Floor care apparatus with photoelectric quasi-automatic height adjustment
OwnerKerry L. Deverinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A floor care apparatus includes a nozzle assembly having suction inlet. A canister assembly is connected to the nozzle assembly. A suction generator and a dirt collection vessel are carried on one of the nozzle assembly and canister assembly. A height adjustment mechanism is carried on the nozzle assembly. In addition a photo sensor unit is carried on the nozzle assembly for sensing the height of the nap of an underlying carpet or rug being cleaned. The height adjustment mechanism and the photo sensor unit cooperate together to allow the operator to automatically adjust the operating height of the vacuum cleaner relative to the height of the nap of the carpet being cleaned.
Claims20
A floor care apparatus, comprising:
- a nozzle assembly including a suction inlet;
- a canister assembly connected to said nozzle assembly;
- a suction generator carried on one of said nozzle assembly and said canister assembly;
- a dirt collection vessel carried on one of said nozzle assembly and said canister assembly;
- a height adjustment mechanism carried on said nozzle assembly;
- and
- a photo sensor unit carried on said nozzle assembly for sensing height of nap of an underlying carpet or rug being cleaned.
A floor care apparatus, comprising:
- a nozzle assembly including a suction inlet;
- a canister assembly connected to said nozzle assembly;
- a suction generator carried on one of said nozzle assembly and said canister assembly;
- a dirt collection vessel carried on one of said nozzle assembly and said canister assembly;
- a sensor unit carried on said nozzle assembly for sensing height of nap of an underlying carpet or rug being cleaned;
- and
- a height adjustment mechanism carried on said nozzle assembly, said height adjustment mechanism including a motor, a chassis and a height adjustment wheel carried on said chassis.
A floor care apparatus, comprising:
- a nozzle assembly including a suction inlet;
- a canister assembly connected to said nozzle assembly;
- a suction generator carried on one of said nozzle assembly and said canister assembly;
- a dirt collection vessel carried on one of said nozzle assembly and said canister assembly;
- and
- means for adjusting height of said nozzle assembly including a nap sensor, an adjustable height wheel and a controller wherein said controller adjusts the height of said adjustable height wheel in response to said nap sensor.
A method of adjusting an operating height of a nozzle assembly of a floor care apparatus, comprising:
- providing said floor care apparatus with a control activator which is used by an operator to select an operating height for said floor care apparatus;
- sensing height of a carpet nap being cleaned with a nap sensor;
- and
- adjusting height of said nozzle assembly above said floor in response to said selected operating height and said sensed height of said carpet nap.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.