 2. The latches are free to move towards and away from the axis of tube 38 by virtue of cut-out grooves 45 formed in tube 38 behind the latching fingers 40. The tube 39 and inner end of hose 17 are connected together in a conventional manner. For example, the left hand end of tube 39 is telescoped into the right hand end of hose 17 and the telescoped ends of tube 39 and hose 17 are surrounded by a tight rubber collar 46 or the like which provides a hand grip for the hose when connecting and disconnecting it with respect to the vacuum cleaner.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, a wire formed latch element 47 is held captive in position by being clamped between the shell 10 and bottom plastic member 15. The upper closed end of the Wire formed latch element 47 extends into the front top plastic member 14 for latching co-operation therewith in a manner to be described shortly. The opposite ends of wire 47 extend into the shell 10 through the hole 36 within grooves 48 formed in the exterior of tube part 38. Near their extremities the opposite ends of the wire latch 47 are provided with bent portions 47' to serve as latches for purposes of retaining the vacuum cleaner bag 31 positioned on the air inlet tube 38. Thus, the wire formed element 47 has two latches formed at the opposite ends thereof. The vacuum cleaner bag latch part thereof is designated by reference numeral 47', and the cover latch portion thereof is designated by reference numeral 47". As heretofore mentioned, the vacuum cleaner bag is generally U-shaped and has its bight portion connected to the air inlet side of the vacuum cleaner. This is accomplished by forming a cardboard reinforced aperture 49 in the vacuum cleaner bag. The cardboard reinforcing panel for the air inlet hole 49 of bag 31 is indicated by reference numeral 50. The bag 31 is assembled in position by moving the bag 31 towards the tube 38 so that tube 38 moves into hole 49 until such time as the board 50 passes over the bag latches 47' formed on the latch wire 47. In this manner the air inlet of the vacuum cleaner bag is removably latched to the air inlet 38.

The latching co-operation of the wire formed element 47 with the member 14 to retain the cover 11 releasably latch closed will now be described. The members 14 and 15 are both constructed from flexible molded polypropylene plastic. This means that the latch fingers 40 have integral not shown polypropylene hinge connections with the tubular part 38. This same concept is also employed in the member 14. For example, the latch release button 18 has an integral polypropylene hinge portion 51 with the main body of member 14. This concept of living hinges is also employed in the vacuum selector means 22 and the bag fill indicator means 23 to be described hereinafter and reduces the necessity for separate parts. The latch button 18 is free to hinge back and forth within a cut-out notch 52 formed in the forward or nose portion of the member 14. The member 14 is connected to the cover 11 by screws or the like 53. The wire formed element 47 extends from in between the member 15 and shell 10 up into between the member 14 and rim of cover 11. A pair of latch projections 54 are integrally formed inside member 14 just beneath the button 18. When cover 11 is pushed down to latch closed position, the upper end of latch 47" catches on the latch projections 54. The upper extremity of latch 47 at this time is positioned behind the lower tip of cover latch release button 18. In order to release the cover, button 18 is depressed with the thumb to move button 18 from the full line position to the dotted line position illustrated in FIG. 5. This causes the latch 47" to move rearwardly off the latch projections 54 whereby the cover is unlatched and can be raised freely. The button 18 has a natural bias to the out position so that each time cover 11 is slammed closed the latch 47" will be positioned behind the lower end of button 18 so that it is in readiness to move latch 47" rearwardly off the latching projections 54 to open the cover.

The peripheral rim of cover 11 is surrounded by a circular sealing ring or gasket 55 which has a generally U-shaped cross section. This gasket 55 also retains the tool storage board 32 in position. As is readily seen from FIG. 3, tool storage board 32 has several specially shaped notches 56, 57 and 58 cut therein to facilitate stored mounting of conventional vacuum cleaner tools inside the vacuum cleaner off the cover 11. Board 32 also has a notch 59 formed at the front end thereof. Notch 59 is adapted to receive the upper end of the vacuum cleaner bag board 50. The lower end of vacuum cleaner board 50 is steadied by fitting in a detent 60 formed in the front bottom part of shell 10. The rear of board 32 has a circular cut-out 61 to clear the motor-blower unit 29. The circular cutout 61 includes a generally rectangular portion 62 for use in connection with the vacuum selector means 22 and the bag fill indicator means 23 in a manner to be described shortly.

The top and bottom rear hinge members 12 and 13 are connected together on a hinge shaft 63. The top hinge member 12 extends from the hinge shaft 63 to about the center of the cover 11 although it could extend as far as and be integral with the other top member 13. The motorblower unit 29 is suspended off or mounted on the underside of cover 11 immediately beneath the top hinge member 12 by means such as mounting studs 64. The bottom of power unit 29 is provided with a not shown air inlet covered by a filter element 65. The incoming air entering the unit 29 is exhausted out of the upper end thereof. Cover 11 and top hinge member 12 have exhaust openings 66 and 33, respectively, formed therein to exhaust the upper end of the motor-blower unit 29 to the atmosphere. It will be appreciated that the motorblower unit 29 is a closed sub-assembly, see for example the cylinder 67 therefor so that the air entering the lower end of unit 29 has to exit to the atmosphere through the openings 66 and 33. The exhaust openings 66 and 33 formed in the cover 11 and top hinge member 12 actually are offset with respect to each other so as to diffuse and reduce the velocity of the air exhaust from the vacuum cleaner. The top hinge member 12 is fastened to the cover 11 by means such as not shown screws adapted to pass through the cover into integral bosses 68 formed at the rear part of hinge member 12 and by clamping means for the switch 20 at the front part of hinge member 12. Switch 20 is mounted on the underside of cover 11 within the motor shell or housing 67. Switch 20 is clamped to cover 11 by a washer 69 positioned on a threaded mounting shaft 70 of the switch assembly 20. The front end of top hinge member 12 is clamped to the threaded switch shaft 70 by a threaded washer 71. In other words, the threaded hollow shaft 70 extends through aligned openings formed in the cover 11 and top hinge member 12. The switch button 19 is positioned in member 70 and therefore extends through the aligned openings therefor to the exterior top side of member 12 so that it is readily accessible for foot operation. Successive stepping on the button 19 moves the switch 20 to on and off position. The electrical connector cord 26 is connected by suitable electrical leads to the switch 2!) and unit 29 in a manner well known to those skilled in the art so that the switch 20 is the control for the vacuum cleaner.

The vacuum selector means 22 and the vacuum bag fill indicator means 23 will now be described in connection with FIGS. 61l. The integral protruding portion 21 at the rear of top hinge 12 is generally semi-cylindrical and hollow. The movable parts for the means 22 and 23 are mounted or housed in integral portion 21. A pivot shaft 72 extends across member 12 under the housing 21. Shaft 72 is fixed in position by means such as a pair of screws 68'. The portion of cover 11 just beneath member 21 is depressed or indented and formed therein are two holes or openings 73 and 74. The vacuum selector and bag fill indicator means each comprise molded plastic flexible polypropylene integral two element single piece members. For the vacuum selector means 22 the integral two element comprises a relatively short semi-cylindrical hollow portion 75 and a depending valve element 76. The two parts 75 and 76 are integrally connected by an integral hinge portion 77. The bag indicator means is similar in that it comprises a still shorter hollow semi-cylindrical member 78 and a depending valve element 79 with the parts 78 and 79 being integrally connected by an integral polypropylene hinge portion 80. The parts 75 and 78 have integral pivot portions 81 formed thereon so as to pivotally mount the parts 75 and 78 on the shaft 72 within the recess 21. The valve portion 76 of the vacuum selector means depends into the opening 73 formed in the cover 11 and the valve portion 79 depends from the part 78 into the opening 74 formed in cover 11. The openings 73 and 74 are positioned above the cut-out 62 formed in the tool storage board 32.

