A vacuum cleaner includes an upright body mounted to a base that moves over a surface to be cleaned. A rotational coupling can be provided between the upright body and the base for coupling the upright body to the base for movement about at least one rotational axis. The rotational coupling can include at least a swivel joint. A cord rewinder can be provided above the swivel joint for storing and dispensing a power cord.

A vacuum cleaner (1) comprising a container (2), a suction unit (60), an air channeling unit (25), operative between the container (2) and the suction unit (60), wherein the air channeling unit (25) comprises: a collector (26) having a suction mouth (27) at an intake side of the air channeling unit (25), a deflector (28) positioned at the intake side and radially extending at least over a central portion of the suction mouth (27), the collector (26) and the deflector (28) delimiting a suction channel (29) connecting the suction mouth (27) to an inlet port (22) of the suction unit (60).

A reconfigurable surface cleaning apparatus includes a floor cleaning unit comprising a surface cleaning head, and a hand vacuum cleaner. The reconfigurable surface cleaning apparatus is operable in a floor cleaning mode in which the hand vacuum cleaner is mounted to a rigid wand of the floor cleaning unit and operated using an energy storage member of the hand vacuum cleaner, and also operable in an above floor cleaning mode in which the hand vacuum cleaner is disconnected from air flow with the floor cleaning unit and operated using the energy storage member. A cross-sectional area through the rigid wand is less than a cross-sectional area through an upstream portion of an airflow path of the hand vacuum cleaner. A velocity of air travelling through the wand in the floor cleaning mode is greater than a velocity of air flow through the upstream portion in the above floor cleaning mode.

A vacuum cleaner includes a container and a power head coupled to the container. The power head includes a suction source configured to generate a working airflow, and an exhaust outlet configured to exhaust the working airflow. The vacuum cleaner also includes a suction inlet which provides entrance of the working airflow. The suction inlet is provided on at least one of the power head or the container. The vacuum cleaner also includes a suction hose removably coupled to the suction inlet and configured to conduct the working airflow. The suction hose has a tube, an end housing coupled to the tube, a trigger mounted on the end housing, and a trigger switch configured to be actuated by the trigger. The end housing defines a distal free end of the suction hose.

Applicant has created vacuum apparatuses with improved stability and methods for improving the stability of a wet/dry vacuum. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a motor, a removable drum adapted to store debris collected by the apparatus, and a base that can be adapted to receive the removable drum. The motor can be adapted to be interposed between the removable drum and the base. The methods can include the step of providing a base, the step of providing a removable drum adapted to be coupled to the base, and the step of coupling a vacuum motor to the base such that the vacuum motor is adapted to be disposed beneath the removable drum when the drum is coupled to the base. By relocating the motor of vacuum apparatus beneath the drum, the vacuum's center of gravity can be lowered significantly and, thus, its propensity to tip over is minimized.

A surface cleaning apparatus has a surface cleaning head and an upper portion moveably mounted to the surface cleaning head between a storage position and a floor cleaning position, the upper portion has upper portion laterally extending members. An above floor cleaning wand is removably receivable in air flow communication with the upper portion. The wand has wand laterally extending members, wherein, when the wand is received in air flow communication with the upper portion and the upper portion is in the storage position, the wand has a lower end and an upper end spaced from the lower end along a wand axis and the wand laterally extending members are positioned above the upper portion laterally extending members. A portable surface cleaning unit is removably mounted to the upper portion wherein, when the portable surface cleaning unit is mounted to the upper portion and the upper portion is in the storage position, the upper portion has lower mounting members which engage the upper portion laterally extending members and upper mounting members which engage the wand laterally extending members.

An upright surface cleaning apparatus is has a portable surface cleaning unit removably mounted to an upper portion that is pivotally mounted to a surface cleaning head. The surface cleaning apparatus is operable in a floor cleaning mode in which the portable surface cleaning unit is mounted to the upper portion and the above floor cleaning wand is inserted in an open upper end of the upper portion. The surface cleaning apparatus is also operable in an above floor cleaning mode in which the portable surface cleaning unit is mounted to the upper portion and the above floor cleaning wand is removed from the open upper end of the upper portion. When the surface cleaning apparatus is in the floor cleaning mode, the first mounting members of the portable surface cleaning unit engage the wand mounting members.

A vacuum tool is configured to be removably coupled to a hose or wand of a vacuum. The vacuum tool comprises a first portion, a second portion, a flexible portion and a mechanical joint. The first portion and the second portion are connected by the flexible portion and coupled by the mechanical joint, so these portions are in fluid communication from various angles. And the mechanical joint comprises a detent and multiple recesses coupled to the detent. As a result, a user can use the vacuum tool in various situations more conveniently by bending the mechanical joint.

A modular vacuum system includes a plurality of power heads configured to be removably coupled to a plurality of canisters, each canister having a debris collection chamber of a different capacity, a first power source configured to output a first voltage, and a second power source configured to output the first voltage. A first power head of the plurality of power heads is configured to receive the first power source, and includes a first suction motor rated to operate at a first performance level defined by the first voltage. A second power head of the plurality of power heads is configured to receive the first power source with the second power source, and includes a second suction motor rated to operate at a second performance level greater than the first performance level.

A hand vacuum cleaner and a mounting structure for the hand vacuum cleaner. The mounting structure has a base which is free standing on a floor and an upper portion comprising an air flow duct and a mounting apparatus provided at an upper end of the upper portion. The mounting apparatus has first and second laterally opposed first engagement members. The hand vacuum cleaner has first and second laterally opposed second engagement members. The hand vacuum cleaner is downwardly removably mountable to the mounting apparatus and the first and second engagement members are slideably interengagable. As the hand vacuum cleaner is moved downwardly to be mounted to the mounting apparatus, the first and second engagement members slideably interengage.