Removable rotatable driven agitator for surface cleaning head

Abstract

A removable rotatable driven agitator is used in a surface cleaning head and is driven by a drive mechanism that axially engages a driven end of the agitator. The removable rotatable driven agitator may be located in an openable agitator chamber for purposes of removing debris and/or removing the agitator. The openable agitator chamber may be covered by an external cover that is movable between an open position and a closed position. The removable agitator may be secured in the agitator chamber by the external cover. The removable rotatable agitator may have an end cap mounted on a rotatable bushing at a non-driven end and may have a splined driven member at the driven end to engage a splined drive member on the drive mechanism.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A surface cleaning head comprising:
 a cleaning head housing including laterally disposed sides and defining an agitator chamber between the laterally disposed sides at a front of the cleaning head housing;   an external cover configured to be mounted to the cleaning head housing for covering the agitator chamber, the external cover being movable between a closed position and an open position, wherein the agitator chamber is covered when the external cover is in the closed position and accessible when the external cover is in the open position; and   at least first and second rotatable driven agitators, each of the rotatable driven agitators are configured to be removably mounted within the agitator chamber and removable from the agitator chamber when the external cover is in the open position such that the rotatable driven agitators are interchangeable, wherein the first rotatable driven agitator has different agitating characteristics than the second rotatable driven agitator.   
     
     
         2 . The surface cleaning head of  claim 1  wherein the first and second rotatable driven agitators include first and second brush rolls having bristles, wherein the bristles of the first brush roll have a different stiffness than the bristles of the second brush roll to provide the different agitating characteristics. 
     
     
         3 . The surface cleaning head of  claim 2  wherein the bristles of the first brush roll are thicker than the bristles of the second brush roll. 
     
     
         4 . The surface cleaning head of  claim 2  wherein the bristles of the first brush roll are made of a different material than the bristles of the second brush roll. 
     
     
         5 . The surface cleaning head of  claim 1  wherein the first and second rotatable driven agitators include first and second brush rolls having bristles, wherein the bristles of the first brush roll are in a different pattern than the bristles of the second brush roll to provide the different agitating characteristics. 
     
     
         6 . The surface cleaning head of  claim 1  wherein each of the first and second rotatable agitators include an agitator body, wherein the first rotatable driven agitator includes a fabric material around the agitator body, and wherein the second rotatable driven agitator includes bristles extending from the agitator body. 
     
     
         7 . The surface cleaning head of  claim 1  wherein the first rotatable driven agitator includes a first type of agitator for cleaning a hardwood floor, and wherein the second rotatable driven agitator includes a second type of agitator for cleaning a carpet. 
     
     
         8 . The surface cleaning head of  claim 1  wherein the first rotatable driven agitator includes a combination of a soft agitator element and a relatively stiff agitator element, and wherein the second rotatable driven agitator includes only a relatively stiff agitator element. 
     
     
         9 . The surface cleaning head of  claim 1  wherein the first rotatable driven agitator includes only a soft agitator element, and wherein the second rotatable driven agitator includes a relatively stiff agitator element. 
     
     
         10 . The surface cleaning head of  claim 1 , wherein the agitator chamber includes a non-driven side and a driven side, and further comprising:
 an agitator drive mechanism including a drive member at the driven side of the agitator chamber and an agitator drive motor drivingly coupled to the drive member.   
     
     
         11 . The surface cleaning head of  claim 10  wherein each of the rotatable driven agitators includes a non-driven end and a driven end including a driven member, wherein the non-driven end is configured to be mounted at the non-driven side of the agitator chamber such that the agitator spins freely at the non-driven end, and wherein the driven member is configured to mate axially and engage with the drive member of the drive mechanism such that the drive member transmits torque and rotation to the driven member and the rotatable driven agitator. 
     
     
         12 . The surface cleaning head of  claim 11  wherein the external cover is configured to engage the non-driven end of the rotatable driven agitator in the agitator chamber when the agitator cover is in the closed position. 
     
     
         13 . The surface cleaning head of  claim 11  further comprising an agitator engaging member located in the agitator chamber for engaging the non-driven end of the rotatable driven agitator. 
     
     
         14 . The surface cleaning head of  claim 1  wherein the external cover includes at least one transparent region configured to allow visual inspection of the agitator chamber when the external cover is in the closed position. 
     
     
         15 . The surface cleaning head of  claim 1  wherein the external cover includes a sealing member extending around a perimeter of the external cover to seal against the cleaning head housing in the closed position. 
     
     
         16 . The surface cleaning head of  claim 1  wherein the external cover is completely removable. 
     
     
         17 . The surface cleaning head of  claim 1  wherein the external cover includes a spring biased latch configured to engage the cleaning head housing for securing the external cover in the closed position. 
     
     
         18 . A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:
 a surface cleaning head including a cleaning head housing including laterally disposed sides and defining an agitator chamber between the laterally disposed sides at a front of the cleaning head housing, the surface cleaning head including a dirty air inlet located in the agitator chamber;   a wand pivotably coupled to the surface cleaning head, the wand including a handle, and wherein the handle includes controls for controlling operation of the surface cleaning head;   a suction motor for causing air to be drawn into the dirty air inlet in the agitator chamber;   an external cover configured to be mounted to the cleaning head housing for covering the agitator chamber, the external cover being movable between a closed position and an open position, wherein the agitator chamber is covered when the external cover is in the closed position and accessible when the external cover is in the open position; and   at least first and second rotatable driven agitators, each of the rotatable driven agitators are configured to be removably mounted within the agitator chamber and removable from the agitator chamber when the external cover is in the open position such that the rotatable driven agitators are interchangeable, wherein the first rotatable driven agitator has different agitating characteristics than the second rotatable driven agitator.   
     
     
         19 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the wand is coupled to the surface cleaning head with a swivel connection. 
     
     
         20 . A surface cleaning head comprising:
 a cleaning head housing including first and second laterally disposed sides and defining an agitator chamber between the first and second laterally disposed sides at a front of the cleaning head housing; and   an external cover configured to be mounted to the cleaning head housing for covering the agitator chamber and to be completely removable from the cleaning head housing, wherein the agitator chamber is covered when the external cover is in a closed position and accessible when the external cover is in an open position, wherein an underside of the external cover defines a portion of the agitator chamber in the closed position, wherein the external cover has a curved profile such that the external cover extends over at least a portion of a top of the agitator chamber and at least a portion of a front of the agitator chamber in the closed position, wherein the external cover includes at least one transparent region configured to allow visual inspection of an agitator located in the agitator chamber when the external cover is in the closed position, wherein the external cover includes a sealing member extending around a perimeter of the external cover to seal against the cleaning head housing in the closed position, and wherein the external cover includes a spring-biased latch configured to engage the cleaning head housing for securing the external cover in the closed position.   
     
     
         21 . The surface cleaning head of  claim 20 , wherein the external cover only covers the agitator chamber. 
     
     
         22 . The surface cleaning head of  claim 20 , wherein the agitator chamber is configured to receive only a single removable rotatable agitator. 
     
     
         23 . The surface cleaning head of  claim 20 , further comprising at least one rotatable driven agitator configured to be removably mounted within the agitator chamber and removable from the agitator chamber when the external cover is in the open position. 
     
     
         24 . The surface cleaning head of  claim 20 , further comprising at least first and second rotatable driven agitators, each of the rotatable driven agitators are configured to be removably mounted within the agitator chamber and removable from the agitator chamber when the external cover is in the open position such that the rotatable driven agitators are interchangeable, wherein the first rotatable driven agitator has different agitating characteristics than the second rotatable driven agitator. 
     
     
         25 . The surface cleaning head of  claim 20 , wherein the first laterally disposed side of the cleaning head housing provides a non-driven side of the agitator chamber configured to receive a non-driven end of a removable rotatable agitator and the second laterally disposed side of the cleaning head housing provides a driven side of the agitator chamber configured to receive a driven end of the removable rotatable agitator. 
     
     
         26 . A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:
 a surface cleaning head including a cleaning head housing including first and second laterally disposed sides and defining an agitator chamber between the first and second laterally disposed sides at a front of the cleaning head housing, the surface cleaning head including a dirty air inlet located in the agitator chamber;   a wand pivotably coupled to the surface cleaning head, the wand including a handle, and wherein the handle includes controls for controlling operation of the surface cleaning head;   a suction motor for causing air to be drawn into the dirty air inlet in the agitator chamber; and   an external cover configured to be mounted to the cleaning head housing for covering the agitator chamber and completely removable from the cleaning head housing, wherein the agitator chamber is covered when the external cover is in a closed position and accessible when the external cover is in an open position, wherein an underside of the external cover defines a portion of the agitator chamber in the closed position, wherein the external cover has a curved profile such that the external cover extends over at least a portion of a top of the agitator chamber and at least a portion of a front of the agitator chamber in the closed position, wherein the external cover includes at least one transparent region configured to allow visual inspection of an agitator located in the agitator chamber when the external cover is in the closed position, wherein the external cover includes a sealing member extending around a perimeter of the external cover to seal against the cleaning head housing in the closed position, and wherein the external cover includes a spring-biased latch configured to engage the cleaning head housing for securing the external cover in the closed position.   
     
     
         27 . The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 26 , wherein the wand is coupled to the surface cleaning head with a swivel connection.