Suction nozzle configuration

• US 6,772,475 B2
• Filed: 01/11/2002
• Issued: 08/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Healthy Gain Investments Limited
• Original Assignee: Hoover Company (Whirlpool Corporation)
• Inventors: Weber, Vincent L., Bilek, Greg A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Snider, Theresa T.
• Application Number:
  US10/044,774
• Publication Number:
  US 20020104185A1
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 153/83, 154/151, 153/84, 153/66
• US Class Current: 15/383
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0411 driven by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0427 Gearing or transmission means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0433 Toothed gearings
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0444 for conveying motion by endless flexible members, e.g. belts
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0488 Combinations or arrangements of several tools, e.g. edge cleaning tools

Abstract

A suction nozzle for a floor care appliance such as an upright vacuum cleaner having at least a fist channel located above an agitator to carry air and dirt to a suction passageway. The cleaner has several embodiments, one of which has a single channel and a single agitator. Another embodiment has front and rear suction ducts, a channel, and a single agitator. Yet another embodiment has the single channel and dual agitators. Still yet another embodiment has front and rear suction ducts and dual agitators. Further yet still, another embodiment has front and rear suction ducts, a channel, and dual agitators. Several embodiments of an agitator drive assembly are provided using various means to provide rotary power to the agitator(s).

Claims

1. A suction nozzle for a floor care appliance comprising:

a nozzle body having a rear discharge duct;

at least one rotary agitator;

an inner cylindrical section located on an interior of said nozzle body partially forming an agitator chamber wherein said at least one rotary agitator is disposed therein; and

a sidewardly extending channel formed in said inner cylindrical section and disposed to extend transversely along said nozzle body and disposed centered above said at least one rotary agitator.

2. The suction nozzle as set forth in claim 1 wherein said sidewardly extending channel further includes a top wall, and a first and second opposing sidewalls.

3. The suction nozzle as set forth in claim 1 wherein said sidewardly extending channel is hemispherical in shape.

4. A suction nozzle for a floor care appliance, comprising:

a nozzle body having a rear discharge duct;

at least one sidewardly extending duct communicating with said rear discharge duct;

said sidewardly extending duct being disposed to extend transversely along said body;

said sidewardly extending duct including a bottom wall;

said bottom wall forming a nozzle supporting lip;

said sidewardly extending duct also including a pair of vertically extending walls;

one of said vertically extending walls being spaced from said supporting lip to provide an open slot for air an dirt impingement on said nozzle supporting lip and transport along said sidewardly extending duct;

said sidewardly extending duct providing a generally constant air flow velocity characteristic by expanding in cross-section area along said nozzle body toward said rear discharge duct;

at least one rotary agitator;

an inner cylindrical section located on the interior of said nozzle body partially forming an agitator chamber; and

a sidewardly extending channel formed in said inner cylindrical section and disposed to extend transversely along said nozzle body.

5. The suction nozzle as set forth in claim 4, wherein said sidewardly extending duct is disposed along a front side of said nozzle body.

6. The suction nozzle as set forth in claim 5, wherein said sidewardly extending duct at the front side of said nozzle body includes a communicating portion that extends over said sidewardly extending duct to fluidly communicate with said rear discharge duct.

7. The suction nozzle as set forth in claim 6 wherein said communicating portion is generally provided with constant cross-sectional areas to improve air carrying velocity.

8. The suction nozzle as set forth in claim 4 wherein said sidewardly extending duct is disposed along the rear side of said nozzle body.

9. The suction nozzle as set forth in claim 4 wherein said at least one sidewardly extending duct includes a sidewardly extending duct disposed along a front side of said nozzle body and a sidewardly extending duct disposed along a rear side of said nozzle body.

10. The suction nozzle as set forth in claim 9 wherein said sidewardly extending duct disposed along the front side of said nozzle body and said sidewardly extending duct disposed along the rear side of said nozzle body communicate with said rear discharge duct.

11. The suction nozzle as set forth in claim 10 wherein said sidewardly extending channel is disposed centered above said rotary agitator.

12. The suction nozzle as set forth in claim 4 wherein said sidewardly extending channel further includes a top wall, and a first and second opposing sidewalls.

13. The suction nozzle as set forth in claim 4 wherein said sidewardly extending channel is hemispherical in shape.

14. A suction nozzle for a floor care appliance comprising:

a nozzle body having a rear discharge duct;

at least two rotary agitators;

an inner cylindrical section located on an interior of said nozzle body partially forming an agitator chamber wherein said at least two rotary agitators are disposed therein; and

a sidewardly extending channel formed in said inner cylindrical section and disposed to extend transversely along said nozzle body and centered above said at least two rotary agitators.

15. The suction nozzle as set forth in claim 14 wherein said sidewardly extending channel further includes a top wall, and a first and second opposing sidewalls.

16. The suction nozzle as set forth in claim 14 wherein sidewardly extending channel is hemispherical in shape.

17. A suction nozzle for a floor care appliance comprising:

a nozzle body having a rear discharge duct;

at least one sidewardly extending duct communicating with said rear discharge duct;

said sidewardly extending duct being disposed to extend transversely along said nozzle body;

said sidewardly extending duct including a bottom wall;

said bottom wall forming a nozzle supporting lip;

said sidewardly extending duct also including a pair of vertically extending walls;

one of said vertically extending walls being spaced from said supporting lip to provide an open slot for air and dirt impingement on said nozzle supporting lip and transport along said sidewardly extending duct;

said sidewardly extending duct providing a generally constant air flow velocity characteristic by expanding in cross-section area along said nozzle body toward said rear discharge duct; and

at least two rotary agitators disposed within said nozzle body.

18. The suction nozzle for a floor care appliance as set forth in claim 17 wherein said sidewardly extending duct is disposed along the front side of said nozzle body.

19. The suction nozzle as set forth in claim 18 wherein said sidewardly extending duct at the front of said nozzle body includes a communicating portion that extends over said sidewardly extending duct to fluidly communicate with said rear discharge duct.

20. The suction nozzle as set forth in claim 19 wherein said communicating portion is generally provided with constant cross-sectional areas to improve air carrying velocity.

21. The suction nozzle as set forth in claim 17 wherein said sidewardly extending duct is disposed along the rear of said nozzle body.

22. The suction nozzle as set forth in claim 17 wherein said at least one sidewardly extending duct includes a sidewardly extending duct disposed along a front side of said nozzle body and a sidewardly extending duct disposed along a rear side of said nozzle body.

23. The suction nozzle as set forth in claim 22 wherein said sidewardly extending duct disposed along the front side of said nozzle body and said sidewardly extending duct disposed along the rear side of said nozzle body communicate with said rear discharge duct.

24. A suction nozzle for a floor care appliance, comprising:

a nozzle body having a rear discharge duct;

at least one sidewardly extending duct communicating with said rear discharge duct;

said sidewardly extending duct being disposed to extend transversely along said nozzle body;

said sidewardly extending duct including a bottom wall;

said bottom wall forming a nozzle supporting lip;

said sidewardly extending duct also including a pair of vertically extending walls;

one of said vertically extending walls being spaced from said supporting lip to provide an open slot for air and dirt impingement on said nozzle supporting lip and transport along said sidewardly extending duct;

said sidewardly extending duct providing a generally constant air flow velocity characteristic by expanding in cross-section area along said nozzle body toward said rear discharge duct;

at least two rotary agitators disposed within said nozzle body;

an inner cylindrical section located on an interior of said nozzle body partially forming an agitator chamber; and

a sidewardly extending channel formed in said inner cylindrical section and disposed to extend transversely along the said nozzle body.

25. The suction nozzle as set forth in claim 24 wherein said sidewardly extending duct is disposed along the front side of said nozzle body.

26. The suction nozzle as set forth in claim 25 wherein said sidewardly extending duct at the front of said nozzle body includes a communicating portion that extends over sidewardly extending duct to fluidly communicate with said rear discharge duct.

27. The suction nozzle as set forth in claim 26 wherein said communicating portion is generally provided with constant cross-sectional areas to improve air carrying velocity.

28. The suction nozzle as set forth in claim 24 wherein said sidewardly extending duct is disposed along the rear side of said nozzle body.

29. The suction nozzle as set forth in claim 24 wherein said at least one sidewardly extending duct includes a sidewardly extending duct disposed along a front side of said nozzle body and a sidewardly extending duct disposed along a rear side of said nozzle body.

30. The suction nozzle asset forth in claim 29 wherein said sidewardly extending duct is disposed along the front side of said nozzle body and said sidewardly extending duct disposed along the rear side of said nozzle body communicate with said rear discharge duct.

31. The suction nozzle as set forth in claim 24 wherein said sidewardly extending channel is disposed centered above said at least two rotary agitators.

32. The suction nozzle as set forth in claim 24 wherein said sidewardly extending channel further includes a top wall, and first and second opposing sidewalls.

33. The suction nozzle as set forth in claim 24 wherein said sidewardly extending channel is hemispherical in shape.