Nozzle unit for vacuum cleaner

• US 6,742,220 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2001
• Issued: 06/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Inoue, Teruhisa, Ohta, Kei, Tamura, Taichi, Kosaka, Genji, Shindou, Masaru, Hikida, Nobuharu, Nagai, Kiyomu, Yagi, Mikio, Hato, Shigenori
• Primary Examiner(s): Snider, Theresa T.
• Application Number:
  US09/967,961
• Publication Number:
  US 20030163891A1
• Time in Patent Office: 973 Days
• Field of Search: 154/01, 154/02, 154/151, 154/18, 153/69
• US Class Current: 15/401
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/02 Nozzles suction nozzles for fluid transport B65G51/00
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0416 driven by fluid pressure, e.g. by means of an air turbine
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0483 Reciprocating or oscillating tools, e.g. vibrators, agitators, beaters
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/242 Hose or pipe couplings
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/244 for telescopic or extensible hoses or pipes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/327 for suction cleaners with hose between nozzle and casing

Abstract

A nozzle unit for an electric vacuum cleaner has a body case with a nozzle open toward a surface to be cleaned, a first pipe coupled to the body case so as to be rotatable in the direction, and a second pipe coupled to the first pipe so as to be rotatable in the direction. A first and a second air flow passage, formed inside the first and second pipes respectively, are arranged substantially in a straight line as seen in a side view. The first pipe has a sliding portion that has an arc-shaped cross section and that slides along the inner surface of the body case, and this sliding portion is arranged inside the body case, which is substantially rectangular, as seen in a plan view.

Claims

1. A nozzle unit for an electric vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a nozzle open toward a surface to be cleaned;

a sealing member having two ends for opening and closing a front portion of the nozzle, the sealing member having a plurality of projections on a surface thereof facing the nozzle; and

said members fitted at both ends of the sealing member,

wherein, when the nozzle unit moves forward, the aid members slide on the surface in such a way as to make the sealing member close the front portion of the nozzle and, when the nozzle unit moves backward, the aid members slide on the surface in such a way as to make the sealing member open the front portion of the nozzle.

2. The nozzle unit for an electric vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the projections are formed integrally with the sealing member so each has a substantially conical shape.

3. The nozzle unit for an electric vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the sealing member has two opposite facing first sides and two opposite facing second sides, each of the first sides being longer than each of the second sides, the projections are arranged in a plurality of rows of projections extending along a direction of the first sides of the sealing member, with the projections in any two adjacent rows located at different positions in the direction of the first sides of the sealing member.

4. The nozzle unit for an electric vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1,

wherein at least part of the projections are arranged near a bottom end of the sealing member.