GB2453618A

GB2453618A - Nozzle unit for a vacuum cleaner

Info

Publication number: GB2453618A
Application number: GB0812934A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dong-Houn Yang; Hiroyuki Uratani; Hyun-Ju Lee
Original assignee: Samsung Gwangju Electronics Co Ltd
Current assignee: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Priority date: 2007-10-08
Filing date: 2008-07-15
Publication date: 2009-04-15
Also published as: KR20090036020A; GB0812934D0; RU2008130498A; US20090089967A1

Abstract

A nozzle unit 10 for a vacuum cleaner comprising a body 12 with an air inlet 16 and a brush unit 30 having a liftable brush 32 in front of the air inlet. The air inlet 16 may have a front part located higher than a rear part with respect to the surface to be cleaned. Preferably the liftable brush 32 has a brush body, a guide member to accommodate the brush body and a resilient member biasing the brush in an outwardly direction. The nozzle unit may also have a fixed brush 30, preferably comprising a rubber blade which may have a plurality of protrusions on its front surface. A roller unit 50 may be provided which could have a centre which is higher than the fixing centre of the liftable and fixed brushes. The application also claims for a nozzle unit comprising a body, an air inlet, a liftable brush with resilient member and a fixed brush.

Description

Nozzle Unit for a Vacuum Cleaner This invention relates to a vacuum cleaner, and in particular to a nozzle unit for use in a vacuum cleaner, which nozzle unit can clean a surface to be cleaned having a corner portion, such as a staircase where a horizontal surface and a vertical surface meet.

In general, a vacuum cleaner generates a suction force by using a suction motor, so that it draws in dirt or dust (hereinafter "dust") from a surface to be cleaned, thereby cleaning that surface. Such a vacuum cleaner has a nozzle unit, which draws in the dust from the surface to be cleaned when it moves over that surface. The nozzle unit is usually provided with an air inlet formed in a bottom surface thereof to draw in the dust from the surface to be cleaned. The nozzle unit is also usually provided with a fixed brush or a rotatable drum brush disposed in the vicinity of the air inlet to brush up the dust.

Such a nozzle unit is, however, disadvantageous in that, although it is effective in brushing away dust from a surface to be cleaned, such as a floor or a carpet, it is difficult to remove dust adhered to a surface having a corner portion, such as a staircase.

To address this problem, a conventional vacuum cleaner is provided with a nozzle unit and an accessory nozzle for staircases, the accessory nozzle being selectively mounted to a hose or an extension tube.

Accessory nozzles for staircases are known as plate-bottom surface nozzles and a shutter function nozzles.

A plate-bottom surface nozzle is disadvantageous in that, although it can clean vertical surfaces and horizontal surfaces of a staircase, it cannot draw in air or exert a suction force in the vicinity of the corner portion of a staircase, thereby preventing the corner portion being cleaned properly.

I

The shutter function nozzle is provided with a suction shutter, which is rotatable through an angle of 90° by a lever. Thus, the shutter function nozzle can clean a surface to be cleaned by changing the air-suction angle of the suction shutter, using the lever, according to a change in the angle of that surface However, in this case, there is difficulty in that, in order to change the air-suction angle, the suction shutter should be manually rotated by the lever whenever the angle of the surface to be cleaned is changed.

In addition, when a corner portion is to be cleaned, this type of nozzle cannot draw in air or exert a suction force, thereby preventing the corner portion being cleaned properly.

An aim of the present invention is to provide a nozzle unit for a vacuum cleaner which is capable of automatically adjusting an air-suction angle according to the angle of a surface to be cleaned so that dust can be cleaned from a corner portion defined by a horizontal surface and a vertical surface, or at the corner of a room, etc. The present invention provides a nozzle unit for a vacuum cleaner, the nozzle unit comprising: a body having an air inlet formed in a bottom surface thereof to draw in air; and a brush unit having a liftable brush liftably and lowerably disposed in the body in front of the air inlet for coming into contact with a surface to be cleaned to brush up dust therefrom.

Preferably, but not necessarily, the air inlet is formed so that, when the body is in a horizontal-surface-cleaning position, a front part thereof is located higher than a rear part thereof with respect to the surface to be cleaned.

Preferably, but not necessarily, the liftable brush comprises a brush body having a brush attached to a lower part thereof, a guide member to accommodate the brush body and to guide lifting and lowering movement of the brush body, and a resilient member for resiliently urging the brush body in a direction tending to bring the brush into contact with the surface to be cleaned.

The brush unit may further comprise a fixed brush fixedly disposed on the nozzle body at the rear of the air inlet, the fixed brush being arranged to come into contact with the surface to be cleaned to bush up dust therefrom. In this case, the fixed brush may be a rubber blade. Preferably, the rubber blade has a plurality of protrusions formed on a front surface thereof.

In a preferred embodiment, the nozzle unit further comprises a roller unit, having at least one roller rotatably disposed on the body, to come into rolling contact with the surface to be cleaned.

In this case, the or each roller may be disposed so that the centre thereof is higher than fixing centres of the liftable brush and the fixed brush. Accordingly, during cleaning, when the body moves back and forth while pivoting or rotating on a centre axis of the roller unit, fixing points of the liftable brush and the fixed brush are located as low down as possible, that is close to surface to be cleaned, thereby preventing the liftable brush and the fixed brush from moving away from the surface to be cleaned, which would weaken the suction force.

The invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a nozzle unit of a vacuum cleaner, the nozzle unit being constructed in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a side elevation of the nozzle unit of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a cross-section taken on the line Ill-Ill of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a partial perspective view of a fixed brush of the nozzle unit of Figure 3; Figures 5A and 5B are side elevations showing how the nozzle unit of Figure 1 is used; and Figure 6 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner provided with the nozzle unit of Figure 1.

Throughout the drawings, the same reference numerals will be understood to refer to the same elements, features, and structures.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 6 shows a vacuum cleaner 100 provided with a nozzle unit 10 capable of cleaning a surface having a corner portion, such as a staircase or the corner of a room. The nozzle unit 10 draws in dust-carrying air via an extension tube 82 which connects the nozzle unit and a cleaner body 130 together. The cleaner body 130 is divided into a dust-separating chamber 135 and a motor chamber 131.

Figure 1 shows the nozzle unit 10 positioned on a surface to be cleaned, in which a bottom surface 14 of the body 12 of the unit is exposed for the purpose of illustration.

Figure 2 shows the nozzle unit 10 in a horizontal surface-cleaning position where it is inclined in an angle of approximately 45°.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the nozzle unit 10 includes the body 12, a brush unit 30, and a roller unit 50.

The inside of the body 12 has an air passage (not illustrated) through which the dust-carrying air drawn in through an air inlet 16 flows. The rear of the body 12 has a connector 80 to join with an extension tube 82 of the vacuum cleaner 100. t I

The air inlet 16 is elongately formed in the bottom surface 14 of the body 12. As illustrated in Figure 3, in order to facilitate drawing in of the dust-carrying air from the front of the body 12, the air inlet 16 is formed so that, when the body is in a horizontal-surface-cleaning position, a front part 1 6a thereof is located higher than a rear part 1 6b thereof with respect to the surface to be cleaned. Accordingly, during cleaning, the dust-carrying air is drawn in through the air inlet 16, and flows into the cleaner body 130 through the connector 80 and the extension tube 82.

The brush unit 30, which is used to brush up dust adhered to the surface to be cleaned, includes a liftable brush 32 and a fixed brush 38. The liftable brush 32 is disposed in the body 12 in front of the air inlet 16, and is provided (see Figure 3) with a brush body 33, a guide member 34, and a resilient member 35. The brush body 33 has a brush 36 attached to a lower part thereof, the brush coming, in use, into contact with a surface to be cleaned to brush away the dust therefrom. The guide member 34 is a U-shaped plate formed in the body 12, and accommodates the brush body 33 to guide lifting and lowering movements of the brush body. The resilient member 35 is constituted by a predetermined number of compression springs disposed between an upper surface of the brush body 33 and a spring mount 37 of the body 12, and resiliently urges the brush body downwards, so that the centre of the brush body is located at a first point P1. The first point P1 is located at a distance dl from a line which extends vertically from the centre axis 56 of first and second rollers 52 and 54 to be described below.

Accordingly, as the body 12 is moved in the direction of the arrow A of Figure 2 by a user, the brush 36 of the brush body 33 comes into contact with a surface to be cleaned, so that it is pushed upwards. Thus, the brush body 33 is lifted upwards along the guide member 34 against the force of the resilient member 35, so that the operation height of the brush 36 is automatically adjusted. As the body 12 is moved in the direction of the arrow B of Figure 2 by the user, the brush 36 of the brush body 33 moves away from the surface to be cleaned. Thus, the brush body 33 is lowered downwards along the guide member 34 by the resilient force of the resilient member 35, so that the operation height of the brush 36 is automatically adjusted. Accordingly, the front part I 6a of the air inlet 16 is maintained in a position where it is closed by the liftable brush 32, thereby allowing the suction force of the nozzle unit 10 to be uniformly maintained.

The fixed brush 38 is fixedly disposed at a second point P2 of the body 12, P2 being spaced from the centre axis 56 of the first and the second rollers 52 and 54 by a distance d2. The distance d2 is less than the distance dl. The fixed brush 38 comes in contact with the surface to be cleaned to brush away the dust therefrom. Preferably, but not necessarily, the fixed brush 38 is a rubber brush. As illustrated in Figure 4, the rubber brush 38 has a plurality of conical protrusions 39 formed on a front surface thereof, so that when cleaning a carpet, it can scrape off dust from the tufts of a carpet.

Hereinafter, the reason why the liftable brush 32 is liftably and lowerably disposed and the fixed brush 38 is fixedly disposed will be described in detail.

As described above, the liftable brush 32 is liftably and lowerably disposed at the point P1, which is located the distance dl from the centre axis 56 of first and second rollers 52 and 54, and the fixed brush 38 is fixedly disposed at the point P2, which is located the distance d2, which is less than the stance dl, from the centre axis of first and second rollers.

Accordingly, during cleaning, when the body 12 is moved backwards and forwards, while pivoting or rotating about the centre axis 56 of the first and the second rollers 52 and 54, the front part 1 6a of the air inlet 16 moves up and down to a greater extent than the rear part I 6b. In addition, in order to facilitate drawing in of dust-carrying air from the front of the body 12, the air inlet 16 is fonned so that, when the body is in a horizontal-surface-cleaning position, the front part 1 6a is higher than the rear part 1 6b with respect to the surface to be cleaned.

If the front part 16a of the air inlet 16 is lifted and the liftable brush 32 is not lowered, the front part of the air inlet would be opened, so that the suction force of the nozzle unit 10 would decrease, thereby leading to reduced suction efficiency of the nozzle unit.

However, since the liftable brush 32 is lifted and lowered automatically to adjust its height, the problem described above is prevented. At this time, since the rear part I 6b of the air inlet 16 moves up and down through a relatively small range, the problem of the rear part being opened does not occur, even though the fixed brush 38 is fixedly disposed.

The roller unit 50 includes the first and second rollers 52 and 54, which are rotatably disposed on the body 12 at both sides of the air inlet 16. When the body 12 is moved along the surface to be cleaned, the first and second rollers 52 and 54 come into rolling contact with the surface to be cleaned, so that the body 12 can smoothly move along that surface.

The first and second rollers 52 and 54 are disposed so that the centre axis 56 is higher than fixing points P1 and P2 of the liftable brush 32 and the fixed brush 38. Thus, the points P1 and P2 of the liftable brush 32 and the fixed brush 38 are positioned as low down as possible, that is close to the surface to be cleaned, thereby preventing the liftable brush 32 and the fixed brush 38 from moving away from the surface to be cleaned, which Operation of the nozzle unit 10 will now be explained in detail with reference to Figures 1 to 6.

First, to clean dust from a surface to be cleaned, particularly a staircase, the user contacts the brush unit 30 of the body 12 with the staircase. At the same time, the user actuates the vacuum cleaner 100 while moving the body 12 backwards and forwards and left and right.

The motor 120 of the cleaner body 130 is then operated to generate a suction force.

Accordingly, dust-carrying air is drawn into the air passage of the body 12, through the air inlet 16 and then flows into the cleaner body 130 through the extension tube 82. Dust is removed from the air flowing into the cleaner body 130 in the dust-collecting chamber 135, and air is discharged to the outside.

If for example, a horizontal surface of the staircase is to be cleaned, the body 12 (see Figure 2) is moved back and forth while pivoting or rotating on the centre axis 56 of the first and the second rollers 52 and 54 in the direction of the arrows A and B, respectively.

In this case, as described above with reference to Figures 2 and 3, the liftable brush 32 comes in contact with the horizontal surface to brush up the dust therefrom, while automatically adjusting the height thereof; and the fixed brush 38 comes in contact with the horizontal surface to brush up the dust therefrom.

If a corner portion of the staircase is to be cleaned, the body 12 (see Figure 5A) is moved left and right (into and out of the page, respectively), while the lower end of a front surface I 2a of the body comes in contact with a vertical surface of the staircase; and the fixed brush 38 comes in contact with the adjacent horizontal surface, so that the lower end of the front surface 12a and the fixed brush 38 form a suction space therebetween. At this time, the liftable brush 32 projects from the bottom surface 14 of the body 12 under the force of the resilient member 35, and is located a little apart from the corner portion of the staircase.

As illustrated in Figure SB, if the vertical surface of the staircase is to be cleaned, the body 12 is moved up and down, by manipulating the extension tube 82, in a position where, at an upper side thereof, the fixed brush 38 comes in contact with the vertical surface; and, at a lower side thereof, the liftable brush 32 comes in contact with the vertical surface. At this time, the liftable brush 32 comes in contact with the vertical surface to brush away the dust therefrom, while automatically adjusting the height thereof, and the fixed brush 38 comes in contact with the vertical surface in the fixed state to brush away the dust therefrom.

As described above, since the nozzle unit 10 is provided with the liftable brush 32 liftably and lowerably disposed in the body 12 in front of the air inlet 16, and the fixed brush 38 fixedly disposed on the body, it can automatically adjust an air-suction angle which draws dust-carrying air from a surface to be cleaned, according to the operation angle thereof.

As a result, even though the operation angle is changed to accommodate the angle of a surface to be cleaned, the nozzle unit 10 can maintain a uniform suction force, without opening the front part I 6a and/or the rear part I 6b of the air inlet 16.

As will be apparent from the foregoing description, the nozzle unit 10 is provided with the liftable brush 32 liftably and lowerably disposed in the body 12 in front of the air inlet 16, so that the height thereof can be automatically adjusted according the operation angle of the nozzle unit, thereby allowing the nozzle unit to adjust the air-suction angle.

Accordingly, the nozzle unit 10 automatically adjusts the air-suction angle according to the change in angle of the surface to be cleaned, thereby allowing dust easily to be cleaned from the surface to be cleaned from vertical surfaces, horizontal surfaces and corner portions, particularly where vertical surfaces meet horizontal surfaces, such as on a staircase. The nozzle unit 10 also facilitates cleaning in the corner of a room.

The nozzle unit 10 is provided with the fixed brush 38 fixedly disposed on the body 12 at the rear of the air inlet 16, the fixed brush having the plurality of protrusions 39 formed on the front surface thereof. Accordingly, the nozzle unit 10 can easily clean dust from a surface to be cleaned such as the carpet, as well as cleaning a staircase.

Although an exemplary embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiment. It will be understood that various modifications and changes can be made by one skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims. Therefore, it shall be considered that such modifications, changes and equivalents thereof are all included within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

Claims 1. A nozzle unit for a vacuum cleaner, the nozzle unit comprising: a body having an air inlet formed in a bottom surface thereof to draw in air; and a brush unit having a liftable brush liftably and lowerably disposed in the body in front of the air inlet for coming into contact with a surface to be cleaned to brush up dust therefrom.
2. A nozzle unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the air inlet is formed so that, when the body is in a horizontal-surface-cleaning position, a front part thereof is located higher than a rear part thereof with respect to the surface to be cleaned.
3. A nozzle unit as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the liftable brush comprises: a brush body having a brush attached to a lower part thereof, a guide member to accommodate the brush body and to guide lifting and lowering movement of the brush body; and a resilient member for resiliently urging the brush body in a direction tending to bring the brush into contact with the surface to be cleaned.
4. A nozzle unit as claimed in any one of claims I to 3, wherein the brush unit further comprises a fixed brush fixedly disposed on the nozzle body at the rear of the air inlet, the fixed brush being arranged to come into contact with the surface to be cleaned to brush up dust therefrom.
5. A nozzle unit as claimed in claim 4, wherein the fixed brush comprises a rubber blade.
6. A nozzle unit as claimed in claim 5, wherein the rubber blade has a plurality of protrusions formed on a front surface thereof.
7. A nozzle as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a roller unit having at least one roller rotatably disposed on the body, to come into rolling contact with the surface to be cleaned.
8. A nozzle unit as claimed in claim 7, wherein the or each roller is disposed so that the centre thereof is higher than fixing centres of the liftable brush and the fixed brush.
9. A nozzle unit for a vacuum cleaner, the nozzle unit comprising: a body having an air inlet formed in a bottom surface thereof to draw in air; a liftable brush having a brush and a resilient member, the resilient member resiliently urging the brush in a direction tending to bring the brush into contact with a surface to be cleaned, the liftable brush being disposed in the body in front of the air inlet; and a fixed brush fixedly disposed on the nozzle body at the rear of the air inlet, the fixed brush being arranged to come into contact with the surface to be cleaned to brush up dust therefrom.
10. A nozzle unit as claimed in claim 9, wherein the air inlet is formed so that, when the body is in a horizontal-surface-cleaning position, a front part thereof is located higher than a rear part thereof, with respect to the surface to be cleaned.
11. A nozzle unit as claimed in claim 9 or claim 10, wherein the liftable brush further comprises: a brush body having the brush attached to a lower part thereof and a guide member to accommodate the brush body and to guide lifting and lowering movement of the brush body.
12. A nozzle unit as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the fixed brush comprises a rubber blade.
13. A nozzle unit as claimed in claim 12, wherein the rubber blade has a plurality of protrusions formed on a front surface thereof.
14. A nozzle unit as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 13, further comprising a roller unit, having at least one roller rotatably disposed on the body, to come into rolling contact with the surface to be cleaned.
15. A nozzle unit as claimed in claim 14, wherein the or each roller is disposed so that the centre thereof is higher than fixing centres of the liftable brush and the fixed brush.
16. A nozzle unit as claimed in claim 14 or claim 15, wherein the or each roller is disposed so that the centre thereof is closer to the fixing centre of the liftable brush than to the fixing centre of the fixed brush.
17. A nozzle unit substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated by, the drawings.
18. A vacuum cleaner as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated by, the drawings.