GB2271275A

GB2271275A - Upright vacuum cleaner with disengagable beater drive

Info

Publication number: GB2271275A
Application number: GB9320527A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Mitchell John Heeney; Andrew Francis Mccaffrey
Original assignee: Vax Ltd
Current assignee: Vax Ltd
Priority date: 1992-10-08
Filing date: 1993-10-06
Publication date: 1994-04-13
Also published as: GB9320527D0; GB9221179D0; AU4890993A; CA2107832A1

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner of the upright type, having a base assembly (10) and a handle assembly (20) pivotable relative to the base assembly, the base assembly including a driven beater member (11), includes means to disable the means for driving the beater member when the base and handle members are disposed in a predetermined relationship. The means may be a clutch (60) actuated via a rod (40) by a cam surface formed on the lower part of the handle assembly. The cleaner may include a flexible hose 30 connected at one end to the source of suction, the other end being optionally connectable to the base port via socket (29) or to a separate cleaning tool. <IMAGE>

Description

Title: Vacuum Cleaners Description of the Invention This invention relates to vacuum cleaners, i.e. suction operated appliances for use primarily on floors and floor coverings and having attachments available for other cleaning operations. More particularly, the present invention is concerned with vacuum cleaners of the so-called "upright" type which comprise a lower, or base, assembly and an upper, or handle, assembly; wherein the base assembly includes floor-engaging supporting means (such as rollers or other elements) whereby it may be moved over a floor to be cleaned, a suction inlet arranged to pick up material from the surface to be cleaned, a rotatable beater member (which may be or include a brush) associated with said inlet and engageable with said surface; the handle assembly includes a handle member to enable an operator to move the cleaner across said surface and a receptacle for collection of material picked up at said suction inlet, and there is driving means for rotating said beater member, and an air-flow passageway system within said assemblies from said suction inlet to said collection receptacle; the base and handle assemblies being pivotally connected so as to be relatively movable through a range of positions.

In most cases, the base assembly or the handle assembly includes a source of suction, normally comprising an impeller to draw air through said passageway system, but in some cases provision may be made for connection of the appliance to an external source of suction.

Usually the upper and lower assemblies are provided with releasable locking means whereby the two assemblies may be locked together in a predetermined angular relationship (herein called the locked condition) or released for relative pivotal movement (herein called the normal use condition) In the normal use condition, the cleaner may be freely moved over the floor to be cleaned, whereas the cleaner may be stored conveniently in the locked condition.

In normal use, the rotatable beater member is driven continuously and air-flow induced by said source of suction is drawn from the inlet of the base assembly. However, when an attachment is in use the air-flow is diverted to an auxiliary inlet to which the required attachment is connected. Typically, such attachments comprise one or more cleaning heads adapted to perform different types of cleaning operation and a length of flexible hose for connection to the auxiliary inlet. Usually, the cleaner is placed in the locked condition when an attachment is in use.

Desirably, when such an attachment is in use, the drive to the beater member is disabled in order to prevent wear or damage to the beater member and/or any surface it may engage during use of the attachment.

The present invention is concerned with an improved arrangement for disabling the drive to the beater member.

According to the invention, in a vacuum cleaner of the upright type, means are provided to disable the driving means for the beater member when the base and handle assemblies are disposed in a predetermined angular relationship.

The predetermined angular relationship in which the driving means are disabled may correspond to a locked condition in which the two assemblies are locked together in said predetermined angular relationship by releasable locking means.

Alternatively the predetermined angular relationship may correspond to a storage condition in which the two assemblies are able to be maintained without the need for locking means.

In a preferred arrangement, the driving means includes a clutch mechanism with an associated operating mechanism whereby the clutch mechanism can be brought from a normally engaged driving condition to a disengaged condition, the operating mechanism being responsive to relative movement of the body and handle assemblies into said predetermined angular relationship.

For this purpose, a cam member may be formed or provided on the handle assembly and arranged to engage a cam follower member formed or provided as part of said operating mechanism.

In a particularly simple arrangement, the operating mechanism may comprise a rod which is mounted in the base assembly for rotation about its longitudinal axis with said cam follower member projecting transversely at one end thereof into contact with said cam member and a clutch disengaging member projecting transversely at its other end into engagement with the clutch mechanism.

Preferably, the cam member is arranged so that the clutch becomes disengaged by a final portion of the range of relative angular movement permitted to the base and handle assemblies as they are brought into said predetermined angular relationship. Typically, the cam member may operate over less than 100 of angular movement, preferably not more than about 5".

It will be appreciated that in the locked or storage condition the handle assembly is normally arranged so as to extend substantially vertically when the base assembly is resting on a horizontal surface, this being the most convenient position for storage. When the cleaner is in normal use, involving movement of the base assembly to and fro over the surface being cleaned, the handle assembly with generally extend between a lowest position in which it is close to the surface being cleaned, and an upper position which is rarely at an angle of greater than about 7()" relative to the surface being cleaned.

Accordingly, a cleaner in accordance with the invention may be operated in an entirely conventional manner when in its normal use condition, without the clutch mechanism being affected. However, when the handle assembly is brought up to the locked or storage condition, the clutch mechanism is automatically brought to its disengaged condition.

Whilst it is particularly convenient to employ a cam-operated mechanism for disengaging the clutch mechanism, other arrangements are possible. For example, the operating mechanism may include a toothed rack which is engageable with a pinion or a gear sector rotatably associated with the handle assembly, the rack being arranged to disengage the clutch mechanism over the appropriate part of the range of angular movement of the two assemblies. In a further alternative, the operating mechanism may take the form of a cable having one end operatively connected to the clutch mechanism and the other end arranged to be drivingly engaged by a coupling member movable with the upper assembly.

Further, whilst it is particularly convenient for the operating mechanism to be arranged to respond to relative angular movement of the base and handle assemblies, it would alternatively be possible for the operating mechanism to be associated with a mechanism which is provided for locking the two assemblies in the predetermined angular relationship. Thus, the operating mechanism may be in the form of a linkage system which interconnects the clutch mechanism and a catch member, which serves to hold the two assemblies in the locked condition.

In a further variation, the releasable locking means could be omitted, the base and handle assemblies being so designed as to be stable when in the predetermined angular relationship.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of a vacuum cleaner in accordance with the invention; Figures 2A and 2B illustrate a clutch mechanism incorporated in such cleaner respectively in engaged and disengaged conditions; and Figure 3 illustrates in diagrammatic perspective view an operating mechanism associated with such clutch mechanism.

Referring firstly to Figure 1 of the drawings, there is shown in outline a vacuum cleaner of the upright type, the general arrangement of which and many of whose parts are generally conventional. The vacuum cleaner comprises a base assembly 10 which is adapted for movement over a floor and which houses a first cleaning head H1 which has a rotary brush 11 and from which a suction passageway 12 extends through which air can be drawn from the first cleaning head.

The cleaner further comprises a handle assembly 20 in which there is a dust collection receptacle 21 which may contain a removable dust collector bag 22. An air flow passageway 23 communicates with the interior of the dust collection receptacle 21 and has a neck 13 extending into the receptacle 21 to cooperate with an aperture leading into the interior of the collector bag 22. The passageway 23 extends to a flexible hose 30 which is disposed on the exterior of the handle assembly 20.

At the lower end of the handle assembly 20 there is an electric motor and impeller unit 25 which communicates with the collection receptacle 21 through a suction passageway 24, the arrangement being such that operation of the impeller 25 draws air out of the collection receptacle 21 and expels it, through an opening not shown, to the exterior of the handle assembly 20. In practice, the passageway 24 may merely comprise an opening in a casing of the impeller 25, the impeller unit being located at the bottom of the collection receptacle 21.

The handle assembly 20 incorporates a grip portion 26 at its upper end, for being held by a user of the vacuum cleaner. The handle assembly 20 is pivotally secured to the base assembly 10 to facilitate backwards and forwards movement of the cleaner by the user, and such pivoting is provided by means not shown coaxial with the axis of rotation 27 of the motor and impeller unit 25.

