CN113440046B

CN113440046B - Cleaning device, sweeper and vacuum cleaner

Info

Publication number: CN113440046B
Application number: CN202110712842.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 杰森·B·索恩; 姚·明; 丹尼尔·R·德马德罗思安; 丹尼尔·迈尔; 帕特里克·克利里; 戈登·贺维; 戴维·吴; 南希·高·文修
Original assignee: Sharkninja Operating LLC
Current assignee: Sharkninja Operating LLC
Priority date: 2017-03-10
Filing date: 2017-12-29
Publication date: 2023-04-21
Anticipated expiration: 2037-12-29
Also published as: CN213155658U; CN113440046A; CN108567375A; CN108567375B; CN209595644U

Abstract

The invention relates to a cleaning device, a sweeper and a vacuum cleaner. The cleaning device includes: the housing having a front side and a rear side, the housing defining a suction duct having an opening on a bottom side of the housing between the front side and the rear side; a brush roll rotatably mounted to the housing within the suction duct, and at least a portion of the brush roll being proximate the opening of the suction duct; a front roller mounted to the housing in front of the brushroll and spaced apart from the brushroll such that the front roller is not in contact with the brushroll and defines an inter-roller air passage between the front roller and the brushroll, the inter-roller air passage forming at least a portion of a flow path into an opening of the suction duct in a region between a lower portion of the brushroll and a lower portion of the front roller; and a carding unit in contact with the preceding roller, the carding unit comprising a series of spaced apart carding projections extending partially into the lower portion of the preceding roller to remove debris from the preceding roller.

Description

Cleaning device, sweeper and vacuum cleaner

The present application is a divisional application of patent application with application number 201711481216.4, application date 2017, 12, 29, entitled "cleaning device with carding unit for removing debris from cleaning rollers".

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to cleaners having cleaning rollers, and more particularly to cleaning apparatuses having a comb unit for removing debris from a cleaning roller (e.g., a preceding roller), such as a surface cleaning head for a vacuum cleaner.

Background

Vacuum cleaners generally comprise a suction duct having an opening on the underside of the surface cleaning head to draw air (and debris) into and through the surface cleaning head. One of the challenges in vacuum cleaner design is controlling the engagement of the suction duct with the surface being cleaned to provide a desired amount of suction. If the suction duct is too far from the surface, suction may be less because air flows into the suction duct through a larger surface area. If the suction duct is directly engaged with the surface and thereby sealed on all sides, the air will stop flowing into the suction duct, with the result that the suction motor may be damaged.

Vacuum cleaners also typically utilize agitation to loosen debris and facilitate capturing the debris in the air stream into the suction duct. An agitator is often used in the suction duct of the surface cleaning head immediately adjacent to the dirty air inlet to cause the agitated debris to flow into the dirty air inlet. If the agitator in the suction duct is not able to loosen the debris or if the debris is too small, the suction duct may pass over the debris without removing the debris from the surface. In other cases, the surface cleaning head may push larger debris forward without capturing the debris in the suction duct in the flow (sometimes referred to as sweeping snow).

One example of an agitator is a cleaning roller, such as a brush roller. The cleaning rollers may be located within the suction duct and/or may be located on the front side of the suction duct (e.g., the front rollers). One challenge for the preceding rollers is, inter alia, debris (e.g., hair) that becomes entangled about the rollers. Protrusions may be used to engage the roller to facilitate removal of debris, but existing structures tend to be ineffective and/or interfere with the operation of the surface cleaning head.

Disclosure of Invention

According to one embodiment, a cleaning apparatus comprises:

a housing having a front side and a rear side, the housing defining a suction duct having an opening on a bottom side of the housing between the front side and the rear side;

a brushroll rotatably mounted to the housing within the suction duct, and at least a portion of the brushroll is proximate the opening of the suction duct;

a front roller mounted to the housing in front of the brushroll and spaced apart from the brushroll such that the front roller is not in contact with the brushroll and defines an inter-roller air passage between the front roller and the brushroll, the inter-roller air passage forming at least a portion of a flow path into an opening of the suction duct in a region between a lower portion of the brushroll and a lower portion of the front roller, wherein a front portion of the front roller is at least partially exposed to a front side of the housing and an inner side of at least a lower portion of the front roller is exposed to the flow path through the inter-roller air passage to the suction duct, and wherein an inner side of at least an upper portion of the front roller is substantially outside of the flow path to the suction duct; and

A carding unit in contact with the preceding roller, the carding unit comprising a series of spaced apart carding projections extending partially into a lower portion of the preceding roller to remove debris from the preceding roller, wherein the carding projections are exposed to the inter-roller air channel such that the removed debris falls into the inter-roller air channel and into a flow path leading to an opening of the suction duct.

According to another embodiment, a robotic vacuum cleaner includes:

a front roller mounted to the housing in front of the brush roller and spaced apart from the brush roller by a distance L1 such that the front roller is not in contact with the brush roller and defines an inter-roller air passage between the front roller and the brush roller, the inter-roller air passage forming at least a portion of a flow path into an opening of the suction duct in a region between a lower portion of the brush roller and a lower portion of the front roller, wherein an inner side of at least the lower portion of the front roller is exposed to the flow path flowing through the inter-roller air passage to the suction duct, and

A cleaning protrusion disposed at least partially within a distance between the preceding roller and the brushroll, the cleaning protrusion configured to engage an outer surface of a lower portion of the preceding roller to remove debris from the preceding roller and drop the debris into a roller-to-air passage and a flow path to an opening of the suction duct, the cleaning protrusion being exposed to the roller-to-air passage and configured to allow air to flow downwardly through the cleaning protrusion to force the debris into an air flow passing through the inter-roller vacuum passage.

According to another embodiment, a vacuum cleaner includes:

a front roller mounted to the housing in front of the brush roller and spaced apart from the brush roller such that the front roller is not in contact with the brush roller and defines an inter-roller air passage between the front roller and the brush roller, the inter-roller air passage forming at least a portion of a flow path into an opening of the suction duct in a region between a lower portion of the brush roller and a lower portion of the front roller, wherein an inner side of at least the lower portion of the front roller is exposed to the flow path flowing through the inter-roller air passage to the suction duct, and

A carding unit comprising a rear support and a series of spaced apart carding projections extending partially from the rear support and angled downwardly to contact a lower portion of the outer surface of the preceding roller to remove debris from the preceding roller and cause the debris to fall into the inter-roller air passage and into the flow path of the opening of the suction duct, wherein a space is provided between the rear support and the outer surface of the preceding roller such that air flowing downwardly through the carding projections forces debris into the air flow passing through the inter-roller vacuum passage.

Drawings

These and other features and advantages will be better understood from a reading of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a surface cleaning head including dual agitators and combing protrusions according to one embodiment of the disclosure.

Figure 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the surface cleaning head shown in figure 1 illustrating the flow path through the suction duct.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view showing the front roller and brush roller of the surface cleaning head shown in fig. 1.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view showing the front roller and comb projection of the surface cleaning head shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of the front area of the surface cleaning head of FIG. 1 without the front roller and showing the comb protrusions.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of one embodiment of a plurality of carding projections.

Figure 7 is a front bottom view of the front region of the surface cleaning head of figure 1 without the front rollers.

Figure 8 is a front view of the surface cleaning head of figure 1.

Figure 9 is a bottom view of the surface cleaning head of figure 1.

FIG. 10 is a perspective cut-away view of a carding protrusion engaged with a cleaning roller, according to one embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view of a carding projection engaged with a cleaning roller.

FIG. 12 is a side perspective view of the carding protrusion shown in FIG. 10.

FIG. 13 is a top perspective view of a section of the carding protrusion shown in FIG. 10.

Fig. 14A to 14D are top, front, bottom and side views of the section of the carding protrusion shown in fig. 13.

FIG. 15A is a side cross-sectional view of a carding protrusion engaging a cleaning roller above the axis of rotation, according to another embodiment.

FIG. 15B is a side cross-sectional view of a carding protrusion having a curved leading edge engaging with a cleaning roller, according to yet another embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of an upright vacuum cleaner including a surface cleaning head having a dual rotary agitator and combing protrusions, in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a stick vac cleaner including a surface cleaning head having a dual rotary agitator and combing protrusions, in accordance with some embodiments of the disclosure.

Fig. 18 is a bottom perspective view of a robotic vacuum cleaner including a cleaning roller and a comb projection according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, a cleaning apparatus includes a comb unit (also referred to as a cleaning unit or rib) that includes a series of spaced apart protrusions or teeth that extend into a cleaning roller to prevent accumulation and removal of debris (e.g., hair, threads, etc.). The projection extends along a substantial portion of the cleaning roller and partially into the cleaning roller to intercept debris as it passes around the roller. The projection has an angled leading edge that is not aligned with the center of rotation of the cleaning roller and is directed in or against the direction of rotation of the cleaning roller. The comb unit and protrusions are shaped and configured to facilitate removal of debris from the cleaning roller with minimal impact on the operation of the cleaning apparatus. The cleaning apparatus may comprise a surface cleaning head of an upright vacuum cleaner or a sweeper or robotic vacuum cleaner.

One embodiment of the surface cleaning head may include dual rotary agitators (e.g., front rollers and brush rollers) and may be used to facilitate capturing debris in the airflow into the suction duct on the underside of the surface cleaning head. In this embodiment, the preceding roller is typically positioned adjacent to and in front of the opening of the suction duct such that the preceding roller engages and moves debris toward the opening. At least the upper half of the front roller may be substantially outside the flow path to the suction duct, while the bottom of the front roller may be exposed to the flow path to the suction duct. The rotating brush roll may be located in the suction duct with the front roll being located in front of and spaced apart from the brush roll, thereby forming an inter-roll air channel between the lower portion of the front roll and the lower portion of the brush roll. In some embodiments, the carding projections may contact the preceding rollers above the inter-roller air channel to facilitate removal of debris into the flow path. The surface cleaning head may also include a front bumper extending forward of the front roller to protect the front of the front roller and facilitate front edge cleaning.

While some specific embodiments of a surface cleaning head having a preceding roller are shown, other embodiments of a cleaning apparatus having a comb unit are within the scope of the present disclosure. Cleaning devices with comb units can be used with different types of vacuum cleaners including, but not limited to, "all in head" vacuum cleaners, upright vacuum cleaners, canister vacuum cleaners, stick vacuum cleaners, robotic vacuum cleaners, and central vacuum systems, and can be used with sweepers (e.g., low suction or no suction). The surface cleaning head with the front roller may also include a removable agitator (e.g., a brushroll) in an openable agitator chamber, such as the type described in more detail in U.S. patent No. 9,456,723 and U.S. patent application publication No. 2016/0220082, which are commonly owned and incorporated by reference in their entirety. The preceding roller may be similarly detachable.

As used herein, a "surface cleaning head" refers to a device configured to contact a surface to clean the surface by utilizing a suction air stream, agitation, or a combination thereof. The surface cleaning head may be pivotally or rotatably connected to the wand by a rotary connection to control the surface cleaning head and may include motorized attachments as well as stationary surface cleaning heads. The surface cleaning head may also be operated without a wand or handle. As used herein, "sealing" or "closed" refers to preventing a substantial amount of air from passing through the aspiration tubing without the need for an airtight seal. As used herein, "agitator" refers to any element, component, or structure capable of agitating a surface to facilitate movement of debris into the suction air stream in a surface cleaning head. As used herein, "soft" and "softer" refer to features of a cleaning element that are more compliant or pliable than another cleaning element. As used herein, the term "flow path" refers to the path through which air flows into a suction duct when drawn by suction. As used herein, the terms "above" and "below" are used in relation to the orientation of the surface cleaning head on the surface to be cleaned, and the terms "front" and "rear" are used in relation to the direction in which the user pushes the surface cleaning head over the surface being cleaned (i.e., from rear to front). As used herein, the term "forward" refers to a position that is in front of at least one other component, but does not necessarily mean in front of all other components.

