Surface cleaning head including openable agitator chamber and a removable rotatable agitator
View Patent ↗A surface cleaning head includes an openable agitator chamber to provide access to an agitator, such as a brush roll, for purposes of removing debris and/or removing the agitator. The openable agitator chamber is covered by an external cover that is movable between an open position and a closed position. A sealing member may be located between the external cover and a surface cleaning head housing and around a perimeter of the agitator chamber. A surface cleaning head includes a removable rotatable agitator, such as a brush roll, which is driven by a drive mechanism that axially engages the driven end. At least one end of the removable agitator may be secured in the agitator chamber by the external cover. 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.
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 partially covers 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;
an external cover pivotably mounted to the cleaning head housing along one side of the agitator chamber for covering the top opening of the agitator chamber at the front end portion of the cleaning head housing separately from the upper portion partially covering the cleaning head housing, the external cover being pivotable between a closed position and an open position, wherein 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
a rotatable driven agitator removably mounted within the agitator chamber such that the agitator is configured to contact a surface through the bottom opening and configured to be removed through the top opening, the rotatable driven agitator including a driven end and a non-driven end, wherein the external cover engages the non-driven end of the agitator in the closed position to hold the agitator in the agitator chamber and wherein the external cover disengages from the non-driven end of the agitator when moved to the open position, and wherein the agitator is accessible and removable through the top opening when the external cover is in the open position.
2. The surface cleaning head of claim 1 wherein the rotatable driven agitator includes an end cap rotatably mounted at the non-driven end of the rotatable driven agitator, and wherein the external cover engages the end cap to hold the agitator in the agitator chamber.
3. The surface cleaning head of claim 2 wherein the external cover includes an engaging structure protruding from an inside portion of the external cover to engage the end cap.
4. The surface cleaning head of claim 3 wherein the end cap includes an elastomeric pad that is engaged by the engaging structure.
5. The surface cleaning head of claim 2 wherein the non-driven end of the rotatable driven agitator includes an axle and a bushing rotatably mounted on the axle, and wherein the end cap is mounted on the bushing.
6. The surface cleaning head of claim 5 wherein the end cap is removably mounted on the bushing with a friction fit.
7. The surface cleaning head of claim 1 further comprising an agitator drive mechanism for driving the driven end of the rotatable driven agitator in the agitator chamber, and wherein the driven end of the rotatable agitator is removably engaged with the agitator drive mechanism such that the agitator drive mechanism holds the driven end of the agitator in the agitator chamber.
8. The surface cleaning head of claim 1 wherein the rotatable agitator is a brush roll.
9. The surface cleaning head of claim 1 wherein the external cover is configured to pivot forwardly relative to the cleaning head housing to the open position.
10. The surface cleaning head of claim 1 wherein the external cover is configured to pivot rearwardly relative to the cleaning head housing to the open position.
11. The surface cleaning head of claim 1 further comprising at least one latching mechanism for latching the external cover in the closed position.
12. The surface cleaning head of claim 11 wherein the at least one latching mechanism includes a first latching mechanism proximate one side and a second latching mechanism proximate an opposite side.
13. The surface cleaning head of claim 12 wherein the first and second latching mechanisms each include at least two hooks configured to provide engagement between the cleaning head housing and the external cover to hold the external cover in the closed position.
14. The surface cleaning head of claim 11 wherein the latching mechanism is configured to provide multiple points of engagement between the external cover and the cleaning head housing on the upper portion between the laterally disposed sides of the cleaning head housing and along a side of the agitator chamber opposite the one side of the agitator chamber.
15. The surface cleaning head of claim 1 further comprising a sealing member around a perimeter of at least one of an inside portion of the external cover and the cleaning head housing around the agitator chamber for sealing an interface between the cleaning head housing and the external cover around the agitator chamber.
16. The surface cleaning head of claim 15 further comprising a latching mechanism configured to provide multiple points of engagement between the external cover and the cleaning head housing on the upper portion between the laterally disposed sides of the cleaning head housing and along a side of the agitator chamber opposite the one side of the agitator chamber for holding the external cover in the closed position.
17. The surface cleaning head of claim 1 further comprising at least one transparent region in the external cover, the transparent region being configured to allow visual inspection of the agitator chamber when the external cover is in the closed position.
18. The surface cleaning head of claim 1 further comprising:
an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet; and
an air transportation and treatment system for transporting and treating air moving along the air flow path.
19. 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 partially covers the bottom portion of the cleaning head housing;
a separate agitator chamber located in the front end portion of the cleaning head housing, the agitator chamber having sides defining 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;
a dirty air inlet located in the agitator chamber at one of the sides of the agitator chamber;
an external cover pivotably mounted to the cleaning head housing along one side of the agitator chamber for covering the top opening of the agitator chamber at the front end portion of the cleaning head housing separately from the upper portion partially covering the cleaning head housing, the external cover being movable between a closed position and an open position, wherein 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;
a sealing member around a perimeter of at least one of an inside portion of the external cover and the cleaning head housing around the sides of the agitator chamber for sealing an interface between the cleaning head housing and the external cover around the agitator chamber;
a latching mechanism configured to provide multiple points of engagement between the external cover and the cleaning head housing on the upper portion between the laterally disposed sides of the cleaning head housing and along a side of the agitator chamber opposite the one side of the agitator chamber for holding the external cover in the closed position, wherein the at least one latching mechanism includes a first latching mechanism proximate one side and a second latching mechanism proximate an opposite side; and
a rotatable driven agitator mounted within the agitator chamber and enclosed by the sides of the agitator chamber such that the agitator is configured to contact a surface through the bottom opening, the rotatable driven agitator including a driven end and a non-driven end, and wherein the agitator is accessible through the top opening when the external cover is in the open position.
20. The surface cleaning head of claim 19 wherein the first and second latching mechanisms each include at least two hooks configured to provide engagement between the cleaning head housing and the external cover to hold the external cover in the closed position.
21. The surface cleaning head of claim 19 wherein the sealing member includes a lip seal.
22. The surface cleaning head of claim 19 wherein the sealing member is located on the inside portion of the external cover.
23. The surface cleaning head of claim 19 wherein the rotatable driven agitator is removably mounted in the agitator chamber and wherein the external cover engages the non-driven end of the agitator in the closed position to hold the agitator in the agitator chamber and wherein the external cover disengages from the non-driven end of the agitator when moved to the open position.
24. The surface cleaning head of claim 23 wherein the external cover includes an engaging structure protruding from an inside portion of the external cover for engaging the non-driven end of the rotatable driven agitator in the closed position to hold the agitator in the agitator chamber, wherein the engaging structure engages the non-driven end inside of the sealing member.
25. The surface cleaning head of claim 19 wherein the rotatable driven agitator is removably mounted in the agitator chamber and further comprising an agitator engaging member movably mounted to the cleaning head housing for movement into engagement with the non-driven end of the rotatable driven agitator to hold the agitator in the agitator chamber.
26. The surface cleaning head of claim 19 further comprising an agitator drive mechanism for driving the driven end of the rotatable driven agitator in the agitator chamber, and wherein the driven end of the rotatable agitator is removably engaged with the agitator drive mechanism such that the agitator drive mechanism holds the driven end of the agitator in the agitator chamber.
27. The surface cleaning head of claim 19 further comprising at least one transparent region in the external cover, the transparent region being configured to allow visual inspection of the agitator chamber when the external cover is in the closed position.
28. The surface cleaning head of claim 19 wherein the external cover is configured to pivot forwardly relative to the cleaning head housing to the open position.
29. The surface cleaning head of claim 19 wherein the external cover is configured to pivot rearwardly relative to the cleaning head housing to the open position.