Actuator mechanism for a brushroll cleaner

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner head having a housing, a suction opening, an agitator chamber located in communication with the suction opening, an agitator, a blade extending parallel to the agitator and mounted to rotate between a first blade position in which the blade does not engage the agitator, and a second blade position in which the blade engages the agitator to remove debris from the bristles during rotation of the agitator, a blade arm rigidly connected to rotate with the blade and extending from the blade pivot axis, and a cam surface movable between a first cam position in which the cam surface allows the blade to be in the first blade position, and a second cam position to displace the blade arm to rotate the blade to the second blade position.

1 . A vacuum cleaner head comprising:
 a housing;   a suction opening provided through the housing;   an agitator chamber located in fluid communication with the suction opening;   an agitator comprising a spindle rotatably mounted to the housing in the agitator chamber and one or more agitating devices projecting from the spindle;   a blade extending parallel to the agitator and pivotally mounted to the housing to rotate about a blade pivot axis between a first blade position in which the blade does not engage the agitator, and a second blade position in which the blade engages the agitator to remove debris from the one or more agitating devices during rotation of the agitator;   a blade arm rigidly connected to rotate with the blade and extending from the blade pivot axis; and   a cam surface mounted to the housing and movable between a first cam position in which the cam surface allows the blade to be in the first blade position, and a second cam position in which the cam surface displaces the blade arm to thereby rotate the blade to the second blade position.   
     
     
         2 . The vacuum cleaner head of  claim 1 , further comprising a spring operatively connected to the blade and configured to bias the blade from the second blade position to the first blade position. 
     
     
         3 . The vacuum cleaner head of  claim 1 , further comprising a spring operatively connected to the cam surface and configured to bias the cam surface from the second cam position to the first cam position. 
     
     
         4 . The vacuum cleaner head of  claim 1 , further comprising a pedal connected to the housing and movable between a first pedal position in which the pedal allows the cam surface to be in the first cam position, and a second pedal position in which the pedal moves the cam surface to the second cam position. 
     
     
         5 . The vacuum cleaner head of  claim 4 , wherein the pedal has an activation surface configured to receive an activation force from an operator to move the pedal from the first pedal position to the second pedal position. 
     
     
         6 . The vacuum cleaner head of  claim 5 , wherein the activation surface is positioned relative to the housing such that a downward force on the activation surface generates a force that biases the agitator in an upward direction. 
     
     
         7 . The vacuum cleaner head of  claim 5 , wherein the pedal is operatively connected to the cam surface by a linear slider, the pedal being adjacent a first end of the linear slider, and the cam surface being at a second end of the linear slider. 
     
     
         8 . The vacuum cleaner head of  claim 4 , wherein the pedal is mounted by a pivot to the housing, and rotational movement of the pedal from the first pedal position to the second pedal position causes the cam surface to slide against the blade arm to rotate the blade to the second blade position. 
     
     
         9 . The vacuum cleaner head of  claim 1 , wherein the cam surface comprises an angled end of a linear slider. 
     
     
         10 . The vacuum cleaner head of  claim 1 , the cam surface is configured to slide against the blade arm to rotate the blade to the second blade position. 
     
     
         11 . The vacuum cleaner head of  claim 1 , wherein the blade comprises steel. 
     
     
         12 . The vacuum cleaner head of  claim 1 , wherein the blade comprises a sharpened edge. 
     
     
         13 . The vacuum cleaner head of  claim 1 , wherein the blade comprises a sharpened steel edge. 
     
     
         14 . The vacuum cleaner head of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more agitating devices comprise one or more bristles, each bristle being connected at a first bristle end to the spindle, with the first bristle ends being a first radial distance from a rotation axis of the agitator; and wherein the agitator further comprises one or more friction surfaces that extend to a second radial distance from the rotation axis, the second radial distance being less than the first radial distance. 
     
     
         15 . The vacuum cleaner head of  claim 14 , wherein the blade engages the one or more bristles and the one or more friction surfaces at the second radial height to cut debris from the agitator when the blade is in the second blade position. 
     
     
         16 . A vacuum cleaner head comprising:
 a housing;   a suction opening provided through the housing;   an agitator chamber located in fluid communication with the suction opening;   an agitator comprising a spindle rotatably mounted to the housing in the agitator chamber and one or more bristles projecting from the spindle;   a blade comprising a sharpened steel edge extending parallel to the agitator and pivotally mounted to the housing to rotate about a blade pivot axis between a first blade position in which the edge does not engage the agitator, and a second blade position in which the edge engages the agitator to remove debris from the bristles during rotation of the agitator;   a blade arm rigidly connected to rotate with the blade and extending from the blade pivot axis;   a cam surface mounted to the housing and movable between a first cam position in which the cam surface allows the blade to be in the first blade position, and a second cam position in which the cam surface displaces the blade arm to thereby rotate the blade to the second blade position, wherein the cam surface is configured to slide against the blade arm to rotate the blade to the second blade position; and   a pedal pivotally connected to the housing and rotatable between a first pedal position in which the pedal allows the cam surface to be in the first cam position, and a second pedal position in which the pedal moves the cam surface to the second cam position, the pedal having an activation surface configured to receive an activation force in a downward direction from an operator to move the pedal from the first pedal position to the second pedal position.   
     
     
         17 . The vacuum cleaner head of  claim 16 , further comprising a spring operatively connected to the blade and configured to bias the blade from the second blade position to the first blade position. 
     
     
         18 . The vacuum cleaner head of  claim 16 , further comprising a spring operatively connected to the cam surface and configured to bias the cam surface from the second cam position to the first cam position. 
     
     
         19 . The vacuum cleaner head of  claim 16 , wherein the activation surface is positioned relative to the housing such that a downward force on the activation surface generates a force that biases the agitator in an upward direction. 
     
     
         20 . The vacuum cleaner head of  claim 16 , wherein the pedal is mounted by a pivot to the housing, and rotational movement of the pedal from the first pedal position to the second pedal position causes the cam surface to slide against the blade arm to rotate the blade to the second blade position.