Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CLEANING APPARATUS WITH COMBING UNIT
FOR REMOVING DEBRIS FROM CLEANING ROLLER
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application No.
62/469,853, filed March 10, 2017 and is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Patent
Application
Serial No. 15/331,045, filed Oct. 21, 2016, which claims the benefit of U.S.
Provisional
Patent Application Serial No. 62/244,331 filed Oct. 21, 2015, U.S. Provisional
Patent
Application Serial No. 62/248,813 filed Oct. 30, 2015, and U.S. Provisional
Patent
Application Serial No. 62/313,394 filed March 25, 2016.
The present application is also a continuation-in-part of International
Application No. PCT/U52016/058148, filed on October 21, 2016.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure relates to cleaners with cleaning rollers and
more
particularly, to a cleaning apparatus, such as a surface cleaning head for a
vacuum cleaner,
with a combing unit for removing debris from a cleaning roller such as a
leading roller.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
[0003] Vacuum cleaners generally include a suction conduit with an opening
on the
underside of a surface cleaning head for drawing air (and debris) into and
through the surface
cleaning head. One of the challenges with vacuum cleaner design is to control
engagement of
the suction conduit with a surface being cleaned to provide the desired amount
of suction. If
the suction conduit is spaced too far from a surface, the suction may be less
because the air is
flowing into the suction conduit through a greater surface area. If the
suction conduit is
directly engaged with the surface and thus sealed on all sides, air will stop
flowing into the
suction conduit and the suction motor may be damaged as a result.
[0004] Vacuum cleaners also generally use agitation to loosen debris and
facilitate
capturing the debris in the flow of air into the suction conduit. Agitators
are often used in the
suction conduit of a surface cleaning head proximate a dirty air inlet to
cause the agitated
debris to flow into the dirty air inlet. If the agitator in the suction
conduit is unable to loosen
the debris or if the debris is too small, the suction conduit may pass over
the debris without
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-10-13
removing the debris from the surface. In other cases, the surface cleaning
head may push
larger debris forward without ever allowing the debris to be captured in the
flow into the
suction conduit (sometimes referred to as snowplowing).
[0005] One example
of an agitator is a cleaning roller such as a brush roll. A cleaning
roller may be located within a suction conduit and/or may be located at a
leading side of a
suction conduit (e.g., a leading roller). One challenge with a leading roller
in particular is the
debris (e.g., hair) that becomes entangled around the roller. Projections may
be used to
engage the roller to facilitate removal of debris, but existing structures are
often not effective
and/or interfere with the operation of the surface cleaning head.
SUMMARY
[0006] Consistent with an embodiment, a cleaning apparatus includes a housing
defining an
opening on an underside of the housing for receiving debris, a cleaning roller
mounted in the
housing for directing debris into the opening, and a combing unit extending a
substantial
length of a cleaning surface of the cleaning roller and in contact with the
cleaning roller. The
combing unit includes a series of spaced combing protrusions extending
partially into the
cleaning roller and having angled leading edges that are not aligned with a
center of rotation
of the cleaning roller. The angled leading edges are directed into a direction
of rotation of the
cleaning roller.
[0007] Consistent with another embodiment, a surface cleaning head includes a
housing
having a front side and back side. The housing defines a suction conduit with
an opening on
an underside of the housing between the front side and the back side. A brush
roll is
rotatably mounted to the housing within the suction conduit and at least a
portion of the brush
roll is proximate the opening of the suction conduit. A leading roller is
mounted to the
housing in front of the brush roll and adjacent the opening of the suction
conduit. A front
portion of the leading roller is at least partially exposed at the front side
of the housing. The
surface cleaning head also includes a combing unit extending a substantial
length of a
cleaning surface of the leading roller and in contact with the leading roller.
The combing unit
includes a series of spaced combing protrusions extending partially into the
leading roller and
having angled leading edges that are not aligned with a center of rotation of
the leading roller.
The angled leading edges are directed toward a direction of rotation of the
leading roller.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-10-13
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0008] These and other features and advantages will be better understood by
reading the
following detailed description, taken together with the drawings wherein:
[0009] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a surface cleaning head including
dual agitators and
combing protrusions, consistent with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0010] FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the surface cleaning head
shown in FIG. 1
showing a flow path through a suction conduit.
