Vacuum cleaning devices, such as upright and canister vacuum cleaners, wet extractors, stick vacuums, electric brooms and other devices, are in widespread use as tools to clean floors, upholstery, stairs, and other surfaces. Known vacuum cleaning devices have various features that are intended to improve their utility or cleaning effectiveness. For example, some vacuum cleaners include features for mounting power cords. Another feature is the provision of various types of cleaning tools. Still other features relate to vacuum cleaner motors, bag filters or cyclone separators, and air flow management systems.
While the prior art provides various features relating to cleaning effectiveness and user convenience, there still exists a need for improvement of and alternative designs for these and other features of vacuum cleaning devices.
One example of a feature that can be improved or modified relates to accessory tools used with vacuum cleaners. Many vacuum cleaners include accessory cleaning tools, such as crevice cleaning nozzles, upholstery brushes, floor cleaning tools, and powered handheld nozzles. Powered handheld nozzles typically include a rotating brush or other kind of agitator that is powered by an electric motor, a power tap from the main vacuum cleaner motor or power source, or an air turbine. Accessory tools typically are stored on the vacuum cleaner on mounts formed on or attached to the vacuum cleaner housing or, in the case of some canisters, the hose or cleaning wand. In some cases, the mount or mounts may be provided on a caddy that can be separated from the vacuum cleaner. Such mounting arrangements typically include one or more snap fitments, clamps, jaws, or other physical structures that physically resiliently lock the accessory to the vacuum cleaner. To install or remove the accessory, the user must overcome some degree of friction generated by the physical lock.