The Hoover Comapny

Royal Appliance Mfg., Co.

Techtronic Floor Care Technology Limited

Glenn Matusz

Jeffrey T DeBord

Jay F Perkins

Kevin E Scheifele

Reuben Proud

Bengt Ivar Anders Ivarsson

Sergey V Makarov

Douglas C Barker

Gregg M Kloeppel

Greg A Bilek

Kurt D Harsh

Timothy B Hisrich

Andrew A Amberik

Mark Ilko

Allan L Horst

A floor cleaning device includes a base. A cleaning fluid supply tank is carried by the base. A source of pressure communicates with the cleaning fluid supply tank which pressurizes a cleaning fluid held in the cleaning fluid supply tank to an above atmospheric pressure. A fluid delivery system delivers pressurized cleaning fluid from the cleaning fluid supply tank to a surface to be cleaned.

High pressure extractor

An upright vacuum cleaner (A) includes a housing (B) having a suction airstream inlet and a suction airstream outlet. A dirt container () is selectively mounted to the housing for receiving and retaining dirt and dust separated from the suction airstream. The suction airstream inlet and the suction airstream outlet are in fluid communication with, respectively, an inlet and an outlet of the dirt container. The dirt container includes a first cyclonic air-flow chamber () and a second cyclonic airflow chamber (), each cyclonic airflow chamber including a longitudinal axis. The second cyclonic airflow chamber is spaced from the first chamber, wherein the first and second chambers are each approximately vertically oriented and are arranged in a parallel relationship. An air manifold (') is disposed at a top portion of the dirt container. The air manifold includes an inlet section () through which dirty air passes and an outlet section (&#x2032;). The inlet section directs a flow of dirty air into two separate inlet conduits leading to a respective one of the first and second airflow chambers. The outlet section collects a flow of cleaned air from both of the chambers and merges the flow of cleaned air into a single outlet conduit (). An airstream suction source (E) is mounted to the housing and is in communication with the outlet conduit of the manifold.

Twin cyclone vacuum cleaner

An upright vacuum cleaner comprises a housing having a suction airstream inlet and a suction airstream outlet. A dirt container is selectively mounted to the housing for receiving and retaining dirt and dust separated from the suction airstream. The suction airstream inlet and the suction airstream outlet are in fluid communication with, respectively, an inlet and an outlet of the dirt container. The dirt container includes a first cyclonic airflow chamber and a second cyclonic airflow chamber, each cyclonic airflow chamber including a longitudinal axis. The second cyclonic airflow chamber is spaced from the first chamber, wherein the first and second chambers are each approximately vertically oriented and are arranged in a parallel relationship. An air manifold is disposed at a top portion of the dirt container. The air manifold includes an inlet section through which dirty air passes and an outlet section. The inlet section directs a flow of dirty air into two separate inlet conduits leading to a respective one of the first and second airflow chambers. The outlet section collects a flow of cleaned air from both of the chambers and merges the flow of cleaned air into a single outlet conduit. An airstream suction source is mounted to the housing and is in communication with the outlet conduit of the manifold.

The invention is an agitator configuration for a floor care appliance such as an upright vacuum cleaner. The floor care appliance is provided with at least two agitator chambers each having at least one rotary agitator member disposed therein. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, a vacuum cleaner suction nozzle is provided with symmetric left and right agitator disposed adjacent one another. A front agitator assembly comprised of a left and right agitator half-section is disposed in the left and right agitator chambers, respectively. A rear agitator is located rearward of the front agitator assembly and is also comprised of a left and right agitator half-section disposed in the left and right agitator chambers, respectively. A plurality of brush members extend from each agitator half-section arranged in a helical pattern around the circumference of each of the agitator-half-sections. The left and right agitator half-sections of the front agitator assembly have opposite helical patterns so that a 'chevron' pattern is formed from the front agitator assembly. The 'chevron' brush pattern sweeps dirt particles from the center of the suction nozzle along the front of the cleaner toward the suction nozzle's outer edges. Similarly, the left and right agitator half-sections of the rear agitator assembly have opposite helical patterns so that a &#x201c;chevron&#x201d; pattern is formed from the rear agitator assembly. The &#x201c;chevron&#x201d; brush pattern sweeps dirt particles from the center of the suction nozzle along the rear edge of the suction nozzle toward the suction nozzle's outer edges.

Agitator drive configuration

Foot portion for a floor care appliance

Hood for a floor care appliance

Suction nozzle for a floor care appliance

A floor cleaning unit having a housing and a removable caddy which may be mounted on and removed from the housing for storing accessories. The caddy includes a body which removably mounts to the housing. A connector assembly is included on the body for removably mounting the body on the housing. The connector assembly includes a slot for receiving a hook member attached to the housing. An accessory retainer is formed on the body for storing the floor cleaning unit accessories, whereby the caddy and the floor cleaning unit accessories stored thereon may be slidably removed from the floor cleaning unit by merely applying a force to the body.

Removable hose and tool caddy

Growing community of inventors

Cuyahoga Falls, OH, United States of America

Glenn Matusz