CN112294180A

CN112294180A - Suction nozzle for a vacuum cleaner and vacuum cleaner having a suction nozzle

Info

Publication number: CN112294180A
Application number: CN202010768732.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 多米尼克·迪施; 比罗尔·锡兰; 托马斯·布宁
Original assignee: Warwick Corp
Current assignee: Warwick Corp
Priority date: 2019-08-02
Filing date: 2020-08-03
Publication date: 2021-02-02
Anticipated expiration: 2040-08-03
Also published as: CN112294180B; DE102019120933A1; DE102019120933B4

Abstract

The invention relates to a suction nozzle (6) for a vacuum cleaner for cleaning floors, preferably as an accessory, having a housing (8), a suction chamber (10) which opens out onto the bottom of the housing, preferably having a brush body (12) which is arranged in the suction chamber, having at least one suction opening limiting device which is arranged parallel to the front edge of the housing and can be raised and lowered, a movement transmission element (17) which is coupled to the suction opening limiting device, and an adjusting element which is coupled to the movement transmission element, wherein the adjusting element is designed as an actuator (20) which converts an electrical signal into a mechanical movement for raising or lowering the suction opening limiting device relative to the housing, and wherein the actuator is provided with a signal line or a signal receiver for actuating the actuator by means of an actuating element which is arranged remote from the suction nozzle. The invention further relates to a vacuum cleaner having such a suction nozzle (6) and an operating handle (4) for operating the vacuum cleaner (1), wherein the operating handle is provided with an actuating device (3) for actuating an actuator (20).

Description

Suction nozzle for a vacuum cleaner and vacuum cleaner having a suction nozzle

Technical Field

The invention relates to a suction nozzle for a vacuum cleaner for cleaning floors, preferably as an accessory for such a vacuum cleaner, having: a housing having a leading edge; a suction channel disposed in the housing; a suction chamber connected to the suction channel in a fluid-tight manner and opening onto the bottom of the housing; at least one suction opening limiting device arranged parallel to the front edge of the housing and supported in a manner that it can be raised and lowered; a motion transfer element coupled to the suction port restriction device; and an adjustment element coupled to the motion transfer element. Optionally, a brush may be arranged in the suction chamber.

The invention also relates to a vacuum cleaner for cleaning a floor surface, having a suction nozzle and an operating handle for operating the vacuum cleaner by a user.

Background

Suction nozzles for vacuum cleaners, which are designed as attachments, are known in various embodiments. For example, suction nozzles are known whose suction opening is provided on the front side with a flexible sealing lip which, during operation of the suction nozzle, bears slidingly against the floor to be cleaned and seals the suction opening from the surroundings. In order to be able to suck up coarse material, such as small stones, chips or other coarse dirt particles, efficiently even during forward travel, suction nozzles which can be switched to a coarse material suction function have been proposed, wherein the switching must take place manually at the suction nozzle embodied as an attachment. In particular, suction nozzles (floor nozzles) are known which are designed as attachments, wherein the distance of the suction opening from the floor surface to be cleaned can be increased by manual switching on the attachment in order to thus provide a sufficiently high gap opening for sucking in coarse particles. For example, the ground spacing can be enlarged by means of support elements, such as support rollers, which can be moved in and out. However, a disadvantage of this type of floor nozzle is that the suction power of the floor nozzle decreases when the floor spacing increases and the associated negative pressure at the suction opening decreases.

Furthermore, floor nozzles are known which are embodied as attachments, wherein the sealing lip is moved upwards by manual switching at the attachment in order to release the opening for coarse material absorption.

EP 1711096B 1 shows a floor nozzle for a vacuum cleaner, which has a suction chamber opening onto the underside of the floor nozzle, in which suction chamber a rotatable brush is arranged, wherein the suction chamber is delimited in the forward and rearward direction by a delimiting means in the form of a slide. The front slide is fixed on one part of the suction chamber extending transversely to the advance direction and can be moved in a sliding manner on the other part of the suction chamber extending longitudinally. In order to move the slidably movable part of the slide, a manual adjustment slide is arranged at the upper outer surface of the floor nozzle.

This manual switching of the floor nozzle from the fine dust suction mode to the coarse suction mode and vice versa is cumbersome and uncomfortable for many users of such cleaners.

Disclosure of Invention

Starting from this, the object of the invention is to provide a suction nozzle and/or a vacuum cleaner of the type mentioned at the outset, which achieve an efficient coarse material absorption that can be activated in a comfortable manner by the user and minimize the reduction in the suction power.

According to the invention, this object is achieved by a suction nozzle having the features of claim 1. Preferred and advantageous embodiments of the suction nozzle according to the invention are given in the dependent claims. The suction nozzle may also be referred to as a floor nozzle or suction brush.

The suction nozzle according to the invention is characterized in that the adjusting element is embodied as an actuator which converts an electrical signal into a mechanical movement for raising or lowering the suction opening restriction device relative to the housing, wherein the actuator is provided with a signal line or a signal receiver for operating the actuator by means of an operating element arranged remote from the suction nozzle.

By lifting the suction opening restriction relative to the housing, an increase in the opening height is achieved in the front region of the suction mouth, whereby coarse material, such as stones, chips, nuts, etc., can be sucked in. The suction opening restriction, which is mounted so as to be able to rise and fall, can be embodied as a slide or as a flow seal. However, a slide plate is preferably implemented.

The actuator is configured, for example, as an electrically controllable lifting magnet, an electric motor with a spindle drive, a shape memory wire or the like.

The actuator preferably pulls a partial section of the suction opening restriction device, particularly preferably a central partial section, for example a central partial section of a front slide of the suction opening, upward via the motion transmission element. Depending on the embodiment of the suction nozzle according to the invention, the suction opening limiting device or the slide plate is completely or partially raised. The slide is preferably constructed symmetrically.

By means of the motion transmission element, for example, at least tensile forces and preferably both tensile and compressive forces can be transmitted. Accordingly, the motion-transmitting element can then also be referred to as a tension/compression element.

The suction nozzle according to the invention is preferably embodied as an attachment, wherein the signal line for actuating the actuator extends into a connection piece of the suction nozzle, with which the suction nozzle can be connected to a suction tube or the like of a vacuum cleaner. Electrical plug contacts are provided in a connecting piece which is preferably mounted in an articulated manner on the housing of the suction nozzle, wherein complementary electrical contact elements are associated with these plug contacts and are provided at the end of the suction pipe of the vacuum cleaner.

A vacuum cleaner for cleaning floors according to the invention has a suction nozzle according to the invention and an operating handle for operating the vacuum cleaner by a user, wherein the operating handle is provided with an actuating device for actuating the actuator.

The operating device is designed, for example, as an electric switch or a pushbutton. When the actuating device is actuated, an electrical signal is transmitted to the suction nozzle to actuate the actuator. For this purpose, the suction tube of the vacuum cleaner is preferably provided with a signal line which can be connected to the signal line of the suction nozzle via the aforementioned plug contact.

In this way the user can comfortably activate the coarse material absorption function without having to change hands or release the operating handle. The user does not have to operate the operating device with his foot in a cumbersome manner. By comfortable and simple handling of the handling device, the switching between the coarse material suction function and the normal suction function is simplified for the user.

The vacuum cleaner can be embodied as a so-called hand-held vacuum cleaner or as a floor cleaner. In a hand-held vacuum cleaner, the suction tube of the vacuum cleaner is mounted directly on a base housing of the vacuum cleaner, wherein the base housing has an operating handle at its upper end. In floor cleaners, the suction tube is connected to the base housing of the vacuum cleaner by a flexible suction hose, wherein the suction tube and the suction hose are connected or can be connected to each other by an actuating handle having a connecting tube.

The suction nozzle according to the invention or the vacuum cleaner according to the invention provides a significant comfort benefit for the user, since the user does not have to bend over in order to switch the suction nozzle from the fine dust absorption mode to the coarse absorption mode and vice versa, but can do so comfortably on the operating handle. Thus, the user can comfortably set the suction nozzle for different dirt types. Furthermore, an improved coarse material absorption can thereby be achieved while minimizing the reduction of the suction power.

An advantageous embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the suction opening limiting device is embodied as a slide plate, wherein a flow seal is arranged in front of the slide plate in the advancing direction of the suction nozzle, which flow seal is supported in the housing in a height-adjustable manner, and wherein the slide plate is coupled to the flow seal such that the flow seal is also lifted when the slide plate is lifted. A maximum opening height for coarse material entry can thereby be achieved in a comfortable manner. The flow seal is preferably a flexible sealing lip, which is made of a rubber-elastic material, for example. The flow seal improves the suction power of the suction nozzle.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the flow seal is mounted on a transverse member, wherein the movement transmission element or the suction opening restriction device is connected to the transverse member by at least one lever, and wherein the flow seal is moved at least in sections into the open position by means of the lever when the suction opening restriction device is lifted. A mechanical coupling of the flow seal with the movement of the motion-transmitting element or with the movement of the suction-opening restriction can thereby be achieved in a simple and reliable manner. The at least one lever may also be referred to as a synchronization lever, since it simultaneously causes a substantially co-directional movement of the flow sealing device when the movement-transmitting element is moved.

In this connection, a further embodiment of the invention provides that the lever (synchronization lever) causes an (increased) transmission ratio of the movement of the suction opening restriction device, so that the flow seal travels a greater distance than the suction opening restriction device when the suction opening restriction device is moved upwards or downwards. In this way, an optimum opening height for coarse material entry can be achieved in a compact suction nozzle design.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the cross-beam has at least one recess into which a guide element connected to the housing of the suction nozzle for guiding the cross-beam engages. A particularly reliable mode of operation of the flow seal arranged on the cross member is thereby achieved.

Preferably, a brush body is arranged in the suction chamber of the suction nozzle according to the invention.

A further embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the brush body is mounted in the housing in a height-adjustable manner, wherein the suction opening limiting device is coupled to the brush body in such a way that when the suction opening limiting device is lifted, the brush body is also lifted. This is advantageous in particular when cleaning hard floors, since a brush body, for example in the form of a brush roller, is more likely to cause an obstruction when coarse material is sucked from a hard floor. The maximum opening height for coarse material entry can be achieved in a comfortable manner by the above-described design.

A further embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the movement transmission element and/or the suction opening limiting device is provided with at least one catch, wherein the brush body is lifted relative to the floor surface to be cleaned by means of the catch when the suction opening limiting device is lifted. In this way, a mechanical coupling of the movement of the motion-transmitting element or of the suction-opening limiting device to the brush body which is supported in a height-adjustable manner can be achieved in a simple and reliable manner.

The brush body is rotatably mounted, for example, on a gearbox which is mounted in the housing of the suction nozzle so as to be pivotable about a motor shaft axis, wherein the pivot axis (motor shaft axis) extends substantially parallel to the front edge of the housing or transversely to the advancing direction of the suction nozzle. The gear box is preferably pretensioned by means of a spring-elastic element in the direction of the suction opening or the floor surface to be cleaned. The position of the brush carried by the gearbox is thus automatically adapted to the ground to be treated. For example, a carpeted floor surface with a high apex height presses the brush body relatively far into the suction chamber. If the suction nozzle (suction brush) is operated on a hard floor, the brush body is no longer or hardly supported by the floor to be cleaned. In this case, the gear box together with the brush body returns to its lower initial position due to its own weight and pretensioning by the spring-elastic element. In this way, it is possible to adapt automatically to different floor coverings. However, in order to improve the coarse absorption on hard floors, it is advantageous to lift the brush body relative to the floor to be cleaned, so that larger coarse dirt particles can also reliably enter the suction chamber. For lifting the brush body, at least one catch element can be provided on the motion transmission element and/or the slide. For example, when the coarse material suction function is activated after a user actuates an operating element arranged remote from the suction nozzle and the slide plate is lifted from the lowered position into the raised position by the movement of the motion transmission element, the slide plate lifts the gear box and thus the brush body by means of a catch formed on the slide plate. If the coarse material absorption function is deactivated and the motion transmission element and thus the slide plate return into the normal functional position (deactivated position), the brush body likewise automatically returns into the normal functional position. This return movement is preferably supported by at least one elastic restoring element, for example in the form of a spring.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, the suction opening restriction device and/or the movement transmission element are provided with at least one restoring element. This ensures that the suction opening restriction, preferably the slide plate and/or the fluid seal, is reliably moved into the lowered or defined lower position when the coarse material suction function is deactivated, so that a high sealing action of the suction opening and thus a high suction power is achieved. The at least one restoring element can be, for example, a compression spring, a tension spring and/or a resiliently compressible foam body.

A further embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the motion-transmitting element is guided in a sliding guide. Thereby preventing tilting of the motion transfer element. Preferably, the sliding guide is made of plastic, for example of polytetrafluoroethylene.

According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the movement transmission element can be variably adjusted. For example, a number of steps, which varies according to the user's requirements, can be transmitted as a control signal to the actuator, which is embodied as an electric motor with a spindle drive, by means of an operating element which is arranged remote from the suction nozzle, so that the motion-transmitting element does not move completely into the uppermost position. Therefore, it is possible to effectively absorb a small coarse material body while minimizing a loss of pumping power.

As mentioned above, the motion-transmitting element is preferably embodied as a tension-compression element. A further advantageous embodiment of the invention provides that the tension/compression element is embodied flexibly.

A flexibly implemented tension/compression element is a tension/compression element whose shape can be reversibly changed when moving from an initial position (normal position) into a functional position. For example, one end of the tension/compression element can extend in sections substantially parallel or almost parallel to the floor surface to be cleaned, while the other end is oriented substantially perpendicular to the floor surface to be cleaned via a deflection point which is preferably designed in a circular or curved manner. For example, the tension/compression element has a bend in sections. For coarse material absorption, the tension/compression element can be moved in sections parallel to the floor surface to be cleaned, which results in a movement of the tension/compression element relative to the deflection point. In this case, the bending section is moved to another point of the tension/compression element. By using flexible tension/compression elements, the movement of the actuator can be transmitted in a space-saving manner to the liftable and lowerable suction chamber limiting device, for example to the liftable and lowerable front section of the slide plate, since the tension/compression elements can be adapted to the contour of the deflecting portion.

Preferably, the distance of the suction nozzle to the floor to be cleaned is substantially constant during coarse material absorption, in order to reduce or minimize deterioration of the suction power. This distance is determined, for example, by support rollers in the front region of the suction nozzle, which are arranged at the lateral ends of the suction opening or at the ends of the front sliding plate. A preferred embodiment of the invention accordingly provides that support rollers are provided at the end of the suction chamber of the suction nozzle, wherein the lifting and lowering slide is height-adjustable relative to the support rollers. The height position of the slide plate relative to the support rollers and relative to the suction opening can thus be adjusted so that only the distance of the liftable and lowerable slide plate to the floor surface to be cleaned is increased. While the distance of all other areas of the suction opening to the floor surface to be cleaned remains substantially constant.

In order to improve the suction power, the suction nozzle according to the invention can have a flow seal, for example a sealing lip or a brush strip, which preferably extends at least in sections parallel to the front edge of the housing of the suction nozzle and can be spaced apart from the front edge. In this case, the flow seal is advantageously arranged in front of the slide in the forward direction and preferably contacts the floor to be cleaned. The flow seal thus seals the suction opening of the suction nozzle from the surroundings, so that an optimum suction power can be achieved.

In an alternative embodiment of the suction nozzle, the slide plate, the flow seal and the brush body have separate actuators. In this embodiment, the additional actuator can raise and lower the flow seal and the brush body independently of the slide. The slide plate, the flow seal and the brush body can thus advantageously be raised or lowered independently of one another relative to the floor surface to be cleaned. This is advantageous, for example, in the case of coarse material, which can be well absorbed by means of the brush body, but is difficult or impossible to pass through the flow seal and/or the slide plate in the lowered position (initial position). In this embodiment, the actuating device can have a potentiometer, for example, or the control device transmits corresponding control commands to the actuators as a function of the number of actuations of the actuating device.

Preferably, the actuating device transmits a signal for activating or deactivating the coarse material absorption function to the actuator electrically and/or digitally. For this purpose, electrical and/or digital lines and/or cables can be provided in the suction nozzle and the vacuum cleaner, which can be connected via electrical and/or digital contacts in the connecting part. But alternatively a wire-less or cable-less connection is also possible. For example, the handling device may have a transmitter and the suction nozzle may have a receiver.

Furthermore, the vacuum cleaner or the suction nozzle can have a control unit which, in parallel with the electrical signal for activating the actuator, transmits an electrical signal for briefly increasing the power of the electric motor driving the suction fan, in order to increase the power of the suction fan and thus to improve the coarse suction when the coarse suction function is activated.

A further variant of the suction nozzle according to the invention is characterized in that the coarse material absorption function is deactivated automatically after a preset or presettable period of time has elapsed. For this purpose, a corresponding time period can be stored in the control device, after which the actuator moves the motion-transmitting element, preferably the tension/compression element, into its initial position (normal position) again and thus returns to the deactivated state again. The user therefore does not have to take into account the end of the coarse material absorption function and can continue the cleaning process with optimum suction power after a preset or presettable period of time has elapsed. The time period can be preset by a user inputting a desired time period, for example.

