CN116801779A - Activating air flow at the location of the cleaning zone of the agitator of the suction head - Google Patents

Abstract

An agitator (20) is configured to be rotatably arranged in a suction head (1) of a vacuum cleaner and comprises a flexible cleaning element (22) arranged on a core element (21) for contacting a surface (2) to be cleaned. The cleaning elements (22) are arranged in a cleaning zone (23) along the length of the agitator (20), wherein the cleaning zone (23) is interrupted by at least one air channel (26) configured to enable an air flow between inner edges (23 a, 23 b) of the cleaning zone (23) defining the at least one air channel (26). Outside the at least one air channel (26), the cleaning elements (22) are arranged at a close distance relative to each other, whereby the air flow between the cleaning elements (22) is disabled or at most enabled to a significantly smaller extent than at the location of the at least one air channel (26).

Description

Activating air flow at the location of the cleaning zone of the agitator of the suction head

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an agitator configured for use in a suction head configured for application in a vacuum cleaner and for performing a cleaning action on a surface when the suction head is in an operational cleaning position relative to the surface, wherein the agitator is configured for rotatable arrangement in the suction head and comprises a core element and a flexible cleaning element arranged on the core element, wherein an outer portion of each cleaning element is configured for movement over the surface during a portion of each rotation of the agitator when the agitator is arranged in the suction head and the suction head is in the operational cleaning position. And wherein the cleaning elements are disposed in the cleaning zone along the length of the agitator.

Furthermore, the invention relates to a suction head configured to be applied in a vacuum cleaner and to perform a cleaning action on a surface when the suction head is in an operational cleaning position relative to the surface, the suction head comprising: a housing, the housing comprising: a coupling region configured to enable the housing to be coupled to an air suction source of the vacuum cleaner; and the above-described agitator, wherein the agitator is disposed in the housing and the housing is configured to expose a portion of the agitator to the surface, and wherein the agitator is rotatable in the housing about an axis of rotation extending in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the core element.

In another aspect, the invention also relates to a vacuum cleaner comprising an air suction source and a suction head as described above. In yet another aspect, the present invention is directed to a vacuum cleaner comprising an air suction source and the agitator described above.

Background

In the field of suction heads configured for application in vacuum cleaners, it is known to take measures aimed at restricting the airflow to aggregates during operation. The fact is that by obstructing the air flow in certain areas, a higher air velocity can be obtained in the remaining unobstructed areas. This is advantageous in view of the fact that the air velocity is an important factor in the airborne and transport of the dirt particles to the dirt storage unit.

For example, a suction head is known in which the leading edge is designed to have a triangular saw-tooth like pattern. At the opening locations between the triangles, the air flow is activated during operation, while the rest of the suction head is closed, so that a high air velocity can be obtained at the opening locations. The triangular lead angle causes dirt particles to accumulate towards the opening, the triangle acting in this respect like a funnel. However, the air velocity in front of the triangle is low, resulting in poor cleaning of the front of the suction head. Particularly when the front part of the suction head is pushed against an object such as a bed, it is notable that not all dirt particles are removed.

Where the suction head includes an agitator that rotates during operation and supports the tufts of fibrous cleaning elements, it is possible to have an open structure of the cleaning element pattern, in which case some flow restricting geometry is required in front of the suction head to avoid loss of air velocity. Alternatively, there may be a dense structure of cleaning element patterns, whereby the use of flow restriction geometries in front of the suction head may be avoided. In this case, the agitator is located directly in front of the suction head, resulting in a compact suction head and enabling the agitator to be pushed against the object. A disadvantage of this possibility is the lack of air flow in front of the suction head, so that when the suction head is pushed against an object, dirt particles will stay in a position in front of the suction head where the agitator cannot reach.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide a possibility to omit the flow restricting geometry in front of the suction head and to rely on a dense structure of the pattern of cleaning elements on the agitator of the suction head, while still enabling the suction head to remove dirt particles that may be present in front of the suction head.

