VACUUM CLEANER WITH HAIR COLLECTION ELEMENT

• US 20150113763A1
• Filed: 01/05/2015
• Published: 04/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bissell Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bissell Homecare, Inc. (Bissell Inc.)
• Inventors: Moyher, George Jr., Butkiewicz, Steve
• Granted Patent: US 9,072,417 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 cleaning head having a suction nozzle adapted to be moved along a surface to be cleaned, and a hair collection assembly carried by the cleaning head and having a hair collection element adapted to collect hair from the surface to be cleaned as the cleaning head moves along the surface to be cleaned.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a cleaning head having a suction nozzle adapted to be moved along a surface to be cleaned in a first direction and a second direction opposite the first direction;

a rotatable brushroll for agitating the surface to be cleaned housed within the cleaning head; and

a hair collection assembly carried by the cleaning head and adapted to collect hair from the surface to be cleaned as the cleaning head moves along the surface to be cleaned, the hair collection assembly comprising;

an elongated, cylindrical hair collection element; and

a ratcheting mechanism operably coupling the hair collection element to the cleaning head for selective rotation of the hair collection element relative to the cleaning head;

wherein, when the cleaning head changes direction from the first direction to the second direction, the ratcheting mechanism provides for limited rotation of the hair collection element before locking the hair collection element against further rotation as the cleaning head continues to move in the second direction.

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

3. The vacuum cleaner from claim 2, wherein the hair collection element is configured to release at least some of the collected hair onto the surface to be cleaned when the cleaning head changes direction from the second direction to the first direction.

4. The vacuum cleaner from claim 3, wherein the hair collection element is configured to rotate when the cleaning head is moved along the surface to be cleaned in the first direction.

5. The vacuum cleaner from claim 1, wherein the first direction comprises a forward stroke of the vacuum cleaner and the second direction comprises a rearward stroke of the vacuum cleaner.

6. The vacuum cleaner from claim 1, wherein the hair collection element lies in the first direction relative to the suction nozzle and the brushroll.

7. The vacuum cleaner from claim 6, wherein the hair collection assembly is positioned forwardly of the suction nozzle.

8. The vacuum cleaner from claim 7, wherein the hair collection assembly is positioned exteriorly of the cleaning head.

9. The vacuum cleaner from claim 1, wherein the elongated, cylindrical hair collection element comprises a first end and a second end, and the ratcheting mechanism comprises a first ratchet assembly at the first end and a second ratchet assembly at the second end.

10. The vacuum cleaner from claim 9, wherein the first and second ratchet assemblies each comprises a rotatable ratchet member and a stationary ratchet member configured to allow the rotatable ratchet member to rotate in only one direction.

11. The vacuum cleaner from claim 10, wherein the rotatable ratchet members are disposed coaxially with the hair collection element.

12. The vacuum cleaner from claim 10, and further comprising a spring biasing each rotatable ratchet member outwardly from the first and second ends of the hair collection element.

13. The vacuum cleaner from claim 10, wherein the rotatable ratchet members comprises a toothed ratchet slide and the stationary ratchet members comprises a toothed ratchet arm.

14. The vacuum cleaner from claim 13, wherein the toothed ratchet arms support the hair collection element on the cleaning head.

15. The vacuum cleaner from claim 1, wherein the ratcheting mechanism comprises a toothed surface provided with the hair collection element.

16. The vacuum cleaner from claim 15, wherein the rotatable ratchet members are disposed coaxially with the hair collection element.

17. The vacuum cleaner from claim 15, wherein the ratcheting mechanism further comprises a toothed supporting member that engages the toothed surface.

18. The vacuum cleaner from claim 17, wherein the toothed supporting member comprises an arm supporting the hair collection element on the cleaning head.

19. The vacuum cleaner from claim 1, wherein the hair collection element comprises a cylindrical body and a plurality of projections extending from the cylindrical body.

20. The vacuum cleaner from claim 19, wherein the plurality of projections comprise elastomeric material.