The Hoover Comapny

Techtronic Floor Care Technology Limited

Other

Kevin E Scheifele

Jeffrey T DeBord

Jeffery A Morgan

Jay F Perkins

Lynn A Frederick

Evan A Gordon

Oren Shai

Jeffrey S Louis

Ryan Scott Crisp

Jean Ellen Kiple

Duane B Kutsch

John Charles Porter

Frank Thomas Poggio

Brent L Burchfield

Ryan R Berger

Paul E Hsu

Gilberto Cavada, Jr

Andrew C Budd

Richard E Corney

Sean D Montag

Jonathan E Fawcett

Glenn Matusz

Douglas G Schaefer

Jeffery S Louis

Jeffrey A Morgan

Stephen P Casteel

Thomas G Diamond

Douglas S Rubel

Chan Chi Tong

Oren Shal

Patrick J Quinn

Gilberto Cavana, Jr

A floor care appliance is provided for cleaning bare surfaces such as tile, marble, linoleum and wood. The floor care appliance is comprised of a base portion having a suction nozzle and a brush block having a plurality of vertical axis rotary agitators for cleaning bare floors. The rotary agitators are driven by an independent motor for agitating the floor surface. With the addition of an accessory hose and tools, the cleaning utility can be expanded to areas wherein the suction nozzle cannot normally reach such as behind the toilet, shower walls, and the grout between tile. While used in the capacity for cleaning bare floors, the floor care appliance can be moved between three modes by a rotating a member located on the upper housing. The first mode is dry mode, the second mode is wet scrub mode and the third mode is wet pickup mode. The accessory tools are stored in an accessory caddy that is placed freestanding over the suction nozzle and in front of the housing.

Floor care appliance with a plurality of cleaning modes

The invention is a bare floor cleaning appliance provided with a foot pedal for raising and lowering the suction nozzle while simultaneously energizing and de-energizing the independent drive motor powering a horizontal axis rotary agitator. The foot pedal is depressed once to lower the suction nozzle to a position closest to the floor surface and the horizontal rotary agitator is energized to clean the floor surface. Suction from the motor-fan assembly is used to pick up dirt and used cleaning solution. The foot pedal is depressed one more time to raise the suction nozzle from the floor surface and de-energize the horizontal rotary agitator. In this mode, suction from the motor-fan assembly is used to pick up dry objects including dirt. The foot pedal operates the switch for energizing and de-energizing the independent electric motor by rotating a mode indicator operably connected to the foot pedal. Depressing the foot pedal once rotates the mode indicator to a first position which toggles the switch from the off position to the on position. When rotated into this position, an first indicating portion on the mode indicator is rotated underneath a first viewing window formed in the hood of the cleaner foot. Depressing the foot pedal another time rotates the mode indicator to a second position which toggles the switch from the on position to the off position. A second indicating portion on the mode indicator rotates underneath a second viewing window formed in the hood of the foot. At the same time the first indicating portion is rotated out of sight of the first viewing window.

Mode control arrangement for a floor

A floor care appliance is provided for cleaning bare surfaces such as tile, marble, linoleum and wood. The floor care appliance includes a port for the connection of an accessory hose and wand for off the floor cleaning. A variety of cleaning implements can be attached to the wand for cleaning hard to reach bare surfaces such as tile and grout. The port includes a suction inlet, cleaning solution outlet, and an air turbine inlet for an air turbine pump which pressurizes the cleaning solution. A pivoting door seals the suction inlet, cleaning solution outlet, and air turbine inlet when the accessory hose and wand are not in use.

A floor care appliance is provided for cleaning bare surfaces such as tile, marble, linoleum and wood. The floor care appliance includes an accessory caddy for storing an accessory hose, telescoping wand, cleaning implements and cleaning supplies. The accessory caddy is placed over the suction nozzle in front of the cleaner housing for storage. A pair of arcuate cutouts on the caddy are provided for placement over the suction nozzle. A handle is provided for transporting the accessory caddy.

Growing community of inventors

Tallmadge, OH, United States of America

Kevin E Scheifele