Brush mounting and torsion spring support for powered nozzle

• US 4,014,068 A
• Filed: 04/03/1975
• Issued: 03/29/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Maytag Corporation (Whirlpool Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Hoover Company (Whirlpool Corporation)
• Inventors: Payne, Rex E., Aegerter, Henry F. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Christopher K.
• Application Number:
  US05/564,808
• Time in Patent Office: 726 Days
• Field of Search: 5/339, 5/355, 5/359, 5/360, 5/368, 5/371, 5/373
• US Class Current: 15/355
• 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 9/0653 with mechanical actuation, e.g. using a lever

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner nozzle is provided having resilient means, disposed between it and its handle, to prevent displacement of the nozzle from the floor during cleaning and also having a litter collecting brush that is spring biased into floor engaging position and height adjustable so that the nozzle is usable on bare floor and carpeted surfaces. Height adjustment is occasioned by a reciprocal bar having dimpled camming surfaces formed integrally in its top surface, with this bar being lever actuated and including an indicating means to guide the user during cleaning.

Claims

1. A counterbalanced rug and floor nozzle having a handle and including:

a. a housing for forming the major portion of the outline of the nozzle,

b. a bottom plate attached to said housing,

c. an elongated aperture in said bottom plate,

d. brush means mounted with said bottom plate and extending through said elongated aperture,

e. means for mounting said brush means to said bottom plate for limited movement inwardly and outwardly of said nozzle,

f. said mounting means including a leaf spring arrangement resiliently urging said brush means outwardly and adjustable means interposable between said leaf spring arrangement and said bottom plate for moving said brush means against said resilient urging to retract said brush means into said nozzle,

g. said adjustable means including a generally flat bar lying against said bottom plate and having shaped protrusions formed integrally thereon so each smoothly varies in depth from a minimum adjacent its one end to a maximum adjacent its other end to thereby provide a smooth, gradual camming ramp and said bar reciprocal relative to said bottom plate to simultaneously interpose more or less of said shaped protrusions and thereby more or less of the depth of the camming ramps between said leaf spring arrangement and said bottom plate so that said brush means is adjustably moved inwardly and outwardly of said aperture, and

h. torsion spring means attached to said hausing for reacting thereagainst for counterbalancing the same during use, said torsion spring having its other reaction point against said handle.

2. A counterbalanced rug and floor nozzle set out in claim 1 wherein;

a. said generally flat bar is guided in its reciprocal movements by tab and groove structure in said bottom plate and said flat bar.

3. A counterbalanced rug and floor nozzle as set out in claim 1 wherein;

a. said generally flat bar is moved in its reciprocating action by a lever attached thereto and pivoted to said bottom plate.

4. A counterbalanced rug and floor nozzle as set out in claim 1 wherein;

a. means for indicating brush height adjustment occasioned by said flat bar are provided attached to said flat bar.

5. A counterbalanced rug and floor nozzle as set out in claim 1 wherein;

a. said nozzle includes rearward portions mounting a wheel carrying axle, and

b. said torsion spring is disposed about said axle.

6. A counterbalanced rug and floor nozzle as set out in claim 1 wherein;

a. said reaction point of said torsion spring with said housing is formed by the termination of a groove in said housing.

7. A counterbalanced rug and floor nozzle as set out in claim 1 wherein;

a. said flat bar is captured between said leaf spring arrangement and said bottom plate.

8. A counterbalanced rug and floor nozzle as set out in claim 1 wherein;

a. a lever is provided for actuation of said flat bar, and

b. means for indicating brush height is mounted with said lever to move therewith.

9. A counterbalanced rug and floor nozzle as set out in claim 8 wherein;

a. spacing tabs are formed integrally with said flat bar,

b. said spacing tabs ride on said bottom plate as said flat bar reciprocates to space the major planar extent of said flat bar from the portion of the bottom plate which it overlies.

10. A rug and floor nozzle having;

a. a downwardly opening housing,

b. a bottom pan for said housing including a brush receiving aperture,

c. a reciprocating flat bar lying against said bottom pan and movably attached to said bottom pan,

d. tear shaped cams formed on said reciprocating flat bar,

e. brush means mounted on said bottom pan and extending through said aperture and including means for mounting said brush means resiliently on said bottom pan, and

f. said tear shaped cams being movably interposed between said mounting means and said bottom pan to thereby control the distance said brush means extends out of said aperture.

11. A rug and floor nozzle including;

a. a housing for forming the major portion of the outline of the nozzle,

b. a bottom plate attached to said housing,

c. an elongated aperture in said bottom plate,

d. brush means mounted with said bottom plate and extending through said elongated aperture,

e. means for mounting said brush means to said bottom plate for limited movement inwardly and outwardly of said nozzle,

f. said mounting means including a leaf spring arrangement resiliently urging said brush means outwardly and adjustable means interposable between said leaf spring arrangement and said bottom plate for moving said brush means against said resilient urging to retract said brush means into said nozzle,

g. said adjustable means including a generally flat bar lying against said bottom plate and having shaped protrusions formed integrally thereon, each having an equally smooth and varying depth, said generally flat bar reciprocal relative to said bottom plate to interpose said shaped protrusions between said leaf spring arrangement and said bottom plate, and

h. said brush means extending outwardly of said nozzle dependent upon the depth of that portion of each of the shaped protrusions interposed between said leaf spring arrangement and said bottom plate.

12. The rug and floor nozzle of claim 11 wherein;

a. said integral protrusions on said generally flat bar are substantially tear shaped.