[0011] FIG. 3 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view illustrating the
leading roller and
brush roll of the surface cleaning head shown in FIG. 1.
[0012] FIG. 4 is an enlarged side cross-sectional view illustrating a
leading roller and
combing protrusions in the surface cleaning head shown in FIG. 1.
[0013] FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of the front region of the
surface cleaning head
of FIG. 1 without the leading roller and illustrating the combing protrusions.
[0014] FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of one embodiment of a
plurality of
combing protrusions.
[0015] FIG. 7 is a front bottom view of the front region of the surface
cleaning head of
FIG. 1 without the leading roller.
[0016] FIG. 8 is a front view the surface cleaning head of FIG. 1.
[0017] FIG. 9 is a bottom view the surface cleaning head of FIG. 1.
[0018] FIG. 10 is a perspective cross sectional view of combing protrusions
engaging a
cleaning roller, consistent with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[0019] FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view of the combing protrusions
engaging the
cleaning roller.
[0020] FIG. 12 is a side perspective view of the combing protrusions shown
in FIG. 10.
[0021] FIG. 13 is a top perspective view of a section of the combing
protrusions shown in
FIG. 10.
[0022] FIGS. 14A-14D are top, front, bottom and side views of the section
of combing
protrusions shown in FIG. 13.
[0023] HG. 15A is a side cross-sectional view of the combing protrusions
engaging a
cleaning roller above an axis of rotation, consistent with another embodiment.
[0024] FIG. 15B is a side cross-sectional view of a combing protrusion
having a curved
leading edge engaging a cleaning roller, consistent with a further embodiment.
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-10-13
[0025] FIG. 16 is a perspective view of an upright vacuum cleaner including
a surface
cleaning head with dual rotating agitators and combing protrusions, consistent
with
embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0026] HG. 17 is a perspective view of a stick type vacuum cleaner
including a surface
cleaning head with dual rotating agitators and combing protrusions, consistent
with
embodiments of the present disclosure.
[0027] FIG. 18 is a bottom perspective view of a robotic vacuum cleaner
including a
cleaning roller and combing protrusions, consistent with yet another
embodiment of the
present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0028] A cleaning apparatus, consistent with embodiments of the present
disclosure, includes
a combing unit (also referred to as a debriding unit or rib) including a
series of spaced
protrusions or teeth extending into a cleaning roller for preventing build up
and removing
debris (such as hair, string, and the like). The protrusions extend along a
substantial portion
of the cleaning roller and extend partially into the cleaning roller to
intercept the debris as it
passes around the roller. The protrusions have angled leading edges that are
not aligned with
a rotation center of the cleaning roller and are directed into or against a
direction of rotation
of the cleaning roller. The combing unit and protrusions have a shape and
configuration
designed to facilitate debris removal from the cleaning roller with minimal
impact on the
operation of the cleaning apparatus. The cleaning apparatus may include a
surface cleaning
head of an upright vacuum cleaner or sweeper or a robotic vacuum cleaner.
[0029] An embodiment of a surface cleaning head may include dual rotating
agitators
(e.g., a leading roller and a brush roll) and may be used to facilitate
capturing of debris in the
air flow into a suction conduit on the underside of the surface cleaning head.
In this
embodiment, the leading roller is generally positioned adjacent to and in
advance of the
opening of the suction conduit such that the leading roller engages debris and
moves the
debris toward the opening. At least a top half of the leading roller may be
substantially
outside of the flow path to the suction conduit and a bottom portion of the
leading roller may
be exposed to the flow path to the suction conduit. The rotating brush roll
may be located in
the suction conduit with the leading roller located in front of and spaced
from the brush roll,
forming an inter-roller air passageway between lower portions of the leading
roller and the
brush roll. In some embodiments, combing protrusions may contact the leading
roller above
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-10-13
the inter-roller air passageway to facilitate debris removal into the flow
path. The surface
cleaning head may also include a leading bumper that extends in front of the
leading roller to
protect a front portion of the leading roller and facilitate front edge
cleaning.
