Dual agitator drive system with worm gear

• US 6,918,155 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2002
• Issued: 07/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation Of North America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation Of North America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yacobi, Michael S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Snider, Theresa T.
• Application Number:
  US10/251,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20040055106A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,033 Days
• Field of Search: 153/84, 153/89, 153/90, 153/91, 15/411, 15/521, 15/503, 15/82, 153/404
• US Class Current: 15/384
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/30 with driven dust-loosening tools, e.g. rotating brushes

Abstract

A floor cleaning apparatus such as an upright vacuum cleaner, an extractor or a powerhead for a canister vacuum cleaner includes twin agitators that are operatively connected together by means of a worm gear drive assembly.

Claims

1. An agitator drive system, comprising:

a housing;

a first rotary agitator carried on said housing;

a second rotary agitator carried on said housing;

a drive motor carried on said housing;

a belt and pulley assembly directly connecting said drive motor to said first rotary agitator; and

a worm gear drive assembly connecting said first rotary agitator to said second rotary agitator.

2. The agitator drive system of claim 1 wherein said belt and pulley assembly includes a drive shaft, a drive pulley, a first belt connecting said drive shaft to said drive pulley and a second belt connecting said drive pulley to said first rotary agitator.

3. The agitator drive system of claim 1, wherein said worm gear drive assembly includes a first worm wheel connected to said first rotary agitator by a first drive shaft, a second worm wheel connected to said second rotary agitator by a second drive shaft, a first worm engaging said first worm wheel, a second worm engaging said second worm wheel and a drive transfer shaft, both said first and second worms being connected to said drive transfer shaft.

4. The agitator drive system of claim 3, further including a first bearing on a first end of said first drive shaft, a second bearing on a second end of said first drive shaft, a third bearing of a first side of said second drive shaft, a fourth bearing on a second end of said second drive shaft, a fifth bearing on a first end of said drive transfer shaft and a sixth bearing on a second end of said drive transfer shaft.

5. The agitator drive system of claim 3, wherein said first and second rotary agitators are co-rotating.

6. The agitator drive system of claim 3, wherein said first and second rotary agitators are counter-rotating.

7. A floor cleaning apparatus, comprising:

a housing;

a nozzle opening in said housing;

a dust collector carried by said housing;

a suction generator carried by said housing, said suction generator drawing air, dirt and debris from a surface to be cleaned through the nozzle opening to said dust collector;

a first rotary agitator carried by said housing;

a second rotary agitator carried by said housing;

a drive motor carried on said housing;

a belt and pulley assembly directly connecting said drive motor to said first rotary agitator; and

a worm gear drive assembly connecting said first rotary agitator to said second rotary agitator.

8. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 7, wherein said drive motor drives said suction generator.

9. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 7, wherein said belt and pulley assembly includes a drive shaft, a drive pulley, a first belt connecting said drive shaft to said drive pulley and a second belt connecting said drive pulley to said first rotary agitator.

10. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 7, wherein said worm gear drive assembly includes a first worm wheel connected to said first rotary agitator by a first drive shaft, a second worm wheel connected to said second rotary agitator by a second drive shaft, a first worm engaging said first worm wheel, a second worm engaging said second worm wheel and a drive transfer shaft, both said first and second worms being connected to said drive transfer shaft.

11. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 10, further including a first bearing on a first end of said first drive shaft, a second bearing on a second end of said first drive shaft, a third bearing of a first side of said second drive shaft, a fourth bearing on a second end of said second drive shaft, a fifth bearing on a first end of said drive transfer shaft and a sixth bearing on a second end of said drive transfer shaft.

12. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 10, wherein said first and second rotary agitators are co-rotating.

13. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 10, wherein said first and second rotary agitators are counter-rotating.

14. A powerhead, comprising:

a housing;

a nozzle opening in said housing;

a first rotary agitator carried on said housing;

a second rotary agitator carried on said housing;

a drive motor carried on said housing;

a belt and pulley assembly directly connecting said drive motor to said first rotary agitator; and

a worm gear drive assembly connecting said first rotary agitator to said second rotary agitator.

15. The powerhead of claim 14 wherein said belt and pulley assembly includes a drive shaft, a drive pulley, a first belt connecting said drive shaft to said drive pulley and a second belt connecting said drive pulley to said first rotary agitator.

16. The powerhead of claim 14, wherein said worm gear drive assembly includes a first worm wheel connected to said first rotary agitator by a first drive shaft, a second worm wheel connected to said second rotary agitator by a second drive shaft, a first worm engaging said first worm wheel, a second worm engaging said second worm wheel and a drive transfer shaft, both said first and second worms being connected to said drive transfer shaft.

17. The powerhead of claim 16, further including a first bearing on a first end of said first drive shaft, a second bearing on a second end of said first drive shaft, a third bearing of a first side of said second drive shaft, a fourth bearing on a second end of said second drive shaft, a fifth bearing on a first end of said drive transfer shaft and a sixth bearing on a second end of said drive transfer shaft.

18. The powerhead of claim 16, wherein said first and second rotary agitators are co-rotating.

19. The powerhead of claim 16, wherein said first and second rotary agitators are counter-rotating.

20. A method of driving twin agitators of a floor cleaning apparatus, comprising:

directly connecting a drive motor to a first agitator of said twin agitators by means of a belt and pulley assembly; and

operatively connecting a second agitator of said twin agitators to said first agitator by a worm gear drive.

21. A floor cleaning apparatus, comprising:

a housing;

a nozzle opening in said housing;

a dust collector carried by said housing;

a suction generator carried by said housing, said suction generator drawing dirt and debris from a surface to be cleaned through the nozzle opening to said dust collector;

a first rotary agitator carried by said housing;

a second rotary agitator carried by said housing;

a belt and pulley assembly directly connecting said first rotary agitator to a drive motor; and

a worm gear drive assembly connecting said first and second rotary agitators wherein said first and second rotary agitators are co-rotating.

22. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 21, wherein said worm gear drive assembly includes a first worm wheel on/connected to said first rotary agitator, a second worm wheel on/connected to said second rotary agitator, a first worm engaging said first worm wheel, a second worm engaging said second worm wheel and a drive transfer shaft, both said first and second worms being connected to said drive transfer shaft.

23. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 21, wherein said first and second rotary agitators are counter-rotating.

24. The floor cleaning apparatus of claim 21, wherein said first and second rotary agitators are both rotated about horizontal axes.