WO2019011731A1 - Vacuum cleaner utensil - Google Patents
Vacuum cleaner utensil Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2019011731A1 WO2019011731A1 PCT/EP2018/068023 EP2018068023W WO2019011731A1 WO 2019011731 A1 WO2019011731 A1 WO 2019011731A1 EP 2018068023 W EP2018068023 W EP 2018068023W WO 2019011731 A1 WO2019011731 A1 WO 2019011731A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- vacuum cleaner
- elements
- central area
- utensil
- cleaner utensil
- Prior art date
Links
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L9/00—Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
- A47L9/02—Nozzles
- A47L9/06—Nozzles with fixed, e.g. adjustably fixed brushes or the like
- A47L9/066—Nozzles with fixed, e.g. adjustably fixed brushes or the like with adjustably mounted brushes, combs, lips or pads; Height adjustment of nozzle or dust loosening tools
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L9/00—Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
- A47L9/02—Nozzles
- A47L9/04—Nozzles with driven brushes or agitators
- A47L9/0461—Dust-loosening tools, e.g. agitators, brushes
- A47L9/0466—Rotating tools
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L9/00—Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
- A47L9/02—Nozzles
- A47L9/06—Nozzles with fixed, e.g. adjustably fixed brushes or the like
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L9/00—Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
- A47L9/02—Nozzles
- A47L9/06—Nozzles with fixed, e.g. adjustably fixed brushes or the like
- A47L9/0693—Specially shaped nozzles, e.g. for cleaning radiators, tubes, fans or the like; Dusters
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L2201/00—Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation
Definitions
- the invention relates to a vacuum cleaner utensil (e.g. a vacuum cleaner nozzle or a robot vacuum cleaner), and to a vacuum cleaner (e.g. of the canister or stick type) provided with a nozzle formed by such a vacuum cleaner utensil.
- a vacuum cleaner utensil e.g. a vacuum cleaner nozzle or a robot vacuum cleaner
- a vacuum cleaner e.g. of the canister or stick type
- JPH10113315 discloses a dust sucking nozzle for a vacuum cleaner, arranged to catch and suck dust correctly even when the dust scatters during cleaning and protect the surface to be cleaned.
- the nozzle case is a double tube structure having an outer tube part having a top plate formed with a connection port connected to the connection part and, the peripheral wall opened with the dust sucking port connected to the connection part and lower open part, and an inner tube body having a sucking port connected to the connection part and the brush part on its bottom and the feather brush part extending outward from the lower open edge of the outer tube body.
- the feather brush member is formed by directing each backward bent tip end side of many feathers outward, which are arranged around the inner tube body, and their base ends contacted with the periphery of the inner tube body are wound and fastened by a tying member.
- the field of quick/flexible vacuum cleaning is gaining more and more popularity.
- the set of requirements for a nozzle is changing in those quick vacuum cleaners, as they are used mainly for cleaning coarse dirt particles in tight spaces, small areas and under furniture.
- Embodiments of the invention introduce flexible and moving parts that drag over the floor and follow the direction of movement, creating a suction hole and coarse dirt guides that are always in the current front of the nozzle, which current front is determined by what is the current movement direction.
- FIGs. 1-3 show behavior of an embodiment of a vacuum cleaner nozzle in accordance with the present invention
- FIG. 4 shows another view of an embodiment in accordance with the invention
- Figs. 5A and 5B show another embodiment of the invention
- Figs. 6 A - 6C show yet another embodiment of the invention.
- Embodiments of the invention are largely based on the insight that a traditional rectangular vacuum cleaner nozzle is designed for covering large areas, and that this requirement is not valid in the application area 'quick/flexible cleaning'. In quick/flexible cleaning it is important to be able to maneuver easily and to have a lightweight appliance (save energy).
- the vacuum cleaner nozzle comprises a plurality of elements Lx, in this embodiment six leaves or petals LI - L6, preferably made out of flexible material, which each rotate around respective axes ( ⁇ ) A in the middle of the nozzle, preferably around respective axes A regularly distributed around a center of a central area C from where dirty air leaves the nozzle through a suction tube T towards the fan of a canister or stick-type vacuum cleaner.
- the drag force of the movement causes the leaves LI - L6 to stay behind, creating a suction hole in a movement direction MD while closing openings at other sides of the nozzle. If the leaves LI - L6 are hollow (as shown in Fig.
- the suction caused by the vacuum cleaner's fan at the other end of the suction tube T will cause under-pressure in the leaves LI - L6, which increases the drag force and thus improves the operation of the nozzle in that the leaves will move such that a suction hole will only remain in the movement direction MD.
- Another way to increase the drag force is the selection of the material of the leaves (or at least, the part of the leaves that touch the floor). For example, rubber provides sufficient friction with the floor, seals under-pressure on hard floors, and drags on soft floors.
- the central area C of the nozzle can freely rotate around its center.
- the leaves LI - L6 are hollow and suction channels are in line with the leaves LI - L6, as illustrated in Fig. 4. In this way, the entire diameter D of the nozzle is used to suck dirt from crevices CV.
- the axes A could be mounted to pull springs, thereby allowing the leaves LI - L6 to be pulled out of the center.
- the nozzle could be positioned closer to walls, which improves its ability to clean around a corner and along a plinth. So, in normal motion, the front leaves would form a V having an opening angle of e.g. 90° guiding dirt towards the suction opening, but when pushed close to a wall, the pull springs would allow the front leaves to form an opening angle of 180°.
- Figs. 5A and 5B show another embodiment of the invention.
- each element Lx first has a relatively thin part that provides the flexible element with flexibility, followed by a relatively thick part that ensures that if the flexible elements Lx are pushed together as a result of the nozzle being moved (see e.g. Fig. 5B in which the nozzle is moved to the left, as a result of which the flexible elements are moved to the right), only at a side of the nozzle corresponding with the movement direction (in Fig.
- each element Lx may have a relatively thin part that may help to guide dirt particles towards the central air inlet (in Fig. 5B, between the elements L14 and L15) and that may help to provide a drag force (e.g. as a result of friction with the floor) that results in the elements Lx assuming the position shown in Fig. 5B starting from the neutral positions shown in Fig. 5A.
- the elements Lx can rotate around the central axis Ac so as to allow for a mop-like flexible way of moving the nozzle around objects like table or chair legs.
- Figs. 6 A - 6C show yet another embodiment of the invention. Like in the previous embodiment of Figs. 5A and 5B, the 21 flexible elements LI - L21 in the
- Figs. 6 A and 6B are mounted to a single central axis Ac, and close to that axis Ac they have relatively thin flexible parts, as shown in Fig. 6B.
- the elements Lx now have walls defining hollow bottoms, and closed roofs, so that under-pressure in the hollow parts of the elements Lx can provide an additional drag force improving the formation of a central suction opening between the elements LI and L21 corresponding to the movement direction MD, and the closing off of other openings between the elements LI - L2 .. L20 - L21.
- the walls have heights exceeding the heights of the relatively thin flexible parts, except where the walls are covered by the central area C where the walls have a reduced height leaving a distance to the floor.
- the circle in Fig. 6B illustrates that when the flexible elements are pushed together as a result of the drag force, no opening is left between the walls of the flexible elements.
- the roofs extend beyond the walls of the elements Lx, as this allows for a better vacuuming along plinths, as below the extended parts of the roofs there is an air flow channel to suck up dirt close to the plinths P, as schematically shown by the arrows in Fig. 6C.
- the elements Lx are so flexibly mounted, that - when pushed together as a result of the drag force - the roofs of neighboring elements Lx overlap each other, as illustrated in Fig. 6A.
- Fig. 6A further shows on top of the central area C a hinge H made from a small piece of flexible tube (about 4 cm in length). Because the nozzle is attaching itself to the floor as a result of the suction and the elements Lx being hollow, it feels unnatural to push it forward like a traditional vacuum cleaner nozzle.
- the hinge H allows for some flexibility in every direction, allowing the user to operate the nozzle like a mop, with two hands, while the hinge H ensures that the elements Lx are not released from the floor.
- Embodiments provide an omnidirectional vacuum cleaner nozzle comprising a plurality of movable parts Lx that ensure that an opening is only present in the movement direction MD, e.g. as illustrated in the drawings.
- Embodiments provide a vacuum cleaner nozzle that comprises a central area C from which dirty air can leave the vacuum cleaner nozzle; and a plurality of elements Lx arranged and flexibly mounted to the central area C in such a way to thereby provide a suction opening at a side of the central area C currently corresponding to a current movement direction MD of the vacuum cleaner nozzle, while reducing a possibility for air to enter the central area C from other directions.
- the central area C is circular, but it may have other forms, e.g. it may be square.
- the central area (C) is rotatable around its center.
- the elements Lx can rotate with reference to respective axes A provided on the central area C, and preferably, the axes A are regularly distributed around a center of a central area C.
- the elements Lx are flexible.
- the elements Lx are mounted to a single axis Ac, and have a flexible first part having a first thickness, followed by a second part having a second thickness exceeding the first thickness, wherein - when pushed together as a result of movement - the second parts of neighboring elements Lx reduce a possibility for air to enter the central area C from between the neighboring elements.
- the elements Lx have side walls and roofs extending beyond the side walls.
- the elements Lx are arranged for collecting dirt from crevices CV over an entire operating diameter D of the vacuum cleaner utensil as defined by the elements Lx.
- the invention also relates to a vacuum cleaner comprising a nozzle formed by such a vacuum cleaner nozzle, and may relate to a robot vacuum cleaner formed by such a vacuum cleaner utensil.
- Embodiments of the invention show the following characteristics: omnidirectional nozzle, with a circular central area having a suction channel, and flexible and rotating flaps that block-unblock the suction channel in drag direction and that do not block the suction channel in a sense to create more pressure (varying the width of the channel) but just expose the correct portion of the suction channel based on the drag movement. While a conventional nozzle has to be manipulated to clean in various directions so that the suction channel is in correct orientation, in the omnidirectional nozzle provided by embodiments of this invention, the suction channel is automatically oriented based on drag.
- the flexible flaps or leaves are preferably hollow to create under pressure to offer optimum motion resistance/ drag so that the leaves are oriented naturally
- the central area C will just be a central area close to the dirty air inlet on the bottom of the robot vacuum cleaner.
- the expression "flexibly mounted” covers the idea shown in Fig. 1 that an element Lx can rotate with reference to a respective axis A, the idea that the element Lx is mounted by means of a pull spring, and/or the idea shown in Figs. 5A and 6B that the elements Lx are connected to a single central axis Ac, the fiexible elements each having a relatively thin part that can easily be bent.
- the wording "a plurality of elements Lx flexibly mounted to a central area C" covers both the situation shown in Figs.
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Nozzles For Electric Vacuum Cleaners (AREA)
Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (8)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
EP18739809.4A EP3651628B1 (en) | 2017-07-14 | 2018-07-04 | Vacuum cleaner utensil |
JP2019571003A JP6945793B2 (en) | 2017-07-14 | 2018-07-04 | Electric cleaning equipment |
RU2020107021A RU2728745C1 (en) | 2017-07-14 | 2018-07-04 | Appliance for vacuum cleaner |
CN201880046786.7A CN110913737B (en) | 2017-07-14 | 2018-07-04 | Vacuum cleaner appliance |
UAA202000885A UA124951C2 (en) | 2017-07-14 | 2018-07-04 | Vacuum cleaner utencil |
