Surface cleaning apparatus

• US 7,334,284 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2003
• Issued: 02/26/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nicholas G. Grey
• Original Assignee: Nicholas G. Grey
• Inventors: Grey, Nicholas Gerald
• Primary Examiner(s): CHIN, RANDALL E
• Application Number:
  US10/697,570
• Publication Number:
  US 20040139993A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,579 Days
• Field of Search: 15/411, 15/42, 15/521, 15/83
• US Class Current: 15/52.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/33 having means for storing dirt
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4041 Roll shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4055 for lifting the tools to a non-working position
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/02 with driven tools for special purposes with floor-polishing tools A47L11/20
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0411 driven by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0444 for conveying motion by endless flexible members, e.g. belts
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0483 Reciprocating or oscillating tools, e.g. vibrators, agitators, beaters
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0488 Combinations or arrangements of several tools, e.g. edge cleaning tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/06 with fixed, e.g. adjustably fixed brushes or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0666 with tilting, floating or similarly arranged brushes, combs, lips or pads
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0673 with removable brushes, combs, lips or pads

Abstract

A surface cleaning apparatus includes a surface cleaning strip and means responsive to movement of the surface cleaning apparatus over a surface to be cleaned for positioning the cleaning strip relative to the surface to be cleaned in dependence upon the direction of movement of the surface cleaning apparatus.

Claims

1. A surface cleaning apparatus, comprising:

a) a body having a forward compartment and rear compartment, wherein the forward compartment includes a wall;

b) an elongate rotatable brush extending across the forward compartment and positioned to propel debris up the wall;

c) an electric motor in the rear compartment;

d) a belt connecting the motor and rotatable brush; and

e) a cleaning strip assembly pivotably mounted on an underside of the body, the cleaning strip assembly comprising an elongate support member housed within an underside of the wall, a flexible strip extending along substantially the entire length of the elongate support member, and a plurality of tabs for engaging a surface being cleaned, the engagement of the plurality of tabs with the surface being capable of causing the cleaning strip assembly to pivot between a cleaning position and an elevated position.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein flexible strip extends radially from the support member along substantially the entire length of the elongate support member.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of tabs cause the cleaning strip assembly to pivot into a cleaning position when the surface cleaning apparatus moves in a first direction.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of tabs cause the cleaning strip assembly to pivot into an elevated position when the surface cleaning apparatus moves in a second direction.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an intermediate compartment defined by the wall, which is between the forward compartment and the intermediate compartment, a wall between the intermediate compartment and the rear compartment, and side walls.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein one side wall is removable to facilitate removal of debris.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the removable side wall includes a cover.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the belt is enclosed within a tunnel that passes through the intermediate compartment.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein one side wall is removable to facilitate removal of debris and the tunnel is arranged at a side remote from the removable side wall.

10. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the wall between the forward and intermediate compartments is inclined rearwardly.

11. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the wall between the intermediate and rear compartments seals the rear compartment from the intermediate compartment.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a front part of the forward compartment is movable to expose bristles on the elongate rotatable brush at the front part of the forward compartment.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rear compartment is provided with ground-engaging wheels.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a handle rotatable about an axial direction of the handle to facilitate steering of the apparatus.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the handle is further pivotable about an axis transverse to the axial direction of the handle.

16. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

a housing;

an elongate brush arrangement mounted so as to be rotatable about a longitudinal axis thereof, extending across the housing for contacting a surface to be cleaned, and positioned to propel debris up a wall within the housing;

a substantially continuous surface cleaning strip extending across an underside of the housing;

movement responsive means including friction engaging means adapted to engage the surface to be cleaned and movable in opposing first and second directions in response to movement of the apparatus in opposing first and second directions relative to the surface to be cleaned, movement of the friction engaging means being transmitted to the cleaning strip; and

movement stop means adapted to allow the cleaning strip to adopt a first orientation, a second orientation, and orientations between the first orientation and second orientation, and to prevent the cleaning strip from adopting orientations beyond the first orientation or second orientation,

wherein the cleaning strip and the friction engaging means are mounted on an elongate member which is pivotably mounted within an underside of the wall, whereby contact between the friction engaging means and the surface to be cleaned causes the elongate member to pivot such that the cleaning strip adopts one of the first and second orientations.

17. An apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the cleaning strip is mounted on a support which is movable between first and second positions by the movement responsive means in response to movement of the surface cleaning apparatus.

18. An apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the cleaning strip and the friction engaging means project substantially radially from the elongate member.

19. An apparatus as claimed in claim 18, wherein the cleaning strip and the friction engaging means extend at different angles relative to each other.

20. An apparatus as claimed in claim 19, wherein an included angle between the cleaning strip and the friction engaging means is substantially 45 degrees.