The hose 30 which is connected at its one end to the opening of the passageway 23 outside the handle assembly 20, has at its other end a spigot fitting 31 engagable with a socket 29 which is provided, at the exterior of the handle assembly 20, at the end of the suction passageway 12 extending from the first cleaning head H1 of the vacuum cleaner. The suction passageway 12 incorporates means which enables a satisfactorily airtight communication to be maintained despite the above described pivoting movement of the handle assembly 20 relative to the base assembly 10; by way of example such connection may be provided by way of a pivotable connector or gland assembly also arranged concentrically with the pivot axis of the handle assembly 20 relative to the base, and with the axis of rotation of the motor and impeller unit.

The vacuum cleaner is further provided with at least one attachment affording an accessory cleaning head H2 which is connectable to the hose 30 as shown in broken lines at 30a in Figure 1, the spigot 31 being withdrawn from the socket 29 in order to make such connection with the cleaning head H2. Such connection may be by way of a further extension tube or tubes, or a further flexible hose, not shown.

The arrangement is thus that when the hose 30 is connected to the socket 29, suction generated by the impeller 25 is communicated by way of the passage 24, receptacle 21, passage 23, hose 30, and passage 12, to the cleaning head H1. This provides for normal floor cleaning by the vacuum cleaner.

Alternatively the hose may be connected to the accessory cleaning head H2 for other cleaning tasks.

A drive belt 15 extends from the shaft of the motor impeller unit 25 to a countershaft clutch assembly indicated generally at 60 in Figure 1 and described in greater detail hereafter. A further drive belt 16 extends from the clutch assembly 60 to the rotary brush 11 for driving the latter when the clutch assembly 60 is in the engaged, drive-transmitting, condition.

Figure 1 illustrates the vacuum cleaner in a storage position wherein the handle assembly 20 is arranged in an upright position. It may be arranged to be held in such position by any suitable means for example by frictional engagement or, as illustrated, by a catch shown diagrammatically at 18, releasable by a foot-operable button 17. The catch is spring biased into an operative position to engage with a suitable formation provided on a part of the handle assembly 20 when the handle assembly reaches the substantially vertical position.

In accordance with the invention, when the cleaner is in this condition a linkage indicated diagrammatically at 40 in Figure 1 holds the clutch mechanism 60 in a disengaged condition. This enables the hose to be used for the accessory cleaning head H2 without the rotary brush 11 being driven.

As shown in Figures 2A and 2B, one suitable form of clutch mechanism comprises a drive wheel 61 which has a crowned drive surface for engagement by the drive belt 15. The wheel 61 is mounted, by a roller bearing indicated generally at 59, on a sleeve 65 which is slidable lengthwise of an axle 62 which is arranged to be held stationary in the base assembly 10 of the vacuum cleaner. As illustrated, the axle 62 has apertures 58 for receiving screws by which it may be mounted in the base assembly 10. A spring 63 acts between a circlip 64 carried by the axle 62 and the sleeve 65, so as to bias the sleeve and the drive wheel 61 carried thereby to the left, with reference to Figures 2A and 2B. A take-up wheel 66, with a peripheral surface for engagement with the drive belt 16, is carried by a bearing assembly 57 at the end of the axle 62, for free rotation.

The mutually facing sides of the drive wheel 61 and take-up wheel 66 carry respective clutch elements 67, 68 so that when they are in contact with one another, under the influence of spring 63, drive is transmitted from the drive wheel 61 to the take-up wheel 66.

The clutch elements may comprise friction clutch plates, or may be in the form of circumferentially spaced teeth or drive dogs made for example of a resilient material such as rubber so as to provide a positive, but cushioned, driving engagement.

The drive wheel 61 is movable away from the take-up wheel 66, against the force of the spring 63, by the operating mechanism which is indicated generally at 40 in Figure ] and shown in greater detail in Figure 3. The operating mechanism comprises a rod 41 which is mounted relative to the base assembly 10 of the vacuum cleaner, by means not shown, for angular movement about its longitudinal axis, the rod extending generally along one side of the base assembly 10 from a position adjacent the pivotal mounting point of the handle assembly 20 to a position adjacent the clutch mechanism 60.At its forward end the rod includes a laterally extending offset arm 42 which engages an abutment element 69 formed or provided on the sleeve 65, whereby the sleeve together with the bearing 59 and drive wheel 61 carried thereby can be displaced against the force of the spring 63, in response to angular movement of the rod 41 about its longitudinal axis as illustrated in Figure 2B.