KR1020207004332A KR102203182B1 (en) | 2017-07-14 | 2018-07-04 | Vacuum cleaner appliance |
US16/629,589 US20210137331A1 (en) | 2017-07-14 | 2018-07-04 | Vacuum cleaner utensil |
PL18739809T PL3651628T3 (en) | 2017-07-14 | 2018-07-04 | Vacuum cleaner utensil |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
EP17181533.5 | 2017-07-14 | ||
EP17181533.5A EP3427624A1 (en) | 2017-07-14 | 2017-07-14 | Vacuum cleaner nozzle |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO2019011731A1 true WO2019011731A1 (en) | 2019-01-17 |
Family
ID=59350811
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/EP2018/068023 WO2019011731A1 (en) | 2017-07-14 | 2018-07-04 | Vacuum cleaner utensil |
Country Status (9)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20210137331A1 (en) |
EP (2) | EP3427624A1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP6945793B2 (en) |
KR (1) | KR102203182B1 (en) |
CN (1) | CN110913737B (en) |
PL (1) | PL3651628T3 (en) |
RU (1) | RU2728745C1 (en) |
UA (1) | UA124951C2 (en) |
WO (1) | WO2019011731A1 (en) |
Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JPH10113315A (en) * | 1996-10-14 | 1998-05-06 | Shigechika Yamamoto | Dust sucking nozzle for vacuum cleaner |
JP2896643B2 (en) * | 1995-08-28 | 1999-05-31 | 義夫 渡辺 | Vacuum broom device |
FR2792817A1 (en) * | 1999-04-29 | 2000-11-03 | Seb Sa | VACUUM CLEANER WITH RECLAMATION BLADE |
DE102015108157A1 (en) * | 2015-05-22 | 2016-11-24 | Vorwerk & Co. Interholding Gmbh | Suction nozzle for a vacuum cleaner |
Family Cites Families (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JPH0397423A (en) * | 1989-09-12 | 1991-04-23 | Toray Ind Inc | Suction tool of vacuum cleaner |
US6802104B1 (en) * | 2002-04-02 | 2004-10-12 | Katherine B. Redd | Vacuum hose attachment |
US7571514B2 (en) * | 2007-06-21 | 2009-08-11 | Tung-Han Shih | Dust absorption head of a vacuum cleaner |
US10952587B2 (en) * | 2010-04-16 | 2021-03-23 | Unger Marketing International, Llc | Dusting devices |
GB2481387B (en) * | 2010-06-21 | 2014-07-30 | Dyson Technology Ltd | Attachment for a vacuum cleaning appliance |
CN205181235U (en) * | 2015-11-27 | 2016-04-27 | 江苏美的清洁电器股份有限公司 | Clean auxiliary and dust catcher |
-
2017
- 2017-07-14 EP EP17181533.5A patent/EP3427624A1/en not_active Withdrawn
-
2018
- 2018-07-04 CN CN201880046786.7A patent/CN110913737B/en active Active
- 2018-07-04 KR KR1020207004332A patent/KR102203182B1/en active IP Right Grant
- 2018-07-04 WO PCT/EP2018/068023 patent/WO2019011731A1/en unknown
- 2018-07-04 RU RU2020107021A patent/RU2728745C1/en active
- 2018-07-04 UA UAA202000885A patent/UA124951C2/en unknown
- 2018-07-04 JP JP2019571003A patent/JP6945793B2/en active Active
- 2018-07-04 US US16/629,589 patent/US20210137331A1/en active Pending
- 2018-07-04 PL PL18739809T patent/PL3651628T3/en unknown
- 2018-07-04 EP EP18739809.4A patent/EP3651628B1/en active Active
Patent Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JP2896643B2 (en) * | 1995-08-28 | 1999-05-31 | 義夫 渡辺 | Vacuum broom device |
JPH10113315A (en) * | 1996-10-14 | 1998-05-06 | Shigechika Yamamoto | Dust sucking nozzle for vacuum cleaner |
FR2792817A1 (en) * | 1999-04-29 | 2000-11-03 | Seb Sa | VACUUM CLEANER WITH RECLAMATION BLADE |
DE102015108157A1 (en) * | 2015-05-22 | 2016-11-24 | Vorwerk & Co. Interholding Gmbh | Suction nozzle for a vacuum cleaner |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
JP2020524057A (en) | 2020-08-13 |
EP3427624A1 (en) | 2019-01-16 |
JP6945793B2 (en) | 2021-10-06 |
RU2728745C1 (en) | 2020-07-30 |
CN110913737B (en) | 2021-10-26 |
CN110913737A (en) | 2020-03-24 |
EP3651628A1 (en) | 2020-05-20 |
EP3651628B1 (en) | 2021-02-17 |
KR20200023484A (en) | 2020-03-04 |
UA124951C2 (en) | 2021-12-15 |
KR102203182B1 (en) | 2021-01-15 |
US20210137331A1 (en) | 2021-05-13 |
PL3651628T3 (en) | 2021-10-04 |
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