The Hoover Comapny

Theken Spine, LLC

Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations, LLC

Healthy Gain Investments Limited

Andrew C Budd

Jonathan E Fawcett

Kevin E Scheifele

Richard M Mueller

Richard S Parr

Marc Silski

Evan A Gordon

David M Severyn

Charles A Lang

Nickolas G Kriska

Michael A Durbin

Kurt D Harsh

William H Theiss, Jr

Bruce Straslicka

Stephen P Casteel

Timothy T Hertrick

Kenneth H Cooper

Jack S Stayer, Jr

Patrick J Quinn

Tire

An adjustable length corpectomy device is provided with a means for providing bidirectional length adjustment and a means for selectively fixing the length of the implant.

Expandable corpectomy device

An adjustable spinal implant () is provided for use in connecting elongate members () as well as vertebral spacers such as corpectomy devices, intervertebral fusion devices, and other prostheses. The implant () may have fittings () on either end comprising fixed () or articulating () jaws, endplates, or other engagement structures. The implant () comprises a housing () with an internal rotor (); an extending shaft (); and a locking collar (70). The extending shaft () has an external helical groove () that meshes with an internal helical groove () on rotor (). Length adjustment occurs by transforming axial movement of the extending shaft () into a rotary movement of the rotor () via helical engagement. The locking collar () comprises protrusion () engaging grooves () of rotor (), thus providing a simple, positive locking mechanism without requiring the surgeon to apply excessive force to lock the length.

Spinal implant adjustment device

A spinal fixation apparatus comprising an upper and lower endplate. Depending distally in a longitudinal direction from the upper endplate is an inner sleeve that fits inside an outer sleeve that depends distally in a longitudinal direction from the lower endplate. The inner sleeve includes grooves located on its outer surface. A finger cage including resilient fingers fits around the outer sleeve. The fingers have ends that include male grooves. The ends of the fingers fit into apertures located in the outer sleeve. The apparatus further includes a locking mechanism that pushes the tips of the fingers through the apertures of the outer sleeve such that they mesh with the grooves of the inner sleeve. When the locking mechanism is unlocked the tips of the fingers disengage from the grooves of the inner sleeve, and the inner sleeve slide axially within the outer cage, adjusting the height of the device.

Adjustable corpectomy apparatus

An upright vacuum cleaner is provided having a suction nozzle height adjustment arrangement controlled by a rotary mode control member located on the upper housing. The rotary mode control member controls a suction nozzle height adjustment motor and a rotary agitator drive disconnect arrangement. A wheel tensioner located on an idler arm is operatively connected to a cam on the suction nozzle height adjustment motor which tensions and de-tensions the agitator drive belt to control the rotary agitator. The rotary mode control member could have discrete settings for the various floor surfaces to be cleaned including bare floors and carpet of varying pile heights. Alternately, the rotary mode control member could be variable so that an infinite number of suction nozzle height settings can be selected.

Mode control arrangement for a floor care appliance

An upright vacuum cleaner is provided having a dirt collecting system with a downwardly pivoting lid for disposing of the collected dirt. The dirt collecting system has a latching arrangement for securing the pivoting lid into the closed position. A release member on the sidewall of the dirt collecting container is in operative engagement with a latching arrangement for releasing the pivoting lid from the closed position when the dirt collecting container is removed from the cleaner housing. The latching arrangement utilizes a slide member that traverses the underside of the pivoting lid. The slide member is biased into the latched position by a pair of resilient members. A pair of torsional springs are disposed in the hinges pivotally connecting the pivoting lid to the sidewall of the dirt collecting container to bias the pivoting lid into the open position when the release member is depressed.

Dirt collecting system for a floor care appliance

A cleaning apparatus for cleaning a surface in which cleaning solution is dispensed to the surface and substantially simultaneously extracted along with the dirt on the surface in a continuous operation is provided. The cleaning apparatus includes a base portion for movement along the surface and a handle pivotally connected to the base portion. A solution tank for supplying a flow of cleaning solution to the surface is removably mounted to one of the base portion and handle. A recovery tank is removably mounted to the handle. A suction nozzle is secured to the base portion. A suction source is located downstream of the recovery tank in fluid communication with the suction nozzle for generating suction to draw dirt and liquid through the suction nozzle and into the recovery tank. A suction conduit is fluidly connected between the recovery tank and the suction source. A suction shut off device is operatively connected to the suction source to shut shutoff suction through at least a portion of the suction conduit upon the handle being pivoted down a predetermined distance to a first position.

Suction shut off device for a cleaning apparatus

A floor care appliance is provided with a switch for controlling the height of the suction nozzle. The switch controls the height of the suction nozzle by controlling the operation of an independent motor and a gear and cam arrangement operatively connected to the wheel carriage. Another cam arrangement is operatively connected to the independent motor which engages suction nozzle height adjustment travel limits at both extremes of the suction nozzle height. The suction nozzle height adjustment travel limit switches turn off current to the independent motor at the extremes of the suction nozzle height to prevent overheating of the independent motor and over travel. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, two wires connect the suction nozzle height control switch to the independent motor along with the two travel limit switches and a pair of diodes. In an alternate embodiment of the invention, three wires connect the suction nozzle height control switch to the independent motor along with the two travel limit switches.

Growing community of inventors

Clinton, OH, United States of America

Andrew C Budd