Surface cleaner
AssigneeBISSELL Inc.
InventorsMitchell J. DeJonge, Ryan J. Alt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A surface cleaner may have various features including an engagement mechanism secured to an agitator support frame and positioned to be pivoted by an agitator lift lever as the agitator lift lever translates, the pivoting engagement mechanism lifting the agitator support frame and the agitator secured thereto from a lowered position to a raised position. Other features may include a projection to limit belt slack when the agitator assembly is raised, a compact detent mechanism for releasing a spine assembly in an upright surface cleaner, a compact motor drive assembly, a self-priming centrifugal pump, a fluid-dispensing system having a high flow operating state and a low flow operating state, and a clean-out tray in which a base of the surface cleaner may be docked.
Claims19
A surface cleaner comprising:
- a base configured for movement across a surface to be cleaned, the base including a base housing;
- and
- a fluid-dispensing system operable for delivering fluid to the surface to be cleaned, the fluid-dispensing system including a centrifugal pump mounted in the base housing, the centrifugal pump including:
- a casing having an inlet through which fluid is drawn, an outlet through which fluid is discharged, a volute scroll in fluid communication with the inlet, an expansion chamber in communication with the outlet, a throat fluidly connecting the volute scroll with the expansion chamber, and a weep hole fluidly connecting the expansion chamber with the volute scroll;
- and
- an impeller configured to rotate in the volute scroll to pump fluid from the inlet to the outlet through the throat and the expansion chamber, with fluid in the expansion chamber separating from air in the expansion chamber and returning to the volute scroll through the weep hole, thereby priming the centrifugal pump.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.