Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Machines – With air blast or suction
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-29
2001-04-03
Moore, Chris K. (Department: 1744)
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Machines
With air blast or suction
C015S334000, C015S347000, C015S390000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06209168
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to vacuum cleaners. More particularly, the present invention relates to an easily used and easily stored lightweight upright vacuum cleaner for suctioning dirt and debris from carpets, floors and above-floor surfaces.
Upright vacuum cleaners are continually being improved and enhanced with larger, more powerful motors and with an assortment of cleaning accessories and attachments. As upright cleaners are enhanced in this manner, they correspondingly increase in size and weight. The height and the footprint of the nozzle base portion of the cleaner have become larger to accommodate the more powerful motors and, perhaps, some accessories. These enhanced upright cleaners are too heavy and occupy too much storage space to be owned by people dwelling in small apartments, trailers, dormitories, and similar locations with limited storage area. Their size also makes cleaning under beds and other furniture difficult. The handle of many such cleaners is connected to the top of the nozzle base, which undesirably increases the overall height of the nozzle base when the handle is reclined for cleaning under beds and the like. Often, the location of the filter bag and the design of the hinge interconnecting the handle portion to the nozzle base portion prevents the handle from being pivoted downward sufficiently far to approach the surface being cleaned as is required for cleaning under furniture. Furthermore, known upright cleaners are too heavy and do not provide an effective means for hanging storage. Rather, they must be stored on the floor of a closet or in the corner of a room.
Upright vacuum cleaners generally utilize large filter bags to capture the dirt and dust liberated from the subjacent surface being cleaned. These bags are either housed in or connected to the upper handle portion of the cleaner. When full, these bags must be disconnected from the cleaner, disposed of, and replaced. The operator of the cleaner must purchase replacement bags regularly. Furthermore, the bag changing operation is time consuming, and some people object to utilizing disposable filter bags. In addition to the space occupied by the filter bag and its cloth or plastic housing, as these bags fill with dirt, the upper portion of the cleaner becomes quite heavy making the vacuum cleaner unbalanced.
Another drawback associated with known upright vacuum cleaners is their lack of an easy to use and effective power cord storage mechanism. Some upright cleaners utilize a mechanism that retracts the power cord into the upper handle portion of the cleaner. Others utilize a pair of spaced hooks connected to the handle around which the cord is wound. The provision of a retractable cord adds complexity, weight, and expense to the vacuum cleaner. The spaced hooks are inconvenient, require the operator to bend over each time the cord is wound around or unwound from the hooks, and do not provide a mechanism for quick and secure short-term storage of the cord. The cord must either be loosely draped over the handle where it is insecure and becomes tangled, or the cord must be completely wrapped around the hooks each time one desires to store the cord.
While certain upright cleaners have been designed in an effort to overcome some of the foregoing deficiencies, they have not been successful. One known cleaner utilizes a dust cup in the nozzle base portion to collect dirt and dust in place of the filter bag. However, the dust cup is difficult to remove from the cleaner. In order to empty the contents of the dust cup, the operator must grasp the filter assembly with two hands. This can result in the spillage of the contents of the dust cup when it becomes separated from the filter assembly.
It would also be desirable to have an upright vacuum cleaner in which the rotation of the brushroll can be stopped for bare floor cleaning or for above-floor cleaning and in which communication between the floor nozzle of the vacuum cleaner and the removable dust container can be blocked when the vacuum cleaner is used for above-floor cleaning.
Accordingly, it is desirable to develop a new and improved upright vacuum cleaner which would overcome the foregoing deficiencies and others while meeting the above-stated needs and providing better and more advantageous overall results.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a new and improved upright vacuum cleaner. More specifically, the upright vacuum cleaner has an above-floor cleaning tool and is used for cleaning carpets, floors, and above-floor surfaces. The vacuum cleaner has a combination brushroll and nozzle inlet control mechanism.
The vacuum cleaner comprises a nozzle base comprising a primary suction opening formed therein, and a suction source which communicates with the primary suction opening. A rotatable brushroll assembly is positioned adjacent the primary suction opening. A dust cup assembly is releasably secured to the nozzle base. The dust cup assembly defines a dirt and dust collecting chamber. The dust cup assembly comprises a first inlet which is in fluid communication with the primary suction opening, and a door which is positioned adjacent the inlet to selectively open and close the inlet. The door comprises a rod which extends therefrom and a finger which protrudes from an end of the rod.
A three position control assembly is located on the nozzle base. The control assembly comprises a selector switch positioned within a slot in the nozzle base and a slide bar connected to the selector switch. Movement of the selector switch to a first and a second position moves the slide bar out of engagement with the finger extending from the door allowing the door to open due to suction air. Movement of the selector switch to a third position moves the slide bar into engagement with the finger to prevent the door from opening due to suction air.
A full-size pulley and an idler pulley are mounted adjacent each other in the nozzle base. A first pulley belt engages a drive shaft of the suction source and one of the full-size pulley and idler pulley. A reduction pulley is connected to the full-size pulley. A second pulley belt engages the reduction pulley and a shaft of the brushroll assembly.
The control assembly further comprises a guide arm assembly connected to the selector switch wherein the guide arm includes a pair of walls forming an opening which selectively receives the first pulley belt. Movement of the selector switch moves the guide arm and the first pulley belt between alignment with the full-size pulley and the idler pulley.
When the selector switch is moved to the first position the slide bar is moved away from the finger of the door thus allowing the door to pivot open when suction air is pulled through the vacuum cleaner. The guide arm aligns the first pulley belt with the full-size pulley, thus rotating the brushroll.
When the selector switch is moved to the second position the slide bar is moved away from the finger of the door, allowing the door to pivot open due to suction air. The guide arm is moved to alignment with the idler pulley, thus preventing rotation of the brushroll.
When the selector switch is moved to the third position the slide bar is moved into contact with the finger of the door, closing the door and preventing suction air from entering the inlet of the dust cup. The guide arm moves into alignment with the idler pulley, thus preventing rotation of the brushroll.
One advantage of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved vacuum cleaner.
Another advantage of the present invention is the provision of an upright vacuum cleaner that eliminates the need for filter bags.
Still another advantage of the present invention is the provision of an upright vacuum cleaner having a low profile nozzle base so that it can fit beneath furniture for effective cleaning.
Yet another advantage of the present invention is the provision of a lightweight upright vacuum cleaner that can be hung for storage.
A further advantage of the present invention is the provision of an uprig
Brickner David M.
Murphy John S.
Wright Michael F.
Yokote Kyoshi
Fay Sharpe Fagan Minnich & McKee LLP
Moore Chris K.
Royal Appliance Mfg. Co.
LandOfFree
Combination brushroll and nozzle inlet control mechanism does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Combination brushroll and nozzle inlet control mechanism, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Combination brushroll and nozzle inlet control mechanism will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2501936