Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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VACUUM CLEANER NOZZLE WITH DISPOSABLE COVER SHEET
TECHNICAL FIELD
This technology relates to vacuum cleaners.
BACKGROUND
A vacuum cleaner base can be wheeled across a floor. Different
cleaning attachments can be removably attached to the base for cleaning
different
types of surfaces. These include a floor nozzle supported by the base and a
vacuuming head that is coupled to the base by a hose. The base generates a
flow of air that draws dirt through the nozzle or the cleaning head to clean a
floor.
SUMMARY
A vacuum cleaner base includes a source of suction and front
wheels and rear wheels for wheeling the base across a floor. A nozzle assembly
is
attached to and supported by the base. The nozzle assembly includes a suction
inlet and a sheet-pressing surface that are located in front of the front
wheels. A
disposable sheet can be removably attached to the nozzle assembly such that,
as
the base is wheeled across the floor, the sheet-pressing surface presses the
sheet
against the floor to dislodge dirt and the suction draws the dirt from the
floor to and
through the suction inlet.
The sheet includes an airflow opening configured for an airflow to
carry dirt through the airflow opening to and through the suction inlet. The
suction
inlet is a front suction inlet of the nozzle assembly, and the nozzle assembly
further includes a rear suction inlet, and the sheet-pressing surface is
located
between the front and rear suction inlets.
The sheet-pressing surface is a front sheet-pressing surface, and
the nozzle assembly further includes a rear sheet-pressing surface, and the
suction inlet is located between the front and rear sheet-pressing surfaces.
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The nozzle assembly includes a nozzle and a bracket. The bracket
is removably attached to the nozzle and includes the sheet-pressing surface.
The
nozzle includes a brushroll configured to rotate against the floor to dislodge
dirt
from the floor when the bracket and the sheet are removed from the nozzle. A
portion of the sheet-pressing surface is located directly under the brushroll,
and
even directly under a rotational axis of the brushroll.
The nozzle assembly is removably attached to the base. The base
includes a height adjust mechanism for raising and lowering the nozzle
assembly.
The sheet is impregnated with an oil. A nozzle assembly is configured to be
connected to a source of suction. The nozzle assembly has front and rear
suction
inlets and a sheet-pressing surface located between the front and rear inlets.
A
disposable sheet has front and rear airflow openings. The sheet is configured
to
be removably attached to the nozzle assembly with the front and rear openings
of
the sheet respectively aligned with the front and rear inlet openings of the
nozzle
assembly. As the nozzle assembly is moved along a floor, the sheet-pressing
surface presses the sheet against the floor to dislodge dirt from the floor,
and the
suction draws the dirt from the floor through the sheet's front and rear
openings
and the nozzle assembly's front and rear inlets.
Thus, in accordance with an aspect of the invention, there is
provided a vacuum cleaning apparatus comprising: a vacuum cleaner base
including a source of suction and front and rear wheels for wheeling the base
across a floor; a nozzle assembly attached to and supported by the base, the
nozzle assembly including a suction inlet and a sheet-pressing surface that
are
located in front of the front wheels; and a disposable sheet configured to be
removably attached to the nozzle assembly such that, as the base is wheeled
across the floor, the sheet-pressing surface presses the sheet against the
floor to
dislodge dirt from the floor, and the suction draws the dirt from the floor to
and
through the suction inlet.
There is also provided a vacuum cleaning apparatus comprising: a
nozzle configured to be connected to a source of suction, the nozzle having a
suction inlet and a brushroll extending through the suction inlet and
configured to
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rotate against a floor to dislodge dirt from the floor; a bracket removably
attached
to the nozzle and having a sheet-pressing surface, a portion of which located
directly below the brushroll; and a disposable sheet having an opening and
configured to be removably attached to the nozzle and configured such that, as
the nozzle is moved along a floor, the sheet-pressing surface presses the
sheet
against the floor to dislodge dirt from the floor as the suction draws the
dirt from
the floor through the sheet's opening and the nozzle's suction inlet.
Another aspect of the invention provides a vacuum cleaning
apparatus comprising: a nozzle assembly configured to be connected to a source
of suction, the nozzle assembly having front and rear suction inlet openings
and a
sheet-pressing surface located between the inlet openings; and a disposable
sheet having front and rear airflow openings, and configured to be removably
attached to the nozzle assembly with the front and rear airflow openings of
the
sheet respectively aligned with the front and rear suction inlet openings of
the
nozzle assembly; and configured such that, as the nozzle assembly is moved
along a floor, the sheet-pressing surface presses the sheet against the floor
to
dislodge dirt from the floor and the suction draws the dirt from the floor
through the
sheet's front and rear airflow openings and the nozzle assembly's front and
rear
inlet openings.
