Surface cleaner

Abstract

A surface cleaner includes a base movable over a surface to be cleaned and having a suction inlet and a brushroll removably coupled to the base and rotatable about a brushroll axis, and a brushroll cover coupled to the base. A latch is movable between an unlocked position in which the brushroll is removable from the base and a locked position in which the brushroll is coupled to the base. The brushroll cover includes an actuator that moves the latch from the unlocked position toward the locked position when the brushroll cover is attached to the base such that when the brushroll cover is coupled to the base, the latch is retained in the locked position by the actuator to prevent removal of the brushroll. When the brushroll cover is uncoupled from the base, the latch moves to the unlocked position such that the brushroll is removable from the base.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A surface cleaner comprising:
 a handle configured to move the surface cleaner along a surface;   a debris collector;   a vacuum source operable to generate a suction airflow along a fluid flow path from a suction inlet to the debris collector;   a base coupled to the handle, the base movable over the surface to be cleaned by the handle, the base including,
 the suction inlet in fluid communication with the vacuum source and the debris collector, 
 a brushroll removably coupled to the base and rotatable about a brushroll axis, and 
 a brushroll cover releasably coupled to the base, 
 a latch movable between an unlocked position in which the brushroll is removable from the base and a locked position in which the brushroll is coupled to the base for rotation about the brushroll axis, 
   wherein the brushroll cover includes an actuator that moves the latch from the unlocked position toward the locked position when the brushroll cover is attached to base such that when the brushroll cover is coupled to the base, the latch is retained in the locked position by the actuator to prevent removal of the brushroll, and   wherein, when the brushroll cover is uncoupled from the base, the latch moves to the unlocked position such that the brushroll is removable from the base.   
     
     
         2 . The surface cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the brushroll has a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the brushroll axis extending through the first end and the second end, wherein an arm is coupled to the first end of the brushroll and the arm is movable between a secured position in which the arm inhibits removal of the brushroll from the base and an unsecured position in which the brushroll is removable from the base. 
     
     
         3 . The surface cleaner of  claim 2 , wherein, when the brushroll cover is coupled to the base and the latch is in the locked position, the latch inhibits movement of the arm from the secured position toward the unsecured position. 
     
     
         4 . The surface cleaner of  claim 2 , wherein the base includes a first side and a second side opposite the first side, wherein, when the brushroll is coupled to the base, the first side of the brushroll is disposed adjacent the first side of the base and the second side of the brushroll is adjacent the second side of the base, and wherein, when the brushroll is coupled to the base, the arm forms an outer surface of the first side of the base. 
     
     
         5 . The surface cleaner of  claim 4 , wherein the brushroll includes a brushroll material disposed on an outer surface of the brushroll, the brushroll material extending between the first end of the brushroll and the second end of the brushroll such that, when the brushroll is coupled to the base, the brushroll material extends adjacent the arm and the first side of the base. 
     
     
         6 . The surface cleaner of  claim 2 , wherein, the arm includes a pocket, wherein the base includes a protrusion, and wherein the protrusion is received within the pocket when the arm is in the secured position to inhibit removal of the brushroll. 
     
     
         7 . The surface cleaner of  claim 2 , wherein the base includes a secondary latch that inhibits movement of the arm when the arm is in the secured position. 
     
     
         8 . The surface cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the movement of the arm between the secured position and the unsecured position includes rotation. 
     
     
         9 . The surface cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the actuator extends from the brushroll cover toward the surface to be cleaned when the brushroll cover is coupled to the base. 
     
     
         10 . The surface cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the actuator is integrally formed with the brushroll cover and removable from the base with the brushroll cover. 
     
     
         11 . The surface cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the actuator includes a cam surface that engages the latch to move the latch from the unlocked position toward the locked position as the brushroll cover is coupled to the base. 
     
     
         12 . The surface cleaner of  claim 11 , wherein the latch includes a follower that engages the cam surface such that movement of the actuator induces movement of the latch from the unlocked position toward the locked position when the brushroll cover is attached to the base. 
     
     
         13 . The surface cleaner of  claim 12 , wherein the follower and the cam surface are oriented such that movement of the actuator in a direction transverse to the brushroll axis results in movement of the latch in a direction parallel to the brushroll axis when the brushroll cover is coupled to the base. 
     
     
         14 . The surface cleaner of  claim 2 , wherein the base includes a first side and a second side opposite the first side, wherein the brushroll includes a first end positioned adjacent the first side of the base and a second end positioned adjacent the second side of the base when the brushroll is coupled to the base, the brushroll axis extending through the first end of the brushroll and the second end of the brushroll, and wherein the latch moves along the brushroll axis from the second side of the base toward the first side of the base when moved from the unlocked position toward the locked position. 
     
     
         15 . The surface cleaner of  claim 11 , wherein the latch includes a catch portion that engages the arm when the latch moves from the unlocked position toward the locked position to move the arm toward the secured position. 
     
     
         16 . The surface cleaner of  claim 2 , wherein the surface cleaner includes a drive mechanism, wherein the brushroll is coupled to the drive mechanism when the brushroll is coupled to the base such that the brushroll is rotatable about the brushroll axis by the drive mechanism, and wherein the drive mechanism is disposed on an opposite side of the base as the latch. 
     
     
         17 . The surface cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the brushroll cover includes a cover latch to selectively secure the brushroll cover to the base, wherein the cover latch includes an actuator movable between a latched position in which the brushroll cover is secured to the base and an unlatched position in which the brushroll cover is removable from the base. 
     
     
         18 . The surface cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the brushroll cover does not directly engage the brushroll to secure the brushroll to the base. 
     
     
         19 . The surface cleaner of  claim 18 , wherein when the brushroll cover is coupled to the base, the brushroll is not removable from the base. 
     
     
         20 . The surface cleaner of  claim 1 , further comprising a spring member that applies a force on the latch toward the unlocked position. 
     
     
         21 . The surface cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the brushroll cover includes a light, wherein the base includes a first electrical connector, wherein the brushroll cover includes a second electrical connector operably couplable to the first electrical connector, and wherein the light is powered by a power source of the surface cleaner when the brushroll cover is coupled to the base and the first electric connector is operably coupled to the second electrical connector. 
     
     
         22 . The surface cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the cover forms a portion of the fluid flow path. 
     
     
         23 . The surface cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the cover includes the suction inlet.