Referring to fig. 1-9, one embodiment of a surface cleaning head 100 having dual agitators and a comb unit is shown and described. The surface cleaning head 100 includes a housing 110 having front 112 and rear 114 sides, left 116a and right 116b sides, an upper side 118, and a lower or bottom side 120. The housing 110 defines a suction duct 128 (shown in fig. 2 and 3) having an opening 127 on the bottom side 120 of the housing. The suction duct 128 is in fluid communication with a dirty air inlet 129 leading to a suction motor (not shown) at another location in the surface cleaning head 100 or in vacuum. The suction duct 128 is an inner space defined by an inner wall of the housing 110, which receives and guides air sucked through suction, and the suction duct 128 merges with the bottom side 120 of the housing 110 at the opening 127.

The surface cleaning head 100 includes dual

rotary agitators

122, 124, e.g., a brushroll 122 and a front roller 124. The brushroll 122 and the preceding roller 124 may be configured to rotate about first and second rotational axes (RA 1, RA 2). The rotating brushroll 122 is at least partially disposed within a suction duct 128 (shown in fig. 2 and 3). The forward roller 124 is positioned forward of the brushroll 122 and spaced from the brushroll 122 and at least substantially outside of the suction duct 128. In some embodiments, at least an upper inboard portion (e.g., upper half) of the front roller 124 is not exposed to the primary air flow path (e.g., arrow 40) into the opening 127 of the suction duct 128, while at least an inboard portion of the bottom of the front roller 124 is exposed to the primary flow path into the opening 127 of the suction duct 128.

Other variations are possible in which different portions of the front roller 124 may or may not be exposed to the flow path into the suction duct 128. In other embodiments, for example, the flow path may allow air to flow through the upper portion of the preceding roller 124. The leading roller 124 may rotate about a second axis of rotation RA2 located within a leading roller chamber 126. When the front roller 124 rotates in the front roller chamber 126 to form a flow path, for example, at an upper portion, the size and shape of the front roller chamber 126 may be slightly larger than the size and shape of the cylindrical protrusion of the front roller 124.

The surface cleaning head 100 may include one or more wheels 130 for supporting the housing on the surface 10 to be cleaned. The brushroll 122 may be provided in front of one or more wheels 130, 132 (see fig. 1 and 9) for supporting the housing 110 on the surface 10 to be cleaned. For example, one or more larger wheels 130 may be disposed along the rear side 114 and/or one or more smaller intermediate wheels 132 may be disposed at an intermediate section on the bottom side 116 of the housing 110 and/or along the left and

right sides

116a, 116 b. Other wheel configurations may also be employed. The

wheels

130, 132 facilitate movement of the surface cleaning head 100 along the surface 10 to be cleaned and may also enable a user to easily tilt or pivot the surface cleaning head 100 (e.g., the brushroll 122 and/or the front roller 124) relative to the surface 10 to be cleaned. The one or more rear wheels 130 and the one or more intermediate wheels 132 may provide substantial contact with the surface being cleaned and thus substantially support the surface cleaning head 100. The front roller 124 may also be placed on the surface 10 being cleaned when the surface cleaning head 100 is positioned on the surface 10 being cleaned. In other embodiments, the preceding roller 124 may be positioned such that the preceding roller 124 is positioned just above the surface being cleaned.

The rotating brushroll 122 may have bristles, fabric or other cleaning elements or any combination thereof around the outside of the brushroll 122. Examples of brushrolls and other agitators are shown and described in more detail in U.S. patent No. 9,456,723 and U.S. patent application publication No. 2016/0220082, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

As will be described in greater detail below, the forward roller 124 may include a relatively soft material (e.g., soft bristles, fabric, felt, nap, or pile) arranged in a pattern (e.g., a spiral pattern) to facilitate capturing debris. The front roller 124 may be selected to be substantially softer than the brushroll 122. The softness, length, diameter, placement, and resiliency of the bristles and/or tufts of the front roller 124 can be selected to seal against hard surfaces (e.g., without limitation, hard wood floors, tile floors, laminate floors, etc.), while the bristles of the brush roller 122 can be selected to agitate the carpet fibers, etc. For example, the preceding roller 124 may be at least 25% softer than the brushroll 122, or the preceding roller 124 may be at least 30% softer than the brushroll 122, or the preceding roller 124 may be at least 35% softer than the brushroll 122, or the preceding roller 124 may be at least 40% softer than the brushroll 122, or the preceding roller 124 may be at least 50% softer than the brushroll 122, or the preceding roller 124 may be at least 60% softer than the brushroll 122. Softness may be determined, for example, based on the flexibility of the bristles or tufts used.

The size and shape of the bristles and/or tufts may be selected based on the intended application. For example, the preceding roller 124 may include bristles and/or tufts that are between 5 and 15mm (e.g., 7 and 12 mm) in length and may have a diameter of 0.01 to 0.04mm (e.g., 0.01 to 0.03 mm). According to one embodiment, the bristles and/or tufts may have a length of 9mm and a diameter of 0.02 mm. The bristles and/or tufts may have any shape. For example, the bristles and/or tufts may be linear, arcuate, and/or may have a compound shape. According to one embodiment, the bristles and/or tufts may have a generally U-shape and/or Y-shape. The U-shaped and/or Y-shaped bristles and/or tufts may increase the number of points of contact with the floor surface 10, thereby enhancing the sweeping function of the front roller 124. The bristles and/or tufts may be made of any material such as, but not limited to, nylon 6 or nylon 6/6.

Optionally, the bristles and/or tufts of the preceding roller 124 may be heat treated, for example, using a post-weaving heat treatment. The heat treatment may extend the useful life of the bristles and/or tufts of the preceding roller 124. For example, after braiding the fibers and cutting the fluff into rolls, the fluff may be rolled and then passed through a steam-rich autoclave to render the fibers/bristles into more elastic fibers.

The outer diameter Dlr of the leading roller 124 can be less than the outer diameter Dbr of the brushroll 122. For example, the diameter Dlr can be greater than zero and less than or equal to 0.8Dbr, greater than zero and less than or equal to 0.7Dbr, or greater than zero and less than or equal to 0.6Dbr. According to some exemplary embodiments, the diameter Dlr may be in the range of 0.3Dbr to 0.8Dbr, in the range of 0.4Dbr to 0.8Dbr, in the range of 0.3Dbr to 0.7Dbr, or in the range of 0.4Dbr to 0.7 Dbr. As an illustrative example, the brushroll 122 may have an outer diameter of 48mm, while the front roller 124 may have an outer diameter of 30 mm. Although the outer diameter Dlr of the preceding roller 124 can be less than the outer diameter Dbr of the brushroll 122, the bristles of the brushroll 122 can be longer than the bristles and/or pile of the preceding roller 122.

Positioning the leading roller 124 (which has a diameter Dlr that is less than the diameter Dbr of the brushroll 122) in front of the brushroll 122 provides a number of benefits. For example, such an arrangement reduces the height of the front side 112 (e.g., housing 110) of the surface cleaning head 100 from the surface 10 to be cleaned. The reduced height of the front portion of the surface cleaning head 100 provides a lower configuration that allows the surface cleaning head 100 to fit under an object (e.g., furniture and/or a cabinet). Furthermore, the lower height allows for the addition of one or more light sources 111 (such as, but not limited to, LEDs) while still allowing the surface cleaning head 100 to fit under an object.

In addition, the smaller diameter Dlr of the leading roller 124 places the rotational axis of the leading roller 124 closer to the front side 112 of the surface cleaning head 100. The front roller 124 forms a generally cylindrical protrusion when rotated, with a radius based on the overall diameter of the front roller 124. As the diameter of the front roller 124 decreases, the bottom contact surface 140 (FIG. 3) of the front roller 124 moves forward toward the front side 112 of the surface cleaning head 100. Additionally, when the surface cleaning head 100 contacts the vertical surface 12 (such as, but not limited to, a wall, a decoration, and/or a cabinet), the bottom contact surface 140 of the front roller 124 is also closer to the vertical surface 12, thereby enhancing front edge cleaning of the surface cleaning head 100 as compared to a larger diameter front roller. In addition, the smaller diameter Dlr of the preceding roller 124 also reduces the load/drag of the motor driving the preceding roller 124, thereby extending the service life of the motor and/or allowing the use of a smaller motor to rotate both the brushroll 122 and the preceding roller 124.

The rotating brushroll 122 may be coupled to an electric motor (AC or DC) to rotate the rotating brushroll 122 about a first axis of rotation. The rotating brushroll may be coupled to an electric motor by gears and/or drive belts. The preceding roller 124 may be driven by the same driving mechanism used to drive the rotating brushroll 122 or a separate driving mechanism. An example of a drive mechanism is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/331,045, filed 10/21/2016, which is incorporated herein by reference. Other drive mechanisms are possible and are within the scope of this disclosure.

In at least one embodiment, the brushroll 122 and the preceding roller 124 rotate in the same direction that directs debris toward the suction duct 128, such as in a counter-clockwise direction as shown in FIG. 3. Such an arrangement may reduce the number of components (e.g., may not require a clutch or additional gear train), thereby making the surface cleaning head 100 lighter, reducing drive train losses (thereby allowing for a smaller/cheaper motor), and lower production costs. Alternatively, the brushroll 122 and the forward roller 124 may rotate at the same speed, thereby reducing the number of components (e.g., no additional gear trains are required) and reducing drive train losses (thus, smaller/cheaper motors) and making the surface cleaning head 100 lighter and less expensive to manufacture.

As shown in fig. 3, the front roller 124 may be positioned within the housing 110 such that the bottom contact surface 140 is disposed closer to the surface 10 to be cleaned than the bottom contact surface 144 of the brushroll 122. This arrangement allows the front roller 124 to contact the surface 10 (e.g., a hard surface) without the brushroll 122 contacting the hard surface 10. It will be appreciated that the front roller 124 is used to pick up debris from the hard surface 10, while the brushroll 122 is used to substantially contact the carpet surface. Thus, this arrangement is advantageous because it allows the front roller 124 to form a seal between the front side 112 of the surface cleaning head 100 and the hard surface 10, thereby enhancing airflow and suction against the hard surface 10. In addition, this arrangement reduces the drag/torque of the drive motor because the brushroll 122 (in some embodiments) does not have to contact the hard surface 10. The reduced drag/torque may allow for a smaller, cheaper motor and/or may extend the useful life of the motor.

According to some embodiments, as shown in fig. 3, the preceding roller 124 is spaced from the brushroll 122 by a distance L1 (which is greater than 0 mm) such that the preceding roller 124 does not contact the brushroll 122. The distance L1 allows an inter-roller vacuum channel 146 between the lower portion of the brushroll 122 and the lower portion of the front roller 124 that provides at least a portion of the flow path into the opening 127 of the suction duct 128. The inter-roller vacuum channels 146 allow debris to be picked up by the preceding roller 124 (and/or removed from the preceding roller 124) to be entrained in the vacuum flow generated by the surface cleaning head 100 and/or picked up by the brushroll 122, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency of the surface cleaning head 100. Further, the distance L1 reduces the load/drag of the motor, thereby extending the service life of the motor and/or allowing a smaller motor to be used to rotate both the brushroll 122 and the preceding roller 124.

