Surface cleaning head with removable non-driven agitator having cleaning pad
First Claim
1. A surface cleaning head for a vacuum, the surface cleaning head comprising:
- a cleaning head housing having a front end portion, a rear end portion, laterally disposed sides, an upper portion and a bottom portion;
an agitator chamber located in the front end portion of the cleaning head housing, the agitator chamber having a top opening through the upper portion of the cleaning head housing and a bottom opening through the bottom portion of the cleaning head housing, and wherein the agitator chamber includes at least one driven side;
an agitator drive mechanism including a drive member at the driven side of the agitator chamber and an agitator drive motor drivingly coupled to the drive member, wherein the drive member is configured to engage and drive a rotatable driven agitator when received in the agitator chamber;
an external cover mounted to the cleaning head housing for covering the top opening of the agitator chamber, the external cover being movable between a closed position and an open position, wherein the agitator chamber is covered when the external cover is in the closed position and accessible through the top opening when the external cover is in the open position; and
a non-driven agitator removably mounted within the agitator chamber without engaging the drive member such that the non-driven agitator is configured to contact a surface through the bottom opening, wherein the non-driven agitator is accessible and removable through the top opening when the external cover is in the open position.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A surface cleaning head may be configured to receive a removable rotatable driven agitator, such as a brush roll, or a non-driven agitator. Either of these agitators may be located in an openable agitator chamber for purposes of removing debris and/or removing the agitator. The openable agitator chamber may be covered by an external cover that is movable between an open position and a closed position. The non-driven agitator may include an agitator body including a bottom portion supporting one or more cleaning pads. The non-driven agitator body may also define one or more air inlets, an air outlet and an air passageway extending therebetween to facilitate air passage through the surface cleaning head. Different removable agitators with different characteristics may be used interchangeably in the surface cleaning head.
63 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A surface cleaning head for a vacuum, the surface cleaning head comprising:
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a cleaning head housing having a front end portion, a rear end portion, laterally disposed sides, an upper portion and a bottom portion; an agitator chamber located in the front end portion of the cleaning head housing, the agitator chamber having a top opening through the upper portion of the cleaning head housing and a bottom opening through the bottom portion of the cleaning head housing, and wherein the agitator chamber includes at least one driven side; an agitator drive mechanism including a drive member at the driven side of the agitator chamber and an agitator drive motor drivingly coupled to the drive member, wherein the drive member is configured to engage and drive a rotatable driven agitator when received in the agitator chamber; an external cover mounted to the cleaning head housing for covering the top opening of the agitator chamber, the external cover being movable between a closed position and an open position, wherein the agitator chamber is covered when the external cover is in the closed position and accessible through the top opening when the external cover is in the open position; and a non-driven agitator removably mounted within the agitator chamber without engaging the drive member such that the non-driven agitator is configured to contact a surface through the bottom opening, wherein the non-driven agitator is accessible and removable through the top opening when the external cover is in the open position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A surface cleaning head for a vacuum, the surface cleaning head comprising:
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a cleaning head housing having a front end portion, a rear end portion, laterally disposed sides, an upper portion and a bottom portion; an agitator chamber located in the front end portion of the cleaning head housing, the agitator chamber having a top opening through the upper portion of the cleaning head housing and a bottom opening through the bottom portion of the cleaning head housing, and wherein the agitator chamber includes at least one driven side; an agitator drive mechanism including a drive member at the driven side of the agitator chamber and an agitator drive motor drivingly coupled to the drive member; at least one rotatable driven agitator configured to be removably mounted within the agitator chamber and configured to engage the drive member of the agitator drive mechanism such that the drive member causes the rotatable driven agitator to rotate; and at least one non-driven agitator configured to be removably mounted within the agitator chamber without engaging the drive member and such that the non-driven agitator is configured to contact a surface through the bottom opening. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A removable non-driven agitator for use in an agitator chamber of a surface cleaning head, the removable non-driven agitator comprising:
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an agitator body defining first and second elongated air inlets, an air outlet, and an air path between at least one of the air inlets and the air outlet, the elongated air inlets being located along at least a portion of a bottom portion of the agitator body, the air outlet being located on the agitator body at a position to provide engagement with a dirty air inlet in the agitator chamber of the surface cleaning head, the bottom portion of the agitator body having a width corresponding to a width of a bottom opening of the agitator chamber, wherein first and second ends of the agitator body are configured to engage the agitator chamber without engaging a drive member in the agitator chamber; at least one cleaning pad supported on a pad support member on at least one side of the bottom portion of the agitator body; and a seal around the air outlet. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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23. The removable non-driven agitator 22 further comprising a plurality of projections on an opposite side of the bottom portion, the projections being configured to engage associated slots on one side of the agitator chamber.
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26. The removable non-driven agitator 22 wherein the cleaning pad includes a felt pad.
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27. The removable non-driven agitator 22 wherein the cleaning pad includes a brush pad.
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28. The removable non-driven agitator 22 wherein the bottom portion of the agitator body includes at least one space for receiving bars extending across the bottom opening of the agitator chamber.
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29. The removable non-driven agitator 22 wherein the at least one cleaning pad is removably attached to the cleaning pad support.
Specification