Vacuum Cleaner With Airflow Directing Openings and Brushroll

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to vacuum cleaners and, more particularly to vacuum cleaning tools with airflow directing openings and rotating agitator arrangements.

BACKGROUND

Vacuum cleaners of various designs are used in residential and commercial applications for cleaning a surface. These vacuum cleaners create a suction airflow that picks up dirt and dust particles from a surface in need of cleaning. Vacuum cleaners are generally of two types, canister type or upright type, each of which commonly includes a housing, a motor-driven fan unit for forming a partial vacuum or respectively suction, and an intake port for drawing in dirt or debris-bearing air into the housing. A canister type cleaner may include a vacuum hose extending from the intake port for providing suction through the hose to the housing and a wand and/or extension is typically attached to the free end of the hose for receiving and interchanging several different floor tools such as a brush assembly or floor attachment. The upright type cleaner has an intake port and a floor tool directly connected to each other without any extra hose and/or wand and/or extension. The floor tool typically has a suction opening directed downwardly to face the surface to be cleaned and, in canister type cleaners, the floor tool is generally releasably attached to the end of the wand remote from the vacuum cleaner housing.

The floor tool may have one or more features suited for removing dirt, dust or other debris from a surface to be cleaned. For example, a floor tool may have a brush or pad for sweeping debris from a hard floor surface. As another example, the floor tool may have a brushroll rotatable about an axis including a cylindrical core and bristles extending from the core. As the brush roll rotates, the bristles agitate the fibers of the surface to be cleaned and open the fibers to the suction opening so the airflow can extract the dust, dirt and debris.

However, such floor tools suffer from drawbacks. For example, it is important for vacuum cleaners to maintain adequate airflow through the floor tool to dislodge debris trapped within the surface fabric. Yet, conventional floor tools that work well on regular cut pile carpet, for example, are unsatisfactory for more dense fabric such as ultra-plush or super-plush carpet, which may be due to the increased airflow demand necessary to circulate the air through the dense fabric to the intake port. As a result, the floor tool may get stuck by suction due to the lack of airflow and require significant effort, e.g., 30 pounds or more of force, to move the floor tool across the surface to be cleaned. Further, traditional floor tools fail to effectively clean the more dense and/or thick textures because the low airflow is insufficient to release the dirt and debris trapped by the fabric. On the other hand, a conventional floor tool that generates excessive airflow on more delicate surfaces such as upholstery, linen or bedding may damage the surface to be cleaned by over agitating the delicate fibers or fabric.

Accordingly, there exists a need for a vacuum cleaning tool that can effectively agitate and dislodge dirt and debris from a variety of surface textures, without damage to delicate fabrics or surfaces, and that does not add significantly to the overall cost of the cleaning tool.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

While the claims are not limited to a specific illustration, an appreciation of the various aspects is best gained through a discussion of various examples thereof. Although the drawings represent illustrations, the drawings are not necessarily to scale and certain features may be exaggerated to better illustrate and explain an innovative aspect of an example. Further, the exemplary illustrations described herein are not intended to be exhaustive or otherwise limiting or restricted to the precise form and configuration shown in the drawings and disclosed in the following detailed description. Exemplary illustrates are described in detail by referring to the drawings as follows:

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a vacuum cleaning system;

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner assembly, partially broken away and in cross-section;

FIG. 3 illustrates a perspective view of a vacuum cleaning tool according to an implementation;

FIG. 4 illustrates a partial plan view of an underside of the vacuum cleaning tool of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 illustrates an exploded view of a vacuum cleaning tool according to an implementation;

FIG. 6 illustrates a cross-sectional side view of the vacuum cleaning tool of FIG. 5;

FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate a perspective view of a vacuum cleaning tool incorporating a closure mechanism, with FIG. 7A showing the closure mechanism in an open position and FIG. 7B showing the closure mechanism in a closed position; and

FIG. 8 illustrates a cross-sectional partial side view of a vacuum cleaning tool according to an implementation, showing various flow paths during operation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the drawings, exemplary illustrated approaches are shown in detail. The various features of the exemplary approaches illustrated and described with reference to any one of the figures may be combined with features illustrated in one or more other figures, as it will be understood that alternative illustrations that may not be explicitly illustrated or described may be able to be produced. The combinations of features illustrated provide representative approaches for typical applications. However, various combinations and modifications of the features consistent with the teachings of the present disclosure may be desired for particular applications or implementations. The representative illustrations below relate generally to a cleaning tool and/or a cleaning accessory of a vacuum cleaning apparatus or system. Artisans may recognize similar applications or implementations with other technologies and configurations.

An exemplary cleaning tool for a vacuum cleaning accessory may include a body having a suction opening for engaging with a surface to be cleaned, a cavity disposed within the body and fluidly connected with the suction opening, a flow channel disposed within the body and downstream of the cavity, a brushroll rotatably mounted about a rotation axis in the cavity for agitating the surface to be cleaned, and an opening extending through the body into the cavity for allowing atmospheric air to enter the cavity. The combination of separate flows of air entering the cavity via the suction opening and the opening increases the overall airflow through the cleaning tool to enhance cleaning efficiency and effectiveness.

The opening may be arranged above the brushroll with respect to the suction opening. Additionally or alternatively, the opening may be arranged in front of the brushroll with respect to the flow channel. An arrangement of the opening above and in front of the brushroll provides for a substantially (e.g., predominately) unobstructed airflow directed towards the surface to be cleaned at an angle to facilitate opening or otherwise agitating the fabric to dislodge trapped dirt and debris.

The opening may define a duct structure having an inlet and an outlet. The inlet may be disposed on an upper face of the body and the outlet may extend into the cavity. According to an implementation, the outlet may terminate at a position above the rotation axis of the brushroll with respect to the suction opening. Additionally or alternatively, the duct structure may have a curved internal cross-section for guiding a flow of air towards the brushroll, e.g., along a direction tangential to the rotating brushroll. Accordingly, the opening draws in external or atmospheric air from above and in front of the brushroll, rather than through the fabric of the surface to be cleaned, which prevents or at least reduces over agitation and/or damage to more delicate fibers to facilitate cleaning on a variety of work surfaces.

Pursuant to an implementation, the opening may include a plurality of openings distributed along the forward end of the cleaning tool above and/or in front of the brushroll. The plurality of openings may provide for vectored jets of air injected towards a work surface and an evenly distributed airflow into the suction cavity to thereby increase the overall airflow of the cleaning tool and improve the ability of the cleaning tool to pick up dust and dirt particles. The provision of a plurality of openings arranged above and in front of the brush roll may facilitate agitation by directing airflow eccentric to a rotation axis of the brushroll to urge the brushroll along a rotation direction and/or by injecting air into the fibers of the work surface at an angle, opening the fibers for more effective cleaning.

A closure mechanism may be included for opening and closing the opening(s) and adjusting an effective flow area through the opening(s). The closure mechanism provides for selectively activating the vectored jets of air to meet suitable airflow demands by increasing or decreasing the airflow through the cleaning tool. For example, the closure mechanism may include a cover that is moveable to at least partially block the opening(s) for a reduced airflow, and the cover may be retracted to open or uncover the opening(s) for increased airflow.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like numerals indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown a vacuum cleaning system or a vacuum cleaning apparatus generally at 10 (hereinafter “cleaning system 10”). Referring to the example shown in FIG. 1, the cleaning system 10 includes a vacuum cleaner assembly 12 and a vacuum cleaning accessory or a vacuum cleaning appliance 14 (hereinafter “cleaning accessory 14”). The cleaning accessory 14 includes a vacuum cleaning tool or a vacuum cleaning base 16 (hereinafter “cleaning tool 16”) for treating a surface to be cleaned, such as generally planar flooring including tiles, cement, wood, paneling, as well as on carpeting, upholstery, linen and/or other textured surfaces. The cleaning accessory 14 may further include a suction wand 18 coupled to the cleaning tool 16 that generally provides for an attachment of a power cord (not shown) and/or an attachment hose 20. The attachment hose 20 is configured to be attached to the vacuum cleaner assembly 12 in order to supply suction and/or electrical power to the cleaning tool 16. According to another example, the attachment hose 20 may be configured to couple to the cleaning tool 16 without an intervening wand. It is contemplated that the suction wand 18 and the attachment hose 20 may be integral, or the suction wand 18 and/or the attachment hose 20 may comprise a plurality of sections. Additionally or alternatively, the cleaning tool 16 and the suction wand 18 may be integral and/or the attachment hose 20 may be integral with the cleaner assembly 12. A handle 22 may be provided on the attachment hose 20 or the suction wand 18 for a user to grasp to traverse the cleaning tool 16 along the surface to be cleaned and/or provide a mechanism such as a switch to activate and deactivate the cleaning tool 16. In the illustrated example, the suction wand 18 is in fluid communication with the attachment hose 20 and the cleaning tool 16, thereby generally providing vacuum pressure or suction from the vacuum cleaner assembly 12 to the cleaning tool 16. The suction wand 18 may be rigid, and further may be pivotable or otherwise moveable relative to the cleaning tool 16 to allow the cleaning tool 16 to be manipulated or translated across the surfaces to be cleaned.

Referring to FIG. 2, an exemplary cleaner assembly 12 is shown as a liquid bath canister type cleaner merely to illustrate an application of the cleaning tool 16. The cleaner assembly 12 comprises a housing or body 24 (hereinafter “housing 24”) having an internal area and an external surface. The housing 24 includes a flow path having an intake port 26 and an outlet 28. A motor 30 is disposed within the internal area of the housing 24 between the intake port 26 and the outlet 28. The motor 30 includes an output shaft 32 for rotating about an axis.

The cleaner assembly 12 may include one or more fans. For example, the assembly 12 may include an axial flow fan 34 such as a cooling fan, mounted within the housing 24 above the motor 30 and coupled to the output shaft 32, which may generate an airflow for cooling the motor 30 and/or circulate cooling air around the motor 30 and/or facilitate a suction airflow through the intake port 26 in the housing 24. The assembly 12 may further include a cooling air filter 36 surrounding the motor 30 wherein the cooling air filter 36 directs the cooling air around the motor 30 and filters the cooling air prior to being exhausted.

Additionally or alternatively, the cleaner assembly 12 may include a blower 38 mounted within the housing 24 below the motor 30. The blower 38 may operate to generate a suction force (e.g., vacuum) and provide for drawing air into the intake port 26 and exhausting air outwardly through the outlet 28.

According to one implementation, the cleaner assembly 12 may include a separator 40 to separate dust and dirt particles, which may be coupled to the output shaft 32 and provide filtration by centrifugation. The separator 40 may be mounted below the blower 38 and be configured to circulate air and a water bath 42 within a water bath pan 44. A combination of the water bath pan 44 and the water bath 42 is used as a filter for filtering particulates from the air prior to being exhausted outwardly through the outlet 28. Additionally, the separator 40 can separate the particulates that are entrained within the water droplets that are ingested into the separator and/or separate the particulates from the ingested air that escapes entrapment within the water bath 42. Exemplary vacuum cleaner assemblies, and an explanation of a vacuum cleaner assembly using a water bath 42 within a water bath pan 44 as a primary air filter and/or a separator 40 for separating dust and dirt particulates as well as the mechanism for water filtration, that may be employed with the examples provided herein are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,096,475, 6,312,508, 6,565,637, and 7,210,195, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. It will be appreciated, however, that the cleaning tool 16 could be formed as part of a conventional, upright vacuum cleaner.

Referring now to FIG. 3, a perspective view of an exemplary cleaning tool 16 is shown. The cleaning tool 16 may include a housing or a body 46 (hereinafter “housing 46”) delimiting an interior, one or more wheels 48 (see also FIG. 4) or any mechanism for allowing the cleaning tool 16 to be traversed across a work surface 50, a connection or a pivot arm 52 (hereinafter “connection 52”), one or a plurality of brush arrangements or agitators shown generally at 54 (hereinafter “brush arrangement 54”), and at least one opening 56 provided to increase airflow in the cleaning tool 16 and direct the airflow at the work surface 50. A light (not shown) may also be attached to the housing 46. The housing 46 may have or otherwise define a bottom or lower face 58 that generally faces towards the work surface 50 and a top or upper face 60 that generally faces away from the work surface 50. The housing 46 may include a first housing member or an upper housing wall or an upper surface 62 (hereinafter “upper housing wall 62”) and a second housing member or a lower housing wall or a lower surface 64 (hereinafter “lower housing wall 64”), wherein the terms “upper” and “lower” are in relation to the work surface 50 during normal operation, e.g., the lower housing wall 64 is arranged proximate to the work surface 50 and the upper housing wall 62 is arranged distal to the work surface 50 relative to the lower housing wall 64. The upper housing wall 62 and/or the lower housing wall 64 may be made of a unitary piece of durable material, e.g., a plastic, rubber, metal and/or a blend of synthetic materials that are durable and/or sturdy. According to one implementation, the upper housing wall 62 and/or the lower housing wall 64 may be injection molded to facilitate production, although it is contemplated that the upper housing wall 62 and/or the lower housing wall 64 may include more than one piece or section secured together such as by one or more fasteners or a material connection, e.g., an adhesive, a weld or the like. The shape and dimensions of the housing 46 including the upper housing wall 62 and the lower housing wall 64 may be designed and manufactured to fit the contents and structures contained within the cleaning tool 16.

The connection 52 is positioned at a rear end 66 of the housing 46 and may be pivotally attached to the housing 24 of the cleaner assembly 12. The connection 52 provides suction to the cleaning tool 16 and serves as a conduit to deliver debris and dirt-laden air to the vacuum assembly 12. As shown, the connection 52 may be configured to extend outwardly from the cleaning tool 16. Further, the connection 52 may serve to provide stability and support between the cleaning tool 16 and the vacuum cleaner assembly. For example, the connection 52 may support an attached vacuum canister, vacuum motor and a handle in an upright vacuum cleaner arrangement. In yet another exemplary arrangement, the connection may support a suction wand 18 and/or a hose 20 leading to the vacuum cleaner assembly 12 (cf. FIG. 1).

The connection 52 may be configured to facilitate a pivoting motion of the cleaning tool 16 with respect to the suction wand 18, the attachment hose 20 and/or the cleaner assembly 12. The connection 52 may be made of the same material as the housing 46. The connection 52 may also be made out of the same piece as the housing 46 or may be made from a separate piece and then attached to the cleaning tool 16 using a variety of suitable fasteners and/or adhesives. It is contemplated that other materials, such as those materials suitable for the suction wand 18 and/or the attachment hose 20, may also be used to at least partially form the connection 52.

At least one opening 56 is arranged at a forward end 68 of the cleaning tool 16 and configured to direct external, atmospheric air at the work surface 50. According to the illustrated example, a plurality of openings 56 may be disposed along the forward end 68 to provide vectored jets of air injected into the fibers of the work surface 50. The openings 56 may be positioned above and/or in front of the brush arrangement 54 along the upper face 60 and/or the upper housing wall 62. Additionally or alternatively, the openings 56 may be distributed to define discrete duct structures 70 leading directly into a suction cavity (not shown) of the cleaning tool 16. The openings 56 may have a funnel-like structure to facilitate an array of high-pressure jets of air by forcing the drawn in air through a tapering channel. The provision of a plurality of openings 56 above and in front of the brush arrangement 54 facilitates cleaning efficiency and effectiveness for a variety of textured surfaces by allowing increased overall airflow through the cleaning tool 16 and/or by further agitating the work surface 50 to open the fibers of the work surface 50 through the injection of a vectored airflow.

FIG. 4 depicts an underside of the cleaning tool 16 according to an example. As shown, the brush arrangement 54 comprises an elongated brushroll 72 rotatably mounted in a cavity 74 and a plurality of bristles 76 extending therefrom. The brushroll 72 is mounted within the cavity 74 such that at least a portion of the bristles 76 extend through a suction opening 78 arranged between a forward edge 80 and a rear edge 82 of the cavity 74. The suction opening 78, the forward edge 80 and the rear edge 82 are disposed on a bottom face 58 of the housing 46. The forward edge 80 and/or the rear edge 82 may facilitate agitating the surface to be cleaned, e.g., carpet, by lifting or otherwise distributing the fibers to dislodge debris as the cleaning tool 16 traverses the surface to be cleaned. In use, the suction opening 78 faces the surface to be cleaned and admits dirt, dust and debris into the cavity 74. The cavity 74 is in fluid communication with an airflow channel 84 (see FIG. 5), which in turn is in fluid communication with the connection 52 (see FIG. 3). The cleaning tool 16 may additionally include one or more nozzle brushes (not shown) configured to rotate about an axis different from that of the brushroll 72.

Referring now to FIG. 5, an exploded perspective view of an exemplary cleaning tool 16 is shown. The cleaning tool 16 includes at least a forward compartment 86 and a rear compartment 88. The forward compartment 86 and the rear compartment 88 may be defined by the housing 46. The forward compartment 86 houses the brush arrangement 54 and defines the cavity 74. A light (not shown) may be housed in the forward compartment 86, or it may be contained within another non-shown compartment. The bottom of the forward compartment 86 is at least partially open to define the suction opening 78 disposed along the lower housing wall 64, and the top of the forward compartment 86 includes the opening(s) 56 arranged along the forward end 68 of the upper housing wall 62. A forward wall 90 of the forward compartment 86 may be arcuate or otherwise adapted to the brush arrangement 54, and the lateral side wall(s) 92 of the forward compartment 86 may include a groove or other coupling mechanism to rotatably mount the brush arrangement 54.

The rear compartment 88 houses or otherwise defines an airflow channel 84 provided to communicate dirt-bearing air from the cavity 74 to the cleaner assembly 12. The airflow channel 84 is arranged downstream of the cavity 74 and is fluidly connected with the cavity 74 via an inlet port 94 disposed in a baffle element 96 arranged between the forward compartment 86 and the rear compartment 88. Further, the airflow channel 84 is fluidly connected to the connection 52 to convey dirt-bearing air to the cleaner assembly 12 via the suction wand 18 and/or the attachment hose 20 shown in FIG. 1. The airflow channel 84 may also be formed at least partially from the connection 52. The airflow channel 84 may comprise a hollow tube 98 releasably mounted within the rear compartment 88, although the tube 98 may also be formed integrally within the rear compartment 88. According to one example, the tube 98 may be coupled to the connection 52 by a suitable mechanism such as fasteners or a pluggable joint. According to another example, the tube 98 and the connection 52 may be integral with one another.

Also contained within the rear compartment 88 is a motor 100 operatively connected to the brush arrangement 54. The motor 100 may be powered using a cord and fixed power and/or battery powered by a non-shown battery pack. The motor 100 may include a motor arm 102 mounted to a drive belt 104 for facilitating a mechanical connection between the motor 100 and the brush arrangement 54. The motor arm 102 may extend away from the center towards a side of the cleaning tool 16 as shown, and/or extend towards the center of the cleaning tool 16 into a region of the airflow channel 84. Many variations of motors are suitable for use in the cleaning tool; especially those used and sold by Rexair, LLC. Two examples of suitable motors are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,949,175 and 6,777,844, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, the forward compartment 86 and the rear compartment 88 are separated by a baffle element 96 extending transversely between the upper housing wall 62 and the lower housing wall 64 to protect the components in the rear compartment 88 from the ingress of debris and/or to deflect debris and dirt-bearing air into the inlet port 94. The baffle element 96 may be shaped flat as shown, or have a concave shape at least on a side facing the cavity 74, to guide debris into the inlet port 94. The baffle element 96 may extend along substantially the entire width of the forward compartment 86 (e.g., along an axial direction of the brush arrangement 54), and have a configuration structured to receive or otherwise allow rotation of the drive belt 104 for the mechanical connection between the motor 100 and the brush arrangement 54. The baffle element 96 may be structured as a continuous wall extending from the upper housing wall 62 to the lower housing wall 64, or vice versa. Additionally or alternatively, the baffle element 96 may include a plurality of interacting walls arranged complementary to each other. For example, a first baffle wall 106 may project from the upper housing wall 62 and a second baffle wall 108 may project from the lower housing wall 64 in a position complementary to the first baffle wall 106 such that the first and second baffle wall 106, 108 engage or otherwise interact to substantially impede ingress of debris into the rear compartment 88 and deflect debris into the inlet port 94. The baffle element 96 provides the advantage that debris and dirt-bearing air does not readily escape the forward compartment 86 without passing through the inlet port 94.

The cavity 74 in the forward compartment 86 is enclosed by the forward wall 90, the side walls 92, the upper housing wall 62, the lower housing wall 64 and the baffle element 96, such that the cavity 74 defines a unitary suction chamber including the brush arrangement 54 mounted therein. However, it will be appreciated that more than one cavity 74 may be defined in the forward compartment 86. According to one implementation, the forward wall 90 and/or the sidewalls 92 may be formed by a portion of the upper housing wall 62 and the lower housing wall 64 as shown. The forward compartment 86 and the rear compartment 88 may thereby be formed by the upper housing wall 62 structured complementary to the lower housing wall 64 in a simplified manner, e.g., mutually complementary injection molded parts. According to another implementation, the forward wall 90 and/or the sidewalls 92 may be formed by one of the upper housing wall 62 and the lower housing wall 64. In yet another implementation, an additional section of material such as a non-shown panel cover may form at least a portion of the forward wall 90 and/or the sidewalls 92.

The cleaning tool 16 includes one or more openings 56 positioned above the brush arrangement 54 in relation to the work surface 50, e.g., the opening(s) 56 are arranged distal to or further away from the work surface 50 in relation to a rotation axis A of the brush arrangement 54. The arrangement of the opening(s) 56 above the brush arrangement 54 facilitates more effective cleaning of delicate fabrics such as linen or bedding by allowing air to enter the cavity 74 from the upper face 60 and at an angle transverse to the work surface 50. Accordingly, air is drawn into the cavity 74 from above the work surface 50 via the opening(s) 56 rather than solely through the fabric of the work surface 50 from the suction opening 78 on the bottom face 58 of the cleaning tool 16 to prevent or at least reduce over agitation of the work surface 50 which may lead to damage of more delicate fibers or surfaces. Additionally or alternatively, one or more openings 56 are positioned in front of the brush arrangement 54 in relation to a forward direction F of the cleaning tool 16, e.g., the opening(s) 56 are arranged distal to or further away from the inlet port 94 and the flow channel 84 in relation to the rotation axis A of the brush arrangement 54. The arrangement of the opening(s) 56 in front of the brush arrangement 54 facilitates more effective cleaning by injecting air directly at the work surface 50 substantially unobstructed by the brush arrangement 54. Further, a portion of the air may impinge or impact the bristles 76 of the brush arrangement 54 to facilitate rotation of the brushroll 72, which may be particularly advantageous when cleaning thick and/or dense carpet such as plush and ultra-plush carpet, merely as examples.

According to an exemplary implementation, the cleaning tool 16 includes a plurality of openings 56 positioned above and in front of the brush arrangement 54. The provision of a plurality of openings 56 arranged above and in front of the brush arrangement 54 provides a plurality of vectored air jets directed towards the work surface 50 from the upper face 60 of the cleaning tool 16 to open the fibers or fabric and facilitate more effective cleaning. The plurality of openings 56 operate to more evenly distribute the airflow in the cavity 74 and onto the work surface 50. The more even distribution of airflow significantly improves the ability of the cleaning tool 16 to pick up dust and dirt particles. Further, the plurality of openings 56 may increase the overall airflow through the cavity 74 and the cleaning tool 16, which may enhance cleaning efficiency and effectiveness of ultra-plush or ultra-soft carpet by releasing the seal formed when the suction opening 78 becomes stuck on the carpet due to the thickness of the carpet's fibers. Additionally, the forced air drawn in through the openings 56 may enter the cavity 74 along a direction tangential to the rotating brushroll 72 to help urge the bristles 76 to comb through the fabric of the work surface 50.

Referring to FIGS. 3, 5 and 6, the openings 56 may be disposed on the upper face 60 of the housing 46 along the forward end 68. The openings 56 may be arranged in the upper housing wall 62 in a region of the forward wall 90, e.g., positioned adjacent or on the forward wall 90. The openings 56 include an inlet 110 and an outlet 112 arranged downstream of the inlet 110. The inlet 110 is arranged at the upper face 60 of the housing 46 and the outlet 112 leads directly into the cavity 74. The outlet 112 of one or more openings 56 may be flush with an interior surface 114 of the housing 46 and/or the forward wall 118 to provide adequate clearance for the rotating bristles 76 and/or to facilitate discharging the airflow into the cavity 74 as described herein. Additionally or alternatively, the outlet 112 of one or more openings 56 may be recessed into the forward wall 114 such that the forward wall 114 provides a sloped or angled guide surface for the air to flow along.

The openings 56 may define a duct structure 70 extending from the inlet 110 to the outlet 112 to guide air into the cavity 74. The duct structure 70 may be bent, turned or curved along a path between the inlet 110 and the outlet 112 to deflect the air entering the inlet 110 in a targeted manner via the outlet 112 and/or encourage the air to flow through the outlet 112. Additionally or alternatively, the duct structure 70 may have an internally tapering cross-section to facilitate a high-pressure discharge of air into the cavity 74. The duct structures 70 may be defined by a bore through the housing 46. Additionally or alternatively, one or more openings 56 may include a lip or a rim 116 projecting outwardly from the forward wall 90 to define the duct structure 70 between an interior surface of the lip 116 and the forward wall 90, as is more clearly shown in FIG. 3. The lip 116 may be structured to define the inlet 110 having a greater cross-sectional area than a cross-sectional area of the outlet 112 to facilitate a high-pressure jet of air discharged into the cavity 74. Additionally or alternatively, the lip 116 may be structured with a funnel shape to facilitate guiding the airflow into the cavity 74 and/or to increase the pressure at which the airflow is introduced into the cavity 74. For example, the lip 116 may be configured to define the duct structure 70 with a tapering internal cross-section to increase the flow rate at which the airflow exits the outlet 112 of the opening 56.

As shown in FIG. 6, the openings 56 or respectively the duct structures 70 extend partially along the forward wall 90 so that the outlet 112 opens directly into the cavity 74. Pursuant to an implementation, the outlet 112 may terminate at a distance spaced from at least one of the suction opening 78, the forward edge 80 and the bottom face 58 to facilitate cleaning of more delicate surface textures. For example, the outlet 112 may be arranged above the rotation axis A of the brush arrangement 54. According to another example, the outlet 112 may be arranged in a position approximately corresponding to a position of the rotation axis A of the brush arrangement 54. The outlet 112 may have a cross-section that is inclined or angled with respect to a cross-section of the inlet 110 to facilitate a targeted jet of air. For example, the outlet 112 may have a cross-section oriented towards the brush arrangement 54 and extending transverse to the inlet 110 cross-section to help urge the brushroll 72 along the rotation direction R.

Referring to FIGS. 7A and 7B, the cleaning tool 16 may further include a closure mechanism shown generally at 118 for varying an amount of airflow passing through the openings 56. The closure mechanism 118 may cover or block the openings 56 and uncover or unblock the openings 56, including partially covering or blocking the openings 56, through suitable actuation of the closure mechanism 118 between an open position as shown in FIG. 7A and a closed position as shown in FIG. 7B. Accordingly, the closure mechanism 118 provides for selectively increasing or decreasing the airflow through the cleaning tool 16 by adjusting the effective flow area of the openings 56. Pursuant to an implementation, the closure mechanism 118 may comprise a cover 120 moveably mounted to the housing 46 to block, partially block and unblock the openings 56. According to the non-limiting example illustrated in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the cover 120 may be pivotally mounted on the housing 46 about a pivot axis 122 to transition between an uncovered or open position as shown in FIG. 7A and a covered or closed position as shown in FIG. 7B. It will be appreciated that the cover 120 may be moveable between any intermediate positions between the open position and the closed position. By varying the flow rate of air into the cleaning tool 16, the cleaning tool 16 can be adapted to provide a desired relative flow of air suitable for the surface to be cleaned. Further, selectively activating the openings 56, e.g., through the selective actuation the closure mechanism 118, allows the cleaning tool 16 to effectively clean a variety of work surfaces. For example, when the cleaning tool 16 transitions from a first work surface to a second work surface having a greater density and/or thickness thereby requiring a greater amount of airflow (e.g., from short or fine pile carpet to a thick or shaggy pile rug), the closure mechanism 118 may be actuated from the covered position, as shown in FIG. 7B via the cover 120 blocking the openings 56, to the uncovered position, as shown in FIG. 7A via the cover 120 unblocking the openings 56, to increase the flow rate through the cleaning tool 16 and facilitate more effective and efficient cleaning of the work surface.

The cover 120 may comprise one or more sections of material composed of a rigid or flexible material, e.g., a plastic, a metal, or a rubber. The cover 120 may be manually actuated between the covered position and the uncovered position, including intermediate positions, for blocking and unblocking the openings 56. Additionally or alternatively, the closure mechanism 118 may include a non-shown drive mechanism to actuate the cover 120 between the covered position and the uncovered position, and intermediate positions. For example, the drive mechanism may include a bias member such as a spring-loaded hinge configured to maintain the cover 120 in a first position, and a lever coupled to at least one of a switch, a button and a foot pedal moveably mounted on the cleaning tool 16 configured to actuate the lever and urge the cover 120 opposite the biasing force of the bias member. As another example, the drive mechanism may include a switch or a thumbwheel moveably mounted on the housing 46 and coupled to a lever connected with the cover, wherein the lever is configured to be translated to move the cover between the open position and the closed position in response to corresponding movement of the switch. It will be appreciated that variants of the closure mechanism 118 may be employed without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Merely as examples, the cover 120 may include one or more plugs attached to an elongated bar configured to insert and retract the plug(s) into the opening(s) 56, one or more sheets of material slidable forwards and backwards (e.g., via tracks and/or roller bodies disposed on the housing 46) to varying the flow cross-section of the opening(s) 56, or a swivel valve dedicated to a corresponding opening 56. The closure mechanism 118 may be arranged on an exterior of the housing 46 to cover the inlet 110 of the openings 56, on an interior of the housing 46 to cover the outlet 112 of the openings 56, or in the case of a swivel valve mounted in the openings 56 between the inlet 110 and the outlet 112. As one example, the closure mechanism 118 may be disposed in a compartment housing a light (non-shown) that has an access door for the cover 120 to preserve space in the interior of the housing 46. The provision of a closure mechanism 118 provides the advantage that the openings 56 can be selectively opened and closed to meet suitable airflow demands.