The top of recess 21 has three openings 82, 83 and 84 formed therein. The opening 82 is for purposes of afford ing access to the tab 24 so as to manually operate the vacuum selector means. The opening 83 is a window so as to give a visual indication of the vacuum condition selected. The opening 84 is a window to give visual indication of the fill condition of the bag. The portion 21 is superposed by an escutcheon 85 having suitable legends thereon to indicate the degree of vacuum selected. The right hand end of the semi-cylindrical portion 75, when viewing FIG. 8, has a series of marks 86 thereon to register with the window opening 83 depending upon the position of the valve 76 with respect to its opening 73. The semi-cylindrical member 78 also has suitable legends thereon to register with the window 84 depending upon the position of the valve element 79 with respect to the opening 74. Detent means is provided for fixing the selected positions of the vacuum selector. The detent means comprises an integrally formed pip 87 interiorly of the portion 21 between the openings 82 and 83. This pip operates within suitable recesses 88 formed in the part 75.

The operation of the vacuum selector means will be described first. The interface 89 between the two hinge elements 12 and 13 adjacent the hinge shaft 73 is not vacuum tight. Accordingly, atmospheric air can be ad mitted into the closed vacuum cleaner via the interface 89 depending upon whether or not the opening 73 is closed by the vacuum selector valve element 76. In the position illustrated in FIG. 2 the opening 73 is closed by valve element 76. In this condition of the device, the motor-blower unit 29 is pulling maximum suction through the vacuum cleaner hose 17. This is also the FIG. 8 position of the parts. However, in the position of the parts illustrated in FIG. 9 the valve element 76 is in its full open position with respect to the opening 73. This means that a substantial amount of atmospheric air can go by the interface 89 and through the openings 73 and 62 down into the shell 10 and thence into the bottom inlet air side of the motor-blower unit 29. Accordingly, a correspondingly smaller amount of suction pressure is created at the hose 17. The position corresponding to FIG. 2 is illustrated in FIG. 8 of the drawings. In the position illustrated in FIG. 9 the indicator mark 86 would be positioned adjacent the legend Drapes which is the lightest vacuum selectable at the hose 17. Intermediate positions of the valve element 76 with respect to the opening 73 would give intermediate vacuum selections at the hose 17. The position of valve element 76 of course is controlled by manipulating the tab 24. Rocking the tab 24 in a rearward direction closes the opening 73 in the manner illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 8. Rocking the tab 24 in a forward direction gradually withdraws the valve element 76 from the opening 73 to its maximum open position indicated in FIG. 9. V

The operation of the vacuum bag indicator means 23 will now be described. When the hose 17 is not clogged and the bag 31 is not filled, the valve element 79 is open with respect to the Opening 74 by virtue of a bias spring 90 moving the valve element 79 to open position. Spring 90 surrounds the valve element 79, see FIG. 7. However, should the hose 17 become clogged or the bag 31 become filled such a high vacuum is created inside the shell so as to cause atmospheric pressure to overcome the force of spring 90 and move the valve element 79 to its closed position illustrated in FIG. 7. This, again, is accomplished by the atmospheric air which can enter the vacuum cleaner along the interface 89 when the opening 74 is open. When the hose or bag is clogged the incoming rush of air through the opening 74, Or the resultant differential in air pressure on opposite sides of the cover 11, is so great as to cause closure of opening 74 by the valve element 79 against the outward bias of valve element 79 by its spring 90.

It will now be seen that the invention provides an improved canister type vacuum cleaner which is low cost and compact. By reason of the molded plastic parts of the hose connector, cover latch, cover hinge, and vacuum selector and bag fill indicator means the vacuum cleaner is low cost and uses a minimum of separate parts which are less apt to jam or malfunction. In addition, by virtue of the two top plastic members 12 and 14 and mounting of the motor-blower unit 29 and its switch off cover 11, assembly of the vacuum cleaner is facilitated since the cover with its mounted parts comprises the main working parts of the vacuum cleaner which is then merely attached to shell 10 at hinge shaft 63. This advantageous assembly procedure includes the vacuum selector and bag fill indicator means 22 and 23, respectively, since these functions also are part of the cover sub-assembly.

