Patent ID: 8631541

Claim:
A vacuum cleaner for cleaning a surface, comprising: a housing having a suction nozzle; a source of suction in fluid communication with the suction nozzle for generating a suction path through the housing; and a brush assembly provided on the housing outside the suction nozzle and configured to sweep dirt toward the suction path, the brush assembly comprising: a shaft attached to the housing; a brush head for contacting the surface to be cleaned and rotatably mounted about the shaft; a mounting bracket attached to the housing, wherein the shaft mounts the brush head to the mounting bracket, the mounting bracket comprising a sleeve that receives the shaft therein, such that the shaft can slide relative to the mounting bracket; and a spring biasing the brush head away from the housing; wherein the spring-biased brush head adjusts to accommodate variations in the height and/or texture of the surface to be cleaned as the housing is moved over the surface to be cleaned; and wherein the shaft is keyed to the sleeve to prevent rotation of the shaft relative to the sleeve.