Brushroll

• US 5,272,785 A
• Filed: 12/29/1992
• Issued: 12/28/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Scott Fetzer Company (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: The Scott Fetzer Company (Berkshire Hathaway Incorporated)
• Inventors: Stegens, Alfred H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hornsby, Harvey C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Spisich, Mark
• Application Number:
  US07/998,791
• Time in Patent Office: 364 Days
• Field of Search: 15/41.1, 15/42-46, 15/48, 15/48.1, 15/48.2, 15/179, 15/182, 15/383, 15/384, 15/389, 15/391, 15/392, 384/489, 492/29, 492/47
• US Class Current: 15/179
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 13/001 Cylindrical or annular brush bodies
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0455 Bearing means therefor

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner brushroll including a tufted spindle supported by end assemblies having bearings that rotatably mount said spindle in the vacuum cleaner nozzle. The brushroll includes a spindle and improved end assemblies for supporting the spindle comprising a first member fixed to an end of said spindle, a relatively rotatable second member having a portion that is adapted to mate with mounting structure in the vacuum cleaner nozzle, a bearing which is supported by the second member and in turn supports the first member and stub shaft structure for coupling the first member with the bearing. Either the first or second member has a pair of annular walls that are radially spaced apart to define an annular channel, while the other member has an annular skirt that extends into the annular channel to form a labyrinth thread seal. The stub shaft structure may be integral with the second member and may include reinforcing shafts or inserts for strengthening the first member against bending due to the force of the drive belt.

Claims

1. In a vacuum cleaner brushroll including a tufted spindle supported by end assemblies located in respective holes at opposite ends of the spindle and in which each hole includes a surface spaced from a respective axial end of the spindle to define a bottom portion of the hole, said end assemblies having bearings that rotatably mount the spindle in a vacuum cleaner nozzle whereby rotation of the spindle is effective to pick up debris that tends to move along the spindle toward the bearings, the improvement wherein each of said end assemblies comprises a first member fixed to an end of the spindle, a second member rotatable relative to said first member, said second member having a bearing-receiving pocket and a portion that is adapted to mate with mounting structure in the vacuum cleaner nozzle, stub shaft structure extending axially inward of said first member into fixed frictional engagement with a surface defining a hole in the end of the spindle, and a bearing having a first portion fixed on said stub shaft structure and a second portion rotatable with respect to said first portion and fitted in said bearing-receiving pocket, said members cooperating to define a thread seal to protect said bearing from debris picked up during rotation of the spindle, said stub shaft structure comprises a one-piece shaft extending through an opening in said first member, said shaft having one end portion engaged with the surface defining the hole in the end of the spindle, an opposite end portion on which said first portion of said bearing is mounted and a shoulder portion having a first surface for engaging one of the spindle and first member to control the depth of insertion of said one end portion of said shaft into the hole in the end of said spindle, said shoulder portion having another surface for engaging said first portion of said bearing to locate said bearing along said opposite end portion of said shaft.

2. In a vacuum cleaner brushroll including a tufted spindle supported by end assemblies located in respective holes at opposite ends of the spindle and in which each hole includes a surface spaced from a respective axial end of the spindle to define a bottom portion of the hole, said end assemblies having bearings that rotatably mount the spindle in a vacuum cleaner nozzle whereby rotation of the spindle is effective to pick up debris that tends to move along the spindle toward the bearings, the improvement wherein each of said end assemblies comprises a first member fixed to an end of the spindle, a second member rotatable relative to said first member, said second member having a bearing-receiving pocket and a portion that is adapted to mate with mounting structure in the vacuum cleaner nozzle, stub shaft structure extending axially inward of said first member into fixed frictional engagement with a surface defining a hole in the end of the spindle, and a bearing having a first portion fixed on said stub shaft structure and a second portion rotatable with respect to said first portion and fitted in said bearing-receiving pocket, said members cooperating to define a thread seal to protect said bearing from debris picked up during rotation of the spindle one of said members having a pair of annular walls that are radially spaced apart to define an annular channel, the other of said members having an annular skirt extending into said annular channel to form a labyrinth thread seal, said one member includes an additional annular wall cooperating with one of said pair of annular walls to define an additional annular channel, said other member includes an additional annular skirt extending into said additional channel.

