Vacuum cleaners

• US 5,084,934 A
• Filed: 04/29/1991
• Issued: 02/04/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cochran, John R., Bailey, Rouse R. Jr., Lessig, William R. III
• Primary Examiner(s): MOORE, CHRISTOPHER K
• Application Number:
  US07/692,647
• Time in Patent Office: 281 Days
• Field of Search: 15/325, 15/364, 15/366, 15/384
• US Class Current: 15/325
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/30 with driven dust-loosening tools, e.g. rotating brushes

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner has a power brush which projects dirt particles directly into a specially formed and located vacuum nozzle in such a manner that low air consumption can be used. The vacuum nozzle has an inlet extending along the full axial length of the power brush. Inclined grooming brushes may be provided to eliminate wheel tracks. The front wall forwardly of the power brush may be modified to provide front edge cleaning. A cordless upright vacuum cleaner may advantageously be provided having a cleaning performance comparable with that of mains powered upright cleaners.

Claims

1. An upright vacuum cleaner for cleaning carpet, comprising:

a handle connected to a base for manipulating the vacuum cleaner forwards and backwards over the carpet to be cleaned;

said base containing a floor brush rotatable about an axis parallel to the surface of the carpet, and a vacuum nozzle;

said nozzle having an inlet spaced from said brush and extending along the length of said brush;

said nozzle having an air passageway communicating with and extending from said inlet, after no more than an initial section adjacent said inlet said passageway having a constant cross-sectional area;

means for rotating said brush about said axis to sweep dirt from the carpet through said inlet;

means for sucking air through said inlet and said passageway;

said base having a front wall with said brush being disposed immediately adjacent but rearwardly of said front wall;

said front wall being resiliently yieldable rearwardly when said base is pressed forwardly against a room wall to enable said brush to contact and sweep the surface of the carpet at an edge location thereof abutting said room wall;

grooming brushes rotatably carried by said base and disposed rearwardly of said nozzle, said grooming brushes extending transversely to the forwards and backwards manipulation of the vacuum cleaner over the carpet; and

a plurality of wheels supporting said base on but above the carpet, said wheels being located between said floor brush and said grooming brushes, and said wheels being located transversely inwards of the transversely outermost ends of said grooming brushes and transversely inwards of outer ends of said floor brush, the location of said wheels relative to said brushes enabling said brushes to brush out all wheel tracks on the carpet in both forward and backward manipulation of the vacuum cleaner on the carpet.

2. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein said grooming brushes are inclined to the axis of said floor brush.

3. The vacuum cleaner of claim 2, wherein said grooming brushes are each so inclined at an angle in the range 5 to 20 degrees.

4. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein there are two freely rotatable grooming brush equally but oppositely inclined to said floor brush at an angle of 10 degrees, said grooming brushes being rotated by the forwards and backwards manipulation of the vacuum cleaner over the carpet, and the two grooming brushes together extending the width of said base.

5. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, including a rechargeable battery for powering said air sucking means and said brush rotating means.

6. The vacuum cleaner of claim 5, including a housing pivotally connected to said base, said handle extending from said housing, and said battery being removably housed in a battery compartment in said housing.

7. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a body with a handle connected thereto for manipulating the body in forward and rearward directions over a surface to be cleaned;

said body containing a power rotated brush arrangement, a grooming brush arrangement, and a vacuum nozzle;

said grooming brush arrangement comprising a plurality of freely rotatable grooming brushes inclined at acute angles to said power brush arrangement, forward and backwards movement of said body over said surface causing said grooming brushes to rotate by engagement with said surface to effect a brushing action on said surface;

wheels supporting said body for movement over said surface;

said power brush arrangement extending transversely across said body at one end thereof, and said grooming brush arrangement extending transversely across said body at an opposite end thereof;

said wheels being disposed between said power brush and said grooming brush arrangements in said forward and rearward directions; and

said wheels being located transversely inwards of transversely outermost ends of said power brush and grooming brush arrangements, the location of said wheels relative to said brush arrangements enabling said brush arrangements to brush out all wheel marks on the surface being cleaned regardless of whether the vacuum cleaner is manipulated forwardly or rearwardly.

8. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a body with a handle connected thereto for manipulating the body in forward and rearward directions over a surface to be cleaned;

said body containing a power rotated brush arrangement, a grooming brush arrangement, and a vacuum nozzle;

wheels supporting said body for movement over said surface;

said power brush arrangement extending transversely across said body at one end thereof, and said grooming brush arrangement extending transversely across said body at an opposite end thereof;

said wheels being disposed between said power brush and said grooming brush arrangements in said forward and rearward directions;

said wheels being located transversely inwards of transversely outermost ends of said power brush and grooming brush arrangements, the location of said wheels relative to said brush arrangements enabling said brush arrangements to brush out all wheel marks on the surface being cleaned regardless of whether the vacuum cleaner is manipulated forwardly or rearwardly; and

said grooming brush arrangement comprising grooming brushes each inclined to said power brush arrangement at an angle in the range 5 to 20 degrees.

9. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a body with a handle connected thereto for manipulating the body in forward and rearward directions over a surface to be cleaned;

said body containing a power rotated brush arrangement, a grooming brush arrangement, and a vacuum nozzle;

wheels supporting said body for movement over said surface;

said power brush arrangement extending transversely across said body at one end thereof, and said grooming brush arrangement extending transversely across said body at an opposite end thereof;

said wheels being disposed between said power brush and said grooming brush arrangements in said forward and rearward directions;

said wheels being located transversely inwards of transversely outermost ends of said power brush and grooming brush arrangements, the location of said wheels relative to said brush arrangements enabling said brush arrangements to brush out all wheel marks on the surface being cleaned regardless of whether the vacuum cleaner is manipulated forwardly or rearwardly; and

said grooming brush arrangement having two freely rotatable grooming brushes equally but oppositely inclined to said power brush arrangement at an angle of 10 degrees, the grooming brushes being rotated by the forward and rearward manipulation of the vacuum cleaner over the surface being cleaned.

10. Apparatus for use in vacuum cleaning carpet, comprising:

a handle connected to a base for manipulating the apparatus forwards and backwards over the carpet to be cleaned;

said base containing a floor brush arrangement rotatably driven about an axis parallel to the surface of the carpet, and a vacuum nozzle;

grooming brushes carried by said base and spaced from said floor brush arrangement, said grooming brushes extending transversely to the forwards and backwards manipulation of the apparatus over the carpet;

said grooming brushes being non-driven and each being freely rotatable about respective axes which are not parallel to said axis of said floor brush arrangement, forwards and backwards manipulation of the apparatus over the carpet causing said grooming brushes to rotate by engagement with and relative to the carpet to produce a grooming action on the carpet; and

a plurality of wheels supporting said base on the carpet, said wheels being located between said floor brush arrangement and said grooming brushes, and said wheels being located transversely inwards of the transversely outermost ends of said grooming brushes and transversely inwards of outermost ends of said floor brush arrangement, the location of said wheels relative to said grooming brushes and said floor brush arrangement enabling all wheel tracks made by said wheels on the carpet in both forward and backward manipulation of the apparatus on the carpet to be brushed out.

11. Apparatus for use in vacuum cleaning carpet, comprising:

a handle connected to a base for manipulating the apparatus forwards and backwards over the carpet to be cleaned;

said base containing a floor brush rotatably driven about an axis parallel to the surface of the carpet, and a vacuum nozzle;

grooming brushes rotatably carried by said base and spaced from said floor brush, said grooming brushes extending transversely to the forwards and backwards manipulation of the apparatus over the carpet;

said grooming brushes being inclined to the axis of said floor brush; and

a plurality of wheels supporting said base on but above the carpet, said wheels being located between said floor brush and said grooming brushes, and said wheels being located transversely inwards of the transversely outermost ends of said grooming brushes and transversely inwards of outer ends of said floor brush, the location of said wheels relative to said brushes enabling said brushes to brush out all wheel tracks made by said wheels on the carpet in both forward and backward manipulation of the apparatus on the carpet.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said grooming brushes are each so inclined at an angle in the range 5 to 20 degrees.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, including an electric motor for rotatably driving said floor brush.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 including a fan for sucking air through said vacuum nozzle.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said plurality of wheels comprises four wheels separately and freely rotatably mounted in said base adjacent outermost ends of said brushes.

13. Apparatus for use in vacuum cleaning carpet, comprising:

a handle connected to a base for manipulating the apparatus forwards and backwards over the carpet to be cleaned;

said base containing a floor brush rotatably driven about an axis parallel to the surface of the carpet, and a vacuum nozzle;

grooming brushes rotatably carried by said base and spaced from said floor brush, said grooming brushes extending transversely to the forwards and backwards manipulation of the apparatus over the carpet;

a plurality of wheels supporting said base on but above the carpet, said wheels being located between said floor brush and said grooming brushes, and said wheels being located transversely inwards of the transversely outermost ends of said grooming brushes and transversely inwards of outer ends of said floor brush, the location of said wheels relative to said brushes enabling said brushes to brush out all wheel tracks made by said wheels on the carpet in both forward and backward manipulation of the apparatus on the carpet; and

there being two freely rotatable grooming brushes equally but oppositely inclined to said floor brush at an angle of 10 degrees, said grooming brushes being rotated by the forwards and backwards manipulation of the apparatus over the carpet, and the two grooming brushes together extending the width of said base.

15. Apparatus for use in vacuum cleaning carpet, comprising:

a handle connected to a base for manipulating the apparatus forwards and backwards over the carpet to be cleaned;

said base containing a floor brush rotatably driven about an axis parallel to the surface of the carpet, and a vacuum nozzle;

grooming brushes rotatably carried by said base and spaced from said floor brush, said grooming brushes extending transversely to the forwards and backwards manipulation of the apparatus over the carpet;

a plurality of wheel supporting said base on but above the carpet, said wheels being located between said floor brush and said grooming brushes, and said wheels being located transversely inwards of the transversely outermost ends of said grooming brushes and transversely inwards of outer ends of said floor brush, the location of said wheels relative to said brushes enabling said brushes to brush out all wheel tracks made by said wheels on the carpet in both forward and backward manipulation of the apparatus on the carpet;

an electric motor for rotatably driving said floor brush;

a housing pivotally connected to said base, said handle extending from said housing;

a rechargeable battery removably housed in a battery compartment in said housing; and

said motor being mounted in said base and driven from said battery.

17. Apparatus for use in vacuum cleaning carpet, comprising:

a handle connected to a base for manipulating the apparatus forwards and backwards over the carpet to be cleaned;

said base containing a floor brush rotatably driven about an axis parallel to the surface of the carpet, and a vacuum nozzle;

grooming brushes rotatably carried by said base and spaced from said floor brush, said grooming brushes extending transversely to the forwards and backwards manipulation of the apparatus over the carpet;

a plurality of wheels supporting said base on but above the carpet, said wheels being located between said floor brush and said grooming brushes, and said wheels being located transversely inwards of the transversely outermost ends of said grooming brushes and transversely inwards of outer ends of said floor brush, the location of said wheels relative to said brushes enabling said brushes to brush out all wheel tracks made by said wheels on the carpet in both forward and backward manipulation of the apparatus on the carpet; and

said grooming brushes comprising two grooming brushes freely rotatable about respective axes which are oppositely inclined to the axis of said floor brush, forwards and backwards movement of said base over the carpet causing said two grooming brushes to rotate by engagement with the carpet to effect a sweeping action on the carpet.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein each of the two grooming brushes is inclined rearwardly towards a center of a rear wall of said base with the two grooming brushes forming a shallow V pointing rearwardly.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said base has a transverse, downwardly open forward cavity in which said floor brush is mounted, and a transverse, downwardly open rear cavity in which said two grooming brushes are mounted.