Surface cleaner
AssigneeTechtronic Floor Care Technology Limited
InventorsGregory Kowalski, John Morphey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A surface cleaner includes a base including a suction inlet in fluid communication with a debris separator and a suction source. The base includes a housing having a channel extending around at least a portion of the suction inlet, the channel having a first sidewall offset from a second sidewall. The base further includes a soleplate configured to slide along the surface being cleaned, the soleplate including a suction inlet aperture that defines at least a portion of the suction inlet, the soleplate further including an inner rib, an outer rib, and a channel between the inner rib and the outer rib. The inner rib frictionally engages the first sidewall and the outer rib frictionally engages the second sidewall to create a seal between the soleplate and the housing.
Claims21
A surface cleaner comprising:
- a suction source operable to generate a suction airflow configured to draw debris from a surface to be cleaned;
- a debris separator in fluid communication with the suction source, the debris separator operable to separate the debris from the suction airflow;
- and
- a base including a suction inlet in fluid communication with the debris separator and the suction source such that a suction airflow path extends through the suction inlet, through the debris separator, and through the suction source to transport the suction airflow and the debris from the suction inlet and into the debris separator, the base further including,
- a housing having a channel extending around at least a portion of the suction inlet, the channel having a first sidewall offset from a second sidewall, and
- a soleplate configured to slide along the surface being cleaned, the soleplate including a suction inlet aperture that defines at least a portion of the suction inlet, the soleplate further including an inner rib, an outer rib, and a channel between the inner rib and the outer rib,
- wherein the inner rib frictionally engages the first sidewall and the outer rib frictionally engages the second sidewall to create a seal between the soleplate and the housing.
A surface cleaner comprising:
- a fluid flow path extending from a suction inlet to a clean air outlet;
- a suction source operable to generate a suction airflow along the fluid flow path configured to draw debris from a surface to be cleaned into the suction inlet;
- a debris separator positioned in the fluid flow path operable to separate the debris from the suction airflow;
- and
- a nozzle assembly including a housing and a soleplate forming the suction inlet;
- the nozzle assembly having a joint between the housing and the soleplate, the joint extending around at least a portion of the suction inlet;
- the joint being formed by:
- a channel in one of the housing and the soleplate extending around at least a portion of the suction inlet, the channel having a first sidewall offset from a second sidewall;
- and
- an inner rib and an outer rib in the other of the housing and the soleplate extending around at least a portion of the suction inlet corresponding to the channel;
- wherein the inner rib frictionally engages the first sidewall or the outer rib frictionally engages the second sidewall to create a seal between the soleplate and the housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.