Floor detector for vacuum cleaners
US4977639A · kind A · utility
Assignees
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 14, 1989 |
| Grant date | Dec 18, 1990 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 14, 2009 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA47L9/2889
- WIPO fieldFurniture, games
- WIPO sectorOther fields
Abstract
A floor detector for a power brush of a vacuum cleaner comprises a lift sensor S1 and a floor sensor S2. The lift sensor S1 has a movable member which yieldably displaces when the power brush is placed on a relatively soft floor while the floor sensor S2 has a movable member which yieldably displaces when the power brush is placed on a relatively hard floor. Each of movable members is detected its movement by a corresponding light sensor which provides a signal representative of the movements. The signals from the light sensors are sent to a control circuit which controls a drive source for driving the brush member of the power brush. In this manner, the brush member is rotated when the power brush is placed on a relatively soft floor such as a carpeted floor and is not rotated when the power brush is placed on a relatively hard, flat, smooth floor.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.