Vacuum Cleaner, Kingston Polytechnic School of Three Dimensional Design Furniture and Related Products BA Hon Mark Lewis 1980
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Although whilst Mark was still in academia, this was a live client project for Hoover Ltd to redesign the “tank cleaner”, which is a straight air cylinder cleaner.
Hoover was looking for a step forward within the cylindrical format and whilst this company hoped for added consumer benefits from a new design, the existing motor, paper bag, and hose entry format were to be retained.
The innovative features incorporated in the vacuum cleaner included:
- a soft bag to carry the hose tools making them available as the cleaner travelled about for each of the specialist tasks they were supplied for
- a large foot operated on/of switch and cable retrieval coil buttons
- a parking well for the plug so it didn’t hang loos outside the containment of the vacuum cleaners frame when stored
- a stable storage mode when vertical
- an overall height when vertical offering optimum position for carrying handle for average person to easily grasp, carry or pull
- double rubberised barrel wheels and central ball wheel facilitating easy travel and directional pull
- a rubberised trim to accommodate impact to walls furniture and skirting
- easy access lid to change paper bag
- sound insulation incorporated into the moulded polymer casing made this vacuum cleaner unusually quiet.
The overall design for the vacuum cleaner is a slick and good looking solution bringing the product into the realms of a contemporary idiom well suited to a modern home or office interior.
This vacuum cleaner does not necessarily need to be confined to a dark cupboard!
