EP2534991B1 - Floor nozzle for a vacuum cleaner and vacuum cleaner with such a floor nozzle - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a floor nozzle for a vacuum cleaner according to the preamble of claim 1, wherein the floor nozzle has a suction channel and at least one suction mouth extending therefrom and wherein the suction mouth is delimited by a suction mouth edge at least in a usual direction of movement of the floor nozzle during operation.

Floor nozzles with such a profile of a base plate, that is to say at least one suction mouth starting from a suction channel with a suction opening and a suction mouth edge directly adjoining it, are known per se. Regarding the state of the art, reference can be made to the applicant's floor nozzles with the type designations SBD 450, SBD 285, SBD 650 and the electric brushes with the type designations SEB 217, SEB 236 and SEB 228 and a so-called turbo brush with the type designation STB 205.

With previous floor nozzles z. B. a pile carpet as a surface to be sucked with the floor nozzle carpet fibers or carpet pile fibers of such a carpet by a front suction mouth edge in the direction of movement of the floor nozzle slightly bent so that a small gap is formed directly behind the suction mouth edge. Here, the air sucked in in a manner known per se due to a suction air flow, which flows under the suction mouth edge, comes into contact with dust and the like and carries it along with it. This process only happens once per transition for the area swept over.

From the DE 2806571 A1 a floor nozzle is also known which has a sliding sole on the underside with two channel-shaped depressions in which a thread take-up made of resiliently flexible material is arranged.

From the DE 197 06 240 A1 a floor nozzle for vacuum cleaners is known, the floor nozzle having a suction mouth which is delimited by suction mouth edges. In addition, the floor nozzle has agitators in front of and behind the suction mouth, which act on the surface to be cleaned.

In the case of floor nozzles in an embodiment as an electric brush or turbo brush, the carpet pile is brushed up by a bristle roller or the like (agitator) comprised by such floor nozzles, and dirt is thus mechanically removed from the carpet fibers. The sucked air flows behind the suction mouth edges directly into the suction mouth and from there into the suction channel opening and not through the opening opened by the bristle roller Carpet pile. The total amount of air is accordingly not yet optimally used with current embodiments of floor nozzles. Floor nozzles with a central web in the middle of the suction mouth also have this disadvantage.

An object of the present invention is accordingly to provide an additional embodiment of a floor nozzle, in particular a floor nozzle, with which an increase in the dust absorption effectiveness and / or a constant or at least substantially constant movement resistance can be achieved despite the increased dust absorption effectiveness.

This object is achieved according to the invention with a floor nozzle of the type mentioned at the beginning with the features of claim 1. For this purpose, in the case of a floor nozzle for a vacuum cleaner, which has a suction mouth emanating from or adjoining a suction channel or a suction opening and wherein the suction mouth is limited by a suction mouth edge in at least one normal direction of movement of the floor nozzle, it is provided that the floor nozzle is positioned in front of the suction mouth edge, and although at least in the direction of movement of the floor nozzle in front of the suction mouth edge, has at least one agitator that is movable and acting on a respective subsurface due to its mobility, and that the suction mouth edge acts as a first air guide edge and that a second air guide edge is located in front of the suction mouth edge and in front of the agitator, with between there is a distance between a height level of the first air guide edge and a height level of the second air guide edge.

The direction of movement or the usual direction of movement is understood here and in the following to be a forward movement of the floor nozzle during use, with a reverse movement in the opposite direction being of course also possible. In the case of a forward movement, a first side of the suction channel, that is to say the first suction mouth edge, then the suction channel and finally a second side of the suction channel opposite the first suction mouth edge are moved over the same point to be sucked in succession. The first suction mouth edge is therefore located in front of the suction channel for a user using the floor nozzle. This meaning of "in front of" is used here and in the following with reference to the forward movement assumed as the usual direction of movement, when a spatial sequence of details of the floor nozzle is explained. A height level is understood to mean a position which describes a distance from a plane which is defined by the lowermost air guide edge and runs parallel to the usual direction of movement and which is referred to as floor level can be. The area that is spanned by the lowermost air guide edge and the point of contact of the roller on the floor or the respective subsurface can be referred to as the floor level.

The advantage of the invention is primarily that due to the agitator arranged in front of the suction mouth edge in the direction of movement of the floor nozzle and the second air guide edge located in front of it, the air sucked in due to the suction air flow is guided under the agitator and due to the first air guide edge adjoining the suction mouth after entering the area of the agitator flows below this or in its lower area. The air that is sucked in is thus completely available for transporting dust. This achieves the goal of improved dust collection efficiency. The improved dust absorption efficiency results directly from the fact that the sucked in air is guided under the agitator and the resulting improved dust transport. The improved effectiveness of the dust absorption means that after passing over a swept surface, it is cleaned completely or at least better than before, so that the duration of the suction process is shortened until a satisfactory suction result is achieved. The vacuum cleaner is thus in operation for an overall shorter time, so that the electrical energy used to operate the vacuum cleaner is better utilized. If the vacuum cleaner is in operation for a shorter time than previously required to achieve a satisfactory vacuuming result, this also means relief for the user, because moving the floor nozzle to and fro is accordingly only required for a shorter period of time, so that results in a time saving for the user and overall less effort due to the shortened period of use.

In addition, both air guide edges and especially the first air guide edge, which also forms the suction mouth edge, have the property that they slightly bend up carpet fibers or other pile in the direction of movement of the floor nozzle, so that a small gap is formed directly behind the respective edge. This is where the sucked in air, which flows under the edge, comes into contact with the dust and carries it away with it. The fact that the agitator is located between the two air guide edges and, due to its mobility, causes additional mechanical loosening of dust adhering to the carpet fibers, a correspondingly improved dust absorption efficiency can be achieved.

Advantageous refinements of the invention are the subject matter of the subclaims. References used in subclaims indicate the further development of the subject matter of the main claim through the features of the respective subclaim. Furthermore, with regard to an interpretation of the claims in a more detailed specification of a feature in a subordinate claim, it can be assumed that that such a restriction does not exist in the respective preceding claims.

Values in the range from 0.3 to 0.8 mm have proven to be favorable values with regard to a distance between a height level of the first air guide edge and a height level of the second air guide edge. This ensures that with an average pile height and a normal penetration depth of a floor profile of the floor nozzle with the at least one suction channel formed there and the air guiding edges, the second, further air guiding edge also still roams through the carpet pile.

With regard to the agitator, different embodiments come into consideration, e.g. B. a movable and due to its mobility on the respective substrate, z. B. a pile carpet, acting lip as an agitator. Instead of one lip, several lips can also be provided. So that the lip acts on the respective subsurface due to its mobility, it can be provided that the lip is under the influence of spring force. Such a spring force influence can be, for. B. result with a movable molding of the lip on an underside of the floor nozzle by z. B. a provided web on the one hand ensures mobility and on the other hand acts as a spring element. An alternative or additional possibility for implementing an agitator that acts on the respective subsurface due to its mobility consists in a roller with radial positions distributed in the circumferential direction. A particular embodiment of such a roller is a so-called bristle roller, in particular a bristle roller, in which the radial positions in the form of bristles run helically in the longitudinal direction of the roller.

Since, starting from a floor level defined by the height of the first air guide edge, the or every second further air guide edge is set back, i.e. has a greater distance from the floor level, it can be achieved that a pushing force to be applied to move the floor nozzle over a pile carpet, for example, is not or at least not possible not noticeably increased. This also has the effect of reducing the resistance to movement of the floor nozzle.

The fact that the air guide edges have a run-up bevel results in a reduction in the resistance to movement when using the floor nozzle, e.g. when driving over a pile carpet, in that the run-up bevels cause the carpet pile fibers to continuously bend and the surfaces of the run-up bevels themselves have a low coefficient of friction, so that there is only little friction .

With regard to an inclination of the two run-up slopes, it is possible that they are the same or at least essentially the same.

When the agitator, e.g. B. a lip, a roller, a bristle roller, etc., located in a recess provided for this purpose and delimited transversely to the agitator by the first and second air guide edge in an underside of the floor nozzle and the recess is laterally closed, it is ensured that the sucked in air is completely or essentially completely available for dust transport. In the case of a laterally closed recess, the air sucked in due to the suction air flow generated by the vacuum cleaner flows only or essentially only transversely to the respective agitator and below the agitator or in its lower area in the direction of the suction mouth. In the case of a laterally open recess, on the other hand, there would also be a suction air flow along the agitator and at least partially along the rear side of the agitator facing the suction mouth, where the suction air flow is only partially effective for transporting dust.

If the floor nozzle has a suction mouth edge in the direction of movement in front of and behind the suction mouth and one agitator each in the direction of movement in front of and behind the respective suction mouth edge, i.e. the floor nozzle has two agitators, the improved dust absorption efficiency can be achieved as described above and below, for both directions of movement the floor nozzle, namely away from the user and towards the user.

The effectiveness of the dust absorption can be increased particularly well if the floor nozzle has means for driving both agitators in opposite directions and in each case directed towards the suction mouth, in particular for rollers or bristle rollers as agitators. A transmission driving both agitators, in particular a transmission driving both agitators at the same time, can be considered as such a means for driving in opposite directions. Due to the counter-rotating and directed to the suction mouth drive of z. B. two rollers or bristle rollers as agitators, these not only cause a loosening of dust adhering to the carpet pile fibers, but at the same time also a transport of so loosened dust in the direction of the suction mouth.

An alternative embodiment of a floor nozzle is characterized by means for sensing a tensile or compressive force acting on the floor nozzle, in particular a tensile or compressive force sensor as such a means, and a clutch that can be controlled by the means or means, the clutch for activating precisely one of the both agitators is effective depending on the result of the sensing. With the sensing, a signal can be generated with regard to a respective momentary direction of movement of the floor nozzle. On the basis of such a signal, precisely that agitator can always be activated in which the dust transport caused by its direction of rotation is supplemented by the direction of movement of the floor nozzle. With a floor nozzle of this type, one of the two agitators is always in motion, that is to say in each case a roller or bristle roller as an agitator namely the roller that is activated due to the sensed tensile or compressive force. In this way it can be achieved that that roller or bristle roller is always activated which on the one hand for the mechanical loosening of dust adhering to the carpet pile fibers and at the same time, if the direction of movement of the floor nozzle is observed, best for transporting the loosened dust in the direction of the suction mouth is effective. In the case of a forward movement, i.e. a movement of the floor nozzle directed away from the user, this is the roller / bristle roller which is located in front of the suction mouth in this direction of movement. When the floor nozzle moves in the direction of the user, i.e. when the floor nozzle moves backwards, the previously active roller / bristle roller is deactivated and instead the roller / bristle roller located behind the suction mouth when viewed from the user is activated.

Fig. 1

eine Bodendüse für einen Staubsauger,

Fig. 2

einen Ausschnitt aus der Darstellung gemäß Fig. 1 mit weiteren Details,

Fig. 3, 4

zum Vergleich zwei im Stand der Technik bekannte Bodendüsen,

Fig. 5

eine im Vergleich zu der Ausführungsform gemäß Fig. 1 und Fig. 2 alternative Ausführungsform einer Bodendüse,

Fig. 6

eine Ansicht einer bekannten Bodendüse von unten

Fig. 7

eine Ansicht der Bodendüse im Bereich des Ausschnitts gemäß Fig. 2 von unten.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing. Objects or elements that correspond to one another are provided with the same reference symbols in all figures. The or each embodiment is not to be understood as a limitation of the invention. Rather, numerous changes and modifications are possible within the scope of the present disclosure, in particular those variants, elements and combinations which, for example, by combining or modifying individual elements in connection with those described in the general description, the or each embodiment and the claims and in the Features or elements or process steps contained in the drawings can be inferred by the person skilled in the art with a view to solving the problem and, through combinable features, lead to a new object or to new process steps or process step sequences. It shows

Fig. 1

a floor nozzle for a vacuum cleaner,

Fig. 2

an excerpt from the representation according to Fig. 1 with further details,

Fig. 3, 4

for comparison two floor nozzles known in the prior art,

Fig. 5

one in comparison to the embodiment according to Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 alternative embodiment of a floor nozzle,

Fig. 6

a view of a known floor nozzle from below

Fig. 7

a view of the floor nozzle in the area of the section according to Fig. 2 from underneath.

Fig. 1 shows a floor nozzle 10 realizing the approach according to the invention for a vacuum cleaner in a sectional illustration in side view. The floor nozzle 10 can be used for different vacuum cleaner models, that is to say canister vacuum cleaners, handheld vacuum cleaners, etc. and is not restricted to a specific vacuum cleaner model.

In a front area, the floor nozzle 10 has a suction mouth 12 formed in a profiled base plate and an adjoining suction opening. In a rear area, the floor nozzle 10 has a connection piece 14 for a suction pipe (not shown) in a manner known per se. Also known per se is a roller 52 which is arranged in the rear region of the floor nozzle 10 and which supports the floor nozzle 10 from the floor 54 in this region. A suction air flow generated by a vacuum cleaner (also not shown) is sucked in via the suction pipe, a suction channel 16 formed in the floor nozzle 10 and adjoining the suction opening, and finally the suction mouth 12. An air flow 18 directed into the suction mouth 12 then results on an underside of the floor nozzle 10.

The floor nozzle 10 is moved by a user during operation. There are basically two possible main directions of movement, namely on the one hand a movement away from the user, in which the user moves the floor nozzle 10 forwards, and on the other hand a direction of movement towards the user, in which the user moves the floor nozzle 10 backwards. The forward movement of the floor nozzle 10 is referred to here as the usual direction of movement without renouncing any further generality, so that a sequence of elements on an underside of the floor nozzle 10 can be described with reference to this usual direction of movement. To clarify this usual direction of movement, i.e. movement in the forward direction, in Fig. 1 an arrow 20 is shown.

On an underside of the floor nozzle 10, this has a suction mouth edge 22 in front of the suction air duct 12 in the usual direction of movement indicated by the arrow 20. An embodiment is shown in which the floor nozzle 10 also has a suction mouth edge 24 behind the suction mouth 12. Both suction mouth edges 22, 24 directly adjoin the suction mouth 12, that is to say delimit it. At least the floor nozzle 10 has the suction mouth edge 22 located in front of the suction mouth 12 in the usual direction of movement (arrow 20). Viewed from the suction mouth 12 in front of this suction mouth edge 22, i.e. in the usual direction of movement (arrow 20) in front of the suction mouth edge 22 in the usual direction of movement, a rotatable roller 26 is shown as a movable agitator that acts on the floor due to its mobility. At the in Fig. 1 Floor nozzle 10 shown, which, as already described, symmetrically to the suction mouth edge 22 formed in the usual direction of movement in front of the suction mouth 12, also has such a suction mouth edge 24 behind the suction mouth 12, is behind the suction mouth 12 and the adjoining rear suction mouth edge 24 as a further agitator another roller 28 is shown. The respective agitator, here one of the rollers 26, 28 or both rollers 26, 28, is or are movable, namely here e.g. B. rotatable and acts or act through their Mobility on a respective substrate, namely here a carpet pile 30 with carpet pile fibers.

When the floor nozzle 10 is moved in the direction of movement assumed here as usual (arrow 20), the carpet pile fibers are slightly bent up by the profile formed on the underside of the floor nozzle 10, in particular the or each suction mouth edge 22, 24, which also acts as an air guide edge, so that forms a small gap directly behind such an edge. Here, the sucked in air 18, which flows through under the air guide edge 22, 24, comes into contact with the dust to be sucked up and carries it along with it. The or each roller 26, 28 or an agitator in another embodiment acts on the carpet pile fibers due to its mobility and in this way loosens any dirt that may adhere there. Since the respective agitator is located in front of the suction mouth 12 in the direction of movement, the sucked air sweeps under the agitator and from there also under the air guide / suction mouth edge 22, 24 located in the respective direction of movement directly in front of the suction mouth 12. The agitator thus loosens bound dirt and the loosened dirt is immediately captured by the sucked in air flow. If, when moving the floor nozzle 10, the carpet pile fibers with loosened dirt in between are slightly bent and a small gap is formed behind them through which the entirety of the sucked air 18 reaches the suction mouth 12, it is ensured that the loosened dirt is picked up with optimum efficiency will. Fig. 2 shows an enlarged detail from the representation of the floor nozzle 10 according to FIG Fig. 1 . The suction mouth 12 and the air guide edges / suction mouth edges 22, 24 adjoining it are shown, as well as the rollers 26, 28 provided as agitators in front of and behind the suction mouth edges 22, 24 as seen from the suction mouth 12. Each air guide edge / suction mouth edge 22, 24 has one from the suction mouth 22 facing slope 32, 34 with which the carpet pile 30 ( Fig. 1 ) is gradually bent up further as the movement progresses. The run-up slope 32, 34 is also effective for influencing the direction of the air flow 18. The downwardly pointing, free, outer ends of the bristles of the or each roller 26, 28 should be approximately the level of the or each suction mouth edge 22, 24 adjoining the suction mouth 12. As in Fig. 1 shown, is seen from the suction mouth 12 in front of or each suction mouth edge 22, 24 directly adjacent to the suction mouth 12 and acting as a first air guide edge and in front of the agitator located in front of it, here in front of the roller 26, 28, a second air guide edge 36, 38, whose respective run-up bevel 40, 42 corresponds approximately to the inclination of the run-up bevel 32, 34 of the first air guide edges 22, 24. The run-up bevels 40, 42 of the second air guide edge 36, 38 are also effective for influencing the direction of the air flow 18. In this respect, the or every second air guide edge 36, 38 in particular causes the air flow 18 to be guided through the carpet pile fibers 30 and in a lower area of the respective agitator or in an area around the agitator. In this way it is ensured that the respective agitator is located in an area of greatest air flow.

An in Fig. 2 with "a" designated distance between a height level of the or each first or inner air guide edge 22, 24 and a height level of the or each second or outer air guide edge 36, 38 should be in the range of 0.3 to 0.8 mm, so that one expended Pushing force not increased too much. The height level determined by the free ends of the bristles of the or each roller 26, 28 can, as tests have shown, to e.g. B. +/- 0.5 mm from the height level of the first air guide edges 22, 24 immediately adjacent to the suction mouth 12. This ensures that with an average pile height and a normal penetration depth of the floor profile of the floor nozzle 10 into the carpet, the second air guide edges 36, 38 and the or each roller 26, 28 even roam the carpet pile 30.

A direction of movement of the rollers 26, 28 in the in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 The embodiment shown is selected such that the dust loosened from the carpet pile 30 by the rollers 26, 28 is brushed to the suction mouth 12. The ones shown in Fig. 2 Left roller 26, that is to say the front roller 26 corresponding to the direction of movement indicated by arrow 20, is driven in a counterclockwise direction of rotation. If the floor nozzle 10 has two rollers 26, 28, the process shown in FIG Fig. 2 Rear roller 28 shown on the right is driven with a clockwise direction of rotation. Such a drive can take place simultaneously or be dependent on a direction of movement of the floor nozzle 10.

Fig. 3 shows a sectional view of a detail from a floor nozzle 10 according to the prior art. Here the floor nozzle 10 has a roller 44 in the suction mouth 12. Although the roller 44 also loosens dirt adhering to the carpet pile 30, the roller 44 is located in an area B with little flow, so that dirt loosened by the roller 44 is not optimally absorbed and transported away by the air 18 flowing into the suction mouth 12 will.

The same applies to the schematically simplified sectional illustration through part of a floor nozzle 10 in a side view in FIG Fig. 4 , also according to the prior art. In this floor nozzle, a central web 46 is provided in the suction mouth 12. If this central web 46 z. B. is designed as a row of bristles, this can cause the dirt adhering to the carpet pile 30 to dissolve. However, the central web 46 is also located in a low-flow area B of the suction mouth 12, so that this is also known Embodiment of a floor nozzle 10 no optimal removal of loosened dirt is guaranteed.

The fact that a movable and due to its mobility on the respective substrate, namely z. B. the carpet pile 30, acting agitator as in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 shown, is arranged in front of and behind an air guiding / suction mouth edge 22, 24 directly adjacent to the suction mouth 12, as seen from the suction mouth 12, the respective agitator is not located, as in FIG Fig. 3 and Fig. 4 shown, in a low-flow area B, but on the contrary in an area into which all of the sucked air 18 is guided. The dust absorption and the dust transport are thus considerably improved. The sequence of the second (outer) air guide edge 36, 38 and the first (inner) air guide edge 22, 24 and their respective run-up bevels 40, 42; 32, 34 that the suction air flow 18 ( Fig. 1 ) is passed through the carpet pile 30 and below the respective agitator or in its lower area.

While in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 rollers 26, 28 are shown as examples of agitators Fig. 5 an alternative embodiment of a floor nozzle 10, which, as seen from the suction mouth 12, has a pivotable lip 48 as an agitator in front of and behind (in the situation shown in front of and behind) the air guide / suction mouth edges 22, 24 immediately adjacent to the suction mouth 12. An in Fig. 5 The distance, denoted by "b", between a height level of the first air guide edge 22, 24 and a height level of a lower edge of the lip 48 should be in the range from 0 to 2 mm so that a pushing force that has to be applied does not increase too much. This ensures that with an average pile height and a normal penetration depth of the floor profile of the floor nozzle 10 into the carpet, the second air guide edges 36, 38 and the lip 48 itself still roam through the carpet pile 30 as seen from the suction mouth 12 in front of the lip 48.

The representation in FIGS. 6 and 7 again illustrates the course of the air flow 18 passing through the respective agitator, here rollers or bristle rollers 26, 28 as agitators. Fig. 6 shows a conventional floor nozzle 10 in which the air stream 18 does not flow under the roller 26 and essentially reaches the suction mouth 12 via the respective suction mouth edge 22, 24 and in the process the flow in the low-flow area B ( Fig. 3 ) the roller 26 located between the two suction mouth edges 22, 24 is barely grasped and at least does not flow below the roller 26 and the bristles encompassed by it.

Fig. 7 In contrast, shows the situation according to the invention, in which starting from the suction mouth 12 and at least one directly adjoining first air guide and suction mouth edge 22, 24 seen from the suction mouth 12 in front of the first air guide edge 22, 24 as an agitator, for example in each case one Roller 26, 28 is located and in which a second air guide edge 36, 38 is also located in front of each agitator.

Air flow 18 directed into suction mouth 12 occurs due to the two air guide edges 36, 22; 38, 24 and the run-up slopes 40, 32; 42, 34 ( Fig. 2 ) the rollers 26, 28 on their undersides, i.e. in an area in which the bristles encompassed by the rollers 26, 28 are in contact with the respective substrate and cause adhering dirt to be removed there due to the movement of the rollers 26, 28. An air flow 18 running under the rollers 26, 28 already brings about a transport of loosened dirt in the direction of the suction mouth 12. A direction of rotation of the rollers 26, 28 each in the direction of the suction mouth 12 additionally supports this dust transport. The rollers 26, 28, as examples of agitators, are located in a recess in front of and behind the suction mouth edges 22, 24, each adjoining the suction mouth 12 and functioning as a first air guide edge 22, 24 by closing this recess in a side area 50 of the floor nozzle 10 is, it is ensured that the air sucked in hardly or only to a negligible extent over the short sides of the floor nozzle 10 flows into the respective recesses for receiving the respective agitator and the air flow 18 is essentially on the long sides of the floor nozzle 10, i.e. transversely to the agitator , adjusts.

As an alternative to the embodiments shown, it can be provided that the floor nozzle 10 has only one agitator, either in front of or behind the suction mouth 12. The rotatable agitators are bristle rollers or rotating rollers with soft lamellae or rigid ribs arranged in a star shape. Such a star-shaped arrangement of lamellae or ribs is an agitator with radial positions distributed in the circumferential direction. In the case of a bristle roller, the bristles are also radial positions distributed in the circumferential direction. In addition, it can be provided that the bristles are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the roller along a helical line.

At connection nozzle 14 ( Fig. 1 ) or a suction tube extending therefrom or a handle on the suction tube etc., a tensile or compressive force sensor (not shown) can be provided as a means for sensing a tensile or compressive force acting on the floor nozzle 10 when it is moved by the user. Such sensors and their functionality are basically known per se. With such a tensile or compressive force sensor or some other suitable means, it is possible, depending on the acting tensile or compressive force and the thus recognizable direction of movement of the floor nozzle 10 in a floor nozzle 10 with two agitators, i.e. one in front of and behind the suction mouth 12 arranged agitator, in each case only that agitator is activated which, due to a corresponding direction of rotation, causes dust to be transported in the direction of the suction mouth 12. In the case of a floor nozzle with only one agitator located in front of the suction mouth 12 in the direction of movement, the latter is only activated, specifically with one direction of rotation, which transports the loosened dirt in the direction of the suction mouth 12 when due to the sensed direction of movement a forward movement was recognized. As an alternative or in addition, it is possible, especially in the case of rollers as agitators, to provide means for driving the rollers in opposite directions and directed towards the suction mouth 12. A corresponding transmission (not shown) can be considered as such a means. If such a transmission is provided in a floor nozzle 10 with agitators that can be controlled depending on a direction of movement of the floor nozzle 10, the transmission comprises at least one clutch or coupling device with which exactly one agitator can be activated and the complementary agitator can be deactivated.

The invention can thus be briefly presented as follows: A floor nozzle 10 for a vacuum cleaner, which has a suction mouth 12 extending from a suction opening and wherein the suction mouth 12 is delimited at least in a conventional direction of movement of the floor nozzle 10 by a suction mouth edge 22, 24, indicated, which in front of the suction mouth edge (22, 24), namely at least in the direction of movement of the floor nozzle (10) in front of the suction mouth edge (22, 24), has at least one agitator which is movable and which, due to its mobility, acts on a respective substrate, the suction mouth edge ( 22, 24) acts as a first air guide edge and a second air guide edge (36, 38) is located in front of the suction mouth edge (22, 24) and in front of the agitator. By supplementing the suction mouth edges 22, 24 with the agitators or at least one such agitator located in front of the suction mouth edges as seen from the suction mouth 12, the or each suction mouth edge 22, 24 becomes an active suction mouth edge 22, 24 and this justifies itself for such a floor nozzle 10 overall the designation as floor nozzle 10 with active suction mouth edges 22, 24.

List of reference symbols

10

Floor nozzle

12th

Suction mouth

14th

Connection piece

16

Channel (in the floor nozzle)

18th

Air flow

20th

arrow

22nd

Suction mouth edge, first air guide edge

24

Suction mouth edge, first air guide edge

26th

roller

28

roller

30th

Carpet pile

32

Approach slope

34

Approach slope

36

second air guide edge

38

second air guide edge

40

Approach slope

42

Approach slope

44

roller

46

Middle bar

48

lip

50

Side area (of the floor nozzle)

52

Caster

54

floor

Claims (12)

1. Floor nozzle (10) for a vacuum cleaner, which floor nozzle has a suction mouth (12) extending from a suction opening, a suction air flow generated by the vacuum cleaner on an underside of the floor nozzle (10) resulting in an air flow directed into the suction mouth (12) and the suction mouth (12) being delimited, at least in a direction of movement of the floor nozzle (10), by a suction mouth edge (22, 24), the direction of movement being a forward movement of the floor nozzle (10), the floor nozzle (10) having, in front of the suction mouth edge (22, 24), specifically in front of the suction mouth edge (22, 24) at least in the direction of movement of the floor nozzle (10), at least one agitator (26, 28/48) that is movable and, due to its mobility, acts on a relevant substrate,
   the suction mouth edge (22, 24) acting as a first air guide edge (22, 24) and there being a second air guide edge (36, 38) in front of the suction mouth edge (22, 24) and in front of the agitator, the second air guide edge (36, 38) directing the air flow generated by the suction air flow under the agitator,
   characterised in that
   there is a distance between a height level of the first air guide edge (22, 24) and a height level of the second air guide edge (36, 38).
2. Floor nozzle according to claim 1, wherein the distance between a height level of the first air guiding edge (22, 24) and a height level of the second air guiding edge (36, 38) is in the range of from 0.3 to 0.8 mm.
3. Floor nozzle according to either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the agitator is a pivotable lip (48) under the influence of spring tension.
4. Floor nozzle according to either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the agitator is a roller (26, 28) having radial stops distributed in the circumferential direction.
5. Floor nozzle according to claim 4, wherein the agitator is a bristle roller.
6. Floor nozzle according to any of the preceding claims, wherein, starting from a height level defined by a height level of the first air guide edge (22, 24), the second air guide edge (36, 38) is set back, wherein the second air guide edge (36, 38) is at a greater distance from the floor level than the first air guide edge (22, 24).
7. Floor nozzle according to any of the preceding claims, wherein each air guide edge (22, 24; 36, 38) has a run-up slope (32, 34; 40, 42) and the first and second air guide edges (22, 24; 36, 38) have the same or at least substantially the same run-up slope (32, 34; 40, 42), wherein an inclination of the two run-up slopes (32, 34; 40, 42) is at least substantially the same.
8. Floor nozzle according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the agitator is located in a recess provided for this purpose and wherein the recess is closed at the side.
9. Floor nozzle according to any of the preceding claims, having one suction mouth edge (22, 24) each in front of and behind the suction mouth (12) in the direction of movement and one agitator each in front of and behind the suction mouth edge (22, 24) in the direction of movement.
10. Floor nozzle according to claim 9, having means for driving the two agitators in opposite directions and towards the suction mouth (12).
11. Floor nozzle according to claim 9, having means for sensing a tensile or compressive force acting on the floor nozzle (10) and a coupling which can be controlled by the means, wherein the coupling is effective for activating exactly one of the two agitators depending on the result of the sensing.
12. Vacuum cleaner comprising a floor nozzle (10) according to any of the preceding claims.

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