KR102401207B1 - Surface cleaning apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

A surface cleaning apparatus of the present invention comprises a dowel pin, a plurality of bristles extending from the dowel pin, as well as a fluid delivery system and a fluid recovery system, and a microfiber material provided on the dowel pin between the bristles. Hybrid brush roll included. The hybrid brush roll is suitable for use on hard and soft surfaces, and for wet or dry vacuum cleaning.

Description

Surface cleaning device {SURFACE CLEANING APPARATUS}

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/247,503, filed October 21, 2016, claiming the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 62/247,503, filed October 28, 2015; The document is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Various surface vacuum cleaners are suitable for cleaning hard floor surfaces such as tiles and hard wood, and soft floor surfaces such as carpets and upholstery. Some various surface vacuum cleaners have a fluid delivery system that delivers the cleaning liquid to the surface to be cleaned and aspirates used cleaning liquid and debris from the surface (the debris may include garbage, dust, stains, dirt, hair, and other debris). fluid recovery system. The fluid delivery system typically includes one or more fluid supply tanks for storing cleaning liquid, a fluid distributor for applying the cleaning liquid to the surface to be cleaned, and a fluid supply conduit for delivering the cleaning liquid from the fluid supply tank to the fluid distributor. A stirrer may be provided to agitate the cleaning solution on the surface to be cleaned. The fluid recovery system typically includes a recovery tank, a nozzle adjacent the surface to be cleaned and in fluid communication with the recovery tank through a working air conduit, and a cleaning liquid from the surface to be cleaned to the recovery tank through the nozzle and the working air conduit. and a suction source adapted to be in fluid communication with the working air conduit for suction. A variety of other cleaning devices for surfaces include “dry” vacuums that can clean different types of surfaces, but do not dispense or recover liquid.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a surface cleaning device is provided in a housing comprising an upright handle assembly and a base mounted to the upright handle assembly and adapted to move over an entire surface to be cleaned, a suction source, the base, and A suction nozzle assembly having a suction nozzle in fluid communication with a suction source, the suction nozzle assembly comprising a nozzle housing and a cover on the nozzle housing, a fluid supply chamber provided in the housing and adapted to contain a liquid, and in the base a fluid delivery system provided and having a fluid dispenser adapted to be in fluid communication with the fluid supply chamber, a dowel provided on the base, a plurality of bundles of bristles extending from the dowel; and and a hybrid brush roll comprising microfiber material provided on the dowel pins between tufts of bristles.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a surface cleaning device is provided in a housing, a fluid recovery system provided in the housing and comprising a suction source and a dirty air inlet adapted to be in fluid communication with the suction source, the fluid recovery system provided in the housing and liquid a fluid delivery system comprising a fluid supply chamber configured to contain a fluid supply chamber and a fluid dispenser in fluid communication with the fluid supply chamber, and a dowel pin provided on the base and spirally wound around the dowel pin and a hybrid brush roll comprising a row of bristles extending from the dowel pin and a microfiber material provided on the dowel pin between the row of bristles.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1 is a perspective view of a surface cleaning apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the surface cleaning apparatus taken along line II-II of Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the handle assembly of the surface cleaning device of Fig. 1;
Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the body assembly of the surface cleaning device of Fig. 1;
Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the motor assembly of the surface cleaning device of Fig. 1;
Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the clean tank assembly of the surface cleaning device of Fig. 1;
Fig. 7 is an exploded perspective view of the messy tank assembly of the surface cleaning apparatus of Fig. 1;
Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a lowermost assembly of the surface cleaning device of Fig. 1;
Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a brush roll of the surface cleaning apparatus of Fig. 1;
Fig. 10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the front suction portion of the suction nozzle assembly of the surface cleaning apparatus of Fig. 1;
11 is a perspective view of the underside of the suction nozzle assembly in a partially cut-away state to show the internal structure of the suction nozzle assembly;
Fig. 12 is a bottom perspective view of the lowermost assembly of the suction nozzle assembly of Fig. 1;
13A is a perspective view of a lens cover of the suction nozzle assembly;
13B is an exploded perspective view of the suction nozzle assembly;
14 is a partial exploded view of the lowermost assembly;
15 is a cross-sectional view of the lowermost assembly of FIG. 1 taken along line XV-XV of FIG. 1 , including an enlarged view of section A, showing the fluid dispenser of the surface cleaning device of FIG. 1 ;
16A is a schematic diagram of a fluid transfer path of the surface cleaning device of FIG. 1 ;
16B is a schematic diagram of a fluid return path of the surface cleaning device of FIG. 1 ;
Fig. 17 is a rear perspective view of the surface cleaning apparatus of Fig. 1 with portions removed to show the conduit assembly;
Fig. 18 is a schematic circuit diagram of the surface cleaning apparatus of Fig. 1;
Fig. 19 is a perspective view of the surface cleaning device of Fig. 1 and a storage box containing at least one extra brush roll;
Fig. 20 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the brush roll of the surface cleaning device of Fig. 1;
Fig. 21 is an exploded front view of the brush roll of Fig. 20;
Fig. 22 is a front view of the brush roll of Fig. 20;
23 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the front suction portion of the suction nozzle assembly of the surface cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1 with the brush roll of FIG. 20;

The present invention relates generally to a surface cleaning apparatus which may be in the form of a wet vacuum cleaner for various surfaces.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, the multi-function nozzle is provided with a dual wiper configuration to reduce the surface cleaning device from making elongated traces of fluid on the surface to be cleaned and to improve dry debris removal. One wiper distributes the cleaning liquid evenly along the length of the agitator and helps remove excess fluid on the agitator, and a second wiper prevents dry debris from leaving long marks on the surface to be cleaned as well as during the operation of the agitator. Wipe the surface to be cleaned while pushing fluid and debris into the suction nozzle to prevent scattering.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a surface cleaning apparatus is provided for optimizing cleaning performance for different types of surfaces to be cleaned, including hard and soft surfaces, and for different cleaning modes including wet and dry vacuum cleaning. A hybrid brush roll containing agitating material is provided.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a surface cleaning device has an integrated fluid delivery channel that reduces the number of additional components such as tubing, fittings, and clamps, thereby reducing manufacturing costs and providing for the user. Increase the convenience of maintenance.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a surface cleaning apparatus includes a fluid dispenser configured to wet the brush roll evenly and uniformly over the entire length of the brush roll.

In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, a surface cleaning apparatus includes a visual indicator system operatively coupled to a cleaning liquid actuation portion, the visual display system providing improved visibility of the cleaning liquid delivery flow to a user with respect to the fluid delivery function; provide feedback.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the surface cleaning apparatus has a storage box that can be used during the automatic cleaning mode of the surface cleaning apparatus and which can be used to dry the brush rolls of the surface cleaning apparatus.

The functional system of the surface cleaning device comprises: an upright device having a base and an upright body guiding the base over the entire surface to be cleaned, a box electric cleaner having a cleaning mechanism connected to the wheeled base by a vacuum hose; canister device), a portable device intended to be carried by hand by a user for cleaning relatively small areas, or a commercial device, in any desired configuration. Any of the cleaners described above may be adapted to include a flexible vacuum hose that may form part of the working air conduit between the nozzle and the suction source. As used herein, the term "multi-surface wet vacuum cleaner" can be used to clean hard floor surfaces such as tiles and hard wood, and soft floor surfaces such as carpets. including vacuum cleaners.

The cleaner may include a fluid delivery system that stores the cleaning liquid and delivers the cleaning liquid to the surface to be cleaned, and a recovery system that removes the used cleaning liquid and debris from the surface to be cleaned and stores the used cleaning liquid and debris.

The recovery system may include a suction nozzle, a suction source in fluid communication with the suction nozzle for generating a working air stream, and a recovery container for separating and collecting fluid and debris from the working air stream for later disposal. have. A separator may be formed in a portion of the recovery container to separate debris entrained with fluid from the working air stream. The recovery system may also include one or more additional filters upstream or downstream of the motor/fan assembly. A suction source, such as a motor/fan assembly, may be provided in fluid communication with the recovery container and electrically coupled to a power source.

The suction nozzle may be provided on a base or a cleaning head adapted to move over the surface to be cleaned. An agitator may be provided near the suction nozzle to agitate the surface to be cleaned so that debris is more easily sucked into the suction nozzle. The agitator may be driven by the same motor/fan assembly serving as the suction source, or may optionally be driven by a separate drive assembly, such as the agitator dedicated motor shown herein.

1 is a perspective view illustrating a non-limiting example of a surface cleaning apparatus in the form of a wet vacuum cleaner 10 for various surfaces according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown herein, the wet vacuum cleaner 10 for various surfaces is pivotably and/or pivotably mounted to an upright body or handle assembly 12 and an upright handle assembly 12 and is intended to be cleaned. It is an upright, multi-surface wet vacuum cleaner having a housing including a base (14) that is movable over its entire surface. For descriptions related to the drawings, the expressions "upper", "lower", "right", "left", "rear", "front", "vertical", "horizontal", "inside", "outside" and their Derivatives will relate to the present invention in the direction arranged in FIG. 1 from the point of view of the user behind the wet vacuum cleaner 10 for various surfaces defining the rear of the wet vacuum cleaner 10 for various surfaces. However, it should be understood that the present invention may take various alternative arrangements, except where expressly stated to the contrary.

The upright handle assembly 12 includes an upper handle 16 and a frame 18 . The upper handle 16 includes a handle assembly 100 . Frame 18 includes at least a primary support or body assembly 200 for supporting a clean tank assembly 300 and a dirty tank assembly 400, and is capable of supporting additional components of the upright handle assembly 12. can The base 14 includes a lowermost assembly 500 . A wet vacuum cleaner for various surfaces (10) includes a clean tank assembly (300) for storing cleaning liquid and delivering the cleaning liquid to the surface to be cleaned, the fluid delivery or supply path defined at least in part by the clean tank assembly (300); , for removing used cleaning liquid and debris from the surface to be cleaned and for storing used cleaning liquid and debris until emptied by a user; It can include paths.

A pivotable swivel joint assembly 570 is formed at the lower end of frame 18 and movably mounts base 14 to upright assembly 12 . In the embodiment shown herein, the base 14 is capable of pivoting up and down about at least one axis relative to the upright assembly 12 . The pivotable swivel joint assembly 570 may alternatively include a universal joint such that the base 14 may pivot about at least two axes relative to the upright assembly 12 . Wiring and/or conduits supplying air and/or liquid between the base 14 and the upright assembly 12 may run through the pivotable swivel joint assembly 570 . A swivel lock mechanism 586 (FIG. 2) may be provided to lock and/or unlock the swivel joint assembly 570 for movement.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the vacuum cleaner 10 taken along line II-II of FIG. 1 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The handle assembly 100 generally includes a handle portion 119 and a user interface assembly 120 . In other embodiments, a user interface assembly 120 may be provided elsewhere in the vacuum cleaner 10 , such as in the body assembly 200 . In this example, the handle assembly 100 extends vertically and further includes a hollow handle pipe 104 connecting the handle assembly 100 to the body assembly 200 . The user interface assembly 120 may be any operably connected to various systems of the vacuum cleaner 10 to affect and control functions, such as by way of non-limiting example, that actuate controls such as buttons, triggers, toggles, switches, and the like. can be configured. In this example, a trigger 113 is mounted to the handle 119 and is operatively connected with a fluid delivery system of the vacuum cleaner 10 to control fluid delivery from the vacuum cleaner 10 . Other actuators may be provided in place of trigger 113 , such as a thumb switch. An upper cord wrap 103 is provided on the rear portion of the handle assembly 100 .

The lower end of the handle pipe 104 ends with the body assembly 200 at the upper portion of the frame 18 . Body assembly 200 generally includes a support frame for supporting the various components of the fluid delivery system and recovery system described with respect to FIG. 1 . In this example, the body assembly 200 includes a central body 201 , a front cover 203 , and a rear cover 202 . The front cover 203 may be mounted to the central body 201 to define the front cavity 235 . A rear cover 202 may be mounted to the central body 201 to define a rear cavity 240 . The motor housing assembly 250 may be mounted on an upper portion of the front cover 203 . A carrying handle 78 forward of the handle assembly 100, at an angle relative to the hollow handle pipe 104, to facilitate hand lifting and carrying of the wet vacuum cleaner 10 for various surfaces, the body may be disposed in the assembly. The motor housing assembly 250 includes a cover 206 disposed below the carrying handle 78 , a lower motor bracket 233 , and a cover 206 and a motor bracket 233 in fluid communication with the dirty tank assembly 400 . It further includes a suction motor/fan assembly 205 positioned between the .

The rear cavity 240 has a receiving support 223 for receiving the clean tank assembly 300 at an upper end of the rear cavity 240 and is in fluid communication with the clean tank assembly 300 underneath the clean tank assembly 300 . and a pump assembly 140 adapted to be (300). The central body 201 further includes a lower cord wrap 255 .

The clean tank assembly 300 may be mounted to the frame 18 in any configuration. In this example, the clean tank assembly 300 is configured such that the clean tank assembly 300 rests partially on the upper rear portion of the central body 201 of the body assembly 200 and is used for filling and/or cleaning. It is detachably mounted to the body assembly 200 so that it can be removed.

The messy tank assembly 400 may be removably mounted to the front of the body assembly 200 below the motor housing assembly 250 , and when mounted on the vacuum cleaner 10 , the suction motor/fan assembly 205 and fluid is made to communicate. A flexible conduit hose 518 connects the dirty tank assembly 400 to the bottom assembly 500 and passes through the swivel joint assembly 570 .

Optionally, a heater (not shown) may be provided to heat the cleaning liquid prior to delivering it to the surface to be cleaned. In one example, an in-line heater may be disposed downstream of the clean tank assembly 300 and an upstream or downstream view of the pump assembly 140 . Other types of heaters may be used. In another example, the cleaning liquid may be heated using exhaust air from the motor-cooling path for the intake motor/fan assembly 205 .

The lowermost assembly 500 is a removable suction nozzle assembly adapted to be adjusted adjacent the surface to be cleaned as the base 14 moves across the surface to be cleaned and brought into fluid communication with the messy tank assembly 400 via a flexible conduit 518 . (580) is included. An agitator 546 may be provided on the suction nozzle assembly 580 to agitate the surface to be cleaned. Some examples of agitators include, but are not limited to, horizontally rotating brush rolls, double horizontally rotating brush rolls, one or more vertically rotating brush rolls, or stationary brushes. A pair of rear wheels 539 are positioned for rotational movement about a central axis in the rear portion of the lowermost assembly 500 to maneuver the wet vacuum cleaner 10 for various surfaces over the surface to be cleaned.

In this example, the agitator 546 may be a hybrid brushroll positioned within the brushroll chamber 565 such that it rotates about a central axis of rotation, which is described in more detail below. A single brush roll 546 is shown; A double rotation brush roll may be used within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, within the scope of the present invention, the brush roll 546 may be mounted in a fixed or floating vertical position with respect to the brush roll chamber 565 .

3 is an exploded perspective view of the handle assembly 100 . The handle portion 119 may include a front handle 101 and a rear handle 102 fixedly coupled to the handle pipe 104 . A user interface assembly 120 may be provided on the front handle 101 . The user interface assembly 120 of the illustrated embodiment uses a front portion of the front handle 101 to engage a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) 110 with a bracket 112 provided on the rear side of the front handle 101 . It is mounted with a waterproof seal 108 through and includes a control panel 111 connected to a floating key 109 . The bracket 112 is formed by coupling a spring 114 for biasing the trigger 113 mounted on the rear handle 102 and the front handle 101 to the rear handle 102. It is coupled with a portion of the trigger 113 protruding to. The trigger 113 may be electronically connected to the fluid delivery system. Trigger 113 may alternatively be electrically connected to the fluid delivery system, for example, via a pushrod (not shown) extending through handle pipe 104 . The hollow handle pipe 104 is formed by a bracket connection formed by a right bracket 106 , a left bracket 105 , and a female connector 107 connected together at the distal end of the hollow handle pipe 104 to the frame 18 ( FIG. 1 ). ) ends at

4 is an exploded perspective view of the body assembly 200 . The body assembly 200 includes a front cover 203 , a central body 201 , and a rear cover 202 , and ends at a bottom cover 216 . Front cover 203 and rear cover 202 may be mounted to central body 201 to define at least partially enclosed cavities 235 , 240 . In this example, the front cavity 235 generally houses electrical components such as a printed circuit board 217 (PCB) and other essential circuitry 215 that are electrically connected to the various components of the fluid delivery system and fluid recovery system. The pump assembly 140 may include a connector 219 , a pump 226 , a clamp 220 , and a gasket 218 , and may be mounted in the front cavity 235 . As an alternative embodiment, the pump assembly 140 may be mounted to the rear cavity 240 , or may be partially mounted to both the front cavity 235 and the rear cavity 240 , respectively. Pump 226 may be a single speed, dual speed, or variable speed solenoid pump.

In this example, the rear cavity 240 receives the receiving assembly 245 for the generally clean tank assembly 300 ( FIG. 2 ). Receiving assembly 245 includes a receiving support 223 , a spring insert 227 , a clamp 224 , a receiving body 222 , and a receiving gasket in the upper portion of the rear cavity 240 to receive the clean tank assembly 300 . 231 and a clamp cover 225 may be included. The pump assembly 140 may be mounted below the containment assembly 245 and may be in fluid communication with the containment assembly 245 .

5 is an exploded perspective view of the motor housing assembly 250 . The carrying handle 78 includes a handle upper portion 209 mounted to the handle lower portion 207 , has a gasket 230 between the handle upper portion 209 and the handle lower portion 207 , and includes a cover 206 . is fixed on The motor housing assembly 250 includes an upper motor housing body 204 and a lower motor housing body 208 to partially enclose the upper motor housing body 204 and the lower motor housing body 208 and the suction motor/fan assembly 205 . It may further include a vacuum motor cover 228 provided between (208). An upper motor gasket 229 and a rubber gasket 221 are provided on the upper portion of the suction motor/fan assembly 205 , and lower vacuum motor gaskets 210 , 211 are provided on the lower portion of the suction motor/fan assembly 205 . is provided in A clean air outlet of the working air path through the vacuum cleaner may be defined by a left vent 213 and a right vent 214 of the lower motor housing body.

6 is an exploded perspective view of a clean tank assembly 300 . The clean tank assembly 300 generally includes at least one feed tank 301 and a feed valve assembly 320 that regulates fluid flow through an outlet 311 of the at least one feed tank 301 . As an alternative embodiment, clean tank assembly 300 may include a plurality of supply chambers, for example, one chamber containing water and another chamber containing cleaning agent. A check valve 310 and a check valve umbrella 309 may be provided in the supply tank 301 . The supply valve assembly 320 may be coupled to the receiving assembly 245 and configured to automatically open when installed. The supply valve assembly 320 is held in place within the assembly outlet 302 by an O-ring 305 and an assembly outlet 302 that is mounted to the outlet of the fluid supply tank 301 by a threaded cap 303 . a rod release insert 304 , and an insertion spring 308 within a spring housing 306 that biases the valve assembly 320 into a closed position. Once the valve assembly 320 is engaged with the containment assembly 245 , the valve assembly 320 is opened to release the fluid into the fluid delivery path. A screen mesh insert 307 may be provided between the tank outlet and the valve outlet to prevent particles of a certain size from entering the pump assembly 140 .

7 is an exploded perspective view of a messy tank assembly 400 . Messy tank assembly 400 generally includes a collection container for a fluid recovery system. In this example, the messy tank assembly 400 includes a recovery tank 401 having an integral hollow upright tube 420 ( FIG. 2 ) formed therein. The upright tube 420 is oriented to generally coincide with the longitudinal axis of the recovery tank 401 . The upright tube 420 forms a flow path between an inlet 422 ( FIG. 2 ) formed at the lower end of the recovery tank 401 and an outlet 423 ( FIG. 2 ) formed inside the recovery tank 401 . do. When the recovery tank 401 is mounted to the body assembly 200 ( FIG. 2 ), the inlet 422 is a flexible conduit hose 518 to establish fluid communication between the bottom assembly 500 and the recovery tank 401 . is aligned with A mesh screen 406 attaches a pleated filter 405 to a filter cover plate 403 having a lid 402 sized to be accommodated in the recovery tank 401 mounted on the lid 402 . It is supported in a state between the filter cover plate 403 and the lid. Preferably, the pleated filter 405 is made of a material that maintains porosity when wet. The vacuum cleaner 10 may have one or more additional filters in the upstream part or the downstream part. A gasket 411 positioned between the engagement surface of the lid 402 and the engagement surface of the recovery tank 401 forms a seal between the lid 402 and the recovery tank 401 to prevent leakage.

A shutoff valve may be provided to stop suction when the fluid in the recovery tank 401 reaches a predetermined level. The shut-off valve is a movable float supported by a float bracket 412 fixedly attached to the bottom wall 416 of the lid 402 at a position away from the upright 420 and a float bracket 412 . (410) is included. The float 410 is floating and the top of the float 410 selectively seals the air outlet 415 of the recovery tank 401 leading to a downstream flow suction source when the fluid in the recovery tank 401 reaches a predetermined level. oriented to do so.

A releasable latch 430 is provided to facilitate removal of the messy tank assembly 400 for emptying and/or cleaning, and may be located in a hole 417 formed on the front side of the lid 402 . The releasable latch 430 may include a latch button 407 retained within the latch bracket 404 and biased by a latch spring 408 toward the engaged or latched position. The latch button 407 is releasably coupled with the front cover 203 to releasably secure the messy tank assembly 400 to the body assembly 200 (FIG. 2). In order to facilitate manipulation of the messy tank assembly 400 , a handle portion 419 may be provided on the recovery tank 401 and disposed below the latch button 407 .

8 is an exploded perspective view of the lowermost assembly 500 . The lowermost assembly 500 generally includes a housing that supports at least some of the components of a fluid delivery system and a fluid recovery system. In this example, the housing includes an upper cover 542 and a lower cover 501 coupled to the upper cover 542, and the lower cover 501 includes at least several components of a fluid transfer path and a fluid return path. Defines a partially enclosed cavity 561 between it and the top cover 542 to receive the element. The housing may include a cover base 537 coupled with a lower front portion of the lower cover to define a portion of the brush roll chamber 565 (FIG. 10). The top cover 542 extends from approximately the center of the bottom assembly 500 to the rear of the bottom assembly 500 and may have decorative panels 543 , 544 mounted to the top surface. Top cover 542 may be configured to releasably receive suction nozzle assembly 580 .

Suction nozzle assembly 580 may be configured to include at least one inlet nozzle for withdrawing fluid and debris from the surface to be cleaned and at least one outlet for delivering fluid to the surface to be cleaned. In one embodiment, the suction nozzle assembly 580 may include a nozzle housing 551 and a nozzle cover 552, the nozzle housing 551 and the nozzle cover 552 having a spray connector at one distal end. A pair of fluid delivery channels 40 each fluidly connected to 528 are coupled to form between the nozzle housing 551 and the nozzle cover 552 . At an opposite, or second, distal end of each fluid delivery channel 40 , a fluid dispenser 554 is configured with at least one outlet for delivering fluid to the surface to be cleaned. The fluid dispenser 554 may consist of one or more spray tips configured to deliver a cleaning solution from the fluid delivery channel 40 to the brush chamber 565 . In this example, the fluid dispenser 554 is a pair of spray tips fluidly connected to the fluid delivery channel 40 . Spray tip 554 is mounted to nozzle housing 551 and has an outlet in fluid communication with brush chamber 565 . The nozzle cover 552 may have a decorative cover 553 , and one or both may be made of a translucent or transparent material. The nozzle housing 551 may further include a horizontally disposed front interference wiper 560 mounted in a forward position with respect to the brush roll chamber 565 . Optionally, the forward interference wiper 560 may be held by an elongate bracket 559 that engages the lower end of the nozzle housing 551 .

The lower cover 501 further includes a plurality of upstanding bosses 562 protruding into the cavities 561 for mounting internal components. The rear portion of the lower cover 501 is pivotally mounted to a swivel joint assembly 570 for maneuvering the wet vacuum cleaner 10 for various surfaces over the surface to be cleaned. The rear wheels 539 are positioned for rotational movement about a central axis on opposite sides of the lower cover 501 to maneuver the wet vacuum cleaner 10 for various surfaces over the surface to be cleaned. The swivel joint assembly 570 may include a swivel joint 519 , covers 520 and 521 , and a swivel lock mechanism 586 that releases the swivel joint assembly 570 for pivoting and pivoting motions.

A conduit assembly 585 is disposed partially in cavity 561 and extends through a swivel joint 519, along with a flexible conduit hose, to engage the components of upper body assembly 200 (FIG. 2). The conduit assembly 585 includes a fluid supply conduit 532 and a wiring conduit 533 . A fluid supply conduit 532 passes into the interior of the swivel joint assembly 570 and passes the clean tank assembly 300 through a T-connector 530 having a pair of spray tube connectors 531 to the spray connector 528. fluidly fluidly connected to the Wiring conduit 533 provides a path for electrical wiring from upright assembly 12 to base 14 through swivel joint assembly 570 . For example, the electrical wiring may be used to supply power to at least one electrical component of the lowermost assembly 500 . One example of an electrical component is a brush motor 503 . Another example is an indicator light assembly. In this example, the indicator light assembly includes an LED base 516 configured to mount a pair of indicators 517 and a pair of lenses 545 over the pair of indicators 517 . The pair of indicators 517 may include a light emitting diode (LED) or other light source.

A lower central portion of the partially enclosed cavity 561 and a rear lower portion of the suction nozzle assembly 580 are fluidly connected to a flexible conduit 518 as a foot conduit 564 of the fluid return path. can be molded to form A flexible conduit 518 fluidly fluidly connects the messy tank assembly 400 ( FIG. 2 ) to the suction nozzle assembly 580 .

The brush roll 546 may be provided on the front portion of the lower cover 501 and may be accommodated in the brush roll chamber 565 . In this example, the cover base 537 rotatably accommodates the brush roll 546 and also mountably accommodates the wiper 538 located on the rear side of the brush roll 546 . Optionally, brush roll 546 may be configured to be removed from lowermost assembly 500 by a user for cleaning and/or drying. A pair of front wheels 536 are positioned for rotational movement about a central axis at the distal face of the cover base 537 to maneuver the wet vacuum cleaner 10 for various surfaces over the surface to be cleaned.

In the exemplary embodiment, one or more belts, gears, shafts, pulleys, or a combination thereof, wherein the brush roll 546 provides engagement with a dedicated brush motor 503 disposed in the cavity 561 of the lower cover 501 . may be operatively coupled to and driven by a drive assembly comprising: Here, the transmission 510 operatively connects the motor 503 to the brush roll 546 in order to transmit the rotational motion of the motor shaft 505 to the brush roll 546 . In this example, the transmission 510 may include a drive belt 511 and one or more gears, shafts, pulleys, or a combination thereof. As an alternative embodiment, a single motor/fan assembly (not shown) may provide vacuum suction and brush roll rotation in the wet vacuum cleaner 10 for various surfaces. A brush motor exhaust pipe 515 may be provided on the brush motor 503 and may be configured to exhaust air to the outside of the wet vacuum cleaner 10 for various surfaces.

Transmission 510 may include a drive head 506 secured with brush gear 507 by, for example, a mandrel 508 . A bearing 509 may be mounted to the mandrel 508 . A drive belt 511 may be coupled between a pulley 511 on the motor shaft 505 and the brush gear 507 .

The drive head 506 is driven by the drive belt 511 and is coupled to the brush roll 546 . Brush roll 546 supports the stirring element and includes dowel pins 46 rotatably mounted in brush chamber 565 via end plate 512, said end plate having only one end plate. 8 and is disposed at the end of the dowel 46 . The drive head 506 is spliced in connection with the end plate 512 at the transmission-side of the brush roll 546, for example. The cylindrical dowel 46 further includes a mandrel 513 on the opposite end plate 512 (not shown in FIG. 8 ). The mandrel 513 is rotatably installed with the alignment pin 46 and is accommodated in a bearing assembly 514 mounted to the housing of the lowermost assembly 500 , for example, mounted to the lower cover 501 . to enable the dowel 46 to rotate about the central axis of the dowel 46 relative to the brush chamber 565 .

9 is a perspective view of the hybrid brush roll 546 . Hybrid brush roll 546 is suitable for use on hard and soft surfaces, and for wet or dry vacuum cleaning. In this exemplary embodiment, brush roll 546 includes dowel pins 46 that support an agitation element, wherein the agitation element is formed from a plurality of fine bristles 48 or dowel pins 46. It is shown as a hybrid or dual stirring element comprising a single elongated strip of bristles and microfiber material 49 disposed between the bristles 48 and provided on dowel pins 46 .

As shown herein, the bristles 48 are arranged in a row of bristles 48 extending from the dowel 46 in a spiral pattern that is wound around the dowel 46 . In other embodiments, a plurality of rows of bristles 48 may be provided with a microfiber material 49 disposed between the plurality of rows of bristles 48 .

As also shown herein, the bristles 48 project radially from the dowels 46 and do not project outwardly beyond the microfiber material 49 . As best shown in FIG. 10 , in at least some embodiments of hybrid brushroll 546 , a tip or distal end of bristles 48 may be set back against the outer surface of microfiber material 49 . .

Placement pins 46 may be made of a polymeric material such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polypropylene or styrene, or any other suitable material such as plastic, wood, or metal. The bristles 48 may be dense or a single strip of bristles and may be made of nylon, or any other suitable synthetic or natural fiber. The microfiber material 49 may be comprised of a combination of materials including polyester, polyamide, or polypropylene or any other suitable material known in the art to constitute microfibers.

In one non-limiting example, the dowel pins 46 are made of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and formed by injection molding in one or more portions. The bristle hole (not shown) may be formed by drilling a hole in the dowel 46 after molding, or may be integrally formed with the dowel 46 . The bristles 48 are densely planted and made of nylon with a diameter of 0.15 mm. The bristles 48 are pressed by pushing the bristles 48 into the bristle holes and securing the bristles 48 using fasteners (not shown) such as, but not limited to, staples, wedges, or anchors. may be assembled to the dowels 46 in a spiral pattern. The microfiber material 49 consists of a plurality of strips 50 of polyester treated with Microban© and is adhered to a placeholder pin 46 between bristles 48 . As an alternative embodiment, one continuous microfiber strip 50 may be used and sealed by a hot wire to prevent detachment of the single strip 50 from the dowel pins 46 . have. The polyester material may have a weight of 912 g/m ² and a thickness of 7-14 mm. The polyester material may have an initial absorption of 269 wt % and a total absorption of 1047 wt %.

10 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a front portion of the suction nozzle assembly 580 . The brush roll 546 is positioned to rotate in the R direction with respect to the central rotational axis X defined by the alignment pin 46 . The suction nozzle assembly 580 is in fluid communication with the lowermost conduit 564 and includes a suction nozzle 594 confined within a brush chamber 565 configured to suck liquid and debris from the brush roll 546 and the surface to be cleaned. contains Suction nozzle 594 defines a dirty air inlet in the working air path or return path throughout the vacuum cleaner. Suction nozzle 594 is also fluidly connected to messy tank assembly 400 (see FIG. 16B ) via bottom conduit 564 and flexible hose conduit 518 . A front interference wiper 560 mounted at a position in front of the nozzle housing 551 is provided in the brush chamber 565 and is defined by the rotation direction R of the brush roll 546, so that the brush roll ( 546 is configured to interfere with the leading portion. A spray tip 554 is mounted to the nozzle housing 551 with an outlet in the brush roll chamber 565 and is oriented to spray fluid inward towards the brush roll 546 . Thus, the wet portion of brush roll 546 rotates past interference wiper 560 which scrapes excess fluid from brush roll 546 before reaching the surface to be cleaned. A rear wiper mop 538 is mounted to the cover base 537 behind the brush roll 546 and is configured to contact the surface to be cleaned as the base 14 moves across the entire surface to be cleaned. The rear wiper mop 538 wipes away the residual liquid from the surface to be cleaned so that the residual liquid can be sucked into the fluid return path through the suction nozzle 594, thereby leaving the surface to be cleaned to a moisture and wrinkle-free finish. .

Front interference wiper 560 and rear wiper 538 may be made of a polymer material such as polyvinyl chloride, a rubber copolymer such as nitrile butadiene rubber, or substantially unmodified during normal use of the vacuum cleaner 10 . It may be a squeegee of any material known in the art having sufficient rigidity to hold it in place, and may be smoothed or optionally include a nub at the end. The front interference wiper 560 and the rear wiper 538 may be made of the same material in the same manner, or in alternative embodiments may be made of different materials that provide different structural properties suitable for functioning.

11 is a perspective view of the bottom of the suction nozzle assembly 580 in a state where some parts are cut out in order to show some internal structures of the suction nozzle assembly 580. As shown in FIG. The brush roll chamber 565 is formed on the underside of the suction nozzle assembly 580 in front of the lowermost conduit 564 . A pair of spray tip outlets 595 may be provided in the brush chamber 565 . A latch mechanism 587 is provided on the rear portion of the suction nozzle assembly 580 and is configured to be received within the top cover 542 ( FIG. 8 ). The latch mechanism 587 may be received in a latch receiving recess 587a ( FIG. 8 ) formed in the top cover 542 of the base 14 and allows a user to disengage the suction nozzle assembly 580 relative to the base 14 . and/or to be secured. The suction nozzle assembly 580 may be biased by a spring 556 to disengage the suction nozzle assembly 580 from the lowermost assembly 500 when the latch mechanism 587 is actuated. A pair of spray connector inlets 590 are provided on the underside of the nozzle housing 551 and are fluidly connected to the first end of the fluid delivery channel 40 at the upper side of the nozzle housing 551 ( FIG. 8 ). has been A front interference wiper 560 is provided in the forwardmost portion of the brush roll chamber 565 .

12 is a bottom perspective view of the lowermost assembly 500 . A rear wiper 538 is provided on the cover base 537 behind the brush roll 546 and is configured to contact the surface to be cleaned.

13A is a perspective view of a bottom surface of the nozzle cover 552 and FIG. 13B is an exploded perspective view of the suction nozzle assembly 580 . The nozzle cover 552 consists of two fluid channel portions 40a that form an upper portion of the flow channel 40 when engaged with the nozzle housing 551 . The nozzle housing 551 includes two fluid channel portions 40b that, when engaged with the nozzle cover 552 , form a lower portion of the flow channel 40 . The fluid channel portion 40a and the fluid channel portion 40b are coupled to form a fluid transfer flow channel 40 between the fluid channel portion 40a and the fluid channel portion 40b to displace the spray tip 554. partially included at the second distal end.

A lens for the brush chamber 565 may be formed in the nozzle housing 551 , and may be made of a translucent or transparent material so that the brush roll 546 can be seen. Similarly, the nozzle cover 552 may be formed with a lens cover and may be made of a translucent or transparent material that allows a user to see the fluid flowing through the flow channel 40 .

14 is a partially exploded exploded view of the base; In FIG. 14 , suction nozzle assembly 580 has been removed to show indicator light 517 . The indicator light 517 may be configured to actuate in conjunction with the pump assembly 140 when the trigger 113 ( FIG. 2 ) is depressed to deliver a fluid. A portion of the base may be illuminated by an indicator light 517 when fluid is being delivered to form an indicator light tube or indicator light pipe 578 to indicate to the user that fluid is being delivered to a surface under the base 14 . have. Light pipe 578 may be of any physical structure capable of transmitting or propagating light from light 517 . The indicator light pipe 578 may be a hollow structure that confines light by a reflective lining, or a transparent solid structure that confines light by total reflection. In the illustrated example, indicator light pipe 578 is a solid structure formed in suction nozzle assembly 580 and extends along fluid delivery channel 40 to distribute light over the length of indicator light pipe 578 . Consists of. More specifically, indicator light pipe 578 is embodied as a raised rail molded to the surface of nozzle cover 552 , generally over fluid delivery channel 40 .

15 is a cross-sectional view of the lowermost assembly 500 taken along line XV-XV of FIG. 1 , with portion A enlarged for an enlarged view of the fluid dispenser in the form of a spray tip 554 . A spray tip 554 may be mounted to each of the respective distal ends of the fluid delivery flow channel 40 of the suction nozzle assembly 580 and configured to end in the brush chamber 565 . Each spray tip 554 includes an aperture 595 oriented to spray towards the brush roll 546, as indicated by the solid arrow in FIG. 15 . The spray tip 554 sprays along a horizontal axis that may be parallel to the axis of rotation X of the brush roll 546 or at a substantially horizontal angle relative to the axis of rotation X to wet the entire length of the brush roll 546 during fluid dispensing. can be oriented to The "substantially horizontal" means that the spray angle of the hole 595 can be 0 to 30 degrees, depending on the length of the brush roll and the spacing of the spray tip 554 to cover the entire brush roll 546 with the fluid. . The angle of the spray tip 554 may be fixed or adjustable during or prior to operation of the wet vacuum cleaner 10 for various surfaces. Spray tip outlet aperture 595 can have any diameter suitable for delivering a desired pressure, type, and/or amount of fluid from spray tip 554 . In this example, the spray tip 554 has a discharge hole diameter of 1.0 mm and is oriented to spray inward towards the top of the brush roll 546 at an angle of 15 degrees from horizontal.

16A is a schematic diagram of a fluid supply path of the vacuum cleaner 10 . The arrow indicates the flow direction of the fluid in the fluid supply path according to the present example. The fluid supply path may include a supply tank 301 for storing the fluid. The fluid may comprise one or more of any suitable cleaning liquids, including, but not limited to, water, the composition, a concentrated detergent, a mild detergent, and the like, and mixtures thereof. For example, the fluid may comprise a mixture of water and a concentrated detergent.

The fluid supply path may further include a flow control system 705 for controlling fluid flow from the supply tank 301 to the fluid supply conduit 532 . In one configuration, the flow control system 705 can include a pump 226 that pressurizes the system and a supply valve assembly 320 that controls delivery of fluid to the fluid supply conduit 532 . In this configuration, fluid flows from the supply tank 301 through the pump 226 to the fluid supply conduit 532 . Drain tube 706 provides a path for draining any fluid that may leak from supply tank 301 while vacuum cleaner 10 is not operating to a drain hole (not shown) in bottom assembly 500 . to the storage box 900 (FIG. 19). From fluid supply conduit 532, fluid passes through spray connector 528, through fluid delivery channel 40, and through spray tip 554, brush roll 546 (Fig. 15) continuously flows.

The trigger 113 ( FIG. 2 ) can be depressed to actuate the flow control system 705 and dispense fluid to the fluid dispenser 554 . The trigger 113 may be operatively coupled to the supply valve 320 to open the supply valve 320 when the trigger 113 is depressed. The supply valve 320 is, for example, selectively closed when the trigger 113 is depressed, thereby providing an electrical switch that supplies power to move the supply valve 320 to the open position. 22) (FIG. 18) can be electrically actuated by providing. In one example, the supply valve 320 may be a solenoid valve. The pump 226 may be coupled to a power source 22 . In one example, the pump 226 may be a centrifugal force pump. In another example, the pump 226 may be a solenoid pump.

In other configurations of the fluid supply path, the pump 226 may be excluded and the flow control system 705 having a valve fluidly coupled with an outlet of the supply tank 301 is a gravity-feed system (gravity-feed). system), in which case when the valve is opened, the fluid will flow under gravity to the fluid dispenser 554 . The valve 320 may be mechanically actuated or electrically actuated, as described above.

16B is a schematic diagram of a fluid recovery path of the vacuum cleaner 10 . Arrows indicate the flow direction of the fluid in the fluid return path. The fluid return path includes a suction nozzle assembly 580 , a lowermost conduit 564 , a flexible conduit hose 518 , and a suction motor/fan assembly adapted to be in fluid communication with the suction nozzle assembly 580 for generating a working air flow. 205 , and a recovery tank 401 that separates and collects fluids and debris from the working air stream for later processing. An upright tube 420 may be formed in a portion of the recovery tank 401 to separate fluids and debris from the working air stream. The suction motor/fan assembly 205 includes a vacuum generator adapted to be in fluid communication with the suction nozzle assembly 580 for aspirating fluid and debris from the surface to be cleaned through the flexible hose conduit 518 and into the recovery tank 401 . to provide.

17 is a rear perspective view of vacuum cleaner 10 with a portion removed to show conduit assembly 585 . In this example, a flexible conduit hose 518 connects the messy tank assembly 400 to the bottom assembly 500 through the front portion of the pivotable swivel joint assembly 570 . A fluid supply conduit 532 and wiring conduit 533 may be provided on the rear side of the flexible conduit hose 518 . A fluid supply conduit 532 fluidly couples the pump 226 with the T-connector 530 of the lowermost assembly 500 .

18 is a schematic circuit diagram of the vacuum cleaner 10 . User interface assembly 120 may be operatively coupled to various components of vacuum cleaner 10 either directly or through central control unit 750 . User interface assembly 120 may include one or more actuators and may include buttons, switches, toggles, triggers, or buttons to enable a user to select a plurality of cleaning modes and/or control the fluid delivery system and fluid recovery system It can be configured to have any combination of the same. Power source 22 may be electrically connected to electrical components of vacuum cleaner 10 including motors 205 , 503 and pump 226 , such as a battery or wire connected to a household outlet. The suction power switch 25 between the suction motor/fan assembly 205 and the power source 22 may be selectively closed by a user, thereby operating the suction motor/fan assembly 205 . Further, the brush power switch 27 between the brush motor 503 and the power source 22 can be selectively closed by the user, thereby operating the brush motor 503 . The user interface assembly 120 may be operatively coupled to the pump 226 such that an actuator, such as a trigger 113 , may actuate the pump 226 when engaged, thereby delivering a fluid to a fluid supply path. Power may be supplied to the pump 226 to do so. Actuation of pump 226 may further power LED indicator 517 by actuating trigger 113 to provide user feedback that fluid is being delivered to the fluid supply path. may be operatively connected.

In one example, the user interface assembly 120 of the vacuum cleaner 10 may include an actuator 122 for selecting a plurality of cleaning modes to be selected by a user. Actuator 122 sends a signal to central control unit 750, which may include a PCBA. The output from the central control unit 750 adjusts the frequency of the solenoid pump 226 to generate a desired flow rate according to the selected mode. For example, the vacuum cleaner 10 may have a hard floor cleaning mode and a carpet cleaning mode. In the hard floor cleaning mode, the liquid flow rate to the fluid dispenser 554 is less than in the carpet cleaning mode. This liquid flow rate is controlled by the speed of the pump 226 . In one non-limiting example, the speed of the pump 226 is controlled such that the liquid flow rate is approximately 50 ml/min in the hard floor cleaning mode and the liquid flow rate of the pump 226 is approximately 100 ml/min in the carpet cleaning mode. The speed is controlled. Optionally, the vacuum cleaner 10 is in a wet scrubbing mode in which the suction motor/fan assembly 205 may be deactivated while the brush motor 503 is operating so that soiled cleaning solution is not removed from the surface to be cleaned. scrubbing mode).

19 is a perspective view of the storage box 900 for the vacuum cleaner 10 . The storage box 900 may be configured to receive the base 14 of the vacuum cleaner 10 in an upright storage position. The storage box 900 may optionally be adapted to contain liquid for the purpose of cleaning the interior portion of the vacuum cleaner 10 and/or for receiving liquid from the drain tube 706 (FIG. 16A). In this example, the storage box 900 is adapted to receive the base 14 and include a removable brush roll holder 905 provided on the outer sidewall of the storage box 900 . As an alternative embodiment, the storage box 900 may be configured to have an integrated brush roll holder 905 . In this case, the brush roll holder 905 may be fixed to the storage box 900 by the retaining latch 910 . Retention latch 910 may include a sliding lock, clamp, brace, or any other mechanism that holds brushroll holder 905 in place in storage 900 during use. and may be configured differently or in the form of receiving a biasing force so that the user can release the lock to separate the brush roll holder 905 from the storage box 900 . The brush roll holder 905 may be adapted to removably receive one or more brush rolls 546 for storage and/or drying purposes. The brush roll holder 905 may include one or more brush roll slots 915 to safely receive the brush roll 546 in a vertical fixed position for drying and storage. The brush roll slot 915 may be fixed or adjustable and may be molded to receive a brush roll 546 with or without clamps, rods, or dowel pins 46 inserted. It may consist of a receiving part. In an alternative embodiment, the brush roll holder 905 includes a plurality of horizontal retainers, such as racks, hooks, or clamps (not shown), to secure the brush roll 546 in a horizontal position. can do.

The various surface wet vacuum cleaners 10 shown in the figure can be used to effectively remove debris and fluids from the surface to be cleaned according to the method below. The order of steps discussed is merely exemplary, as it is contemplated that the steps discussed may proceed in a different logical order, additional steps or intermediate steps may be included, or the described steps may be divided into a plurality of steps without departing from the present invention. It is for the purpose of the present invention and is in no way intended to limit the above method.

In use, the various surfaces wet vacuum cleaner 10 is ready for use by connecting the various surfaces wet vacuum cleaner 10 to a power source 22 and filling the supply tank 301 with cleaning liquid. The user selects the type of floor surface to be cleaned via the user interface assembly 120 . While the vacuum cleaner 10 moves back and forth over the surface to be cleaned, the user operates the trigger 113 to selectively deliver the cleaning liquid to the surface to be cleaned through the fluid supply path. Pump 226 may be actuated by user interface assembly 120 . The user actuates the trigger 113 to actuate the pump 226 to discharge the fluid from the clean tank assembly 300 into the fluid delivery path and spray it through the spray tip 554 onto the brush roll 546 . The wet brush roll 546 wipes the entire surface to be cleaned to remove debris and debris on the surface to be cleaned.

Actuating the trigger 113 also simultaneously activates the LED indicator 517, which illuminates the LED lens 545 to provide an illuminated indication that fluid is being dispensed. It propagates through the light pipe 578 and into the nozzle cover 552 . The LED light 517 and light in the light pipe 578 indicate to the user that the fluid dispenser 554 is operating and fluid is being dispensed to the surface to be cleaned.

At the same time, the brush power switch 27 may actuate the brush roll 546 to agitate or rotate the cleaning liquid onto the surface to be cleaned. This interaction dislodges any attached debris, dirt, and debris, which then remains suspended in the cleaning solution. When the brush roll 546 rotates, the front interference rubber mop 560 collides with the brush roll 546 so that the brush roll is evenly wetted and the cleaning liquid is uniformly distributed over the entire length of the brush roll 546 . The forward interference mop 560 may also be configured to simultaneously scrape soiled fluid and debris from the brush roll 546 to be sucked into the suction nozzle assembly 580 and the fluid return path. As the vacuum cleaner 10 moves over the surface to be cleaned, when the suction motor/fan assembly 205 is actuated, soiled cleaning liquid and debris near the nozzle opening 594 are sucked into the suction nozzle assembly 580 and the fluid return path. Additionally, the cleaning liquid and waste are swept by the rear wiper mop 538 and sucked into the fluid recovery path.

Optionally, while brush roll 546 is operating, suction motor/fan assembly 205 may be disabled so that soiled cleaning solution is not removed as cleaner 10 moves back and forth across the surface to be cleaned. Promotes a wet scrubbing mode.

During operation of the fluid return path, working air, rich in fluid and debris, moves through suction nozzle assembly 580 to a downstream recovery tank 401 where fluid and debris are generally separated from the working air. . This air stream then passes through the suction motor/fan assembly 205 before being discharged from the vacuum cleaner 10 through clean air outlets defined by vents 213 and 214 . By actuating the latch 430 and disengaging the messy tank assembly 400 from the body assembly 200, the recovery tank 401 can be periodically emptied of accumulated fluid and debris.

When the operation is stopped, the vacuum cleaner 10 may be arranged in an upright position in the storage box 900 for storage or cleaning. If desired, the suction nozzle assembly 580 can be separated from the lowermost assembly 500 . The brush roll 546 may then be separated from the lowermost assembly 500 and placed in the brush roll holder 905 .

The wet vacuum cleaner 10 for various surfaces may optionally be equipped with an automatic cleaning mode. The automatic cleaning mode may be used to clean the brush roll and internal components of the fluid recovery path of the vacuum cleaner 10 . The multi-surface wet vacuum cleaner 10 is ready to be cleaned by connecting the multi-surface wet vacuum cleaner 10 to a power source 22 and filling the storage box 900 to a predetermined fill level with cleaning liquid or water. The user selects a supported cleaning mode from the user interface assembly 120 . In one example, the locking mechanism 586 is released to pivot the upright assembly 12 rearward and a hard floor cleaning mode is selected from the user interface assembly 120 by the user. A suction motor/fan assembly 205 provides a suction force to the suction nozzle assembly 580 that sucks the fluid in the reservoir 900 for a predetermined period of time or until the fluid in the reservoir 900 is emptied and directs it to a fluid return path. During the operation, the brush roll 546 is operated by the brush motor 503 . When the automatic cleaning mode is completed, the vacuum cleaner 10 may be returned to the upright locked position in the storage box 900 and the brush roll 546 may be separated and stored as described above.

20-23 show a second embodiment of the brush roll for the surface cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1 in the form of various wet vacuum cleaners 10 for surfaces. The brush roll 546' may be substantially similar to the brush roll 546 of the first embodiment described above, and similar elements are described using like reference numerals marked with a prime ('). Brush roll 546' further includes outer bristles 920 at both ends of dowel pin 46'. Unlike the inner bundles of bristles 48', which are densely planted radially with respect to the dowels 46' and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis or central axis of rotation of the dowels 46', the outer bristles The tuft 920 is such that the distal end or distal end 922 of each outer bristle tuft 920 is a curvature of the distal end 924 of the dowel pin 46', ie, the cylindrical dowel pin 46'. It is oriented outwardly at an acute angle to the central axis of rotation X so as to extend beyond the side ends or surfaces of the dowel pins 46' on the outside of the face 926. 21-22, the distal end 922 of the outer bristle tuft 920 may extend further beyond at least the inner surface 928 of the end plate 512', the end plate ( It may extend to the outer surface 930 of 512' or beyond the outer surface 930 of the end plate 512'.

As shown in the figure, medial bristle tuft 48' and lateral bristle tuft 920 each include a plurality of bristles, and in one embodiment, the bristles of lateral bristle tuft 920 are medial. Thicker and longer than the bristles of the bristles 48'. Also in one non-limiting example, outer bristle tuft 920 is oriented outwardly at an acute angle of approximately 50 to 60 degrees with respect to central axis of rotation X, and radially inner bristle tuft 48' is oriented at an angle of approximately 90 degrees with respect to the central axis of rotation (X). Additionally, the length of the outer bristle tuft 920 may be greater than the length of the inner bristle tuft 48 ′. In one non-limiting example, the length of the outer bristle tuft 920 is approximately 17.5 mm while the length of the inner bristle tuft 48 ′ is approximately 12.5 mm.

As also shown herein, the outer bristle tuft 920 does not project outwardly beyond the microfiber material 49' radially about the central axis of rotation X, and the hybrid brush roll 546' ), the distal end 922 of the outer bristle bundle 920 may be withdrawn relative to the outer surface of the microfiber material 49 ′ in a radial direction. However, the distal end 922 of the outer bristle tuft 920 may protrude beyond the microfiber material 49' at its outer lateral end.

Outer bristle tuft 920 may be comprised of nylon bristles that are thicker than the bristles used for inner bristle tuft 48'. In one non-limiting example, the bristles used for the inner bristle tuft 48' have a diameter of 0.25 mm compared to the bristles used for the outer bristle tuft 920 having a diameter of 0.15 mm. The bristles forming the outer bristle bundle 920 may be prepared by forcing the bristles into bristle holes (not shown) of the dowel pins 46', including, but not limited to, staples, wedges, or It can be assembled to the dowel pins 46' by fastening using fasteners (not shown) such as anchors.

As in the first embodiment, a microfiber material 49' is provided on the dowel pins 46' and disposed between the bristles 48', 920 to expose the bristles 48', 920. . Hybrid brush roll 546' is suitable for use on hard and soft surfaces, and for wet or dry vacuum cleaning.

The beveled outer bristle tufts 920 serve to extend the effective cleaning/agitation path of the hybrid brushroll 546', thereby improving and increasing edge cleaning performance.

23 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the front portion of the suction nozzle assembly 580 . The brush roll 546' is positioned to rotate in the R direction with respect to the central axis of rotation X. The forward interference wiper 560 is configured to interfere with the leading portion of the brush roll 546' as defined by the rotational direction R of the brush roll 546'. Spray tip 554 is oriented to spray the fluid inward towards brush roll 546'. Thus, the wetted portion of brush roll 546' rotates past front interference wiper 560 which scrapes excess fluid from brush roll 546' before reaching the surface to be cleaned.

To the extent not yet described, the different features and structures of various embodiments of the present invention may be used in combination with each other, or may be used separately, as desired. The description herein of a single vacuum cleaner having all of these features does not imply that all of these features should be used in combination, rather, it is described herein as such for the sake of brevity of the description. have. Also, although the vacuum cleaner 10 shown herein has an upright configuration, the vacuum cleaner may be configured as a canister or a portable device. For example, in a box vacuum device, the bottom components such as suction nozzle assembly 580 and brush roll 546 may be provided in a cleaning head associated with the box vacuum device. In addition, the vacuum cleaning may further have a steam delivery capability. Accordingly, various features of different embodiments may be combined or tailored into various vacuum cleaner configurations as desired to form new embodiments, whether or not new embodiments are explicitly described.

While the present invention has been specifically described in connection with some specific embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that this has been done by way of illustration and not limitation. Reasonable changes and modifications are possible within the scope of the above disclosure and drawings without departing from the spirit of the present invention as defined in the appended claims. Accordingly, specific dimensions and other physical features of the various embodiments disclosed herein should not be considered limiting unless otherwise specified in the claims.

Claims (17)

A surface cleaning device comprising:
a housing comprising an upright handle assembly and a base mounted to the upright handle assembly and adapted to be movable over an entire surface to be cleaned;
suction source;
a suction nozzle assembly provided on the base and having a suction nozzle in fluid communication with the suction source, the suction nozzle assembly including a nozzle housing and a cover of the nozzle housing;
a fluid supply chamber provided in the housing and capable of containing a liquid; and
a fluid dispenser provided on the base and adapted to be in fluid communication with the fluid supply chamber;
a fluid delivery system comprising a; and
a dowel pin, a plurality of bristle bundles extending from the dowel pin, a microfiber material provided on the dowel pin between the plurality of bristle bundles, and at one end of the dowel pin; a hybrid brushroll comprising an outer tuft of bristles, wherein the outer tufts of bristles are oriented outwardly at an acute angle with respect to a central axis of rotation of the dowel;
including,
wherein the plurality of tufts of bristle and the outer tufts each comprise a plurality of bristles, wherein the bristles of the outer tuft are thicker and longer than the bristles of the plurality of tufts of bristle; and protruding beyond the microfiber material at the outer side end of the dowel pin. 2. The brush chamber of claim 1, wherein the base comprises a brush chamber and the hybrid brush roll is mounted to the brush chamber, and wherein the fluid dispenser is disposed in the brush chamber to dispense fluid to at least one of the hybrid brush roll and the surface to be cleaned. Surface cleaning device, characterized in that provided. 3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising an interference wiper provided in the brush chamber and adapted to interfere with a portion of the hybrid brush roll to remove excess liquid from the hybrid brush roll. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the interference wiper is located on the front side of the brush chamber and is adapted to interfere with the leading portion of the hybrid brush roll prior to rotation with the leading portion of the hybrid brush roll in contact with the surface to be cleaned. Surface cleaning device, characterized in that. 3. The surface cleaning apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a rubber mop provided on the base from the rear side of the hybrid brush roll and adapted to come into contact with the surface to be cleaned as the base moves over the entire surface to be cleaned. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of bristles comprises a plurality of nylon bristles and said microfiber material comprises a polyester. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said microfiber material consists of at least one strip of material adhered to said placeholder between said plurality of bristles. 2. The hybrid brush roll of claim 1, further comprising an outer bristle tuft at an end opposite to said dowel pin in addition to an outer bristle tuft at said one end, said outer bristle tuft and said other outer bristle tuft. and bristles extend the path of said hybrid brushroll at said one end and said opposite end, respectively. 9. The dowel of claim 8, wherein said dowel is a cylindrical dowel comprising a curved surface and opposite side ends, and wherein distal ends of outer bristle bundles at opposite ends of said dowel pin are opposite sides of said dowel pin. A surface cleaning device, characterized in that it extends beyond the end. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein said hybrid brush roll further comprises end plates disposed at opposite side ends of said cylindrical dowel pins, wherein distal ends of said outer bristles further extend beyond at least a portion of said end plate. Surface cleaning device comprising a. 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of bristles are densely planted radially with respect to the dowel pin and perpendicular to the central axis of rotation of the dowel pin. 12. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the plurality of bristles extend in a spiral pattern with respect to the dowel pins. 12. The apparatus of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the hybrid brush roll is operatively coupled with a drive assembly for rotation about an axis defined by the dowel pin. 12. The hybrid brush according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the fluid dispenser comprises at least one spray tip having an outlet hole, the outlet hole directing the fluid in a direction along the axis of the hybrid brush roll. A surface cleaning device characterized in that it is oriented to spray towards the roll. delete delete delete

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