In view of the foregoing, the present invention provides an agitator configured for use in a suction head configured for application in a vacuum cleaner and for performing a cleaning action on a surface when the suction head is in an operational cleaning position relative to the surface, wherein the agitator is configured for rotatable arrangement in the suction head and comprises a core element and a flexible cleaning element arranged on the core element, wherein an outer portion of each of the cleaning elements is configured for movement over the surface during a portion of each rotation of the agitator when the agitator is arranged in the suction head and the suction head is in the operational cleaning position, wherein the cleaning elements are arranged in a cleaning zone along the length of the agitator, wherein the cleaning zone is interrupted by at least one air channel, the at least one air channel being configured to enable an air flow between inner edges of the cleaning zone defining the at least one air channel, and wherein on an outer side of the at least one air channel the cleaning elements are arranged relative to each other, whereby the air flow between the cleaning elements is disabled or at most enabled to a significantly lesser extent than at the at least one air channel. In the context of the present invention, it may be practical if the cleaning zone spans a major part of the core element, optionally across or almost across the entire periphery of the core element, in a direction around the periphery of the core element. In general, the term "major portion" may be understood to mean at least 50% of the portion. Preferably, the cleaning zone spans at least 2/3 of the core element in a circumferential direction around the core element. Other options include a fraction of at least 70% or at least 80%.

Furthermore, the invention relates to a suction head configured to be applied in a vacuum cleaner and to perform a cleaning action on a surface when the suction head is in an operational cleaning position relative to the surface, the suction head comprising: a housing comprising a coupling region configured to enable the housing to be coupled to an air suction source of the vacuum cleaner, and an agitator as described above, wherein the agitator is arranged in the housing and the housing is configured to expose a portion of the agitator to the surface, wherein the agitator is rotatable in the housing about an axis of rotation extending in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the core element, wherein the agitator is configured to enable airflow through the agitator from a position on the surface upstream of the agitator in a direction towards the coupling region at a location of at least one air channel in a cleaning zone of the agitator when the suction head is in an operational cleaning position, and wherein the agitator is configured to disable or at most enable airflow to a significantly lesser extent than airflow at a position outside of at least one air channel when the suction head is in the operational cleaning position: the air flow passes through the agitator from a location on the surface upstream of the agitator in a direction toward the coupling region of the housing.

An alternative definition of a suction head according to the invention is as follows: a suction head configured for use in a vacuum cleaner and performing a cleaning action on a surface when the suction head is in an operative cleaning position relative to the surface, the suction head comprising: a housing comprising a coupling region configured to enable the housing to be connected to an air suction source of a vacuum cleaner, and an agitator comprising a core element and a flexible cleaning element arranged on the core element, wherein the agitator is arranged in the housing and the housing is configured to expose a portion of the agitator to a surface, wherein the agitator is rotatable in the housing about an axis of rotation extending in a direction of a longitudinal axis of the core element, wherein an outer portion of each of the cleaning elements is configured to move over the surface during a portion of each rotation of the agitator when the suction head is in an operational cleaning position, wherein the cleaning elements are arranged in the cleaning region along a length of the agitator, wherein the cleaning region is interrupted by at least one air channel configured to enable airflow through the agitator from a position on the surface upstream of the agitator in a direction towards the coupling region of the housing, and wherein the cleaning elements are arranged outside the at least one air channel to a substantially smaller extent than the at least one of the agitation region when the suction head is in an operational cleaning position, whereby the airflow is enabled from the position on the surface to a substantially smaller extent than the at least one of the agitation region.

The air flow mentioned in the context of the present invention may in particular be an air flow that can be caused under the influence of a suction power that is normally associated with the operation of a vacuum cleaner, i.e. an air flow that can normally be caused by an air suction source of a vacuum cleaner.

From the foregoing, it follows that, according to the invention, a cleaning zone in which cleaning elements of an agitator are arranged is interrupted by at least one air channel configured to enable an air flow between inner edges of the cleaning zone bounding the at least one air channel. Thus, when practicing the present invention, the benefits of having on the one hand a cleaning zone filled with cleaning elements and on the other hand an air flow through the agitator from a location on the surface upstream of the agitator (i.e. a location in front of the agitator) are realized. As already explained in the background section of the invention, having a cleaning zone filled with cleaning elements makes it possible to configure a suction head in which no flow restricting geometry like a zigzag is required. This means that in the case of the present invention, the front cleaning and accessibility of the agitator can be improved. Having the air flow pass through the agitator from a position on the surface upstream of the agitator constitutes a further contribution to good front cleaning. Furthermore, the application of the present invention does not involve any complex structural requirements. In fact, it is sufficient to achieve an appearance of an agitator in which the cleaning zone is interrupted such that there are one or more air channels in the cleaning zone, at the location of which a local air flow is generated and dirt particles are sucked up during operation of the suction head, i.e. when the agitator is rotated and the suction head is coupled to an air suction source in an active state. The suction head may be of compact design and may be small compared to conventional suction heads, which is advantageous for accessibility and flexibility of the suction head.