21. An apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the friction engaging means comprises a tab extending from the elongate member.

22. An apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the elongate member comprises a flexible material.

23. An apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the cleaning strip and the friction engaging means are formed integrally with the elongate member.

24. An apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the elongate member comprises a recessed groove and the cleaning strip comprises a projection of complementary configuration adapted to retain the cleaning strip in the recessed groove.

25. An apparatus as claimed in claim 24, wherein the recessed groove and the projection are substantially T-shaped.

26. An apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the cleaning strip is configured to extend towards the surface to be cleaned by 2.5 to 8 mm.

27. An apparatus as claimed in claim 26, wherein the cleaning strip is adapted to extend by substantially 4.5 mm.

28. An apparatus as claimed in claim 16, further comprising means for inhibiting the movement of the cleaning strip in the longitudinal direction thereof.

29. An apparatus as claimed in claim 28, wherein the movement inhibiting means is movable to allow replacement of the cleaning strip.

30. An apparatus as claimed in claim 28, wherein the movement inhibiting means is removable to allow replacement of the cleaning strip.

31. An apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the cleaning strip comprises a flexible material.

32. An apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the friction engaging means comprises a flexible material.

33. An apparatus as claimed in claim 16, further comprising a motor provided within the housing for rotating the brush arrangement.

34. An apparatus as claimed in claim 33, further comprising a battery within the housing for energizing the motor.

35. An apparatus as claimed in claim 34, wherein the battery is rechargeable.

36. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

a housing;

an elongate rotatable brush arrangement extending across the housing and positioned to propel debris up a wall within the housing;

an elongate support member housed in a cavity in an underside of the wall;

a substantially continuous surface cleaning strip extending across an underside of the housing, the surface cleaning strip being mounted on the elongate support member, the elongate support member being rotatable between a cleaning orientation where the surface cleaning strip contacts a surface to be cleaned, and a second orientation where the surface cleaning strip is raised clear of the surface to be cleaned; and

at least one surface engagement structure mounted on the elongate support member in an orientation relative to the surface cleaning strip such that in the cleaning orientation the surface engagement structure contacts a wall of the cavity, and in the second orientation the surface engagement structure contacts the surface to be cleaned;

wherein movement of the surface engagement structure in a cleaning direction causes the cleaning strip to adopt the cleaning orientation and wherein movement of the surface engagement structure in a direction opposite to the cleaning direction causes the cleaning strip to adopt the second orientation.

37. An apparatus as claimed in claim 36, wherein the cleaning strip and the surface engagement structure project substantially radially from the elongate member.

38. An apparatus as claimed in claim 37, wherein the cleaning strip and the surface engagement structure extend at different angles relative to each other.

39. An apparatus as claimed in claim 38, wherein an included angle between the cleaning strip and the surface engagement structure is substantially 45 degrees.

40. An apparatus as claimed in claim 36, wherein the surface engagement structure comprises a tab extending from the elongate member.

41. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein in the second orientation the surface cleaning strip contacts a second cavity wall.

42. A surface cleaning apparatus, comprising:

a body having a forward compartment and rear compartment, wherein the forward compartment includes a rear wall;

an elongate rotatable brush extending across the forward compartment and positioned to propel debris up the wall;

a belt connecting an electric motor to the rotatable brush; and

a cleaning strip assembly pivotably mounted on an underside of the body, the cleaning strip assembly comprising an elongate support member housed within an underside of the wall, a flexible strip extending along substantially the entire length of the elongate support member, and a plurality of tabs for engaging a surface being cleaned, the engagement of the plurality of tabs with the surface being capable of causing the cleaning strip assembly to pivot between a cleaning position and an elevated position.

43. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein the flexible strip extends radially from the support member along substantially the entire length of the elongate support member.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the elongate support member extends along substantially the entire length of the body.

45. The apparatus of claim 42, further comprising an intermediate compartment defined by the wall, which is between the forward compartment and the intermediate compartment, a wall between the intermediate compartment and the rear compartment, and side walls.

46. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the wall between the forward and intermediate compartments is inclined rearwardly.

47. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the wall between the intermediate and rear compartments seals the rear compartment from the intermediate compartment.

48. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein a front part of the forward compartment is movable to expose bristles on the elongate rotatable brush at the front part of the forward compartment.

49. The apparatus of claim 42, wherein the forward compartment further comprises an opening in a lower surface thereof, and wherein a lower front region of the body is chamfered so that bristles of the elongate brush protrude from the body in the region of the chamfer such that, when the apparatus is inclined relative to a surface to be cleaned, contact between the bristles and the surface to be cleaned is increased.