Light-weight self-propelled vacuum cleaner
First Claim
1. A vacuum power head for cleaning, comprising:
- a) a housing having a front and rear portion;
b) an agitator assembly with a front rotary agitator and a rear rotary agitator;
c) an electric motor;
d) a power transfer means for transferring rotary power from said electric motor to said front and rear rotary agitators;
e) a suction conduit having an entrance and an output port;
f) a hose wand;
g) a lever arm connected between said hose wand and said agitator assembly for amplifying the force exerted by the hose wand on the agitator assemble;
h) an adjustment means associated with said lever arm and said agitator assembly for generating a net traction force on said front and rear rotary agitators when in contact with a surface and said net traction force responsive to force exerted on said hose wand by a user;
i) wherein, said suction conduit forms a continuous air channel between at least one of the rotary agitators and said output port;
j) wherein, said output port is designed to accept the hose wand, whereby dirt and dust agitated by the rotary agitators can be removed from the power head;
k) wherein, said front and rear rotary agitators rotate in opposite directions when powered by said power transfer means, andl) wherein, said net traction force is in the direction of the front portion of the housing when the user is pushing the hose wand forward and said net traction force is in the direction of the rear portion of the housing when the user is pulling backward on the hose wand, whereby the vacuum power head provides a self-propelled function.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vacuum cleaner power head (40) for vacuum cleaning and having two counter rotating agitators 52 and 54. Motor (60) rotates agitators (52) and (54) through transmission (70), and also rotates suction fan (65) to provide suction air to the rotary brush agitators. Exterior housing 48 and inner housing (49) provide air suction passageways to direct suction air through fan (65) and out of the housing to a dirt collection bag (34). Self-propelled function is provided by using user force on handle (32) to create differential contact friction between the two counter-rotating rotary brush agitators so that a net traction force is generated that propels power head (40) in the direction the user is pushing.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A vacuum power head for cleaning, comprising:
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a) a housing having a front and rear portion; b) an agitator assembly with a front rotary agitator and a rear rotary agitator; c) an electric motor; d) a power transfer means for transferring rotary power from said electric motor to said front and rear rotary agitators; e) a suction conduit having an entrance and an output port; f) a hose wand; g) a lever arm connected between said hose wand and said agitator assembly for amplifying the force exerted by the hose wand on the agitator assemble; h) an adjustment means associated with said lever arm and said agitator assembly for generating a net traction force on said front and rear rotary agitators when in contact with a surface and said net traction force responsive to force exerted on said hose wand by a user; i) wherein, said suction conduit forms a continuous air channel between at least one of the rotary agitators and said output port; j) wherein, said output port is designed to accept the hose wand, whereby dirt and dust agitated by the rotary agitators can be removed from the power head; k) wherein, said front and rear rotary agitators rotate in opposite directions when powered by said power transfer means, and l) wherein, said net traction force is in the direction of the front portion of the housing when the user is pushing the hose wand forward and said net traction force is in the direction of the rear portion of the housing when the user is pulling backward on the hose wand, whereby the vacuum power head provides a self-propelled function. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A vacuum cleaner power head for cleaning a surface, comprising:
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a) a housing having a front and rear portion; b) a front rotary agitator and a rear rotary agitator; c) an electric motor; d) a power transfer means for transferring rotary power from the electric motor to the front and rear rotary agitators; e) a suction conduit having an entrance and an output port; f) a hose wand; g) a lever arm responsive to the hose wand; h) an adjustment means associated with the lever arm and rotary agitators for adjusting the contact force of at least one of the rotary agitators with respect to the surface; i) wherein, the suction conduit forms a continuous air channel between at least one of the rotary agitators and the output port; j) wherein, the hose wand is pivotally connected with respect to the housing and in communication with the continuous air channel, whereby dirt and dust agitated by the rotary agitators can be removed from the power head through the hose wand; k) wherein, the front and rear rotary agitators rotate in opposite directions when powered by the power transfer means, and l) wherein, the adjustment means provides a net traction force in the direction of the front portion of the housing when the user is pushing the hose wand forward and wherein the net traction force is in the direction of the rear portion of the housing when the user is pulling backward on the hose wand, whereby the vacuum cleaner power head provides a self-propelled function. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. The vacuum cleaner power head for cleaning a surface, comprising:
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a) a housing having a front and rear portion; b) a hose wand pivotally mounted to the vacuum cleaner power head; c) an electric motor; d) a suction fan mechanically driven by the electric motor; e) a front rotary agitator and a rear rotary agitator, both rotatably mounted to a fixed position on the housing; f) a power transfer means for transferring rotary power from the electric motor to the front and rear rotary agitators, wherein the two rotary agitators rotate in opposite directions; g) a suction conduit designed to accept a hose wand, wherein the suction conduit defines a continuous air channel from at least one of the rotary agitators, through the suction fan, and out of the vacuum cleaner power head through the hose wand, whereby dirt and dust agitated by the rotary agitators can be removed from the vacuum cleaner power head through the hose wand and into a dirt collection means connected to the hose wand, and h) an adjustment means defined on the vacuum cleaner power head and responsive to force applied to the hose wand by a user for adjusting the relative position of the front and rear rotary agitators with respect to the surface; i) wherein, the front and rear rotary agitators rotate in opposite directions when powered through the power transfer means, and j) wherein the adjustment means provides a net traction force in the direction of the front portion of the housing when the user is pushing the hose wand forward and the net traction force is in the direction of the rear portion of the housing when the user is pulling backward on the hose wand, whereby the vacuum cleaner power head provides a self-propelled function. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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Specification