Vacuum power head with bare floor feature

• US 5,477,587 A
• Filed: 12/30/1993
• Issued: 12/26/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 08/10/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bissell Homecare, Inc. (Bissell Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ryobi Motor Products Incorporated (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Inventors: Carnes, Donald W., Glenn, William K. III, Barnes, James F. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Scherbel, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hook, James F.
• Application Number:
  US08/175,969
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 15/355, 15/356, 15/364, 15/365, 15/366, 15/367, 15/373, 15/354
• US Class Current: 15/356
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/34 with height adjustment of nozzles or dust-loosening tools

Abstract

A vacuum power head is provided which has a bare floor feature. A vacuum cleaner head assembly defines a vacuum chamber which contains a power driven rotary brush. Located outside of the vacuum chamber adjacent the rotary brush is a generally U-shaped trailing brush. The trailing brush cooperates with a height adjustment mechanism which is movable between a deep carpet position and a bare floor position. As the height adjustment mechanism of the head assembly is moved toward the bare floor position, the trailing brush is automatically moved to an extended position into engagement with the floor. When the height adjustment mechanism is moved from the bare floor position, a biasing means biases the trailing brush toward a retracted position within the head assembly. An actuator cooperates with the height adjustment mechanism to automatically move the trailing brush between the retracted position and the extended position in response to movement of the height adjustment mechanism.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner for use by a user to clean a floor surface, the vacuum cleaner comprising:

a head assembly having an elongate vacuum chamber;

a motor driven generally cylindrical elongate rotary brush rotatably supported within the vacuum chamber;

a trailing brush located within the head assembly rearward of the rotary brush, the trailing brush being selectively positionable between a retracted position wherein the trailing brush is located away from a floor surface and an extended position wherein the trailing brush is located adjacent the floor surface;

a first height adjustment mechanism for varying the height of the rotary brush relative to the floor between a plurality of height positions including a highest position and a bare floor cleaning position;

a second height adjustment mechanism for selectively positioning the trailing brush between the retracted position and the extended position; and

a single control knob which is selectively movable relative to the head assembly to actuate the first height adjustment mechanism to place the rotary brush in the bare floor cleaning position and concurrently actuate the second height adjustment mechanism to place the trailing brush in the extended position and to move the rotary brush out of the bare floor cleaning position and concurrently place the trailing brush in the retracted position.

2. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein:

the first and second height adjustment mechanisms are engageable with one another so that the rotary brush and trailing brush are concurrently and selectively positionable in the respective bare floor cleaning and extended positions.

3. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein:

the first height adjustment mechanism includes an axle retainer retaining a plurality of floor engaging wheels and includes a slide having a plurality of varying height spaced apart detents, the slide being translatable with respect to the head assembly with the plurality of detents thereon selectively cooperating with the axle retainer and head assembly to vary the height of the head assembly and rotary brush with respect to the floor between the bare floor cleaning position and the highest position; and

the slide being engageable with the second height adjustment mechanism to selectively position the trailing brush between its retracted and extended positions.

4. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein:

the second height adjustment mechanism includes a cam pivotally connected relative to the housing; and

the slide is translatable to engage and disengage the cam to thereby control the movement of the trailing brush between its extended and retracted positions.

5. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 further comprising:

a spring biasing the trailing brush into its retracted position;

wherein the engagement of the cam with the slide causes the cam to overcome the bias of the spring and place the trailing brush in its extended position.

6. A vacuum cleaner comprising a head assembly having an elongate vacuum chamber extending the width thereof and including a motor driven cylindrical rotary brush located therein and extending substantially the full width of said vacuum chamber, said vacuum cleaner further comprising:

a trailing brush located within said head assembly adjacent said vacuum chamber, at least a transversely extending main portion of said brush being positioned to the rear of said vacuum chamber and extending in generally parallel alignment with said rotary brush for the full length thereof, said trailing brush being movable between a retracted position within the head assembly and an extended position adjacent a floor surface to be cleaned;

a height adjustment mechanism for varying the height of said rotary brush relative to the floor between a plurality height positions ranging from a deep carpet position to a bare floor position;

said height adjustment mechanism including (i) an axle retainer assembly having a plurality of floor engaging wheels, said axle retainer assembly being pivotally carried on said head assembly and thereby cooperating with said head assembly for effectively varying the height of said rotary brush relative to the floor, and (ii) a slide located within said head assembly, said slide being movably adjustable to any one of said plurality of height positions ranging serially in ascending order between the bare floor position and the deep carpet position, and cooperating with said axle retainer assembly to raise or lower the head assembly and thus the rotating brush relative to the axle retainer assembly and floor to any one of said range of height positions; and

actuator means operatively coupled with said height adjustment mechanism for selectively and automatically actuating said trailing brush in conjunction with said height adjustment mechanism, wherein said trailing brush is automatically moved to said extended position in response to said height adjustment mechanism being moved to the bare floor position and wherein said trailing brush is moved to said retracted position in response to movement of said height adjustment mechanism away from said bare floor position.

7. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 6 wherein said actuator means comprises:

a projection located on said slide and movable therewith;

a lever having first and second free ends, the lever located within and pivotally affixed intermediate its free ends to said head assembly, one free end of said lever being of sufficient length to engage said trailing brush approximately intermediate the main portion thereof as said projection engages and rotates the other free end about the pivot axis of said lever to thereby move said trailing brush alternatively between said extended position and said retracted position; and

a spring located between said trailing brush and said head assembly for urging said trailing brush to said retracted position.

8. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 6 wherein said actuator means includes a spring interposed between said head assembly and said trailing brush, such that said spring biases said trailing brush toward said retracted position.

9. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 6 wherein said slide includes a series of stair step detents varying in height and corresponding to a respective one of said plurality of height positions, said slide being supported on said axle retainer assembly whereby as the slide is reciprocated, the head assembly pivots about said axle retainer assembly to the height position selected.

10. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 6 wherein said trailing brush has a generally U-shaped configuration whereby the brush extends from the distal ends of said main portion of the brush along the sides of said vacuum chamber to further entrap dirt or other particulates within the region of the vacuum chamber.

11. A vacuum cleaner in accordance with claim 10 wherein said trailing brush includes a U-shaped holding strip having bristles extending thereupon, the distal ends of siad holding strip being supported on said head assembly and defining a pivot axis about which said brush may pivot from the extended position to the spring urged, fully retracted position.