While there has been shown and described a particular embodiment of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention, and therefore, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a canister type vacuum cleaner comprising a bottom pan-shaped shell and a top cover closing said shell, said cover being hinged to said shell by a pair of bottom and top molded plastic hinge members which are hinged together and connected to said shell and cover respectively along one side of said cleaner, and another pair of bottom and top molded plastic members connected to said shell and cover respectively along the opposite side of said cleaner, said another bottom member having an integral main air inlet to said cleaner and said another top member having an integral carrying handle for said cleaner; the improvement of a combination motor-blower unit inside said cleaner mounted on the underside of said cover beneath said top hinge member, said unit depending from said cover into said shell to define an annular shaped vacuum chamber therein, said unit having an air inlet adjacent the bottom thereof and an air outlet adjacent the top thereof, exhaust openings formed in said cover and top hinge member for exhausting said air outlet to the atmosphere, a control switch mounted on the underside of said cover beneath said top hinge member, a pair of aligned openings formed in said cover and top hinge member, a control switch button connected to said control switch and extending up through said pair of aligned openings for foot operation of said control switch, an air seal between the peripheral rims of said shell and cover to air seal said cleaner closed, and means for varying the amount of suction created at said main air inlet by said unit, said means comprising an auxiliary air inlet opening formed in said cover beneath said top hinge member, and manually operable selector means mounted in said top hinge member above said auxiliary air inlet opening for selectively opening and closing said auxiliary air inlet opening to the atmosphere.

2. In a cleaner as in claim 1, a generally U-shaped vacuum cleaner bag positioned in said vacuum chamber, the bight portion of said bag having an air inlet opening connected to said main air inlet, and another auxiliary air inlet opening formed in said cover beneath said top hinge member, and signal means mounted in said top hinge member above said another auxiliary air inlet opening for indicating the fill condition of said bag.

3. In a cleaner as in claim 2, a semi-cylindrical hollow protuberance formed in said top hinge member, said manually operable selector means and signal means each being pivotally mounted in said protuberance on a common pivot shaft, said manually operable selector means and signal means each having a valve closure element pivotally connected thereto for engagement with their respective auxiliary air inlet openings, and window means formed in said protuberance for visually indicating the condition of said selector means and signal means.

4. In a cleaner as in claim 3, wherein said selector means and signal means each comprises a polypropylene semicylindrical member mounted on said common shaft, said valve closure elements likewise being constructed of polypropylene and comprising integral formations on said polypropylene semi-cylinders, and said polypropylene valve closure elements and polypropylene semi-cylinders being pivotally connected together by integral polypropylene hinge portions.

5. In a cleaner as in claim 4, wherein said another pair of molded plastic members are each constructed from polypropylene, said bottom another member comprising a tubular portion having an integral flange thereon, a hole formed in said shell and said tubular portion extending through said hole and comprising said main air inlet, said flange being fastened to said shell to fix said tubular portion in said hole, integral latch portions formed on said tubular portion for releasably latching an air hose thereto, an integrally formed and flexible cover release button on said top another member, a wire formed latch element mounted on said another bottom member, said wire formed latch element having a portion thereof extending into said another top member for engagement therewith to latch said cover closed on said shell, said release button being finger operated to move said wire formed latch element portion to release said cover, and said wire formed latch element having another portion thereof extending through said hole into said shell for releasably latching said vacuum cleaner bag on said tubular portion.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,170,184 2/1965 Jepson et al. 15327 X ROBERT W. MICHELL, Primary Examiner,

. U.S. Cl. X.R, 15323; -471

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