Patent ID: 7861369

Claim:
A vacuum cleaner comprising: a base assembly having a housing, a suction nozzle, and a rotatable agitator; a motor-driven belt drive for the rotatable agitator comprising a motor shaft and a belt coupling the motor shaft to the rotatable agitator; a suction source in fluid communication with the suction nozzle; and a belt drive disengaging assembly, comprising: a bracket mounted within the housing; a pin associated with the bracket and constrained for movement through an arc of no more than substantially less than 180Â° between an engaged position, where the motor shaft is coupled to the agitator in a driving relationship with the belt, and a disengaged position, where the pin lifts the belt off the motor shaft and uncouples the agitator from a driving relationship with the motor shaft; an actuator mounted to the bracket for movement between a first and a second position, and including a first portion positioned exterior of the housing for user access and a second portion positioned interior of the housing; and a linkage pivotally connected to the actuator and mechanically coupled to the pin to move the pin between the engaged and disengaged positions, upon the actuator moving between the first and second positions, respectively.