Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SUCTION NOZZLE CONFIGURATION
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a suction nozzle for
floor care appliances having single or multiple agitators
and the appliances having single or multiple channels for
air flow entrained with dirt.
2. Description of Related Prior Art
Cleaners have been provided using single ducts or
two ducts for carrying away dirt. However, none of these
ducts were centrally located in the nozzle and located above
the agitator. Further, cleaners utilizing dual agitators
are known but are generally not common in the art. What is
needed in the art are floor care appliances having multiple
channels for carrying away dirt with the option of providing
at least two agitators.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides multiple
embodiments of floor care appliances such as an upright
vacuum cleaner having various configurations of a suction
nozzle. The various embodiments may have a channel located
above one or more rotary agitators to improve the
performance of the nozzle in removing dirt particles from
the floor surface and transporting the dirt particles to a
suction passageway for further collection. The embodiments
of the suction nozzle may also contain front and/or rear
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suction ducts to further improve the performance of the
nozzle in removing dirt particles from the floor surface and
for transporting dirt particles to the suction passageway.
According to one aspect of the present invention,
there is provided 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.
According to another aspect of the present
invention, there is provided an agitator assembly for a
floor care appliance, comprised of: a first agitator; a
second agitator; a first projection radially extending from
an outer surface of said first agitator; a second projection
radially extending from an outer surface of said second
agitator; and wherein said second agitator is driven by said
first agitator by said first projection meshing with said
second projection.
According to yet another aspect of the present
invention, there is provided an improved agitator assembly
for a floor care appliance of the type having a suction
nozzle, comprised of a plurality of four agitators wherein
said plurality of four agitators are arranged in pairs, each
pair being oriented in the longitudinal direction of the
suction nozzle.
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According to a further aspect of the present
invention, there is provided an improved agitator assembly
for a floor care appliance of the type having a suction
nozzle, comprised of a plurality of four agitators rotated
at the center of the suction nozzle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
A preferred embodiment of the present invention
will now be described, by way of example, with reference to
the accompanying drawings, of which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a suction nozzle
arrangement, according to the preferred embodiment of the
present invention;
FIG. 2 is a top view of the suction nozzle
arrangement shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a rear elevational view of FIG. 2;
FIG. 5 is a bottom view of FIG. 2;
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of an alternate
embodiment of a suction nozzle arrangement having a single
channel located centrally above the agitator;
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the preferred
embodiment of the suction nozzle arrangement of FIGS. 1-5
taken along line VII-VII of FIG. 3, wherein the suction
nozzle arrangement similar to the suction nozzle arrangement
shown in FIG. 6 but with a single channel and a pair of
sidewardly-extending front and rear ducts;
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a third
embodiment of suction nozzle arrangement having a
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hemispherical single channel located centrally above dual
rotary agitators;
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a fourth
embodiment of a suction nozzle arrangement having sidewardly
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FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a fifth embodiment of a suction nozzle
arrangement having sidewardly extending front and rear ducts, dual agitators,
and a
channel located centrally located above the agitators;
FIG. 11 shows a counter-rotating interlaced helix agitator assembty having a
single flat belt for driving a first agitator, wherein the first agitator has
a helical ribbon
circumscribing the outer surface for meshing with a helical ribbon
circumscribing the
outer surface of a second agitator thereby driving the second agitator;
FIG. 12 shows another agitator assembly wherein a flat belt drives a pulley,
the
pulley drives a toothed belt, and the toothed belt drives a pair of rotary
agitators; and
FIG. 13 shows yet another agitator assembly wherein a pair of rotary agitators
are rotated by a belt and a worm gear.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring now to FIGS. 1- 5 and 7, shown is a suction nozzle 28 of a vacuum
cleaner 10 having a handle 11, according to the preferred embodiment of the
invention.
Specifically, FIG. 1 shows a suction nozzle 28 comprised of an agitator
housing 12,~an
.~;
agitator chamber 13, an agitator 14, a first channel 20 located on the top of
agiwtor
chamber 13, and a pair of integral front and rear sidewardly extending suction
dUcts
40,42. The nozzle 28 is generally part of a floor care appliance such as that
sho": in
;,.
the dashed lines in FIG. 1. The nozzle 28 itself comprises an agitator housing
12,
preferably of a molded configuration, that is firmly attached to the nozzle 28
through the
use of fasteners, including without limitation, screws or rivets extending
through
brackets situated on opposite sides of the agitator housing 12. This general
configuration is known in the art, such as the cleaner described in U.S.
Patent, No.
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61935-176
4,178,653, issued December 18, 1979, owned by a common
assignee.
Referring now to FIGS. 2-5, suction nozzle 28 has
the agitator housing 12, which includes a connected rearwardly
extending side discharge duct 27. The rearwardly extending
side discharge duct 27 defines a suction passageway 25 and
leads conventionally to a motor-fan system (not shown) and the
pair of integral front and rear sidewardly extending ducts,
40, 42 respectively and a rotatable agitator 14 disposed
within the agitator housing 12. Turning to FIG. 5, the bottom
plate 34 covers the bottom side of the agitator housing 12 and
includes a suction slot 35 on which the agitator 14 is
centered so as to be in surface engaging contact with the
surface on which the nozzle 28 rests. The general
configuration to be explained is disclosed in U.S. Pat.
No. 5,513,418, issued May 7, 1996, owned by a common assignee.
Referring now to specifically FIG. 2, and in
addition, FIGS. 3 and 4, the rear discharge duct 27 extends
juttingly rearwardly out of the agitator chamber 13 to
provide communication with the conventional motor fan system
(not shown) disposed downstream of the nozzle 28. The
rearwardly extending discharge duct 27 is formed with
vertical walls 27a, 27b and a top and bottom horizontal
walls 27c, 27d and provides a vertically elongated
rectangular shape to suction passageway 25. This passageway
25, opens at its front, confluently at opening 33, best seen
in FIG. 5, to front and rear sidewardly extending
ducts 40, 42. Of course, the rearwardly extending side
discharge duct 27 may be of any other shape which is
suitable for easy air passage.
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FIG. 2 illustrates the front sidewardly extending
duct 40 being shaped to provide as closely as possible a
constant air carrying velocity along its length. The front
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sidewardly extending duct 40 continuously and uniformly expands along its
length its
until it reaches the rear discharge duct 27. The front sidewardly extending
duct 440
further comprises an integral upwardly angled duct section 44 including a top
wall 45
extending from adjacent an end 48 of the agitator housing 12 oppositely
disposed=of
the rear discharge duct 27. The top wall 45 is angled uniformly upwardly from
this lend
to approximately midway of the agitator housing 12. The top wall 45 length is
integrally
formed to a vertical wall portion 47 (FIG. 7) of the inner cylindrical section
or surface 36
partially forming an agitator chamber 13 wherein the first agitator 14 is
disposed. Since
the top wall 45 is angularly disposed until its inward termination, the
vertical wall portion
47 (FIG. 7) is triangularly shaped in plan. The angled duct section 44 further
comprises
a front wall 46 (FIG. 7) parallel to the vertical wall portion 47 and
similarly shaped which
provides a completion of the angled duct section 44 except for its
relationship with the
bottom plate 34 and the front sidewardly extending duct 40 which will be
described
~.:
below.
Still viewing FIG. 2-4, air moving through the angled duct section 44 of the
front
sidewardly extending duct 40 enters a transition section 54 of the duct that
passes over
a bottom face wall formed by the top of the inner cylindrical surface 36 of
the agitator
housing 13 to confluently communicate with the rear discharge duct 27. The
transition
section 54 adjacent to the inward termination of the duct section 44 includes
a short
adjoining portion 56 that communicates directly with the terminating end of
the d'uct
section and is of the same height as this termination. It provides no
expanding duct
~.
portion for maintaining constant air velocity but is necessary for easy
moidability in the
front duct and the agitator housing 12. Ideally, it is shortened and
abbreviated so it
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does not to seriously effect the constant carrying velocity of suction air
passing through
the front duct.
The short adjoining portion 56 merges into an expanding duct portion 60 whi~h
includes a forward lead in the wall 62. This lead in the wall is slightly
angled relative'to
adjoining portion 56 upwardly over the inner cylindrical surface 36 to provide
a
smoothed airflow with the front duct 40. It merges with a more steeply angled
wall 64
which is deeper and provides a transition into an angled wall piece 66. The
angled wall
piece 66 terminates, slightly spaced from the front suction opening of the
rear discharge
duct 27.
An opposite end 54 of the front duct 40 is formed with a short angled duct
portion
70 like the duct portion 44 that angles upwardly along the agitator housing 12
towards
the expanding duct portion 60. This short angled duct 70, again because of its
expanding characteristics, provides a constant transport velocity
characteristic to the
suction air moving through it. It terminates in a vertically extending wall 72
extending
upwardly vertically and outwardly from it along the inner cylindrical surface
36 and
forming a portion of the other wall of the expanding duct portion 60. This
wall merges
into an angularly extending wall also extending along the inner generally
cylindrical
surface 36 until it terminates adjacent opening in the wall portion.
Still viewing FIGS. 2-5, the rear sidewardly extending duct 42 extends alonb a
rear side of the agitator housing 12 in an expanding way. It includes an
upwatdly
angled top wall 78 and a generally integral upwardly angled forward wall 50. A
po i"on
of the upwardly angled forward wall 50 is formed by the external surface of
the in'r~er
cylindrical surface 36 and a portion on the vertical extension and a rear
vertically
extending reinforcing wall 52. This wall is integrally formed with the
upwardly angled
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top wall 78 and extends there above to be generally aligned with the top side
of the rear
discharge duct 27. It forms the rear side of the agitator housing 12 at its
bottom. The
rear duct 42 terminates in a discharge opening which is as deep in height as
the actual
rear discharge duct 27 at its suction opening to confluently connect thereto.
A suction
opening of the front sidewardly extending duct 40 is also in confluent
communication
with these two openings and is essentially located flush with the forward wall
50 of the
rear duct 42.
For molding requirement ease, the expanding duct portion because of is formed
without a top wall so that a top wall of the exact top outline and vertical
terminatihig
5.
shape of the expanding duct portion is mounted thereon by gluing or the
like:.o
complete the closed volume of the front sidewardly extending duct 40.
A cross-section of the suction nozzle 28 of the preferred embodiment is shown
in FIG. 7. The agitator housing 12 includes an inner generally cylindricai
surface or
section 36 as is conventional in the cleaner art. This section or surface 36
begins
generally at the front of the agitator housing 12 and extends upwardly and
circumferentially inwardly until interrupted by the first channel 20. First
channel 20
comprises a top wall 21 and may further comprise first and second side walls
22, 24
extending from opposing edges thereof. The top wall 21 may be flat as shown in
FIGS.
6,7, and 10 or hemispherical in shape as shown in FIG. 8 to eliminate any
sharp
corners. The top wall 21 may have a substantially uniform depth, or its depth
may
increase as the first channel 20 approaches the suction connection 27.
As previously mentioned, the inner cylindrical section or surface 36 is
interrupted
by the first side wall 22 and then continues from the second side wall 24 in a
circumferentially outwardly 20 direction. The first channel 20 extends across
the nozzle
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28. As shown in Figure 7, the first channel 20 is located at a top center
position of an
agitator housing 12. However, the first channel 20 may be located in other
positions
along the inner cylindrical section or surface 36. The position of first
channel 20 as
shown in FIGS. 6-8 and 10 is preferred and provides for constant air flow and
increased
dirt removal.
The inner cylindrical section or surface 36 terminates in the rear section of
the
agitator housing 12. The first agitator 14 tends to move air along the first
channel 20
in the agitator housing 12 towards a tubular formed suction connection 26,
which is also
integral with the agitator housing 12. The suction connection 26 in turn
communicates
rearwardly with a rigid nozzle suction duct extending to the motor fan system
(hot
shown) for the nozzle 28. The manner of sealing the suction connection with
the nozzle
suction duct may be any conventional arrangement desired.
Suction applied to the suction connection 26 provides a flow of suction air
through the agitator housing 12. Because of the position and shape of the
first channel
20, the velocity and pressure across the face of the nozzle 28 tends to be
relatively
constant.
In an alternate embodiment of the invention, shown in FIG. 6, the vacuum
cleaner 10 comprises the first channel 20 and a single agitator 14 in a
suction nozzle
arrangement 228 similar to the preferred embodiment. A similar inner generA]ly
cylindrical surface or section 236 is interrupted by a channel 20. However,
there lbre
no front and rear suction ducts 40, 42 and section or surface 236 forming
agitator
chamber 213 is continuous and meets with front and rear sidewalls on the
interior of
agitator housing 212.
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In a third embodiment of the present invention, shown in FIG. 8., the vacuum
cleaner 10 comprises a suction nozzle arrangement 328 having a first channel
320 and
two agitators 14, 16. The agitator housing 312 and agitator chamber 313 must
be of
sufficient dimension to accommodate the agitators 14, 16 in a side by side
relationship
and yet permit air to readily flow through the first channel 320. The dual
agitators 14,
16 should be in close proximity to maximize dirt removal from the underlying
surface.
This is true for all embodiments later described utilizing a dual agitator
system. Of
course it should be noted that the first and second agitators 14, 16 can roll
in the sanle
direction, clockwise or counterclockwise depending on the agitator drive means
utilized.
Alternately, the agitators 14, 16 can counter-rotate towards each other or
away from
each other. The first channel 320 may be positioned above and between the
first and
second agitators 14, 16, as shown in Figures 8 and 10. The first channel 320
has a
semi-hemispherical cross-section and is formed in the inner generally
cylindrical surface
or section 236 and disposed centered above agitators 14,16. Since no suction
ducts
40,42 are present, inner generally cylindrical surface 336 extends
continuously from the
interior front and rear sidewalls of agitator housing 312 except for where
interrupted by
first channel 320.
In a fourth embodiment of the invention, vacuum cleaner 10 comprises a suction
nozzle arrangement 428 having at least two agitators 14,16, as shown in FIG.