There is also provided a vacuum cleaning apparatus comprising: a
nozzle assembly having opposite front and rear side edges and opposite first
and
second end edges, and configured to be connected to a source of suction, the
nozzle assembly having front and rear sheet-pressing surfaces and an airflow
inlet
located between the sheet-pressing surfaces; and a disposable sheet having an
airflow opening, configured to be removably attached to the nozzle assembly in
a
mounted position in which the airflow opening is located between the front and
rear sheet-pressing surfaces and, under the first end edge, an end opening is
vertically bounded by the nozzle assembly and the sheet and horizontally
bounded by the front and rear sheet-pressing surfaces; configured such that,
as
the nozzle assembly is moved along a floor, the sheet-pressing surfaces press
the
sheet against the floor to dislodge dirt from the floor, and the suction draws
air
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through the end opening to the sheet's airflow opening for the air to carry
the dirt
from the floor upward through the sheet's airflow opening to and through the
nozzle assembly's airflow inlet.
Yet another aspect of the invention provides a vacuum cleaner
apparatus for use with a nozzle assembly having a scrubber configured to
support
the nozzle assembly in a cleaning position above a floor surface, the
apparatus
comprising: an elongated, generally rectangular sheet configured for mounting
on
the nozzle assembly in an installed position, the sheet having a longitudinal
axis, a
front portion with a longitudinally extending row of air flow inlets forward
of the
axis, a rear portion with a longitudinally extending row of air flow inlets
rearward of
the axis, and a central portion extending along the axis between the rows of
air
flow inlets, the central portion being configured for overlying engagement by
the
scrubber when the sheet is in the installed position.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of parts that can be interconnected in
different combinations for different modes of vacuum cleaning, the parts
including
a base, a floor nozzle, a vacuuming head, a hose structure, a cover sheet, and
a
bracket.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the floor nozzle.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the floor nozzle attached to the base.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the vacuuming head.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the vacuuming head attached to the
base.
FIG. 6 is one perspective view of the bracket, taken from beneath.
FIG. 7 is another perspective view of the bracket, taken from above.
FIG. 8 is a top view the cover sheet.
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FIG. 9 is a perspective view the sheet being attached to the bracket.
FIG. 10 is a sectional view of the bracket being attached to the
vacuuming head.
FIG. 11 is a sectional view of a vacuuming head assembly
comprising the vacuuming head, the bracket and the sheet.
FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the vacuuming head assembly
showing paths of air flowing into the assembly.
FIG. 13 is a sectional view of the base, the floor nozzle, the bracket
and the sheet attached together.
FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the bracket and the sheet attached
to another vacuuming head.
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DESCRIPTION
The apparatus shown in the drawings has parts that are examples of the
elements recited in
the claims. The illustrated apparatus thus includes examples of how a person
of ordinary skill in the
art can make and use the claimed invention. It is described here to meet the
requirements of
enablement and best mode without imposing limitations that are not recited in
the claims.
Overview
The apparatus 1 shown in Fig. 1 is a vacuum cleaner for cleaning a floor 6. It
includes a base
10 configured to be wheeled across the floor 6, a handle 14 extending upward
from the base 10, and
a filter bag 16. A floor nozzle 20 can be attached to, and supported by, the
base 1'0 for vacuum
cleaning the floor 6. A cleaning attachment such as a vacuuming head 22 can be
coupled by a hose
assembly 24 to the base 10 for cleaning the floor 6 and above-the-floor
surfaces. A bracket 30 can
connect a disposable cover sheet 32 to the cleaning head 22 and to the floor
nozzle 20.
Base
The base 10 is located on an axis Al and has axially-opposite front and rear
ends 41 and 42.
The base 10 has two front wheels 51 and two rear wheels 52 for wheeling the
base 10 over the floor
6. It also has a suction inlet 54 in front of the front wheels 51.
Floor Nozzle
As shown in Fig. 2, the floor nozzle 20 is located on an axis A2 and has
axially opposite
front and rear ends 101 and 102. The nozzle 20 further has a brushroll 110
with tufts 112 of bristles
projecting through a suction inlet 120 at the bottom 122 of the nozzle 20. The
inlet 120 is
surrounded by front and rear flanges 131, 132 that extend respectively forward
and rearward from an
upwardly-extending surface 134 surrounding the nozzle 20.
Fig. 3 shows an upright vacuum cleaner 160 in which the floor nozzle 20 is
attached to the
front end 41 of the base 10. The nozzle 20 is supported by the base 10 and the
base's wheels 51, 52,
so as to move in unison with the base 10 as the base 10 is wheeled by its
handle 14 across the floor
6. The brushroll 110 rotates against the floor 6 to dislodge dirt from the
floor 6. The base 10 is
configured to generate an air flow that draws dirt through the nozzle inlet
120 and the base's suction
inlet 54 (Fig. 1) and deposits the dirt in the filter bag 16.
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Vacuuming Head
The vacuuming head 22 is shown in Fig. 4. It is a type of vacuuming nozzle. It
is an
elongated, generally rectangular structure with a longitudinal axis A3, a
transverse axis A4, and front
and rear side edges 201 and 202. The head 22 has a planar bottom surface 222
configured to face
the surface being cleaned.. Two front wheels 231 and two rear wheels 232
extend through holes in
the bottom surface 222. The bottom surface 222 defines a longitudinally
extending series of front
suction inlets 241 and a longitudinally extending series of rear suction
inlets 242. A longitudinally
extending scrubber 244 is located between the front and rear air inlets 241
and 242. The scrubber
244 is a brush strip with bristles or fibers projecting downward from the
bottom surface 222. Front
and rear flanges 251 and 252 extend, with a slightly upward slant,
respectively forward and rearward
from the planar bottom surface 222. The head 22 has an outlet tube 256 that is
pivotable (arrow 257)
and rotatable (arrow 258) relative to the remainder of the. head 22.
Fig. 5 shows a canister vacuum cleaner 260 in which the cleaning head 22 is
attached to the
base 10 by the hose assembly 24. One end of the hose assembly 24 is coupled to
the suction inlet 54
(Fig. 1) of the base 10. The opposite end of the hose assembly 24 is coupled
to the outlet tube 256 of
the vacuuming head 22. In operation, the head 22 is moved forward and rearward
across a surface to
be cleaned, which is the floor 6 in this example. The base 10 is configured to
be pulled across the
floor 6 by the hose 24.
Referring to Figs. 4-5, the head's wheels 231 and 232 space the head's bottom
surface 222 a
set distance from the floor 6. The scrubber 244 dislodges dirt from the floor
6. The base 10
generates an air flow that draws the dirt through the vacuuming head's inlets
241, 242 and the hose
24 and deposits the dirt in the filter bag 16.
Bracket
As shown in Fig. 6, the bracket 30 also is an elongated, generally rectangular
structure with a
longitudinal axis A5 and a transverse axis A6. The bracket 30 further has
front and rear side edges
301 and 302 and opposite end edges 324. A bottom surface 340 of the bracket 30
defines a
longitudinally extending series of front air inlets 341 and a longitudinally
extending series of rear air
inlets 342.
A longitudinally extending front scrubber 351 is located between the front
inlets 341 and the
rear inlets 342. The front scrubber 351 preferably is a single elongated piece
of elastic foam rubber,
e.g., a sponge. A rear scrubber 352 is located rearward from the rear openings
342 and is parallel
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with the front scrubber 351. The rear scrubber 352 is a brush strip with
bristles or fibers projecting
downward from the bracket's bottom surface 340. The brush strip 352 is bounded
by a ridge
extending downward from the bracket's bottom surface 340 to protect the
bristles. The front and rear
scrubbers 351 and 352 have respective bottom surfaces 361 and 362 configured
to function as sheet-
pressing surfaces by pressing the cover sheet 32 (Fig. 1) against the floor 6.
Two front spacers 371 extend downward from respective opposite front corners
of the
bracket 30. Two rear spacers 372 extend rearward from respective opposite rear
corners of the
bracket 30. As shown in Fig. 7, the bracket 30 has front and rear outer hooks
381, 382 and front and
rear inner hooks 391, 392 that project upward.
Cover Sheet
The cover sheet 32 is shown in Fig. 8. It might be cut from of a mat of air-
permeable
non-woven melt-blown polypropylene fibers that is impregnated with mineral
oil. Like the head 22
and the bracket 30, the sheet 32 is elongated and generally rectangular with
longitudinal and
transverse axes A7 and A8. The sheet 32 has eight attachment holes 420 for
hooking the sheet 32
onto the hooks 381, 382, 391, 392 (Fig. 7) of the bracket 30. The sheet 32 has
a longitudinally-
extending row of front airflow openings 441 shaped similar to, and configured
to be aligned with,
the bracket's front openings 341. The sheet 32 further has a longitudinally-
extending row of rear
openings 442 that are shaped similar to, and configured to be aligned with,
the bracket's rear
openings 342.
The sheet 32 has a front portion 451 located in front of the front openings
441, a middle
portion 452 located between the front and rear openings 441, 442, and a rear
portion 453 located
rearward from the rear openings 442. The middle portion 452 is configured to
bear the pressure
applied by the bracket's front sheet-pressing surface 361. The rear portion
453 is configured to bear
the pressure applied by the bracket's rear sheet-pressing surface 362.
Using the Cover Sheet with the Cleaning Head
To attach the sheet 32 to the bracket 30, first the bracket 30 is placed
downward onto the
sheet 32 as shown in Fig. 9. Then, the sheet's front and rear portions 451,
453 are wrapped
respectively about the front and rear side edges 301 and 302 of the bracket
30. As indicated by
arched arrows, the attachment holes 420 in the front and rear portions 451 and
453 of the sheet 32
are slipped over the corresponding hooks 381, 382, 391, 392 of the bracket 30,
to secure the sheet 32
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to the bracket 30. The sheet 32 is thus attached to the bracket 30 as shown in
Fig. 10. The sheet 32
is not wrapped about the bracket's opposite end edges 324.
To attach the bracket 30 to the cleaning head 22, the bracket 30 is pressed up
against the
head's bottom surface 222 as indicated by arrow 470 in Fig. 10. The bracket's
outer hooks 381, 382
hook onto the head's front and rear flanges 351, 352. The bracket's inner
hooks 391, 392 extend
through respective attachment holes 280 in the head's bottom surface 222.
The head 22, the bracket 30 and the sheet 32 are thus attached together to
form a cleaning
head assembly 500 shown in Fig. 11. The front and rear scrubbers 351, 352 keep
the bracket's
bottom surface 340 and its front and rear inlets 341, 342 spaced above the
floor 6. As the assembly
500 is moved forward (arrow 501) and backward, the front and rear sheet-
pressing surfaces 361 and
362 press the sheet 32 against the floor 6 to scrub or scrape dirt from the
floor 6. Due to resiliency
of the scrubbers 351 and 352, when the middle and rear portions 452 and 453 of
the sheet 32 ride
over a dirt particle that raises one point on the sheet 32 above the floor 6,
adjacent points on the
sheet 32 can remain under load.
The front airflow openings 241, 341, 441 of the three components 22, 30, 32 of
the assembly
500 are mutually aligned. This enables a front airflow 511 to carry dirt from
the floor 6 through the
front openings 241, 341, 441 into the vacuuming head 22. Similarly, the rear
openings 242, 342,
442 are mutually aligned, to enable a rear airflow 512 to carry dirt through
the rear openings 242,
342, 442 into the vacuuming head 22.
By manipulating the head's outlet tube 256, the head 22 can be pivoted
rearward about the
rear scrubber 352 to lift the front scrubber 351 from the floor 6 and increase
the airflow into the front
openings 241, 341, 441. The head 22 can also be pivoted forward about the
front scrubber 351 to lift
the rear scrubber 352 above the floor 6 and increase the airflow through the
rear openings 242, 342,
442. When the head 22 is pivoted, the front and rear spacers 371, 372 keep the
front and rear ends
321, 322 of the bracket 30 spaced above the floor 6.
Air that provides the upward airflows 511 and 512 can enter the assembly 500
through
several paths. As shown in Fig. 12, these include a rearward path 520 at the
front of the assembly
500 and a pair of end paths 521 and 522 at each end of the assembly 500. The
rearward path 520
extends under the bracket's front side edge 301. The end paths 521 and 522
extend under the
bracket's opposite end edges 324 and through front and rear openings 531 and
532 beneath the
opposite end edges 324. The openings 531 and 532 are vertically bounded by the
sheet 32 and the
bottom surface 340 of the bracket 30. The rear opening 532 is horizontally
bounded by the front and
rear scrubbers 351 and 352. These paths 521 and 522 are made possible by the
bracket's bottom
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surface 340 being raised above the floor 6 by the scrubbers 351 and 352 and by
the sheet 32 not
being wrapped about the ends 324 of the bracket 30.
