Surface cleaning head including removable rotatable driven agitator
First Claim
1. A surface cleaning head for a vacuum, the surface cleaning head comprising:
- a cleaning head housing having a front end portion, a rear end portion, laterally disposed sides, an upper portion and a bottom portion, wherein the upper portion extends over the bottom portion of the cleaning head housing;
an agitator chamber located in the front end portion of the cleaning head housing, the agitator chamber having a top opening through the upper portion of the cleaning head housing and a bottom opening through the bottom portion of the cleaning head housing, and wherein the agitator chamber includes a non-driven side and a driven side;
an agitator drive mechanism including a drive member at the driven side of the agitator chamber and an agitator drive motor drivingly coupled to the drive member;
an external cover movably mounted to the cleaning head housing for covering the top opening of the agitator chamber at the front end portion of the cleaning head housing, the external cover being movable between a closed position and an open position by pivoting about a hinge pivotally coupling the external cover to a front bottom edge of the cleaning head housing and in a direction away from the rear end portion of the cleaning head housing, wherein the top opening of the agitator chamber is covered when the external cover is in the closed position and accessible through the top opening when the external cover is in the open position, and wherein at least part of the upper portion remains over the bottom portion when the external cover is in the open position; and
a rotatable driven agitator removably mounted within the agitator chamber such that the agitator is configured to contact a surface through the bottom opening, wherein the agitator is accessible and removable through the top opening when the external cover is in the open position, wherein the rotatable driven agitator includes a non-driven end mounted at the non-driven side of the agitator chamber such that the agitator spins freely at the non-driven end and a driven end including a driven member, wherein the driven member mates axially and engages with the drive member of the drive mechanism such that the drive member transmits torque and rotation to the driven member and the rotatable driven agitator.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A surface cleaning head includes a removable rotatable driven agitator, such as a brush roll, which is driven by a drive mechanism that axially engages the driven end. The removable rotatable driven agitator may be located in an openable agitator chamber for purposes of removing debris and/or removing the agitator. The openable agitator chamber may be covered by an external cover that is movable between an open position and a closed position. The removable agitator may be secured in the agitator chamber by the external cover. Different removable agitators with different characteristics may be used interchangeably in the surface cleaning head. The surface cleaning head may also include one or more transparent regions (e.g., on the openable cover) to allow visual inspection of the agitator during use.
56 Citations
36 Claims
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1. A surface cleaning head for a vacuum, the surface cleaning head comprising:
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a cleaning head housing having a front end portion, a rear end portion, laterally disposed sides, an upper portion and a bottom portion, wherein the upper portion extends over the bottom portion of the cleaning head housing; an agitator chamber located in the front end portion of the cleaning head housing, the agitator chamber having a top opening through the upper portion of the cleaning head housing and a bottom opening through the bottom portion of the cleaning head housing, and wherein the agitator chamber includes a non-driven side and a driven side; an agitator drive mechanism including a drive member at the driven side of the agitator chamber and an agitator drive motor drivingly coupled to the drive member; an external cover movably mounted to the cleaning head housing for covering the top opening of the agitator chamber at the front end portion of the cleaning head housing, the external cover being movable between a closed position and an open position by pivoting about a hinge pivotally coupling the external cover to a front bottom edge of the cleaning head housing and in a direction away from the rear end portion of the cleaning head housing, wherein the top opening of the agitator chamber is covered when the external cover is in the closed position and accessible through the top opening when the external cover is in the open position, and wherein at least part of the upper portion remains over the bottom portion when the external cover is in the open position; and a rotatable driven agitator removably mounted within the agitator chamber such that the agitator is configured to contact a surface through the bottom opening, wherein the agitator is accessible and removable through the top opening when the external cover is in the open position, wherein the rotatable driven agitator includes a non-driven end mounted at the non-driven side of the agitator chamber such that the agitator spins freely at the non-driven end and a driven end including a driven member, wherein the driven member mates axially and engages with the drive member of the drive mechanism such that the drive member transmits torque and rotation to the driven member and the rotatable driven agitator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A surface cleaning head for a vacuum, the surface cleaning head comprising:
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a cleaning head housing having a front end portion, a rear end portion, laterally disposed sides, an upper portion and a bottom portion, wherein the upper portion extends over the bottom portion of the cleaning head housing; an agitator chamber located in the front end portion of the cleaning head housing, the agitator chamber having a top opening through the upper portion of the cleaning head housing and a bottom opening through the bottom portion of the cleaning head housing, wherein the agitator chamber is configured to receive a rotatable driven agitator such that the agitator contacts a surface through the bottom opening and is removable through the top opening, and wherein the agitator chamber includes a non-driven side for receiving a non-driven end of the rotatable driven agitator and a driven side for receiving a driven end of the rotatable driven agitator; an agitator drive mechanism including a drive member at a driven side of the agitator chamber and an agitator drive motor drivingly coupled to the drive member, wherein the drive member is configured to mate axially and engage with the driven member on the rotatable driven agitator such that the drive member transmits torque and rotation to the driven member and the rotatable driven agitator; and an external cover movably mounted to the cleaning head housing for covering the top opening of the agitator chamber at the front end portion of the cleaning head housing, the external cover being movable between a closed position and an open position by pivoting about a hinge pivotally coupling the external cover to a front bottom edge of the cleaning head housing and in a direction away from the rear end portion of the cleaning head housing, wherein the top opening of the agitator chamber is covered when the external cover is in the closed position and accessible through the top opening when the external cover is in the open position, and wherein at least part of the upper portion remains over the bottom portion when the external cover is in the open position. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification