当前申请(专利权)人地址：
2345 Walker Avenue, N.W., Grand Rapids, MI, US
发明人：
ZHANG, QIAN YU | HOTARY, JAMES | HARMELINK, CHRIS | BLEAU, JOHN | LIANG, YONGSHENG | HOGG, CHRISTOPHER
摘要：
A surface cleaning apparatus can include a housing adapted to move across a surface to be cleaned, and an edge cleaning brush provided on the housing. The edge cleaning brush can include an attachment hub connectable with a drive coupling for rotating the brush, a cleaning implement configured to contact the surface to be cleaned, and a tensioner hub applying downward force onto the cleaning implement. Drive couplings for the edge cleaning brush are also disclosed, such as drive couplings including a worm and belt that are indirectly drive via a brushroll.
技术问题语段：
Such edge cleaning brushes often have bristles that can fling debris outside the cleaning path of the floor cleaner, rather than collecting debris.|Another problem with some edge cleaning brushes is that the drive system for rotating the edge cleaning brush limits where the edge cleaning brush can be placed on the floor cleaner.
权利要求：
1. A surface cleaning apparatus (10), comprising: a housing (48) adapted to move across a surface to be cleaned; an edge cleaning brush (160) mounted on the housing (48), the edge cleaning brush (160) comprising: an attachment hub (168) rotatable about a rotational axis (V); a cleaning implement (164) configured to contact the surface to be cleaned; characterized in that the surface cleaning apparatus further comprises: a tensioner hub (166) applying downward force onto the cleaning implement (164).
2. The surface cleaning apparatus (10) of claim 1, wherein: the cleaning implement (164) comprises a circular microsuede pad with a center portion (174) and an outer portion comprising a plurality of fingers (176) that project from a periphery of the center portion (174); the attachment hub (168), the microsuede pad, and the tensioner hub (166) are concentrically aligned along the rotational axis (V); the tensioner hub (166) extends over the center portion (174) of the microsuede pad, and the plurality of fingers (176) extend beyond an outer periphery (216) of the tensioner hub (166).
3. The surface cleaning apparatus (10) of claim 1, wherein the surface cleaning apparatus (10) is a vacuum cleaner, comprising a vacuum collection system comprising a working air path through the housing (48) including a dirty inlet (16) and a clean air outlet (18) , a suction source (22) in fluid communication with the dirty inlet (16), and a debris collector (24).
4. The surface cleaning apparatus (10) of claim 3 comprising an upright body (12) and a cleaning base (14) pivotally coupled with the upright body(12), the cleaning base (14) comprising the housing (48) and a suction nozzle (20) defining the dirty inlet (16).
5. The surface cleaning apparatus (10) of claim 4 wherein the suction nozzle (20) confronts the surface to be cleaned and the edge cleaning brush (160) is disposed at one end of the suction nozzle (20) on an underside of the housing (48) and is configured to sweep debris under the cleaning base (14) and toward the suction nozzle (20).
6. The surface cleaning apparatus (10) of claim 5 comprising: a brushroll (36) adjacent to the suction nozzle (20) and rotatable about a brushroll axis (X) that is substantially perpendicular to the rotational axis (V); and a brush motor (74) in the housing (48), wherein: the brushroll (36) is operably coupled to and driven by a drive assembly including the brush motor (74) and a drive coupling (76) between the brushroll (36) and the brush motor (74); and the edge cleaning brush (160) is operably coupled to and driven by a drive assembly including the brush motor (74) and a drive coupling (78) between the attachment hub (168) and the brushroll (36).
7. The surface cleaning apparatus (10) of claim 6 wherein the drive coupling (78) between the attachment hub (168) and the brushroll (36) comprises: a worm (90) operably coupled with the brushroll (36) for rotation therewith; a two-stage driven gear having a first gear (92) enmeshed with the worm (90) and a second gear (94) coupled with the first gear (92) for rotation therewith; and a belt (96) coupled with the second gear (94) to transmit the rotational force of the two-stage gear to a driven gear (98) coupled with the attachment hub (168) of the edge cleaning brush (160); optionally wherein the drive coupling (78) between the attachment hub (168) and the brushroll (36) comprises a modular unit, the modular unit comprising a gear casing (106) attached to the housing (48).
8. The surface cleaning apparatus (10) of any one of claims 3-7 wherein the attachment hub (168), the cleaning implement (164), and the tensioner hub (166) are concentrically aligned along the rotational axis (V), and optionally wherein the cleaning implement (164) comprises at least one microsuede pad.
9. The surface cleaning apparatus (10) of any one of claims 3-8 wherein the cleaning implement (164) comprises multiple microsuede pads (164c, 264), wherein at least one of the multiple microsuede pads (164c) has a diameter that is greater than a diameter of another one of the multiple microsuede pads (264).
10. The surface cleaning apparatus (10) of any one of claims 3-9 wherein the cleaning implement (164) comprises a circular pad with a center portion (174) and an outer portion comprising a plurality of fingers (176) that project from a periphery of the center portion (174); optionally wherein the tensioner hub (166) extends over the center portion (174) of the cleaning implement (164), and the plurality of fingers (176) extend beyond an outer periphery (216) of the tensioner hub (166).
11. The surface cleaning apparatus (10) of claim 10 wherein the plurality of fingers (176) are separated by slots(194), the slots (194) extending radially inwardly from an outer periphery (196) of the cleaning implement (164) and defining a gap between side edges (192) of adjacent fingers (176), wherein the slots (194) are open at the outer periphery (196) and extend to slot ends (198) disposed inwardly of the outer periphery (196).
12. The surface cleaning apparatus (10) of any one of claims 1-11 wherein the tensioner hub (166) comprises an inner annular portion (200) defining a center opening (202) and an outer portion comprising a plurality of tensioner arms (204) that project from the inner annular portion (200) and are separated by slots (206).
13. The surface cleaning apparatus (10) of claim 12 wherein the tensioner hub (166) is cone-shaped, and the annular portion (200) is frustoconical and tapers downwardly from an inner top edge (222) of the annular portion (200) that defines the center opening (202) to an outer bottom edge (224) of the annular portion (200), wherein the plurality of tensioner arms (204) extend from the outer bottom edge (224).
14. The surface cleaning apparatus (10) of claim 12 wherein an underside surface of the tensioner hub (166), the underside surface including a bottom side (214) of the plurality of tensioner arms (204), is affixed to an upper surface of the cleaning implement (164), so that at least the plurality of tensioner arms (204) are in contact with the cleaning implement (164).