The mineral oil impregnated in the sheet 32 increases the sheet's adhesion to
dust and reduces
the sheet's friction with the floor 6. However, friction with the front sheet-
pressing surface 361 is
increased by its having a high-friction rubbery texture. The sheet 32 protects
the floor 6 from being
marred by hard surfaces of the cleaning head 22. It also prevents the floor 6
from abrading the
scrubbers 351, 352. Dirt picked up by the sheet 32 is disposed of when the
used sheet 32 is
discarded and replaced with a new one.
Using the Cover Sheet with the Floor Nozzle
To attach the sheet 32 to the floor nozzle 20, first the sheet 32 is attached
to the bracket 30 as
explained above with reference to Fig. 9. Then, referring to Figs. 2 and 10,
the bracket 30 is pressed
upward against the nozzle's bottom 120. The bracket's inner hooks 391, 392
extend through the
nozzle inlet 120 to hook onto upward-facing surfaces inside the nozzle 20.
This yields a nozzle assembly 600 shown in Fig. 13, comprising three
components - the
nozzle 20, the bracket 30, and the sheet 32. These three components, including
their respective air
inlet openings 120, 341, 342, 441, 442 are all located in front of the front
wheels 51. This
configuration, relative to if these components were not in front of the front
wheels 51, facilitates
mounting of the nozzle 20 on the base 10, and mounting the other components
32, 30 on the nozzle
20, by positioning the nozzle 20 out in front of the base 10 and its wheels
51, 52. This configuration
also enables locating the air inlet openings 120, 341, 342, 441, 442 closer to
a household wall.
The bracket 30 lifts the brushroll 110 away from the ground 6, with the front
scrubber 351
located between the brushroll 110 and the ground 6. The front scrubber's sheet-
pressing surface 361,
along with the'sheet 32, takes the place of the brushroll 110 in dislodging
dirt from the floor 6.
Accordingly, at least a portion of the front sheet-pressing surface 361 is
located directly under the
brushroll 110, and preferably even directly under the rotational axis A9 of
the brushroll 110.
Preferably, the sheet pressing surface 361 is axially centered under the
brushroll's rotational axis A9.
In operation, a user wheels the base 10 forward and backward by the handle 14.
Concurrently, the bracket's front and rear sheet-pressing surfaces 361, 362
press the sheet 32 against
the floor 6 for the sheet 32 to scrape dirt from the floor 6. In contrast to
use of the sheet 32 with the
cleaning head 22, in which the bracket 30 can be pivoted forward or backward
by the user, use of the
sheet 32 with the nozzle 20 does not enable such pivoting. The angular
orientation of the bracket 30
and its height from the floor 6 are kept constant by the base 10. The bracket
30 can be raised or
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lowered, to vary the pressure of the scrubbers 351, 352 against the floor 6,
only by raising or
lowering the entire nozzle 20 via a height adjust mechanism 610 on the base
10.
The bracket 30 and sheet 32 protect the floor 6 from being marred by hard
surfaces of the
nozzle 20. The sheet 32 prevents the floor 6 from abrading the scrubbers 351,
352. The sheet 32
also picks up dirt, which is disposed of when the used sheet 32 and is
replaced with a new one.
Using the Cover Sheet with another Cleaning Head
Fig. 14 shows the bracket 30 and the sheet 32 attached to a second cleaning
head 22'. This
head 20' is similar to the first cleaning head 22 described above. The second
cleaning head 22' is
connected to the bracket 30 in the same way as the first cleaning 22 is
attached to the bracket 30.
Also, an assembly comprising the second head 22, the bracket 30 and the sheet
32 has the same
cross section as the assembly 500 (Fig. 11) comprising the first head 22, the
bracket 30 and the sheet
32. The second head 22' differs from the first head 22 in that it is shorter
in the transverse direction.
Consequently, two portions 700 of the bracket 30 extend transversely outward
from the second head
22' in two opposite directions. These portions 700 contain the bracket's inner
hooks 391, 392. So
the bracket 30 is secured to the second head 22' by only its outer hooks 381,
382.
This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including
the best mode,
and also to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the
invention. The patentable scope
of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that
occur to those skilled
in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the
claims if they have
elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if
they include equivalent
elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the
claims.
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