Drawings

The invention is further elucidated below by means of the drawing showing a number of embodiments. Shown schematically in the drawings:

figure 1 shows a vacuum cleaner with a suction nozzle in a perspective view;

fig. 2 shows the suction nozzle of fig. 1 in a perspective view, wherein a suction chamber arranged in a suction nozzle housing, a brush body arranged in the suction chamber and a suction channel connected to the suction chamber are indicated by dashed lines;

fig. 3a and 3b show a front section of a suction nozzle in partial section and in perspective view, similar to the suction nozzle in fig. 2, with a front opening for coarse material absorption and a crossbar associated with the opening with a flow seal and a slide plate, wherein the crossbar with the flow seal and the slide plate are in a lowered position in fig. 3a and in a raised position in fig. 3 b; and

fig. 4a and 4b show a schematic vertical section of a front section of a suction nozzle according to a further embodiment, also similar to the suction nozzle of fig. 2, with a cross member with a flow seal and a slide plate assigned to a front opening for coarse material absorption, wherein the cross member with the flow seal and the slide plate are in a lowered position in fig. 4a and in a raised position in fig. 4 b.

Detailed Description

The vacuum cleaner 1 shown in fig. 1 has a base housing 2 which is provided, for example, at its upper end with an operating handle 4 with a handling device 3. An air extractor for generating a suction air flow and an electric motor for driving the air extractor are provided in the base housing 2. For the supply of power, a battery is accommodated in the base housing 2. As an alternative, the vacuum cleaner 1 can also be designed for mains operation and have a cable for this purpose. Preferably, the control device 5 is also mounted in the base housing 2.

A suction nozzle 6 is connected to the base housing 2 of the vacuum cleaner 1. The suction mouth 6 is preferably designed as an attachment. For this purpose, it is provided with a connecting piece (hinge) 7, which is mounted pivotably in an articulated manner about a horizontal axis of rotation on a housing 8 of the suction nozzle 6 (see fig. 2). The housing 8 of the suction nozzle 6 has a suction opening 9 which merges via a suction chamber 10 into a suction channel 11. The suction opening 9 and the suction chamber 10 preferably extend over the entire width of the housing 8 of the suction nozzle 6. In the suction chamber 10, a brush 12 is preferably arranged, which is connected via a pivotably mounted gearbox 25 to a motor 26 arranged in the housing 2. The suction nozzle 6 is suitable for cleaning both carpeted floors and hard floors.

The suction opening 9 is delimited at the front and rear by limiting means in the form of slides. The front slide is connected to the housing 8 in sections, i.e. in the right-hand side section length and in the left-hand side section length extending transversely to the direction of advance of the suction nozzle, and is mounted on the housing 8 so as to be highly adjustably displaceable along the middle section length. The movable central part of the slide 13 can also be referred to as a front suction opening limiting device which is supported so as to be able to be raised and lowered.

A flow sealing device 14 may be arranged along the leading edge 8.1 of the housing 8. The flow seal 14 extends substantially over the entire width of the suction nozzle housing 8, wherein the height of the flow seal 14 is dimensioned such that its lower edge ends near or contacts the floor surface B to be cleaned.

The flow seal 14 is preferably designed in the form of a sealing lip and is attached or formed on a height-adjustable cross member 15 (fig. 3 a). The flow seal 14 can be spaced, i.e. retracted, relative to the front edge 8.1 of the housing 8 and is preferably arranged in front of the slide 13, viewed in the forward direction.

The suction air flow generated by the suction fan is conducted by the suction opening 9 to the suction fan via the suction chamber 10 and the suction channel 11. The suction channel 11 is connected to the connecting piece 7, which delimits the suction channel section 11.1 in its part. A suction channel or suction tube is likewise provided in the base housing 2 of the vacuum cleaner 1, wherein the suction channel (suction tube) extends from the end of the base housing 2 that can be connected to the connection piece 7 to a dust chamber in which the sucked-up dust and coarse material are separated in or without a filter bag.

The suction nozzle 6 is provided in the front region with support rollers 16, which support rollers 16 are arranged in the region of the lateral sections 13' of the slide plate, which sections are fixedly mounted on the housing 8. The support rollers 16 facilitate the displacement of the suction nozzle 6 and determine the distance of the lower edge of the housing 8 from the hard floor B to be cleaned.

Fig. 3a and 3b show a part of the suction nozzle 6 in a partial perspective view, wherein in fig. 3a the liftable and lowerable slide 13 and the height-movable cross member 15 are shown, on which the sealing lip 14 is mounted, in the lowered position (initial position), while in fig. 3b the slide 13, the cross member 15 and the sealing lip 14 are in the raised position (functional position) in order to allow the coarse particles G to enter.

For raising and lowering the slide 13, the suction nozzle 6 has a movement transmission element 17, which is embodied, for example, in the form of a tension and compression element. The motion transmission element (tension/compression element) 17 is coupled to an actuator 20, which converts the electrical signal into a mechanical motion for raising or lowering the slide 13 relative to the housing 8 of the suction nozzle. Connected to the actuator 20 are signal lines 30 which lead to the control device 5 in the base housing 2 of the vacuum cleaner 1 and to operating elements of the actuating device 3 which are arranged remote from the suction nozzle 6.

The actuator 20 is embodied, for example, as an electric motor with a spindle drive 20.1. The spindle drive 20.1 is coupled to the tension/compression element 17 via a nut-shaped connecting element 17.1. Thus, depending on the respective direction of rotation of the electric motor 20, the tension and compression element 17 is moved in a direction or position in which the distance between the rear edge 17.2 of the tension and compression element 17 and the front edge 20.2 of the electric motor 20 is minimal, or in the opposite direction or position in which the distance between the rear edge 17.2 of the tension and compression element 17 and the front edge 20.2 of the electric motor 20 is increasing or maximal.

To activate the actuator 20, the user of the suction nozzle actuates the actuating device 3 or actuating element on the actuating handle 4. The tension/compression element 17 is then moved upwards or in the direction of the actuator and the slide 13 is lifted relative to the floor surface B to be cleaned and thus relative to the support roller 16 due to its connection to the tension/compression element 17 in order to better absorb the coarse material. The slide 13 is provided with at least one restoring element 18, for example a spring, which is fixed in position by a fixing pin 13.1, which is formed on the slide 13 and engages in the restoring element (spring) 18. The other end of the restoring element 18 is supported on a surface 8.2 of an L-shaped stop 8.1 formed in the housing 8, which surface faces the fastening pin 13.1. This surface 8.2 of the stop 8.1 likewise has a fixing pin 8.21, which is inserted into the return element (spring) 18 for the positional fixing thereof (see fig. 4 a).

The tension/compression element 17 is preferably of flexible design. In order to be able to move the tension and compression element 17 reliably, the tension and compression element is guided in the housing 8 of the suction nozzle. For this purpose, for example, a right guide element and/or a left guide element 8.3 is present in the housing 8. Each guide element 8.3 is preferably made of plastic. The guide reliably prevents the tension/compression element 17 from tilting.

To further improve the absorption of coarse material, the front flow seal 14 can likewise be placed in the open position. For this purpose, the transverse member 15 is coupled to the carriage 13 via one or more levers 19 which are pivotably mounted in the housing 8. For this purpose, the respective lever 19 engages in a form-fitting manner in a corresponding recess 15.1 in the cross member 15, wherein the laterally offset pin-shaped projection 19.1 of the lever 19 rests on the catch flange 13.2 of the slide 13, so that the lever 19 pivots upward or downward when the slide 13 is moved relative to the floor surface to be cleaned, and thus the flow seal 14 is moved into the open position or into the initial position of the seal.

In order to ensure a reliable displaceability of the cross member 15, the cross member has an elongated recess 15.2 into which a cross member guide element 8.4 formed on the housing 8 engages and prevents a possible tilting of the cross member 15.

Since the brush body 12 can interfere with the suction of certain types of coarse material, a preferred embodiment of the suction nozzle 6 provides that the pivotably mounted brush body 12 is likewise coupled to a slide 13 which can be raised and lowered. For this purpose, a driver 13.3 is provided on the slide 13, which, when the slide 13 is lifted, drives the brush body 12 from a lower position (see fig. 4a), in which the brush body 12 rests on the carpet floor to be cleaned, into a raised position (see fig. 4b), in which the distance of the brush body 12 from the floor to be cleaned is at a maximum or at least increases. The pivotably mounted gear box 25 has a projection 25.1 corresponding to the driver 13.3 of the slide.

The actuator 20 is preferably controllable in such a way that the slide 13 is lifted variably in dependence on the size of the coarse material G to be absorbed. For this purpose, the electric motor 20 can, for example, only carry out a certain number of revolutions, so that the rear edge 17.2 of the tension/compression element 17 moves only a distance toward the front edge 20.2 of the electric motor 20.