3. In a vacuum cleaner brushroll including a tufted spindle supported by end assemblies located in respective holes at opposite ends of the spindle and in which each hole includes a surface spaced from a respective axial end of the spindle to define a bottom portion of the hole, said end assemblies having bearings that rotatably mount the spindle in a vacuum cleaner nozzle whereby rotation of the spindle is effective to pick up debris that tends to move along the spindle toward the bearings, the improvement wherein each of said end assemblies comprises a first member fixed to an end of the spindle, a second member rotatable relative to said first member, said second member having a bearing-receiving pocket and a portion that is adapted to mate with mounting structure in the vacuum cleaner nozzle, stub shaft structure extending axially inward of said first member into fixed frictional engagement with a surface defining a hole in the end of the spindle, and a bearing having a first portion fixed on said stub shaft structure and a second portion rotatable with respect to said first portion and fitted in said hearing-receiving pocket, said members cooperating to define a thread seal to protect said bearing from debris picked up during rotation of the spindle, said stub shaft structure and said first member are a one-piece construction, said one-piece construction comprises a stub portion which is fitted in engagement with the surface defining the hole in the spindle, and further including a neck on which said first portion of the bearing is fixed, flange structure abutting the end of the spindle and a reinforcing pin inserted in said neck to reinforce the neck against bending loads applied through the bearing.

4. In a vacuum cleaner brushroll including a tufted spindle supported by end assemblies located in respective holes at opposite ends of the spindle and in which each hole includes a surface spaced from a respective axial end of the spindle to define a bottom portion of the hole, said end assemblies having bearings that rotatably mount the spindle in a vacuum cleaner nozzle whereby rotation of the spindle is effective to pick up debris that tends to move along the spindle toward the bearings, the improvement wherein each of said end assemblies comprises a first member fixed to an end of the spindle, a second member rotatable relative to said first member, said second member having a bearing-receiving pocket and a portion that is adapted to mate with mounting structure in the vacuum cleaner nozzle, stub shaft structure extending axially inward of said first member into fixed frictional engagement with a surface defining a hole in the end of the spindle, and a bearing having a first portion fixed on said stub shaft structure and a second portion rotatable with respect to said first portion and fitted in said hearing-receiving pocket, said members cooperating to define a thread seal to protect said bearing from debris picked up during rotation of the spindle, said stub shaft structure comprises a stub portion fitted into tight frictional engagement with the surface defining the hole in the spindle, said stub portion having a bore and being an integral extension of said first member, and further including a shaft fitted into the bore of said stub portion, said shaft having a projecting end on which the first portion of the bearing is mounted.

5. The improvement of claim 4 wherein said stub shaft structure comprises a stub portion fitted into tight frictional engagement with the surface defining the hole in the spindle, said stub portion having a bore, flange structure integral with said stub portion for defining said first member, and a reinforcing member surrounded by said bearing mounting portion.

6. The improvement of claim 5 wherein said reinforcing member is a shaft separate from said stub portion.

7. The improvement of claim 5 wherein said stub shaft structure includes a bearing mounting portion, said stub portion, flange structure and bearing mounting portion being a one-piece member, and wherein said reinforcing member is a pin inserted into said bearing mounting portion.

8. In a vacuum cleaner brushroll including a tufted spindle supported by end assemblies located in respective holes at opposite ends of the spindle and in which each hole includes a surface spaced from a respective axial end of the spindle to define a bottom portion of the hole, said end assemblies having bearings that rotatably mount the spindle in a vacuum cleaner nozzle whereby rotation of the spindle is effective to pick up debris that tends to move along the spindle toward said bearings, the improvement wherein each of said end assemblies comprises:

a) a one-piece construction including a first member abutting an end of the spindle and an integral stub shaft having one end frictionally engaged with a surface defining a hole in the end of the spindle and an opposite end extending axially away from the end of the spindle, a bore extending within said ends of said stub shaft and a metal reinforcing member frictionally engaged in the bore in said opposite end of said stub shaft to reinforce said opposite end against bending;

b) a second member rotatable relative to said one-piece construction and having a bearing-receiving pocket and a portion that is adapted to mate with mounting structure in said vacuum cleaner nozzle;

c) said members cooperating to form a thread seal; and

d) a bearing having a first fixed on said opposite end of said stub shaft and a second portion rotatable with respect to said first portion fitted in said bearing-receiving pocket of said second member, said thread seal protecting said bearing from debris picked up by rotation of the spindle.

9. In a vacuum cleaner brushroll including a tufted spindle supported by end assemblies located in respective holes at opposite ends of the spindle and in which each hole includes a surface spaced from a respective axial end of the spindle to define a bottom portion of the hole, said end assemblies having bearings that rotatably mount the spindle in a vacuum cleaner nozzle whereby rotation of the spindle is effective to pick up debris that tends to move along the spindle toward the bearings, the improvement wherein each of said end assemblies comprises:

a first member fixed to an end of the spindle;

a second member rotatable relative to said first member, said second member having a bearing-receiving pocket and a portion that is adapted to mate with mounting structure in the vacuum cleaner nozzle;

stub shaft structure extending axially inward of said first member into fixed frictional engagement with a surface defining a hole in the end of the spindle, said stub shaft structure and said first member are a one-piece construction, said one-piece construction comprises a stub portion which is fixed frictional engagement with the surface defining the hole in the spindle, and further including a bearing mounting portion, a flange abutting the end of the spindle and a reinforcing pin inserted in said bearing mounting portion to stiffen said bearing mounting portion against bending; and

a bearing having a first portion fixed on said bearing mounting portion of said stub shaft structure and a second portion rotatable with respect to said first portion and fitted in said bearing-receiving pocket.

