Steering assembly for surface cleaning device
AssigneeTechtronic Floor Care Technology Limited
InventorsGregg A. Henderson, Douglas M. Rukavina
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A surface cleaning device having a steering assembly is provided. The surface cleaning device includes a foot, a handle assembly with a user manipulated handle, and a steering assembly coupling the handle assembly to the foot. The steering assembly defines an open path between the handle assembly and the foot and includes a means for biasing the foot with respect to the handle assembly. Movement of the handle assembly stores energy within the biasing means so that the biasing means exerts a corresponding force on the foot.
Claims43
A surface cleaning device operable to clean a surface, the surface cleaning device comprising:
- a foot;
- a handle assembly including a user manipulated handle;
- and
- a steering assembly coupled to and defining an open path between the foot and the handle assembly, the steering assembly including a biasing member, wherein movement of the handle assembly stores energy within the biasing member such that the biasing member exerts a corresponding force on the foot.
A surface cleaning device operable to clean a surface, the surface cleaning device comprising:
- a foot;
- a handle assembly including a user manipulated handle;
- and
- a steering assembly that pivotally couples and defines an open path between the handle assembly and the foot, the steering assembly including
- a first pivot member coupled to a lower portion of the handle assembly such that the first pivot member rotates with the handle assembly about a pivot axis,
- a second pivot member coupled to the foot such that the second pivot member rotates with the foot about the pivot axis, the first and second pivot members coupled to each other for relative rotation about the pivot axis, and
- a biasing member coupled to the first pivot member and the second pivot member to resist relative rotation between the first pivot member and the second pivot member about the pivot axis, wherein rotation of the handle assembly and the first pivot member about the pivot axis stores energy within the biasing member such that the biasing member exerts a corresponding force on the second pivot member and the foot to encourage turning of the foot.
A surface cleaning device operable to clean a surface, the surface cleaning device comprising:
- a foot;
- a handle assembly including a user manipulated handle;
- and
- a steering assembly coupled to and defining an open path between the handle assembly and the foot and including a means for biasing the foot with respect to the handle assembly, wherein movement of the handle assembly stores energy within the biasing means such that the biasing means exerts a corresponding force on the foot.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.