Vacuum cleaner with agitation member drive belt access panel
DCFirst Claim
1. In an improved vacuum cleaner comprising a housing having an agitation member with a belt receiving portion and rotatably supported in the housing, a drive motor with a drive shaft, a belt interconnecting the belt receiving portion of the agitation member and the drive shaft, an aperture formed in the housing for servicing the belt, an access panel adapted to be mounted to the housing and to substantially enclose the aperture in an operative position and to be removed from the housing in a service position, the access panel having top, bottom, and opposed side edges and a fastener adapted to secure the access panel to the housing in the operative position, the improvement comprising:
- at least one of a flange and slot provided on at least one of the top and bottom edges of the access panel; and
at least one of the other of said flange and slot provided on the housing adjacent the aperture, said at least one flange and said at least one slot being oriented so that the at least one flange is slidably received in the at least one slot by sliding the panel in a direction substantially parallel to said one of the top and bottom edges.
17 Assignments
Litigations
0 Petitions
Reexamination
Accused Products
Abstract
A vacuum cleaner having access panel selectively mounted thereto is shown. The access panel encloses a belt utilized to interconnect the agitation member and the drive shaft for the motor to rotate the agitation member. The access panel has a mounting flange provided on a portion of the edge of the panel which is slidably received in slots formed in the housing. The reception of the mounting flange in the slots in cooperation with a single mounting screw serves to secure the access panel to the housing. The belt can easily be accessed by removing the mounting screw and sliding the access panel laterally relative to the slots to remove the mounting flange from the slots.
44 Citations
27 Claims
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1. In an improved vacuum cleaner comprising a housing having an agitation member with a belt receiving portion and rotatably supported in the housing, a drive motor with a drive shaft, a belt interconnecting the belt receiving portion of the agitation member and the drive shaft, an aperture formed in the housing for servicing the belt, an access panel adapted to be mounted to the housing and to substantially enclose the aperture in an operative position and to be removed from the housing in a service position, the access panel having top, bottom, and opposed side edges and a fastener adapted to secure the access panel to the housing in the operative position, the improvement comprising:
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at least one of a flange and slot provided on at least one of the top and bottom edges of the access panel; and at least one of the other of said flange and slot provided on the housing adjacent the aperture, said at least one flange and said at least one slot being oriented so that the at least one flange is slidably received in the at least one slot by sliding the panel in a direction substantially parallel to said one of the top and bottom edges. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A vacuum cleaner comprising:
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a housing; an agitation member rotatably supported in the housing and having a belt receiving portion; a drive motor provided in the housing and having a drive shaft; a belt interconnecting the belt receiving portion of the agitation member and the drive shaft an aperture formed in the housing, the aperture encompassing both the drive motor drive shaft and the belt receiving portion of the agitation member so that the belt can be accessed for servicing; an access panel which is slidably mounted to the housing and adapted to substantially enclose the aperture in an operative position and to be slidably removed from the housing in a service position. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. In an improved vacuum cleaner comprising a housing having an agitation member having a belt receiving portion and being rotatably supported in the housing, a drive motor having a drive shaft, a belt interconnecting the belt receiving portion of the agitation member and the drive shaft, an aperture formed in the housing through which the belt can be accessed for servicing, an access panel adapted to be mounted to the housing and to substantially enclose the aperture in an operative position and to be removed from the housing in a service position, the access panel having top, bottom, and opposed side edges and a fastener adapted to secure the access panel to the housing in the operative position, the improvement comprising:
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a flange provided on at least one of the top and bottom edges of the access panel; and a slot provided on the housing adjacent the aperture adapted to slidably receive said flange, the slot and flange being oriented so that the flange of the access panel is slidably received in the slot by sliding the panel in a direction substantially parallel to the top and bottom edges. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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21. An improved vacuum cleaner according to claim 21 wherein the aperture is dimensioned to encompass both the drive shaft and the belt receiving portion of the agitation member thereby providing the user with easy access to both the drive shaft and belt receiving portion for servicing the belt.
Specification