Automatically adjustable floating cleaner head
First Claim
1. A floor cleaning apparatus having a floating cleaning head comprising:
- a chassis;
first support wheels, mounted generally rearwardly on said chassis, and having a substantially fixed axis of rotation;
a vacuum nozzle region, located generally forwardly on said chassis;
second support wheels, mounted on said chassis intermediate said first support wheels and said vacuum nozzle region, and having a movable axis of rotation which is movable in a substantially vertical plane relative a floor to be cleaned and on which said cleaning head is adapted to be received;
drive means for controllably rotating said second support wheels so as to propel said chassis over a floor to be cleaned; and
automatic regulation means for varying the amount of propelling force transmitted through said second support wheels from said drive means to a floor to be cleaned, responsive to variations in the carpet pile height of such floor.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A floating cleaner head used with a self-propelled front wheel drive floor cleaning apparatus, such as a vacuum cleaner. Both the forwardly located drive wheels and the drive transmission therefor are pivotably mounted on a bracket beneath the cleaner head. A skid plate attached to the bracket extends rearwardly from the bracket pivot to sense the carpet pile height of a floor to be cleaned. As the pile height increases, the bracket is pivoted so as to force the drive wheels deeper into the carpet pile which increases the propelling force. Additionally, since the drive wheels and transmission are located intermediate freely-rotatable rear wheels and a forwardly located rotary brush and nozzle area, operation of the skid plate also cause the entire cleaner head to float or pivot about the axis of the rear wheels so as to automatically adjust the elevation of the rotary bar and nozzle area. Furthermore, by making practical a front wheel drive, the need for neutral interlock for transport of the cleaner from room to room is eliminated since the rear support wheels are freely rotatable.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A floor cleaning apparatus having a floating cleaning head comprising:
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a chassis; first support wheels, mounted generally rearwardly on said chassis, and having a substantially fixed axis of rotation; a vacuum nozzle region, located generally forwardly on said chassis; second support wheels, mounted on said chassis intermediate said first support wheels and said vacuum nozzle region, and having a movable axis of rotation which is movable in a substantially vertical plane relative a floor to be cleaned and on which said cleaning head is adapted to be received; drive means for controllably rotating said second support wheels so as to propel said chassis over a floor to be cleaned; and automatic regulation means for varying the amount of propelling force transmitted through said second support wheels from said drive means to a floor to be cleaned, responsive to variations in the carpet pile height of such floor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A floating cleaner head for a self-propelled vacuum cleaner, comprising:
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a main chassis adapted to be pivoted about a rearwardly located first axis thereof; a rotary brush and vacuum nozzle means situated generally adjacent the front of said chassis; freely-rotatable rear wheels for supporting said chassis, said rear wheels having a fixed axis of rotation coincident with said chassis first pivot axis; pivoting bracket means, pivotably supported on said chassis about a second axis thereof located intermediate said rear wheels and said chassis front; drive wheels for further supporting said chassis and drive transmission means for controllably driving said drive wheels so as to propel said chassis relative a floor to be cleaned, both said drive wheels and said drive transmission means being supported on said pivoting bracket means for movement therewith; and sensor plate means, associated with said pivoting bracket means for automatically pivoting same about said chassis second axis responsive to varying carpet pile height on which said cleaner head is used so as to in turn adjust the position of said drive wheels relative said chassis, whereby said drive wheels are pivoted deeper into the carpet pile with corresponding increases in such carpet pile height so as to provide increased propelling force. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A self-propelled upright vacuum cleaner having a floating cleaning head for automatic height adjustment thereof, comprising:
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a generally planar chassis member adapted to be received on and propelled over a floor to be cleaned; a control handle for controlling said vacuum cleaner and supporting a dust bag mounted thereon, said handle being pivotably attached to said chassis member for guiding same from a generally upright position; rear support wheels for said chassis member, said rear wheels having a fixed rotation axis; a vacuum nozzle area located adjacent the front of said chassis member; a rotary beater bar brush situated in the vicinity of said vacuum nozzle area; a support bracket pivotably mounted on said chassis member about a pivot axis situated parallel to said fixed rotation axis of said rear support wheels and located forwardly thereof, said bracket having a free pivoting end which projects generally forwardly of said pivot axis thereof; drivable support wheels for said chassis member, secured on said bracket free pivoting end for pivoting movement therewith relative said chassis member and a floor to be cleaned; drive transmission means, also supported on said bracket free pivoting end, in operative association with said drivable support wheels for controllably rotating same so as to propel said chassis member relative a floor to be cleaned; and a substantially rigid sensing member attached to said bracket at a fixed angle, and extending rearwardly of said pivot axis thereof and generally parallel with a floor to be cleaned, said sensing member being adapted for contacting carpet pile of a floor to be cleaned and thereby pivot said bracket about said pivot axis thereof to a degree corresponding with the relative thickness of the contacted carpet pile;
whereby said bracket free pivoting end is pivoted downward with increasing carpet pile thickness so as to push said drivable support wheels deeper into such relatively thicker pile carpets, which relatively increases the propelling force obtained with said drivable support wheels in thicker pile carpets while also tending to pivot the front of said chassis member upward about said fixed axis of said rear support wheels so as to relatively raise the front rotary brush and vacuum nozzle area for such thicker pile carpets, and vice versa. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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Specification