Control switch arrangement for an upright vacuum cleaner

Claim 1

A control switch arrangement for controlling the operation of an electric motor which drives the suction generating fan of an upright vacuum cleaner when said cleaner is functioning in either an on-the-floor or off-the-floor cleaning mode, said cleaner including a housing having a suction inlet communicating with said fan and an electrical circuit for supplying current to said motor, said housing also having a handle pivotally connected thereto and a grip at the upper end of said handle to facilitate movement of said housing over a surface to be cleaned, said control switch arrangement comprising a manually actuated power switch adapted to be connected to said electrical circuit and adapted to be mounted in the grip of said handle so as to be closed by a user''s hand when said handle grip is grasped, and A manually actuated combination motor speed control and bypass switch adapted to be connected to said electrical circuit for coaction with said power switch, said combination switch having a first position adapted to cause said motor to operate at a speed suited for on-the-floor cleaning when said power switch is closed, said combination switch also having a second position adapted to cause said motor to operate at a speed suited for offthe-floor cleaning, and said combination switch being operable to bypass said power switch when in said second position, whereby the flow of current to said motor is interrupted whenever the grip on said handle is released by a user and said combination switch is in said first position but is maintained regardless of the position of said power switch when said combination switch is in said second position.