×

Self-moving vacuum cleaner with moveable intake nozzle

  • US 7,246,405 B2
  • Filed: 12/30/2003
  • Issued: 07/24/2007
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2003
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
Patent Images

1. A self-moving vacuum cleaner comprising:

  • a casing having a bottom wall which has leading and trailing ends opposite to each other in a longitudinal direction;

    a duct disposed in said casing and having a vacuum inlet which extends downwardly of said bottom wall;

    an impeller disposed in said casing and downstream of said vacuum inlet so as to draw dust from a floor surface through said vacuum inlet into said duct;

    an intake nozzle includinga tubular nozzle body which is disposed upstream of said vacuum inlet, and which has a lower end that is adapted to trail on the floor surface, and an upper end that extends upwardly from said lower end, that is communicated with and that is retainingly slidable relative to said vacuum inlet, said upper end being configured such that said lower end is movable relative to said vacuum inlet between upper and lower positions so as to be close to and away from said vacuum inlet, respectively, wherein said upper end of said tubular nozzle body is sleeved slidably on said vacuum inlet so as to render said lower end movable relative thereto, andan anchoring member which is disposed opposite to said tubular nozzle body in the longitudinal direction and proximate to said leading end, and which is hinged to said bottom wall about a hinge axis transverse to the longitudinal direction such that said tubular nozzle body is swingable about the hinge axis between the upper and lower positions in response to unevenness of the floor surface, thereby enabling said lower end to keep trailing on the floor surface when said casing advances with said leading end;

    wherein said bottom wall has a through hole extending therethrough and formed between said leading and trailing ends, said intake nozzle further including an intermediate member which is interposed between and which interconnects said tubular nozzle body and said anchoring member, and an upright hook portion which extends towards and which is slidably insertable into said through hole, and which is configured such that in the lower position, said upright hook portion is retained in said through hole so as to prevent said tubular nozzle body from further downward movement;

    a biasing member disposed between said bottom wall and said intermediate member to bias said tubular nozzle body towards the floor surface; and

    a wiping device that includes a wiping body having a lower wall surface adapted to trail on the floor surface, and a ball joint jointed to said bottom wall so as to enable said lower wall surface to keep trailing on the floor surface, and a dusting fabric which is removably attached to said lower wall surface of said wiping body for wiping the floor surface;

    wherein said ball joint of said wiping body is loosely connected to said bottom wall so as to enable said wiping body to be movable toward said bottom wall.

View all claims
  • 1 Assignment
Timeline View
Assignment View
    ×
    ×