Height adjustment system for vacuum cleaner
First Claim
1. A vacuum cleaner comprising:
- a base having a suction inlet;
a front wheel, said front wheel rotatably attached to an axle, said axle being secured to said base and being selectively swingable downwardly to selectively raise said suction inlet of said base from a use position on a subjacent floor surface to a non-use position;
a handle pivotably attached to said base, said handle selectively swingable to an upright non-use position or an angled use position, said use position suitable for a user to propel said vacuum cleaner over the floor surface and said upright non-use position being employed when said vacuum cleaner is stationary;
a rotating brush rotatably affixed to said base adjacent said suction inlet, said rotating brush contacting said floor surface in said use position of said suction inlet;
elevating means for elevating said suction inlet from said use position to said non-use position upon movement of said handle from said angled use position to said upright non-use position, wherein in said non-use position said suction inlet is raised above said floor surface so that the rotating brush generally does not contact said floor surface, said elevating means comprising a finger movably positioned in said base and operatively contacting said axle, said finger having first and second ends; and
,a fulcrum plate having a first edge and a second edge, said fulcrum plate operatively connected to said axle, said second end of said finger connected to said first edge of said fulcrum plate, downward movement of said finger causing said first edge of said fulcrum plate to move downwardly, thereby raising said second edge of said fulcrum plate, said second edge of said fulcrum plate contacting said base near said suction inlet and rotating brush, said downward movement by said finger moving said axle downwardly thereby raising said suction inlet to said non-use position.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A height adjustment system for an upright vacuum cleaner comprises a cam member with a cam surface. The cam member is mounted within a base and includes rollers which facilitate the sliding lateral movement of the cam member within the base. The rollers roll within a channel within the base. Notches are formed in the side walls of the channel and receive a resiliently deformable indexing member which locates and fixes a cam follower at discrete points along the cam surface. A secondary height adjustment system comprises a ledge located on a housing which is attached to a handle. When the handle of the vacuum cleaner is rotated from a use position to an upright locked position, the ledge on the housing displaces a finger which pushes against a fulcrum plate attached to an axle connected to the front wheels of the vacuum cleaner. When the axle is so displaced, the front wheels swing downwardly, thereby raising the rotating brush above the floor surface so that the floor surface to be cleaned is not damaged while the vacuum remains stationary.
49 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A vacuum cleaner comprising:
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a base having a suction inlet; a front wheel, said front wheel rotatably attached to an axle, said axle being secured to said base and being selectively swingable downwardly to selectively raise said suction inlet of said base from a use position on a subjacent floor surface to a non-use position; a handle pivotably attached to said base, said handle selectively swingable to an upright non-use position or an angled use position, said use position suitable for a user to propel said vacuum cleaner over the floor surface and said upright non-use position being employed when said vacuum cleaner is stationary; a rotating brush rotatably affixed to said base adjacent said suction inlet, said rotating brush contacting said floor surface in said use position of said suction inlet; elevating means for elevating said suction inlet from said use position to said non-use position upon movement of said handle from said angled use position to said upright non-use position, wherein in said non-use position said suction inlet is raised above said floor surface so that the rotating brush generally does not contact said floor surface, said elevating means comprising a finger movably positioned in said base and operatively contacting said axle, said finger having first and second ends; and
,a fulcrum plate having a first edge and a second edge, said fulcrum plate operatively connected to said axle, said second end of said finger connected to said first edge of said fulcrum plate, downward movement of said finger causing said first edge of said fulcrum plate to move downwardly, thereby raising said second edge of said fulcrum plate, said second edge of said fulcrum plate contacting said base near said suction inlet and rotating brush, said downward movement by said finger moving said axle downwardly thereby raising said suction inlet to said non-use position. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A vacuum cleaner comprising:
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a base having a suction inlet; wheels, said wheels rotatably attached to said base for supporting said base on a subjacent support surface in a use position of said suction inlet, said wheels being selectively swingable downwardly in relation to said base to raise said suction inlet from the support surface to a non-use position; a rotating brush affixed to said base adjacent said suction inlet, said rotating brush having a certain elevation above the support surface in said use position of said suction inlet and a different elevation in said non-use position of said suction inlet; and
,adjusting means for adjusting the height of said suction inlet from said use position to said non-use position, said adjusting means comprising a cam member and a cam follower, said cam follower connected to said wheels, said cam member mounted within said base and having a cam surface and rollers, said rollers rotatably contacting said base thereby reducing friction between said base and said cam surface and enabling said cam member to slide easily across said base, said cam surface cooperating with said cam follower to adjust the height of said suction inlet. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A vacuum cleaner comprising:
