Patent Abstract:
A cleaner for cleaning a surface is provided comprising a main body and a brush assembly for engaging the surface being cleaned. An engaging member on the main body or brush assembly and a retaining portion on the other main body or brush assembly. The engaging member and retaining portion are releasably connected to each other such that the engaging member or retaining portion is accessible for engagement by a user to disengage the engaging member from the retaining portion.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to a cleaner such as a carpet cleaning device having a powered brush assembly. More particularly, the present application pertains to such a brush assembly that can be easily removed from the nozzle of a carpet extractor.  
           [0003]    2. Background Information  
           [0004]    It is known in the prior art to provide a carpet extractor having powered brushes to assist in scrubbing of the surface being cleaned. The brush assembly is generally affixed to the main body of the carpet extractor. However, after many times of use, a user may want to remove the brush assembly to clean the brushes or replace them due to the wear and tear of their bristles.  
           [0005]    One example of a brush removal device is illustrated by commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,009,593 issued to Crouser. This patent generally comprises an elongate brush support beam having integrally molded, spaced apart, vertically aligned cylindrical bearings each receiving therein a vertically directed axle shaft of an associated rotary scrubbing brush. The brush assembly has outwardly projecting resilient tangs  51  depending from the lower end of gear guard  32 A. Each tab snaps into vertically elongated grooves or slots  53  and  57  respectively of lower housing in the base module  10  of the carpet extractor. Each tab has hook portions at its free end that will engage the bottom end of the vertical slot to support the guard and brush support beam. The resilient tabs are pressed inwardly by a user to disengage the hooks from the bottom end of the vertical slot and thus, allow removal of the brush block. However, due to the structure and arrangement of the tangs with respect to the brush block, a user has some difficulty in accessing, grasping, and pressing the tabs inwardly. Often, a tool such as a screwdriver has to used by the user to press the tabs inwardly.  
           [0006]    Hence, it is an object of the present invention to provide a brush block having a device that allows it to be easily removed by a user from the cleaner, carpet extractor, or the like.  
           [0007]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a simple inexpensive removal device for a brush block of a cleaner, carpet extractor, or the like.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0008]    The foregoing and other objects of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following description and the attached drawings. In one embodiment of the present invention a cleaner for cleaning a surface is provided comprising a main body and a brush assembly for engaging the surface being cleaned. An engaging member on either the main body or brush assembly and a retaining portion on the other main body or brush assembly. The engaging member and retaining portion are releasably connected to each other such that either the engaging member or retaining portion is accessible for engagement by a user to disengage the engaging member from the retaining portion.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]    The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the attached drawings, of which:  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 1 is a left side elevational view of the base module of an upright cleaner having the forward portion thereof cut away to illustrate the general positioning of the brush assembly therein according to the present invention;  
         [0011]    [0011]FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of the brush assembly according to the present invention;  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the forward portion of the base module illustrated in FIG. 1, having the top cover portion being removed; and  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 is a sectional view as taken along line  4 - 4  in FIG. 3 with the brushes removed and the base module being lifted off the surface. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0014]    In one embodiment of the present invention, a base module  10  for an upright carpet extractor is shown in FIG. 1. The base module is similar to the one found in previously mentioned co-owned U.S. Pat. No. 6,009,593. In general, a base module  10  comprises a lower housing  12  and an upper housing  14  which generally separate along parting line  13 . A suction nozzle  16  and a suction inlet  18  are part of the upper housing  14  similar to that taught in the above referenced co-owned patent. A floating carpet scrubbing brush assembly  20  is suspended in the lower housing  12 . As depicted in FIG. 3, the brush assembly  20  may be powered by an air driven turbine  15 , or any suitable motive power means typically used in the industry, through a suitable gear drive train or transmission  54 .  
         [0015]    As shown in FIG. 2, the brush assembly  20  comprises a brush support beam  22  having five spaced apart integrally molded, cylindrical bearings  24 A,  24 B,  24 C,  24 D, and  24 E. Rotatingly received within bearings are axial shafts (not shown but illustrated in previously mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 6,009,593; the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference) of gear brushes  25 A,  25 B,  25 C,  25 D, and  25 E. The beam  22  further includes troughs  71 A,  71 B,  71 C,  71 D, and  71 E, for receiving a cleaning solution. The cleaning solution flows through supply conduits  74 A,  74 B,  74 C,  74 D, and  74 E, of the beam and then outward toward the surface being cleaned through openings in the bottom of brush cups (not shown but also illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 6,009,593). Gear guards  32 A and  32 B are attached to the brush support beam  22  and are identical in construction so as to be interchangeable on either side of brush support beam  22 . A gear brush rotation indicator  44  is fixedly attached to shaft extension  29  (FIG. 5 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,009,593) of gear brush  25 E.  
         [0016]    Integral to and extending upward from the opposite lateral ends of brush support beam are “T” shaped rails  42  and  43 . As best seen in FIG. 3, T-rails  42  and  43  are slidably received within vertical guide slots  46  and  47  integrally molded into the lower base modular housing  12  whereby brush assembly  20  may freely move or float in the vertical direction within the brush assembly cavity  48  of housing  12 . As also shown in FIG. 3, gear brush rotation indicator  44  extends upward through opening  56  in the top  45  of brush cavity  48  of lower housing  12 .  
         [0017]    Referring to FIG. 4, to facilitate “snap together” assembly of each of the gear guards  32 A,  32 B to the brush support beam  22 , each of the gear guards  32 A and  32 B is provided with three integrally formed, horizontally extending, locking tabs  34  extending parallel to and below the top cover plates  36 A and  36 B of gear guards  32 A and  32 B. Further, each gear guard ( 32 A and  32 B) is provided guide and alignment openings  38  (FIG. 2) for receipt therein (upon assembling the brush assembly) of extended tabs  39  of brush support beam  22 . As the gear guards are brought together about brush support beam  22 , tangs  34 , on both gear guards  32 A and  32 B, slide under extended tabs  39 , of brush support beam  22 , engaging slots  41  (FIG. 5 of U.S. Pat. No. 6,009,593) thereby locking gear guards  32 A and  32 B to brush support beam  22 .  
         [0018]    A plurality of downwardly projecting tangs  151  extend from the top cover plates  36 A and  36 B of gear guards  32 A and  32 B, respectively as best seen in FIGS. 2 and 4. These figures illustrate that the tangs  151  are attached to the top cover plates  36 A and  36 B of gear guards  32 A and  32 B. However, it should be noted that the tangs  151  can be integrally formed with the top cover plates  36 A and  36 B of gear guards  32 A and  32 B. Each of the tangs  151  has one end  93  attached to the top cover plate  36 A or  36 B and the other end  95  extending freely. Each of the tangs  151  has a hook portion  91  located approximately midway between its ends, dividing the tang  151  into an upper portion  153  and a lower portion  155 .  
         [0019]    As depicted in FIG. 2, grooves  154  are formed in the side of the gear guards  32 A,  32 B directly across from the tangs  51  to provide more area for the tangs  151  to be flexed inwardly. A ledge  157  is provided on the bottom edge of each groove  154 .  
         [0020]    Referring to FIG. 4, as brush assembly  20  is inserted into cavity  48 , the tangs  151  on gear guards  32 A and  32 B snap into vertically elongated grooves or slots  53  and  57 , respectively, of housing  12 . The tangs  151  projecting from gear guard  32 A slidingly engage vertical slots  53  of housing  12  and tangs  151  projecting from gear guard  32 B slidingly engage slots  57  thereby floatingly retaining brush assembly  20  within cavity  48 . A lower limit of brush assembly  20 , as illustrated in FIG. 4, is controlled by the hook portions  91  of the tangs  151  which engage the bottom ledges  49  and  50  of slots  53 ,  57 . Each hook portion  91  is located a distance from the free end  95  of the tang  151  to allow sufficient room between the hook portion  91  and free end  95  of the tang  151  for engagement by a user to flex the tang  151  inwardly, as shown by the phantom lines, and disengage the hook portion  91  from the bottom ledges  49 ,  50  of the slots  53 ,  57 . The upper travel of brush assembly  20  is limited by abutment of the brush assembly  20  against the top portion  45  of cavity  48  as illustrated in FIG. 1.  
         [0021]    To remove the brush assembly  20  from the cavity  48  illustrated in FIG. 4, a user (not shown) first grasps the brush assembly  20  with his hands such that the thumb is placed on the lower portion  155  of a tang  151  of gear guard  32 A and a finger is placed on the lower portion  155  of the tang  151  of gear guard  32 B. The user then flexes the tangs  151  inwardly to move them a sufficient distance to disengage the hook portions  91  from the bottom ledges  49 ,  50  of the slots  53 ,  57  as illustrated by the phantom lines of FIG. 4. The brush assembly  20  can then be pulled out of the cavity  48 .  
         [0022]    Because the tangs  151  are pressed near their free ends, the tangs require less force to move or flex them inwardly to remove them from the bottom ledges  49 ,  50  of slots  53 ,  57 , respectively, than that of the tangs of previously mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 6,009,593.  
         [0023]    The present invention has been described by way of example using the illustrated embodiment. Upon reviewing the detailed description and the appended drawings, various modifications and variations of the preferred embodiment will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art. All such obvious modification and variations are intended to be included in the scope of the present invention and of the claims appended hereto. For example, the tangs  151  could be attached to the lower housing  12  of the base module  10  and the slots  53 ,  57  could be formed in the gear guards  32 A and  32 B.  
         [0024]    In view of the above, it is intended that the present invention not be limited by the preceding disclosure of a preferred embodiment, but rather be limited only by the appended claims.

Technology Classification (CPC): 0