One or both of the front roller 124 and the brushroll 122 may be removable. The front roller 124 may be detachably coupled to the housing 110 of the surface cleaning head 100. For example, a portion of the housing 110 (e.g., without limitation, a portion of the left and/or

right sides

116a, 116 b) may be detachably/hingedly coupled to the front roller 124. To disassemble the front roller 124, the detachable portion may be uncoupled from the rest of the housing 110, thereby disengaging the front roller 124 from the drive wheel and disassembling the front roller 124 from the front roller chamber 126. Other ways of detachably coupling the front roller 124 within the housing 110 are also possible and within the scope of the present disclosure.

In some embodiments, the housing 110 of the surface cleaning head 100 may include a removable and/or hinged panel that allows the brushroll 122 to be removed. As shown in fig. 1 and 8, for example, the surface cleaning head 100 includes a faceplate 119 that is removably and/or hingedly coupled to the housing 110. To disassemble the brushroll 122, the faceplate 119 may be disengaged (e.g., disassembled) from the housing 110 to allow a user to access the brushroll chamber 121. Examples of removable panels or covers and removable brushrolls are described in more detail in U.S. patent No. 9,456,723 and U.S. patent application publication No. 2016/0220082, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Alternatively or additionally, the preceding roller 124 may be removable in the same manner. Another example of a removable prior roller is described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/331,045, filed on Ser. No. 10/21 of 2016, which is incorporated herein by reference.

The ability to detach the brushroll 122 and/or the forward roller 124 from the surface cleaning head 100 allows the brushroll 122 and/or the forward roller 124 to be cleaned more easily, and may allow a user to change the size of the brushroll 122 and/or the forward roller 124, change the type of bristles on the brushroll 122 and/or the forward roller 124, and/or detach the brushroll 122 and/or the forward roller 124 entirely depending on the intended application.

In some embodiments, as shown in more detail in fig. 4-7, the surface cleaning head 100 may also include a series of combing protrusions 150 (also referred to as cleaning protrusions) in contact with the preceding roller 124. The comb protrusions 150 may be configured to remove debris (e.g., without limitation, hair, threads, etc.) that may become entangled and/or trapped/entrained in/on the front roller 124 when the surface cleaning head 100 is in use (e.g., a user does not have to manually remove debris from the front roller 124). According to one embodiment, the comb protrusions 150 may contact only the front roller 124 (e.g., the comb protrusions 150 may not contact the brushroll 122). Some benefits of comb projection 150 contacting only the preceding roller 124 include extending the useful life of the preceding roller 124. In addition, the comb protrusions 150 contacting only the front roller 124 may reduce the load/drag of the motor, thereby allowing for a smaller/cheaper motor to be used and making the surface cleaning head 100 lighter and less expensive to manufacture.

In this embodiment, the carding protrusion 150 may include a plurality of spaced apart ribs 152 having angled edges 153 that extend into contact with the surface of the preceding roller 124. Spaced apart ribs 152 extend from the rear support 151 with a base 154 between the ribs 152 to strengthen the spaced apart ribs 152. The rear support 151 may be mounted within the front roller chamber 126. The angled edges 153 of the spaced apart ribs 152 may be arranged at an angle a (see fig. 4 and 6) of 15 to 20 degrees, such as 20 to 25 degrees, such as 23.5 degrees. This exemplary configuration of carding projections 150 may allow for increased strength and reduced frictional losses, as fewer points may contact the preceding roller 124. Other shapes and configurations of the carding projections are within the scope of this disclosure.

As shown in fig. 4 and 5, the carding protrusion 150 may be disposed at a height H above the bottom contact surface 140 of the front roller 124 and on the side of the front roller 124 or a lower half thereof. The placement of the comb protrusions 150 may help prevent the comb protrusions 150 from contacting the carpet, thereby reducing drag on the surface cleaning head 100 and reducing the likelihood that the comb protrusions 150 damage the carpet. This arrangement also allows the carding projections 150 to be exposed to the inter-roller vacuum channels 146, enhancing the removal of debris from the preceding rollers 124 by the carding projections 150. The carding protrusions 150 may also substantially prevent air from flowing through the carding protrusions 150 to the inside upper portion (e.g., upper half) of the front roller 124. In other embodiments, a space may be formed between the outer surface of front roller 124 and rear support 151 such that air flows down over carding projections 150 to force debris into the air stream through inter-roller vacuum channels 146.

As shown in FIG. 7, one embodiment of the surface cleaning head 100 optionally includes an electrostatic discharge Element (ESD) 156.ESD 156 may reduce and/or prevent the build-up of electrostatic charge on surface cleaning head 100. ESD156 may include any known device for discharging static charge. According to one embodiment, ESD156 may comprise Barnet fibers woven between openings in the rear of front roll chamber 126. The Barnet fibers may be disposed immediately adjacent to the carding projections 150 and/or the preceding rollers 124 to discharge. For example, ESD156 may be connected to a Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCBA) that dumps charge to a neutral AC line.

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 1, 3, 5, and 8, the housing 110 may further include a bumper 160 that forms a top of the front side 112 of the housing 110. The bumper 160 may reduce potential damage to the surface cleaning head 100 and/or other objects in the environment. At the front of the front roller 124 is exposed at the front side 112 of the housing 110, and a buffer 160 may extend around at least the top of the front roller 124. In this exemplary embodiment, the bumper 160 includes a lateral portion 162 extending laterally along the front side 112 of the housing 110 and

side portions

164, 168 extending downwardly along the left and right sides of the front side 112 of the housing 110. The

sides

164, 168 may extend to a point at or below the second rotational axis RA2 of the preceding roller 124 or the second rotational axis RA2 of the preceding roller 124.

The buffer 160 may optionally define one or more front

edge vacuum channels

168, 169 that provide at least a portion of an air flow path. As shown in fig. 4, the bumper 160 may thus generally form a seal with the vertical surface 12 (e.g., wall, etc.) to improve front edge cleaning. The front

edge vacuum channels

168, 169 may provide increased air velocity to the air drawn into the surface cleaning head 100, thereby enhancing front edge cleaning. The cushioning portion 160 may also include one or more lateral air channels disposed in the lateral portion 162, which also increases the airflow along the front side 112.

The cushioning portion 160 may also include one or more compression elements 161, 163 (e.g., ribs) disposed on the lateral edges/sections 162. The

compression elements

161, 163 provide the cushioning 160 with increased resilience and cushioning. When the cushioning portion 160 pushes against the vertical surface 12 (fig. 4), the

compression elements

161, 163 first contact the surface 12 and locally push back the cushioning portion 160 farther than the rest of the cushioning portion 160, thereby forming a gap on both sides of the

compression elements

161, 163. The gaps on both sides of the

compression elements

161, 163 form an air path such that air is sucked downwards in front of the front roller 124, which may disturb the dust and debris so that it can be guided into the air flow path towards the suction duct.

The cushioning portion 160 may be integrally formed with the housing 110 or may be formed as a separate component that is secured within a groove and/or recess 165 formed between two or more components (e.g., the upper and

lower portions

110a, 110 b) of the housing 110, as shown in fig. 3. The groove and/or recess 165 may facilitate assembly of the housing 110 and the buffer 160 (e.g., between the headlight portion 110a and the main portion 110b of the housing 110).

In some embodiments, as shown in fig. 1 and 9, the surface cleaning head 100 may further include one or more

floor sealing strips

170, 172 and side edge vacuum channels 174 on the bottom side of the housing 110. The

floor seal

170, 172 may include one or more sections extending outwardly from the housing 110 that are long enough to at least partially contact the surface 10 to be cleaned. One or more of the floor sealing strips 170, 172 may include soft bristles, a fabric material, a rubber material, or other material capable of contacting the surface being cleaned to substantially prevent air from flowing from the rear side into the opening 127 of the suction duct 128. The sealing strips 170, 172 may also include a combination of elements or materials, such as bristles with rubber strips that extend along the strip between the bristles (e.g., the bristles are longer than the rubber strips).

In this exemplary embodiment, the transverse floor seal 170 extends along a rear transverse portion (e.g., behind the opening 127 of the suction duct 128), and the lateral seal 172 extends partially along the left and

right sides

116a, 116 b. The lateral sealing strip 172 extends, for example, along a majority of the opening 127 of the suction duct 128 and is spaced from the preceding roller 124 to define one or more side edge vacuum channels 174, the side edge vacuum channels 174 extending rearwardly toward the opening 127 of the suction duct 128. Because the front roller 124 itself forms a seal with the surface 10 being cleaned, no additional sealing strip along the front side 112 is required. Although

separate strips

170, 172 are shown, one continuous sealing strip may be used. The floor sealing strips 170, 172 may enhance the seal between the surface cleaning head 100 and the floor 10, thereby improving vacuum efficiency.

The side edge vacuum channels 174 may enhance the side edge cleaning efficiency of the surface cleaning head 100. The side edge vacuum channels 174 draw air from the front side 112 and the corners/

sides

116a, 116b toward the suction duct 128, thereby enhancing edge cleaning as well as front side cleaning. At least one side edge vacuum channel 474 may also direct air into an inter-roller air channel 146 between the front roller 124 and the brushroll 122 to facilitate removal of debris from the front roller 124. In this way, the side edge vacuum channel 174 and the inter-roller air channel 146 together provide at least a portion of the primary air flow path (e.g., as indicated by arrow 40) into the suction duct 128.

The side edge vacuum channels 174 may be disposed at an angle of about 45 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the housing 110. In other embodiments, the angle of the side edge vacuum channels 174 may be between 30 and 60 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the housing 110. Although the side edge channels are shown as angled straight channels, other shapes and configurations (e.g., S-shaped or curved) are possible and are within the scope of the present disclosure.

Referring to fig. 10-14D, a comb unit 1050 for cleaning a cleaning roller 1024 in a cleaning apparatus is described in more detail. Cleaning roller 1024 may be rotatably mounted in a housing such as the surface cleaning head housing described above with comb unit 1050 engaging cleaning roller 1024. Carding unit 1050 includes a series of spaced apart carding protrusions or teeth 1052 extending from rear support 1051 and partially into cleaning roller 1024. While the illustrated embodiment shows the comb unit 1050 having teeth 1052 extending from a single rear support 1051, the comb unit 1050 may also include teeth extending from multiple rear supports.

Carding unit 1050 may extend along a majority (i.e., more than half) of the length of cleaning roller 1024 such that carding teeth 1052 remove debris from a majority of the cleaning surface of cleaning roller 1024. In one embodiment, comb teeth 1052 may engage the cleaning surface of cleaning roller 1024, for example, along more than 90% of the length of the cleaning surface of cleaning roller 1024. Comb unit 1050 works particularly well with cleaning rollers, which are designed to remove hair and other similar debris from the center of roller 1024.

Carding teeth 1052 have angled leading edges 1053 that are not aligned with the center of rotation 1023 of cleaning roller 1024. The angled leading edge 1053 is the edge that the incoming portion of the rotating cleaning roller 1024 first encounters and is directed toward or into the direction of rotation of the cleaning roller 1020 (i.e., into arrow 1002). More specifically, the leading edge 1053 of comb tooth 1052 forms an acute angle α with respect to line 1004 extending from intersection point 1025 to center of rotation 1023, wherein leading edge 1053 intersects the outer surface of cleaning roller 1024 at intersection point 1025. In some embodiments, the angle α is in the range of 5 ° to 50 °, and more specifically in the range of 20 ° to 30 °, and even more specifically in the range of about 24 ° to 25 °.

In some embodiments, comb teeth 1052 are positioned as close as possible to bottom contact point 1040 of cleaning roller 1024, but high enough to prevent catching on a surface being cleaned (e.g., carpet). The comb teeth 1052 may for example be positioned directly above the lowermost structure on the housing of the cleaning device. Carding teeth 1052 are positioned closer to bottom contact point 1040 of cleaning roller 1024 so that debris is caught and removed as quickly as possible, thereby improving debris removal.

