CN111194175A

CN111194175A - Vacuum cleaner nozzle

Info

Publication number: CN111194175A
Application number: CN201880065131.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: A·C·韦塞尔斯; H·J·滕唐克拉尔; E·库普曼斯; J·T·范德科伊; B·R·贝尔加
Original assignee: Koninklijke Philips NV
Current assignee: Fansongni Holdings Ltd
Priority date: 2017-10-04
Filing date: 2018-09-26
Publication date: 2020-05-22
Anticipated expiration: 2038-09-26
Also published as: WO2019068526A1; PL3691504T3; EP3691504B1; EP3691504A1; EP3466312A1; CN111194175B

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner nozzle (N) having a left side opening and a right side opening (O), which are alternately opened when the vacuum cleaner nozzle (N) is moved along a floor. The mouthpiece may comprise an axle and a mechanism coupled with the axle to alternately open the left and right side openings (O). The mechanism may comprise a rotating element (D1, Dr) such as a disc having alternating open and closed sections, the rotating element (D1, Dr) being mounted on the axle to alternately block the left and right openings (O). The swivel element (D1, Dr) may be formed by a wheel of the vacuum cleaner nozzle. The invention also relates to a vacuum cleaner comprising such a vacuum cleaner nozzle (N).

Description

Vacuum cleaner nozzle

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner nozzle, and to a vacuum cleaner provided with such a vacuum cleaner nozzle.

Background

JP2009207644A discloses a cleaning tool for an electric vacuum cleaner. When the housing is advanced, the opening and closing mechanism is operated to open the suction port at the rear end side of the housing, and when the body is moved rearward, the opening and closing mechanism is operated to open the suction port at the front end side of the housing.

JP2003265372A provides a suction opening body for a vacuum cleaner, wherein a first suction opening and a second suction opening are provided at a front side and a rear side of a bottom surface of a suction opening main body, respectively. When the suction opening body advances, dust is sucked from the second suction opening, and when the suction opening body moves rearward, dust is sucked from the first suction opening.

JPH07321(a) discloses a dust collecting apparatus for a vacuum cleaner. The wind speed of the suction air flow at the suction port is increased and the dust suction performance is improved by: a suction port is formed on a bottom surface of the dust suction apparatus main body, a rotary brush is provided on the dust suction apparatus main body, and a plurality of blocking bodies blocking a portion of the suction port are installed on an outer circumference of the rotary brush in an axial direction. A suction port is formed on a bottom surface of the dust suction apparatus main body, and a rotary brush is provided on the dust suction apparatus main body. A blocking body blocking a portion of the suction port and a cleaning body cleaning up debris on a floor surface are installed on an outer circumference of a rotor of the rotary brush in an axial direction. The blocking bodies are formed in a substantially semicircular shape, for example, they are symmetrically installed at two positions by 180 ° in the rotation axis direction to divide the rotating brush into two parts, and they are formed to protrude from the suction port slightly toward the floor surface side. When the rotary brush is rotated, a blocking body blocks a half of the suction port in the direction of the rotation axis. When the rotating brush is further rotated by 180 °, the other blocking body blocks the other half of the suction inlet at the opposite side.

Current hard floor nozzles face difficulties in maintaining performance levels and dust extraction (DPU) levels on the energy tag because the input power to the vacuum cleaner is reduced to achieve better energy tag ratings. In addition to energy tags, various performance levels need to be considered, such as performance tags related to hard floors. While it is necessary to maintain or improve DPU-level performance on hard floors, it is also a challenge to maintain or improve crevice cleaning levels on hard floors. Thus, when the DPU value is below 111% with respect to the gap, the dust pick-up level on the label will no longer be 'A'.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the invention, inter alia, to provide a vacuum cleaner nozzle with an advantageous energy level and a vacuum cleaner provided with such a vacuum cleaner nozzle. The invention is defined by the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are defined in the dependent claims.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a vacuum cleaner nozzle having left and right side openings that are alternately opened as the vacuum cleaner nozzle is moved along a floor. The nozzle may include an axle and a mechanism coupled with the axle to alternately open the left and right openings. The mechanism may comprise a rotating element (e.g. a disc) with alternating open and closed sections, which are mounted on the axle to block the left and right openings alternately. The swivel element may be formed by a wheel of the vacuum cleaner nozzle. The invention also relates to a vacuum cleaner comprising such a vacuum cleaner nozzle.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the suction nozzle increases the air flow through the side openings by alternately closing the side openings, for example by rotating a perforated wheel. This enables DPU gap performance to exceed 111% at various energy levels and, therefore, also enables hard floor tags a.

These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.

Drawings

FIG. 1 illustrates a gap DPU measurement; and

fig. 2a shows a side view of a nozzle with a left-hand opening and a right-hand opening, while fig. 2b to 2e show various embodiments of a rotating element for alternately opening the left-hand opening and the right-hand opening.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 illustrates the meaning of 111% DPU. As can be seen from fig. 1, a normal nozzle N without a side opening will clean 100% of the part of the aperture C located below the nozzle N. Having openings on the left and right sides of the nozzle N will enable cleaning of a wider area, but this cleaning is not very powerful because air leaks from both sides. This is particularly problematic if the vacuum cleaner does not have a significant suction due to the favourable energy level. According to the present invention, alternately opening the side nozzle slots enables cleaning of a wider area of the gap C, not just the width of the nozzle N. Tests have shown that: with low energy requirements, the pick-up rate will also be 111%. Vacuum cleaning is typically accomplished by cleaning a given area multiple times, and this ensures that the slots on both sides are open for the intended cleaning.