[0030] Although
specific embodiments of a surface cleaning head with a leading roller
are shown, other embodiments of a cleaning apparatus with a combing unit are
within the
scope of the present disclosure. The cleaning apparatus with the combing unit
may be used
in different types of vacuum cleaners including, without limitation, an "all
in the head" type
vacuum, upright vacuum cleaners, canister vacuum cleaners, stick vacuum
cleaners, robotic
vacuum cleaners and central vacuum systems, and may be used in sweepers (e.g.,
low or no
suction). The surface cleaning head with a leading roller may also include
removable
agitators (e.g., brush rolls) in openable agitator chambers, such as the type
described in
greater detail in U.S. Patent No. 9,456,723 and U.S. Patent Application Pub.
No.
2016/0220082, which are commonly-owned. The
leading roller may be similarly removable.
[0031] As used
herein, a "surface cleaning head" refers to a device configured to contact
a surface for cleaning the surface by use of suction air flow, agitation, or a
combination
thereof. A surface cleaning head may be pivotably or steeringly coupled by a
swivel
connection to a wand for controlling the surface cleaning head and may include
motorized
attachments as well as fixed surface cleaning heads. A surface cleaning head
may also be
operable without a wand or handle. As used herein, "seal" or "sealing" refers
to preventing a
substantial amount of air from passing through to the suction conduit but does
not require an
air tight seal. As used herein, "agitator" refers to any element, member or
structure capable
of agitating a surface to facilitate movement of debris into a suction air
flow in a surface
cleaning head. As used herein, "soft" and "softer" refer to the
characteristics of a cleaning
element being more compliant or pliable than another cleaning element. As used
herein, the
term "flow path" refers to the path taken by air as it flows into a suction
conduit when drawn
in by suction. As used herein, the terms "above" and "below" are used relative
to an
orientation of the surface cleaning head on a surface to be cleaned and the
terms "front" and
"back" are used relative to a direction that a user pushes the surface
cleaning head on a
surface being cleaned (i.e., back to front). As used herein, the term
"leading" refers to a
position in front of at least another component but does not necessarily mean
in front of all
other components.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-10-13
[0032] Referring to FIGS. 1-9, an embodiment of a surface cleaning head 100
with dual
agitators and a combing unit is shown and described. The surface cleaning head
100 includes
a housing 110 with a front side 112, and a back side 114, left and right sides
116a, 116b, an
upper side 118, and a lower or under side 120. The housing 110 defines a
suction conduit
128 having an opening 127 on the underside 120 of the housing (shown in FIGS.
2 and 3).
The suction conduit 128 is fluidly coupled to a dirty air inlet 129, which
leads to a suction
motor (not shown) either in the surface cleaning head 100 or another location
in the vacuum.
The suction conduit 128 is the interior space defined by interior walls in the
housing 110,
which receives and directs air drawn in by suction, and the opening 127 is
where the suction
conduit 128 meets the underside 120 of the housing 110.
[0033] The surface cleaning head 100 includes dual rotating agitators 122,
124, for example,
a brush roll 122 and a leading roller 124. The brush roll 122 and leading
roller 124 may be
configured to rotate about first and second rotating axes (RA1, RA2). The
rotating brush roll
122 is at least partially disposed within the suction conduit 128 (shown in
FIGS. 2 and 3).
The leading roller 124 is positioned in front of and spaced from the brush
roll 122 and at least
substantially outside the suction conduit 128. In some embodiments, at least
an inside upper
portion (e.g., upper halt) of the leading roller 124 is not exposed to the
primary air flow path
(e.g., arrow 40) into the opening 127 of the suction conduit 128 while at
least an inside of the
bottom portion of the leading roller 124 is exposed to the primary flow path
into the opening
127 of the suction conduit 128.
[0034] Other variations are possible where different portions of the leading
roller 124 may be
exposed or not exposed to the flow path into the suction conduit 128. In other
embodiments,
for example, a flow path may allow air to flow over the upper portion of the
leading roller
124. The leading roller 124 may rotate about the second rotation axis RA2
located within a
leading roller chamber 126. The leading roller chamber 126 may have a size and
shape
slightly larger than the cylindrical projection of the leading roller 124 when
the leading roller
124 is rotating therein, for example, to form the flow path over the upper
portion.
