EP3681362B1 - Surface cleaning head for vacuum cleaner - Google Patents
Surface cleaning head for vacuum cleaner Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP3681362B1 EP3681362B1 EP18848114.7A EP18848114A EP3681362B1 EP 3681362 B1 EP3681362 B1 EP 3681362B1 EP 18848114 A EP18848114 A EP 18848114A EP 3681362 B1 EP3681362 B1 EP 3681362B1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- brush roll
- housing
- cleaning head
- surface cleaning
- leading roller
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Active
Links
- 238000004140 cleaning Methods 0.000 title claims description 110
- 230000007246 mechanism Effects 0.000 claims description 22
- 238000007789 sealing Methods 0.000 description 31
- 230000009977 dual effect Effects 0.000 description 9
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 7
- 230000006835 compression Effects 0.000 description 4
- 238000007906 compression Methods 0.000 description 4
- 239000004744 fabric Substances 0.000 description 4
- 239000004677 Nylon Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000004433 Thermoplastic polyurethane Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000013019 agitation Methods 0.000 description 2
- 229920001971 elastomer Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 238000003197 gene knockdown Methods 0.000 description 2
- 229920001778 nylon Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 229920002803 thermoplastic polyurethane Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 238000012546 transfer Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000004676 acrylonitrile butadiene styrene Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000004891 communication Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000013461 design Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000000428 dust Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000000835 fiber Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000011121 hardwood Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000004033 plastic Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229920003023 plastic Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 239000004417 polycarbonate Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229920000515 polycarbonate Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 239000002861 polymer material Substances 0.000 description 1
- -1 soft bristles Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000007779 soft material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000006467 substitution reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 229920002725 thermoplastic elastomer Polymers 0.000 description 1
- 238000011179 visual inspection Methods 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L9/00—Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
- A47L9/02—Nozzles
- A47L9/04—Nozzles with driven brushes or agitators
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L9/00—Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
- A47L9/02—Nozzles
- A47L9/04—Nozzles with driven brushes or agitators
- A47L9/0461—Dust-loosening tools, e.g. agitators, brushes
- A47L9/0488—Combinations or arrangements of several tools, e.g. edge cleaning tools
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L5/00—Structural features of suction cleaners
- A47L5/12—Structural features of suction cleaners with power-driven air-pumps or air-compressors, e.g. driven by motor vehicle engine vacuum
- A47L5/22—Structural features of suction cleaners with power-driven air-pumps or air-compressors, e.g. driven by motor vehicle engine vacuum with rotary fans
- A47L5/28—Suction cleaners with handles and nozzles fixed on the casings, e.g. wheeled suction cleaners with steering handle
- A47L5/30—Suction cleaners with handles and nozzles fixed on the casings, e.g. wheeled suction cleaners with steering handle with driven dust-loosening tools, e.g. rotating brushes
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L9/00—Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L9/00—Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
- A47L9/0072—Mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L9/00—Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
- A47L9/009—Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L9/00—Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
- A47L9/02—Nozzles
- A47L9/04—Nozzles with driven brushes or agitators
- A47L9/0405—Driving means for the brushes or agitators
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L9/00—Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
- A47L9/02—Nozzles
- A47L9/04—Nozzles with driven brushes or agitators
- A47L9/0405—Driving means for the brushes or agitators
- A47L9/0411—Driving means for the brushes or agitators driven by electric motor
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L9/00—Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
- A47L9/02—Nozzles
- A47L9/04—Nozzles with driven brushes or agitators
- A47L9/0427—Gearing or transmission means therefor
- A47L9/0444—Gearing or transmission means therefor for conveying motion by endless flexible members, e.g. belts
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L9/00—Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
- A47L9/02—Nozzles
- A47L9/04—Nozzles with driven brushes or agitators
- A47L9/0461—Dust-loosening tools, e.g. agitators, brushes
- A47L9/0466—Rotating tools
- A47L9/0477—Rolls
Definitions
- the present disclosure relates to vacuum cleaners and more particularly, to a vacuum cleaner surface cleaning head with dual agitators such as a leading roller and a brush roll. Examples are known from US2002/124334 , EP3187083 , US2017/127896 and US2017/215667 .
- Vacuum cleaners generally include a suction conduit with an opening on the underside of a surface cleaning head for drawing air (and debris) into and through the surface cleaning head.
- One of the challenges with vacuum cleaner design is to control engagement of the suction conduit with a surface being cleaned to provide the desired amount of suction. If the suction conduit is spaced too far from a surface, the suction may be less because the air is flowing into the suction conduit through a greater surface area. If the suction conduit is directly engaged with the surface and thus sealed on all sides, air will stop flowing into the suction conduit and the suction motor may be damaged as a result.
- Vacuum cleaners also generally use agitation to loosen debris and facilitate capturing the debris in the flow of air into the suction conduit.
- Agitators are often used in the suction conduit of a surface cleaning head proximate a dirty air inlet to cause the agitated debris to flow into the dirty air inlet. If the agitator in the suction conduit is unable to loosen the debris or if the debris is too small, the suction conduit 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 ever allowing the debris to be captured in the flow into the suction conduit (sometimes referred to as snowplowing). A rotating agitator may also cause the debris to circulate without being captured in the air flow into the dirty air inlet.
- an agitator is a cleaning roller such as a brush roll.
- a cleaning roller may be located within a suction conduit and/or may be located at a leading side of a suction conduit (e.g., a leading roller).
- One challenge with cleaning rollers is the ability to access the cleaning rollers, for example, to remove debris and/or replace the cleaning rollers.
- Other challenges include accommodating two cleaning rollers within the housing and driving the two cleaning rollers.
- a surface cleaning head includes a housing having a front side, a back side, a first lateral side and a second lateral side.
- the housing defines a suction conduit with a suction conduit opening on an underside of the housing between the front side and the back side.
- the surface cleaning head also includes a brush roll rotatably mounted to the housing within a brush roll chamber and a leading roller mounted to the housing in front of the brush roll.
- the suction conduit passes through the brush roll chamber and at least a portion of the brush roll is proximate the opening of the suction conduit.
- a removable cover is removably coupled to the housing for covering the brush roll chamber and the brush roll and at least partially covering the leading roller.
- a surface cleaning head includes a housing having a front side, a back side, a first lateral side and a second lateral side.
- the surface cleaning head also includes a brush roll rotatably mounted to the housing within a brush roll chamber and having a first brush roll end proximate the first lateral side and a second brush roll end proximate the second lateral side.
- the surface cleaning head further includes a leading roller mounted to the housing in front of the brush roll and having a first leading roller end proximate the first lateral side and a second leading roller end proximate the second lateral side.
- a drive mechanism is coupled to the first brush roll end for rotating the brush roll, and the second brush roll end of the brush roll is coupled to the second leading roller end of the leading roller for transferring rotation from the brush roll to the leading roller.
- the drive mechanism includes a drive motor.
- a surface cleaning head includes a housing having a front side and a back side and defining a brush roll chamber and a suction conduit with a suction conduit opening on an underside of the housing between the front side and the back side.
- the suction conduit passes from the suction conduit opening through at least a portion of the brush roll chamber.
- the surface cleaning head also includes a brush roll rotatably mounted to the housing within the brush roll chamber with at least a portion of the brush roll being proximate the opening of the suction conduit and a vacuum channel extending from a back side of the brush roll chamber such that the suction conduit passes from the brush roll chamber and into the vacuum channel.
- a shelf structure is located at the back side of the brush roll chamber and includes a surface facing generally downward toward the underside of the housing and opposing rotation of the brush roll.
- the shelf structure is configured and positioned to knock down and de-energize debris moving at the back side of the brush roll chamber to allow the debris to enter the vacuum channel via air flow through the suction conduit.
- a surface cleaning head includes a housing having a front side and back side and defining a brush roll chamber and a suction conduit with a suction conduit opening on an underside of the housing between the front side and the back side.
- the suction conduit passes through at least a portion of the brush roll chamber.
- the surface cleaning head also includes wheels coupled to the housing for supporting the housing on a surface to be cleaned, a brush roll rotatably mounted to the housing within the brush roll chamber with at least a portion of the brush roll extending through the suction conduit opening, and a leading roller mounted to the housing in front of the brush roll.
- the surface cleaning head further includes at least one floor sealing strip along a rear side of the suction conduit opening and along at least a portion of sides of the suction conduit opening. Side air passageways are formed between the leading roller and ends of the at least one floor sealing strip on the sides of the suction conduit.
- a sole plate on an underside of the housing defines at least a portion of the suction conduit opening and has a clearance from the surface to be cleaned when the wheels are supported on the surface to be cleaned.
- the brush roll extends beyond the sole plate less than or equal to the clearance and the at least one floor sealing strip extends greater than the clearance.
- a surface cleaning head includes dual rotating agitators (e.g., a leading roller and a brush roll) and a removable cover for covering a top of the agitators and allowing access to the agitators from a top of the surface cleaning head.
- the dual agitators may be used to facilitate capturing of debris in the air flow into a suction conduit on the underside of the surface cleaning head.
- the brush roll may be located in a brush roll chamber and at least partially in an opening to the suction conduit.
- the leading roller may be positioned adjacent to and in advance of the suction conduit opening such that the leading roller engages debris and moves the debris toward the brush roll and the opening.
- the leading roller may be removable from the housing and held in place by the removable cover.
- the removable cover may be coupled to the housing of the surface cleaning head using one or more latching mechanisms that are isolated from the brush roll chamber.
- a surface cleaning head may also include a drive mechanism that drives a brush roll at one end with the brush roll transferring rotation to a leading roller at the other end.
- a surface cleaning head includes a brush roll in a brush roll chamber and a shelf structure at a back side of the brush roll chamber to knock down and de-energize debris and facilitate movement of the debris into a vacuum channel extending from the back side of the brush roll chamber.
- the vacuum channel may include a flared mouth in communication with the brush roll chamber with at least a portion of the shelf structure extending into the flared mouth.
- a surface cleaning head may include features for improving air flow into a suction conduit.
- a surface cleaning head may include sealing strips on an underside around at least a portion of an opening to the suction conduit, forming side air passageways between the sealing strips and a leading roller.
- a surface cleaning head may provide a sole plate clearance sufficient to provide a desired carpet engagement by a brush roll and may have bristle strips extending from the underside to provide desired sealing on a hard wood floor.
- a surface cleaning head may also include a bleed valve with an actuator capable of being actuated by a pull stroke of the surface cleaning head to lower suction and facilitate maneuverability.
- Embodiments of the surface cleaning head may be used in different types of vacuum cleaners including, without limitation, an "all in the head" type vacuum, upright vacuum cleaners, canister vacuum cleaners, stick vacuum cleaners, robotic vacuum cleaners and central vacuum systems.
- a “surface cleaning head” refers to a device configured to contact a surface for cleaning the surface by use of suction air flow, agitation, or a combination thereof.
- a surface cleaning head may be pivotably or steeringly coupled by a swivel connection to a wand for controlling the surface cleaning head and may include motorized attachments as well as fixed surface cleaning heads.
- a surface cleaning head may also be operable without a wand or handle.
- “seal” or “sealing” refers to preventing a substantial amount of air from passing through to the suction conduit but does not require an air tight seal.
- agitator refers to any element, member or structure capable of agitating a surface to facilitate movement of debris into a suction air flow in a surface cleaning head.
- soft and softer refer to the characteristics of a cleaning element being more compliant or pliable than another cleaning element.
- flow path refers to the path taken by air as it flows into a suction conduit when drawn in by suction.
- above and below are used relative to an orientation of the surface cleaning head on a surface to be cleaned and the terms “front” and “back” are used relative to a direction that a user pushes the surface cleaning head on a surface being cleaned (i.e., back to front).
- leading refers to a position in front of at least another component but does not necessarily mean in front of all other components.
- the surface cleaning head 100 includes a housing 110 with a front side 112, a back side 114, first and second lateral sides 116a, 116b, an upper side 118, and a lower or under side 120.
- the housing 110 defines a suction conduit having an opening 111 on the underside 120 of the housing 110 (shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 ).
- the suction conduit is the interior space defined by interior walls in the housing 110, which receives and directs air drawn in by suction, for example, by a suction motor (not shown) either in the surface cleaning head 100 or another location in the vacuum.
- the suction conduit opening 111 is where the suction conduit meets the underside 120 of the housing 110.
- the surface cleaning head 100 includes dual rotating agitators 122, 124, for example, a brush roll 122 and a leading roller 124.
- the brush roll 122 and leading roller 124 may be configured to rotate about first and second rotating axes.
- the rotating brush roll 122 is located in a brush roll chamber 119, and the leading roller 124 is positioned in front of and spaced from the brush roll 122.
- the brush roll chamber 119 defines a portion of the suction conduit and the brush roll 122 is located at least partially in the suction conduit opening 111. Thus, the brush roll 122 is located in the primary air flow path into the suction conduit opening 111.
- the leading roller 124 is generally located in advance of and outside of the suction conduit opening 111, but at least a portion of the leading roller 124 may be exposed to a primary air flow into the suction conduit opening 111. In some embodiments, at least an inside upper portion (e.g., upper half) of the leading roller 124 is not exposed to the primary air flow path into the opening 111 of the suction conduit while at least an inside of the bottom portion of the leading roller 124 is exposed to the primary flow path into the opening 111 of the suction conduit. Other variations are possible where different portions of the leading roller 124 may be exposed or not exposed to the flow path into the suction conduit. In other embodiments, for example, a flow path may allow air to flow over the upper portion of the leading roller 124.
- the rotating brush roll 122 may have bristles, fabric, or other cleaning elements, or any combination thereof around the outside of the brush roll 122. Examples of brush rolls and other agitators are shown and described in greater detail in U.S. Patent No. 9,456,723 and U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2016/0220082 .
- One example of the rotating brush roll 122 may include a combination of shorter stiffer bristles for engaging a carpet and longer softer bristles for engaging a hard surface.
- the rotating brush roll 122 may include one or more arrangements or groups of the shorter stiffer bristles and one or more arrangements or groups of the longer softer bristles, wherein the longer softer bristles are longer and softer as compared to the shorter stiffer bristles.
- the leading roller 124 may be selected to be substantially softer than that of the brush roll 122.
- the softness, length, diameter, arrangement, and resiliency of the bristles and/or pile of the leading roller 124 may be selected to form a seal with a hard surface, whereas the bristles of the brush roll 122 may selected to agitate carpet fibers or the like. Softness may be determined, for example, based on the pliability of the bristles or pile being used.
- the leading roller 124 may also have an outside diameter that is smaller than the outside diameter of the brush roll 122. Examples of leading rollers 124 including sizes and the material used are described in greater detail in U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2017/0127 896 .
- the leading 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 or helical pattern) to facilitate capturing debris.
- a thin helical strip of stiffer, longer bristles may be used together with a wider helical strip of softer bristles. Rotation of the leading roller 124 with the helical strip of stiffer, longer bristles may thus create a moving air channel that facilitates capturing of debris.
- the softer bristles may include nylon bristles having a length in a range of 4 to 12 mm and a diameter less than 0.08 mm.
- An example of longer, stiffer bristles includes nylon bristles having a length in a range of 6 to 16 mm and a diameter in a range of 0.06 to 0.20 mm.
- the surface cleaning head 100 may also include a combing unit 129 with combing protrusions or teeth engaging the leading roller 124 for removing hair and other similar debris from the leading roller 124. Examples of a combing unit are described in greater detail in U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2017/0127896 and U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 15/492320 .
- the surface cleaning head 100 includes one or more wheels 130, 132, 134 for supporting the housing on a surface to be cleaned.
- larger rear wheels 130 are disposed proximate the back side 114 with smaller rear wheels 132 disposed therebetween on the underside 116 of the housing 110 and smaller forward wheels 134 are disposed on the underside 120 of the housing 110 proximate the front side 112.
- Other wheel configurations may also be used.
- the wheels 130, 132, 134 may provide the primary contact with the surface being cleaned and facilitate moving the surface cleaning head 100 along the surface to be cleaned.
- the larger rear wheels 130 may also allow the user to easily tilt or pivot the surface cleaning head 100 (e.g., brush roll 122 and/or the leading roller 124) off of the surface to be cleaned.
- the leading roller 124 may also rest on the surface being cleaned, as will be described in greater detail below.
- the surface cleaning head 100 also includes one or more floor sealing strips 136, 138 on the underside 120 of the housing 110 to facilitate sealing against a surface being cleaned (e.g., a hard surface) and to help direct air to the suction conduit opening 111 (see FIGS. 2 , 4 and 10 ).
- the floor sealing strips 136, 138 may include bristle strips formed by soft bristles or may include fabric material, rubber material, or other material capable of contacting the surface being cleaned to substantially prevent air flow into the suction conduit opening 111.
- the sealing strips 136, 138 may also include a combination of elements or materials, such as bristles with a cloth or rubber strip extending along the strip between the bristles (e.g., with the bristles being longer) to improve sealing.
- the floor sealing strips 136, 138 may include one or more sections extending downward from the housing 110 and having a length sufficient to contact a hard surface being cleaned when the surface cleaning head 100 is supported on the hard surface.
- the sealing strips 136, 138 have a length that is greater than the clearance or height H of the sole plate 137 to allow more sealing on a hard surface.
- the clearance or height H of the sole plate 137 and the extent to which the brush roll 122 extends beyond the sole plate allow good carpet engagement with the brush roll 122 but with minimal brush roll engagement of a hard surface.
- the brush roll 122 extends beyond the sole plate 137 at or less than the clearance or height H of the sole plate 137 and the floor sealing strips 136, 138 extend at or greater than the clearance or height H of the sole plate 137.
- the clearance or height H of the sole plate 137 is in a range of 1.5 to 7.0 mm
- the brush roll 122 extends beyond the sole plate in a range of 3 to 6 mm
- the floor sealing strips 136, 138 extend in a range of 5 to 10 mm.
- the sealing strips 136, 138 are arranged to provide sealing around a portion of the suction conduit opening 111 while also providing side air passageways as shown by arrows 139.
- the rear sealing strip 136 extends along a rear side of the suction conduit opening 111 and the side sealing strips 138 extend from the rear sealing strip 136 along at least a portion of the sides of the suction conduit opening 111.
- a single sealing strip may extend along both the sides and rear of the suction conduit opening.
- the leading roller 124 provides sealing along a front side of the suction conduit opening 111 and the space between the side sealing strips 138 and the leading roller 124 defines the side air passageways 139, thereby causing directed air flow into the suction conduit opening 111 at a location that facilitates capturing debris in the air flow (e.g., between the brush roll 122 and the leading roller 124).
- An increased speed of the air flow directed through the side air passageways 139 also enhances edge cleaning.
- the side sealing strips 138 extend just short of the suction conduit opening 111 to form side air passageways 139 directed laterally toward the opening 111.
- Other configurations of the sealing strips 136, 138 are also contemplated, for example, the side sealing strips 138 may be longer or shorter.
- the surface cleaning head 100 includes a removable cover 140 coupled to the housing 110 and covering a top of the agitators 122, 124, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 .
- the cover 140 is removable to allow access to the agitators 122, 124 for cleaning debris tangled on the agitators 122, 124 and/or removing the agitators.
- the cover 140 covers the brush roll chamber 119 and brush roll 122 and covers a top portion of the leading roller 124 leaving a front of the leading roller 124 exposed. Removing the cover 140 allows access to the brush roll 122 and the leading roller 124 for purposes of removing debris such as hair.
- the cover 140 may include a transparent window over at least the brush roll 122 allow visual inspection of the brush roll 122 during use.
- the cover 140 includes a bumper 142 that extends out over the leading roller 124 and just in front of the leading roller 124, thereby providing a leading edge. As shown, the bumper 142 may extend laterally along a substantial portion of the front side 112 and downward proximate each of the sides 116a, 116b.
- the bumper 142 may be made of a material that is more compliant and flexible than the other material used for the cover 140 to allow the bumper 142 to flex, for example, when contacting a wall surface.
- the cover 140 may be made of a hard plastic or polymer material such as polycarbonate (PC) or acrylonitrile-butadienestyrene (ABS) with the bumper 142 being made of a thermoplastic elastomer such as thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU).
- PC polycarbonate
- ABS acrylonitrile-butadienestyrene
- TPU thermoplastic polyurethane
- the bumper 142 is configured to seal partially against a vertical surface (e.g., a wall) during use while forming air flow passageways at certain locations to improve front edge cleaning. When contacting the vertical surface, for example, the bumper 142 will direct air through front edge passageways below the sides of the bumper 142.
- the bumper 142 may also include one or more compression elements 143 (e.g., ribs) that form air passageways. When the bumper 142 is pushed against the vertical surface, the compression elements 143 contact the vertical surface first and push the bumper 142 locally farther back than the rest of the bumper 142, thereby forming a gap on either side of the compression elements 143.
- the gaps on either side of the compression elements 143 form air paths allowing air to be drawn down in front of the leading roller 124, which may disturb dust and debris so that it can be directed into the air flow path toward the suction conduit opening 111.
- the removable cover 140 also includes a seal 144 on an underside of the cover 140 and configured to engage the housing 110 around an upper perimeter of the brush roll chamber 119 for sealing the brush roll chamber 119 at the top side of the housing 110. By sealing the brush roll chamber 119 at the top side, suction and airflow into the suction conduit opening 111 may be improved.
- the removable cover 140 may be held against the housing 110 securely to maintain the seal.
- the removable cover 140 includes one or more tabs 146a-c at a back end of the cover 140 for engaging respective slots 113a-c in the housing 110 and one or more protrusions 147 inside the cover 140 at the sides of the front end of the cover 140 for engaging respective latch fingers 150 at the sides 116a, 116b of the housing 110.
- the latch fingers 150 may be retracted toward the housing by respective latch actuators 152 to release and remove the cover 140.
- the latch finger 150 is at one end of a sliding member 154 and the latch actuator 152 is engaged with the other end of the sliding member 154.
- the latch actuator 152 includes or is connected to a portion 153 extending downward to engage the sliding member 154.
- a resilient member 156 such as a spring, biases the sliding member 154 and the latch finger 150 outward and away from the housing 110 and into engagement with the protrusion 147 inside the cover 140.
- the latch finger 150 may be retracted against the bias of the resilient member 156 by sliding the latch actuator 152 rearward in the direction of the arrow.
- the latch finger 150 includes an angled top surface 151 to allow the protrusion 147 to slide over the latch finger 150 and push the latch finger 150 rearward against the bias of the resilient member 156 when the cover 140 is moved downward into engagement with the housing 110.
- the latch finger 150 will be biased into a position over the protrusion 147 thereby engaging the protrusion 147 and holding the front end of the cover 140.
- Other types of latch mechanisms are also within the scope of the present disclosure.
- the latch mechanisms are isolated from the brush roll chamber 119 and thus do not affect the suction into the suction conduit opening 111.
- the latch actuator 152 is spaced from the opening to the brush roll chamber 119 as shown in FIG. 9 .
- the leading roller 124 is removable and is held in place by the cover 140.
- a downwardly extending portion 148 of the cover 142 at one side engages a non-rotating end 126 of the leading roller 124 (see FIGS. 5 and 7 ).
- the non-rotating end 126 includes a tab 128 that extends outward and an inside portion of the cover 140 engages the tab 128 when the cover 140 is held in place by the latch mechanism (see FIG. 8 ).
- the leading roller 124 may be configured to be removed and may have a driven end and non-driven end, for example, similar to the removable brush roll described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0220082 .
- the brush roll 122 in the example embodiment of the surface cleaning head 100 is not removable, the brush roll 122 may also be similarly removable in other embodiments.
- the surface cleaning head 100 may include a shelf structure 160 at a back side of the brush roll chamber 119.
- the shelf structure 160 may have various configurations and shapes but includes at least a surface facing generally downward toward the underside 120 of the housing 110 and opposing the rotation of the brush roll 122. As debris circulates around the brush roll chamber 119 by rotation of the brush roll 122, the shelf structure 160 knocks down and de-energizes the debris to facilitate capturing the debris in the air flow through the suction conduit, as shown by the arrows.
- the shelf structure 160 is shown in the illustrated embodiment of the surface cleaning head 100 including dual agitators 122, 124, the shelf structure may also be used in other surface cleaning heads, for example, without a leading roller 124.
- a vacuum channel 162 extends from the back side of the brush roll chamber 119 to further define the suction conduit.
- the suction conduit passes from the suction conduit opening 111 through a portion of the brush roll chamber 119 and through the vacuum channel 162.
- the illustrated embodiment of the vacuum channel 162 includes a flared mouth 164 at the intersection with the brush roll chamber 119, which provides a dirty air inlet that receives dirt and debris together with air being drawn through the suction conduit.
- the shelf structure 160 may extend into at least a portion of the flared mouth 164 of the vacuum channel 162.
- FIGS. 12 and 13 show the portion of the housing 110a that defines the back side of the brush roll chamber and the flared mouth 164 of the vacuum channel 162.
- the shelf structure 160 may include shelf portions 160a extending into the flared mouth 164 and shelf portions 160b extending along at least a portion of the back side of the brush roll chamber.
- the shelf structure 160 may have a depth of about 5-10 mm and a height of about 12-20 mm.
- the shelf portions 160a extending into the flared mouth 164 may be deeper than the shelf portions 160b extending along the back side of the brush roll chamber.
- embodiments of the surface cleaning head 100 may also include driving the brush roll 122 and the leading roller 124 at opposite ends.
- a drive mechanism 170 directly drives the brush roll 122 at a first brush roll end 121 (e.g., via a first drive belt 172) and the leading roller 124 is driven at a second leading roller end 127 from a second brush roll end 123 of the brush roll 122 (e.g., via a second drive belt 174).
- the drive mechanism 170 includes a drive motor 171 for providing the rotation and first and second drive belts 172, 174 are used to transfer rotation. In other embodiments, gears may be used to transfer rotation.
- the leading roller 124 is not required to be offset and may be more centrally located in the housing 110.
- embodiments of the surface cleaning head 100 may also include a motion-actuated bleed valve 180.
- the motion-actuated bleed valve 180 includes a pivoting actuator 181 including surface engaging elements 182 (shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 ), such as stiff bristles, configured to catch on a surface being cleaned during a pull stroke.
- the pivoting actuator 181 is coupled to a pivoting valve member 184 that covers a port 186 in a side of the vacuum channel 162.
- the pivoting valve member 184 is biased into a closed position covering the port 186, for example, by a resilient member (not shown) such as a torsion spring.
- the pivoting actuator 181 pivots and causes the valve member 184 to pivot away from the port 186, thereby allowing air to flow or bleed out of the vacuum channel 162.
- This air flow reduces the suction and makes it easier to pull the surface cleaning head 100 (i.e., when attached to wand of a vacuum cleaner).
- the bleed valve is useful on heavier upright vacuum cleaners especially with higher suction resulting, for example, from the techniques described herein.
- FIG. 17 illustrates one type of vacuum cleaner 1700 that may include a surface cleaning head 1702, consistent with the embodiments described herein.
- the surface cleaning head 1702 with the leading roller 1724 may be used on a stick type vacuum cleaner 1700 with a removable handheld vacuum 1701 coupled at one end of a wand 1704, such as the type described in U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2015/0135474 .
- the surface cleaning head with the leading roller may also be used on an upright vacuum cleaner (not shown) with a removable canister coupled to a wand, such as the type described in U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2015/0351596 .
- a surface cleaning head consistent with embodiments described herein may also be used in a robotic vacuum cleaner such as the type described in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 62/511 099 .
- embodiments of a surface cleaning head may be capable of improved suction and air flow, improved front and edge cleaning, improved versatility on both carpets and hard surfaces, improved access to dual agitators for cleaning and removal, and/or improved maneuverability.
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Description
- The present disclosure relates to vacuum cleaners and more particularly, to a vacuum cleaner surface cleaning head with dual agitators such as a leading roller and a brush roll. Examples are known from
US2002/124334 ,EP3187083 ,US2017/127896 andUS2017/215667 . - Vacuum cleaners generally include a suction conduit with an opening on the underside of a surface cleaning head for drawing air (and debris) into and through the surface cleaning head. One of the challenges with vacuum cleaner design is to control engagement of the suction conduit with a surface being cleaned to provide the desired amount of suction. If the suction conduit is spaced too far from a surface, the suction may be less because the air is flowing into the suction conduit through a greater surface area. If the suction conduit is directly engaged with the surface and thus sealed on all sides, air will stop flowing into the suction conduit and the suction motor may be damaged as a result.
- Vacuum cleaners also generally use agitation to loosen debris and facilitate capturing the debris in the flow of air into the suction conduit. Agitators are often used in the suction conduit of a surface cleaning head proximate a dirty air inlet to cause the agitated debris to flow into the dirty air inlet. If the agitator in the suction conduit is unable to loosen the debris or if the debris is too small, the suction conduit 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 ever allowing the debris to be captured in the flow into the suction conduit (sometimes referred to as snowplowing). A rotating agitator may also cause the debris to circulate without being captured in the air flow into the dirty air inlet.
- One example of an agitator is a cleaning roller such as a brush roll. A cleaning roller may be located within a suction conduit and/or may be located at a leading side of a suction conduit (e.g., a leading roller). One challenge with cleaning rollers is the ability to access the cleaning rollers, for example, to remove debris and/or replace the cleaning rollers. Other challenges include accommodating two cleaning rollers within the housing and driving the two cleaning rollers.
- Consistent with an embodiment, a surface cleaning head includes a housing having a front side, a back side, a first lateral side and a second lateral side. The housing defines a suction conduit with a suction conduit opening on an underside of the housing between the front side and the back side. The surface cleaning head also includes a brush roll rotatably mounted to the housing within a brush roll chamber and a leading roller mounted to the housing in front of the brush roll. The suction conduit passes through the brush roll chamber and at least a portion of the brush roll is proximate the opening of the suction conduit. A removable cover is removably coupled to the housing for covering the brush roll chamber and the brush roll and at least partially covering the leading roller.
- Consistent with another embodiment, a surface cleaning head includes a housing having a front side, a back side, a first lateral side and a second lateral side. The surface cleaning head also includes a brush roll rotatably mounted to the housing within a brush roll chamber and having a first brush roll end proximate the first lateral side and a second brush roll end proximate the second lateral side. The surface cleaning head further includes a leading roller mounted to the housing in front of the brush roll and having a first leading roller end proximate the first lateral side and a second leading roller end proximate the second lateral side. A drive mechanism is coupled to the first brush roll end for rotating the brush roll, and the second brush roll end of the brush roll is coupled to the second leading roller end of the leading roller for transferring rotation from the brush roll to the leading roller. The drive mechanism includes a drive motor.
- Consistent with a further embodiment, a surface cleaning head includes a housing having a front side and a back side and defining a brush roll chamber and a suction conduit with a suction conduit opening on an underside of the housing between the front side and the back side. The suction conduit passes from the suction conduit opening through at least a portion of the brush roll chamber. The surface cleaning head also includes a brush roll rotatably mounted to the housing within the brush roll chamber with at least a portion of the brush roll being proximate the opening of the suction conduit and a vacuum channel extending from a back side of the brush roll chamber such that the suction conduit passes from the brush roll chamber and into the vacuum channel. A shelf structure is located at the back side of the brush roll chamber and includes a surface facing generally downward toward the underside of the housing and opposing rotation of the brush roll. The shelf structure is configured and positioned to knock down and de-energize debris moving at the back side of the brush roll chamber to allow the debris to enter the vacuum channel via air flow through the suction conduit.
- Consistent with yet another embodiment, a surface cleaning head includes a housing having a front side and back side and defining a brush roll chamber and a suction conduit with a suction conduit opening on an underside of the housing between the front side and the back side. The suction conduit passes through at least a portion of the brush roll chamber. The surface cleaning head also includes wheels coupled to the housing for supporting the housing on a surface to be cleaned, a brush roll rotatably mounted to the housing within the brush roll chamber with at least a portion of the brush roll extending through the suction conduit opening, and a leading roller mounted to the housing in front of the brush roll. The surface cleaning head further includes at least one floor sealing strip along a rear side of the suction conduit opening and along at least a portion of sides of the suction conduit opening. Side air passageways are formed between the leading roller and ends of the at least one floor sealing strip on the sides of the suction conduit. A sole plate on an underside of the housing defines at least a portion of the suction conduit opening and has a clearance from the surface to be cleaned when the wheels are supported on the surface to be cleaned. The brush roll extends beyond the sole plate less than or equal to the clearance and the at least one floor sealing strip extends greater than the clearance.
- These and other features and advantages will be better understood by reading the following detailed description, taken together with the drawings wherein:
-
FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a surface cleaning head including dual agitators, consistent with an embodiment of the present disclosure. -
FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view of the surface cleaning head shown inFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 3 is a top view of the surface cleaning head shown inFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the surface cleaning head shown inFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the surface cleaning head shown inFIG. 1 showing a removable cover and a leading roller removed from a housing. -
FIG. 6 is a bottom view of the removable cover shown inFIG. 5 . -
FIG. 7 is an enlarged side view of the surface cleaning head shown inFIG. 1 with a side panel removed to show a latch mechanism used to engage the removable cover. -
FIG. 8 is a side cross-sectional view the latching mechanism engaging the cover and the cover securing a leading roller. -
FIG. 9 is a top view of the surface cleaning head shown inFIG. 1 with the removable cover removed. -
FIG. 10 is a side cross-sectional view of the surface cleaning head shown inFIG. 1 illustrating a shelf structure at a back side of a brush roll chamber. -
FIG. 11 is a top cross-sectional view of the surface cleaning head taking along line 11-11 inFIG. 10 and further illustrating a shelf structure at a back side of a brush roll chamber. -
FIG. 12 is a bottom perspective view of a portion of the housing defining the shelf structure in the surface cleaning head. -
FIG. 13 is a front view of the portion of the housing shown inFIG. 12 . -
FIG. 14 is a top view of a drive mechanism driving dual agitators for use in the surface cleaning head shownFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 15 is a top view of a bleed valve mechanism in the surface cleaning head shown inFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 16 is a top view of a bleed valve mechanism in the surface cleaning head shown inFIG. 1 and illustrating the bleed valve actuator. -
FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a stick vacuum including a surface cleaning head, consistent with embodiments of the present disclosure. - A surface cleaning head, consistent with some embodiments of the present disclosure, includes dual rotating agitators (e.g., a leading roller and a brush roll) and a removable cover for covering a top of the agitators and allowing access to the agitators from a top of the surface cleaning head. The dual agitators may be used to facilitate capturing of debris in the air flow into a suction conduit on the underside of the surface cleaning head. The brush roll may be located in a brush roll chamber and at least partially in an opening to the suction conduit. The leading roller may be positioned adjacent to and in advance of the suction conduit opening such that the leading roller engages debris and moves the debris toward the brush roll and the opening. The leading roller may be removable from the housing and held in place by the removable cover. The removable cover may be coupled to the housing of the surface cleaning head using one or more latching mechanisms that are isolated from the brush roll chamber. A surface cleaning head may also include a drive mechanism that drives a brush roll at one end with the brush roll transferring rotation to a leading roller at the other end.
- In other embodiments, a surface cleaning head includes a brush roll in a brush roll chamber and a shelf structure at a back side of the brush roll chamber to knock down and de-energize debris and facilitate movement of the debris into a vacuum channel extending from the back side of the brush roll chamber. The vacuum channel may include a flared mouth in communication with the brush roll chamber with at least a portion of the shelf structure extending into the flared mouth.
- In further embodiments, a surface cleaning head may include features for improving air flow into a suction conduit. A surface cleaning head may include sealing strips on an underside around at least a portion of an opening to the suction conduit, forming side air passageways between the sealing strips and a leading roller. A surface cleaning head may provide a sole plate clearance sufficient to provide a desired carpet engagement by a brush roll and may have bristle strips extending from the underside to provide desired sealing on a hard wood floor. A surface cleaning head may also include a bleed valve with an actuator capable of being actuated by a pull stroke of the surface cleaning head to lower suction and facilitate maneuverability.
- Although various features and concepts are described in the context of an example embodiment of a surface cleaning head, other embodiments of the surface cleaning head are within the scope of the present disclosure and the features and concepts described herein may be used in other embodiments of a surface cleaning head either alone or in combination. Embodiments of the surface cleaning head may be used in different types of vacuum cleaners including, without limitation, an "all in the head" type vacuum, upright vacuum cleaners, canister vacuum cleaners, stick vacuum cleaners, robotic vacuum cleaners and central vacuum systems.
- As used herein, a "surface cleaning head" refers to a device configured to contact a surface for cleaning the surface by use of suction air flow, agitation, or a combination thereof. A surface cleaning head may be pivotably or steeringly coupled by a swivel connection to a wand for controlling the surface cleaning head and may include motorized attachments as well as fixed surface cleaning heads. A surface cleaning head may also be operable without a wand or handle. As used herein, "seal" or "sealing" refers to preventing a substantial amount of air from passing through to the suction conduit but does not require an air tight seal. As used herein, "agitator" refers to any element, member or structure capable of agitating a surface to facilitate movement of debris into a suction air flow in a surface cleaning head. As used herein, "soft" and "softer" refer to the characteristics of a cleaning element being more compliant or pliable than another cleaning element. As used herein, the term "flow path" refers to the path taken by air as it flows into a suction conduit when drawn in by suction. As used herein, the terms "above" and "below" are used relative to an orientation of the surface cleaning head on a surface to be cleaned and the terms "front" and "back" are used relative to a direction that a user pushes the surface cleaning head on a surface being cleaned (i.e., back to front). As used herein, the term "leading" refers to a position in front of at least another component but does not necessarily mean in front of all other components.
- Referring to
FIGS. 1-4 , asurface cleaning head 100, consistent with embodiments of the present disclosure, is shown and described. Thesurface cleaning head 100 includes ahousing 110 with afront side 112, aback side 114, first and secondlateral sides 116a, 116b, anupper side 118, and a lower or underside 120. Thehousing 110 defines a suction conduit having anopening 111 on theunderside 120 of the housing 110 (shown inFIGS. 2 and4 ). The suction conduit is the interior space defined by interior walls in thehousing 110, which receives and directs air drawn in by suction, for example, by a suction motor (not shown) either in thesurface cleaning head 100 or another location in the vacuum. The suction conduit opening 111 is where the suction conduit meets theunderside 120 of thehousing 110. - The
surface cleaning head 100 includes dualrotating agitators brush roll 122 and a leadingroller 124. Although the example embodiment includes dual agitators, some of the features and concepts described herein may also be used in a surface cleaning head with only a single agitator or with more than two agitators. Thebrush roll 122 andleading roller 124 may be configured to rotate about first and second rotating axes. The rotatingbrush roll 122 is located in abrush roll chamber 119, and the leadingroller 124 is positioned in front of and spaced from thebrush roll 122. Thebrush roll chamber 119 defines a portion of the suction conduit and thebrush roll 122 is located at least partially in thesuction conduit opening 111. Thus, thebrush roll 122 is located in the primary air flow path into thesuction conduit opening 111. - The leading
roller 124 is generally located in advance of and outside of the suction conduit opening 111, but at least a portion of the leadingroller 124 may be exposed to a primary air flow into thesuction conduit opening 111. In some embodiments, at least an inside upper portion (e.g., upper half) of the leadingroller 124 is not exposed to the primary air flow path into theopening 111 of the suction conduit while at least an inside of the bottom portion of the leadingroller 124 is exposed to the primary flow path into theopening 111 of the suction conduit. Other variations are possible where different portions of the leadingroller 124 may be exposed or not exposed to the flow path into the suction conduit. In other embodiments, for example, a flow path may allow air to flow over the upper portion of the leadingroller 124. - The rotating
brush roll 122 may have bristles, fabric, or other cleaning elements, or any combination thereof around the outside of thebrush roll 122. Examples of brush rolls and other agitators are shown and described in greater detail inU.S. Patent No. 9,456,723 U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2016/0220082 . One example of therotating brush roll 122 may include a combination of shorter stiffer bristles for engaging a carpet and longer softer bristles for engaging a hard surface. In particular, the rotatingbrush roll 122 may include one or more arrangements or groups of the shorter stiffer bristles and one or more arrangements or groups of the longer softer bristles, wherein the longer softer bristles are longer and softer as compared to the shorter stiffer bristles. - The leading
roller 124 may be selected to be substantially softer than that of thebrush roll 122. The softness, length, diameter, arrangement, and resiliency of the bristles and/or pile of the leadingroller 124 may be selected to form a seal with a hard surface, whereas the bristles of thebrush roll 122 may selected to agitate carpet fibers or the like. Softness may be determined, for example, based on the pliability of the bristles or pile being used. The leadingroller 124 may also have an outside diameter that is smaller than the outside diameter of thebrush roll 122. Examples of leadingrollers 124 including sizes and the material used are described in greater detail inU.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2017/0127 896 . - The leading
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 or helical pattern) to facilitate capturing debris. In one example, a thin helical strip of stiffer, longer bristles may be used together with a wider helical strip of softer bristles. Rotation of the leadingroller 124 with the helical strip of stiffer, longer bristles may thus create a moving air channel that facilitates capturing of debris. In this example, the softer bristles may include nylon bristles having a length in a range of 4 to 12 mm and a diameter less than 0.08 mm. An example of longer, stiffer bristles includes nylon bristles having a length in a range of 6 to 16 mm and a diameter in a range of 0.06 to 0.20 mm. - The
surface cleaning head 100 may also include a combingunit 129 with combing protrusions or teeth engaging the leadingroller 124 for removing hair and other similar debris from the leadingroller 124. Examples of a combing unit are described in greater detail inU.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2017/0127896 andU.S. Patent Application Serial No. 15/492320 . - The
surface cleaning head 100 includes one ormore wheels rear wheels 130 are disposed proximate theback side 114 with smallerrear wheels 132 disposed therebetween on the underside 116 of thehousing 110 and smallerforward wheels 134 are disposed on theunderside 120 of thehousing 110 proximate thefront side 112. Other wheel configurations may also be used. Thewheels surface cleaning head 100 along the surface to be cleaned. The largerrear wheels 130 may also allow the user to easily tilt or pivot the surface cleaning head 100 (e.g.,brush roll 122 and/or the leading roller 124) off of the surface to be cleaned. When thesurface cleaning head 100 is positioned on the surface being cleaned, the leadingroller 124 may also rest on the surface being cleaned, as will be described in greater detail below. - The
surface cleaning head 100 also includes one or morefloor sealing strips underside 120 of thehousing 110 to facilitate sealing against a surface being cleaned (e.g., a hard surface) and to help direct air to the suction conduit opening 111 (seeFIGS. 2 ,4 and10 ). The floor sealing strips 136, 138 may include bristle strips formed by soft bristles or may include fabric material, rubber material, or other material capable of contacting the surface being cleaned to substantially prevent air flow into thesuction conduit opening 111. The sealing strips 136, 138 may also include a combination of elements or materials, such as bristles with a cloth or rubber strip extending along the strip between the bristles (e.g., with the bristles being longer) to improve sealing. - The floor sealing strips 136, 138 may include one or more sections extending downward from the
housing 110 and having a length sufficient to contact a hard surface being cleaned when thesurface cleaning head 100 is supported on the hard surface. In one embodiment, as shown inFIG. 10 , the sealing strips 136, 138 have a length that is greater than the clearance or height H of thesole plate 137 to allow more sealing on a hard surface. The clearance or height H of thesole plate 137 and the extent to which thebrush roll 122 extends beyond the sole plate allow good carpet engagement with thebrush roll 122 but with minimal brush roll engagement of a hard surface. Thus, thebrush roll 122 extends beyond thesole plate 137 at or less than the clearance or height H of thesole plate 137 and the floor sealing strips 136, 138 extend at or greater than the clearance or height H of thesole plate 137. In one example, the clearance or height H of thesole plate 137 is in a range of 1.5 to 7.0 mm, thebrush roll 122 extends beyond the sole plate in a range of 3 to 6 mm, and the floor sealing strips 136, 138 extend in a range of 5 to 10 mm. - In the illustrated embodiment shown in
FIG. 2 , the sealing strips 136, 138 are arranged to provide sealing around a portion of the suction conduit opening 111 while also providing side air passageways as shown byarrows 139. Therear sealing strip 136 extends along a rear side of the suction conduit opening 111 and the side sealing strips 138 extend from therear sealing strip 136 along at least a portion of the sides of thesuction conduit opening 111. Although separate sealing strips are shown, a single sealing strip may extend along both the sides and rear of the suction conduit opening. The leadingroller 124 provides sealing along a front side of the suction conduit opening 111 and the space between the side sealing strips 138 and the leadingroller 124 defines theside air passageways 139, thereby causing directed air flow into the suction conduit opening 111 at a location that facilitates capturing debris in the air flow (e.g., between thebrush roll 122 and the leading roller 124). An increased speed of the air flow directed through theside air passageways 139 also enhances edge cleaning. In the illustrated embodiment, the side sealing strips 138 extend just short of the suction conduit opening 111 to formside air passageways 139 directed laterally toward theopening 111. Other configurations of the sealing strips 136, 138 are also contemplated, for example, the side sealing strips 138 may be longer or shorter. - In an embodiment, the
surface cleaning head 100 includes aremovable cover 140 coupled to thehousing 110 and covering a top of theagitators FIGS. 5 and6 . Thecover 140 is removable to allow access to theagitators agitators cover 140 covers thebrush roll chamber 119 andbrush roll 122 and covers a top portion of the leadingroller 124 leaving a front of the leadingroller 124 exposed. Removing thecover 140 allows access to thebrush roll 122 and the leadingroller 124 for purposes of removing debris such as hair. Thecover 140 may include a transparent window over at least thebrush roll 122 allow visual inspection of thebrush roll 122 during use. - The
cover 140 includes abumper 142 that extends out over the leadingroller 124 and just in front of the leadingroller 124, thereby providing a leading edge. As shown, thebumper 142 may extend laterally along a substantial portion of thefront side 112 and downward proximate each of thesides 116a, 116b. Thebumper 142 may be made of a material that is more compliant and flexible than the other material used for thecover 140 to allow thebumper 142 to flex, for example, when contacting a wall surface. In one example, thecover 140 may be made of a hard plastic or polymer material such as polycarbonate (PC) or acrylonitrile-butadienestyrene (ABS) with thebumper 142 being made of a thermoplastic elastomer such as thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU). - The
bumper 142 is configured to seal partially against a vertical surface (e.g., a wall) during use while forming air flow passageways at certain locations to improve front edge cleaning. When contacting the vertical surface, for example, thebumper 142 will direct air through front edge passageways below the sides of thebumper 142. Thebumper 142 may also include one or more compression elements 143 (e.g., ribs) that form air passageways. When thebumper 142 is pushed against the vertical surface, thecompression elements 143 contact the vertical surface first and push thebumper 142 locally farther back than the rest of thebumper 142, thereby forming a gap on either side of thecompression elements 143. The gaps on either side of thecompression elements 143 form air paths allowing air to be drawn down in front of the leadingroller 124, which may disturb dust and debris so that it can be directed into the air flow path toward thesuction conduit opening 111. - The
removable cover 140 also includes aseal 144 on an underside of thecover 140 and configured to engage thehousing 110 around an upper perimeter of thebrush roll chamber 119 for sealing thebrush roll chamber 119 at the top side of thehousing 110. By sealing thebrush roll chamber 119 at the top side, suction and airflow into the suction conduit opening 111 may be improved. Theremovable cover 140 may be held against thehousing 110 securely to maintain the seal. In the illustrated embodiment, theremovable cover 140 includes one or more tabs 146a-c at a back end of thecover 140 for engaging respective slots 113a-c in thehousing 110 and one ormore protrusions 147 inside thecover 140 at the sides of the front end of thecover 140 for engagingrespective latch fingers 150 at thesides 116a, 116b of thehousing 110. Thelatch fingers 150 may be retracted toward the housing byrespective latch actuators 152 to release and remove thecover 140. - Referring to
FIGS. 7 and8 , an embodiment of the latch mechanism on oneside 116b is shown and described in greater detail. In this embodiment, thelatch finger 150 is at one end of a slidingmember 154 and thelatch actuator 152 is engaged with the other end of the slidingmember 154. Thelatch actuator 152 includes or is connected to aportion 153 extending downward to engage the slidingmember 154. Aresilient member 156, such as a spring, biases the slidingmember 154 and thelatch finger 150 outward and away from thehousing 110 and into engagement with theprotrusion 147 inside thecover 140. Thelatch finger 150 may be retracted against the bias of theresilient member 156 by sliding thelatch actuator 152 rearward in the direction of the arrow. Thelatch finger 150 includes an angledtop surface 151 to allow theprotrusion 147 to slide over thelatch finger 150 and push thelatch finger 150 rearward against the bias of theresilient member 156 when thecover 140 is moved downward into engagement with thehousing 110. When theprotrusion 147 moves beyond thelatch finger 150, thelatch finger 150 will be biased into a position over theprotrusion 147 thereby engaging theprotrusion 147 and holding the front end of thecover 140. Other types of latch mechanisms are also within the scope of the present disclosure. - The latch mechanisms are isolated from the
brush roll chamber 119 and thus do not affect the suction into thesuction conduit opening 111. In particular, thelatch actuator 152 is spaced from the opening to thebrush roll chamber 119 as shown inFIG. 9 . - In the example embodiment, the leading
roller 124 is removable and is held in place by thecover 140. A downwardly extendingportion 148 of thecover 142 at one side engages anon-rotating end 126 of the leading roller 124 (seeFIGS. 5 and7 ). Thenon-rotating end 126 includes atab 128 that extends outward and an inside portion of thecover 140 engages thetab 128 when thecover 140 is held in place by the latch mechanism (seeFIG. 8 ). The leadingroller 124 may be configured to be removed and may have a driven end and non-driven end, for example, similar to the removable brush roll described inU.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016/0220082 . Although thebrush roll 122 in the example embodiment of thesurface cleaning head 100 is not removable, thebrush roll 122 may also be similarly removable in other embodiments. - Referring to
FIGS. 10-13 , other embodiments of thesurface cleaning head 100 may include ashelf structure 160 at a back side of thebrush roll chamber 119. Theshelf structure 160 may have various configurations and shapes but includes at least a surface facing generally downward toward theunderside 120 of thehousing 110 and opposing the rotation of thebrush roll 122. As debris circulates around thebrush roll chamber 119 by rotation of thebrush roll 122, theshelf structure 160 knocks down and de-energizes the debris to facilitate capturing the debris in the air flow through the suction conduit, as shown by the arrows. Although theshelf structure 160 is shown in the illustrated embodiment of thesurface cleaning head 100 includingdual agitators roller 124. - In this embodiment, a
vacuum channel 162 extends from the back side of thebrush roll chamber 119 to further define the suction conduit. Thus, the suction conduit passes from the suction conduit opening 111 through a portion of thebrush roll chamber 119 and through thevacuum channel 162. The illustrated embodiment of thevacuum channel 162 includes a flaredmouth 164 at the intersection with thebrush roll chamber 119, which provides a dirty air inlet that receives dirt and debris together with air being drawn through the suction conduit. As shown inFIGS. 10 and11 , theshelf structure 160 may extend into at least a portion of the flaredmouth 164 of thevacuum channel 162. -
FIGS. 12 and 13 show the portion of thehousing 110a that defines the back side of the brush roll chamber and the flaredmouth 164 of thevacuum channel 162. As shown inFIGS. 12 and 13 , theshelf structure 160 may includeshelf portions 160a extending into the flaredmouth 164 andshelf portions 160b extending along at least a portion of the back side of the brush roll chamber. Theshelf structure 160 may have a depth of about 5-10 mm and a height of about 12-20 mm. Theshelf portions 160a extending into the flaredmouth 164 may be deeper than theshelf portions 160b extending along the back side of the brush roll chamber. - Referring to
FIG. 14 , embodiments of thesurface cleaning head 100 may also include driving thebrush roll 122 and the leadingroller 124 at opposite ends. Adrive mechanism 170 directly drives thebrush roll 122 at a first brush roll end 121 (e.g., via a first drive belt 172) and the leadingroller 124 is driven at a secondleading roller end 127 from a secondbrush roll end 123 of the brush roll 122 (e.g., via a second drive belt 174). Thedrive mechanism 170 includes adrive motor 171 for providing the rotation and first andsecond drive belts roller 124 at the opposite end, the leadingroller 124 is not required to be offset and may be more centrally located in thehousing 110. - Referring to
FIGS. 15 and 16 , embodiments of thesurface cleaning head 100 may also include a motion-actuatedbleed valve 180. The motion-actuatedbleed valve 180 includes a pivotingactuator 181 including surface engaging elements 182 (shown inFIGS. 2 and4 ), such as stiff bristles, configured to catch on a surface being cleaned during a pull stroke. The pivotingactuator 181 is coupled to a pivotingvalve member 184 that covers aport 186 in a side of thevacuum channel 162. The pivotingvalve member 184 is biased into a closed position covering theport 186, for example, by a resilient member (not shown) such as a torsion spring. When thesurface engaging elements 182 catch on a surface during the pull stroke, the pivotingactuator 181 pivots and causes thevalve member 184 to pivot away from theport 186, thereby allowing air to flow or bleed out of thevacuum channel 162. This air flow reduces the suction and makes it easier to pull the surface cleaning head 100 (i.e., when attached to wand of a vacuum cleaner). The bleed valve is useful on heavier upright vacuum cleaners especially with higher suction resulting, for example, from the techniques described herein. -
FIG. 17 illustrates one type ofvacuum cleaner 1700 that may include asurface cleaning head 1702, consistent with the embodiments described herein. Thesurface cleaning head 1702 with the leadingroller 1724 may be used on a sticktype vacuum cleaner 1700 with aremovable handheld vacuum 1701 coupled at one end of awand 1704, such as the type described inU.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2015/0135474 . The surface cleaning head with the leading roller may also be used on an upright vacuum cleaner (not shown) with a removable canister coupled to a wand, such as the type described inU.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2015/0351596 . A surface cleaning head consistent with embodiments described herein may also be used in a robotic vacuum cleaner such as the type described inU.S. Patent Application Serial No. 62/511 099 - Accordingly, embodiments of a surface cleaning head, consistent with the present disclosure, may be capable of improved suction and air flow, improved front and edge cleaning, improved versatility on both carpets and hard surfaces, improved access to dual agitators for cleaning and removal, and/or improved maneuverability.
- 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 as to the scope of the invention. Other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of the present invention in addition to the exemplary embodiments shown and described herein. Modifications and substitutions by one of ordinary skill in the art are considered to be within the scope of the present invention, which is not to be limited except by the following claims.
Claims (15)
- A surface cleaning head (100) comprising:a housing (110) having a front side (112), a back side (114), a first lateral side (116a) and a second lateral side (116b), the housing (110) defining a suction conduit with a suction conduit opening (111) on an underside (120) of the housing (110) between the front side (112) and the back side (114);a brush roll (122) rotatably mounted to the housing (110) within a brush roll chamber (119), wherein the suction conduit passes through the brush roll chamber (119) and at least a portion of the brush roll (122) is proximate the opening (111) of the suction conduit;a leading roller (124) mounted to the housing (110) in front of the brush roll (122);a removable cover (140) removably coupled to the housing (110) for covering the brush roll chamber (119) and the brush roll (122) and at least partially covering the leading roller (124); andat least one latching mechanism configured to engage the removable cover (140) to removably couple the cover (140) to the housing (110), characterized by the fact that the latching mechanism includes:a latch finger (150) configured to engage the removable cover (140) proximate the front side (112) of the housing (110) when the removable cover (140) is coupled to the housing (110); anda latch actuator (152) disposed on the housing proximate the back side (114) of the housing (110) and configured to retract the latch finger (150) and release the cover (140).
- The surface cleaning head (100) of claim 1 wherein the latching mechanism includes first and second latching mechanisms proximate the first lateral side (116a) and the second lateral side (116b), respectively.
- The surface cleaning head (100) of claim 1 wherein the latching mechanism is isolated from the brush roll chamber (119).
- The surface cleaning head (100) of claim 1 wherein the removable cover (140) includes at least one tab (128) extending from a back portion of the removable cover (140) for engaging at least one slot (113a-c) formed in the housing (110) and a protrusion (147) inside the removable cover (140) at one side of the front end of the cover (140) for engaging the latch finger (150).
- The surface cleaning head (100) of claim 4, wherein the latch finger (150) is at one end of a sliding member (154) and the latch actuator (152) is engaged with the other end of the sliding member (154).
- The surface cleaning head (100) of claim 5, wherein the latch actuator (152) includes or is connected to a portion extending downward to engage the sliding member (154).
- The surface cleaning head (100) of claim 5 or claim 6, wherein a resilient member (156) biases the sliding member (154) and the latch finger (150) outward and away from the housing (110) and into engagement with the protrusion (147) inside the cover (140).
- The surface cleaning head (100) of claim 7, wherein the latch finger (150) includes an angled top surface (151) to allow the protrusion (147) to slide over the latch finger (150) and push the latch finger (150) rearward against the bias of the resilient member (156) when the removable cover (140) is moved downward into engagement with the housing (110).
- The surface cleaning head (100) of claim 1 wherein the removable cover (140) includes a seal that engages a perimeter of the housing (110) around the brush roll chamber (119).
- The surface cleaning head (100) of claim 1 wherein the leading roller (124) is removable when the removable cover (140) is removed and wherein the removable cover (140) engages at least one end of the leading roller (124) and holds the leading roller (124) in the housing (110) when the removable cover (140) is secured to the housing (110).
- The surface cleaning head (100) of claim 1 wherein the removable cover (140) includes a bumper (142) located at the front side (112) of the housing (110) when the removable cover (140) is coupled to the housing (110).
- The surface cleaning head (100) of claim 11 wherein the bumper (142) includes at least a portion that extends in front of the leading roller (124).
- The surface cleaning head (100) of claim 1, wherein:the brush roll (122) is rotatably mounted to the housing (110) within the brush roll chamber (119) such that a first brush roll end is proximate the first lateral side (116a) and a second brush roll end is proximate the second lateral side (116b);the leading roller (124) is mounted to the housing (110) in front of the brush roll (122) such that a first leading roller end is proximate the first lateral side (116a) and a second leading roller end is proximate the second lateral side (116b);the surface cleaning head (100) further comprising a drive mechanism (170) coupled to the first brush roll end for rotating the brush roll (122), wherein the second brush roll end of the brush roll (122) is coupled to the second leading roller end of the leading roller (124) for transferring rotation from the brush roll (122) to the leading roller (124), the drive mechanism (170) including a drive motor (171).
- The surface cleaning head (100) of claim 13, wherein the drive motor (170) is coupled to the first brush roll end via a first drive belt (172), and wherein the second brush roll end is coupled to the second leading roller end via a second drive belt (174).
- The surface cleaning head (100) of claim 13, wherein the leading roller (124) is centrally located between the first lateral side (116a) and the second lateral side (116b).
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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US15/685,456 US10702108B2 (en) | 2015-09-28 | 2017-08-24 | Surface cleaning head for vacuum cleaner |
PCT/US2018/047525 WO2019040623A2 (en) | 2017-08-24 | 2018-08-22 | Surface cleaning head for vacuum cleaner |
Publications (3)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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EP3681362A2 EP3681362A2 (en) | 2020-07-22 |
EP3681362A4 EP3681362A4 (en) | 2021-08-11 |
EP3681362B1 true EP3681362B1 (en) | 2022-11-02 |
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EP18848114.7A Active EP3681362B1 (en) | 2017-08-24 | 2018-08-22 | Surface cleaning head for vacuum cleaner |
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EP (1) | EP3681362B1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP7014890B2 (en) |
KR (1) | KR102369220B1 (en) |
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AU (3) | AU2018321947B2 (en) |
CA (1) | CA3073677C (en) |
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-
2018
- 2018-08-22 WO PCT/US2018/047525 patent/WO2019040623A2/en unknown
- 2018-08-22 AU AU2018321947A patent/AU2018321947B2/en active Active
- 2018-08-22 KR KR1020207006909A patent/KR102369220B1/en active IP Right Grant
- 2018-08-22 CA CA3073677A patent/CA3073677C/en active Active
- 2018-08-22 EP EP18848114.7A patent/EP3681362B1/en active Active
- 2018-08-22 JP JP2020510098A patent/JP7014890B2/en active Active
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WO2019040623A2 (en) | 2019-02-28 |
AU2018321947A1 (en) | 2020-03-05 |
AU2022204276A1 (en) | 2022-07-21 |
CN209437157U (en) | 2019-09-27 |
JP7014890B2 (en) | 2022-02-01 |
EP3681362A2 (en) | 2020-07-22 |
CN109419448A (en) | 2019-03-05 |
JP2020531128A (en) | 2020-11-05 |
AU2018321947B2 (en) | 2021-04-01 |
CA3073677C (en) | 2022-06-28 |
CN114521827A (en) | 2022-05-24 |
CN114521827B (en) | 2024-02-27 |
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