Handle arrangement for an electrical appliance

Abstract

A handle arrangement (28, 30) for an electrical appliance (10) is described, The handle arrangement (28, 30) comprises: an elongate grip portion (28), the grip portion (28) adapted to be gripped between a thumb and fingers of a hand; and a rest portion (30), proximal to a first end (36) of the grip portion (28), the rest portion (30) extending away from the grip portion (28) and providing a contact surface (34), the contact surface (34) facing away from the first end (36), wherein the rest portion (30) comprises a base member (32) and a plurality of upstanding portions (38), which are spaced apart from one another and extend away from an outer surface (40) of the base member (30), the upstanding portions (38) arranged such that end regions (38a) thereof collectively form the contact surface (34).

Description

[0001] Handle Arrangement For an Electrical Appliance

[0002] BACKGROUND

[0003] Hand-held electrical appliances, such as vacuum cleaners, that are not particularly heavy, can become uncomfortable to use over extended periods of time. It is desirable for such electrical appliances to be as comfortable to use as possible over extended periods.

[0004] SUMMARY

[0005] According to a first aspect, the invention provides a handle arrangement for an electrical appliance, the handle arrangement comprising: an elongate grip portion, the grip portion adapted to be gripped between a thumb and fingers of a hand; and a rest portion, proximal to a first end of the grip portion, the rest portion extending away from the grip portion and providing a contact surface, the contact surface facing away from the first end, wherein the rest portion comprises a base member and a plurality of upstanding portions, which are spaced apart from one another and extend away from an outer surface of the base member, the upstanding portions arranged such that end regions thereof collectively form the contact surface.

[0006] A handle arrangement according to the first aspect may be more comfortable to use than alternative handle arrangements that do not have the rest portion. The rest portion may for example extend in a direction that is laterally, or generally laterally, away from a longitudinal axis of the grip portion.

[0007] The upstanding portions may be deformable. Deformable members of this kind may enable the rest portion to be more comfortable than a rest portion that does not have deformable members. For example, deformable members may absorb vibrations generated by motor operation of the appliance. In effect, deformable members provide an apparent softness, and commensurately improved comfort, greater than can be achieved with a surface made from the same material that lacks deformable members. In examples in which there are no deformable members, it may be necessary to use a material with a Shore A hardness of less than 20 to provide increased comfort. Materials, for example rubber, with a Shore A hardness of less than 20 are however hard to work with due to their softness. With deformable members, the material may have a Shore A hardness of up to 50, for example in the range 20-50, and be able to provide increased comfort, given the deformability deformable members. Hence, providing deformable members provides an alternative and convenient way to achieve a required level of comfort. In some examples, the deformable members may be formed from natural rubber having a Shore A hardness in the range 20-40, 20-30 or 30-40. Such a material is hard enough to be workable and bondable and yet soft enough, given the resilience of the deformable members, to afford increased comfort.

[0008] The upstanding portions may be resilient and / or are resiliently attached to the base member. In other words, deformability may be provided by resilience of the upstanding portions and / or by a connection between the upstanding portions and the base member being resilient. A desired level of comfort can be achieved in this way.

[0009] The upstanding portions may comprise an arrangement of elongate rib members. Such ribs may provide a directional deformability, in a direction that is perpendicular to the ribs. Such ribs can be arranged or aligned to provide deformability in desired directions that match a motion of a hand of an operator relative to the electrical appliance when in use.

[0010] The rib members may be arranged parallel to one another in one or more regions across the outer surface of the base member, with a spacing between rib members being in the range 0.5mm to 1.5mm. In some examples, the spacing between ribs may be about 1mm, though smaller and larger spacings are envisaged.

[0011] The rib members may have a width in the range 0.5mm to 1.5mm. In some examples, the rib members may be about 1mm wide.