9.
Further, only the front and rear channels 40, 42 are present. As previously
mentioned,
these agitators 14, 16 may rotate in the same direction, clockwise or
counterclockwise.
Alternatively, the agitators 14, 16 could counter-rotate, meaning towards each
other or
away from each other. The fourth embodiment of the invention eliminates the
first
channel 20 of the preferred embodiment taking advantage of the improved
cleaning
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efficiency of front and rear channels 40, 42 as well as the
improved cleaning performance of a second agitator 16. The
internal generally cylindrical surface 436 is continuous
from front suction duct 40 to rear suction duct 42.
In a fifth embodiment of the present invention, as
shown in FIG. 10, a suction nozzle arrangement 528
incorporates channel 520 and front and rear suction ducts
40, 42, as described previously in the preferred and fourth
embodiments, and dual agitators 14, 16. As described in
great detail previously, the first channel 20, which is
located disposed centrally above the two agitators 14, 16
and formed in an inner generally cylindrical section or
surface 536, provides for greater air flow, more constant
air flow, and increased dirt removal from the underlying
surf ace .
There are infinite possibilities for providing
rotary power to a single agitator 14 or a combination of at
least two agitators like agitators 14, 16. Several
embodiments of the invention are presented herein for
providing rotary power to a first agitator 14, or
alternately, to a first agitator 14 and a second agitator
16. Any one of the below other aspects of the invention for
providing rotary power to the agitator(s) could be used with
any of the foregoing embodiments of the suction nozzle
arrangements 28, 228, 328, 428 and 528.
In one embodiment of the present invention, as
shown in FIG. 11, a counter-rotating interlaced helix
agitator assembly 95 is depicted wherein a second agitator
99 is driven by first agitator 98. The first agitator 98 is
rotated by a flat belt 97, and a first projection or first
helical ribbon 96 circumscribing the outer surface of first
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agitator 98 meshes with a corresponding second projection or
second helical ribbon 96 circumscribing the outer surface of
a second agitator 99. First and second helical ribbon 96
may be made of a plastic material and is formed in a spiral
circumscribing
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and radial extends from the outer surface of agitators 98, 99. While the first
and
second agitators 98, 99 are counter-rotating, a continuous point of contact is
maintained
along the first and second helical ribbons 96 of the two agitators 98, 99
during rotation.
In another embodiment of the present invention, as showrt in FIG. 12, and
described in further detail in U.S. Pat. No. 6,131,238, issued October 17,
2000, and
owned by a common assignee, an agitator assembly 103 is provided comprised of
a
pulley 100 driven by a toothed belt 102, communicating with the drive shaft
104 of the
rnotor 106. The toothed belt 110 is positioned about the pulley 100, the first
agitator
114 and at least one idler gear 108. The toothed belt 110 contacts at least
some portion
of a second idler gear 112 and the second agitator 116. Thus, when the pulley
100 is
rotated by the motor 106, the first and second agitators 114, 116 are engaged
by the
toothed belt 110 and counter-rotate.
Figure 13 illustrates yet another embodiment of the invention wherein another
agitator assembly 125 is provided wherein a motor 126 drives a worm gear 128,
which
in turn drives the two agitator or agitator bars 135, 136. This embodiment is
similar to
that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1.900,889, issued March 7, 1933, and owned by
a
common assignee. Driving or rotating means is provided for the agitator or
agitator bars
135, 136. The driving means comprises a shaft 130, which is rotated by a belt
132 and
is perpendicular to the agitator or agitator bars 135, 136. The shaft 130 is
provided with
spaced worm gears 128 having opposite directions of thread advance and these
gears
mesh with spiral gears 134 carried by the respective stub shafts of the
agitator or
agitator bars 135, 136.
It should be noted that many variations are possible with this embodiment of
providing the required rotary power to agitator or agitator bars 135, 136.
First, the worm
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gear assembly can be located at the center of a nozzle arrangement to drive
two
agitator or agitator bars 135, 136, as shown in FIG. 13, or it may be located
on the
ends of the agitator or agitator bars 135, 136. If the worm gear assembly is
located at
the center of suction nozzle arrangement like any of the suctibn nozzles in
the
aforementioned embodiments, four small agitators may be utilized. Further, the
worm
gear may mesh with only one agitator, which in turn could drive the second
agitator.
It is also contemplated that the worm gear can rotate both agitator bars 135,
136 and
the agitators be so positioned to interlace during rotation.
The present invention has been described above using a preferred embodiment,
alternate embodiments, and other aspects by way of example only. Obvious
modifications within the scope of the present invention will become apparent
to one of
ordinary skill upon reading the above description and viewing the appended
drawings.
The present invention describe above and as claimed in the appended claims is
intended to include all such obvious modifications within the scope of the
present
invention.
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