At its other end, the rod 41 includes a further laterally projecting arm 43 which at its outer end has a sleeve engagable by a cam face 44 formed or provided on the handle assembly 20 at the lower end thereof, adjacent its pivotal mounting to the base assembly 10.

The arrangement is such that over most of the permitted range of angular movement of the handle assembly relative to the base assembly, the rod 41 is in the position illustrated in Figure 2A so that the clutch 60 is engaged and drive is transmitted to the rotary brush 11 when the cleaner is in use in its normal mode. However, when the handle assembly 20 is brought to the upright position illustrated in Figure 1, over the final few degrees of such movement the cam 44 acts on the arm 43 to turn the rod about its longitudinal axis to the position illustrated in Figure 2B, thereby disengaging the clutch mechanism 60. The accessory cleaning head attachment H2 may then be used whilst the drive to the rotary brush 11 is disengaged.

Preferably the cam operates to disengage the clutch mechanism over less than the last 100 of angular movement of the handle assembly to the upright position, and preferably such operation takes place over not more than about 50 of movement of the handle.

As described above, the clutch mechanism 60 is, in effect, a countershaft clutch, the drive to the rotary brush being by way of two drive belts respectively to and from the clutch. It will be appreciated that in a simpler arrangement a clutch could be provided on the rotary brush itself, in which case only one drive belt would be required to transmit drive from the motor of the vacuum cleaner to the rotary brush. Such clutch mechanism may be of similar or analogous construction to that described above, or of different construction, and may be arranged to be operated in any appropriate manner. Possible further arrangements of operating mechanism for a clutch are referred to above.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising a base assembly and a handle assembly; the base assembly including floor-engaging supporting means whereby it may be moved over a floor to be cleaned, a suction inlet arranged to pick up material from the surface to be cleaned, and a rotatable beater member associated with said inlet and engagable with said surface; the handle assembly including a handle member to enable an operator to move the cleaner across said surface and a receptacle for collection of material picked up at said suction inlet; there being driving means for rotating said beater member, an air flow passageway system providing for delivery of material picked up at said suction inlet to said receptacle, and means pivotally connecting said base and handle assemblies together so as to be movable relative to one another through a range of positions; wherein means are provided to disable the driving means for the beater member when the base and handle assemblies are disposed in a predetermined angular relationship.

2. A vacuum cleaner according to Claim 1 comprising releasable locking means for locking the base and handle assemblies together in said predetermined angular relationship wherein the driving means are disabled.

3. A vacuum cleaner according to Claim 1 wherein said predetermined angular relationship corresponds to a storage condition.

4. A vacuum cleaner according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said driving means includes a clutch mechanism operable between an engaged driving condition and a disengaged condition, and an operating mechanism for said clutch mechanism, the operating mechanism being responsive to relative movement of the body and handle assemblies into said predetermined angular relationship.

5. A vacuum cleaner according to Claim 4 comprising a cam member formed or provided on the handle assembly, and engagable with a cam follower member formed or provided as part of said operating mechanism.

6. A vacuum cleaner according to Claim 5 wherein said operating mechanism comprises a rod mounted in the base assembly for angular movement about its longitudinal axis, said cam follower member projecting transversely at one end thereof to engage said cam member, and a clutch disengaging member projecting transversely at its other end into engagement with the clutch mechanism.

7. A vacuum cleaner according to Claim 5 or Claim 6 wherein the cam member is arranged so that the clutch becomes disengaged by a final portion of the range of relative angular movement permitted to the base and handle assemblies as they are brought into said predetermined angular relationship.

8. A vacuum cleaner according to Claim 7 wherein said cam member operates over less than 10 of said angular movement.

9. A vacuum cleaner according to Claim 8 wherein said cam member operates over not more than about 5 of said angular movement.

10. A vacuum cleaner according to any one of Claims 4 to 9 wherein said clutch mechanism is operatively disposed between first and second belt drives extending to said beater member.

11. A vacuum cleaner according to any one of the preceding claims including means for diverting air flow from said suction inlet to an auxiliary inlet for connection of a cleaning attachment.

12. A vacuum cleaner substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.