[0012] The upstanding portions may comprise tines. Such tines may provide non-directional deformability, such that contact with the hand of an operator from any direction appears comfortable. The tines may have a generally circular cross section, a square cross section and / or may be cylindrical (i.e. have a generally constant cross-sectional form). In other examples, the tines may be conical, with a cross section that reduces towards an outer extremity of the tines. In yet other examples, the upstanding portions may have a different cross section, for example rectangular or cross-shaped. In other examples, the upstanding portions may comprise groups or clumps of members, such as tines or bristles. More generally, any shape of upstanding portions that affords sufficient comfort can be employed.

[0013] The tines may be spaced from one another, with a spacing in the range 0.5mm to 1.5mm. In some examples, the spacing between tines may be about 1mm.

[0014] The tines may have a thickness in the range 0.5mm to 1.5mm. In some examples, the tines may be about 1mm thick.

[0015] The upstanding portions may have a height above the outer surface in the range 2mm to 4mm. In some examples, the height may be about 3mm.

[0016] The outer surface of the base member and the upstanding portions may comprise the same material. The material may, for example, be natural rubber.

[0017] The outer surface of the base member and the upstanding portions may be moulded as a unitary part. As such, the unitary part may be manufactured cost effectively in a single moulding process.

[0018] The base member may comprise a relatively rigid support member and, coupled thereto, a relatively resilient outer layer comprising the outer surface. The relatively rigid support member enables the relatively resilient outer layer to provide the desired degree of comfort despite having a relatively more rigid support member. The support member and outer layer may be bonded, for example glued, together. In other examples, the support member and outer layer may be configured with cooperating portions whereby the outer layer is mechanically retained by the support member (e.g. without bonding). For example, the support member may have upstanding side portions with recesses in, which can receive edge portions of the outer layer. Other ways of retaining the outer layer are envisaged.

[0019] The rest portion, in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the grip portion, may surround a section of the grip portion. A placement of the rest portion may coincide with one or more surfaces of the hand that may otherwise come into contact with harder portions of the handle arrangement or body of the corresponding electrical appliance. For example, if the grip portion is grasped in a power grip and the rest portion is above the hand, then the rest portion may be aligned with the outer / upper side of the knuckle of the index finger and / or the inner / upper side of the knuckle of the thumb.

[0020] The rest portion, in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the grip portion, may surround more than half of the grip portion. Such a placement of the rest portion may coincide with all surfaces of the hand that may otherwise come into contact with harder portions of the handle arrangement or body of the corresponding electrical appliance. For example, if the grip portion is grasped in a power grip, and the rest portion is above the hand, then the rest portion may be aligned with the outer / upper side of the knuckle of the index finger and the inner / upper side of the knuckle of the thumb. In addition, such a relatively high degree of surround may cater for different sizes of hand and / or both left- and right-handed operators.

[0021] The rest portion may comprise a generally U-shaped member in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the grip portion, the generally U-shaped member having a base, first and second parallel flanges extending from either side of the base, an inner periphery comprising inner facing edges of the base and first and second parallel flanges and an outer periphery comprising outer facing edges of the base and first and second parallel flanges, wherein the grip portion is disposed within the inner periphery of the U-shaped portion. Such a shape of rest portion means that, when grasping the grip portion in a power grip, and the rest portion is above the hand, then the rest portion can be aligned with the outer / upper side of the knuckle of the index finger and the inner / upper / side of the knuckle of the thumb, for common sizes of hand and for both left- and right-handed operators.

[0022] The grip portion and rest portion may be formed from separate members. In some examples, the grip portion may be arranged to be attached to one part (or parts) of the electrical appliance and the rest portion may be arranged to be attached to a different part (or parts) of the electrical appliance. In this way, the rest portion may be optional for some models of electrical appliance, for example for lighter versions of the electrical appliance where comfort may present less of an issue. The rest portion may comprise one or more interfaces for releasably connecting to respective interfaces of the grip portion and / or a body of the electrical appliance. In this way, the rest portion may be arranged to be conveniently removable and replaceable. This may be desirable if the contact surface wears over time, for example due to its softness, and needs replacing.

