Patent ID: 8752242

Claim:
A vacuum cleaner comprising: a base assembly having a housing, a suction nozzle, a pair of wheels at a rear portion of the housing, a support at a front portion of the housing, and an adjuster between the housing and the support to selectively adjust the vertical position of the suction nozzle with respect to a surface to be cleaned; wherein the adjuster comprises: a ratchet mechanism comprising a drum movably mounted between the support and the housing for movement between a raised position and a lowered position, the ratchet mechanism being shaped to raise the housing with respect to the support in the raised position and to lower the housing with respect to the support in the lowered position, wherein the drum comprises a plurality of detents in an outer surface thereof; a first actuation rod; and a foot pedal moveably mounted to the housing and coupled at one end to the first actuation rod to incrementally move the ratchet mechanism between the raised and lowered positions as the foot pedal is pressed; wherein the first actuation rod is positioned between the foot pedal and the drum and is adapted to rotate the drum and selectively register with successive detents on the drum when the foot pedal is pressed.