FIG. 8 shows various flow paths of the cleaning tool 16 in operation. In use, an airflow 124 enters the cavity 74 through the suction opening 78 and the brushroll 72 rotates in direction R to agitate the work surface 50. The airflow 124 passes through the fibers of the work surface 50, carrying dirt, dust and debris dislodged by the rotating brushroll 72, and into the cavity 74 then through the airflow channel 84. An auxiliary airflow 126 enters the cavity 74 through the openings 56 from a position above and in front of the brushroll 72. The openings 56 provide for vectored jets of auxiliary airflow 126 directed at the work surface 50, opening the fibers or fabric to supplement agitation of the work surface 50. Some of the airflow 126 may impinge upon the bristles 76 to urge the brushroll 72 along the rotation direction R. This may facilitate combing the bristles 76 through the work surface 50, which may be particularly advantageous when cleaning dense and/or thick fabrics such as ultra-plush carpet. Other of the airflow 126 may be guided along the interior surface 114 of the forward wall 90 and discharged from a position close and/or adjacent to the suction opening 78. This may facilitate the drawing in of dust and other particulates from the work surface 50 and improve cleaning efficiency.

The combination of providing separate airflows 124 and 126 into the cavity 74, with the airflow 124 being drawn in from the bottom face 58 through the suction opening 78 and the auxiliary airflow 126 being drawn in from the upper face 60 through the openings 56, helps increase the agitation effectiveness and efficiency of the cleaning tool 16. The openings 56 provide for vectored flow paths that inject the auxiliary airflow 126 onto the work surface 50 and open the fibers or fabric to assist or supplement dislodging debris, dirt and other particulates trapped therein, thereby enhancing cleaning efficiency and effectiveness. The openings 56 also increase the overall airflow through the cleaning tool 16 and thereby improve cleaning efficiency and effectiveness of comparatively dense and/or thick fabrics such as ultra-plush or ultra-soft carpet, which may require a greater airflow demand. Additionally, the openings 56 allow air to enter the cavity 74 in situations where there is little or no flow through the suction opening 78. The openings 56 further direct some airflow 126 towards the bristles 76 to urge the brushroll 72 along the rotation direction R, thereby facilitating agitation of dense and/or thick fabrics. The cleaning tool 16 may also be effective on delicate fabrics such as bedding or linen by allowing the auxiliary airflow 126 to enter from above the rotation axis A of the brushroll 72 and impact the work surface 50 at an angle or along a transverse direction, rather than through the fabric along a direction parallel to the work surface 50, which may at least reduce over agitation and damage to more delicate fabric.

It will be appreciated that the aforementioned vacuum cleaner assembly 12 and/or cleaning accessory 14 and/or cleaning tool 16 may be modified to have some components removed, or may have additional components added, all of which are deemed to be within the spirit of the present disclosure. For example, the assembly may be an upright type of vacuum cleaner or a hand-held cleaner. Further, although the cleaning tool has been described with reference to a motor driven agitator, the cleaning tool is also suitable for a manually rotated agitator such as a brush bar rotatably mounted for manual rotation. Additionally, while the openings have been described as distributed linearly along the forward end of the cleaning tool, it will be appreciated that the openings can have a staggered relationship with respect to each other such that some openings are positioned behind other openings.

Accordingly, even though the present disclosure has been described in detail with reference to specific examples, it will be appreciated that a plurality of variants and changes can be made to these examples without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as set forth in the claims. It is anticipated and intended that future developments will occur in the technologies discussed herein, and that the disclosed systems and devices will be incorporated into such future embodiments.

All terms used in the claims are intended to be given their broadest reasonable constructions and their ordinary meanings as understood by those knowledgeable in the technologies described herein unless an explicit indication to the contrary in made herein. In particular, use of the singular articles such as “a,” “the,” “said,” etc. should be read to recite one or more of the indicated elements unless a claim recites an explicit limitation to the contrary. Further, the use of “at least one of” is intended to be inclusive, analogous to the term and/or. Additionally, use of adjectives such as first, second, etc. should be read to be interchangeable unless a claim recites an explicit limitation to the contrary.

Vacuum Cleaner With Airflow Directing Openings and Brushroll

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CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Provisional Applications (1)