STEERING ASSEMBLY FOR SURFACE CLEANING DEVICE

• US 20120090105A1
• Filed: 10/14/2011
• Published: 04/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Techtronic Floor Care Technology Limited (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Techtronic Floor Care Technology Limited (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Inventors: Henderson, Gregg A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,869,349 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/3
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/28 Suction cleaners with handles and nozzles fixed on the casings, e.g. wheeled suction cleaners with steering handle A47L5/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/02 Nozzles suction nozzles for fluid transport B65G51/00
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/242 Hose or pipe couplings
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/325 for wheeled suction cleaners with steering handle

Abstract

A surface cleaning device having a steering assembly is provided. The surface cleaning device includes a foot, a handle assembly with a user manipulated handle, and a steering assembly coupling the handle assembly to the foot. The steering assembly includes a means for biasing the foot with respect to the handle assembly. Movement of the handle assembly stores energy within the biasing means so that the biasing means exerts a corresponding force on the foot.

Claims

1. A surface cleaning device operable to clean a surface, the surface cleaning device comprising:

a foot;

a handle assembly including a user manipulated handle; and

a biasing member coupled between the handle assembly and the foot, wherein movement of the handle assembly stores energy within the biasing member such that the biasing member exerts a corresponding force on the foot.

2. The surface cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the foot includes a suction opening.

3. The surface cleaning device of claim 2, wherein the surface cleaning device is an upright vacuum cleaner and wherein the handle assembly includes a dirt collection chamber and a motor housing, wherein the suction opening is fluidly coupled to the dirt collection chamber.

4. The surface cleaning device of claim 2, wherein the surface cleaning device is a canister vacuum cleaner further comprising a canister housing having a dirt collection chamber and a motor housing, and wherein the handle assembly includes a handle and a tube extending between the handle and the foot, wherein the suction opening is fluidly coupled to the dirt collection chamber.

5. The surface cleaning device of claim 2, wherein the surface cleaning device is a wet vacuum cleaner and wherein the handle assembly includes a liquid recovery chamber and a motor housing, wherein the suction opening is fluidly coupled to the liquid recovery chamber.

6. The surface cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the foot includes a dispensing port.

7. The surface cleaning device of claim 6, wherein the handle assembly includes a clean liquid tank for carrying liquid and wherein the clean liquid tank is fluidly coupled to the dispensing port, such that the dispensing port dispenses liquid from the clean liquid tank on the surface.

8. The surface cleaning device of claim 6, wherein the handle assembly includes a heating element that stores liquid, such that said heating element can heat the stored liquid to create steam, and wherein the heating element is fluidly coupled to the dispensing port such that the dispensing port dispenses steam created by the heating element on the surface.

9. The surface cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the surface cleaning device is a sweeper and wherein the foot includes a cloth for sweeping the surface.

10. The surface cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the handle assembly includes a longitudinal axis, and wherein rotation of the handle assembly about the longitudinal axis stores energy within the biasing member such that the biasing member exerts a corresponding force on the foot to encourage turning of the foot.

11. The surface cleaning device of claim 10, wherein the biasing member turns the foot when the foot is moved one of forward and backward.

12. The surface cleaning device of claim 1, wherein movement of the handle assembly relative to the foot in a turning direction stores energy within the biasing member such that the biasing member exerts a corresponding force on the foot in the turning direction.

13. The surface cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the foot includes a foot housing, front wheels rotatably coupled to a front portion of the foot housing, and rear wheels rotatably coupled to a rear portion of the foot housing.

14. The surface cleaning device of claim 1, wherein the biasing member includes a resilient compressive member having a first portion rotationally fixed relative to the handle assembly and a second portion rotationally fixed relative to the foot, wherein movement of the handle assembly moves the first portion relative to the second portion to store energy between the first and second portions within the biasing member such that the biasing member exerts a corresponding force on the foot.

15. A surface cleaning device operable to remove debris from a surface, the surface cleaning device comprising:

a foot;

a handle assembly including a user manipulated handle; and

a steering assembly that pivotally couples the handle assembly to the foot, the steering assembly including

a first pivot member coupled to a lower portion of the handle assembly such that the first pivot member rotates with the handle assembly about a pivot axis,

a second pivot member coupled to the foot such that the second pivot member rotates with the foot about the pivot axis, the first and second pivot members coupled to each other for relative rotation about the pivot axis, and

a biasing member coupled to the first pivot member and the second pivot member to resist relative rotation between the first pivot member and the second pivot member about the pivot axis, wherein rotation of the handle assembly and the first pivot member about the pivot axis stores energy within the biasing member such that the biasing member exerts a corresponding force on the second pivot member and the foot to encourage turning of the foot.

16. The surface cleaning device of claim 15, wherein the foot includes a suction opening.

17. The surface cleaning device of claim 16, wherein the surface cleaning device is an upright vacuum cleaner and wherein the handle assembly includes a dirt collection chamber and a motor housing, wherein the suction opening is fluidly coupled to the dirt collection chamber.

