KR20140100988A - A floor tool for a vacuum cleaning appliance - Google Patents

Abstract

A bottom tool for a vacuum cleaner comprising: a main body coupled to a conduit, the main body including a support member configured to support a cleaning element and a suction nozzle adjacent the edge of the support member, wherein the suction nozzle Wherein the suction chamber defines a first fluid outlet and a second fluid outlet that communicate with the conduit.

Description

{A FLOOR TOOL FOR A VACUUM CLEANING APPLIANCE}

The present invention relates to a floor tool for a vacuum cleaner.

Vacuum cleaners are usually equipped with various tools to cope with various cleaning tasks. For example, such a tool may be a general purpose flooring tool for floor cleaning of both hard and woven surface coatings. Typically, the floor tool includes a main body that engages a floor surface. And a bottom surface including a suction opening for sucking dirt and dust into the floor tool due to the suction force generated by the vacuum cleaner to which the floor tool is attached. The flooring tool is skilled in removing dirt and debris liberated from the floor surface, but other forms of dirt, such as stains, which may remain from the spilled liquid on the hard flooring, are not completely removed. Of course, there are pointers that can be used to clean such stains. One embodiment is described in US2002 / 0184726, wherein a cleaning mechanism having a long handle includes a cleaning head to which a cleaning sheet is detachably attached. Such a device can then be used to rub or wipe the hard floor surface to remove stubbles that are difficult for the user to remove.

It is also known to incorporate a cleaning sheet into the functionality of a floor tool of a vacuum cleaner, in order to provide floor tools with facilities for wiping dirt and debris from the floor surface in addition to the usual function of aspirating free debris and debris have. As one example, JP 9028638 discloses combining a vacuum cleaner bottom tool and a mop by arranging a three-piece nozzle adjacent the mop holder to which the mop is attached. Therefore, this floor tool performs the wiping and suction functions. As an extension of a flooring tool disclosed in JP 9028638, EP 1 608 253 discloses a floor tool for a vacuum cleaner in which a rectangular support element mounts a disposable rag, wherein a three-piece suction nozzle is located adjacent to the front and rear of the long edge of said support element.

Such combined mops and suction flooring tools have advantages, but the pickup performance of such tools in hard floors tends to degrade. The present invention has been developed for this purpose.

In a first aspect, the present invention provides a floor tool for a vacuum cleaner, the floor tool comprising a main body connected to a conduit, the main body comprising: a support member configured to support a cleaning element; Wherein the suction nozzle defines a suction chamber and the suction chamber includes a first fluid outlet and a second fluid outlet communicating with the conduit.

With this arrangement, the present invention provides a flooring tool that combines the vacuum cleaning capability of the dirt and debris with improved pick-up performance and the hard floor wiping function, since the suction is more evenly distributed throughout the suction chamber.

The suction nozzle may include a surface engaging skirt member suspended from a surface of the suction nozzle and defining an outer periphery of the suction chamber.

To further improve pick-up performance, the skirt may further include a partition extending between the front and rear edge portions of the skirt, thereby dividing the resulting suction chamber into first and second sub-chambers.

Preferably, the skirt and dividing wall are flexible materials such as rubber strips, but it should be understood that a series of bristles such as nylon bristles may also be acceptable.

The first aspiration chamber and the second aspiration chamber may each comprise an inner wall defining a suction chamber with a first suction channel and a second suction channel, Channel into the second suction channel.

This configuration of the flexible surface engaging means located around the suction chamber and within the suction chamber defines multiple flow channels that maintain a pressure level within the suction channel when the tool is manipulated on the surface. This improves the fracture pick-up performance of the flooring tool and at the same time prevents debris liberated on the cleaning sheet from accumulating.

Preferably, the surface-engaging skirt member includes a first portion having an opening along at least a portion of its length. In one embodiment, the openings are uniformly spaced apart and take the form of a series of castellations, but the openings may be non-uniformly spaced and may have different sizes.

The first portion may be positioned on the edge of the suction nozzle remote from the edge of the support member, but the second portion may be positioned directly adjacent the edge of the support member.

In order to further improve the pickup performance, the second suction nozzle may be located adjacent to the other edge of the support member. The second suction nozzle may be configured in the same manner as the first suction nozzle, but the layout of the suction channel may be different.

A surface engaging skirt member of this configuration provides a floor tool with high pickup performance. In particular, the partially open or slotted / castellated outer edge / strip portion of the skirt member allows entry of dirt and debris into the suction chamber at multiple points along the length of the suction nozzle, The inner strip portion in which the slot of the portion 17 is not formed has a straight edge with a straight line that forms a seal with the adjacent bottom surface in use to prevent dirt and debris from leaking from the suction nozzle, Thereby preventing contamination of the cover sheet. Therefore, in a further aspect, the present invention relates to a floor tool for a vacuum cleaner, comprising a main body connected to a conduit, the main body comprising a support member configured to support a cleaning element and a support member adjacent to an edge of the support member The suction nozzle comprising a surface engaging skirt member suspended from a surface of the suction nozzle and defining an outer periphery of the suction chamber, the suction chamber having a first fluid outlet communicating with the conduit, Wherein the surface engaging skirt member comprises a first portion having at least one opening along at least a portion of its length and the second portion of the surface engaging skirt member opposite the first portion comprises a self- And has a substantially straight edge along its length.