[0023] At least one interface of the rest portion may comprise a protrusion or a recess for releasably coupling, respectively, into a recess or for receiving a protrusion, which is disposed in the grip portion or a body of the electrical appliance. The protrusion and respective recess may incorporate a resilient latch arrangement, which acts to retain the protrusion in the recess subject to having a withdrawal force applied which is sufficient to overcome the latching.

[0024] The rest portion may comprise two interfaces for releasably connecting to respective interfaces of the grip portion and / or a body of the electrical appliance, wherein one interface of the rest portion is disposed at an end of each of the parallel flanges, and wherein a longitudinal axis of each interface is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the respective flange. In this way, a lateral withdrawing force applied to the rest portion, which is parallel to the flanges and away from the grip portion, would tend to decouple the rest portion from the respective interfaces onto or into which the rest portion is coupled.

[0025] The or each interface of the rest portion may be adapted to provide an interference press fit connection with the respective interface of the grip portion or housing of the electrical appliance. As such, the rest portion may be retained subject to being actively removed. In addition, or alternatively, the protrusion and respective recess may be secured together by a fastener, for example, a screw or bolt, or similar.

[0026] The rest portion may comprise a first mating member disposed on a rear surface of the rest portion, the rear surface opposing the contact surface of the rest portion, the first mating member of the rest portion adapted to couple to a respective second mating member disposed on a body of the electrical appliance. Such a coupling may be relatively rigid (e.g. compared to a resilience of the upstanding portions) such that movement between the rest portion and the body of the electrical appliance is restricted. For example, the coupling between the first and second mating members may be a press-fit. Accordingly, softness of the contact surface provides comfort even though the coupling between the rest portion and body of the electrical appliance is relatively rigid.

[0027] The first mating member may comprise one of a boss or clamp arrangement upstanding from the rear surface, wherein the clamp comprises opposing upstanding members that are parallel to the surface and profiled to form a region for containing the boss and an entrance that is narrower than the boss, the boss and / or the opposing members being resilient thereby to permit the boss to be urged through the narrower entrance, in a path parallel to the rear surface, into the region for containing the boss. Such a coupling may provide support, or additional support, for the rest portion.

[0028] At least one region of the contact surface of the rest portion may have a generally curved profile which curves towards the first end of the grip portion as the rest portion extends away from the grip portion. A curved profile may conform to different sizes of hand and therefore provide increased comfort for a wider range of hands.

[0029] The rest portion may have a longitudinal axis parallel to and equidistant between the parallel flanges, and the rest position each side of the longitudinal axis may curve towards the first end of the grip portion as the rest portion extends away from the grip portion. Such a symmetrical arrangement is convenient and enables the rest portion to conform to left- and right- handed operators.

[0030] According to a second aspect, the present invention provides an electrical appliance comprising a handle arrangement as hereinbefore described. Such an electrical appliance has the benefit of a more comfortable handle arrangement for an operator.

[0031] The electrical appliance may comprise a body, wherein one end of the grip portion is coupled to the body and the grip portion extends away from the body. The grip portion may couple to the electrical appliance at the upper end of the grip portion, and the grip portion may extend generally below the apparatus when orientated in a usual operating position. In other examples, the grip portion may couple to the electrical appliance at the lower end of the grip portion, and the grip portion may extend generally above the apparatus when orientated in an operating position. In yet other examples, the grip portion may be disposed behind the electrical appliance, when orientated in an operating position, and be coupled to the body of the electrical appliance by either or both an upper and lower bracket. In any event, the first end of the rest portion coincides with the upper end of the grip portion.

[0032] The first end of the grip portion may be coupled to the body, such that the rest portion is proximal to the body and the contact surface faces away from the body.

[0033] The electrical appliance as described may be a vacuum cleaner.

[0034] According to a third aspect, the present invention provides a rest portion for an electrical appliance, the rest portion configured as a part of the handle as described, when the grip portion and rest portion are formed from separate members, the rest portion adapted to be removably attachable to the grip portion or body of the respective electrical appliance.

