Vacuum cleaner with displaceable height adjustment assembly and rotary agitator switch

Abstract

A floor cleaning appliance includes a housing having a canister assembly and a nozzle assembly. A suction generator and a dirt collection vessel are carried on the housing. A suction inlet, a rotary agitator and a bare floor wiper are carried on the nozzle assembly. In addition the floor cleaning apparatus includes a switch for slowing or interrupting drive to the rotary agitator and a displaceable height adjustment assembly. The height adjustment assembly is displaceable between one or more carpet cleaning positions and a bare floor cleaning position. The height adjustment assembly engages the switch and slows or interrupts drive to the rotary agitator when in the bare floor cleaning position.

1 . A floor cleaning apparatus comprising: 
 a housing including a canister assembly and a nozzle assembly;    a suction generator carried on said housing;    a dirt collection vessel carried on said housing;    a suction inlet provided on said nozzle assembly;    a rotary agitator carried on said nozzle assembly;    a bare floor wiper carried on said nozzle assembly;    a switch for slowing or interrupting drive to said rotary agitator, said switch being carried on said housing; and    a displaceable height adjustment assembly, said height adjustment assembly being displaceable between one or more carpet cleaning positions and a bare floor cleaning position, said height adjustment assembly engaging said switch and interrupting drive to said rotary agitator when in said bare floor cleaning position.    
   
   
       2 . The floor cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said height adjustment assembly includes an actuator, a carriage and a pair of ground engaging wheels connected to said carriage.  
   
   
       3 . The floor cleaning apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein said carriage includes at least one cam follower and said actuator includes at least one cam for engaging said at least one cam follower.  
   
   
       4 . The floor cleaning apparatus of  claim 3 , further including an agitator drive motor connected to said switch.  
   
   
       5 . The floor cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said canister assembly is pivotally connected to said nozzle assembly.  
   
   
       6 . The floor cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said dirt collection vessel is a filter bag.  
   
   
       7 . The floor cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said dirt collection vessel is a dirt cup.  
   
   
       8 . The floor cleaning apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein said dirt cup includes a cylindrical sidewall and a tangentially directed inlet.  
   
   
       9 . The floor cleaning apparatus of  claim 8 , further including a first filter in said dirt cup.  
   
   
       10 . The floor cleaning apparatus of  claim 9 , further including a second filter downstream from said suction generator.  
   
   
       11 . A method of controlling operation of a floor cleaning apparatus equipped with a rotary agitator, a bare floor wiper and a nozzle assembly, comprising: 
 providing said floor cleaning apparatus with a single control that simultaneously lowers an operating height of said nozzle assembly, moves said bare floor wiper into engagement with said floor and controls drive to said rotary agitator.    
   
   
       12 . A method of controlling operation of a floor cleaning apparatus equipped with a rotary agitator, a bare floor wiper and a nozzle assembly, comprising: 
 providing said floor cleaning apparatus with a single control that simultaneously lowers said nozzle assembly relative to the ground and controls drive to said rotary agitator when placed in a bare floor cleaning position.