Removable rotatable driven agitator for surface cleaning head

A surface cleaning head comprising:

• a cleaning head housing;
• an agitator chamber located in the front end portion of the cleaning head housing, the agitator chamber having at least a top opening and a bottom opening, and wherein the agitator chamber includes a non-driven side and a driven side;
• an agitator drive mechanism including a splined drive member at the driven side of the agitator chamber and an agitator drive motor drivingly coupled to the splined drive member;
• an external cover configured to be mounted to the cleaning head housing for covering at least the top opening of the agitator chamber, wherein the external cover is completely removable from the cleaning head housing and includes a transparent window configured to allow visual inspection of the rotatable agitator in the agitator chamber;
• and
• a rotatable agitator configured to be rotatably mounted within the agitator chamber such that the agitator is configured to contact a surface through the bottom opening, wherein the agitator is accessible and removable through the top opening when the external cover is removed, wherein the rotatable driven agitator includes a non-driven end mounted at the non-driven side of the agitator chamber and a driven end including a splined driven member, wherein, when the rotatable agitator is rotatably mounted in the agitator chamber, the splined driven member engages with the splined drive member of the drive mechanism such that the splined drive member transmits torque and rotation to the splined driven member and the rotatable driven agitator, wherein the removable rotatable agitator comprises:
• an agitator body having the driven end and the non-driven end;
• at least one agitator element located on at least a portion of the agitator body between the driven end and the non-driven end;
• and
• a tab extending radially from the non-driven end of the agitator body and rotatable relative to the agitator body wherein, when the rotatable agitator is mounted in the agitator chamber, the tab is configured to be gripped by the user to facilitate removing and inserting the non-driven end into the agitator chamber through the top opening, and wherein the external cover engages the tab at a location radially beyond an outer diameter of the agitator body when the external cover is mounted to the cleaning head housing.

A surface cleaning head for a vacuum, the surface cleaning head comprising:

• a cleaning head housing having a front end portion, a rear end portion, laterally disposed sides, an upper portion and a bottom portion;
• an agitator chamber located in the front end portion of the cleaning head housing, the agitator chamber having a top opening through the upper portion of the cleaning head housing and a bottom opening through the bottom portion of the cleaning head housing, and wherein the agitator chamber includes a non-driven side and a driven side;
• an external cover configured to be mounted to the cleaning head housing for covering the top opening of the agitator chamber such that the external cover forms a top portion of the agitator chamber, wherein the external cover is completely removable from the cleaning head housing, and wherein the external cover includes a transparent window configured to allow visual inspection of the rotatable agitator in the agitator chamber;
• and
• a rotatable driven agitator removably mounted within the agitator chamber such that the rotatable agitator contacts a surface through the bottom opening of the agitator chamber, wherein the rotatable agitator is accessible and removable through the top opening of the agitator chamber when the external cover is removed, wherein the rotatable agitator comprises:
• an agitator body having a driven end and a non-driven end;
• a tab configured to be gripped by the user to facilitate removing the non-driven end from the agitator chamber through the top opening, and wherein the external cover engages the tab when the external cover is mounted to the cleaning head housing, and wherein the tab includes a recessed region facing in the axial direction toward the agitator body to facilitate gripping of the tab with the recessed region disposed radially beyond the agitator body;
• and
• at least one agitator element located on at least a portion of the agitator body between the driven end and the non-driven end.