The first portion may be positioned on the edge of the suction nozzle remote from the edge of the support member, but the second portion may be positioned directly adjacent the edge of the support member.

The surface engaging skirt member has rigidity, but better contact with the bottom surface is achieved when the skirt member is flexible. This flexibility can be achieved with elastic materials such as rubber or other polymers, or by forming skirt members with rows of bristles / filaments that are densely packed.

The openings in the first part can be regularly spaced, for example, in the form of castellations, and can have uniform dimensions, or the openings can be formed irregularly. What is important is that dirt and debris may be introduced into the suction chamber along a substantial portion of the length of the suction nozzle (e.g., in excess of one half of its length).

In connection with this aspect of the invention, the suction chamber rests on at least one suction outlet for sucking air from the suction chamber. Preferably, two outlets are provided to cause a faster flow rate to improve the pick-up capability, and these outlets may be equidistant from each end of the aspiration chamber.

In a further aspect, the present invention provides a floor tool for a surface treatment machine comprising a main body connected to a conduit, the main body comprising a support member configured to support a cleaning element and a suction member adjacent to an edge of the support member Wherein the suction nozzle defines a first suction chamber and a second suction chamber located adjacent the first suction chamber, each suction chamber including a respective fluid outlet communicating with the conduit.

Advantageously, the side-by-side of the two suction chambers improves their fragment pick-up performance over the entire width of the floor tool.

The conduit preferably includes a front region and a rear region so that the main body can be manipulated extensively on the surface. The front region is pivotally connected to the main body so as to move about a first axis so that the rear region can be raised and lowered relative to the main body so that the main body can be moved between the lower side of the furniture and between the furniture and the wall It can be easily operated into the clearance of the opening. Due to the range of articulation of the area of the conduit around the first and second axes, the main body is substantially perpendicular to the cleaning rods used to manipulate the tool on the bottom surface, and substantially perpendicular to the cleaning rods And can be oriented in parallel.

The front region is pivotable relative to the main body within a substantially vertical plane while the rear region is pivotally connected to the front region for movement about the front region about a second axis spaced from the first axis. By this, For example, the cleaning rods connected to the rear region of the conduit may be bent relative to the front region to assist in pushing or pulling the main body on the same plane as the floor area in various main body orientations.

  By pivotal connection between the front region and the rear region, the rear region can be connected to the front region to be located at least partially below the front region. Thereby, it can have a low profile when the front region of the conduit is in its lowered position.

The suction nozzle may include a surface engaging skirt member suspended from a surface of the suction nozzle and defining an outer periphery of each of the first and second suction chambers. Furthermore, a dividing wall can extend between the sides of the surface-engaging skirt member and can be downwardly extended to the same extent as the surface-engaging skirt member. Preferably, the skirt and dividing wall are flexible materials such as rubber strips, but it should be understood that a series of bristles such as nylon bristles may also be acceptable.

The first aspiration chamber and the second aspiration chamber may each comprise an inner wall defining a suction chamber with a first suction channel and a second suction channel, Channel into the second suction channel.

This configuration of the flexible surface engaging means located around the suction chamber and within the suction chamber defines multiple flow channels that maintain a pressure level within the suction channel when the tool is manipulated on the surface. This improves the fracture pick-up performance of the flooring tool and at the same time prevents debris liberated on the cleaning sheet from accumulating.

In one embodiment, the inner wall is V-shaped so that one of the first or second suction channels tapers. Preferably, the tapered suction channel has a narrow intermediate region adjacent the castellated edge of the skirt so that fluid can flow through the opening or notch into the skirt and into the suction channel. The second suction channel can communicate with the fluid outlet through which the fluid is sucked in use, in this case the dirt-containing air is sucked from the first suction channel into the second suction channel.

Two different pressure zones are formed in the main body by means of the flexible surface engaging means by each suction chamber being "divided" into two interconnecting suction channels. A relatively high vacuum is created in the second suction channel, which optimizes the performance of the tool to trap the dirt and dust that are located in the gaps in the bottom surface. At the same time, a relatively low vacuum can be formed in the first suction channel, which can improve the performance of the tool to trap debris located on the surface without reducing the trapping of dirt and dust in the gaps.

Each fluid outlet of each nozzle can communicate with an intermediate conduit coupled to the manifold, and preferably each intermediate conduit is pivotally coupled to the manifold such that the nozzle can be raised and lowered relative to the support member . With this arrangement, when the nozzle is in the raised position, the cleaning sheet can be wrapped around the support member and fixed to the support member when the nozzle is in the lowered position. For this purpose, fastening means may be provided, and in one embodiment the fastening means comprises a projecting structure, such as a knob, which is suspended from the conduit and engageable with a recess of a complementary shape defined in the support member, When the suction nozzle is in the lowered position, the knob is received in the recess, thus securing the support cleaning sheet to the support member.

The suction nozzle described above is particularly advantageous when used in combination with a suitable support plate for mounting a cleaning member, but it is also expected that it will also be effective for the pick-up performance of a floor tool without a mop supporting member. Therefore, from a still further aspect the present invention relates to a floor tool for a vacuum cleaner comprising a main body connected to a conduit, the main body comprising a first suction chamber and a second suction chamber adjacent to the first suction chamber Wherein each suction chamber comprises a respective fluid outlet communicating with the conduit, wherein each of the first suction chamber and the second suction chamber includes a first suction channel and a second suction channel, And the dirt-containing oil stagnant may move from the first suction channel to the second suction channel through at least one intermediate channel.

In order to prevent the debris from being trapped in a specific region of the suction channel, the inner wall may be formed such that one of the first or second suction channels tapers. As a further optional enhancement, an additional bottom engaging member may be provided across the entire first or second suction channel between the inner wall and the adjacent portion of the surface-engaging skirt, preferably transversely within the middle region of the channel . This helps to prevent the resistance when the debris flows into the first / second channel to improve the pickup performance.

The suction nozzle may include a surface engaging skirt member suspended from a surface of the suction nozzle and defining an outer periphery of each of the first and second suction chambers. The area of the skirt member may include notches or castellations to allow passage of the debris.

To define the first and second suction chambers, the dividing wall may be suspended from the housing of the suction nozzle to the same extent as the skirt and extend between both sides of the skirt. Preferably the skirt and dividing wall are flexible and can be made of an elastic strip (e.g. rubber), or alternatively can be a plurality of closely-packed bristles or filaments.

It is to be understood that preferred and / or optional features of the first, second, third and fourth aspects of the present invention may be combined with one another if desired.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described as one example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a front perspective view of a floor tool according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is a side view of the floor tool of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a front perspective view of the floor tool of Figure 1 with its own suction nozzle in an elevated position;
Figure 4 is a side view of the bottom tool of Figure 3, particularly taken along the middle conduit;
Figure 5 is a side view similar to Figure 4 with a suction nozzle in a lowered position;
Figure 6 is a partial bottom view of the floor tool of Figure 1 enlarged for clarity;
Figure 7 is a simplified partial bottom view of a floor tool of an alternative embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 8 is a perspective view of a floor tool in an alternative embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 9 is a bottom side view of the bottom tool of Figure 8; And
Fig. 10 is a stick type vacuum cleaner equipped with the floor tools of Figs. 8 and 9. Fig.

1 to 6, the floor tool 2 includes a main body 4 and a conduit 6 associated with the main body 4, the conduit being connected to the bottom tool 2 by a vacuum cleaner (Not shown), and allows the user to manipulate the floor tool 2 throughout the surface to be cleaned.

The main body 4 includes a generally rectangular support member 8 on which a sheet type cleaning element (shown in Figures 4 and 5) and a long edge The first and second suction nozzles 10 and 12 disposed adjacent to the first and second suction nozzles 14 and 16 may be mounted. Each of the suction nozzles 10 and 12 is related to the air manifold 20 mounted on the upper surface 22 of the support member 8. [ In this figure, the floor tool 2 is oriented so that its 'front' faces the right side of the figure. Therefore, since the first and second suction nozzles 10 and 12 can be considered to be the front suction nozzle 10 and the rear suction nozzle 12, respectively, they are called as follows.

In a general sense, the floor tool 2 has two functions. First, since the support member 8 is configured to mount a moisture-containing sheet material such as a poly-based disposable mop, which is generally available, the floor tool 2 can be used to rub dirt and dirt, Lt; / RTI > Second, the suction nozzles 10, 12 remove dirt and debris liberated from the floor surface for transport to the associated vacuum cleaner in the dirt-containing airflow sucked through the floor tool 2.

The front suction nozzle 10 is pivotally connected to the manifold 20 by respective first and second front intermediate conduits 24 and the rear suction nozzle 12 is connected to the respective first and second rear middle And is connected to the manifold 20 by conduit 26. With such a configuration, the front and rear suction nozzles 10, 12 are arranged in such a manner that the suction nozzles 10, 12 of each adjacent long edge 14, 16 of the support member 8 are engaged with the bottom surface for cleaning, (Lowered position) and a second position (lowered position) that is pivoted relative to the support member 8 such that the front and rear suction nozzles 10, 12 are lifted off the engagement with the bottom surface Position). In this position, the cleaning sheet can be wrapped around the support member 8 to be fixed when the suction nozzles 10, 12 return to the lowered position. The suction nozzles 10, 12 are shown in the lowered position in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5 and are shown in the raised position in FIGS. 3 and 4.

This floor tool 2 forms an interface with the associated vacuum cleaner by means of a connecting conduit 6 which is coupled to the manifold 20 in the part between the front and rear intermediate conduits 24 and 26, To form a knuckle joint.

The conduit 6 consists of two parts, a front region 28 and a rear region 30, which are fluidly connected and pivotally connected to each other. The front region 28 has a head portion 28 connected to the main body 4 via the manifold 20 so that it can be pivoted about the first axis A1. The neck portion 28b extends from the head portion 28a to the rear region 30 of the conduit and includes a fluid outlet 30a configured to be connected to a cleaning rod, hose or other such duct portion of the cleaning machine And the cleaner includes a motor-driven fan unit for drawing a dirt-containing fluid (in this case, air) into the dust separator and the bottom tool.

More specifically, the head portion 28a has a substantially cylindrical outer surface 32 extending along a longitudinal axis that is substantially co-linear with the first axis A1, and the manifold 20 The first and second circular connection ports 34 journaled between the respective arcuate supports 36 of the first and second circular connection ports 34, Thus, the head portion 28a is free to rotate about its longitudinal axis around the struts 36. [

The sealing member 38 is provided between each outward facing port 34 of the head portion and each outward facing port 34 of the adjacent portion of the manifold 20 (post 36) Thereby forming a substantially airtight seal. Each port 34 of the head portion 28a thus provides a respective entry point through which fluid can be drawn into the conduit 6 from the main body 4. Each port 34 is substantially circular and substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the head portion 28a and thus to the first axis A1 passing through the center of each port 34. [ As a result, in use, the fluid flows into the head portion 28a through the port 34 in the opposite direction. The neck portion 28b extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the head portion 28a at a substantially intermediate position between the ports 34 and is integral with the head portion 28a in this embodiment. As a result, when fluid flows from one of the ports 34 into the neck portion 28b, the fluid flow changes direction by about 90 degrees.

The rear region 30 of the conduit 6 is positioned in the forward region 28 to pivot relative to the neck portion 28b of the front region 28 about the second axis A2 which is bent against the first axis A1. 28 to the neck portion 28b. In this embodiment, the second axis A2 is orthogonal to the first axis A1 and is about 65 degrees in this embodiment with respect to the longitudinal axis L of the rear region 30 shown in Fig. .

The connection between the front and rear regions 28,30 of the conduit 6 is achieved by connecting the fluid outlet 40 of the front region 28 to the fluid inlet 42 of the rear region 30 of the conduit 6 do. The fluid outlet 40 of the front region 28 is substantially cylindrical and bends downwardly toward the bottom surface when the conduit is in the tilted position shown in FIG. 2 (shown in FIG. 2). The fluid inlets 42 of the rear region 30 are also substantially cylindrical and are received within the fluid outlet 40 of the front region 28 so that their longitudinal axis lines are substantially orthogonal to the second axis A2 . Furthermore, the engagement between the fluid outlet 40 and the fluid inlet 42 is an engagement in which the fluid inlet 42 can be rotated about the second axis A2 about the fluid outlet. Although not shown in the drawings, a sealing member is positioned between the inner surface of the fluid inlet and the outer surface of the fluid outlet to prevent fluid loss from the interface.

Due to this conduit configuration, the rotational movement of the rear region 30 about its own longitudinal axis L causes the floor tool 2 to swing in an angular direction in a plane parallel to the surface to be cleaned . Therefore, for example, the floor tool 2 is very easy to operate because it can be easily rotated by 90 degrees to slide into a narrow passage.

Figures 4 and 5 show a cutaway view of the floor tool 2 along two intermediate conduits 24 and 26 with the inner ends of the intermediate conduits extending from the suction nozzles 10 and 12 along the respective inner flow passages 27 It can be seen that they cooperate in a manner that defines a transverse flow channel 41 that carries the air flow to the connection conduit 6. In these figures, only one of the front intermediate conduits 24 and the rear intermediate conduit 26 on the left side of the floor tool 2 (when viewing the floor tool from the front) is shown, but the right intermediate conduit 24, The structural details of which are the same and are not described here.

The front intermediate conduit 24 or 'arm' extends upwardly from the surface of the upper housing 44 of the front suction nozzle 10 and is pivoted by substantially 90 degrees and is directed toward the manifold 20 by a support member 8 ) In a plane parallel to the plane. At the distal end from the suction nozzle 10, the connecting arm 24 terminates in a cylindrical portion 46 extending transversely with respect to the arm 24.

The cylindrical portion 46 has an open interior that engages a strut 36 of a support member 8 that further includes a sealing ring member 49 therebetween and a closed outer end (not shown in Figures 4 and 5) Has a rim portion (48). The other connecting arm 24 of the front suction nozzle includes the same cylindrical portion and also has a rim portion so that the two rim portions are effectively " clamped " in a knuckle joint manner with respect to the support 36 of the support member, The connecting arms 24, 26 may be pivoted relative to the support.

Returning to the rear intermediate conduit 26 or 'arm' which is connected between the rear suction nozzle 12 and the manifold 20, it also has a generally symmetrical shape on the outer surface of the cylindrical portion 46 of the front arm 24, Includes an inner end defining a semi-circular sleeve portion 50 so that the sleeve portion 50 can be ridden on the surface of the cylindrical portion 46. [ A sealing layer 51 is provided on the inner surface thereof to prevent leakage from the interface. The inner end 52 of the sleeve portion 50 includes a shallow lip (not shown) that fits within a complementary annular groove (also not shown) provided on the rim 48 of the cylindrical portion 46. [ Which acts to securely secure the sleeve portion 50 onto the manifold 20. The exterior of the sleeve portion 50 includes a circular end cap 53 (shown in Figures 1-3), which engages an outer end portion of the cylindrical portion 46 of the first connecting arm 24 . In this way, the rear arm 26 can be pivoted relative to the front arm 24.

It is understood from the above description that the front and rear intermediate conduits, or the inner end of the arm, cooperate to at least partially define the manifold 20. In particular, the cylindrical portion of the front arm 24 defines a majority of the fluid retention passageway of the manifold 20, but is configured to allow the air to flow into the intermediate conduit 26 through the cylindrical portion 46, And has a port 54 coinciding with the internal passage of the rear arm 26 when it is present. This arrangement allows for a very elegant turning structure of the intermediate conduits 24, 26 relative to the support member 8, but it will be understood by those skilled in the art that other configurations can achieve the same turning movement. For example, each of the front and rear conduits 24, 26 may have a cylindrical interior region that can be juxtaposed to form a fluid manifold, and one region may be a face seal for another region, Respectively.

Alternatively, in the present embodiment, the connecting arm has been described as defining the manifold itself, but it need not be, and the front and rear connecting arms 24, 26 may be separate parts from the parts defining the manifold.

As mentioned above, the cleaning sheet can be fixed to the supporting member 8 by the pivotal action of the front and rear arms 24, 4 and 5, each of the front and rear arms 24, 26 includes projections in the form of knobs 60 that are suspended from the underside of each arm 24, 26 . Each knob 60 is configured to be received in a corresponding circular recess 62 on the upper surface 22 of the support member 8 when the arms 24 and 26 are in the lowered position. In this way, the cleaning sheet can be wrapped around the support member 8, and when the arm is in the raised position, the end of the cleaning sheet can be held in contact with the upper surface 22 of the support member 8 have. When the arm is lowered, the knob 60 enters into its respective recess 62 to keep the cleaning sheet firmly in place. By this action, the cleaning sheet is also brought into close contact with the lower surface of the support member 8 This keeps wrinkles and agitation, which promotes cleaning of the floor surface. 4 and 5, the cleaning sheet 63 is depicted by a dotted line and is shown to be wrapped around the support plate 8 in a state in which a part thereof enters the recess. In Fig. 5, the knob 60 enters the recess 62, thereby fixing the cleaning sheet 63. Fig.

In addition to the wiping facility provided by the support member, the suction nozzles 10, 12 remove the frozen debris from the bottom surface, and the configuration of the suction nozzles 10, 12, as described below, Performance.

Fig. 6 shows the lower surface of the overall suction nozzle and the enlarged front suction nozzle 12. Fig. It is to be understood that the respective configurations of the front and rear suction nozzles 10 and 12 are substantially the same and therefore only the front suction nozzle 10 is described in detail herein but the description also applies to the rear suction nozzle 12. [

The housing 44 of the suction nozzle 10 is rectangular and includes a strip-shaped bottom engaging member 70 which is suspended downwardly to define a substantially continuous rectangular skirt around the outer periphery of the housing 44. The additional bottom engaging member or "dividing wall" 72 extends transversely between the long edges of the approximately middle skirt 70 between the two ends of the housing 44, and therefore the suction nozzles 10 are arranged side by side Into a first suction chamber (74) and a second suction chamber (76) which are located.

The outer perimeter skirt / wall 70 and the dividing wall 72 of the suction chambers 74 and 76 in this embodiment are formed by thin strips of flexible material extending around the suction chamber and between the suction chambers, It is rubber. The outer peripheral skirt 70 is divided into two strip regions 70a and 70b and two side regions 70c and 70d for a separate strip region, i.e., the front and rear portions of the skirt 70 . 4 and 5, the strip 70 is held in a recess 77 on the lower side of the housing 44. As shown in Fig. However, the entire skirt can be made of a single strip, such as a band of continuous material, or, alternatively, the surface engaging member can take the form of a row of continuous bristles. The rear region or 'portion' 70b of the skirt is then positioned directly adjacent to the long edge of the support member 8. It is conceivable that the front portion 70a of the skirt is positioned to face the rear portion 70b of the skirt so that it is located far from the long edge of the supporting member 8. [

Each of the adjacent suction chambers 74, 76 further comprises an additional bottom engaging member 80 in the form of a rubber strip which defines a longitudinally extending inner wall within each chamber 74, But does not reach each end of the chamber, thus defining a clearance 81 at each end. In this manner, the longitudinal strip 80 divides the interior of the first and second suction chambers 74, 76 into first and second longitudinal suction channels 82, 84, Or by a " connection channel " According to the convention used so far, hereinafter, the first suction channel 82 is referred to as a front suction channel and the second suction channel 84 is referred to as a rear suction channel.

The strip region 70a adjacent the front suction channel 82 has a series of castellations or notches 86 that allow air to enter the front suction channel 82 through the castellation 86 do. Air flows out of the suction chambers 74 and 76 through the fluid outlet opening 88 and the fluid outlet opening 88 communicates with the second suction channel and through the inner passageway of each intermediate conduit 24 and 26 27 to the connecting conduit 6.

The strip region 70b adjacent to the rear suction channel 84 is continuous in that it does not have castellations and thus defines a continuous, uniform and straight edge and thus prevents debris from accumulating on the cleaning sheet It can be engaged with the floor surface. Advantageously, this not only prevents traces on the floor surface, but also extends the life of the cleaning sheet.

In use, when the bottom tool 2 is positioned on the bottom surface so that all of the strip regions 70a-70d engage the bottom surface, when suction is applied to the conduit 6 by the associated vacuum cleaner, Two different pressure zones occur within the suction chambers 74, 76 of each of the suction chambers 10, 12, respectively. A relatively high vacuum can be formed in the rear suction channel 84 due to the relatively dense seal formed around the rear suction channel 84 by the rear and side strip regions 70b, 70c, 70d. This creates a relatively high velocity air flow which is advantageous for the debris located in the gaps in the floor surface to be incorporated into the air flow through the rear suction channel 84. [ Moreover, since the rear strip region 70b has a straight, uniform edge, this reduces the likelihood that the debris will pass through the underside of the rear strip region 70b, thereby causing the support member and, thus, Pickup is prevented.

Providing a connection channel 81 provides a relatively low vacuum in the front suction channel 82 to allow dust and relatively large debris located on the bottom surface to pass through the relatively large castellation 86 into the front suction channel 82 It can be incorporated into the oil stream to be sucked. The dirt-containing oil stool then flows from the front suction channel 82 to the rear suction channel 84 through the connecting channel 81 on both sides of the suction chamber 74 and 76 and then to the opening 88). From there it is conveyed into the manifold 20 along the intermediate conduits 24 and 26 and into the head portion 28a of the front region 28 of the conduit 6 via the port 54. Optionally, a guiding surface is provided in the head portion 28a to facilitate the flow of fluid into the neck in a minimum turbulent state. From the front region 28 the fluid flows into the rear region 30 of the conduit 6 and into the cleaning rods (not shown) of the vacuum cleaner connected to the fluid outlet 30a of the rear region 30. [

By virtue of the flexibility of the strip region when the floor tool is operated on the floor surface, the flexibility of the strip region is such that the bottom surface over a wide range of orientations of the cleaning rods relative to the main body 4, and thus two different pressure zones Can be maintained. Further, by dividing the suction nozzles 10, 12 into two separate chambers 74, 76 so that each chamber has its respective front and rear suction channels 82, 84, a high velocity fluid flow through the suction chamber Is passed through the entire width of the floor tool 2, whereby it can be ensured that the incorporation of fragments and the pickup are greatly promoted.

Within the broad concept of the floor tool 2 of the present invention, several alternatives have already been described. Hereinafter, the other will be described.

Fig. 7 shows a modification of the floor tool 2 in a short circulating form. The floor tools 2 are substantially the same as those described with reference to Figs. 1 to 6, so that the same reference numerals are used for common parts.

In this embodiment, each suction chamber 74, 76 is divided by the longitudinal strip portion 100 into the front and rear suction channels 82, 84, as in the previous embodiment. It should be noted, however, that the strip portion 100 of the present embodiment defines a low V-shaped or "chevron" with a vertex immediately adjacent to the front castellated strip region 70a of the suction chamber .

The V-shape of the strip portion 100 provides a tapered front channel 82 that is narrowest at its midpoint and widens near both ends. The effect of this is to increase the velocity of the fluid flowing into the central region of the front suction channel 82 through the front strip region 70a of the castellation type so that the mixing of the debris into the air stream in the front suction channel 82 . Thus, the shape of such strip portion 100 creates most of the vacuum applied to the suction channel through opening 88 by regulating the velocity of the airflow through the suction channel, thus improving debris pickup.

Preferably, the V-shaped strip region 100 defines a relatively small internal vertex angle of about 170 degrees, but can provide the necessary air flow advantage at various angles between 150 and 175 degrees. V-shaped strip regions having sharp apexes are shown, but need not be, the two angular portions of the strip region 100 can be fused to form a curved apex, or can be separated by a flattened portion. An important consideration is to narrow the middle region of the channel 83 to increase the velocity of the air flow in the middle region of the channel.

As a further enhancement, additional sealing strips may be provided to extend transversely across the front suction channel 82 between the midpoints of the strip strips 70a and longitudinal strips 80, 100. An additional strip is indicated by the dotted line in Fig. The effect of this is to prevent " resistance " in the middle region of the front suction channel, thereby providing a further improvement in the pickup performance.

In the embodiment described above, the suction nozzles 10, 12 are separate elements distinct from the support member 4 and are mounted on the ends of the intermediate conduits 24, 26. Advantageously, the nozzle can be pivotally mounted such that the seat can be attached to the mop. However, the pivotable mounting is not essential, and a similar mounting configuration can be achieved by detachably fixing the support member to the suction nozzle.

Moreover, within the broad concept of the invention defined in the claims, it is not essential that the suction nozzle is a distinct distinct part from the support member. Instead, the mop supporting member may be defined by the block-like body, and the side thereof may define the suction nozzle. 8 and 9 show a perspective view and a bottom side view of an embodiment of such a floor tool 2, respectively.

8, a floor tool 200 similar to that of the previous embodiment is shown and includes a main body 202 and a connecting conduit 204 pivotally attached to the main body 202 do. The connection conduit 204 is of the same type as the previous embodiment and is not further described herein.

The main body 202 is block-shaped and includes a first suction nozzle 206 and a second suction nozzle 208 positioned along the mop support area 205 and each of the long edges 205a and 205b of the mop support area, . Each upper end 206a and 208a of the first and second suction nozzles 206 and 208 includes a fluid outlet 210 that leads to a respective suction channel / conduit 212 and a suction channel / Is diverted to the inclined angle road suction nozzles 206 and 208, and converges at the centrally located manifold 214. [ The connecting conduit 204 is mechanically and fluidly connected to the manifold 214 so that in use the air flow is drawn into the connecting conduit 204 along the suction channel 212 through the suction nozzles 206 and 208 .

The recessed area 216 between the ends of the suction nozzles 206 and 208 provides a platform in which the end of the mop element can be secured by suitable attachment means such as a clip or plug (not shown) Is stretched along the lower side of the support member in the same manner as in the previous embodiment.

Returning to Fig. 9, which illustrates the bottom side of the bottom tool of the present embodiment, each of the suction nozzles 206,208 includes a respective surface engaging portion 224,222 that extends around the nozzle and defines a respective suction chamber 224,226 Members 220 and 222, respectively. As in the previous embodiments, the surface engaging members 220, 222 are preferably flexible and therefore can be formed of a strip of polymeric material or a high density focused bristle. Strips of polymeric material, such as rubber or PVC, are presently preferred.

In this embodiment, the surface engaging skirt members 220, 222 define a single suction chamber as opposed to forming two suction chambers in the previous embodiment. However, since each suction chamber has first and second fluid outlets 210, the debris pickup is further improved compared to a single fluid outlet.

Each of the surface engaging skirt members 220 and 222 includes a first portion 220a and 222a positioned directly adjacent to the support member 205 and a second portion 220b opposite the first portion 220a and 222a, 222b. In other words, it is located remotely from the support member 205. In this embodiment, the second portions 220b, 222b have openings along a portion of their length, preferably along their entire length, as shown in Fig. 9, which allows the debris and debris to pass through the surface- To move into the suction chamber. On the other hand, the first portion of the surface-engaging skirt member has no openings and thus defines a uniform and straight continuous edge that can be engaged with the bottom surface to prevent debris from accumulating on the cleaning sheet.

It should be understood that the openings on the second portion of the surface-engaging skirt member are regularly spaced in the form of castellations 223, but this is not the nature and that the openings can take a variety of forms. Importantly, some method of promoting entry of debris and debris into the aspiration chambers 224, 226 is provided along the skirt members of the front edges 220b, 222b while at the same time the debris and debris is directed downwardly of the rear edge through the aspiration chamber The rear edges of the surface-engaging skirt members are formed to prevent them from entering the suction chambers 224, 226 or exiting the suction chambers 224, 226.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the configuration of the suction chamber described with reference to Figures 8 and 9 also applies to the bottom tool embodiment described in Figures 1-7.

1 to 9 show an embodiment of a floor tool according to the invention. However, Figure 10 shows a portion of a "stick-type vacuum cleaner" 240 that includes a portable vacuum cleaner 242 that can be carried by a user's hand as shown, Fig. 3 shows an embodiment of a floor tool. The elongated cleaning rods 244 are attached to the handheld vacuum cleaner 242 which leads down to the bottom tool 200 provided at the end of the cleaning rods 244 and the bottom tool 200 And is supported on the surface. In Fig. 10, the floor itself is not shown explicitly, but is omitted.

The portable vacuum cleaner 242 includes a motor-driven fan unit (not shown), which includes a motor casing 246 (not shown) for drawing air through an inflow nozzle 248 located in front of the portable vacuum cleaner 240 . The elongated cleaning rod 246 is connected to the inflow nozzle 248 and the floor tool 200 is connected to the lower end of the cleaning rod 246. The contaminated air is sucked through the suction nozzles 206 and 208 on the lower side of the floor tool 2 and is guided to the air inlet 248 on the portable vacuum cleaner 242 through the cleaning rod 244 . The contaminated air flowing into the air inlet nozzle 248 passes through the cyclone separation system 250 where the dirt is separated from the air and then the relatively clean air is exhausted to the surrounding environment through the exhaust port 252. Dirt separated from the airflow inside the cyclone separation system 250 is collected in the tub 252 for disposal. The portable vacuum cleaner 242 is powered by a multi-cell rechargeable battery contained within a battery pack 254.

The floor tool 200 is detachable from the cleaning rod 244 by the catch 256. Next, the cleaning rod 244 can be detached from the portable cleaner 242 by an additional catch 258. Fig. The portable vacuum cleaner 242 can be used separately as a stand-alone portable vacuum cleaner by detaching the cleaning rods 244 or alternatively can be used as the portable vacuum cleaner 242, the cleaning rods 244, Can be combined and used as a hard floor cleaning tool having suction functionality. The floor tool 200 may be configured such that it can not be separated from the cleaning rod 244.

Although the stick type vacuum cleaner of Fig. 10 incorporates the floor tool 200 described above with reference to Figs. 8 and 9, the floor tool of the previous embodiment can be incorporated in the stick type vacuum cleaner of Fig.

Although the embodiment described above includes two suction nozzles located on each long side of the support member, this is not the case, and an improved pickup can be obtained by a single double chamber suction nozzle located on one side of the support member It may be. Alternatively, the second suction nozzle may be a simplified nozzle having a single suction chamber without a dividing wall, which still meets the purpose of protecting each side of the cleaning sheet.

The support member has been described as a square. However, those skilled in the art will appreciate that other shapes are possible. For example, the support member may be triangular, diamond-shaped, or even egg-shaped, with the suction nozzle being suitably modified. Also, although the support members have been described as being particularly suitable for use with non-poly-based nonwoven cleaning sheets, this is not the essence of the present invention, and may be used with other types of wiping members, such as woven cleaning fabrics have. Alternatively, the support member may also be equipped with a porous cleaning member such as, for example, a sponge pad secured to the lower surface of the support member or integrally formed with the support member by a hook-and-loop type fastening system.

Those skilled in the art will also appreciate that other types of conduit configurations may be used in the main body of the floor tool, although the form of the connecting conduit described for this floor tool is merely optional and this provides the advantage of operability.

Claims (23)

A floor tool for a vacuum cleaner comprising a main body connected to a conduit, the main body including a support member configured to support a cleaning element and a suction nozzle adjacent the edge of the support member Wherein the suction nozzle defines a suction chamber and wherein the suction chamber includes a first fluid outlet and a second fluid outlet communicating with the conduit. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the suction nozzle comprises a surface engaging skirt member suspended from a surface of the suction nozzle and defining an outer periphery of the suction chamber. The method according to claim 2 or 3,
Wherein the surface engaging skirt member is flexible. The method according to claim 2 or 3,
Wherein the surface engaging skirt member is defined by at least one of a plurality of bristles, a plurality of filaments, and a strip of at least one flexible material. 5. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4,
Wherein the first portion of the surface engaging skirt member has a substantially straight edge along its length. 6. The method of claim 5,
Wherein the surface engaging skirt member comprises a second portion having an opening along at least a portion of its length. The method according to claim 6,
Wherein said opening is regularly spaced in the form of a castellation. 8. The method according to claim 6 or 7,
Wherein the first portion is located directly adjacent the edge of the support member and the second portion is located on an edge of the suction nozzle remote from the edge of the support member. 9. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
And a second suction nozzle adjacent the second edge of the support member. 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the second suction nozzle has a suction chamber having the same configuration as the first suction nozzle. A bottom tool for a vacuum cleaner comprising: a main body coupled to a conduit, the main body including a support member configured to support a cleaning element and a suction nozzle adjacent the edge of the support member, A surface engaging skirt member suspended from the surface of the suction nozzle and defining an outer periphery of the suction chamber, the suction chamber comprising a first fluid outlet communicating with the conduit, the surface engaging skirt member having a self- And a second portion of the surface-engaging skirt member opposite the first portion has at least one opening along at least a portion of its length. ≪ RTI ID = 0.0 > Vacuum cleaner floor tools. 12. The method of claim 11,
Wherein the first portion is located directly adjacent the edge of the support member and the second portion is located on an edge of the suction nozzle remote from the edge of the support member. 13. The method according to claim 11 or 12,
Wherein the surface engaging skirt member is flexible. 14. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13,
Wherein the surface engaging skirt member is defined by at least one of a plurality of bristles, a plurality of filaments, at least one strip of flexible material, or a combination thereof. 15. The method according to any one of claims 11 to 14,
Wherein the suction chamber comprises a second fluid outlet communicating with the conduit. 16. The method of claim 15,
Wherein the first and second fluid outlets are equidistantly spaced from respective ends of the suction chamber. 17. The method according to claim 15 or 16,
Wherein the suction chamber comprises a dividing wall for defining first and second suction chambers and each of the first and second suction chambers includes one of the first and second fluid outlets, tool. A vacuum cleaner comprising a floor tool as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 17. A stick type vacuum cleaner comprising a portable vacuum cleaner including a motor and a fan unit and a separating device having an air inlet, the stick type vacuum cleaner comprising: a cleaning rod attachable to the air inlet; A portable vacuum cleaner comprising a floor tool according to any one of claims 1 to 17. A stick-type vacuum cleaner comprising a portable vacuum cleaner including a motor and a fan unit and a separating device having an air inlet, the stick-type vacuum cleaner comprising: a cleaning rod attachable to the air inlet; and a floor tool attachable to a remote end of the cleaning rod Wherein the bottom tool includes a support member configured to support a cleaning element and a suction nozzle adjacent the edge of the supporting bonsai. 21. The method of claim 20,
Wherein the suction nozzle comprises a suction chamber including a first fluid outlet and a second fluid outlet in communication with the conduit. 22. The method of claim 21,
Wherein the first fluid outlet and the second fluid outlet are associated with separate suction chambers of the suction nozzles. 23. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 22,
And the second suction nozzle includes a portable vacuum cleaner positioned in contact with the second edge of the support member.

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