Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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'VACUUM C)L,EANLR 'WITH DISPLACEABLE HEI(~I~iT
ADJUSTMENT ASSEMBL~t' A~TD ROTARY AGITATOR S'~VffCH
This applic;,~tion claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent
Application serial ito. 64/fi15,7fG fled on 4 October 20U4.
Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to the floor care equipment
field and, more pamieula~rly, a floor cleaning apparatus equipped with a
displaceable heigktt adjustment ;assembly and a switch for interrupting the
agitator drive.
Bac ~xound of th~~ ventio~,
Floor care cleaning equipment such as upright vacuum cleaners as
well as extractors :have long beEao. knomn in the art. Such equipment is
generally equippe<1 with a sucti,~n generator including a fan and
cooperating drive motor. Some, of the devices are also equipped with a
separate drive mol.or for a rotary agitator. 'typically the rotary agitator is
equipped with a series of bristle tufts, brushes, wipers, beater bars or the
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like that project frc>m the rotary agitator, When the rotary agitatox is
rotated at a high speed these projecting structures produce a wind current.
Doting bare floor :leaning, the resulting wind current may interfere with
and prevent cffici~::nt drawing of dirt and debris into the suction inlet of
the
vacuum cleaner. ~a_ccordingly, many vacuum cleanexs have been equipped
with switches that allow the operator to interrupt the drive to the rotary
agitator. Where tha floor cleaning appliance is equipped with an agitator
drivmmotor, this is accomplished by simply de~nergizing that motor.
'Where the Floor cleaning appliance is equipped with a single motor for
driving the suctioyy generator fm and the rotary agitator, this is
accomplished by interrupting the power takeoff from that motor to tl~e
agitator.
~'he present: invention relates to a vacuum cleaner equipped vv~ith a
cooperating height adjustment assembly acrd switch which automatically
stows or interrupt, drive to the rotary agitator when the height adjustment
assembly is positioned for bare floor cleaning.
SumrnarV of the Invention
In accordance with the purposes of the present invention as
2Q . described herein, a floor cleaning apparatus is provided. 'fhe floor
cleaning apparati:u~ includes a bc~usirng having a canister assembly and a
nozzle assembly. ~1 suction generator and a dirt collection vessel are both
carried on th.e homsing. The ne~zzie assembly includes a suction inlet and a
rotary agitator is carried on the nozzle assembly adjacent that suction inlet.
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Further a bare floor wipex is can~ied on the nozzle assembly.
A, switch fer slowing or interrupting drive to that notary agitator is
also carried on the housing. Stil1 further the floor cleaning apparatus
includes a displaceable height adjustment assembly. The height adjustment
assembly is displweable between one or more carpet cleaning positions
and a bare floor elE;aning position. The height adjustrnent assembly
engages the switch and slows or interrupts drive to the rotary agitator when
in the bare floor cleaning positx~an.
More specifically, the he3ight adjustment assembly includes an
actuator, a carriage and a pair of ground engaging wheels connected to the
carriage. The cars loge includes at least one cam follower and the actuator
includes at least one cam for engaging the cam follo~uver. Iz~ one possible
embodiment of thc; invention the floor cleaning apparatus includes an
agitator drive ma~~;or that is conr~ected to the switch.
The dixt ca llection vessel may take the forrxx of a porous filter bag
or a dirt cup. rn one possible embodiment the dirt cup includes a
cylindrical sidewcall and a tangesntially directed inlet. A first filter may
be
provided~in the dart cup. A second filter zxiay be provided downstream
from the suction ;generator.
In. accordance with an anditianal aspect of the present invention, a
method is provided for controlling operation of a floor clEaning apparatus
equipped with a xotary agitator, a bare floor wiper and a nozzle assembly.
That method may be bxQadly d~acribed as including the step of providing
the floor cleaning apparatus with a single control that simultaneously
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lowers an aperatiz~l; height of thn nozzle assembly, moves the bare Boor
wiper into en~gageinent with the floor and slows or interrupts dzive to the
rotary agitator.
