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US 8,756,757 B2Granted
Vacuum cleaner with belt drive disengager
AssigneeBISSELL Homecare, Inc.
InventorPhong Hoang Tran
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A belt drive disengaging assembly for a vacuum cleaner includes a pivoting belt tensioner and an actuator assembly, wherein movement of the actuator assembly selectively pivots the belt tensioner to place tension on a belt coupled between an agitator and source of driving power, thereby coupling the agitator with the source of driving power.
Claims20
A vacuum cleaner comprising:
- a base assembly having a housing, a suction nozzle, and an agitator rotatably mounted to the housing;
- a motor having a motor shaft;
- a belt coupled between the agitator and the motor shaft;
- a belt tensioner comprising a pivot mount mounted to the housing, a first leg extending from the pivot mount, and a second leg extending from the pivot mount in a different direction than the first leg;
- and
- an actuator assembly comprising a cam assembly provided in register with the second leg, the cam assembly comprising a cam and a cam follower operably interconnected with the cam;
- wherein the actuator assembly is movably mounted to the housing between a first position in which the cam follower is located in a raised position and a second position wherein the cam follower is located in a lower position;
- wherein movement of the actuator assembly between the first and second positions selectively pivots the belts tensioner to place tension on the belt in the first position with the first leg and to allow slack in the belt in the second position by abutment of the cam assembly with the second leg;
- and
- wherein the actuator assembly comprises a push-push mechanism, whereby actuating the actuator assembly once moves the cam follower to one of the raised and lowered positions, and actuating the actuator assembly again moves the cam follower to the other of the raised and lowered positions.
7 more elements
A vacuum cleaner comprising:
- a base assembly having a housing, a suction nozzle, and an agitator rotatably mounted to the housing;
- a motor having a motor shaft;
- a belt coupled between the agitator and the motor shaft;
- a belt tensioner comprising a pivot mount mounted to the housing, a first leg extending from the pivot mount, and a second leg extending from the pivot mount in a different direction than the first leg;
- an actuator assembly comprising a cam assembly provided in register with the second leg, the cam assembly comprising a cam and a cam follower operably interconnected with the cam;
- and
- a cam guide which engages the cam follower for controlling movement of the cam follower relative to the cam;
- wherein the actuator assembly is movably mounted to the housing between a first position in which the cam follower is located in a raised position and a second position wherein the cam follower is located in a lower position;
- wherein movement of the actuator assembly between the first and second positions selectively pivots the belts tensioner to place tension on the belt in the first position with the first leg and to allow slack in the belt in the second position by abutment of the cam assembly with the second leg;
- and
- wherein the cam guide comprises a push-push track for the cam follower to move rotatably with respect to the cam guide and the cam.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.