[0035] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] One or more examples of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, of which:

[0037] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a battery operated, handheld vacuum cleaner according to an example;

[0038] Figure la is a schematic diagram of a close-up view of a motor housing body and handle arrangement of the vacuum cleaner of Figure 1;

[0039] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a rest portion that is removably attachable to the vacuum cleaner of Figure 1;

[0040] Figure 3 is a cross section through a side elevation of the rest portion of Figure 2;

[0041] Figures 4a, 4b and 4c are schematic diagrams of alternative forms of contact surface for a rest portion according to Figure 2;

[0042] Figure 5a is a schematic diagram of an underside of a rest portion according to Figure 2; and

[0043] Figure 5b is a cross section looking down through a lower portion of the motor housing body and handle arrangement of the vacuum cleaner of Figure 1, which is coupled to the underside of the rest portion of Figure 5a.

[0044] DETAILED DESCRIPTION Figure 1 illustrates an electrical appliance 10 comprising a handle arrangement 12 that is held by a user when using the appliance. In this example, the electrical appliance 10 is a battery powered vacuum cleaner, having a body 14 comprising a motor housing 16 containing a motor (not shown), a cyclone housing 18, and a dust collection chamber 20. A battery compartment 22 is coupled below the handle arrangement 12. The dust collection chamber 20 is coupled to a rigid conduit or tube 24, which is in turn coupled to a floor-cleaning attachment 26. As shown, the handle arrangement 14 extends generally obliquely (backwardly) and downwardly from beneath the body 14 of the appliance 10. In other words, the handle arrangement 14 is below the body of the appliance 10 in use.

[0045] As shown inset in Figure la more clearly, the handle arrangement 12 (absent the battery compartment 22) comprises a grip portion 28 and a rest portion 30. The grip portion 28 is arranged relative to the body 14 of the electrical appliance for being held in a so-called powergrip. In a power grip, naturally, the grip portion 28 is held with the thumb of an operator’s hand gripping on one side of the grip portion 28, all of the fingers of the hand on the other side of the grip portion 28, and the grip portion 28 resting across the palmar of the hand.

[0046] The rest portion 30 comprises a base member 32 that extends generally away from a first or upper end 36 of the grip portion 28, towards a second or lower end 37 of the grip portion, and provides a contact surface 34, which faces away from the housing 14 and first or upper end 36 of the grip portion 28. As will be described, the contact surface 34 is arranged to present a relatively soft surface to any part of a user’s hand that comes into contact with the rest portion 34 in use.

[0047] It will be appreciated that when in use an operator may relax their power grip and permit the grip portion 28 to pass through their hand until upper surfaces of regions of the hand come into contact with whatever body or surface is above the hand. This permits the hand to distribute a part of the weight of the appliance across the respective upper surfaces of regions of the hand and reduce the effort needed for the power grip. In the present example, the operator’s hand comes into contact with the contact surface 34 of the rest portion 30. In prior examples, in which there is no rest portion, the hand may rest against the body of the electrical appliance, which may comprise a motor enclosure or the like, and be subjected to increased friction and / or vibrations during operation of the motor. Resting the hand against the body of the electrical appliance, which is typically a rigid metal or plastics surface, may lead to discomfort when the appliance is used for an extended period.

[0048] Figures 2 and 3 are views of a rest portion 30 according to an example. As shown, the rest portion 30 has a generally u-shaped form in a lateral plane, when assembled with the grip portion, that is perpendicular to a longitudinal axis LI of the grip portion. The rest portion 30 comprises a plurality of upstanding portions 38 (best seen in Figure 3), which are spaced apart from one another and extend away from an outer surface 40 of the base member 32. The upstanding portions 38 are arranged such that end regions thereof are generally aligned with one another and collectively form the contact surface 34, which is parallel to the outer surface 40 of the base member 32.