In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 15A, carding unit 1050 may have other orientations and positions relative to cleaning roller 1024 (e.g., above rotational center 1023). In robotic vacuum cleaners, for example, comb unit 1050 may be positioned higher to prevent comb teeth 1052 from interfering with debris being deposited into dustbin 1060.

Comb teeth 1052 may extend to a depth in cleaning roller 1024 in the range of 0% to 50% of the cleaning roller radius of the soft roller and 0% to 30% of the cleaning roller radius of the tufted brush roller. In one embodiment, cleaning roller 1024 is a soft roller (e.g., nylon bristles having a diameter less than or equal to 0.15mm and a length greater than 3 mm), and comb teeth 1052 extend into soft cleaning roller 1024 in a range of 15% to 35%. Comb protrusions 1052 may be positioned to provide a root gap or spacing between rear support 1051 and the outer surface of cleaning roller 1024 such that air may flow between cleaning roller 1024 and rear support 1051 and through the roots of comb teeth 1052. The air flow through the root of comb teeth 1052 can help dislodge debris that has been removed from cleaning roller 1024 and direct the debris into the air flow path of the suction duct toward the cleaning device. The width RG of the root gap may be in the range of 1 to 3mm, more particularly in the range of 2 to 3 mm. The root gap RG may extend over the entire length of the comb unit 1050, or the root gap RG may be formed only in one or more sections along the length of the comb unit 1050 to form air channels only at those sections. In other embodiments, the rear support 1051 of the comb unit 1050 may contact the outer surface of the cleaning roller 1024 to provide a seal and force air to flow under the cleaning roller 1024.

In the illustrated embodiment (FIGS. 11 and 14D), comb teeth 1052 have a triangular "tooth" configuration in which a wider base or heel 1054 has a heel width W _r Tip 1056 has a diameter D _r . In general, the base or root 1054 may be wide enough to prevent teeth1052 flex upward when contacted by the rotating cleaning roller 1024 and the tip 1056 may be sharp enough to catch debris. In some embodiments, the tip 1056 may be rounded to have a diameter in the range of less than 3mm, and more specifically in the range of 1 to 2mm, even more specifically about 1.6mm. Root width W _r May be in the range of 5 to 6mm.

In another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 15B, comb tooth 1052 'has a curved configuration wherein curved leading edge 1053' forms a concave curve. In this embodiment, the line 1006 extending from the curved leading edge 1053' at the tip 1056 forms an angle α with the line 1004 extending from the intersection 1025 to the center of rotation 1023. Carding teeth 1052' having curved edges may be positioned and similarly spaced apart from teeth 1052 having straight leading edges 1053 as described and illustrated herein.

In some embodiments, comb unit 1050 includes comb teeth 1052 that are spaced 4 to 16 teeth per inch, more specifically 7 to 9 teeth per inch. Carding teeth 1052 may be made of plastic or metal and may have a thickness that provides the desired stiffness to prevent buckling when engaged with rotating cleaning roller 1024. In some embodiments, comb teeth 1052 may have a thickness of 0.5 to 2mm, depending on the material. In one example, comb teeth 1052 are made of plastic and have a thickness of 0.8mm, a spacing S of about 2.4mm, and a center-to-center spacing S of about 3.3mm _c 。

Although comb unit 1050 is shown as having equally spaced comb teeth 1052, comb unit 1050 may also include sets of teeth 1052 having different spacing, such as equidistant teeth. Comb unit 1050 may include a section without teeth at the center of cleaning roller 1024 and a set of comb teeth 1052 proximate the ends of cleaning roller 1024 where hair and similar debris migrate during rotation. Although comb unit 1050 is shown as having teeth 1052 of the same shape or tooth configuration and size, comb unit 1050 may include teeth of different shapes, configuration sizes, and configurations at different locations along comb unit 1050.

Fig. 16 and 17 illustrate examples of two different types of

vacuum cleaners

1600, 1700 that may include surface cleaning heads 1602, 1702 with dual agitators that include

front rollers

1624, 1724 and a comb unit (not shown), consistent with embodiments described herein. A surface cleaning head 1602 with a front roller 1624 may be used on an upright vacuum cleaner 1600 in which a removable canister 1601 is coupled to a wand 1604, such as the type described in commonly owned U.S. patent application publication 2015/0351596, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. The surface cleaning head 1702 with the front roller 1724 may be used on a stick vac 1700 in which a detachable hand vacuum 1701 is coupled to one end of a stick 1704, such as the type described in commonly owned U.S. patent application publication 2015/0135574, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

Fig. 18 shows a robotic vacuum cleaner 1800, the robotic vacuum cleaner 1800 comprising a housing 1810 and a cleaning roller 1824 having a comb unit (not shown) as disclosed herein. The robotic vacuum cleaner 1800 may also include one or more wheels 1830 for moving around the surface to be cleaned. Examples of comb units for use in robotic vacuum cleaners are disclosed in more detail in U.S. provisional application No. 62/469,853, filed on 3/10 2017, which is incorporated herein by reference.

