Low-profile and highly-maneuverable vacuum cleaner having a headlight, a sidelight, anti-ingestion bars, side brushes, a squeegee, and a scent cartridge

• US 6,499,183 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2000
• Issued: 12/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Techtronic Floor Care Technology Limited (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Oreck Holdings LLC (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Inventors: Verdura, Javier, Bourgeois, Owen T., Moshenrose, Paul A., Paterson, Chris M., Millard, Jeffrey A., Teitzman, Mel
• Primary Examiner(s): MOORE, CHRISTOPHER K
• Application Number:
  US09/678,280
• Time in Patent Office: 823 Days
• Field of Search: 153/20, 154/01
• US Class Current: 15/401
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/30 with driven dust-loosening tools, e.g. rotating brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0009 with means mounted on the nozzle; nozzles specially adapted for the recovery of liquid
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/04 for using the exhaust air for other purposes, e.g. for distribution of chemicals in a room, for sterilisation of the air spraying or atomising in general B05
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/04 with driven brushes or agitators
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/06 with fixed, e.g. adjustably fixed brushes or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0613 with means specially adapted for picking up threads, hair or the like, e.g. brushes, combs, lint pickers or bristles pads
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/062 Rigidly anchored edge brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0666 with tilting, floating or similarly arranged brushes, combs, lips or pads
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0673 with removable brushes, combs, lips or pads
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/30 Arrangement of illuminating devices

Abstract

A low-profile and highly-maneuverable vacuum cleaner having improved functionality including, alone or in combination, a headlight, a sidelight, anti-ingestion bars, side brushes, a squeegee, and a scent cartridge for use in cleaning floors, floor coverings, carpets, upholstery, and other surfaces. One embodiment includes a tortuous air flow path created by baffles that divert air flow. The tortuous path creates quieter air flow through the vacuum housing. The tortuous air flow arrangement is for cooling the internal parts of a vacuum cleaner. Another embodiment includes an indicator light assembly for the vacuum cleaner visually providing the user with the vacuum'"'"'s current operation status. In another embodiment, the rear wheels are recessed within the head housing and slightly offset rearwardly of the rear wall of the head housing to provide enhanced maneuverability.

Claims

1. A squeegee attached to a bottom of a vacuum head proximate a suction inlet, the squeegee comprising:

(a) a main body having a front portion, a rear portion, and an intermediate portion;

(b) a flexible hinge attached to the intermediate portion, wherein said intermediate portion comprises a bottom surface defining a rearward deflection stop; and

(c) a wiper blade continuously attaching to the flexible hinge.

2. The squeegee as defined in claim 1, wherein said front portion further having a rear portion defining a forward deflection stop.

3. A squeegee as defined in claim 1, wherein said intermediate portion and said front portion define a downwardly open channel, and said flexible hinge is positioned in said channel.

4. A squeegee as defined in claim 2, wherein a channel is formed by the rearward deflection stop and the forward deflection stop.

5. A squeegee as defined in claim 1, wherein said main body is formed by co-extrusion, with said main body and said wiper blade being a relatively hard material, and said hinge being a relatively flexible material.

6. The squeegee as defined in claim 1, wherein said front portion and said rear portion attaching to said bottom of said vacuum head.

7. A squeegee as defined in claim 6, wherein said front portion attaching to said bottom of said vacuum head by an interlocking structure.

8. A squeegee as defined in claim 7, wherein said bottom of said vacuum head defines a protrusion, and wherein said front portion defines a recess matching the protrusion, and further wherein said protrusion is received in said recess to secure said squeegee to said vacuum head.

9. A squeegee as defined in claim 8, wherein said protrusion is curved, and wherein said recess is curved to match and receive the protrusion.

10. A squeegee as defined in claim 9, wherein said protrusion is L-shaped, and wherein said recess is L-shaped to match and receive the protrusion.

11. A squeegee as defined in claim 7, wherein said interlocking structure is a tongue-in-groove structure.

12. A squeegee as defined in claim 6, wherein said intermediate portion and said wiper blade are connected by a hinge.

13. A squeegee as defined in claim 12, wherein said main body is made of a relatively hard material and said hinge is made of a relatively soft material.

14. A squeegee as defined in claim 13, wherein said main body is an extrusion.

15. A squeegee as defined in claim 14, wherein said hinge is an extrusion.

16. A squeegee as defined in claim 15, wherein said extrusion is a co-extrusion to form the relatively hard material and the relatively soft material simultaneously.

17. A squeegee as defined in claim 6, wherein said main body and said wiper blade are one integral part.