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a base having a suction inlet; an axle attached to said base, said axle having first and second ends; wheels rotatably attached to said ends of said axle; adjusting means for adjusting the height of said suction inlet over an associated floor surface, said adjusting means comprising a cam member and a cam follower, said cam follower comprising; a cam follower frame; a cam follower point located on said cam follower frame, said cam follower point contacting a cam surface of said cam member; biasing means for biasing said cam follower point against said cam surface; and
,attaching means for attaching said cam follower frame to said axle wherein said attaching means for attaching said cam follower frame to said axle comprises a clip, said clip being resiliently deformable about said axle and attaching said cam follower thereto. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. A vacuum cleaner comprising:
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a base having a suction inlet; a wheel axle attached to said base, said wheel axle having first and second ends; wheels rotatably attached to said ends of said wheel axle for supporting said base on a subjacent surface; adjusting means for adjusting the height of said suction inlet over an associated floor surface, said adjusting means comprising a cam member, said cam member comprising; a housing, said housing comprising first and second side walls and a bottom wall, said bottom wall extending between said side walls, said bottom wall having an upper surface and a lower surface, said lower surface being a cam surface which cooperates with an associated cam follower; a first roller axle, said first roller axle mounted and extending between said first and second housing side walls; and a first roller contacting said base and allowing said cam member to slide in relation to said base, said first roller being rotatably mounted on said first roller axle. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A vacuum cleaner comprising:
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a base, said base comprising an upper surface and a lower surface on which is located a suction inlet, said upper surface having a channel defined by upwardly extending first and second side walls, said channel including a floor having a slot therein; a rotating brush mounted in said base adjacent said suction inlet; height adjustment means for adjusting the height of said suction inlet over an associated surface to be cleaned, said height adjustment means comprising; a cam member, said cam member mounted within said base and comprising; a housing, said housing comprising third and fourth side walls and a second floor, said floor extending between said third and fourth side walls, said floor having an upper and lower surface, said lower surface being a cam surface; a center projection, said center projection having top, bottom, and first and second side surfaces, said bottom surface of said center projection attached to said floor of said cam member housing, said top surface of said center projection extending up through said slot and into said channel of said base; a cam follower, said cam follower comprising; a cam follower frame, said cam follower frame mounted within said base; and
,a cam follower point attached to said cam follower frame, said cam follower point contacting said cam surface of said cam member. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A vacuum cleaner comprising:
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a base having a suction inlet; a rotating brush, said rotating brush rotatably affixed to said base adjacent said suction inlet, said suction inlet and rotating brush being moveable between use and non-use positions, said rotating brush contacting and agitating an associated floor surface in said use position and being raised above said floor surface in said non-use position, so that in said non-use position said rotating brush generally does not contact said floor surface; front wheels; an axle, said front wheels rotatably attached to first and second ends of said axle, said axle being selectively swingable downwardly to raise said suction inlet of said base and said rotating brush from said use position to said non-use position; a handle pivotably attached to said base, said handle selectively swingable to an upright non-use position or an angled use position, said handle use position suitable for a user to propel said vacuum cleaner over an associated floor surface and said handle upright position suitable for locking said handle in said upright position when said vacuum cleaner is stationary; a first housing, said first housing attached to said handle and pivotable therewith, said first housing having a first ledge; a finger, said finger movably mounted in said base and having first and second ends, said first end of said finger selectively contacting said first ledge of said first housing and being selectively displaceable downwardly thereby; and
,a fulcrum plate located in said base, said fulcrum plate having first and second oppositely disposed edges and a fulcrum point therebetween, said second end of said finger attached to said first edge of said fulcrum plate and said second edge of said fulcrum plate contacting said base near said suction inlet and said rotating brush; pivoting movement by said handle to said upright position causing rotation of said first ledge on said first housing to displace said finger downwardly, said second end of said finger displacing said first edge of said fulcrum plate and raising said second edge of said fulcrum plate, thereby swinging said axle downwardly to said non-use position and raising said suction inlet and rotating brush off said floor surface.
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22. A vacuum cleaner comprising:
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a base, said base having an upper surface and a lower surface with a suction inlet, said upper surface having side walls which define a channel, at least one of said side walls having notches; a height adjustment means to raise a rotating brush located in said base adjacent said suction inlet to different heights over the surface to be cleaned, said height adjustment means comprising; a cam follower operatively secured to said base; a cam member mounted within said base, said cam member comprising; a cam surface cooperating with said cam follower to raise said suction inlet to different heights; and a center projection; a cam lever positioned in said channel of said base, said cam lever having an inner surface and an outer surface, said center projection extending upwardly from said cam member into said channel through a slot in said channel, said cam lever receiving said center projection and being affixed thereto. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification