Push button valve assembly for adjusting the negative pressure of a suction cleaner

Claim 2

In a suction cleaner including a casing having an inlet, an outlet, and means for generating a negative pressure zone in said casing and communicating with said inlet, a suction control device for controlling the negative pressure in said zone and hence the suction at said suction inlet, said control device comprising a housing adapted to be mounted on said casing, means adapted to provide at least one aperture in said casing for establishing a bypass flow of air from the exterior of said casing to said negative pressure zone, valve means adapted to permit or prevent flow through said aperture to control the negative pressure in said zone, said valve means including at least one valve member carried by said housing and movable between a first position uncovering said aperture and a second position covering said aperture, and an actuating member overlying said valve member and said aperture and movably mounted on said housing in a direction substantially normal to the direction of movement of said valve member, said actuating member being engageable with said valve member for effecting movement thereof to one of said positions.

Claim 3

The construction of claim 1, further characterized in that said valve member is adapted to engage said casing and to be movable thereon in opposite directions between said positions, and said actuating member is mounted on said housing for movement at least toward said valve member to effect movement thereof to said first position.

Claim 4

The construction of claim 1, further characterized in that said actuating member includes a depending portion extending toward said valve member, said depending portion having an edge inclined with respect to the direction of movement of said actuating member and engageable therewith.

Claim 5

The construction of claim 3, further characterized in that said depending portion of said actuating member comprises a generally triangularly-shaped lug, and said valve member includes an abutment portion extending toward and disposed in the path of movement of said lug.

Claim 6

The construction of claim 4, further characterized in that said abutment portion has at least one flat face thereon, and said face is inclined at substantially the same angle as said edge on said lug.

Claim 7

The construction of claim 5, further characterized in that said angle is about 45*.

Claim 8

The construction of claim 4, further characterized in that the apex of said lug is in general transverse alignment with said aperture.

Claim 9

The construction of claim 4, further characterized in that said abutment portion is generally trapezoidal frustoconically shaped.

Claim 10

The construction of claim 1, further characterized in that said actuating member is movable between an operative position holding said valve member in said first position and an inoperative position permitting movement of said valve member to said second position, and releasable retaining means is provided for releasably retaining said actuating member in said operative and inoperative positions, said releasable retaining means comprising at least one edge on a portion of a wall of said housing and at least one resilient arm carried by said actuating member and frictionally engaging said edge.

Claim 11

The construction of claim 9, further characterized in that said actuating member is pivotally mounted on said housing for movement about an axis extending generally parallel to the direction of movement of said valve member, said edge of said wall portion extends generally perpendicularly to said axis, and said resilient arm extends generally perpendicularly to said edge.

Claim 12

The construction of claim 10, further characterized in that saId arm has a surface portion engaging and movable across said edge of said wall portion, and said surface portion is inclined with respect to the direction of movement of said actuating member, whereby said inclined surface portion and the resiliency of said arm releasably retain said actuating member in said operative position.

Claim 13

The construction of claim 11, further characterized in that said surface portion of said arm has a recess therein for receiving a portion of said edge of said wall portions, said recess releasably retaining said actuating member in said inoperative position.

Claim 14

The construction of claim 10, further characterized in that said housing has a pair of said wall portions providing an axially spaced pair of said edges, and a pair of said resilient arms are provided on said actuating member, said arms extending between and engaging said edges.

Claim 15

The construction of claim 1, further characterized in that said housing has an elongated slot extending in a direction parallel to the path of movement of said valve member, and said valve member includes an abutment portion disposed in said slot, whereby said slot and said abutment portion coact to guide movement of said valve member between and to prevent movement thereof beyond said positions.

Claim 16

The construction of claim 1, further characterized in that a plurality of apertures are adapted to be provided in said casing, a plurality of said valve members are provided for movement between positions covering and uncovering said apertures, and a plurality of said actuating members are provided for effecting movement of said valve members between said positions, said valve members all being of the same shape and said actuating members all being of the same shape.

Claim 17

In a canister type suction cleaner including a casing having a suction inlet, an exhaust outlet, and means for generating a negative pressure zone in said casing and communicating with said inlet, a valve assembly for controlling the negative pressure in said zone and hence the suction at said suction inlet, said valve assembly comprising a housing mounted on said casing, a plurality of apertures of different size in said casing for establishing a bypass flow of air from the exterior of said casing to said negative pressure zone, said apertures being arranged in a row, a plurality of valve members shiftably carried by said housing for movement longitudinally of said row, each of said valve members being movable between a first position permitting flow through a respective one of said apertures and a second position preventing flow through said aperture, and a plurality of actuating members for effecting movement of said valve members between said positions, there being at least one actuating member for effecting movement of one of said valve members to said first position and at least one other actuating member for effecting movement of said one valve member to said second position, movement of one of said actuating members to effect movement of one of said valve members from one of its positions to the other of its positions being effective to cause said one valve member to effect similar movement of one or more of the other of said valve members which are engaged with each other and at least one of which is engaged with said one valve member.

Claim 18

In a canister type suction cleaner including a casing having a suction inlet, an exhaust outlet, and means for generating a negative pressure zone in said casing and communicating with said inlet, a valve assembly for controlling the negative pressure in said zone and hence the suction at said suction inlet, said valve assembly comprising a housing mounted on said casing, a plurality of apertures of different size in said casing for establishing a bypass flow of air from the exterior of said casing to said negative pressure zone, said apertures being arranged in a row, a plurality of valve members shiftably carried by said housing for movement longitudinally of said row, each of said valve members being movable between a first position permitting flow through a respective one of said apertures and a second position preventing flow through said aperture, and a plurality of actuating members for effecting movement of said valve members between said positions, there being at least one actuating member for effecting movement of one of said valve members to said first position and at least one other actuating member for effecting movement of said one valve member to said second position, movement of one of said actuating members to effect movement of one of said valve members from one of its positions to the other of its positions being effective to cause said one valve member to effect similar movement of one or more of the other of said valve members which are engaged with each other and at least one of which is engaged with said one valve member.