Vacuum Cleaner with Hair Collection Element

• US 20070143954A1
• Filed: 03/08/2007
• Published: 06/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bissell Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bissell Homecare, Inc. (Bissell Inc.)
• Inventors: Moyher, George Jr., Kasper, Gary, Graham, Brandon, Krebs, Alan, Butkiewicz, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 8,117,714 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/364
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 13/006 formed by winding a strip tuft in a helix about the body
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 25/08 Pads or the like for cleaning clothes using adhesive surfaces A47L25/005
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0066 adapted for removing nail dust, hair or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/02 Nozzles suction nozzles for fluid transport B65G51/00
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0422 driven by the rotation of the supporting wheels on which the nozzle travels over the floor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0433 Toothed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0466 Rotating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0477 Rolls
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0488 Combinations or arrangements of several tools, e.g. edge cleaning tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/06 with fixed, e.g. adjustably fixed brushes or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0613 with means specially adapted for picking up threads, hair or the like, e.g. brushes, combs, lint pickers or bristles pads
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0633 with retractable brushes, combs, lips or pads
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0653 with mechanical actuation, e.g. using a lever
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0666 with tilting, floating or similarly arranged brushes, combs, lips or pads

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner comprises a hair collection assembly having a hair collection element adapted to collection hair from a surface. The hair collection assembly can be mounted to the cleaning head of the vacuum cleaner for movement between a use position in which the hair collection element is in contact with the surface and a second position in which the hair collection element in spaced from the surface. The hair collection element can further be configured to collect hair from the surface when the cleaning head is moved in a first direction and to not collect hair from the surface when the cleaning head is moved in a second direction. A method of removing hair from a surface is also described.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a cleaning head having a suction nozzle adapted to be moved along a surface to be cleaned; and

a hair collection assembly having a hair collection element adapted to collect hair from the surface to be cleaned, wherein the hair collection assembly is mounted to the cleaning head for movement of the hair collection element between a first position in which the hair collection element is in contact with the surface to be cleaned, and a second position, in which the hair collection element is spaced from the surface to be cleaned.

2. The vacuum cleaner from claim 1, wherein the hair collection element comprises a plurality of short projections that are transversely elongated and are arranged in a plurality of rows wherein the projections in one row are offset from an elongated projection in an adjacent row.

3. The vacuum cleaner from claim 1, wherein the hair collection element is formed of an elastomeric material.

4. The vacuum cleaner from claim 1, wherein the hair collection element is configured to collect hair on the surface to be cleaned substantially only when the cleaning head is moved in a first direction and substantially not when the cleaning head is moved in a second direction.

5. The vacuum cleaner from claim 1, wherein the hair collection assembly is coupled with the cleaning head for pivotal movement between the first and second positions.

6. The vacuum cleaner from claim 1, wherein the hair collection assembly is slidably coupled with the cleaning head for movement between the first and second positions.

7. The vacuum cleaner from claim 1, wherein the hair collection element comprises a directional fabric.

8. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 1 wherein and the hair collection assembly comprises

a mounting assembly coupled with the cleaning head;

and

the hair collection element is coupled to the mounting assembly by at least four link arms for maintaining a parallel relationship between the hair collection element and the surface to be cleaned.

9. The vacuum cleaner from claim 8, wherein the hair collection element comprises a directional fabric.

10. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a cleaning head having a suction nozzle adapted to be moved along a surface to be cleaned; and

a hair collection assembly having a hair collection element adapted to collect hair from the surface to be cleaned;

wherein the hair collection element is configured to collect hair on the surface to be cleaned substantially only when the cleaning head is moved in a first direction and substantially not in a second direction.

11. The vacuum cleaner from claim 10, wherein the hair collection assembly further comprises a mounting assembly for mounting the hair collection element to the cleaning head and the hair collection element is pivotally coupled to the mounting assembly.

12. The vacuum cleaner from claim 10, and further comprising an actuator for adjusting the height of the hair collection element with respect to the fabric surface to be cleaned.

13. The vacuum cleaner from claim 10, wherein the hair collection element is positioned exteriorly of the cleaning head.

14. The vacuum cleaner from claim 10, wherein the hair collection element is positioned within the cleaning head.

15. The vacuum cleaner from claim 10, wherein the hair collection element comprises at least one projection orientated at an acute angle with respect to the surface to be cleaned.

16. The vacuum cleaner from claim 15, wherein the acute angle is about 45°

.

17. The vacuum cleaner from claim 10, wherein the cleaning head comprises a leading edge that at least partially covers the hair collection element.

18. The vacuum cleaner from claim 10, wherein the hair collection element is configured to rotate when the cleaning head is moved in the second direction.

19. The vacuum cleaner from claim 10, wherein the hair collection element is configured to glide over the surface to be cleaned when the cleaning head is moved in the second direction.

20. The vacuum cleaner from claim 10, wherein the hair collection element comprises a directional fabric.

21. A method of removing hair from a surface laden with hair, comprising:

moving a hair collection element along the surface in a first direction to collect hair;

depositing the collected hair at a first location;

gliding the hair collection element along the surface in a second direction away from the first location; and

removing the collection hair from the first location.

22. The method of removing hair from a surface laden with hair from claim 21, wherein the removing step comprises suctioning the collected hair.

23. The method of removing hair from a surface laden with hair from claim 21, wherein the moving step comprises applying pressure to the surface using the hair removal element.