Pushbutton vacuum selector

Claim 1

For use in a vacuum cleaner including means for generating and maintaining vacuum in an enclosed vacuum chamber connected for airflow with a cleaning nozzle, wherein the improvement is in pushbutton vacuum selector means for selectively venting the vacuum chamber to reduce the vacuum therein and thus to reduce the suction at the cleaning nozzle, comprising, a. means for defining at least one vent opening in the vacuum chamber enclosure; b. at least one slide valve of oblong shape and of flat flexible material, with a pushbutton at one longitudinal end, with at least one hinge line perpendicular to the length of the slide valve for allowing flexing of the valve, and with a continuous area and means defining an aperture in a first portion defined as the portion between said at least one hinge line and the longitudinal end opposite the pushbutton end, such that said first portion of the slide valve may be flat against the vacuum chamber enclosure while the rest of the slide valve may be separated from the enclosure and at an angle thereto when the valve is flexed along said at least one hinge line; and c. housing means affixed rigidly with respect to the vacuum chamber enclosure for holding said first portion of the slide valve pressed against the outside surface of the vacuum chamber enclosure, for defining for said first portion of the slide valve a sliding path overlapping the vent opening, said sliding path including a first position at which the vent opening and the slide valve aperture are aligned to allow airflow between the vacuum chamber and the surrounding space, and a second position at which the vent opening is covered by the continuous area of said first portion of the slide valve, and for defining for the pushbutton end of the slide valve a sliding path which is at an angle with the sliding path of said first portion of the slide valve.