With respect to the at least one air channel, it should be noted that the at least one air channel does not have said cleaning elements or that the at least one air channel does comprise said cleaning elements but has a significantly lower packing density than the cleaning zone. Importantly, the presence of the air channels on the agitator makes possible a local air flow at defined locations in the cleaning zone that is significantly greater or (almost) even infinitely greater than the local air flow at locations outside at least one of the air channels in the cleaning zone (if the latter local air flow is present). Furthermore, the invention covers the possibility that at least one air channel comprises other elements than cleaning elements, for example (similar) elements having a shorter radial dimension. The advantage of this possibility is the aesthetics: the agitator need not have an appearance that includes interference with the exposed portion in this manner. The other elements may be filled at a packing density that is the same as or similar to the packing density of the cleaning elements.

In view of the intended rotational movement of the agitator, it is practical if the at least one air channel extends in a direction around the outer circumference of the core element, wherein it may be such that the at least one air channel spans the entire outer circumference of the core element. The orientation of the air channels on the agitator may be such that at least one air channel extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the core element. In this way, when the suction head is in the operational cleaning position, an unobstructed air flow between the agitator and the surface can be obtained.

With respect to the cleaning elements of the agitator, it should be noted that the cleaning elements may comprise fiber bristles, the linear mass density of the cleaning elements being below 300g/10km, preferably below 250g/10km. A practical example of the arrangement of the fibre bristles on the core element is that the fibre bristles are arranged in clusters. In this respect, it should be noted that the packing density of the cleaning elements in the cleaning zone outside the at least one air channel may be at least 30 clusters/1 cm x 1cm area, wherein the number of cleaning elements per cluster may be at least 500, i.e. at least 15,000 cleaning elements/1 cm x 1cm area, without changing the fact that other values are also applicable in the framework of the invention. A practical example of a material for the cleaning element is nylon.

The invention covers an embodiment of the agitator in which the agitator comprises at least one agitator element in addition to the cleaning element, in which the at least one agitator element is significantly less flexible than the cleaning element, and in which the outer part of the at least one agitator element is configured to move over the surface during a part of each rotation of the agitator when the suction head is in the operational cleaning position. Such one or more agitator elements may in particular have the function of mechanically cleaning the surface, scraping dirt from the surface, agitating the pile of carpets in case the surface is a carpet, etc., whereas the cleaning elements are adapted on the one hand to block/obstruct the air flow, but on the other hand to receive dirt particles and agitate fine dust. The at least one agitator element may be mounted to the agitator in any suitable manner. For example, it may be practical if the at least one agitator element is arranged on the at least one strip-shaped body, and if the at least one strip-shaped body is arranged to spiral around the core element at the location of the outer portion of the cleaning element. It may be advantageous if at least one agitator element spans the length of the cleaning zone. Practical examples of materials for the at least one agitator element are nylon and rubber.

With respect to the housing of the suction head, it should be noted that it may be practical if the housing comprises a cover which partially covers the agitator at a short distance along the length of the agitator, wherein it may be such that the portion of the agitator exposed to the surface has only a minimum size.

The above and other aspects of the invention will become apparent from and elucidated with reference to the following detailed description of a practical embodiment of a suction head comprising a housing and an agitator arranged in the housing.

Drawings

The present invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the drawings, wherein identical or similar parts are designated by identical reference numerals, and wherein:

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a perspective view of a suction head according to one embodiment of the present invention, the suction head including a housing and an agitator according to one embodiment of the present invention, the agitator being disposed in the housing, and

figure 2 schematically shows a side view of the suction head.

In both figures, the cover, which is part of the housing of the suction head, is shown translucent.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 schematically shows a perspective view of a suction head 1 according to an embodiment of the invention, and fig. 2 schematically shows a side view of the suction head 1.

The suction head 1 is configured to be used in a vacuum cleaner and to perform a cleaning action on a surface 2 when the suction head 1 is in an operative cleaning position relative to the surface 2, as shown. The vacuum cleaner may be a so-called dry vacuum cleaner or at least a vacuum cleaner that can be operated in a dry mode, i.e. a mode in which the cleaning action is performed in dry conditions without any supply of cleaning fluid. Typically, the suction head 1 is also commonly referred to in the art as a suction nozzle.

The suction head 1 comprises a housing 10 and an agitator 20 arranged in the housing 10. The housing 10 is configured to be coupled to an air suction source of the vacuum cleaner at a location of a coupling region 11 comprising an air suction channel 12. Further, the housing 10 comprises a cover 13, which cover 13 partially covers the agitator 20 at a short distance along the length of the agitator 20, wherein the housing 10 exposes only a portion of the agitator 20 to the surface 2.

The agitator 20 comprises a core member 21 and a flexible cleaning member 22 arranged on the core member 21. This type of agitator 20 is also commonly referred to as a brush. Furthermore, the agitator 20 is rotatable in the housing 10 about an axis of rotation R extending in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the core element 21, and the outer side of each cleaning element 22 is configured to move over the surface 2 during a part of each rotation of the agitator 20 when the suction head 1 is in the operational cleaning position. As shown in fig. 1, cleaning elements 22 are disposed in a cleaning zone 23 along the length of agitator 20. In the example shown, the cleaning zone 23 spans the entire periphery of the core element 21. In the drawings, the individual cleaning elements 22 are not discernable, but this does not alter the fact that clearly indicates where the cleaning elements 22 are present.

In the example shown, the agitator 20 includes an agitator element 24 in addition to the cleaning element 22. As with the cleaning elements 22, the outer portion of each agitator element 24 is configured to move over the surface 2 during a portion of each rotation of the agitator 20 when the suction head 1 is in the operational cleaning position. However, the flexibility of the agitator element 24 is significantly less than the flexibility of the cleaning element 22. In view of this, the agitator element 24 is adapted to mechanically clean the surface 2, scrape dirt from the surface 2, agitate a pile of carpets in the case that the surface 2 is a carpet, etc., while the cleaning element 22 is adapted to agitate fine dust on the surface 2 while also receiving dirt particles. The figures show a practical option in which the agitator elements 24 are arranged on a strip-shaped body 25, the strip-shaped body 25 being arranged to spiral around the core element 21 at the location of the outer portion of the cleaning element 22, extend along the length of the cleaning zone 23, and be anchored to the core element 21 at a number of suitable locations along the length of the cleaning zone 23. In the figures, the individual agitator elements 24 cannot be identified, but this does not alter the fact that it is clear where the agitator elements 24 are present, i.e. on the strip-shaped body 25.

Considering the difference in flexibility, the agitator element 24 may be represented as hard, while the cleaning element 22 may be represented as soft. The suction head 1 comprising an agitator 20 with two types of elements 22, 24 is suitable for cleaning any type of surface 2 and may be denoted as a dual purpose hard and soft floor suction nozzle.

Regarding the cleaning member 22, the following is noted. The cleaning elements 22 are arranged at a close distance relative to each other, whereby the air flow through the agitator 20 in a direction towards the coupling region 11 of the housing 10 from a position 2a on the surface 2 upstream of the agitator 20 is inhibited or at least hindered when the suction head 1 is in the operational cleaning position. In fig. 1, the blocked/obstructed air flow is indicated by curved arrows, and in fig. 2, the suction is indicated by straight arrows. For example, the condition in which the cleaning elements 22 block/obstruct the air flow therebetween may be the result of applying the cleaning elements 22 in the form of fiber bristles in the agitator 20, especially when the linear mass density of the cleaning elements 22 is selected to be below 300g/10km, such that the cleaning elements 22 are highly flexible. In practice, such fibre bristles may be placed on the core element 21 in a dense arrangement in order to interact very effectively with the surface 2 and clean the surface 2, wherein it may be such that the packing density of fibre bristles is at least 15,000 fibre bristles per 1cm x 1cm area, and wherein it may be practical if the fibre bristles are arranged in clusters. A practical example of the rotational speed of the agitator 20 during operation of the suction head 1 is 4200rpm.

Blocking/impeding the air flow involves the advantageous effect of making efficient use of the suction power at the location where the suction head 1 is located on the surface 2, but also involves the effect that the suction head 1 cannot remove dirt particles that may be present in front of the suction head 1, i.e. at a location 2a on the surface 2 upstream of the agitator 20 in the air suction direction, which is even more disadvantageous if this is an area just beside an object such as a foot, such that the suction head 1 cannot be placed on this area. In view of this, the agitator 20 is designed to have a segmented appearance, wherein the cleaning zone 23 is interrupted by at least one air channel 26, which air channel 26 is configured to enable an air flow from a position 2a on the surface 2 upstream of the agitator 20 through the agitator 20 in a direction towards the coupling area 11 of the housing 10 when the suction head 1 is in the operational cleaning position. By such an agitator 20, it is meant that the at least one air channel 26 is configured to enable air flow between the inner edges 23a, 23b of the cleaning zone 23 defining the at least one air channel 26. In the example shown, the number of air channels 26 is four as shown in fig. 1, and the local airflows that are enabled at the locations of these air channels 26 are indicated in the figure by straight arrows. Further, in the example shown, each air channel 26 extends across the entire periphery of the core element 21 and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the core element 21.

From the foregoing, it can be seen that the cleaning elements 22 span the entire periphery of the core element 21, but not the entire length of the core element 21. The agitator 20 is provided with an intermediate region where there are no densely arranged cleaning elements 22, creating openings for the air flow. As a result, the suction head 1 can completely remove dirt particles at the front. Coarse dirt and larger particles are also allowed to pass through the agitator 20 in a direction towards the coupling region 11 of the housing 10 at the location of the air passage 26, and dirt particles in/near the fly ash region such as the base, crevices and legs of the furniture are allowed to become airborne and to be sucked in. The number and size of the air channels 26 can be chosen such that the advantageous effect of the dense arrangement of cleaning elements 22 in the cleaning zone 23 on the efficiency of use of the suction power is only impaired to an acceptable extent. In other words, the number and size of the air channels 26 can be chosen such that by creating a concentrated and targeted local air flow, an air velocity sufficient to be able to pick up particles can be obtained, while providing an optimal under-pressure in the suction head 1 such that dirt particles can be sucked from crevices and carpets. In this respect, assuming the usual dimensions of the suction head 1, three or four may be a suitable number. Practical examples of the dimensions of the air channel 26 are in the range of 6mm to 8mm relative to the length of the air channel 26 and in the same range relative to the radial depth of the air channel 26, in which case there is a region of dimensions in the range of 6 x 6mm to 8 x 8mm above the surface 2 at the location of the air channel 26 when the suction head 1 is in the operational cleaning position.

It will be clear to a person skilled in the art that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the examples discussed in the foregoing, but that several amendments and modifications thereof are possible without deviating from the scope of the present invention as defined in the attached claims. It is intended that the invention be construed as including all such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within the scope of the appended claims or the equivalents thereof. While the invention has been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and the description, such illustration and description are to be considered illustrative or exemplary only and not restrictive. The invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. The figures are schematic in which details, which are not necessary for the understanding of the invention, may be omitted and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

Variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other steps or elements, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. Any reference signs in the claims shall not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention.

Elements and aspects discussed with respect to or in connection with a particular embodiment may be combined with elements and aspects of other embodiments as appropriate, unless explicitly stated otherwise. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

The terms "comprising" and "including" as used herein will be understood by those skilled in the art to encompass the term "consisting of …". Thus, the term "comprising" or "including" may mean "consisting of …" in one embodiment, but may mean "containing/having/equipped with at least the defined species and optionally one or more other species" in another embodiment.

The salient aspects of the invention are summarized below. The agitator 20 is configured to be rotatably arranged in the suction head 1 of the vacuum cleaner and comprises a core element 21 and a flexible cleaning element 22 arranged on the core element 21. When the agitator 20 is arranged in the suction head 1 and the suction head 1 is in an operative cleaning position relative to the surface 2, the outer portion of each cleaning element 22 is configured to move over the surface 2 to be cleaned during a portion of each rotation of the agitator 20. Generally, the cleaning elements 22 are used to contact the surface 2. The cleaning elements 22 are arranged in the cleaning zone 23 along the length of the agitator 20, wherein the cleaning zone 23 is interrupted by at least one air channel 26, the at least one air channel 26 being configured to enable an air flow between inner edges 23a, 23b of the cleaning zone 23 defining the at least one air channel 26. Outside the at least one air channel 26, the cleaning elements 22 are arranged at a close distance relative to each other, whereby the air flow between the cleaning elements 22 is disabled or at most enabled to a significantly smaller extent than at the location of the at least one air channel 26.

Claims (15)

1. An agitator (20) configured for use in a suction head (1) configured for application in a vacuum cleaner and for performing a cleaning action on a surface (2) when the suction head (1) is in an operative cleaning position relative to the surface (2),

wherein the agitator (20) is configured to be rotatably arranged in the suction head (1) and comprises a core element (21) and a flexible cleaning element (22) arranged on the core element (21),

wherein an outer portion of each of the cleaning elements (22) is configured to: when the agitator (20) is arranged in the suction head (1) and the suction head (1) is in the operative cleaning position, it moves over the surface (2) during a part of each rotation of the agitator (20),

wherein the cleaning elements (22) are arranged in a cleaning zone (23) along the length of the agitator (20),

wherein the cleaning zone (23) spans a major portion of the core element (21) in a peripheral direction around the core element (21),

wherein the cleaning zone (23) is interrupted by at least one air channel (26) configured to enable an air flow between inner edges (23 a, 23 b) of the cleaning zone (23) bounding the at least one air channel (26), and

wherein on the outside of the at least one air channel (26) the cleaning elements (22) are arranged at a close distance relative to each other, whereby the air flow between the cleaning elements (22) is disabled or at most enabled to a significantly smaller extent than at the location of the at least one air channel (26).

2. The agitator (20) of claim 1, wherein the at least one air channel (26) is devoid of the cleaning elements (22), or the at least one air channel (26) comprises the cleaning elements (22), but the filling density of the at least one air channel is significantly lower than the filling density of the cleaning zone (23).

3. The agitator (20) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one air channel comprises an element extending from the core element (21) along a shorter radial distance than the cleaning element (22).

4. An agitator (20) according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein the at least one air channel (26) extends in the peripheral direction around the core element (21).

5. The agitator (20) according to claim 4, wherein the at least one air channel (26) extends perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the core element (21).

6. The agitator (20) according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the at least one air channel (26) spans the entire periphery of the core element (21).

7. The agitator (20) according to any of claims 1-6, wherein the cleaning zone (23) spans the entire periphery of the core element (21).

8. The agitator (20) according to any of claims 1-7, wherein the cleaning elements (22) comprise fibre bristles, the cleaning elements (22) having a linear mass density below 300g/10km.

9. The agitator (20) according to any of claims 1-8, wherein the cleaning elements (22) are arranged in clusters on the core element (21).

10. The agitator (20) according to claim 9, wherein the cleaning elements (22) in the cleaning zone (23) outside the at least one air channel (26) have a packing density of at least 15000 cleaning elements (22) per 1cm x 1cm area.

11. The agitator (20) according to any one of claims 1-10, comprising at least one agitator element (24) in addition to the cleaning element (22), wherein the at least one agitator element (24) is significantly less flexible than the cleaning element (22), and wherein an outer portion of the at least one agitator element (24) is configured to move over the surface (2) during a portion of each rotation of the agitator (20) when the agitator (20) is arranged in the suction head (1) and the suction head (1) is in the operational cleaning position.

12. The agitator (20) according to claim 11, wherein the at least one agitator element (24) is arranged on at least one belt-like body (25), and wherein the at least one belt-like body (25) is arranged to spiral around the core element (21) at the location of the outer portion of the cleaning element (22).

13. A suction head (1) configured for application in a vacuum cleaner and performing a cleaning action on a surface (2) when the suction head (1) is in an operative cleaning position relative to the surface (2), the suction head (1) comprising:

a housing (10) comprising a coupling region (11) configured to enable the housing (10) to be coupled to an air suction source of the vacuum cleaner, and

the agitator (20) according to any one of claims 1-12,

wherein the agitator (20) is arranged in the housing (10) and the housing (10) is configured to expose a portion of the agitator (20) to the surface (2),

wherein the agitator (20) is rotatable in the housing (10) about an axis of rotation (R) extending in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the core element (21),

wherein the agitator (20) is configured to enable an air flow from a position (2 a) on the surface (2) upstream of the agitator (20) through the agitator (20) in a direction towards the coupling region (11) of the housing (10) at the location of the at least one air channel (26) in the cleaning region (23) of the agitator (20) when the suction head (1) is in the operational cleaning position, and

wherein the agitator (20) is configured to: when the suction head (1) is in the operational cleaning position, at a position outside the at least one air channel (26), the air flow is disabled or will be enabled at most to a significantly smaller extent from a position (2 a) on the surface (2) upstream of the agitator (20) in a direction towards the coupling region (11) of the housing (10).

14. A vacuum cleaner comprising an air suction source and a suction head (1) according to claim 13.

15. A vacuum cleaner comprising an air suction source and an agitator (20) according to any one of claims 1-12.