Patent ID: 7979952

Claim:
A cleaning device comprising: an elongated housing having a handgrip located at one end; a cleaning head located at a second end of the housing and being adapted to be moved over a surface to be cleaned; the cleaning head comprising: a rotary agitator adapted to rotate in a first rotational direction and contact the surface to be cleaned, a first inlet opening having a first cross-sectional area, and a second inlet opening having a second cross-sectional area, the second cross-sectional area being substantially less than the first cross-sectional area; a dirt collection device associated with one of the elongated housing and the cleaning head; a vacuum source associated with one of the elongated housing and the cleaning head, the vacuum source being adapted to generate a working airflow through the first inlet opening, the second inlet opening, and the dirt collection device; a valve adapted to move between at least a first valve position in which the valve allows at least a portion of the working airflow to pass through the first inlet opening, and a second valve position in which the valve substantially prevents the working airflow from passing through the first inlet opening; and a valve actuator adapted to move the valve to the first valve position when the cleaning head is moved relative to the surface to be cleaned in a first direction and to the second valve position when the cleaning head is moved relative to the surface to be cleaned in a second direction.