GB2583158A

GB2583158A - Vacuum cleaner head

Info

Publication number: GB2583158A
Application number: GB1916359.1A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Anthony Denny Bassett Alexander; Yao Bin; Zhou Hui
Original assignee: Conta sro
Current assignee: Conta sro
Priority date: 2019-04-17
Filing date: 2019-11-11
Publication date: 2020-10-21
Anticipated expiration: 2039-11-11
Also published as: CN111820813B; GB201916359D0; GB2583158B; CN111820813A

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner head comprises an elongate suction mouth 12 on its underside, through which dirt and dust is drawn in to the vacuum cleaner during use, the vacuum cleaner head comprising an elongate floor cleaning roller 13 mounted across or adjacent the suction mouth, means for rotating the roller about its longitudinal axis and an elongate roller cleaning member 190, wherein the head has a first mode of operation in which the roller is rotated in a first direction with the elongate roller cleaning member in contact therewith, and a second mode of operation in which the roller is rotated in an opposite second direction with the elongate roller cleaning member in contact therewith. The second mode of cleaning may be a roller cleaning mode and in the second mode the speed of rotation of the roller is preferably different to the speed of the roller in the first mode.

Description

VACUUM CLEANER HEAD

This invention relates to a cleaning head for a vacuum cleaner.

Vacuum cleaners are known which comprise a floor-engaging head, through which dirt and dust from the floor surface is drawn into the cleaner by an airflow that is induced by a motor and a fan unit disposed inside a body of the vacuum cleaner. Generally, such floor cleaning heads comprise an elongate suction mouth on their underside, which extends perpendicular to the normal direction of movement of the vacuum cleaner head during use.

It is well known to mount a roller on the underside of vacuum cleaner heads, the roller extending across or adjacent the suction mouth, so as to enhance the cleaning provided by the vacuum cleaner. In use, the roller is driven to engage the floor surface, so as to clean the surface and to direct any dirt or dust towards the suction mouth, where it is then subsequently drawn into the vacuum cleaner by the induced airflow. In a vacuum cleaner head specifically intended to clean carpets, the roller is a so-called agitator having radially-projecting bristles and/or beaters which extend longitudinally of the agitator and which act to sweep and beat the carpet in a manner which separates the carpet pile, so that engrained dirt and dust can be drawn from the carpet by the induced airflow.

A problem with such agitators and other cleaning rollers is that hairs, threads and other fibrous matter become wrapped around the roller during cleaning, to the extent that the cleaning efficiency of the vacuum cleaner deteriorates. Accordingly, it is necessary for a user to regularly clean the roller in order to maintain the cleaning efficiency of the vacuum cleaner. It will be appreciated that a user can easily overlook to clean the vacuum cleaner. It will also be appreciated that cleaning the roller is a dirty and difficult procedure that often requires the use of scissors or a knife, in order to cut and release the entangled fibres from the roller. Furthermore, there is a risk that a user's fingers could become trapped if the roller unexpectedly commences rotation during cleaning.

EP2273906 attempts to overcome the above-mentioned problems by providing a vacuum cleaner head having an elongate roller cleaning member, which is mounted to the chassis of the vacuum cleaner head which can occasionally be brought into content with the rotating roller in an attempt to dislodge and remove any matter which has accumulated on the roller.

We have realised that the vacuum cleaner head of EP2273906 suffers from several limitations and drawbacks. Hence, with the foregoing in mind, we have now devised an improved vacuum cleaner head and a vacuum cleaner incorporating the same.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a floor cleaning head for a vacuum cleaner, the head having an elongate suction mouth on its underside, through which dirt and dust is drawn in to the vacuum cleaner during use, the vacuum cleaner head comprising an elongate floor cleaning roller mounted across or adjacent the suction mouth, means for rotating the roller about its longitudinal axis and an elongate roller cleaning member, wherein the head has a first mode of operation in which the roller is rotated in a first direction with the elongate roller cleaning member in contact therewith, and a second mode of operation in which the roller is rotated in an opposite direction with the elongate roller cleaning member in contact therewith.

In use, hairs and other fibrous matter are removed from the roller by the elongate roller cleaning member during the first mode of operation. Some of the removed matter is then free to be drawn into the cleaner through the suction mouth by the induced airflow. Some of the removed matter may be collected on the elongate roller cleaning member and this matter is subsequently removed during the second mode of operation when the direction of rotation of the roller is reversed. The removed matter freed from the elongate roller cleaning member is then drawn into the cleaner through the suction mouth by the induced airflow. In this manner, both the roller and the elongate roller cleaning member can be kept free of hairs and fibrous matter so that the cleaning efficiency of the head is always maintained.

The elongate roller cleaning member may comprise a plurality of teeth which project towards the roller. The teeth may extend obliquely toward of the roller such that, in said first mode of operation, the teeth are directed against (i.e. towards) the first direction of rotation of the roller. In this manner, hairs and other fibrous matter on the roller are caught by the teeth and are pulled away from the roller.

The roller may a comprise central body having a plurality of radially-projecting cleaning members on its outer surface. The roller may comprise a fibrous outer surface and/or radially projecting bristles which provide the radially-projecting cleaning members. The elongate roller cleaning member may arranged to abut the radially-projecting cleaning members during the first and second modes of operation of the vacuum cleaner head.

In a preferred embodiment, the elongate roller cleaning member is permanently in contact with the roller, although it will be appreciated that it could be displaceable to contact the roller at least during the first and second modes of operation of the vacuum cleaner head.

The direction of the rotation of the roller during a floor cleaning mode of the head may be in said first or said opposite direction. In the former case, the said first mode of operation may comprise the floor cleaning mode of the vacuum cleaner head. In the latter case, the said second mode of operation may comprise the floor cleaning mode of the vacuum cleaner head.

The vacuum cleaner head may comprise a pair of elongate roller cleaning members having teeth directed in opposite directions generally tangentially of the roller.

The speed of rotation of the roller during the second mode of operation may be different from said floor cleaning mode and may be the maximum speed of rotation of the roller. The speed of rotation of the roller during said floor cleaning mode may be variable. For example, the speed of rotation of the roller may be between 1,500 and 4,000 RPM during the cleaning mode of operation and 4,000 RPM during the second mode of operation.

The vacuum cleaner head may comprise a motor for causing rotation of the roller. The head may comprise a control unit which causes the second mode of operation to be initiated in a roller cleaning mode of the cleaner following said first mode of operation. The control unit may be connected to an actuator on the head which can be actuated by a user to cause the roller cleaning mode to be initiated. Alternatively, the roller cleaning mode of operation may be initiated periodically according to a timer or a usage counter, or it may be initiated upon starting or ceasing use of the vacuum cleaner.

Rotation of the roller may cease between changes of direction, so as to prevent damage to the motor that drives the roller or damage to any control unit.

Also in accordance with the present invention there is provided a vacuum cleaner having a vacuum cleaner head as hereinbefore defined.

The vacuum cleaner may comprise a body to which the head is connected.

The vacuum cleaner body may comprise motor for causing rotation of the roller. The body may comprise a control unit which causes the second mode of operation to be initiated in a roller cleaning mode of the cleaner following said first mode of operation. The control unit may be connected to an actuator on the body which can be actuated by a user to cause the roller cleaning mode to be initiated.

Also in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method of use of the vacuum cleaner head as hereinbefore defined, the method comprising rotating the roller about its longitudinal axis in a first direction with the elongate roller cleaning member in contact therewith in the first mode of operation, and subsequently rotating the roller about its longitudinal axis in an opposite direction with the elongate roller cleaning member in contact therewith in the second mode of operation.

The method may comprise operating a motor and fan unit of the vacuum cleaner during said first and second modes of operation so as to induce and airflow through the suction mouth of the head.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of examples only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view, from the left side and above, of an embodiment a vacuum cleaner head in accordance with the present invention, with part of its front cover removed; Figure 2 is an exploded view of the vacuum cleaner head of Figure1; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a roller of the vacuum cleaner head of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a bottom view of a front portion of the vacuum cleaner head of Figure 1; Figure 5 is in an enlarged view of a portion of Figure 4; Figure 6 is a sectional-view along the line vi-vi of Figure 4; and Figure 7 is a sectional view, similar to that of Figure 6, through an alternative vacuum cleaner head in accordance with the present invention.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, there is shown a vacuum cleaner head 10 in accordance with the present invention, the head 10 comprising a chassis 11 having a transversely-extending elongate suction mouth 12 disposed at its front on the underside of the head 10. An elongate roller 13 is mounted across the suction mouth 12. A pair of floor-engaging wheels 14 are mounted at the rear of the head 10 adjacent a suction outlet 16 which is adapted for releasably connecting to a body of the cleaner (not shown) via an elongate tubular duct. A motor and fan unit in the body of the vacuum cleaner is arranged to draw air in to the head 10 through the suction mouth 12 on the underside thereof. The chassis 11 comprises an upper part 11B and a lower part 11 b which together define an airflow duct that leads from the suction mouth 12 to the outlet 16. An aesthetic hollow plastic housing 15 is provided for covering the top of the chassis 11. A motor 17 is provided inside the head 10 and is connected to the roller 13 by a belt 18 for rotating a roller 13 about its longitudinal axis.

Referring to Figure 3 of the drawings, the roller 13 comprises an outer surface which is substantially covered by a flock or other fibrous material 20 having short radially-projecting fibres. The roller 13 further comprises one or more elongate rows of bristles 21 which extend from end-to-end across the surface of the roller 13. The or each row of bristles 21 may extend both circumferentially and longitudinally of the roller as shown in Figure 3.

Referring to Figure 4, 5, and 6 of the drawings, an elongate roller cleaning member 19 is mounted to the chassis 11 of the head 10 on a rear wall of the suction mouth 12 behind the roller 13, the elongate roller cleaning member 19 extending parallel to the roller 13 along the entire extent thereof. The elongate roller cleaning member 19 comprises a comb having a row of outwardly-extending teeth having distal ends which extend into the roller 13 between both the bristles 21 and the fibres of the flock material 20. The teeth of the elongate roller cleaning member 19 extend forwardly and tangentially of the lower rear quadrant of the roller 13.

In use, the motor 17 rotates the roller 13 in the counter-clockwise direction as shown in Figures 2, 6 and 7 of the drawings, so that the roller 13 cleans the floor surface and any dirt and dust thereon is urged rearwardly by the roller 13 and is drawn upwardly through the suction mouth 12 towards the outlet 16 by the induced airflow. Any hairs, threads or other fibres that are picked up by the roller 13 from the floor are continuously removed by the teeth of the elongate roller cleaning member 19, thereby ensuring that the cleaning efficiency of the head is always maintained. Some of the hairs and other fibres that are removed by the elongate roller cleaning member 19 are immediately drawn upwardly into the suction mouth 12 by the induced airflow. However, some of the hairs and other fibres will become entangled on the teeth of the elongate roller cleaning member 19. In order to ensure that these hairs and other fibres do not adversely accumulate on the elongate roller cleaning member 19, the direction of rotation of the roller 13 can reversed in a roller cleaning mode of the cleaner, so that the fibrous material 20 and bristles 21 clean the hairs and other fibres from the elongate roller cleaning member 19. The removed hairs and other fibres are then drawn into the suction mouth 12 by the induced airflow. The speed of rotation of the roller during roller cleaning mode of the cleaner may be increased in order to assist with the removal of hairs and other fibres: this increase in the speed of rotation could occur either before and/or after reversal of the roller 13.

The reversal of the direction of rotation of the roller 13 may be effected manually by the user using an actuator (not shown) provided on the head 10 of the cleaner to select the roller cleaning mode of the cleaner. Alternatively, the roller cleaning mode of the cleaner may be effected automatically after a certain period of time or after a certain number of uses of the cleaner. It is envisaged that the speed of rotation of the roller 13 could be increased during the roller cleaning Referring to Figure 7 of the drawings, in an alternative embodiment, the elongate roller cleaning member 190 comprises two sets of teeth which are directed in respective opposite rotational directions of the roller 13, so that cleaning of the roller 13 and cleaning of the elongate roller cleaning member 19 occurs simultaneously regardless of the direction of the rotation of the roller 13.

A vacuum cleaning head has a chassis with an elongate suction mouth on its underside, through which dirt and dust is drawn in to the vacuum cleaner during use. An elongate floor cleaning roller having cleaning fibres and/or bristles on its outer surface is mounted across the suction mouth and a motor rotates the roller about its longitudinal axis. An elongate roller cleaning member on the chassis has teeth which engages the cleaning fibres and/or bristles. In a first mode of operation in which the roller is rotated in a first direction with the elongate roller cleaning member in contact therewith, and a second mode of operation in which the roller is rotated in an opposite direction with the elongate roller cleaning member in contact therewith.

A vacuum cleaner head in accordance with the present invention is simple and expensive in construction yet enables cleaning to be effected without the risk that hairs and other fibres reducing the cleaning efficiency of the head.

Claims

Claims 1. A vacuum cleaner head having an elongate suction mouth on its underside, through which dirt and dust is drawn in to the vacuum cleaner during use, the vacuum cleaner head comprising an elongate floor cleaning roller mounted across or adjacent the suction mouth, means for rotating the roller about its longitudinal axis and an elongate roller cleaning member, wherein the head has a first mode of operation in which the roller is rotated in a first direction with the elongate roller cleaning member in contact therewith, and a second mode of operation in which the roller is rotated in an opposite direction with the elongate roller cleaning member in contact therewith.
2. A vacuum cleaner head as claimed in claim 1, in which the elongate roller cleaning member comprises a plurality of teeth which project obliquely towards the roller.
3. A vacuum cleaner head as claimed in claim 2, comprising a pair of elongate roller cleaning members having respective teeth which project obliquely towards the roller in respective opposite directions.
4. A vacuum cleaner head as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the roller comprises a central body having a plurality of radially-projecting cleaning members on its outer surface, the elongate roller cleaning member may arranged to abut the radially-projecting cleaning members during the first and second modes of operation of the vacuum cleaner head.
5. A vacuum cleaner head as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the speed of rotation of the roller during the first and second modes of operation are different.
6.
7.
8.
9.A vacuum cleaner head as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the vacuum cleaner head comprises means for causing the second mode of operation to be initiated in a roller cleaning mode of the cleaner following said first mode of operation.A vacuum cleaner having a vacuum cleaner head as claimed in any preceding claim.A method of use of the vacuum cleaner head of in any preceding claim, the method comprising rotating the roller about its longitudinal axis in a first direction with the elongate roller cleaning member in contact therewith in the first mode of operation, and subsequently rotating the roller about its longitudinal axis in an opposite direction with the elongate roller cleaning member in contact therewith in the second mode of operation.The method of claim 8, further comprising operating a motor and fan unit of the vacuum cleaner during said first and second modes of operation so as to induce and airflow through the suction mouth of the head.