[0049] The generally u-shaped rest portion 30 comprises a base region 44, first and second parallel flanges 46a, 46b extending from either side of the base region 44, an inner periphery 46 comprising inner facing edges 48a, 48b, 48c of the base region 44 and first and second parallel flanges 46a, 46b and an outer periphery 50 comprising outer facing edges 52a, 52b, 52c of the base region 44 and first and second parallel flanges 46a, 46b. The parallel flanges 46a, 46b are parallel to a notional longitudinal axis L2, which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis LI and bisects the base region 44 of the u-shaped rest portion 30. When assembled with the grip portion 28, (best seen in Figure la) the grip portion 28 is disposed within the inner periphery 46 of the u- shaped rest portion 30, such that the base region 44 and first and second parallel flanges 46a, 46b surround the rear region and sides of the grip portion 28.

[0050] As also shown in Figure 2, the rest portion 30 is curved, with a curvature C, symmetrically about the longitudinal axis L2 of the base region 44. The curvature approximately and conveniently follows a curvature of the body 14 of the electrical appliance 10 in this example. The curvature C also presents to an operator of the electrical appliance a surface which conforms more naturally to the upper surfaces of regions of the hand that would otherwise, in the absence of a rest portion, come into contact with the body of the electrical appliance.

[0051] The base member 32 comprises a relatively rigid support member 54 (or chassis) and, coupled thereto, a relatively resilient outer layer 56 (or over mould) comprising the outer surface 40 and the upstanding portions 38. In the present example, the support member 54 is formed from relatively rigid plastics material (e.g. acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate (PC), etc.) and the outer layer 56 and upstanding portions 38 are formed as one part, for example using injection moulding, from natural rubber. The support member 54 and outer layer 56 may be bonded together with an appropriate glue (e.g. cyanoacrylate adhesive).

[0052] The upstanding portions 38 in the present example are elongate ribs 58, which extend across the outer surface 40. In the example illustrated, there are four zones Zl, Z2, Z3, Z4 each comprising an arrangement of parallel, elongate ribs 58, each rib 58 aligned perpendicularly with the longitudinal axis L2 of the base region 44 and conforming to the curvature C. Specifically, there is a zone Zl, Z4 along each flange and a zone Z2, Z3 each side of the longitudinal axis L2 across the base region 44. The zones are separated by gullies 59 in which there are no ribs. They gullies are effectively elongate regions of the outer surface 40 in which there are no ribs.

[0053] Figure 3 is a side elevation cross section through the rest portion 30 along the longitudinal axis L2, showing the arrangement of ribs 58 of Figure 2. In this example, the ribs 58 are 0.7mm thick, 3.0mm high, and with a gap of about 1mm between each rib. Figure 3 also shows the outer layer 56 bonded to the support member 54 and bounded by upstanding outer walls 60a, 60b of the support member 54. In practice, the upstanding outer walls extend around the inner 46 and outer 50 peripheries, joining at the ends of the flanges 46a, 46b enclosing the outer layer 56.

[0054] The outer layer 56 and ribs 58 are moulded (e.g. injection moulded) as a single part from natural rubber, having a Shore A hardness in the range 30-40 in this example. A natural resilience of the ribs 58 and outer layer 56 means that the ribs 58 are deformable, allowing the ribs 58 to bend and flex when a force, for example due to contact with a hand, is applied. The contact surface 56 is therefore able to mould to the form of a hand and afford relatively more comfort to the user than would be the case in prior examples not having the rest portion. The resilience of the ribs 58 affords a greater degree of comfort than can be attained with a solid surface formed from the same material and having the same hardness.

[0055] As will be appreciated, the ribs 58 are mostly deformable in a direction that is perpendicular to their respective length dimensions. In other words, the deformability is relatively directional for ribs 58. Other kinds of upstanding portions, such as tines, may be employed in other examples. Tines provide similar comfort for a given hardness of material (e.g. natural rubber). However, the deformability is largely not directional, because the tines are able to flex or deform in any direction. In this context, a tine is an upstanding circular section member, or cylinder, which has a diameter the same as the width of a rib 58 and a height the same as the height of a rib 58. Other forms of tine (e.g. conical, truncated conical, rectangular cuboidal, etc.) are possible.