The signals for controlling the actuator 20 can be transmitted electrically, in particular digitally, to the actuator 20 by the actuating device 3 arranged in the operating handle 4. This signal can be processed beforehand in a control device 5 provided in the base housing 2 and supplemented with a signal component. The control device 5 is able to process the signal and to supplement a preset and/or presettable signal component as a function of user inputs, for example an operating duration and/or a position of an operating element of the actuating device 3. Thus, the signal can be expanded, for example, with a signal portion that relates to a time period after which the occupation of the raised position of the slide 13 and the components operatively connected thereto (flow seal 14 and brush body 12) automatically ends and all of the above-mentioned components move back into the initial position again. Alternatively, the control device can be designed such that the user immediately terminates the coarse material absorption function by actuating the actuating device 3 again. Additionally, the control device 5 can influence the electric motor of the air extractor and increase the suction power when the coarse material absorption function is activated and decrease the suction power again after the coarse material absorption function has ended in order to reduce the energy consumption and the noise emission.

Claims

1. Suction nozzle (6) for a vacuum cleaner for cleaning floors, preferably as an accessory for such a vacuum cleaner, said suction nozzle:

having a housing (8) with a leading edge,

having a suction channel (11) arranged in the housing (8),

having a suction chamber (10) which is fluidically connected to the suction channel (11) and which opens out at the bottom of the housing, preferably having a brush body (12) which is arranged in the suction chamber (10),

having at least one suction opening limiting device which is arranged parallel to the front edge (8.1) of the housing and can be supported in a lifting and descending manner,

has a movement transmission element (17) coupled to the suction opening limiting device, and

having an adjusting element coupled to the motion transmission element (17),

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

the adjusting element is embodied as an actuator (20) which converts an electrical signal into a mechanical movement for raising or lowering the suction opening restriction device relative to the housing (8), wherein the actuator (20) is provided with a signal line (30) or a signal receiver for actuating the actuator (20) by means of an actuating element arranged remote from the suction nozzle (6),

wherein the suction opening restriction is embodied as a slide plate (13), wherein a fluid seal (14) is arranged in front of the slide plate (13) in the direction of advance of the suction nozzle, said fluid seal being mounted in the housing (8) in a height-adjustable manner, and wherein the slide plate (13) is mechanically coupled to the fluid seal (14) in such a way that when the slide plate (13) is raised, the fluid seal (14) is also raised.

2. A suction mouth as claimed in claim 1,

characterized in that the flow seal (14) is mounted on a cross member (15), wherein the movement transmission element (17) or the suction opening restriction device is connected to the cross member (15) via at least one lever (19), and wherein the flow seal (14) is moved at least in sections into an open position by means of the lever (19) when the suction opening restriction device is lifted.

3. A suction mouth as claimed in claim 2,

characterized in that the lever (19) implements a transmission ratio for the movement of the suction opening restriction such that the flow sealing device (14) moves over a greater distance when the suction opening restriction is moved upwards or downwards than the suction opening restriction.

4. A suction mouth as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3,

characterized in that a brush or the brush (12) is arranged in the suction chamber (10), wherein the brush (12) is mounted in the housing (8) in a height-adjustable manner, wherein the suction-opening limiting device is coupled to the brush (12) such that the brush (12) is also lifted when the suction-opening limiting device is lifted.

5. A suction mouth as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4,

characterized in that a brush or the brush (12) is arranged in the suction chamber (10), wherein the movement transmission element (17) and/or the suction opening limiting device is provided with at least one catch (13.3), wherein the brush (12) is lifted by means of the catch (13.3) relative to the floor to be cleaned when the suction opening limiting device is lifted.

6. A suction mouth as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5,

characterized in that the suction opening limiting device and/or the movement transmission element (17) is provided with at least one restoring element (18).

7. A suction mouth as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6,

characterized in that the motion-transmitting element (17) is guided in a sliding guide.

8. A suction mouth as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7,

characterized in that the movement transmission element (17) is variably adjustable.

9. A vacuum cleaner (1) for cleaning floors,

has a suction nozzle (6), and

having an operating handle (4) for operating the vacuum cleaner (1) by a user,

characterized in that the suction mouth (6) is embodied according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the operating handle (4) is provided with an operating device (3) for operating an actuator (20).