Patent Application
20120317749
This document relates generally to the floor care equipment field and, more particularly, to a new and improved floor care apparatus equipped with an easy to use brush assembly.
Floor care apparatus such as upright vacuum cleaners, canister vacuum cleaners and extractors have long been known in the art. It has also long been known to equip such floor care apparatus with specialty cleaning tools designed for particular applications such as cleaning upholstery, drapes, crevices and the like. This document describes a floor care apparatus equipped with a new and improved brush assembly that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and particularly easy to use.
In accordance with the purposes and advantages as described herein a novel floor care apparatus is provided. The floor care apparatus comprises a body including a nozzle assembly and a handle assembly. A suction inlet is carried on the nozzle assembly. A suction generator and a dirt collection vessel are both carried on the body. In addition, the floor care apparatus includes a wand assembly carried on the body. The wand assembly includes a wand element and a flexible hose. A brush member is carried on the wand element. The brush member is displaceable between a storage position and a use position.
A lock ring is carried on the brush member. The lock ring is displaceable between a locking position and an unlocking position. In addition, a first locking notch and a second locking notch are provided on the wand element. Further, a cooperating locking rib is provided on the lock ring. When the brush member is in the storage position and the lock ring is in the locking position, the locking rib engages the first locking notch to positively secure the brush member in the use position. When the brush member is in the use position and the lock ring is in the lock position, the locking rib engages the second locking notch to positively secure the brush member in the use position. In contrast, when the lock ring is in the unlocking position the brush member is displaceable between the storage and use positions.
Alternatively, the floor care apparatus may be described as comprising a vacuum cleaning unit including a suction generator and a dirt collection vessel, a wand assembly including a wand element and a flexible hose and a brush member carried on the wand element. The brush member is freely slidable along the wand element between a storage position and a use position. Further, a locking ring is provided on the brush member. The locking ring is rotatable with respect to the brush member between a locking position and an unlocking position.
In the following description there is shown and described a brush assembly, simply by way of illustration of one of the modes best suited to carry out the invention. As it will be realized, the brush assembly is capable of other different embodiments and its several details are capable of modification in various, obvious aspects. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions will be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.
The accompanying drawings incorporated herein and forming a part of the specification, illustrate several aspects of the floor care apparatus and brush assembly and together with the description serve to explain certain principles of the device. In the drawings:
a is a side elevational view of the brush member in the storage position on the wand element;
b is a perspective view of the brush member in the use position on the wand element;
a is a cross sectional view along line CC of
b is a cross sectional view similar to
a and 8b are respective end elevational views illustrating the series of cooperating spaced flanges that allow connection of the locking ring to the brush member while allowing for relative rotational movement of the locking ring between the locking and unlocking positions.
Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiment of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Reference is now made to
As schematically illustrated in
The airstream then passes through a secondary cyclone assembly, generally designated by reference numeral 36, which removes any remaining fine particles from the airstream before the airstream is exhausted from the dirt collection vessel 24 to travel by means of conduit 38 to the suction generator 22.
It should be appreciated that other types of dirt collection vessels 24 may be provided on the vacuum cleaner 10 including simple dirt cups without cyclonic cleaning action as well as a standard state-of-the-art vacuum cleaner bag contained in a bag compartment within the body 12 of the vacuum cleaner 10.
As further illustrated in
During operation the rotary agitator 44 is driven by the suction motor 23 at high speeds to beat dirt and debris from the nap of an underlying carpet to be cleaned. That dirt and debris is entrained in the airstream being drawn through the suction inlet 40 by the suction generator 22. The airstream with the entrained dirt and debris passes through the airstream outlet 42 and then travels through a flexible hose 49 to the airstream fitting (not shown) provided on the handle assembly 16. The fitting directs the airstream into the tangentially directed inlet 30 of the dirt collection vessel 24. Dirt and debris in the airstream is captured in the dirt collection vessel 24 and relatively clean air is then exhausted from the dirt cup and delivered to the intake side of the suction generator 22. The airstream then passes through the motor of the suction generator 22 so as to provide cooling before being discharged through an exhaust port 48.
As further illustrated in
As best illustrated in
Reference is now made to
A lock ring 80 is captured on the end of the brush member 72 opposite the suction opening 74 and bristle tufts 76. As best illustrated in
When the wand assembly 50 is used for a specialty cleaning application, the wand element 52 is withdrawn from the fitting 56. At this time the brush member 72 is secured in the storage position illustrated in
After completing the cleaning task, the operator once again rotates the lock ring 80 so as to withdraw the locking rib 82 from the portion of the second locking notch 70 extending into the cylindrical sidewall 68 of the wand element 52 so that the locking rib 82 is again aligned with the flat surface sections 62. With the locking rib 82 in this disengaged position, the operator may now slide the brush member 72 along the wand element 52 retracting the brush member into the storage position (see
Reference is now made to
The four flanges 90 on the brush member 72 each extend through an arc of about 42 to 44 degrees and each flange is spaced from the next flange by an arc of about 46 to 48 degrees. The four flanges 96 provided on the lock ring 80 are similarly constructed. The lock ring 80 is connected to the brush member 72 by aligning the second flanges 96 with the openings between the flanges 90 and positioning the flanges 96 into the mounting groove 92. The lock ring 80 is then twisted through an arc of about 40 degrees to bring the second flanges 96 behind the first flanges 90 thereby capturing the locking ring 80 on the brush member 72.
Next the brush member 72 is secured onto the wand element 52. Specifically, the brush member 72 with attached lock ring 80 is positioned over the inlet end 98 of the wand element 52 and pushed further on until the internal shoulder 98 snaps over the stops 100 (only one illustrated in
It should also be appreciated that the flat section 62 and locking notches 64, 70 restrict rotational motion of the lock ring 80 to an arc of about 20 degrees. This ensures that the flanges 96 on the lock ring 80 are maintained and captured in the mounting groove 92 behind the flanges 90. As a result, the lock ring 80 may be freely rotated between the locking and unlocking positions while also being maintained on the end of the brush member 72.
The foregoing description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally and equitably entitled. The drawings and preferred embodiments do not and are not intended to limit the ordinary meaning of the claims in their fair and broad interpretation in any way.