[0056] Alternative arrangements of zones and ribs are illustrated in Figures 4a and 4b. In Figure 4a, there is only one zone Z6 of ribs, which extends across the entire outer surface 40 (encompassing both flanges and the base region). The ribs are arranged perpendicularly with the longitudinal axis L2. In Figure 4b, there are eight zones Z8, Z9, Z10, Zl l, Z12, Z13, Z14, Z15 of ribs: outer Z8, Z15 and inner Z9, Z14 zones along each flange and a fan-shaped arrangement of four zones Z10, Zl l, Z12, Z13 (two Z10, Zl l and Z14, Z15 on each side of the longitudinal axis L2) extending across the base region 44. In this example, the ribs 58 in each zone are parallel to the longitudinal axis L2 and provide a mirror-symmetric arrangement of zones either side of the longitudinal axis L2.

[0057] Figure 4c illustrates an alternative arrangement of upstanding portions 38 distributed across a similar arrangement of zones to that shown in Figure 2. In this example, however, each zone contains both ribs 58 and tines 61. In this example, the ribs 58 and tines 61 are both formed from natural rubber as one part with the outer layer 56, for example using injection moulding. Each parallel flange comprises an outer region 58a of ribs surrounding an inner region 61a of tines, there is a circular arrangement 61b of tines 61 spanning the zones that are each side of the longitudinal axis L2 of the base region 44, and ribs 58 in each respective zone 58b surrounding the respective half circle of tines. In the circular arrangement 61b of tines 61, the tines are arranged about a centre of the circular arrangement, in concentric rings of increasing radius and with generally equal spacing between each ring and between the tines in each ring. In the inner regions 61a of tines, the tines are arranged in rows, which are aligned with neighbouring ribs 58. All ribs are orientated in the same direction, perpendicular to the axis L2.

[0058] As with ribs, there are various possible arrangements of tines, including all upstanding members 38 being tines (i.e. no ribs). In that case, a contact surface is formed from ends of each tine. And, as exemplified in Figure 4c, various combinations of tines and ribs are envisaged. Indeed, upstanding members other than ribs or tines are envisaged instead or in addition. For example, upstanding members could have a star-shaped or cross-shaped cross-section, among other shapes.

[0059] In the present example, conveniently, the rest portion 30 is separable as a unit from the electrical appliance 10, in case the upstanding portions 38 wear out and need to be replaced. In that case, the rest portion 30 can be removed as a unit and replaced. To accommodate separation, the rest portion 30 comprises one or more interfaces, also referred to as mating members, with the electrical appliance. In this example, there are two kinds of interface, as illustrated in Figures 5a and 5b.

[0060] A first interface 62 of the rest portion 30 comprises a protrusion 62a, 62b extending from an end of each parallel flange 46a, 46b of the rest portion 30. The protrusions 62a, 62b extend from the support member 54 in this example. The protrusions 62a, 62b extend in a direction away from the respective flanges 46a, 46b and parallel to the longitudinal axis L2 of base region 44. The protrusions 62a, 62b are configured to be received into respective recesses 64a, 64b in the body 14 of the electrical appliance 10, for example, via an interference fit. In other examples, though not shown, the protrusions and recesses may include a resilient latch arrangement, which acts to retain the protrusions in the recesses unless subjected to a relatively significant withdrawal force applied to the rest portion in a direction away from the body of the electrical appliance and generally parallel to the longitudinal axis L2 of the base member 32.

