Patent US4554700A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4554700A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Invisible hinge means for lid and hood of a canister vacuum cleaner
Assignee: Panasonic Corp of North America
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Filing: 1984-08-16
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Granted: 1985-11-26
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Expires: 2004-08-16
Abstract
Abstract A vacuum cleaner structure having an invisible hinge structure hingedly mounting a hood to the vacuum cleaner body and a lid to the hood. The body defines an arcuate guide slidably receiving an arcuate slide-track for hingedly mounting the hood to the body. A track portion of the slide-track, in turn, slidably carries an arcuate slide on the lid for hingedly mounting the lid to the slide-track and thereby hingedly mounting the lid indirectly to the body. The body guide, the hood slide-track, and the lid slide are each arcuately centered on a common axis disposed rearwardly of a rear wall defining the filter bag space of the vacuum cleaner with the common axis being disposed outside the confines of the vacuum cleaner body to facilitate interference-free opening and closing of the hood and lid. The hood slide-track and lid slide are received within the body rearwardly of the rear wall so as to define an invisible hinge mounting of the hood and lid to the body. In the illustrated embodiment, the slide is formed integrally with the lid and the slide-track is formed integrally with the hood.
Inventors
- 👤 John B. Lyman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 19:19
CPC Classifications
A; A47; A47L; A47L9/00; A47L9/0009; A47L9/0018; A47L9/0027; E; E05; E05D; E05D1/00; E05D1/04; E05Y; E05Y2900/00; E05Y2900/30
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
160 words
In an appliance having a body defining a first receptacle and a wall portion at one edge portion of the receptacle, the improvement comprising: arcuate guide means on said body; a first lid for covering said receptacle, said first lid defining a second receptacle and having arcuate slide-track means, said slide-track means defining an arcuate first slide slidably received in said arcuate guide for selective swinging of said first lid about an axis defined by said guide means, said slide-track means further defining an arcuate track concentric to said axis; and a second lid for covering said second receptacle and having an arcuate second slide slidably received in said arcuate track for selective swinging of said second lid relative to said first lid, whereby said first and second lids may be swung as a unit to uncover said first receptacle and said second lid may be selectively swung away from said first lid to uncover said second receptacle as desired.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
160 words
In an appliance having a body defining a first receptacle and a wall portion at one edge portion of the receptacle, the improvement comprising: arcuate guide means on said body; a first lid for covering said receptacle, said first lid defining a second receptacle and having arcuate slide-track means, said slide-track means defining an arcuate first slide slidably received in said arcuate guide for selective swinging of said first lid about an axis defined by said guide means, said slide-track means further defining an arcuate track concentric to said axis; and a second lid for covering said second receptacle and having an arcuate second slide slidably received in said arcuate track for selective swinging of said second lid relative to said first lid, whereby said first and second lids may be swung as a unit to uncover said first receptacle and said second lid may be selectively swung away from said first lid to uncover said second receptacle as desired.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
The appliance of claim 1 wherein said arcuate guide comprises an arcuate track formed integrally in said body.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
The appliance of claim 1 wherein said guide means comprises a pair of arcuate tracks adjacent opposite sides of said first receptacle.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
31 words
The appliance of claim 1 wherein said first lid defines a recess opening to said second receptacle and said second lid is received in said recess when covering said second receptacle.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
23 words
The Appliance of claim 1 wherein said slide-track means is received within said body when said first lid is covering said first receptacle.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
36 words
The appliance of claim 1 wherein said slide-track means is received within said body when said first lid and said second lid are covering said first receptacle and said second lid is covering said second receptacle.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
24 words
The appliance of claim 1 further including cooperating stop means on said body and slide-track means for limiting the swinging of said first lid.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
37 words
The appliance of claim 1 further including cooperating stop means on said body and slide-track means for limiting the swinging of said first lid to an overcenter upright position for releasably maintained access to said first receptacle.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
The appliance of claim 1 further including cooperating latch means on said body and first lid for releasably locking said first lid to said body in a first receptacle covering disposition.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
33 words
The appliance of claim 1 further including cooperating latch means on said first lid and second lid for releasably locking said second lid to said first lid in a second receptacle covering disposition.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
24 words
The appliance of claim 1 further including cooperating stop means on said slide-track and first slide for limiting the swinging of said first lid.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
36 words
The appliance of claim 1 further including cooperating stop means on said slide-track and first slide for limiting the swinging of said first lid to an upright position for releasably maintained access to said second receptacle.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
27 words
The appliance of claim 1 wherein said axis defined by said guide means defines a common pivot axis for both said first lid and said second lid.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
26 words
The appliance of claim 1 wherein said first lid and said second lid are severally and jointly pivotable about said axis defined by said guide means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
49 words
The appliance of claim 1 wherein said axis defined by said guide means is spaced outside the confines of the body of said appliance whereby said first lid and said second lid may be freely swung about said axis free of interference with said body and with each other.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
154 words
In a vacuum cleaner canister having a body defining a bag receptacle and a wall portion at one edge portion of the bag receptacle, the improvement comprising: arcuate guide means on said body; a hood for covering said bag receptacle, said hood defining an attachment tool tray and having arcuate slide-track means, said slide-track means defining an arcuate first slide slidably received in said arcuate guide for selective swinging of said hood about an axis defined by said guide means, said slide-track means further defining an arcuate track concentric to said axis; and a lid for covering said tray and having an arcuate second slide slidably received in said arcuate track for selective swinging of said lid relative to said hood, whereby said hood and lid may be swung as a unit to uncover said bag receptacle and said lid may be selectively swung away from said hood to uncover said tray as desired.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
154 words
In a vacuum cleaner canister having a body defining a bag receptacle and a wall portion at one edge portion of the bag receptacle, the improvement comprising: arcuate guide means on said body; a hood for covering said bag receptacle, said hood defining an attachment tool tray and having arcuate slide-track means, said slide-track means defining an arcuate first slide slidably received in said arcuate guide for selective swinging of said hood about an axis defined by said guide means, said slide-track means further defining an arcuate track concentric to said axis; and a lid for covering said tray and having an arcuate second slide slidably received in said arcuate track for selective swinging of said lid relative to said hood, whereby said hood and lid may be swung as a unit to uncover said bag receptacle and said lid may be selectively swung away from said hood to uncover said tray as desired.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
18 words
The vacuum cleaner canister structure of claim 16 wherein said slide-track means is formed integrally with said hood.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
18 words
The vacuum cleaner canister structure of claim 16 wherein said second slide is formed integrally with said lid.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
42 words
The vacuum cleaner canister structure of claim 16 further including cooperating latch means on said hood and lid for releasably locking said lid to said hood in a traycovering disposition, said latch means being formed integrally with said hood and lid respectively.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
17 words
The vacuum cleaner canister structure of claim 16 wherein said second slide defines an L-shaped cross section.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
28 words
The vacuum cleaner canister structure of claim 16 wherein said track defines an annular recess and said second slide includes an annular wall slidably received in said recess.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
28 words
The vacuum cleaner canister structure of claim 16 wherein said track defines an annular recess and said second slide includes an annular flange slidably received in said recess.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
19 words
The vacuum cleaner canister structure of claim 16 wherein said second slide is removably mounted to said slidetrack means.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
18 words
The vacuum cleaner canister structure of claim 16 wherein said slide-track means is removably mounted to said guide.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
27 words
In a vacuum cleaner canister as claimed in claim 16 wherein said hood and said lid swing about a common pivot axis in their selective swinging movements.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
46 words
In a vacuum cleaner canister as claimed in claim 25 wherein said common pivot axis is outside the space defined by the body of the canister facilitating selective swinging movement of said hood and said lid relative to said body free of interference with said body.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1988-11-25 | 1989-05-27 | 1989-11-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1992-11-25 | 1993-05-27 | 1993-11-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1996-11-25 | 1997-05-27 | 1997-11-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |