SURFACE CLEANER

Abstract

A surface cleaner includes a base movable over a surface to be cleaned and having a suction inlet and a brushroll removably coupled to the base and rotatable about a brushroll axis, and a brushroll cover coupled to the base. A latch is movable between an unlocked position in which the brushroll is removable from the base and a locked position in which the brushroll is coupled to the base. The brushroll cover includes an actuator that moves the latch from the unlocked position toward the locked position when the brushroll cover is attached to the base such that when the brushroll cover is coupled to the base, the latch is retained in the locked position by the actuator to prevent removal of the brushroll. When the brushroll cover is uncoupled from the base, the latch moves to the unlocked position such that the brushroll is removable from the base.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/492,413, filed Mar. 27, 2023, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporate by reference herein.

BACKGROUND

The disclosure relates to surface cleaners, and more particularly, to surface cleaners having a removable brushroll.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment a surface cleaner is disclosed including a handle configured to move the surface cleaner along a surface, a debris collector, a vacuum source operable to generate a suction airflow along a fluid flow path from a suction inlet to the debris collector, and a base coupled to the handle. The base is movable over the surface to be cleaned by the handle and includes the suction inlet in fluid communication with the vacuum source and the debris collector, a brushroll removably coupled to the base and rotatable about a brushroll axis, and a brushroll cover coupled to the base. A latch is movable between an unlocked position in which the brushroll is removable from the base and a locked position in which the brushroll is coupled to the base for rotation about the brushroll axis. The brushroll cover includes an actuator that moves the latch from the unlocked position toward the locked position when the brushroll cover is attached to the base such that when the brushroll cover is coupled to the base, the latch is retained in the locked position by the actuator to prevent removal of the brushroll. When the brushroll cover is uncoupled from the base, the latch moves to the unlocked position such that the brushroll is removable from the base.

Other aspects of the disclosure will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a surface cleaner according to one embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a base of the surface cleaner of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the base of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the base of FIG. 3 with a brushroll cover removed.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the base of FIG. 4, with an arm in an unsecured position.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the base of FIG. 4, with a brushroll and the brushroll cover hidden.

FIG. 7 is a first perspective view of a brushroll.

FIG. 8 is a second perspective view of the brushroll of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9a is a partial cross-sectional view of the base of FIG. 6, taken along section line 9a-9a in FIG. 6.

FIG. 9b is a partial cross-sectional view of the base of FIG. 3, taken along section line 9b-9b in FIG. 3.

FIG. 10 is a partial top view of the base of FIG. 6.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the base, with the brushroll cover removed and the base coupled to a drip tray.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a surface cleaner according to another embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 13a is a perspective view of a base of a surface cleaner according to yet another embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 13b is a perspective view of the base of FIG. 13a, with a brushroll cover removed.

Before any embodiments of the present disclosure are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. Example embodiments of the present disclosure are capable of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a surface cleaner 10 including a base 12 and a body 14 pivotally coupled to the base 12. The body 14 is pivotal relative to the base 12 between an upright storage position (FIG. 1) and an inclined operating position. The surface cleaner 10 further includes a vacuum source 18 operable to generate a suction airflow along a fluid flow path from a suction inlet 66 (FIG. 6) to a debris collector 22 in fluid communication with the vacuum source 18. In the illustrated embodiment, the surface cleaner 10 includes a supply tank 26 to store a cleaning fluid. In other embodiments, the surface cleaner 10 may be a vacuum cleaner that does not include a supply tank and does not spray fluid onto a surface. In such an embodiment, the debris collector 22 may include a cyclonic separator.

A handle 30 extends from the body 14 to allow an operator to move the surface cleaner 10 along a surface to be cleaned. The handle 30 includes a grip 34 and a user interface 38 adjacent the grip 34. The grip 34 is graspable by a user when operating the surface cleaner 10, and the user interface 38 controls the vacuum source 18, and may control the flow of cleaning fluid from the supply tank 26 or other features of the cleaner. The user interface 38 may be provided on another location on the cleaner. In the illustrated embodiment, a battery 42 is removably coupled to the surface cleaner 10 to provide power to the surface cleaner 10 (e.g., to the vacuum source 18 and brushroll motor). The battery 42 of the illustrated embodiment is a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. In other embodiments, power is supplied to the cleaner by a power cord connected to mains electricity.

With reference to FIGS. 1-6, the base 12 includes a rearward end 46, a forward end 50 opposite the rearward end 46, a first side 54 extending between the rearward end 46 and the forward end 50, and a second side 58 opposite the first side 54. The base 12 includes wheels 62 to facilitate movement of the base 12 over the surface, and the base 12 includes the suction inlet 66 in fluid communication with the vacuum source 18 and the debris collector 22. A brushroll 70 is removably coupled to the base 12 and, when coupled to the base 12, is rotatable about a brushroll axis A1 that extends between the first side 54 and the second side 58 of the base 12. The base 12 further includes a latch 74 that selectively secures the brushroll 70 to the base 12 and a brushroll cover 82 that is selectively coupled to the base 12 to cover a portion of the brushroll 70. The base 12 further includes a fluid distributor configured to deliver fluid to the surface to be cleaned. In the illustrated embodiment, the fluid distributor includes a plurality of dispensers 78 positioned adjacent to the suction inlet 66 and to the brushroll 70. The dispensers 78 are in fluid communication with the supply tank 26 to selectively administer the cleaning fluid to the brushroll 70 to wet the brushroll 70.

With continued reference to FIGS. 2-6, the base 12 includes a drive mechanism 86 that is operably coupled to the brushroll 70 when the brushroll 70 is coupled to the base 12. The drive mechanism 86 includes an output 90 to drive rotation of the brushroll 70 about the brushroll axis A1. In the illustrated embodiment, the output 90 is adjacent the second side 58 of the base 12. The drive mechanism 86 may include a brushroll motor 94 and a transmission 98 (schematically identified in FIG. 6), such as a belt drive, to provide torque to the output 90. In other embodiments, the transmission 98 may be driven by the suction motor or a turbine.

With reference to FIGS. 3-8, the brushroll 70 includes a first end 102 and a second end 106 opposite the first end 102. The brushroll axis A1 extends through the first end 102 and the second end 106, and the brushroll 70 is rotatable about the brushroll axis A1. A brushroll material 110 such as bristles, bristle strips, flaps, microfiber, tufted fiber, or other material is disposed along an outer surface of the brushroll 70. In the illustrated embodiment the brushroll material 110 is a microfiber or tufted fiber material and extends between the first and second ends 102, 106. The second end 106 includes an input 114 to be coupled to the output 90 of the drive mechanism 86 when the brushroll 70 is coupled to the base 12. In the illustrated embodiment, the input 114 and the output 90 form a keyed or splined connection such that one of the input 114 and the output 90 includes grooves to receive keyed or splined drive members provided on the other of the input 114 and the output 90 such that the input 114 co-rotates with the output 90, and the brushroll 70 (e.g., the brushroll material 110) co-rotates with the input 114 so that the drive mechanism 86 rotates the brushroll 70 about the brushroll axis A1 during at least some modes of operation of the surface cleaner 10. Therefore, the second end 106 is supported by the drive mechanism 86 when the brushroll 70 is coupled to the base 12.

With continued reference to FIGS. 3-8, the first end 102 of the brushroll 70 includes an arm 118 that is selectively movable between an unsecured position (FIG. 5) in which the brushroll 70 is removable and a secured position (FIG. 3) in which the brushroll 70 is secured to the base 12. The arm 118 inhibits removal of the brushroll 70 from the base 12 when in the secured position and the latch 74 is in the locked position and allows removal of the brushroll 70 from the base 12 when in the unsecured position. The arm 118 is rotatably coupled to the first end 102 and extends away from the brushroll axis A1 (e.g., transverse to the brushroll axis A1 in a radial direction). The arm 118 is supported such that the brushroll 70 is rotatable relative to the arm 118 during operation.

With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the arm 118 forms an outer surface 134 of the first side 54 of the base 12 when the brushroll 70 is coupled to the base 12. The brushroll material 110 extends adjacent the brushroll first end 102 such that the brushroll material 110 is adjacent the arm 118. In this way, the distance between the outer surface of the first side 54 and the brushroll material 110 is a function of the thickness of the arm 118, reducing the distance between the outer surface of the first side 54 and the brushroll material 110 over prior cleaners. This reduces the distance between the brushroll material 110 and, for example, a wall when the surface cleaner 10 is operating with the first side 54 adjacent the wall and enables a user to clean close to a wall.

Referring now to FIGS. 7-8, the arm 118 includes a bore or pocket 122 positioned in an underside or end of the arm, and may be disposed closer to a distal end of the arm 118 than to brushroll axis A1. The pocket 122 may be a blind bore that extends partially into the arm 118. When the brushroll 70 is coupled to the base 12 and the arm 118 is in the secured position, the pocket 122 receives a portion of the base 12 therein to inhibit movement of the brushroll 70 along the brushroll axis A1. In one embodiment, the arm 118 further includes a recess 126 disposed between the pocket 122 and the brushroll axis A1. The recess 126 engages a portion of the base 12 when the brushroll 70 is coupled to the base 12 and the arm 118 is in the secured position to prevent movement of the brushroll 70 along the brushroll axis A1. Finally, the arm 118 of the illustrated embodiment includes a tab or handle 130 to facilitate a user grasping the arm 118 to move the arm between the secured and the unsecured positions.

With reference to FIGS. 5-8, the base 12 includes a protrusion 138 that is receivable within the pocket 122 and a retaining wall 142 engageable with the recess 126 when the arm 118 is in the secured position. The positioning of the protrusion 138 within the pocket 122 and the retaining wall 142 outside of the recess 126 prevents the brushroll 70 from moving along the brushroll axis A1 when the arm 118 is in the secured position. Furthermore, the protrusion 138 and the retaining wall 142 support the arm 118 relative to the base 12 in the secured position so that the arm 118 supports the first end 102 of the brushroll 70 relative to the base 12. In the illustrated embodiment, the base 12 further includes a secondary latch 144 (FIG. 10) that inhibits upward movement of the arm 118 when the arm 118 is in the secured position. In the illustrated embodiment, the secondary latch 144 is a deformable hook that engages a corresponding detent 145 (FIG. 8) on the arm 118. The secondary latch 144 holds the arm 118 when the latch 74 moves to the unlatched position when the cover 82 is removed from the base 12.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 9a, the latch 74, shown in an unlocked position, is supported by the base 12 to selectively prevent removal of the brushroll 70. More particularly, the latch 74 is disposed closer to the first side 54 of the base 12 than the second side 58 of the base 12 and movable relative to the base 12 between the unlocked position when the cover 82 is removed from the base 12 in which the brushroll 70 is removable from the base 12 and a locked position when the cover 82 is attached to the base 12 in which the brushroll 70 is coupled to the base 12 for rotation about the brushroll axis A1. The latch 74, shown in the locked position in FIGS. 3 and 9b, engages the arm 118 when in the locked position to maintain the arm 118 in the secured position. The latch 74 inhibits movement of the arm 118 from the secured position toward the unsecured position. In the illustrated embodiment, the latch 74 is moveable in a direction parallel to the brushroll axis A1, and the latch 74 is disposed closer to the first side 54 of the base 12 when in the locked position to block movement of the arm 118. In one embodiment, the latch 74 is rotatable between the locked position and unlocked position.

Referring now to FIGS. 9a and 9b, the latch 74 includes a catch portion 146 that engages the arm 118 as the latch 74 is moved toward the locked position. The catch portion 146 is configured to engage a portion of the arm 118 to prevent movement of the arm 118 toward the unsecured position. In one embodiment, the catch portion 146 includes a chamfer such that, if the arm 118 is not fully in the secured position, the chamfer on the catch portion 146 engages a corresponding surface on the arm 118 pressing the arm 118 toward the secured position as the cover 82 presses the latch 74 toward the locked position. The latch 74 further includes a follower 150 that, as will be described in greater detail herein, is engageable by the brushroll cover 82 to move the latch 74 toward the locked position form the unlocked position. A spring member or elastic member applies a force on the latch 74 toward the unlocked position. The illustrated spring member is a coil spring 154 that pushes the latch 74 toward the unlocked position when the cover 82 is removed.

Movement of the arm 118 between the secured position and the unsecured position may include rotation as shown in FIG. 5. In other embodiments, movement of the arm 118 to the unsecured position includes rotation and translation. In some embodiments, the arm 118 is configured to translate to the unsecured position. In the illustrated embodiment, the brushroll 70 is removable from the base 12 when the arm 118 is in the unsecured position by a user lifting the first end 102 of the brushroll 70 away from the base 12 in a vertical direction, releasing the input 114 of the second end 106 from the output 90 of the drive mechanism 86 and releasing the brushroll 70 from the base 12. Removal of the brushroll 70 by moving the first end 102 vertically enables the brushroll 70 to be removed from the base 12 when the base 12 is positioned in a drip tray 164 (FIG. 11) or other container that may constrain brushroll movement in an axial direction of the brushroll. Such an arrangement enables the drip tray 164 to conform to the shape of the base reducing size and cost of the drip tray while maintaining the convenience of removing the brushroll while the base 12 is in the drip tray.

With continued reference to FIG. 9, the brushroll cover 82 is releasably couplable to the base 12 to cover a portion of the brushroll 70 during operation of the surface cleaner 10. Extending from the brushroll cover 82 is an actuator 158 that cooperates with the latch 74 to move the latch 74 toward the locked position when the brushroll cover 82 is attached to the base 12. The actuator 158 extends from the brushroll cover 82 toward the surface when the brushroll cover 82 is coupled to the base 12, and the actuator 158 includes a cam surface 162 that engages the follower 150 to move the latch 74 toward the locked position as the cover 82 is installed. More particularly, the cam surface 162 and the follower 150 are oriented such that movement of the actuator 158 transverse to the brushroll axis A1 results in movement of the latch 74 in a direction along the brushroll axis A1. As the actuator 158 moves with the cover 82 toward the cover's installed position, the cam surface 162 engages the follower 150 and presses the follower 150 and the latch 74 toward the first side 54 of the base 12 into the locked position against the force of the spring 154, and as the cover 82 and the actuator 158 move away from the base 12, the actuator 158 disengages from the follower 150 enabling the latch 74 to move toward the second side 58 of the base 12 into the unlocked position by the force of the spring 154. In the illustrated embodiment, the actuator 158 is integrally formed with the brushroll cover 82 and removable from the base 12 with the brushroll cover 82. In one embodiment, the actuator 158 a separate component from the cover 82. Alternatively or additionally, the actuator 158 remains on the base 12 when the cover 82 is removed from the base 12, actuatable by the cover 82 or by user interaction. For example, FIGS. 13a and 13b illustrate an embodiment in which the cover 82 does not include an actuator. Rather, the latch 74 includes is a finger grip 190, instead of a follower 150, to be actuated by a user to move the latch 74 toward the unlocked position. The latch 74 may include a detent (not shown) that engages the base 12 to secure the latch 74 in the locked position until the user disengages the detent by applying a force to the finger grip 190. With continued reference to FIG. 9, in the illustrated embodiment, the latch 74 is retained in the locked position when the brushroll cover 82 is coupled to the base 12, and the latch 74 moves to the unlocked position when the brushroll cover 82 is uncoupled from the base 12. In one embodiment the cover forms a portion of the fluid flow path in communication with the vacuum source 18 and the debris collector 22. In one embodiment shown in FIG. 12, the surface cleaner 10′ is a carpet extractor wherein the cover 82′ is a suction nozzle forming the suction inlet 66′. In another embodiment, not shown, the base and the cover enclose the brushroll 70 such that the first end 102 is not open to the side, and the suction inlet is formed along the underside of the base beneath the brushroll, such as for application in a dry vacuum cleaner.

With reference to FIGS. 3-4, the brushroll cover 82 includes a cover latch 166 that selectively secures the brushroll cover 82 to the base 12. An actuator 170 is supported by the brushroll cover 82 and moveable between a latched position in which the brushroll cover 82 is secured to the base 12 and an unlatched position in which the brushroll cover 82 is removable from the base 12. The cover latch 166 is includes a spring or a spring member that applies a force on the latch 166 toward the latched position. In the illustrated embodiment, the cover latch 166 is a pinch latch and is operable independently of the latch 74 that secures the brushroll 70 to the base 12.

The brushroll cover 82 of the illustrated embodiment includes a light 174 to illuminate the surface during operation of the surface cleaner 10. The light 174 is powered by the surface cleaner 10 when the cover 82 is coupled to the base 12 and is removable from the base 12 with the brushroll cover 82. The base 12 includes a first electrical connector 178, and the brushroll cover 82 includes a second electrical connector 182. The first and second electrical connectors 178, 182 are operably coupled to one another when the brushroll cover 82 is coupled to the base 12. Therefore, when the brushroll cover 82 is coupled to the base 12, an electrical connection exists between the base 12 and the brushroll cover 82 so that the surface cleaner 10 is operable to power the light 174.

To remove the brushroll 70 from the surface cleaner 10, an operator first removes the brushroll cover 82 by releasing the cover latch 166. The brushroll 70 is not removable from the base 12 when the brushroll cover 82 is coupled to the base 12. The brushroll cover 82 does not directly engage the brushroll 70 to secure the brushroll 70 to the base 12. However, removal of the brushroll cover 82 allows the latch 74 to move to the unlocked position. More particularly, removal of the brushroll cover 82 disengages the actuator 158 from the latch 74 and allows the spring 154 to move the latch 74 toward the unlocked position in which the latch 74 is not engaged with the arm 118. The operator then moves the arm 118 from the secured position (FIG. 3) to the unsecured position (FIG. 5) to disengage the secondary latch 144 and de-couple the protrusion 138 from the pocket 122 and the retaining wall 142 from the recess 126. Once the arm 118 is rotated to the unsecured position, the brushroll 70 is removable from the base 12. More particularly, the operator is then able to move the brushroll 70 away from the second side 58 of the base 12 to disengage the input 114 from the output 90. In the illustrated embodiment, the operator removes the brushroll 70 by lifting the first end 102 of the brushroll 70 vertically away from the base 12.

Although the present disclosure has been described in detail with reference to certain preferred embodiments, variations and modifications exist within the scope and spirit of one or more independent aspects of the present disclosure as described.

Various features and advantages of the present disclosure are set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A surface cleaner comprising:

a handle configured to move the surface cleaner along a surface;

a debris collector;

a vacuum source operable to generate a suction airflow along a fluid flow path from a suction inlet to the debris collector;

a base coupled to the handle, the base movable over the surface to be cleaned by the handle, the base including, the suction inlet in fluid communication with the vacuum source and the debris collector, a brushroll removably coupled to the base and rotatable about a brushroll axis, and a brushroll cover releasably coupled to the base, a latch movable between an unlocked position in which the brushroll is removable from the base and a locked position in which the brushroll is coupled to the base for rotation about the brushroll axis,

wherein the brushroll cover includes an actuator that moves the latch from the unlocked position toward the locked position when the brushroll cover is attached to base such that when the brushroll cover is coupled to the base, the latch is retained in the locked position by the actuator to prevent removal of the brushroll, and

wherein, when the brushroll cover is uncoupled from the base, the latch moves to the unlocked position such that the brushroll is removable from the base.

2. The surface cleaner of claim 1, wherein the brushroll has a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the brushroll axis extending through the first end and the second end, wherein an arm is coupled to the first end of the brushroll and the arm is movable between a secured position in which the arm inhibits removal of the brushroll from the base and an unsecured position in which the brushroll is removable from the base.

3. The surface cleaner of claim 2, wherein, when the brushroll cover is coupled to the base and the latch is in the locked position, the latch inhibits movement of the arm from the secured position toward the unsecured position.

4. The surface cleaner of claim 2, wherein the base includes a first side and a second side opposite the first side, wherein, when the brushroll is coupled to the base, the first side of the brushroll is disposed adjacent the first side of the base and the second side of the brushroll is adjacent the second side of the base, and wherein, when the brushroll is coupled to the base, the arm forms an outer surface of the first side of the base.

5. The surface cleaner of claim 4, wherein the brushroll includes a brushroll material disposed on an outer surface of the brushroll, the brushroll material extending between the first end of the brushroll and the second end of the brushroll such that, when the brushroll is coupled to the base, the brushroll material extends adjacent the arm and the first side of the base.

6. The surface cleaner of claim 2, wherein, the arm includes a pocket, wherein the base includes a protrusion, and wherein the protrusion is received within the pocket when the arm is in the secured position to inhibit removal of the brushroll.

7. The surface cleaner of claim 2, wherein the base includes a secondary latch that inhibits movement of the arm when the arm is in the secured position.

8. The surface cleaner of claim 1, wherein the movement of the arm between the secured position and the unsecured position includes rotation.

9. The surface cleaner of claim 1, wherein the actuator extends from the brushroll cover toward the surface to be cleaned when the brushroll cover is coupled to the base.

10. The surface cleaner of claim 1, wherein the actuator is integrally formed with the brushroll cover and removable from the base with the brushroll cover.

11. The surface cleaner of claim 1, wherein the actuator includes a cam surface that engages the latch to move the latch from the unlocked position toward the locked position as the brushroll cover is coupled to the base.

12. The surface cleaner of claim 11, wherein the latch includes a follower that engages the cam surface such that movement of the actuator induces movement of the latch from the unlocked position toward the locked position when the brushroll cover is attached to the base.

13. The surface cleaner of claim 12, wherein the follower and the cam surface are oriented such that movement of the actuator in a direction transverse to the brushroll axis results in movement of the latch in a direction parallel to the brushroll axis when the brushroll cover is coupled to the base.

14. The surface cleaner of claim 2, wherein the base includes a first side and a second side opposite the first side, wherein the brushroll includes a first end positioned adjacent the first side of the base and a second end positioned adjacent the second side of the base when the brushroll is coupled to the base, the brushroll axis extending through the first end of the brushroll and the second end of the brushroll, and wherein the latch moves along the brushroll axis from the second side of the base toward the first side of the base when moved from the unlocked position toward the locked position.

15. The surface cleaner of claim 11, wherein the latch includes a catch portion that engages the arm when the latch moves from the unlocked position toward the locked position to move the arm toward the secured position.

16. The surface cleaner of claim 2, wherein the surface cleaner includes a drive mechanism, wherein the brushroll is coupled to the drive mechanism when the brushroll is coupled to the base such that the brushroll is rotatable about the brushroll axis by the drive mechanism, and wherein the drive mechanism is disposed on an opposite side of the base as the latch.

17. The surface cleaner of claim 1, wherein the brushroll cover includes a cover latch to selectively secure the brushroll cover to the base, wherein the cover latch includes an actuator movable between a latched position in which the brushroll cover is secured to the base and an unlatched position in which the brushroll cover is removable from the base.

18. The surface cleaner of claim 1, wherein the brushroll cover does not directly engage the brushroll to secure the brushroll to the base.

19. The surface cleaner of claim 18, wherein when the brushroll cover is coupled to the base, the brushroll is not removable from the base.

20. The surface cleaner of claim 1, further comprising a spring member that applies a force on the latch toward the unlocked position.

21. The surface cleaner of claim 1, wherein the brushroll cover includes a light, wherein the base includes a first electrical connector, wherein the brushroll cover includes a second electrical connector operably couplable to the first electrical connector, and wherein the light is powered by a power source of the surface cleaner when the brushroll cover is coupled to the base and the first electric connector is operably coupled to the second electrical connector.

22. The surface cleaner of claim 1, wherein the cover forms a portion of the fluid flow path.

23. The surface cleaner of claim 1, wherein the cover includes the suction inlet.