Floor cleaning apparatus with twin agitators having different diameters

• US 20050172447A1
• Filed: 02/04/2005
• Published: 08/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation Of North America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation Of North America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yacobi, Michael S., Roney, Jeffrey T., Hitzelberger, Joel E., Fedorka, Thomas J.
• Application Number:
  US11/051,778
• Publication Number:
  US 20050172447A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/384
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0411 driven by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0477 Rolls
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0494 Height adjustment of dust-loosening tools

Abstract

A floor cleaning apparatus includes a nozzle assembly and a canister assembly. A suction generator and a dirt collection vessel are carried on either the nozzle assembly or the canister assembly. In addition, the apparatus includes first and second agitators. The first agitator has a diameter D₁ and the second agitator has a diameter D₂. Diameter D₁ is greater than diameter D₂. Accordingly, the two agitators have different footprints and different cleaning characteristics.

Claims

1. A floor cleaning apparatus, comprising:

a nozzle assembly;

a canister assembly;

a suction generator carried on one of said nozzle assembly and said canister assembly;

a dirt collection vessel carried on one of said canister assembly and said nozzle assembly;

a first agitator having a first diameter D₁;

a second agitator having a second diameter D₂ where D₁>

D₂; and

at least one agitator drive motor carried on one of said nozzle assembly and said canister assembly.

2. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein said canister assembly is pivotally connected to said nozzle assembly.

3. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein said dirt collection vessel is a filter bag.

4. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein said dirt collection vessel is a dirt cup.

5. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein said dirt collection vessel is a cyclonic airflow chamber.

6. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein said floor cleaning apparatus is a device selected from a group consisting of an upright vacuum cleaner, a canister vacuum cleaner, a hand-held vacuum cleaner and an extractor.

7. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein D₂ is between approximately 75 and 90 percent of D₁.

8. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein D₁ is between about 50 mm to about 63 mm.

9. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 8, wherein D₂ is between about 37 mm to about 57 mm.

10. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein D₂ is between about 37 mm to about 57 mm.

11. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one agitator drive motor is positioned inside said first agitator.

12. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 11, further including a second agitator drive motor positioned inside said second agitator.

13. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one agitator drive motor is positioned inside said second agitator.

14. A method of providing an improved floor cleaning apparatus, comprising:

equipping said floor cleaning apparatus with a first agitator having a first diameter D₁ and a second agitator having a second diameter D₂ where D₁>

D₂; and

driving said first and second agitators.

15. The method of claim 14 including driving said first and second agitators at different speeds.

16. The method of claim 15, including driving said first and second agitators in different directions.

17. The method of claim 14, including driving said first and second agitators in different directions.

18. The method of claim 14 further including positioning an agitator drive motor in one of said first agitator and said second agitator.

19. The method of claim 14 further including positioning a first agitator drive motor in said first agitator and a second agitator drive motor in said second agitator.