Height adjusting system for upright vacuum cleaner

• US 5,467,502 A
• Filed: 03/02/1994
• Issued: 11/21/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation Of North America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Applicane Corporation
• Inventors: Roney, Jeffrey T., Johnson, Milton J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Spisich, Mark
• Application Number:
  US08/205,893
• Time in Patent Office: 629 Days
• Field of Search: 15/323, 15/331-335, 15/339, 15/354-356, 15/377
• US Class Current: 15/339
• 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 5/34 with height adjustment of nozzles or dust-loosening tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0027 specially adapted for holding the suction cleaning tools

Abstract

An upright vacuum cleaner including a canister assembly pivotally connected to a nozzle assembly and an extensible hose which forms part of the vacuum path between the nozzle assembly and the canister assembly and which can be disconnected from the nozzle assembly for above-the-floor cleaning. Disconnecting the hose deenergizes an agitator motor in the nozzle assembly. The canister assembly includes a housing with an integral hand tool and attachment storage area which retains the tools and attachments, as well as the extensible hose, within the periphery of the housing. The upright vacuum cleaner also includes a height adjustment mechanism which deenergizes the agitator motor when the nozzle assembly is in its closest relation to the floor surface being cleaned.

Claims

1. An adjustment apparatus of a vacuum cleaner nozzle assembly which includes an agitator brush driven by an agitator motor for controlling the distance of the agitator brush from the floor surface being cleaned and for deenergizing the agitator motor, comprising:

a wheel assembly movably mounted to the nozzle assembly for supporting the agitator brush above the floor surface;

means for moving the wheel assembly from a first position wherein the agitator brush is closest to the floor to a second position wherein the agitator brush is furthest from the floor; and

a switching means responsive to the means for moving the wheel assembly which deenergizes the agitator motor when the wheel assembly is in the first position.

2. The adjustment apparatus of claim 1 wherein the switching means is a normally closed switch in operative relationship to the agitator motor.

3. The adjustment apparatus of claim 1 further including a plurality of positions between the first position and the second position and means for maintaining the wheel assembly moving means in one of the plurality of positions.

4. The adjustment apparatus of claim 3 wherein the means for maintaining the position of the wheel assembly moving means is comprised of a resilient arm on the wheel assembly moving means which engages and disengages a series of detents operatively arranged in the wheel assembly moving means.

5. The adjustment apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for moving the wheel assembly is comprised of a cam follower which actuates a cam body mounted in engaging relation to the wheel assembly.

6. The adjustment apparatus of claim 5 wherein the cam follower slides in a substantially linear direction.

7. The adjustment apparatus of claim 6 further including

a resilient arm in operative relation to the cam follower;

and

a plurality of detents arranged for engagement with and disengagement from the resilient arm such that the cam follower is releasably retained in one of a plurality of positions.

8. The adjustment apparatus of claim 7 wherein the wheel assembly is comprised of an offset axle with one wheel rotatively mounted on each free end of the offset axle.

9. In a vacuum cleaner nozzle assembly including an agitator brush driven by an agitator motor, a switch for energizing and deenergizing the agitator motor, and an adjustment assembly for adjusting the position of the agitator brush relative to the floor surface being cleaned, the improvement comprising:

means mechanically connecting the switch to the adjustment assembly such that the switch deenergizes the agitator motor when the adjustment assembly is positioned such that the agitator brush is closest to the floor surface being cleaned.

10. A modular assembly for adjusting the height of a nozzle assembly in an upright vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a frame member adapted to be mechanically secured to the nozzle assembly;

a cam follower mounted on the frame member such that the cam follower is movable within the frame member in a substantially linear direction through a plurality of positions;

a nozzle supporting means having a camming surface which is engaged by the cam follower such that the nozzle supporting means is movable by the cam follower through a plurality of positions to vary the height of the nozzle assembly; and

,

a switching means mounted on the frame member in operative relation to the cam follower such that the switching means is engaged by the cam follower in at least one position of the cam follower.

11. The modular assembly of claim 10 further including a means for maintaining the position of the cam follower relative to the frame member.

12. The modular assembly of claim 11 wherein the means for maintaining the position of the cam follower is comprised of:

a resilient arm in operative relation to the cam follower; and

a plurality of detents arranged for engagement with and disengagement from the resilient arm such that the cam follower is retained in one of a plurality of positions.