[0061] A second interface of the rest portion 30 comprises a first mating member in the form of a resilient clamp, or clamp arrangement 66, disposed on a rear surface 68 of the rest portion 30. Again, the resilient clamp arrangement 66 is formed on the support member 54 in this example. The clamp arrangement 66 comprises two generally parallel arms 66a, 66b, which extend along the rear surface 68 of the rest portion 30 and parallel to the longitudinal axis L2 of the base region 44. The arms 66a, 66b, at their first ends 66c, 66d, are attached to the base region 44, spaced apart and extend from within the outer periphery 50 of the base region 44 towards second ends 66e, 66f nearer to the inner periphery 46 of the base region 44. The arms 66a, 66b include features 70, or bumps, on inner facing edges 66g, 66h of the second ends 66e, 66f, which provide a reduced opening 72 between the arms 66a, 66b at their second ends 66e, 66f. A space between the arms, enclosed by the features / bumps 70, forms a retention gap 74, which is arranged to retain a second mating member in the form of a boss 76, which is disposed on an under-surface 78 of the body 14 of the electrical appliance 10. The boss 76 is configured to fit into the retention gap 74 and is larger in diameter than the opening 72 between the arms 66a, 66b at their second ends 66e, 66f. A resilience of the clamp arrangement 66, and in particular of the parallel arms 66a, 66b, allows the arms to flex open at the second ends 66e, 66f and facilitate the boss 76 being urged through the opening 72 and into the retention gap 74 between the arms 66a, 66b. The same resilience acts to retain the boss 76 in the retention gap 74.

[0062] As best illustrated in Figure 5b, the rest portion 30 can be attached or mounted to the electrical appliance 10 by aligning the two protrusions 62a, 62b with their respective recesses 64a, 64b on the appliance body 14 and aligning the clamp arrangement 66 with the respective boss 76. Urging the rest portion 30 towards the left of the figure relative to the body 14 of the electrical appliance 10, causes the protrusions 62a, 62b to enter and be received in or engaged with the respective recesses 64a, 64b and the clamp arrangement 66 to receive and retain the boss 76. Thereafter the rest portion 30 is securely held in place relative to the body 14 of the electrical appliance 10 by virtue of the two kinds of interface.

[0063] Removing the rest portion 30 from the electrical appliance 10 is a reversal of the process just described such that the rest portion 30 is urged towards the right of the figure relative to the electrical appliance 10 to disengage from the electrical appliance 10. A replacement rest portion 30 can then be attached.

[0064] The example just described illustrates one ‘tool-less’ way of realising a replaceable rest portion 30. Other ways are envisioned, and the approach can be adapted depending, for example, on the form of the electrical appliance and respective handle portion. Indeed, securing the rest portion 30 to the electrical appliance 10 can instead involve appropriate fasteners, such as screws and / or bolts, which typically require a tool (e.g. a screwdriver / spanner) to undo and reintroduce the fasteners.

Claims

CLAIMS1. A handle arrangement for an electrical appliance, the handle arrangement comprising:- an elongate grip portion, the grip portion adapted to be gripped between a thumb and fingers of a hand; and- a rest portion, proximal to a first end of the grip portion, the rest portion extending away from the grip portion and providing a contact surface, the contact surface facing away from the first end, wherein the rest portion comprises a base member and a plurality of upstanding portions, which are spaced apart from one another and extend away from an outer surface of the base member, the upstanding portions arranged such that end regions thereof collectively form the contact surface.

2. A handle arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the upstanding portions are deformable.

3. A handle arrangement according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the upstanding portions are resilient and / or are resiliently attached to the base member.

4. A handle arrangement according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the upstanding portions comprise an arrangement of elongate rib members.

5. A handle arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the rib members are arranged parallel to one another in one or more regions across the outer surface of the base member, with a spacing between rib members being in the range 0.5mm to 1.5mm.

6. A handle arrangement according to claim 4 or claim 5, wherein the rib members have a width in the range 0.5mm to 1.5mm.

7. A handle arrangement according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the upstanding portions comprise tines.

8. A handle arrangement according to claim 7, wherein the tines are spaced from one another, with a spacing in the range 0.5mm to 1.5mm.

