Spring retainer for vacuum cleaner nozzle brush

• US 4,592,111 A
• Filed: 02/25/1985
• Issued: 06/03/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: First Union National Bank Of North Carolina
• Original Assignee: Shop-Vac Corporation (Hangzhou Great Star Industrial Company Limited)
• Inventors: Berfield, Robert C.
• Primary Examiner(s): MOORE, CHRISTOPHER K
• Application Number:
  US06/704,944
• Time in Patent Office: 463 Days
• Field of Search: 15/365, 15/367, 15/371, 15/373, 15/398
• US Class Current: 15/371
• 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

Abstract

A nozzle for a vacuum suction cleaner has a suction inlet on its bottom surface, and behind the inlet, the nozzle has a brush receiving chamber. The brush comprises a support bar in the brush chamber and the support bar supports depending bristles. A respective spring at both lateral ends of the brush chamber presses against the bristle support bar and urges the brush out of the housing. A respective spring supporting retainer which is integral with each spring is clipped to each of two projections at the lateral ends of the brush chamber and that spring supporting retainer is removable from its projection to facilitate removal of the brush from the brush chamber.

Claims

1. A nozzle with a retactable brush for the intake of a vacuum cleaner, wherein the nozzle comprises:

a nozzle housing having a bottom side and having lateral ends;

a suction inlet which opens to the bottom side of the housing;

the inlet having a first side with respect to motion of the nozzle housing;

the first side of the inlet being defined in the housing;

a respective brush carrier in the housing and located toward each lateral end of the housing and also located outside of and at the first side of the inlet;

a brush extending along the first side of the inlet;

the brush including a supporting element for being supported in the housing and including brushing means supported beneath the supporting element and projecting beneath the bottom side of the housing for brushing material before the brush as the nozzle housing is moved;

a respective integral brush spring and spring retainer for each brush carrier, and comprising;

a respective retaining means for engaging the respective brush carrier in the housing;

each retaining means also being for holding the brush supporting element removably in the housing,

a spring attached to and extending from the retaining means, the spring extending into contact with the brush supporting element and normally urging the brush supporting element out of the bottom side of the housing, and

a shelf formed on the retaining means and projecting beneath a part of the brush supporting element for preventing the brush supporting element from moving fully out of the housing while permitting the brush supporting element to shift into the housing against the bias of the spring.

2. The nozzle of claim 1, wherein the spring also extends from the brush supporting element toward the housing, and the spring is placed and shaped to be movable against the housing as the brush supporting element is moved into the housing against the bias of the spring.

3. The nozzle of claim 1, wherein the spring and spring retainer are both of plastic.

4. The nozzle of claim 3, wherein the spring and spring retainer are an integral one piece unit.

5. The nozzle of claim 1, further comprising the nozzle housing defining a brush cavity that is located outside the inlet and at the first side of the inlet;

the brush carrier, the spring and the retaining means being disposed in the brush cavity;

the brush cavity having a first wall at the first side of the inlet and having a second wall which is spaced from the first wall for defining the brush cavity between the first and second walls;

the brush supporting element being of a front to back width to contact the first and second walls of the brush cavity for preventing the brush supporting element and the brush from shifting toward either of the first and second walls as the nozzle housing is moved in either of the directions toward the first and second walls.

6. The nozzle of claim 1, wherein the spring is a leaf spring, including a rounded section which extends from the retaining means and rests upon the brush supporting element, and including an extension from the rounded section of the spring, which extension is for pressing upon the housing at the interior thereof as the brush supporting element is pushed into the brush cavity.

7. The nozzle of claim 6, wherein the spring and the retaining means are an integral one piece structure.

8. The nozzle of claim 7, wherein the spring and the retaining means are both of plastic.

9. The nozzle of claim 1, wherein the brushing means comprises bristles projecting a length that with the brush supporting element resting on the shelves of both the retaining means, the bristles project a distance beneath the bottom side of the housing so that pressure applied to the bristles urge the brush and the brush supporting element into the housing against the bias of the spring.

10. The nozzle of claim 1, wherein the retaining means is removably clipped to the respective brush carrier therefor.

11. The nozzle of claim 10, wherein the brush carrier comprises a projection supported in the nozzle housing and extending toward the bottom side of the housing, and the retaining means includes a leg for engaging the projection.

12. The nozzle of claim 11, wherein the retaining means comprises a pair of legs which engage the projection along opposite sides thereof.

13. The nozzle of claim 12, further comprising the nozzle housing defining a brush cavity that is located outside the inlet and at the first side of the inlet;

the brush carrier, the spring and the retaining means being disposed in the brush cavity;

the brush cavity having a first wall at the first side of the inlet and having a second wall which is spaced from the first wall for defining the brush cavity between the first and second walls;

the brush supporting element being of a front to back width to contact the first and second walls of the brush cavity for preventing the brush supporting element and the brush from shifting toward either of the first and second walls as the nozzle housing is moved in either of the directions toward the first and second walls.

14. The nozzle of claim 12, wherein the shelf is attached to the legs of the respective retaining means and extends a distance from the respective legs toward the other lateral end of the housing.

15. The nozzle of claim 14, wherein the projection includes a respective second shelf thereon and the retaining means leg facing that projection has a respective surface that is seated on the shelf for latching the retaining means to the projection, and that leg of the retaining means being deformable for unlatching the retaining means from the projection.