Floor tool for a vacuum cleaning appliance

Abstract

A floor tool, suitable for a vacuum cleaning appliance, comprises a support member adapted to support a cleaning element and at least one suction nozzle adjacent the support member, wherein the support member includes a carrier pate and a floor engaging pad that are releasably held together by a clamping arrangement so that edges of a cleaning element can be clamped between the carrier plate and the floor pad.

1 . A floor tool for a vacuum cleaning appliance comprising a support member for supporting a cleaning element and at least one suction nozzle adjacent the support member, wherein the support member includes a carrier plate and a floor engaging pad that are releasably held together by a clamping arrangement so that edges of a cleaning sheet can be clamped between the carrier plate and the floor engaging pad thereby securing the cleaning element to the floor engaging pad, wherein the clamping arrangement comprises at least one button which is operable by a user to release the floor pad from the carrier plate, wherein the button is mounted to an upper surface of the floor pad about a pivot point and defines a latch face for cooperating with a catch face provided on the carrier plate. 
     
     
         2 . The floor tool of  claim 1 , wherein the clamping arrangement is operable automatically to lock the floor pad to the carrier plate when the floor pad is pushed against the carrier plate. 
     
     
         3 . The floor tool of  claim 2 , wherein the catch face includes an upper surface and an inclined lower surface which strikes a surface of the button as the floor pad is brought into contact with the plate, the inclined lower surface thereby urging the button to pivot clear of the catch to allow the floor pad to fully engage with the carrier plate, whereby the button return-pivots into a position to lock the floor pad to the carrier plate. 
     
     
         4 . The floor tool of  claim 1 , wherein the clamping arrangement comprises first and second user operable buttons disposed at each end of an upper surface of the floor pad to engage with respective catches on the carrier plate. 
     
     
         5 . The floor tool of  claim 1 , wherein the carrier plate further comprises a gripping arrangement configured to grip edges of a cleaning sheet in circumstance when a cleaning sheet is engaged between the floor pad and the carrier plate. 
     
     
         6 . The floor tool of  claim 5 , wherein the gripping arrangement includes at least one rib provided on the floor pad, the rib being engageable with a respective channel provided on the carrier plate. 
     
     
         7 . The floor tool of  claim 1 , including a first suction nozzle and a second suction nozzle. 
     
     
         8 . The floor tool of  claim 7 , wherein the first suction nozzle and second suction nozzles are arranged on opposing sides of the support member. 
     
     
         9 . A vacuum cleaning appliance comprising the floor tool of  claim 1 .