9. A handle arrangement according to claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the tines have a thickness in the range 0.5mm to 1.5mm.

10. A handle arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the upstanding portions have a height above the outer surface in the range 2mm to 4mm.

11. A handle arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the outer surface of the base member and the upstanding portions comprise the same material.

12. A handle arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the outer surface of the base member and the upstanding portions are moulded as a unitary part.

13. A handle arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the base member comprises a relatively rigid support member and, coupled thereto, a relatively resilient outer layer comprising the outer surface.

14. A handle arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rest portion, in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the grip portion, surrounds a section of the grip portion.

15. A handle arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rest portion, in a plane perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the grip portion, surrounds more than half of the grip portion.16.. A handle arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the rest portion comprises a generally U-shaped member in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the grip portion, the generally U-shaped member having a base, first and second parallel flanges extending from either side of the base, an inner periphery comprising inner facing edges of the base and first and second parallel flanges and an outer periphery comprising outer facing edges of the base and first and second parallel flanges, wherein the grip portion is disposed within the inner periphery of the U-shaped portion.

17. A handle arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the grip portion and rest portion are formed from separate members.

18. A handle arrangement according to claim 17, wherein the rest portion comprises one or more interfaces for releasably connecting to respective interfaces of the grip portion and / or a body of the electrical appliance.

19. A handle arrangement according to claim 18, wherein at least one interface of the rest portion comprises a protrusion or a recess for releasably coupling, respectively, into a recess or for receiving a protrusion, which is disposed in the grip portion or a body of the electrical appliance.

20. A handle arrangement according to claim 18 or claim 19, as dependent upon claim 16, wherein the rest portion comprises two interfaces for releasably connecting to respective interfaces of the grip portion and / or a body of the electrical appliance, wherein one interface of the rest portion is disposed at an end of each of the parallel flanges, and wherein a longitudinal axis of each interface is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the respective flange.

21. A handle arrangement according to any one of claims 18 to 20, wherein the or each interface of the rest portion is adapted to provide an interference press fit connection with the respective interface of the grip portion or housing of the electrical appliance.

22. A handle arrangement according to any one of claims 17 to 21, wherein the rest portion comprises a first mating member disposed on a rear surface of the rest portion, the rear surface opposing the contact surface of the rest portion, the first mating member of the rest portion adapted to couple to a respective second mating member disposed on a body of the electrical appliance.

23. A handle arrangement according to claim 22, wherein the first mating member comprises one of a boss or clamp arrangement upstanding from the rear surface, wherein the clamp comprises opposing upstanding members that are parallel to the surface and profiled to form a region for containing the boss and an entrance that is narrower than the boss, the boss and / or the opposing members being resilient thereby to permit the boss to be urged through the narrower entrance, in a path parallel to the rear surface, into the region for containing the boss.

24. A handle arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one region of the contact surface of the rest portion has a generally curved profile which curves towards the first end of the grip portion as the rest portion extends away from the grip portion.

25. A handle arrangement according to claim 24 as dependent on claim 16, wherein the rest portion has a longitudinal axis parallel to and equidistant between the parallel flanges, and the rest position each side of the longitudinal axis curves towards the first end of the grip portion as the rest portion extends away from the grip portion.

26. An electrical appliance comprising a handle arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims.

27. An electrical appliance according to claim 26, comprising a body, wherein one end of the grip portion is coupled to the body and the grip portion extends away from the body.

28. An electrical appliance according to claim 27, wherein the first end of the grip portion is coupled to the body, such that the rest portion is proximal to the body and the contact surface faces away from the body.

29. An electrical appliance according to any one of claims 26 to 28, which is a vacuum cleaner.

30. A rest portion for an electrical appliance, the rest portion configured as a part of the handle as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 25, when the grip portion and rest portion are formed from separate members, the rest portion adapted to be removably attachable to the grip portion or body of the respective electrical appliance.

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