Patent ID: 8572804

Claim:
A vacuum cleaner comprising a base assembly having a housing, a suction nozzle, and an agitator rotatably mounted to the housing; a motor; and a clutch assembly in driven relationship to the motor and in a driving relationship to the agitator for rotatably driving the agitator; the clutch assembly comprising: a clutch body; a clutch plate having a friction pad and rotatably mounted to the clutch body; a backing plate juxtaposed to the clutch plate in facing relationship thereto and rotatably mounted through the clutch body; wherein the clutch plate and the backing plate are axially movable with respect to one another between a first position wherein the clutch plate and backing plate are frictionally joined to one another, and a second position wherein the clutch plate and backing plate are separated from one another, a spring mechanism configured to bias the clutch plate and the backing plate to the second position; a clutch actuation mechanism aligned with the clutch plate and the backing plate to selectively move the clutch plate and the backing plate into the first position; wherein the clutch assembly further comprises: a shaft which is rotatably mounted to the clutch body; the clutch body, the backing plate, the spring mechanism, and the clutch actuation mechanism are mounted on the shaft; and retainers mounted on both ends of the shaft; wherein axial forces generated by compression of the spring mechanism when the clutch plate and backing plate are moved between the first and second positions are contained within the clutch assembly by the retainers, and the axial forces are isolated from the housing; and wherein the clutch actuation mechanism includes complementary ramped surfaces which are rotationally related to one another to push the clutch plate and the backing plate into the first position in one relative rotational position of the ramps, and to move the clutch plate and the backing plate into the second position in another relative rotational position of the ramps.