10. In a vacuum cleaner brushroll including a tufted spindle supported by end assemblies located in respective holes at opposite ends of the spindle and in which each hole includes a surface spaced from a respective axial end of the spindle to define a bottom portion of the hole, said end assemblies having bearings that rotatably mount the spindle in a vacuum cleaner nozzle whereby rotation of the spindle is effective to pick up debris that tends to move along the spindle toward the bearings, the improvement wherein each of said end assemblies comprises:

a first member fixed to an end of the spindle;

a second member rotatable relative to said first member, said second member having a bearing-receiving pocket and a portion that is adapted to mate with mounting structure in the vacuum cleaner nozzle;

stub shaft structure extending axially inward of said first member into fixed frictional engagement with a surface defining a hole in the end of the spindle, said stub shaft structure comprises a stub portion fitted into tight frictional engagement with the surface defining the hole in the spindle, said stub portion having a bore and being an integral extension of said first member;

a shaft fitted into the bore of said stub portion, said shaft having a bearing mounting portion projecting from the end of the spindle; and

a bearing having a first portion fixed on said bearing mounting portion of said shaft and a second portion rotatable with respect to said first portion and fitted in said bearing-receiving pocket.

11. In a vacuum cleaner brushroll including a tufted spindle supported by end assemblies located in respective holes at opposite ends of the spindle and in which each hole includes a surface space from a respective axial end of the spindle to define a bottom portion of the hole, said end assemblies having bearings that rotatably mount the spindle in a vacuum cleaner nozzle whereby rotation of the spindle is effective to pick up debris that tends to move along the spindle toward the bearings, the improvement wherein each of said end assemblies comprises:

a first member fixed to an end of the spindle and including a flange portion in engagement with an end of the spindle;

a second member rotatable relative to said first member, said second member having a bearing-receiving pocket and a portion that is adapted to mate with mounting structure in the vacuum cleaner nozzle;

stub shaft structure including a stub portion and a bearing mounting portion formed integrally from a plastic material as one-piece with said first member, said stub portion in fixed frictional engagement with a surface defining a hole in the end of the spindle, said bearing mounting portion extending in a direction opposite of the extent of said stub portion;

a bearing having a first bearing portion fixed on said bearing mounting portion of said stub shaft structure and a second bearing portion rotatable relative to said first bearing portion and fitted in said bearing-receiving pocket of said second member, said first and second members cooperating to define a seal to protect said bearing from debris picked up during rotation of the spindle; and

a reinforcing insert located in a bore within said bearing mounting portion of said stub shaft structure to stiffen said bearing mounting portion against bending.

12. The improvement of claim 11 further including a cavity located in a end of the spindle, said flange of said first member received within said cavity in the end of the spindle.

13. The improvement of claim 11 further including an outer lip formed on said second member to extend over and encircle an axial end portion of the spindle to protect the end of the spindle from debris entering.

14. The improvement of claim 11 further including a recess formed in said first member for at least partially encircling an exterior of said bearing-receiving pocket of said second member.

15. In a vacuum cleaner brushroll including a tufted spindle supported by end assemblies located in respective holes at opposite ends of the spindle and in which each hole includes a surface spaced from a respective axial end of the spindle to define a bottom portion of the hole, said end assemblies having bearings that rotatably mount the spindle in a vacuum cleaner nozzle, and in which rotation of the spindle is effective to pick up debris that tends to move along the spindle towards the bearings, the improvement wherein each of said end assemblies comprises:

a first member abutting an end of the spindle and rotatable therewith, said first member having a central opening disposed coaxially with a hole in the end of the spindle;

a shaft having a first end portion extending through said central opening in said first member and into engagement with a surface defining the hole in the end of the spindle, said shaft having a second opposite end portion projecting from the end of the spindle, said shaft also having a shoulder which engages a portion of said first member and maintains said first member abutting the end of the spindle;

a second member rotatable relative to said first member and having a bearing-receiving pocket and a portion that is adapted to mate with mounting structure in the vacuum cleaner nozzle;

a bearing having a first bearing portion fixed on said second end portion of said shaft and a second bearing portion rotatable relative to said first bearing portion and fitted in said bearing-receiving pocket of said second member; and

said first and second members cooperating to protect said bearing from debris picked up during rotation of the spindle.