Patent ID: 8863342

Claim:
A clutch assembly for a surface treatment appliance comprising a vacuum motor and an agitator, the clutch assembly comprising an input clutch member arranged to be driven by the vacuum motor, an output clutch member arranged to be driven by the input clutch member, the output clutch member arranged to drive the agitator, a motorized mechanism comprising a gear mechanism and an actuation motor, not the vacuum motor, for actuating the gear mechanism to effect relative movement between the input clutch member and the output clutch member from an engaged position, in which torque is transmitted by the output clutch member to the agitator, to a disengaged position, in which torque is not transmitted to the agitator, and a control system for actuating the motorized mechanism, the control system comprising an electrical controller that controls the actuation motor based on a received signal in response to the difference in rotational speeds between the input and output clutch members.