Internally driven agitator

A vacuum cleaner comprising:

• a nozzle;
• and,
• a brushroll positioned adjacent the nozzle, the brushroll comprising:
• a brushroll tube, defining an interior volume, having first and second ends and a longitudinal rotation axis;
• a shaft positioned in the brushroll tube and extending along the longitudinal axis;
• a rotor assembly fixedly mounted to an internal surface of the brushroll tube and,
• a magnetic assembly supported within the interior volume by the shaft, the magnetic assembly selectively magnetically interacting with the rotor assembly to induce rotation of the brushroll tube.

A vacuum cleaner comprising:

• a housing adapted for movement on a subjacent surface;
• a nozzle defined in said housing, said nozzle having an opening;
• a brushroll rotatably mounted to said housing adjacent said nozzle opening, wherein said brushroll comprises:
• a brushroll tube having first and second ends and a longitudinal axis;
• an interior volume defined in said brushroll tube;
• a magnet rotatably mounted in said interior volume;
• and
• an armature rigidly mounted in said interior volume and spaced from said magnet.

A vacuum cleaner comprising:

• a housing adapted for movement on a subjacent surface;
• a nozzle defined in said housing, said nozzle having an opening;
• a brushroll tube having first and second ends and a longitudinal axis, said brushroll tube being rotatably mounted to said housing adjacent said nozzle opening;
• at least one agitating element protruding from said brushroll tube;
• a shaft located in an interior volume of the brushroll tube and extending along the longitudinal axis thereof;
• a stator rigidly mounted on said shaft;
• a magnetic steel cylinder surrounding said shaft and said stator and spaced therefrom, said magnetic steel cylinder being rigidly connected to said brushroll tube;
• and
• a permanent magnet rotor fixedly mounted to an interior surface of said magnetic steel cylinder, said permanent magnet rotor overlying and being coaxial with said stator and spaced therefrom, wherein said magnetic steel cylinder comprises a magnet yoke, said rotor and stator forming a motor for rotating said brushroll tube wherein said rotor is driven by changes in induced magnetic fields in the stator.

A method of rotating a surface working apparatus in a vacuum cleaner comprising:

• applying an electrical signal to a motor disposed within the surface working apparatus;
• responsive to the applied electrical signal, generating an electromagnetic field which interacts with a permanent-magnetic field associated with an interior wall of the surface working apparatus, inducing rotation of the surface working apparatus;
• computing rotational information of the surface working apparatus;
• and
• altering the applied electrical signal to the motor based on the computed rotational information.