Vacuum cleaner equipped with pivotally mounted agitator section
The present invention relates to a floor cleaning apparatus including a nozzle assembly having a base section and an agitator section pivotally mounted to the base section, a canister assembly pivotally connected to the nozzle assembly, a suction generator carried on one of the nozzle assembly and the canister assembly and a dirt collector carried by one of the nozzle assembly and canister assembly.
1. A floor cleaning apparatus, comprising:
a nozzle assembly including a base section and an agitator section pivotally mounted to said base section;
a canister assembly pivotally connected to said nozzle assembly;
a suction generator carried by one of said nozzle assembly and said canister assembly; and
a dirt collector carried by one of said nozzle assembly and said canister assembly;
wherein said floor cleaning apparatus is characterized by;
said agitator section including an agitator housing, a first rotary agitator and a second rotary agitator; and
said first rotary agitator including a longitudinal axis, said agitator section pivoting relative to said base section along said longitudinal axis.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said base section of said nozzle assembly includes at least one ground engaging wheel.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein said canister assembly includes at least one ground engaging wheel.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said agitator section of said nozzle assembly includes at least one wheel.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein said at least one wheel of said agitator section is provided adjacent a leading edge of said agitator section.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said canister assembly includes a control handle, said canister assembly being pivotally displaceable relative to said nozzle assembly between an upright, storage position and a use position.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including means for biasing said agitator section toward said surface being cleaned.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including at least one spring for biasing said agitator section toward said surface being cleaned.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including means for transmitting power from said suction generator to said first rotary agitator.
10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said means includes a belt.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein said means includes a gear box assembly.
12. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including an agitator drive motor carried on said nozzle assembly.
13. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:
a main housing including a plurality of wheels for engaging and rolling over a surface to be cleaned;
a suction generator; and
an agitator section pivotally mounted to said main housing, said agitator section including an agitator housing, a first rotary agitator and a second rotary agitator and said first rotary agitator including a longitudinal axis, said agitator section pivoting relative to said main housing along said longitudinal axis.
14. The vacuum cleaner of claim 13 , further including means for biasing said agitator section toward the surface to be cleaned.
15. The vacuum cleaner of claim 13 , further including a pair of brackets for pivotally mounting said agitator section to said main housing.
16. The vacuum cleaner of claim 15 , wherein each bracket of said pair of brackets includes an aperture for receiving an end of said first rotary agitator.
17. The vacuum cleaner of claim 16 , wherein each bracket of said pair of brackets includes at least one lug and one fastener for securing each bracket to said main housing.