Accessory for a cleaning appliance

• US 7,979,959 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2005
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited (Beeswax Holdings UK Limited)
• Original Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited (Beeswax Holdings UK Limited)
• Inventors: Courtney, Stephen Benjamin
• Primary Examiner(s): Redding; David A
• Application Number:
  US11/596,173
• Publication Number:
  US 20070226937A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,279 Days
• Field of Search: 154/151, 153/51, 154/11, 152/462
• US Class Current: 15/415.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• 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 9/242 Hose or pipe couplings

Abstract

An accessory for a cleaning appliance includes a head having a housing, a downwardly-directed suction opening in the housing and a neck adapted for attachment to a hose or wand of the cleaning appliance. A rotatable connection is provided between the neck and the head for allowing rotation of the neck relative to the head. A wheel arrangement maneuverably supports the accessory on a surface to be cleaned and is mounted on the neck of the accessory. The wheel arrangement may normally be in contact with the surface to be cleaned, but the point or points of contact between the wheel arrangement and the surface to be cleaned are dependent upon the rotational position of the neck with respect to the head.

Claims

1. An accessory for a cleaning appliance having a head, comprising a housing and a downwardly-directed suction opening, a neck configured for attachment to a hose or wand of the cleaning appliance, a rotatable connection between the neck and the head for allowing rotation of the neck relative to the head, and a wheel arrangement mounted on the neck of the accessory and supporting the accessory on a surface to be cleaned, wherein the wheel arrangement comprises a pair of spaced-apart wheels arranged on either side of the neck, the wheel arrangement being configured so that when in use only one of the wheels is lifted away from the surface to be cleaned when the neck is rotated with respect to the head.

2. An accessory as claimed in claim 1, wherein, in use, the wheel arrangement is in contact with the surface to be cleaned and the point or points of contact with the surface to be cleaned are dependent upon a rotational position of the neck with respect to the head.

3. An accessory as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rim of each wheel is curved.

4. An accessory as claimed in claim 3, wherein the rim of each wheel has a part-circular shape.

5. An accessory as claimed in claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein the rotatable connection allows relative rotation between the head and the neck about an axis which is inclined to the surface to be cleaned.

6. An accessory as claimed in claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein the neck has a forward portion and a rearward portion and the rearward portion is rotatably connected to the forward portion.

7. An accessory as claimed in claim 6, wherein the rearward portion is rotatably connected to the forward portion about an axis which coincides with an axis of the wheel arrangement.

8. An accessory as claimed in claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein the accessory is a floor tool.

9. An accessory for a cleaning appliance having a head, comprising:

a housing and a downwardly-directed suction opening,

a neck configured for attachment to a hose or wand of the cleaning appliance,

a rotatable connection between the neck and the head, the rotatable connection allowing the neck to rotate relative to the head around an axis of rotation that is substantially parallel to a direction of airflow through the neck,

a pair of wheels mounted on opposite sides of the neck of the accessory and supporting the accessory on a surface to be cleaned, and wherein the pair of wheels are configured so that when in use only one of the wheels is lifted away from the surface to be cleaned when the neck is rotated, at the rotatable connection, with respect to the head.