Cleaning nozzle for a vacuum cleaner

• US 9,833,115 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2012
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aktiebolaget Electrolux
• Original Assignee: Aktiebolaget Electrolux
• Inventors: Eriksson, Henrik
• Primary Examiner(s): REDDING, DAVID A
• Application Number:
  US14/354,466
• Publication Number:
  US 20140331446A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,866 Days
• Field of Search: 15383
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 13/006 formed by winding a strip tuft in a helix about the body
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 2200/3033 Household brush, i.e. brushes for cleaning in the house or dishes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/30 with driven dust-loosening tools, e.g. rotating brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/02 Nozzles suction nozzles for fluid transport B65G51/00
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/04 with driven brushes or agitators
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0477 Rolls
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/30 Arrangement of illuminating devices

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner nozzle having a rotatable member arranged around a longitudinal axis for picking up particles from a surface to be cleaned, and a cleaning arrangement for removing articles entangled on the rotatable member. The cleaning arrangement has at least one support surface provided on at least one radially projecting member of the rotatable member, and at least one cleaning member movable between a resting position in which the cleaning member is arranged at a distance from the support surface and at least one cleaning position in the vicinity of the rotatable member. In the cleaning position, the cleaning member co-operates with at least one segment of the support surface to remove any entangled articles from the rotatable member as the rotatable member rotates. The at least one support surface comprises a number of segments arranged at an individual respective radius in relation to the longitudinal axis.

Claims

1. A nozzle for a vacuum cleaner, the nozzle comprising

a rotatable member for picking up particles from a surface to be cleaned, the rotatable member being arranged to rotate around a longitudinal axis;

and

a cleaning arrangement for removing articles entangled on the rotatable member, wherein the cleaning arrangement comprises;

at least one support surface provided on at least one radially projecting member of the rotatable member, and

at least one cleaning member being movable between a resting position in which the cleaning member is arranged at a distance from the support surface and at least one cleaning position in the vicinity of the rotatable member in which the cleaning member, during rotation of the rotatable member, co-operates with at least one segment of the support surface to remove entangled articles from the rotatable member;

wherein the at least one support surface comprises at least a first segment and a second segment, wherein the first segment is arranged at a first radius in relation to the longitudinal axis, the second segment is arranged at a second radius in relation to the longitudinal axis, and the second radius is different from the first radius; and

wherein the respective radiuses of the segments are gradually changed whereby the segments form a continuous support surface.

2. The nozzle according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning member comprises a resilient sheet member capable of providing a resilient contact with at least one segment of the at least one support surface in the at least one cleaning position during rotation of the rotatable member.

3. The nozzle according claim 2, wherein the cleaning member comprises a longitudinal bar holding the resilient sheet member, the longitudinal bar being arranged along the longitudinal axis of the rotatable member.

4. The nozzle according to claim 2, wherein the resilient sheet member of the cleaning member in the at least one cleaning position meets a tangent of the at least one segment of the at least one support surface at an angle α

which is in the range of 40°

-90°

.

5. The nozzle according to claim 2, wherein the resilient sheet member has a thickness in the range of 0.2-0.8 mm.

6. The nozzle according to claim 1, wherein the at least one radially projecting member is helically arranged along a longitudinal axis of the rotatable member.

7. The nozzle according to claim 1, wherein one single radially projecting member is helically arranged along a longitudinal axis of the rotatable member.

8. The nozzle according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of radially projecting members is helically arranged along a longitudinal axis of the rotatable member.

9. The nozzle according to claim 3, wherein the cleaning member is pivotally arranged via the longitudinal bar above the rotatable member such that the cleaning member is pivoted from the resting position above the rotatable member to the at least one cleaning position.

10. The nozzle according to claim 1, wherein the cleaning member is moved from the resting position to the at least one cleaning position by applying a pressing force to a push button provided on the nozzle at a surface facing a user.

11. The nozzle according to claim 10, wherein the cleaning member is connected via a linking mechanism to the push button on the nozzle.

12. The nozzle according to claim 1, wherein at least one protruding part is arranged on the nozzle at a surface facing the surface to be cleaned.

13. The nozzle according to claim 1, wherein the rotatable member comprises radial ribs arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the rotatable member.

14. The nozzle according to claim 13, wherein the radial ribs extend from the rotatable member to the at least one projecting member creating multiple pockets along the rotatable member.

15. The nozzle according to claim 1, wherein the at least one support surface comprises a plurality of support surfaces arranged on a plurality of respective radially projecting members.

16. The nozzle according to claim 1, further comprising a nozzle cover that at least partly is made of transparent material such that the rotatable member may be visible through the nozzle cover.

17. The nozzle according to claim 2, wherein the resilient sheet member comprises a sheet of material having:

a blade portion that contacts the at least one segment of the at least one support surface in the at least one cleaning position during rotation of the rotatable member;

a mounting portion that is connected to a bar that movably mounts the resilient sheet member to the nozzle; and

a bent portion that joins the blade portion to the mounting portion.

18. The nozzle according to claim 17, wherein the bent portion comprises a bend that is oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis.

19. The nozzle according to claim 2, wherein the resilient sheet member comprises a spring steel sheet.

20. The nozzle according to claim 19, wherein the spring steel sheet comprises a blade formed by stamping the sheet or machining the sheet.

21. A nozzle for a vacuum cleaner, the nozzle comprising

a rotatable member for picking up particles from a surface to be cleaned, the rotatable member being arranged to rotate around a longitudinal axis;

and

a cleaning arrangement for removing articles entangled on the rotatable member, wherein the cleaning arrangement comprises;

at least one support surface provided on at least one radially projecting member of the rotatable member, and

at least one cleaning member being movable between a resting position in which the cleaning member is arranged at a distance from the support surface and at least one cleaning position in the vicinity of the rotatable member in which the cleaning member, during rotation of the rotatable member, co-operates with at least one segment of the support surface to remove entangled articles from the rotatable member;

wherein the at least one support surface comprises at least a first segment and a second segment, wherein the first segment is arranged at a first radius in relation to the longitudinal axis, the second segment is arranged at a second radius in relation to the longitudinal axis, and the second radius is different from the first radius; and

wherein the rotatable member comprises radial ribs arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the rotatable member.

22. The nozzle according to claim 21, wherein the radial ribs extend from the rotatable member to the at least one projecting member creating multiple pockets along the rotatable member.