18. The surface cleaning device of claim 16, wherein the surface cleaning device is a canister vacuum cleaner further comprising a canister housing having a dirt collection chamber and a motor housing, and wherein the handle assembly includes a handle and a tube extending between the handle and the foot, wherein the suction opening is fluidly coupled to the dirt collection chamber.

19. The surface cleaning device of claim 16, wherein the surface cleaning device is a wet vacuum cleaner and wherein the handle assembly includes a liquid recovery chamber and a motor housing, wherein the suction opening is fluidly coupled to the liquid recovery chamber.

20. The surface cleaning device of claim 15, wherein the foot includes a dispensing port.

21. The surface cleaning device of claim 20, wherein the handle assembly includes a clean liquid tank for carrying liquid and wherein the clean liquid tank is fluidly coupled to the dispensing port such that the dispensing port dispenses liquid from the clean liquid tank on the surface.

22. The surface cleaning device of claim 20, wherein the handle assembly includes a heating element that stores liquid, such that said heating element can heat the stored liquid to create steam, and wherein the heating element is fluidly coupled to the dispensing port such that the dispensing port dispenses steam created by the heating element on the surface.

23. The surface cleaning device of claim 15, wherein the surface cleaning device is a sweeper and wherein the foot includes a cloth for sweeping the surface.

24. The surface cleaning device of claim 15, wherein the handle assembly includes a longitudinal axis, and wherein the longitudinal axis of the handle assembly is angled relative to the pivot axis.

25. The surface cleaning device of claim 24, wherein the longitudinal axis and the pivot axis define an included angle of between 30 to 60 degrees.

26. The surface cleaning device of claim 24, wherein the longitudinal axis and the pivot axis define an included angle of between 40 to 50 degrees.

27. The surface cleaning device of claim 15, wherein the biasing member turns the foot when the foot is moved one of forward and backward.

28. The surface cleaning device of claim 15, wherein the foot includes a foot housing, front wheels rotatably coupled to a front portion of the foot housing, and rear wheels rotatably coupled to a rear portion of the foot housing.

29. The surface cleaning device of claim 15, wherein the handle assembly, first pivot member, biasing member, and second pivot member are pivotable as a unit relative to the foot about an incline axis that is perpendicular to the pivot axis.

30. The surface cleaning device of claim 29, wherein the incline axis is horizontal.

31. A surface cleaning device operable to remove debris from a surface, the surface cleaning device comprising:

a foot;

a handle assembly including a user manipulated handle; and

a steering assembly coupling the handle assembly to the foot and including a means for biasing the foot with respect to the handle assembly, wherein movement of the handle assembly stores energy within the biasing means such that the biasing means exerts a corresponding force on the foot.

32. The surface cleaning device of claim 31, wherein the foot includes a suction opening.

33. The surface cleaning device of claim 32, wherein the surface cleaning device is an upright vacuum cleaner and wherein the handle assembly includes a dirt collection chamber and a motor housing, wherein the suction opening is fluidly coupled to the dirt collection chamber.

34. The surface cleaning device of claim 32, wherein the surface cleaning device is a canister vacuum cleaner further comprising a canister housing having a dirt collection chamber and a motor housing, and wherein the handle assembly includes a handle and a tube extending between the handle and the foot, wherein the suction opening is fluidly coupled to the dirt collection chamber.

35. The surface cleaning device of claim 32, wherein the surface cleaning device is a wet vacuum cleaner and wherein the handle assembly includes a liquid recovery chamber and a motor housing, wherein the suction opening is fluidly coupled to the liquid recovery chamber.

36. The surface cleaning device of claim 31, wherein the foot includes a dispensing port.

37. The surface cleaning device of claim 36, wherein the handle assembly includes a clean liquid tank for carrying liquid and wherein the clean liquid tank is fluidly coupled to the dispensing port, such that the dispensing port dispenses liquid from the clean liquid tank on the surface.

38. The surface cleaning device of claim 36, wherein the handle assembly includes a heating element that stores liquid, such that said heating element can heat the stored liquid to create steam, and wherein the heating element is fluidly coupled to the dispensing port, such that the dispensing port dispenses steam created by the heating element on the surface.

39. The surface cleaning device of claim 31, wherein the surface cleaning device is a sweeper and wherein the foot includes a cloth for sweeping the surface.

40. The surface cleaning device of claim 31, wherein the handle assembly includes a longitudinal axis, and wherein rotation of the handle assembly about the longitudinal axis stores energy within the biasing means such that the biasing means exerts a corresponding force on the foot to encourage turning of the foot.

41. The surface cleaning device of claim 40, wherein the biasing means turns the foot when the foot is moved one of forward and backward.

42. The surface cleaning device of claim 31, wherein movement of the handle assembly relative to the foot in a turning direction stores energy within the biasing means such that the biasing means exerts a corresponding force on the foot in the turning direction.

43. The surface cleaning device of claim 31, wherein the foot includes a foot housing, front wheels rotatably coupled to a front portion of the foot housing, and rear wheels rotatably coupled to a rear portion of the foot housing.