Floor care appliance with a plurality of cleaning modes

• US 7,987,552 B2
• Filed: 11/17/2004
• Issued: 08/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Techtronic Floor Care Technology Limited (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Techtronic Floor Care Technology Limited (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Inventors: Louis, Jeffery S., Burchfield, Brent L., Scheifele, Kevin E., Morgan, Jeffery A., Gordon, Evan A.
• Primary Examiner(s): REDDING, DAVID A
• Application Number:
  US10/990,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20060101612A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,449 Days
• Field of Search: 153/56, 153/61, 153/68, 153/73, 153/20, 153/22, 153/54, 153/55
• US Class Current: 15/356
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/34 Machines for treating carpets in position by liquid, foam, or vapour, e.g. by steam
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4011 Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/225 Convertible suction cleaners, i.e. convertible between different types thereof, e.g. from upright suction cleaners to sledge-type suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/30 with driven dust-loosening tools, e.g. rotating brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/32 with means for connecting a hose hose couplings for suction cleaners A47L9/24
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/34 with height adjustment of nozzles or dust-loosening tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0027 specially adapted for holding the suction cleaning tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0494 Height adjustment of dust-loosening tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0653 with mechanical actuation, e.g. using a lever
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2842 Suction motors or blowers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2847 Surface treating elements
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays

Abstract

A floor care appliance is provided for cleaning bare surfaces such as tile, marble, linoleum and wood. The floor care appliance is comprised of a base portion having a suction nozzle and a brush block having a plurality of vertical axis rotary agitators for cleaning bare floors. The rotary agitators are driven by an independent motor for agitating the floor surface. With the addition of an accessory hose and tools, the cleaning utility can be expanded to areas wherein the suction nozzle cannot normally reach such as behind the toilet, shower walls, and the grout between tile. While used in the capacity for cleaning bare floors, the floor care appliance can be moved between three modes by a rotating a member located on the upper housing. The first mode is dry mode, the second mode is wet scrub mode and the third mode is wet pickup mode. The accessory tools are stored in an accessory caddy that is placed freestanding over the suction nozzle and in front of the housing.

Claims

1. A floor cleaning appliance, comprising:

a base portion for movement along a surface, said base portion including a suction nozzle;

a brush assembly associated with said base portion;

a lifting assembly operatively connected to said brush assembly and said suction nozzle for moving said brush assembly and said suction nozzle through various positions including a first portion wherein said brush assembly is raised above the surface and said suction nozzle is raised above the surface, a second position wherein said brush assembly is raised above the surface and said suction nozzle is lowered, and to a third position wherein said brush assembly is lowered and said suction nozzle is lowered; and

a single control member operatively connected to said lifting assembly for causing said lifting assembly to move said brush assembly and said suction nozzle to said first, second and third positions through moving said brush assembly and suction nozzle separately or together.

2. The floor cleaning appliance of claim 1, wherein said suction nozzle further includes a suction inlet and a squeegee ringing the periphery of the suction inlet.

3. The floor cleaning appliance of claim 2, wherein said brush assembly and suction nozzle including the squeegee are raised above the surface in said first position.

4. The floor cleaning appliance of claim 2, wherein said brush assembly is lowered, the suction nozzle is lowered and the squeegee is in direct contact with the surface in the third position.

5. The floor cleaning appliance of claim 1, wherein said floor cleaning appliance further includes an upper housing and said control member is selected from a rotary knob, lever, slide selector, or electrical switches mounted on said upper housing.

6. The floor cleaning appliance of claim 5, wherein control member is a rotary knob operatively connected to said lifting assembly with a cable.

7. The floor cleaning appliance of claim 6, wherein control member is operatively connected through a control assembly with a cable connected to said lifting assembly, wherein the control assembly is operatively connected with a control actuator upon rotation responsive to the rotation of the control member to cause the cable to extend and retract for the brush assembly and nozzle to be raised and lowered for the respective position.

8. The floor cleaning appliance of claim 1, wherein said brush assembly is comprised of a plurality of rotary agitators powered by a rotary power source.

9. The floor cleaning appliance of claim 8, wherein said rotary power source is an electric motor.

10. The floor cleaning appliance of claim 8, wherein said rotary power source is selectively energized when said control member causes said lifting assembly to move said brush assembly and said suction nozzle to at least one of said first, second and third positions.

11. The floor cleaning appliance of claim 10, wherein said brush assembly is comprised of a plurality of rotary agitators powered by an electric motor and which includes a switching assembly responsive to the control member to energize the motor for the brush assembly when the brush assembly is in the second position on the floor surface.

12. The floor cleaning appliance of claim 11, wherein the switching assembly is a microswitch operatively connected to control member to turn current on to the agitator drive motor to power the plurality of rotary agitators for agitating the surface.

13. The floor cleaning appliance of claim 11, wherein the switching assembly is operatively connected with a microprocessor for the switching assembly to control the height of the suction nozzle and the brush assembly and the operation of the agitator drive motor.

14. A floor cleaning appliance, comprising:

a base assembly having a suction nozzle for removing dirt and used cleaning solution from a surface;

at least one rotary agitator for agitating the surface;

a lifting assembly operatively connected to said at least one rotary agitator for raising and lowering said base assembly and said at least one rotary agitator relative to said surface either alone or in combination;

a single selector operatively connected to said lifting assembly for selectively causing said suction nozzle and said at least one rotary agitator to be raised and lowered relative to said surface;

wherein said selector causes said lifting assembly to lower said suction nozzle and said at least one rotary agitator adjacent said surface; and

wherein said selector causes a rotary power source to rotate said at least one agitator when said lifting assembly lowers said suction nozzle and said at least one rotary agitator adjacent said surface.