,Alternatively, the method may be described as including the single
step of pxaviding llae floor cleaning apparatus with a single control that
sixxiultaneously lo~raers the nozzle assembly relative to the ground and slows
or interrupts drive t~, the rotary agitator when placed in a bare floor
cleaning position.
Tn the follo~~~ing description there is shown and described a
prefeixed embodita~ent of this invention, simply by way of illustration, of
one of the modes best suited to carry out the invention. As it will be
realized, the invention is capable of other different embodiments and its
several details are: capable of modification in various, obvious aspects all
without departiurxg, from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and
descriptions will l~~e; regarded as illustrative in nature and not as
restrictive.
Brief De~cri~tion_of the Drawiyg
The accompanying draining incorporated in and formiung a part of
this specification, illustrates se~,reral aspects of the present invention,
and
together with the description serves to explain certain principles of the
invention. In the ,3rawing:
pigure 1 i~: a partially cutaway perspective view of the floor
cleaning apparatLn of the present invention;
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Figure 2 is ~~ detailed perspective view of one possible embodiment
of the dirt callecti~on vessel provided in the apparatus illusi~rated in
Figure
1; and
Figuxes 3a End 3b are scr~enaatical elevational views illustratiuag in
detail the coopexa~:ing displaGeahle haight adjusfiment assembly and switch
that slow or interrupt the drive to the rotary agitator when the height
adjustment asse~rrl:~ly is placed in the bare floor cleaning position.
Reference -will now be made in detail to the present prefexred
embodituent of thf: invention, a~ example of which is illustrated in the
accompanying d~rvwing.
Detailed Description of the Invention
Reference is raw made is Figure 1 which illustrates the vacu~t
cleaner 10 of the yresent invention. That vacuum cleaner 10 includes a
housing 12 camp:rising both a nozzle assembly 14 and canister assembly
1 f . ~~n the illustraxed embadimwnt of an upright vacuum cleaner, the
canister assembly 16 is pivotally connected to the nozzle assembly 14.
A,s further illustrated in Figure 1, the nozzle assembly 14 includes a
suction inlet 18. e~ rotaxy agitator 20 is carried by the nozzle assembly and
extends across the; suction inlet 18. A suction generator 22 is provided in a
cavity of the canifoter assembly 16. The canister assembly 16 also carries a
dirt collection vewsel 24. Tn the illustrated embodiment the dirt collection
vessel 24 compri;~es a dirt cup.
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As best illu;vtrated in Figmre 2 that dirt cup 24 may include a
cylindrical sidewall 21 and a tangentially directed inlet 23 in order to
establish cyclonic airflow in the dirt cup. A filter 25 may be provided over
the axially aligned. outlet 27 of the dirt cup 24 which conuriunicates with
the suction generaicrr 22. In such an embodiment, the cyclonic flow of the
air tends to force dirt and debris towat~d the cylindrical sidewall 21 while
clean air is drawn nhrough the filter 25. Of course, the filter 25 fiuactions
to
remove any fine dirt particles remaining in the airstream. As a result, clean
air passes through the outlet 27 while dirt and debris is captured in the dirt
1 U cup 24. Zt should; of course, be appreciated that the illustrated
embodiment
is just one of a nurnber of possible struct<xres and that the dirt cups may,
for
example, be replaced with a porous filter bag held in an internal chamber in
the canister assembly 16 ifdesi:red.
During vacuum cleaner operation the rotary agitator 20 scrubs and
beats dirt and deba~is from the nap of an underlying carpet being cleaned.
Simultaneously tYm suction generator 22 draws air entrained with that dirt
aaad debris into the: suction inlet 18. That dirty air is then directed to the
dirt collection ve;~sel 24 where the dirt and debris is trapped. The
relatively
clean air is then m oved over thi. suction generator 22 in order to cool the
navtor of the sucti.~~r~ generator. That air is then passed through a final
filter
before being e~chausted to tree environment through the exhaust vent 34.
