Surface cleaner

Abstract

A surface cleaner may have various features including an engagement mechanism secured to an agitator support frame and positioned to be pivoted by an agitator lift lever as the agitator lift lever translates, the pivoting engagement mechanism lifting the agitator support frame and the agitator secured thereto from a lowered position to a raised position. Other features may include a projection to limit belt slack when the agitator assembly is raised, a compact detent mechanism for releasing a spine assembly in an upright surface cleaner, a compact motor drive assembly, a self-priming centrifugal pump, a fluid-dispensing system having a high flow operating state and a low flow operating state, and a clean-out tray in which a base of the surface cleaner may be docked.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A surface cleaner comprising:
 a base including a base housing defining an agitator chamber, and an agitator assembly supported by the base housing in the agitator chamber and including a rotatable agitator; and   a drive assembly operative for rotating the rotatable agitator about an agitator axis, the drive assembly including:
 a motor having a motor shaft defining a motor axis; 
 an intermediate shaft disposed between the rotatable agitator and the motor shaft and defining an intermediate axis parallel to the agitator axis and the motor axis; 
 a first bearing assembly and a second bearing assembly mounted to the base housing and rotatably supporting the intermediate shaft; 
 a first belt operatively engaged with the intermediate shaft between the first bearing assembly and the second bearing assembly, and the first belt being operatively engaged with the motor shaft; and 
 a second belt operatively engaged with the intermediate shaft at an end of the intermediate shaft with the first bearing assembly between the second belt and the first belt, and the second belt being operatively engaged with the rotatable agitator. 
   
     
     
         2 . The surface cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the first belt is a stretch belt, and the surface cleaner further comprising:
 a first pulley disposed on the intermediate shaft between the first bearing assembly and the second bearing assembly, with the first belt engaged with the first pulley.   
     
     
         3 . The surface cleaner of  claim 2 , wherein the second belt is a timing belt, and the surface cleaner further comprising:
 a second pulley disposed at the end of the intermediate shaft, with the second belt engaged with the second pulley.   
     
     
         4 . The surface cleaner of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a sprocket disposed at an end of the rotatable agitator, with the second belt engaged with the sprocket;   wherein the first pulley, the sprocket, and the second pulley effect a change in rotational speed of the rotatable agitator relative to the motor shaft.   
     
     
         5 . The surface cleaner of  claim 1 , the surface cleaner further comprising:
 a first pulley disposed on the intermediate shaft between the first bearing assembly and the second bearing assembly, with the first belt engaged with the first pulley; and   wherein the first bearing assembly includes a bearing housing fixed to the base housing and surrounding the intermediate shaft, the bearing housing including a through hole through which the intermediate shaft extends.   
     
     
         6 . The surface cleaner of  claim 5 , wherein the first bearing assembly further includes an annularly-mounted bearing holder supported by the bearing housing in a first wall of the bearing housing at the through hole and rotatable relative to the bearing housing. 
     
     
         7 . The surface cleaner of  claim 6 , wherein:
 the annularly-mounted bearing holder has a slot;   the bearing housing has a window that extends to the through hole; and   the slot in the annularly-mounted bearing holder is in communication with the window during a portion of a rotation of the annularly-mounted bearing holder.   
     
     
         8 . The surface cleaner of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the bearing housing has a first wall and a second wall that define a corner between the first wall and the second wall; and   the window extends through the second wall of the bearing housing, around the corner, and partially into the first wall.   
     
     
         9 . The surface cleaner of  claim 7 , wherein the slot and the window are sized to permit the first belt to be routed around and engaged with the first pulley. 
     
     
         10 . The surface cleaner of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the window is a first window, and the bearing housing has a second window spaced from the first window; and   the first belt is engaged with the first pulley by insertion of the first belt through the slot and the first window, rotation of the annularly-mounted bearing holder to wrap the first belt around the first pulley, and withdrawal of the first belt through the second window.   
     
     
         11 . The surface cleaner of  claim 10 , wherein the first wall extends perpendicular to the intermediate axis. 
     
     
         12 . The surface cleaner of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the bearing housing further includes a second wall extending parallel with the intermediate axis and perpendicular to the first wall; and   the first window extends through both the first wall and the second wall.   
     
     
         13 . The surface cleaner of  claim 12 , wherein the second window extends parallel with the intermediate axis and perpendicular to both the first wall and the second wall. 
     
     
         14 . The surface cleaner of  claim 6 , wherein the annularly-mounted bearing holder has a slot that extends approximately one-quarter of the way around an outer circumference of the bearing. 
     
     
         15 . The surface cleaner of  claim 6 , wherein the annularly-mounted bearing holder has a slot that extends to an outer circumference of the bearing holder. 
     
     
         16 . The surface cleaner of  claim 5 , wherein the through hole is formed by a first bearing housing half of the bearing housing and by a second bearing housing half of the bearing housing. 
     
     
         17 . The surface cleaner of  claim 16 , wherein the first bearing assembly further includes an annularly-mounted bearing holder surrounding and supporting an outer circumference of the bearing and supported by the bearing housing at the through hole. 
     
     
         18 . The surface cleaner of  claim 17 , wherein:
 the bearing holder has a groove; and   a first wall of the bearing housing extends into the groove.   
     
     
         19 . The surface cleaner of  claim 18 , wherein the groove is at an outer circumference of the bearing holder. 
     
     
         20 . The surface cleaner of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the first bearing assembly further includes an annularly-mounted bearing holder; and   the base housing includes a side cover that extends outward of the pulley and the annularly-mounted bearing holder when the bearing housing is assembled to the base housing.