While the principles of the invention have been described herein, it is to be understood by those skilled in the art that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation on the scope of the invention. In addition to the exemplary embodiments shown and described herein, other embodiments are contemplated as falling within the scope of the present invention. Modifications and substitutions by one of ordinary skill in the art are considered to be within the scope of the present invention, which is defined solely by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A cleaning apparatus comprising:

a front roller mounted to the housing in front of the brushroll and spaced apart from the brushroll such that the front roller is not in contact with the brushroll and defines an inter-roller air passage between the front roller and the brushroll, the inter-roller air passage forming at least a portion of a flow path into an opening of the suction duct in a region between a lower portion of the brushroll and a lower portion of the front roller, wherein a front portion of the front roller is at least partially exposed to a front side of the housing and an inner side of at least a lower portion of the front roller is exposed to the flow path through the inter-roller air passage to the suction duct, and wherein an inner side of at least an upper portion of the front roller is substantially outside of the flow path to the suction duct;

one or more drive mechanisms connected to the brushroll and the preceding roller and configured to rotate the brushroll and the preceding roller in the same direction; and

A carding unit in contact with the preceding roller, the carding unit comprising a series of spaced apart carding projections extending partially into and in contact with an outer surface of a lower portion of the preceding roller between the preceding roller and the brush roller to remove debris from the preceding roller, wherein the carding projections are exposed to the inter-roller air channel such that the removed debris falls into the inter-roller air channel and into a flow path leading to an opening of the suction duct.

2. A robotic vacuum cleaner comprising:

the cleaning apparatus of claim 1.

3. A sweeper, comprising:

the cleaning apparatus of claim 1; and

a wand coupled at one end to the cleaning apparatus.

4. A wand vacuum cleaner comprising:

the cleaning apparatus of claim 1;

a wand coupled at one end to the cleaning apparatus; and

a hand-held vacuum cleaner detachably coupled to opposite ends of the wand.

5. An upright canister vacuum cleaner comprising:

the cleaning apparatus of claim 1;

a wand coupled at one end to the cleaning apparatus; and

A removable canister coupled to the wand.

6. The cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein the carding protrusion extends from a rear support configured to contact an outer surface of the preceding roller to substantially prevent air from flowing to an inner side of an upper portion of the preceding roller such that the inner side of the upper portion of the preceding roller is substantially outside of the flow path to the suction duct.

7. A cleaning device according to claim 1, wherein the carding projections engage with the outer surface of the preceding roller such that a root gap is formed between the rear support and the outer surface of the preceding roller, the root gap being in the range 1 to 3 mm.

8. The cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein the preceding roller comprises at least one of bristles, fabric, felt, nap, or pile.

9. The cleaning apparatus of claim 8, wherein the brushroll comprises a plurality of bristles, wherein bristles, fabric, felt, nap, or pile of the preceding roller are softer than the plurality of bristles of the brushroll.

10. The cleaning apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein the intersection of the leading edges of the series of spaced apart carding projections with the outer surface of the preceding roller is located below the center of rotation of the preceding roller.

11. A robotic vacuum cleaner comprising:

a front roller mounted to the housing in front of the brushroll and spaced apart from the brushroll by a distance L1 such that the front roller is not in contact with the brushroll and defines an inter-roller air passage between the front roller and the brushroll, the inter-roller air passage forming at least a portion of a flow path into an opening of the suction duct in a region between a lower portion of the brushroll and a lower portion of the front roller, wherein an inner side of at least the lower portion of the front roller is exposed to the flow path flowing through the inter-roller air passage to the suction duct;

A cleaning protrusion disposed at least partially within a distance L1 between the preceding roller and the brushroll, the cleaning protrusion configured to engage an outer surface of a lower portion of the preceding roller to remove debris from the preceding roller and drop the debris into a roller-to-air passage and a flow path to an opening of the suction duct, the cleaning protrusion being exposed to the roller-to-air passage and configured to allow air to flow downwardly through the cleaning protrusion to force the debris into an air flow passing through the roller-to-roller vacuum passage.

12. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 11, wherein the cleaning projection extends from the rear support.

13. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 12, wherein the cleaning projection engages with an outer surface of the preceding roller such that a root gap is formed between the rear support and the outer surface of the preceding roller, the root gap being in the range of 1 to 3 mm.

14. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 11, wherein the preceding roller comprises at least one of bristles, fabric, felt, nap, or pile.

15. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 14, wherein the brushroll comprises a plurality of bristles, wherein the bristles, fabric, felt, nap, or pile of the preceding roller are softer than the plurality of bristles of the brushroll.

16. The robotic vacuum cleaner of claim 11, wherein an intersection of a leading edge of the comb projection and an outer surface of the preceding roller is located below a center of rotation of the preceding roller.

17. A vacuum cleaner, the vacuum cleaner comprising:

a front roller mounted to the housing in front of the brushroll and spaced apart from the brushroll such that the front roller is not in contact with the brushroll and defines an inter-roller air passage between the front roller and the brushroll, the inter-roller air passage forming at least a portion of a flow path into an opening of the suction duct in a region between a lower portion of the brushroll and a lower portion of the front roller, wherein an inner side of at least the lower portion of the front roller is exposed to the flow path flowing through the inter-roller air passage to the suction duct;

a carding unit comprising a rear support and a series of spaced apart carding projections disposed between the front roller and the brush roller, the carding projections extending partially from the rear support and angled downwardly to contact a lower portion of the outer surface of the front roller to remove debris from the front roller and cause the debris to fall into the inter-roller air passage and into the open flow path of the suction duct, wherein a space is provided between the rear support and the outer surface of the front roller such that air flowing downwardly through the carding projections forces debris into the air flow passing through the inter-roller vacuum passage.

18. The vacuum cleaner of claim 17 wherein the carding projections engage with the outer surface of the preceding roller such that a root gap is formed between the rear support and the outer surface of the preceding roller, the root gap being in the range of 1 to 3 mm.

19. The vacuum cleaner of claim 17, wherein the preceding roller comprises at least one of bristles, fabric, felt, nap, or pile.

20. The vacuum cleaner of claim 19, wherein the brush roller includes a plurality of bristles, wherein the bristles, fabric, felt, nap, or pile of the preceding roller are softer than the plurality of bristles of the brush roller.

21. The vacuum cleaner of claim 17 wherein an intersection of a leading edge of the comb projection and an outer surface of the preceding roller is located below a center of rotation of the preceding roller.

22. The vacuum cleaner of claim 17, further comprising a drive mechanism configured to rotate the brushroll and the preceding roller in the same direction that directs debris toward the suction duct.