GB2214787A

GB2214787A - Vacuum cleaner nozzle

Info

Publication number: GB2214787A
Application number: GB8802748A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Wilfried Kraemer; Hans-Joachim Steudtner
Original assignee: Wessel Werk GmbH
Current assignee: Wessel Werk GmbH
Priority date: 1988-02-06
Filing date: 1988-02-06
Publication date: 1989-09-13
Also published as: GB8802748D0; NL8800276A; CH674452A5; FR2627072B3; FR2627072A1

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner nozzle has a body (1, 3) with a suction orifice (2) on its underside. Alongside this is mounted a strip (5) which will brush or lightly scrape the surface to be cleaned. It has a relatively hard backing portion (7), by which it is secured to the body, and a relatively soft skirt (8) joined to it by a thin web (9) which allows the skirt to flex. The movement towards the orifice (2) is limited by stops (10) on the underside of the body (1) or by a formation (11) on the skirt (8) itself which engages the backing portion (7). The strip can be made integrally from different materials. <IMAGE>

Description

Improvements relating to Vacuum Cleaner Nozzles This invention relates to vacuum cleaner nozzles.

It is concerned with those hdving a strip mounted alongside the suction orifice for co-operating with the surface to be cleaned.

Such strips are known, and generally they are resiliently flexible and made of rubber or soft plastics material. Normally, the suction orifice is elongated and extends transversely to the normal direction of motion over the surface to be cleaned. The strip is mounted to the rear of the orifice and will usually extend over its entire length. As the nozzle is moved over a surface the bottom of the strip engages that surface, which causes the strip to flex backwards and forwards, the amount of flexure depending on the friction. The air flow is improved and concentrated and, with carpets, the strip spreads out the pile, tends to loosen dirt clinging to the fibres and generally makes suction cleaning easier and more efficient.

However, such strips are subject to wear, and it is desirable to use an abrasion resistant material.

However, that tends to be inflexible and increases the resistance to movement. But if a more flexible rubber or plastics material is used, there tends to be too much wear, and fastening the strip to the nozzle body is difficult and costly.

If one then reverts to stiffer material and makes the strip thinner at least in the skirt which actually engages the surface to be cleaned, the flexibility allows the skirt to be drawn excessively towards the suction orifice and it loses its effectiveness.

It is the aim of this invention to provide a strip which can go some way towards answering these problems.

According to the present invention there is provided a vacuum cleaner nozzle having a nozzle body with a suction orifice, and a strip mounted alongside the orifice for co-operating with the surface to he cleaned, the strip having a relatively hard backing portion by which it is secured to the body and a relatively soft skirt portion, flexible about its junction with the backing portion, there being means for limiting flexure of the skirt towards said orifice.

Conveniently, the junction is formed by a web thinner than the backing and skirt portions.

The limiting means may be a formation on the underside of the nozzle body between the orifice and the strip, or a projection on the side of the skirt portion adjacent the orifice, this projection being arranged to abut the backing portion when the skirt portion flexes a predetermined amount. A similar projection may be provided on the other side of the skirt portion to limit flexure in the opposite direction.

The strip may be of composite construction, and yet be formed in one operation by pressing or extrusion moulding. PreferaDiy, cne backing portion Is OL hls G PVC and the skirt portion of polyurethane.

For a better understanding of the invention, some embodiments will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an underneath plan view of a vacuum cleaner nozzle, Figure 2 is a cross section on the nozzle of the line Il-Il of Figure 1, and Figures 3 to 6 are cross sectioned perspective views of strips which can form part of the nozzle assembly.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the nozzle has a shaped plate 1 on its underside with an elongate suction orifice 2, this plate being secured below a hood 3 which couples to a swivel joint socket 4 at the rear. A strip 5 is secured to the plate 1 to extend parallel to the orifice 2 over its entire length and, in its relaxed condition, to project just proud of the orifice in the downward direction, as indicated by the chain dotted line in Figure 2. The rear edge portion of the plate 1 is formed with a square-section groove 6 into which is fitted a correspondingly shaped backing portion 7 of the strip 5. A skirt 8 is joined to the backing portion 7 by a thin web 9, which allows the skirt to flex towards and away from the orifice 2.To prevent excessive flexure towards the orifice, the plate 1 has a number of stops 10 formed on it adjacent the mouth of tne groove 6.

This form of strip is shown more clearly in Figure 3, and there is a modification of it in Figure 6 where, instead of the skirt 8 being central of the backing portion 7 it is joined to one side.

But instead of having stops 10, the strip itself may be self-limiting, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. In Figure 4, one side of the strip 8 is formed at its upper edge portion on one side with a projecting triangular section rib 7. When the skirt 8 is in the relaxed position, the upper side of this rib 11 is parallel to the underside of the backing portion 7 and spaced from it by a distance corresponding to the span of the web 9.

But on flexure in one direction, as shown by chain dotted lines, the nose of this rib 11 will engage the backing portion 7 and act as a stop.

In Figure 5, this arrangement is doubl#ed, with ribs 11 on both sides to limit flexure in both directions.

In all these arrangements, the backing portion 7 will be of a harder material than the skirt 8, which will be of soft wear resistant material. This hardness of the portion 7 makes it easier to fix securely in the groove 6. It is possible to form the strip in one pressing or moulding operation using different plastics materials in the different portions. Hard PVC will be preferred for the #a Ai?:# portion, while the s sk@@ may fTi## be of polyurethane, which has good anti-wear properties, or of a softer grade of PVC.

Although reference is made above and in the claims just to vacuum cleaner nozzles, it will be understood that the strip is applicable to any vacuum cleaning orifice, with or without auxiliary brushes.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner nozzle having a nozzle body mit @@@@@@@@@@@, and strip monunted alongside the orifice for co-operating with the surface to be cleaned, the strip having a relatively hard backing portion by which it is secured to the body and a relatively soft skirt portion, flexible about its junction with the backing portion, there being means for limiting flexure of the skirt towards said orifice.

2. A nozzle as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said junction is formed by a web thinner than said backing and skirt portions.

3. A nozzle as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the limiting means is a formation on the underside of the nozzle body between the orifice and the strip.

4. A nozzle as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, wherein the limiting means is a projection on the side of the skirt portion adjacent the orifice, this projection being arranged to abut the backing portion when the skirt portion flexes a predetermined amount.

5. A nozzle as claimed in Claim 4, wherein a similar projection is provided on the other side of the skirt portion to limit flexure in the opposite direction.

6. A nozzle as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the strip is of composite construction, the backing portion being of hard PVC and the skirt portion of polyurethane.

7 ss nozzle flI ,gler; is claim 6 wherein the IL strip is formed in one operation by pressing or extrusion moulding.

8. A vacuum cleaner nozzle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 3, with or without the modifications of Figures 4 to 6.