Fig. 2a shows a side view of a nozzle N with a left and a right opening O, and fig. 2b to 2e show various embodiments of rotating elements (e.g. discs) D1, Dr for alternately opening the left and right openings O. Embodiments of the present invention provide a hard floor nozzle N for optimal crevice cleaning. The suction nozzle N in this embodiment is provided with two discs D1, Dr having openings placed beside two air inlets O of the suction nozzle housing, which are located on the left and right side of the suction nozzle N. When the openings of the discs D1, Dr are at the bottom, air can flow into the suction nozzle N and remove dirt from the crevice C outside the suction nozzle N. The discs D1, Dr are connected to a shaft or axis such that the air inlets are alternately opened. This is done to increase the airflow and air velocity, which enhances the hard floor crevice cleaning rate (DPU%). Thus, the embodiments provide a vacuum cleaner hard floor nozzle N having a disk D1, Dr with openings, and the nozzle N has openings O on the sides to allow the airflow inlet, the shaft or axis between the disks D1, Dr to ensure that the disks D1, Dr alternately close the side intake openings, and preferably to allow excellent sealing between the floor and the nozzle housing at the front and rear of the nozzle to prevent air leakage, and thus to ensure that all available suction is optimally used to draw in dirt.

The suction nozzle N in the preferred embodiment is provided with two discs D1, Dr having openings placed beside two air inlets/flow inlets of the suction nozzle housing, which are located on the left and right side of the suction nozzle N. When the openings of the discs D1, Dr are at the bottom, air can flow into the suction nozzle N and remove dirt from the crevice C outside the suction nozzle N. Both discs D1, Dr have holes to allow an air flow to be generated. However, each disc D1, Dr has holes in a staged manner as compared to the other disc Dr, D1. Thus, while one disk D1, Dr allows air to enter the suction nozzle, the other disk Dr, D1 blocks the passage therebeside. This alternating action is achieved by: the two disks D1, Dr are connected by a shaft or axis such that the air inlets are alternately opened. This is done to increase the airflow and air velocity, which enhances the hard floor crevice cleaning rate (DPU%).

It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. Although fig. 2b to 2e show a disc D closed by 1 × 50% or 2 × 25%, alternatively other possibilities such as 3 × 16.6% are possible. Fig. 2d to 2e show: only the outer part of the disc facing the opening O needs to be provided with an opening. Instead of open sections in the disc, the disc may for example be provided with circular holes. Although in the embodiment the discs D1, Dr having alternating openings are formed by the wheels of the suction nozzles, alternatively there may be wheels separate from the discs D1, Dr for alternately opening the side openings of the suction nozzles. In the case where the rotating elements D1, DR are formed by the left and right wheels of the nozzle, the axis is the axis on which the two wheels D1, DR are mounted. If the wheels of the nozzle are separated from the swivel elements D1, Dr, the swivel elements D1, Dr are mounted on an axis on which also at least one wheel is mounted to ensure that the left and right openings O are alternately opened when the vacuum cleaner nozzle is moved along the floor. It is not necessary that both wheels are mounted on an axle for alternately opening and closing the at least one side opening by the rotating element, but this may be done.

In embodiments where the rotating elements D1, Dr are separate from the wheel, the rotating elements D1, Dr need not have a closed circular outer periphery: at the location of the hole, no periphery is required, so that the rotating element is a butterfly stripe or ribbon bow-tie shape, rather than a true disc.

In the claims, the expression "alternately open" should not be construed as being limited to a digital method of opening or closing an opening. This digital method (for example implemented by means of an electronically controlled valve) is indeed a possibility. However, according to the above described embodiment using a rotating disc with an open section, it is clear that: a gradual transition from open to closed and vice versa is also contemplated, since for such a disc it follows that the opening percentage of the left opening is gradually from 0% to 100%, the opening percentage of the right opening is gradually from 100% to 0% and vice versa.

In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. The word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those listed in a claim. The word "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. In the device claim enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by one and the same item of hardware. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner nozzle (N) having a left side opening and a right side opening (O), which are alternately opened when the vacuum cleaner nozzle (N) is moved along a floor.

2. The vacuum cleaner nozzle according to claim 1, further comprising an axle and a mechanism coupled with said axle to alternately open said left side opening and said right side opening (O).

3. The vacuum cleaner nozzle according to claim 2, wherein said mechanism comprises a swivel element (D1, Dr) having alternating open and closed sections, said swivel element (D1, Dr) being mounted on said axle to alternately block said left and right side openings (O).

4. A vacuum cleaner nozzle according to claim 3, wherein said swivel element (D1, Dr) is formed by a wheel of said vacuum cleaner nozzle (N).

5. Vacuum cleaner comprising a vacuum cleaner nozzle (N) according to any of the preceding claims.