Floor cleaner

Abstract

A floor cleaner including a vacuum source and a base movable over a surface to be cleaned. The base includes a suction inlet in fluid communication with the vacuum source, a brushroll chamber, a brushroll in the brushroll chamber, the brushroll rotatable about a brushroll axis, a brushroll cover releaseably attached to the base, the brushroll cover removable to access the brushroll chamber and the brushroll. The base further includes a first actuator movable in a first direction from a latched position and to an unlatched position and a second actuator movable in a second direction, opposite the first direction, from a latched position and an unlatched position. The brushroll cover is secured to the base when the first and second actuators are in the latched positions and the brushroll cover is removable from the base when the first and second actuators are in the unlatched positions.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A floor cleaner comprising:
 a vacuum source; and   a base movable over a surface to be cleaned, the base including,
 a suction inlet in fluid communication with the vacuum source, 
 a brushroll chamber, 
 a brushroll in the brushroll chamber, the brushroll rotatable about a brushroll axis; 
 a brushroll cover releaseably attached to the base, the brushroll cover removable to access the brushroll chamber and the brushroll; 
 a first actuator movable in a first direction from a latched position and to an unlatched position; 
 a second actuator movable in a second direction, opposite the first direction, from a latched position and an unlatched position, 
   wherein the brushroll cover is secured to the base when the first and second actuators are in the latched positions and the brushroll cover is removable from the base when the first and second actuators are in the unlatched positions.   
     
     
         2 . The floor cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the first actuator and the second actuator slide between the latched and the unlatched positions. 
     
     
         3 . The floor cleaner of  claim 2 , wherein the floor cleaner includes a left side and a right side, opposite the left side, wherein the first actuator slides from the left side toward the right side as the first actuator moves from the latched position toward the unlatched position, and wherein the second actuator slides from the right side toward the left side as the second actuator moves from the latched position toward the unlatched position. 
     
     
         4 . The floor cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the base includes a first latch and a second latch, wherein movement of the first actuator from the latched position to the unlatched position moves the first latch from an engaged position with the base to a disengaged position with the base, and wherein movement of the second actuator from the latched position to the unlatched position moves the second latch from an engaged position with the base to a disengaged position with the base. 
     
     
         5 . The floor cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the first actuator and the second actuator are removable from the base with the brushroll cover. 
     
     
         6 . The floor cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the first actuator and the second actuator are pressed toward the latched positions by a spring. 
     
     
         7 . The floor cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the floor cleaner includes an upper side opposite the surface to be cleaned, wherein the brushroll cover is removable from the base in the direction of the upper side. 
     
     
         8 . The floor cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the first direction and the second direction are directly opposed. 
     
     
         9 . The floor cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the first actuator and the second actuator are configured to be operated by a single hand of a user. 
     
     
         10 . The floor cleaner of  claim 9 , wherein the first actuator is configured to be operated by a user's thumb of the single hand and the second actuator is configured to be operated by one of a user's fingers of the single hand. 
     
     
         11 . The floor cleaner of  claim 9 , wherein an upper portion of the first actuator and an upper portion of the second actuator forming a grip for lifting the cover. 
     
     
         12 . The floor cleaner of  claim 1 , further comprising a handle pivotally coupled to the base, the handle pivotable between an upright storage position and an inclined operating position. 
     
     
         13 . The floor cleaner of  claim 1 , further comprising a supply tank configured to store a cleaning fluid, wherein the base includes a distribution nozzle in fluid communication with the supply tank, the distribution nozzle configured to dispense the cleaning fluid onto the surface. 
     
     
         14 . The floor cleaner of  claim 13 , wherein the distribution nozzle is coupled to the brushroll cover and removable with the brushroll cover from the base. 
     
     
         15 . The floor cleaner of  claim 14 , wherein the base includes a base fluid coupling and the brushroll cover includes a corresponding cover fluid coupling, the base fluid coupling and the cover fluid coupling configured to engage upon installation of the cover on the base and disengage upon removal of the cover from the base. 
     
     
         16 . The floor cleaner of  claim 15 , wherein the floor cleaner includes an upper side opposite the surface to be cleaned, wherein the brushroll cover is removable from the base in the direction of the upper side and wherein the base fluid coupling and the cover fluid coupling are configured to disengage in the direction of the upper side. 
     
     
         17 . The floor cleaner of  claim 15 , wherein the base fluid coupling is off-center, and wherein the base includes a second coupling opposite the base fluid coupling and the brushroll cover includes a corresponding second cover coupling, the second coupling of the base and the second cover coupling configured to engage upon installation of the cover on the base and disengage upon removal of the cover from the base and configured to provide an installation resistance that is the same as the fluid coupling. 
     
     
         18 . The floor cleaner of  claim 13 , wherein the base includes a front side and a back side opposite the front side, the suction inlet adjacent the brushroll, wherein the distribution nozzle dispenses the cleaning solution beyond the front side in a direction from the back side toward the front side. 
     
     
         19 . The floor cleaner of  claim 18 , wherein the brushroll cover includes a front edge that is raised from the surface to be cleaned forming a front opening that exposes the brushroll, the brushroll extending through the front opening forward of the front side of the base. 
     
     
         20 . The floor cleaner of  claim 13 , further comprising a brushroll wiper configured to wipe the cleaning fluid from the brushroll. 
     
     
         21 . The floor cleaner of  claim 20 , wherein the brushroll wiper is coupled to the brushroll cover so that the brushroll wiper is removable from the base with the cover. 
     
     
         22 . The floor cleaner of  claim 21 , wherein the brushroll wiper is positioned along the brushroll rearward of the brushroll axis. 
     
     
         23 . The floor cleaner of  claim 21 , wherein the brushroll wiper is positioned along the brushroll above the brushroll axis.