In accordance with the yresent invention the vacuum cleaner IO is
equipped with a displaceable height adjustment assembly, generally
designated by reft:rence numeral 40, that is schematically illustrated in
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Figures 3a and 3b. The height adjustment assembly 40 includes a
cooperating actuator 42 and carriage 44. A. pair of ground engaging wheels
46 are connected tc~ the carriage 44. As illustrated the acfi~ator 42 includes
tvvo cams 48 and tt~e carriage 44~ includes two cooperating cam followers
50.
As further illustrated in Figures 3a and 3b, a bare floor wiper 52 is
ca~.~ried an the noz::le assembly 14. 1'he wiper 52 may take the form of a
brush, bristles or a strip of material such as felt, cloth, rubber yr the
like.
rn addition, a switch 54 is mou,r~ted to the housing 12 and, nnore
particularly, the n~:~zzle assembly 14. Tlae operation of the switch 54 will
be described iua grE;ater detail below.
The height adjustment a~~sembly 40 is selecti~rely displaceable
between one ar more carpet cle~~xing positions as illustrated in Figure 3a
and a bare floor c:lsaning position as illustrated in Figure 3b. In the bare
floor cleaning po:: ition the height adjustment assembly 40 engages the
switch 54. As a r;~sult the switch 54 interrupts the drive to the rotary
agitator 20. Acca~:dingly, the rcytary agitator 20 becomes stationary and as
a consequence bare ~lvor cleaning efficiency is enhaaced. Alternatively,
the switch naay sl~,~w the agitator from a carpet cleaning rotational speed
of,
for example, betmeen x,000 to ~~,000 rpm to a bare floor cleaning, of
between 1 to 1,500 rpm.
IVtore specifically, an agitator rotating at high speeds generates air
currents that bane: a tendency to push dirt and debris across a bare floor
away from the sw;:tion imlet I 8. As a consequence, a rotating agitator 20
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actually interferes ~n~ith efficient bare floor cleaning. By slowing or
interrupting the drive to the rotary agitator Z0, the switch 54 functions to
eliminate those ain currents that otherwise reduce bare floor cleaning
efficiency.
'Where the vacuum cleaner X 0 is provided with a separate agitator
drive motor, the s~r~itch 54 rnay simply function to reduce or interrupt
power to that drive: motor when, engaged by the height adjustment assembly
40 in the bare floor cleaning poaitioz~ (note Figure 3b). Alternatively,
where a single mcrtor drives both the suction generator 22 and the rotary
agitator 20, engag~:rnent ofthe :;witch 54 with the height adjustment
assembly 40 ates a txansmi~~sion to slow or interrupt the drive from the
motor to the rotary agitatox without slowing or interrupting tlZe drive from
the motor to the fs~n of the suction generator.
Advantagewusly, the height adjustment assembly 40 acts as a single
control that simultaneously lovers tl~e operating height of the nozzle
assembly 14, mo~~es the baxe floor wiper 52 into engagement with the floor
F and controls the; drive to the rotary agitatox 20 through the switch 54.
The use of a singl.n sliding control to echieve all three functions
significantly enh~cr~ces operator convenience and represents a valuable
benefit.
The foregoirxg description of floe preferred enabodirnent of the
invention has beech presented fir purposes of illustration and description.
It is not intended 'to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise
form disclosed. t_)bvious rnodifxcations or variations are possible in light
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of the above teachings. For example, while only ane xotary agitatox 18 is
illustrated, the de~~ice could include two or mare rotary agitators. Further
while the illustrate: embodimez:.t is an upright vacuum. cleaner, the
apparatus ofthe present invention includes other floor cleaning appliances
s such as canister vticuum cleanem and extractors.
The ernboda~ment was ch~asen and described to provide the best
illustration of the lrrinciples of the invention arid its practical
application to
thereby enable one; of ordinary ~~lcill in the art to utilize the invention in
vat~ious embodimwnts and with various modifications as are suited to the
i0 particular use cante~mplated. Atl such modifications and variations are
Within the scope of the invention as detenmin.ed by the appended claims
when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly,
legally and equitably entitled. 'fhe drawings and preferred embodiment do
not and are not intended to limit the ordinary meaning of the claims and
1~ their fair and bro~id interpretation in any way.
