Upright vacuum cleaner with removable power head

• US 20070157418A1
• Filed: 01/06/2006
• Published: 07/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kirby OPCO LLC
• Original Assignee: The Scott Fetzer Company (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Smith, David, Steele, Daniel, Dodson, Diane, Zahuranec, Terry
• Granted Patent: US 7,694,383 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/328
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/30 with driven dust-loosening tools, e.g. rotating brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/32 with means for connecting a hose hose couplings for suction cleaners A47L9/24
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/04 with driven brushes or agitators

Abstract

A vacuum cleaning apparatus includes a vacuum cleaner base and a handle configured to be attached to the base. A nozzle is configured for the base to draw air through the nozzle to clean the floor as the nozzle is moved along the floor by a user pushing the base by the handle. A power head assembly includes a power head having a brushroll and an electric motor that drives the brushroll. The assembly further includes a tube structure configured to connect the power head to the base for the base to draw air through the power head and the tube structure to clean the floor as the power head is moved along the floor by a user pushing the tube structure.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaning apparatus comprising:

a vacuum cleaner base;

a handle configured to be attached to the base;

a nozzle configured for the base to draw air through the nozzle to clean the floor as the nozzle is moved along the floor by a user pushing the base by the handle; and

a power head assembly including a power head having a brushroll and an electric motor that drives the brushroll, and further including a tube structure configured to connect the power head to the base for the base to draw air through the power head and the tube structure to clean the floor as the power head is moved along the floor by a user pushing the tube structure.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the handle is configured to be removably attached to the base.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the tube structure has a flexible tube enabling the power head to be manually moved independent of the base.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the motor of the power head is powered by electricity supplied by the base.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the base is configured to sense which one of the nozzle and the power head assembly is attached to the base and control an operating condition of the base based on which one is attached to the base.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the handle is an upright handle.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the nozzle includes a brushroll.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the base has a drive pulley for driving the brushroll of the nozzle.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the base is configured to rotate the drive pulley when the nozzle is attached to the base but not when the power head assembly is attached to the base.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the base has a perch pin and a latch, and the nozzle and the power head assembly are each configured to be attached to the base by both the perch pin and the latch.

11. A method for use with the apparatus of claim 1 comprising:

designing the nozzle to be attached specifically to the base;

designing the power head assembly to be attached specifically to the same base; and

manufacturing the base, the nozzle and the power head assembly.

12. The method of claim 11 further including selling the base, the nozzle and the power head assembly as a set to a buyer.