VACUUM CLEANER BASE WITH NOZZLE HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT

• US 20120131764A1
• Filed: 02/06/2012
• Published: 05/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bissell Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bissell Homecare, Inc. (Bissell Inc.)
• Inventors: Miner, Jonathan L., Moyher, George, Kasper, Gary A., Nguyen, Tom Minh, Krebs, Alan J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,752,242 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/354
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/225 Convertible suction cleaners, i.e. convertible between different types thereof, e.g. from upright suction cleaners to sledge-type suction cleaners
• 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 5/34 with height adjustment of nozzles or dust-loosening tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/00 Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0494 Height adjustment of dust-loosening tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/06 with fixed, e.g. adjustably fixed brushes or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0673 with removable brushes, combs, lips or pads
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/068 Nozzles combined with a different cleaning side, e.g. duplex nozzles or dual purpose nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/122 flat

Abstract

An upright vacuum cleaner comprises a base assembly pivotally connected to an upright assembly. The base assembly comprises housing, a support, and a foot-actuated belt drive disengaging mechanism and a ratchet ratchet-operated nozzle height adjustment mechanism for raising or lowering a suction nozzle on the base assembly relative to a surface to be cleaned. The ratchet-operated nozzle height adjustment mechanism includes a ratchet mechanism for raising and lowering the housing relative to the support.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a base assembly having a housing, a suction nozzle, a pair of wheels at a rear portion of the housing, a support at a front portion of the housing, and an adjuster between the housing and the support to selectively adjust the vertical position of the suction nozzle with respect to a surface to be cleaned;

wherein the adjuster comprises;

a ratchet mechanism movably mounted between the support and the housing for movement between a raised position and a lowered position, the ratchet mechanism being shaped to raise the housing with respect to the support in the raised position and to lower the housing with respect to the support in the lowered position;

a first actuation rod; and

a foot pedal mounted to the housing for movement between a raised position and a lowered position and adjustably connected at one end to the ratchet mechanism to incrementally move the ratchet mechanism between the raised and lower positions as the foot pedal is moved between the raised and lowered positions;

wherein the ratchet mechanism comprises one of;

(a) a drum mounted to the support and including a plurality of detents on an outer surface thereof, wherein the first actuation rod is positioned between the foot pedal and the drum and is adapted to selectively register with successive detents on the drum as the foot pedal is moved between the raised and lowered positions; and

(b) a linear track mounted to the housing, wherein the first actuation rod comprises an end that selectively moves within the linear track.

2. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 wherein the ratchet mechanism comprises the drum, and further comprises a second actuation rod that is slideably mounted to the support and has a tooth that selectively engages one of the detents and retains the drum in a predetermined position between movements of the first actuation rod.

3. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 2 wherein the foot pedal comprises a first portion and a second portion and whereby pressure on the first portion moves the first actuation rod in one direction and pressure on the second portion moves the second actuation rod.

4. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 3 wherein the ratchet mechanism further comprises a biasing member for biasing at least one of the first and second actuation rods into engagement with one of the plurality of detents.

5. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 wherein the ratchet mechanism comprises the linear track, and the linear track comprises a plurality of opposed detents and the end of the first actuation rod has lugs that selectively engage one of the opposed detents.

6. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 5 wherein the linear track comprises a plurality of detents on an upper surface thereof and the housing selectively engages one of the plurality of detents to releasably retain the linear track relative to the housing in an adjusted position.

7. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 5 wherein the housing further comprises a ramped lower surface that engages the support to selectively adjust the vertical position of the support with respect to the linear track.

8. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 wherein the ratchet mechanism comprises the linear track, and the foot pedal comprises a first portion and a second portion, whereby pressure on the first portion moves the first actuation rod in one direction along the linear track and pressure on the second portion moves the first actuation rod in another direction along the linear track.

9. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 wherein the foot pedal is pivotably mounted to the housing and is adapted to move the ratchet mechanism to the raised position by pivoting the pedal in a first direction, and to move the ratchet mechanism to the lowered position by pivoting the pedal in a second direction.