BRUSHROLL CLEANING FEATURE WITH OVERLOAD PROTECTION DURING CLEANING
First Claim
1. A vacuum cleaner agitator system comprising:
- a floor agitator;
an agitator cleaner mounted adjacent the floor agitator and movable between a first position in which the agitator cleaner is spaced from the floor agitator and a second position in which the agitator cleaner engages the floor agitator to remove debris therefrom;
an electric motor configured to apply a torque to move the floor agitator; and
an overload protection device configured to detect a value of the torque, and having;
a first operation state active when the agitator cleaner is in the first position, in which the overload protection device prevents the torque from exceeding a first predetermined value, anda second operation state active when the agitator cleaner is in the second position, in which the overload protection device permits the torque to exceed the first predetermined value.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A cleaning device agitator system having an agitator and one or more cleaning members. The agitator has first and second ends, a longitudinal axis and one or more agitating devices. One or more friction surfaces may project from the spindle. The cleaning members are adjacent the agitator and adapted to move between a first position and a second position. In at least the second position, the cleaning members engage the agitator, such as by engaging the friction surfaces, to remove debris. Agitator and cleaning members may be incorporated into a cleaning head having an inlet nozzle and a chamber in which the agitator rotates, and there may be an activation mechanism using, for example, a resilient member to move the cleaning members. An overload protection device may be provided, and may adjust its sensitivity depending on whether the cleaning devices are in the first or second position.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A vacuum cleaner agitator system comprising:
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a floor agitator; an agitator cleaner mounted adjacent the floor agitator and movable between a first position in which the agitator cleaner is spaced from the floor agitator and a second position in which the agitator cleaner engages the floor agitator to remove debris therefrom; an electric motor configured to apply a torque to move the floor agitator; and an overload protection device configured to detect a value of the torque, and having; a first operation state active when the agitator cleaner is in the first position, in which the overload protection device prevents the torque from exceeding a first predetermined value, and a second operation state active when the agitator cleaner is in the second position, in which the overload protection device permits the torque to exceed the first predetermined value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A vacuum cleaner agitator system comprising:
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a housing; an inlet nozzle through a lower surface of the housing; an agitator chamber in the housing adjacent to and in fluid communication with the inlet nozzle; a rotary agitator comprising; a spindle extending along a longitudinal direction from a first spindle end to a second spindle end, the spindle being mounted to the housing within the agitator chamber, and rotatable about a rotation axis that is parallel with the longitudinal direction, agitating devices arranged between the first spindle end and the second spindle end and projecting from the spindle to extend through the inlet nozzle when the spindle rotates, and one or more friction surfaces projecting from the spindle; and an agitator cleaner mounted to the housing adjacent the spindle and movable between a first position in which the agitator cleaner is spaced from the one or more friction surfaces when the spindle rotates, and a second position in which the agitator cleaner engages the one or more friction surfaces when the spindle rotates; an electric motor configured to apply a torque to rotate the rotary agitator about the rotation axis; and an overload protection device configured to detect a value of the torque, and having; a first operation state active when the agitator cleaner is in the first position, in which the overload protection device prevents the torque from exceeding a first predetermined value, and a second operation state active when the agitator cleaner is in the second position, in which the overload protection device permits the torque to exceed the first predetermined value. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification