Vacuum Cleaner Base with Nozzle Height Adjustment

Abstract

An upright vacuum cleaner comprises a base assembly pivotally connected to an upright assembly. The base assembly comprises housing, a support, and ratchet-operated nozzle height adjustment mechanism for raising or lowering a suction nozzle on the base assembly relative to a surface to be cleaned. The ratchet-operated nozzle height adjustment mechanism includes a ratchet mechanism for raising and lowering the housing relative to the support

1 - 17 . (canceled) 
   
   
       18 . A vacuum cleaner comprising:
 a base assembly having a housing, a suction nozzle, a pair of wheels at a rear portion of the housing, a support at a front portion of the housing, and an adjuster between the housing and the support to selectively adjust the vertical position of the suction nozzle with respect to a surface to be cleaned;   wherein the adjuster comprises:
 a ratchet mechanism movably mounted between the support and the housing for movement between a raised and a lowered position, the ratchet mechanism being shaped to raise the housing with respect to the support in the raised position and to lower the housing with respect to the support in the lowered position; and 
 a foot pedal mounted to the housing for movement between a raised and a lowered position and adjustably connected at one end to the ratchet mechanism to incrementally move the ratchet mechanism between the raised and lower position as the foot pedal is moved between the raised and lowered positions. 
   
   
   
       19 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 18  wherein the ratchet mechanism comprises a drum rotatably mounted to the support and including a plurality of detents on an outer surface thereof, and a first actuation rod between the foot pedal and the drum and adapted to selectively register with successive detents on the drum as the foot pedal is moved between the raised and lowered positions. 
   
   
       20 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 19  wherein the ratchet mechanism further comprises a second actuation rod that is slideably mounted to the support and has a tooth that selectively engages one of the detents and retains the drum in a predetermined position between movements of the first actuation rod. 
   
   
       21 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 20  wherein the foot pedal comprises a first portion and a second portion and whereby pressure on the first portion moves the first actuation rod in one direction and pressure on the second portion moves the second actuation rod. 
   
   
       22 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 21  wherein the ratchet mechanism further comprises a biasing member for biasing at least one of the first and second actuation rods into engagement with one of the plurality of detents. 
   
   
       23 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 18  wherein the ratchet mechanism comprises an actuation rod having an end that selectively moves within a linear track mounted to the housing. 
   
   
       24 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 23  wherein the linear track comprises a plurality of opposed detents and the end of the actuation rod has lugs that selectively engage one of the opposed detents. 
   
   
       25 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 24  wherein the linear track comprises a plurality of detents on an upper surface thereof and the housing selectively engages one of the plurality of detents to releasably retain the linear track relative to the housing in an adjusted position. 
   
   
       26 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 25  wherein the housing further-comprises a ramped lower surface that engages the support to selectively adjust the vertical position of the support with respect to the linear track. 
   
   
       27 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 23  wherein the foot pedal comprises a first portion and a second portion, whereby pressure on the first portion moves the actuation rod in one direction along the linear track and pressure on the second portion moves the actuation rod in another direction along the linear track. 
   
   
       28 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 18  wherein the foot pedal is pivotably mounted to the housing and is adapted to move the ratchet mechanism to the raised position by pivoting the pedal in a first direction, and to move the ratchet mechanism to the lowered position by pivoting the pedal in a second direction.