US2006000040A1PendingUtilityA1

Surface cleaning apparatus

Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: May 8, 2003Filed: Jan 24, 2005Published: Jan 5, 2006

Est. expiryMay 8, 2023(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority

Inventors:Nicholas Gerald Grey Chad Reese Mark Rosenzweig Terry Robertson

A47L 11/4077A47L 11/32A47L 11/33A47L 11/4025A47L 11/4038A47L 11/4041A47L 11/4069

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References

Claims

Abstract

A surface cleaning apparatus comprises a body including a rear compartment, a forward compartment and an intermediate compartment arranged between the rear and forward compartments for collecting debris. An elongate rotatable brush arrangement is positioned within and extends across the forward compartment. An electric motor is connected to the rotatable brush arrangement by a belt. A notch or opening in the front wall of the forward compartment facilitates admission of particles into the forward compartment.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified

1 . A surface cleaning apparatus, comprising:
a) a body having a forward compartment and rear compartment; b) an elongate rotatable brush extending across the forward compartment; and c) a belt connecting an electric motor and the rotatable brush; wherein said forward compartment comprises a front wall having a notch for admitting larger particles into said forward compartment.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said front wall of said forward compartment has a thickness and further comprises a bottom surface at a higher elevation than a bottom surface of the body, and wherein the bottom surface of said front wall has a lip of increased thickness relative to said thickness of said front wall.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the bottom surface of said front wall is inclined at an angle relative to the plane of the body.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an auxiliary brush extending from the forward compartment and driven by the electric motor.

5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the auxiliary brush and the elongate rotatable brush are connected by a gear.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein an intermediate compartment is defined by a wall between the forward compartment and the intermediate compartment, a wall between the intermediate compartment and the rear compartment, and side walls.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the wall between the forward and intermediate compartments is inclined rearwardly.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the wall between the forward and intermediate compartments has an angle of inclination of from 15 to 20 degrees.

9 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the wall between the intermediate and rear compartments seals the rear compartment from the intermediate compartment.

10 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the intermediate compartment comprises a removable tray.

11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a front part of the forward compartment is movable to expose bristles on the elongate rotatable brush at the front part of the forward compartment.

12 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a lower front region of the body is chamfered to increase the extent to which the bristles protrude from the body in the region of the chamfer.

13 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electric motor is located in the rear compartment.

14 . A surface cleaning apparatus, comprising:
a) a body having a forward compartment and rear compartment; b) an elongate rotatable brush extending across the forward compartment; and c) a belt connecting an electric motor and the rotatable brush; said forward compartment comprising a front wall having a thickness and having a bottom surface at a higher elevation than a bottom surface of said body, wherein the bottom surface of said front wall has a lip of increased thickness relative to said thickness of said front wall.

15 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein said bottom surface is inclined at an angle relative to the plane of the body.

16 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein said front wall of said forward compartment further comprises a notch for admitting larger particles into said forward compartment.

17 . The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising an auxiliary brush extending from the forward compartment and driven by the electric motor.

18 . The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the auxiliary brush and the elongate rotatable brush are connected by a gear.

19 . The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising an intermediate compartment defined by a wall between the forward compartment and the intermediate compartment, a wall between the intermediate compartment and the rear compartment, and side walls.

20 . The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the wall between the forward and intermediate compartments is inclined rearwardly.

21 . The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the wall between the forward and intermediate compartments has an angle of inclination of from 15 to 20 degrees.

22 . The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the wall between the intermediate and rear compartments seals the rear compartment from the intermediate compartment.

23 . The apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the intermediate compartment comprises a removable tray

24 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the lower front region of the body is chamfered to increase the extent to which the bristles protrude from the body in the region of the chamfer.

25 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein a front part of the forward compartment is movable to expose bristles on the elongate rotatable brush at the front part of the forward compartment.

26 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the electric motor is located in the rear compartment.

27 . A method for cleaning a surface, comprising:
providing a surface cleaning apparatus comprising
a body,
one or more compartments in said body, and
a front wall, said front wall comprising a bottom surface lip at a higher elevation than a bottom surface of the body and a notched region in the center of the front wall, the bottom surface lip in the notched region being at a higher elevation than the bottom surface lip in the adjacent portions of the faceplate;
tilting said body forward so that at least a portion of the bottom surface lip contacts the surface to be cleaned; and admitting one or more particles into a compartment in said body through said notched region.

28 . The method of claim 27 , wherein said bottom surface lip has an increased thickness relative to a thickness of said front wall.

29 . The method of claim 28 , wherein said bottom surface lip is inclined at an angle relative to the plane of the body.

30 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the portion of the bottom surface lip contacting the surface to be cleaned is kept in contact with the surface to be cleaned while admitting said one or more particles.

31 . The method of claim 27 , wherein particles admitted through said notched region are admitted into a forward compartment.

32 . The method of claim 27 , wherein particles admitted through said notched region are collected in an intermediate compartment.

33 . The method of claim 32 , wherein the apparatus comprises a motor in a rear compartment, and wherein a wall between the intermediate and rear compartments seals the rear compartment from the intermediate compartment.

34 . The method of claim 27 , wherein a lower front region of the body including the front wall is chamfered to increase the extent to which the bristles protrude from the body in the region of the chamfer.

35 . A method for cleaning a surface, comprising:
providing a surface cleaning apparatus comprising
a body,
a forward compartment and a rear compartment, and
a front wall, said front wall comprising a bottom surface lip and a notched region in the center of the front wall;
tilting said body forward so that at least a portion of the bottom surface lip contacts the surface to be cleaned; and admitting one or more particles into a compartment in said body through said notched region.

36 . The method of claim 35 , wherein said bottom surface lip is at a higher elevation than a bottom surface of the body.

37 . The method of claim 35 , wherein the bottom surface lip has an increased thickness relative to a thickness of said front wall.

38 . The method of claim 35 , wherein the bottom surface lip is inclined at an angle relative to the plane of the body.

39 . The method of claim 35 , wherein the portion of the bottom surface lip contacting the surface to be cleaned is kept in contact with the surface to be cleaned while admitting said one or more particles.

40 . The method of claim 35 , wherein the surface cleaning apparatus further comprises an intermediate compartment.

41 . The method of claim 40 , wherein particles admitted through said notched region are collected in an intermediate compartment.

42 . The method of claim 41 , wherein the apparatus comprises a motor in a rear compartment, and wherein a wall between the intermediate and rear compartments seals the rear compartment from the intermediate compartment.

43 . The method of claim 35 , wherein the bottom surface lip in the notched region is at a higher elevation than the bottom surface lip in the adjacent portions of the faceplate.

44 . The method of claim 35 , wherein a lower front region of the body including the front wall is chamfered to increase the extent to which the bristles protrude from the body in the region of the chamfer.

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