[0035] The surface cleaning head 100 may include one or more wheels 130 for
supporting the housing on the surface 10 to be cleaned. The brush roll 122 may
be disposed
in front of one or more wheels 130, 132 (see FIGS. 1 and 9) for supporting the
housing 110
on the surface 10 to be cleaned. For example, one or more larger wheels 130
may be
disposed along the back side 114 and/or one or more smaller middle wheels 132
may be
provided at a middle section on the underside 116 of the housing 110 and/or
along the left
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-10-13
and right sides 116a, 116b. Other wheel configurations may also be used. The
wheels 130,
132 facilitate moving the surface cleaning head 100 along the surface 10 to be
cleaned, and
may also allow the user to easily tilt or pivot the surface cleaning head 100
(e.g., brush roll
122 and/or the leading roller 124) off of the surface 10 to be cleaned. The
rear wheel(s) 130
and the middle wheel(s) 132 may provide the primary contact with the surface
being cleaned
and thus primarily support the surface cleaning head 100. When the surface
cleaning head
100 is positioned on the surface 10 being cleaned, the leading roller 124 may
also rest on the
surface 10 being cleaned. In other embodiments, the leading roller 124 may be
positioned
such that the leading roller 124 sits just above the surface being cleaned.
[0036] The rotating brush roll 122 may have bristles, fabric, or other
cleaning elements,
or any combination thereof around the outside of the brush roll 122. Examples
of brush rolls
and other agitators are shown and described in greater detail in U.S. Patent
No. 9,456,723 and
U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2016/0220082.
[0037] The leading roller 124 may include a relatively soft material (e.g.,
soft bristles,
fabric, felt, nap or pile) arranged in a pattern (e.g., a spiral pattern) to
facilitate capturing
debris, as will be described in greater detail below. The leading roller 124
may be selected to
be substantially softer than that of the brush roll 122. The softness, length,
diameter,
arrangement, and resiliency of the bristles and/or pile of the leading roller
124 may be
selected to form a seal with a hard surface (e.g., but not limited to, a hard
wood floor, tile
floor, laminate floor, or the like), whereas the bristles of the brush roll
122 may selected to
agitate carpet fibers or the like. For example, the leading roller 124 may be
at least 25%
softer than the brush roll 122, alternatively the leading roller 124 may be at
least 30% softer
than the brush roll 122, alternatively the leading roller 124 may be at least
35% softer than
the brush roll 122, alternatively the leading roller 124 may be at least 40%
softer than the
brush roll 122, alternatively the leading roller 124 may be at least 50%
softer than the brush
roll 122, alternatively the leading roller 124 may be at least 60% softer than
the brush roll
122. Softness may be determined, for example, based on the pliability of the
bristles or pile
being used.
[0038] The size and shape of the bristles and/or pile may be selected based
on the
intended application. For example, the leading roller 124 may include bristles
and/or pile
having a length of between 5 to 15 mm (e.g., 7 to 12 mm) and may have a
diameter of 0.01 to
0.04 mm (e.g., 0.01-0.03 mm). According to one embodiment, the bristles and/or
pile may
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-10-13
have a length of 9 mm and a diameter of 0.02 mm. The bristles and/or pile may
have any
shape. For example, the bristles and/or pile may be linear, arcuate, and/or
may have a
compound shape. According to one embodiment, the bristles and/or pile may have
a
generally U and/or Y shape. The U and/or Y shaped bristles and/or pile may
increase the
number of points contacting the floor surface 10, thereby enhancing sweeping
function of
leading roller 124. The bristles and/or pile may be made on any material such
as, but not
limited to, Nylon 6 or Nylon 6/6.
[0039] Optionally, the bristles and/or pile of leading roller 124 may be
heat treated, for
example, using a post weave heat treatment. The heat treatment may increase
the lifespan of
the bristles and/or pile of the leading roller 124. For example, after weaving
the fibers and
cutting the velvet into rolls, the velvet may be rolled up and then run
through a steam rich
autoclave making the fibers/bristles more resilient fibers.
[0040] The leading roller 124 may have an outside diameter Dlr that is
smaller than the
outside diameter Dbr of the brush roll 122. For example, the diameter Dlr may
be greater
than zero and less than or equal to 0.8Dbr, greater than zero and less than or
equal to 0.7Dbr,
or greater than zero and less than or equal to 0.6Dbr. According to example
embodiments,
the diameter Dlr may be in the range of 0.3Dbr to 0.8Dbr, in the range of
0.4Dbr to 0.8Dbr,
in the range of 0.3Dbr to 0.7Dbr, or in the range of 0.4Dbr to 0.7Dbr. As an
illustrative
example, the brush roll 122 may have an outside diameter of 48 mm and the
leading roller
124 may have an outside diameter of 30 mm. While the leading roller 124 may
have an
outside diameter Dlr that is smaller than the outside diameter Dbr of the
brush roll 122, the
brush roll 122 may have bristles that are longer than the bristle and/or pile
of the leading
roller 122.
[0041] Positioning a leading roller 124 (having a diameter Dlr that is
smaller than the
diameter Dbr of the brush roll 122) in front of the brush roll 122 provides
numerous benefits.
For example, this arrangement decreases the height of the front side 112 of
the surface
cleaning head 100 (e.g., the housing 110) from the surface 10 to be cleaned.
The decreased
height of the front of the surface cleaning head 100 provides a lower profile
that allows the
surface cleaning head 100 to fit under objects (e.g., furniture and/or
cabinets). Moreover, the
lower height allows for the addition of one or more light sources 111 (such
as, but not limited
to, LEDs), while still allowing the surface cleaning head 100 to fit under
objects.
[0042] Additionally, the smaller diameter Dlr of the leading roller 124
allows the rotating
axis of the leading roller 124 to be placed closer to the front side 112 of
the surface cleaning
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-10-13
head 100. When rotating, the leading roller 124 forms a generally cylindrical
projection
having a radius that is based on the overall diameter of the leading roller
124. As the
diameter of the leading roller 124 decreases, the bottom contact surface 140
(FIG. 3) of the
leading roller 124 moves forward towards the front side 112 of the surface
cleaning head 100.
In addition, when the surface cleaning head 100 contacts a vertical surface 12
(e.g., but not
limited to, a wall, trim, and/or cabinet), the bottom contact surface 140 of
the leading roller
124 is also closer to the vertical surface 12, thereby enhancing the front
edge cleaning of the
surface cleaning head 100 compared to a larger diameter leading roller.
Moreover, the
smaller diameter Dlr of the leading roller 124 also reduces the load/drag on
the motor driving
the leading roller 124, thereby enhancing the lifespan of the motor and/or
allowing a smaller
motor to be used to rotate both the brush roll 122 and leading roller 124.
[0043] The rotating brush roll 122 may be coupled to an electrical motor
(either AC or
DC) to cause the rotating brush roll 122 to rotate about the first rotating
axis. The rotating
brush roll may be coupled to the electrical motor by way of a gears and/or
drive belts. The
leading roller 124 may be driven from the same drive mechanism used to drive
the rotating
brush roll 122 or a separate drive mechanism. An example of the drive
mechanism is
described in U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 15/331,045, filed Oct. 21,
2016.
Other drive mechanisms are possible and within the scope
of the present disclosure.
[0044] In at least one embodiment, the brush roll 122 and the leading
roller 124 rotate in
the same direction directing debris toward the suction conduit 128, for
example, counter
clockwise as shown in FIG. 3. This arrangement may reduce the number of parts
(e.g., no
clutch or additional gear train may be necessary), thereby making the surface
cleaning head
100 lighter, reducing drivetrain loss (thereby allowing for smaller/less
expensive motors), and
less expensive to manufacture. Optionally, the brush roll 122 and the leading
roller 124 may
rotate at same speed, thereby reducing the number of parts (e.g., no
additional gear train
necessary) and reducing drivetrain loss (thus, smaller/less expensive motor)
and making the
surface cleaning head 100 lighter and less expensive to manufacture.
[0045] As shown in FIG. 3, the leading roller 124 may be positioned within
the housing
110 such that the bottom contact surface 140 is disposed closer to the surface
10 to be
cleaned compared to the bottom contact surface 144 of the brush roll 122. This
arrangement
allows the leading roller 124 to contact a surface 10 (e.g., a hard surface)
without the brush
roll 122 contacting the hard surface 10. As may be appreciated, the leading
roller 124 is
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-10-13
intended to pick up debris from a hard surface 10 while the brush roll 122 is
intended to
primarily contact a carpet surface. This arrangement is therefore beneficial
since it allows the
leading roller 124 to form a seal between the front 112 of the surface
cleaning head 100 with
the hard surface 10, thereby enhancing airflow and suction with the hard
surface 10.
Additionally, this arrangement reduces the drag/torque on the drive motor(s)
since the brush
roll 122 (in some embodiments) does not have to contact the hard surface 10.
The reduced
drag/torque may allow for a smaller, less expensive motor and/or may increase
the lifespan of
the motor.
[0046] According to some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 3, the leading
roller 124 is
spaced apart a distance Ll (which is greater than 0 mm) from the brush roll
122 such that the
leading roller 124 does not contact the brush roll 122. The distance Li allows
for an inter-
roller vacuum passageway 146 between lower portions of the brush roll 122 and
the leading
roller 124, which provides at least a portion of the flow path into the
opening 127 of the
suction conduit 128. The inter-roller vacuum passageway 146 allows for debris
that is either
picked up by (and/or removed from) the leading roller 124 to be entrained in
the vacuum flow
generated by the surface cleaning head 100 and/or to be picked up by the brush
roll 122,
thereby enhancing the cleaning efficiency of the surface cleaning head 100.
Additionally, the
distance Li reduces the load/drag on the motor(s), thereby enhancing the
lifespan of the
motor(s) and/or allowing smaller motors to be used to rotate both the brush
roll 122 and the
leading roller 124.
[0047] One or both of the leading roller 124 and the brush roll 122 may be
removable.
The leading roller 124 may be removably coupled to the housing 110 of the
surface cleaning
head 100. For example, a portion of the housing 110 (such as, but not limited
to, a portion of
the left and/or right side 116a, 116b) may be removably/hingedly coupled
thereto. To
remove the leading roller 124, the removable portion may be
unsecured/uncoupled from the
rest of the housing 110, thereby allowing the leading roller 124 to disengage
from a drive
wheel and allowing the leading roller 124 to be removed from the leading
roller chamber 126.
Other ways of removably coupling the leading roller 124 within the housing 110
are also
possible and within the scope of the present disclosure.
[0048] In some embodiments, the housing 110 of the surface cleaning head
100 may
include a removable and/or hinged panel that allows the brush roll 122 to be
removed. A
shown in FIGS. 1 and 8, for example, the surface cleaning head 100 includes a
panel 119 that
may be removably and/or hingedly coupled to the housing 110. To remove the
brush roll
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-10-13
122, the panel 119 may be disengaged from the housing 110 (e.g., removed) to
allow the user
to have access to a brush roll chamber 121. Examples of removable panels or
covers and
removable brush rolls are described in greater detail in U.S. Patent No.
9,456,723 and U.S.
patent application Pub. No. 2016/0220082.
Alternatively or additionally, the leading roller 124 may be removable in the
same way.
Another example of a removable leading roller is described in U.S. Patent
Application Serial
No. 15/331,045, filed Oct. 21, 2016.
[0049] The ability to remove the brush roll 122 and/or the leading roller
124 from the
surface cleaning head 100 allows the brush roll 122 and/or the leading roller
124 to be
cleaned more easily and may allow the user to change the size of the brush
roll 122 and/or the
leading roller 124, change type of bristles on the brush roll 122 and/or the
leading roller 124,
and/or remove the brush roll 122 and/or the leading roller 124 entirely
depending on the
intended application.
[0050] In some embodiments, the surface cleaning head 100 may also include
a series of
combing protrusions 150 (also referred to as debriding protrusions) in contact
with the
leading roller 124, as shown in greater detail in FIGS. 4-7. The combing
protrusions 150
may be configured to remove debris (such as, but not limited to, hair, string,
and the like) that
may be wrapped around and/or entrapped/entrained in/on the leading roller 124
as the surface
cleaning head 100 is being used (e.g., without the user having to manually
remove the debris
from the leading roller 124). According to one embodiment, the combing
protrusions 150
may contact only the leading roller 124 (e.g., the combing protrusions 150 may
not contact
the brush roll 122). Some of the benefits of the combing protrusions 150 only
contacting the
leading roller 124 include increasing the lifespan of the leading roller 124.
Additionally, the
combing protrusions 150 that only contact the leading roller 124 may reduce
the load/drag on
the motor, thereby allowing a smaller/less expensive motor to be used and
making the surface
cleaning head 100 lighter and less expensive to manufacture.
[0051] In this embodiment, the combing protrusions 150 may include a
plurality of
spaced ribs 152 with angled edges 153 extending into contact with a surface of
the leading
roller 124. The spaced ribs 152 extend from a back support 151 with base
portions 154
located therebetween to reinforce the spaced ribs 152. The back support 151
may be
mounted within the leading roller chamber 126. The angled edges 153 of the
spaced ribs 152
may be arranged at an angle A (see FIGS. 4 and 6) that is in the range of 15-
20 degrees, for
example, 20-25 degrees, such as 23.5 degrees. This example structure of the
combing
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Date Recue/Date Received 2022-10-13
protrusions 150 may allow for increased strength and reduced frictional loses
since less
points may contact the leading roller 124. Other shapes and configurations for
the combing
protrusions are also within the scope of the present disclosure.
[0052] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the combing protrusions 150 may be
disposed at a
height H above the bottom contacting surface 140 of the leading roller 124 and
on a side or
lower half of the leading roller 124. The placement of the combing protrusions
150 may help
to prevent the combing protrusions 150 from contacting a carpet, thereby
reducing drag on
the surface cleaning head 100 and reducing the likelihood of the combing
protrusions 150
damaging the carpet. This arrangement also allows the combing protrusions 150
to be
exposed to the inter-roller vacuum passageway 146, thereby enhancing the
removal of debris
from the leading roller 124 by the combing protrusions 150. The combing
protrusion 150
may also substantially prevent air from flowing through the combing
protrusions 150 to the
inside upper portion (e.g., upper half) of the leading roller 124. In other
embodiments, a
space may be formed between the outer surface of the leading roller 124 and
the back support
151 such that air flows downward through the combing protrusions 150 to force
debris into
the air flow through the inter-roller vacuum passageway 146.
[0053] As shown in FIG. 7, an embodiment of the surface cleaning head 100
optionally
includes an electrostatic discharge element (ESD) 156. The ESD 156 may reduce
and/or
prevent the buildup of electrostatic charge on the surface cleaning head 100.
The ESD 156
may include any known device for discharging electrostatic charge. According
to one
embodiment, the ESD 156 may include Barnet fibers woven between the openings
in the
back of the leading roller chamber 126. The Barnet fibers may be arranged in
close
proximity to the combing protrusions 150 and/or leading roller 124 for
discharging. For
example, the ESD 156 may be connected to a printed circuit board assembly
(PCBA) that
dumps charge out to the neutral AC line.
[0054] In some embodiments, the housing 110 may further include a bumper
160 forming
a top part of the front side 112 of the housing 110, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3,
5, and 8. The
bumper 160 may reduce potential damage to either the surface cleaning head 100
and/or other
objects in the environment. A front portion of the leading roller 124 is
exposed at the front
side 112 of the housing 110, and the bumper 160 may extend around at least a
top of the
leading roller 124. In the example embodiment, the bumper 160 includes a
lateral portion
162 extending laterally along the front side 112 of the housing 110 and side
portions 164, 168
extending downwardly along left and right sides of the front side 112 of the
housing 110.
12
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-10-13
The side portions 164, 168 may extend to a point at or below the second
rotation axis RA2 of
the leading roller 124.
[0055] The bumper 160 may optionally define one or more front edge vacuum
passageways 168, 169 providing at least a portion of the air flow path. As
shown in FIG. 4,
the bumper 160 may therefore generally form a seal with a vertical surface 12
(e.g., wall or
the like) to improve front edge cleaning. The front edge vacuum passageways
168, 169 may
allow for increased airspeed of the air being sucked into the surface cleaning
head 100,
thereby enhancing front edge cleaning. The bumper 160 may also include one or
more lateral
air passageways disposed in the lateral portion 162, which also allow for
increased airflow
along the front side 112.
[0056] The bumper 160 may also include one or more compression elements
161, 163
(e.g., ribs) disposed on the lateral edge/section 162. The compression
elements 161, 163
allow for increased resiliency and cushioning of the bumper 160. When the
bumper 160 is
pushed against the vertical surface 12 (FIG. 4), the compression elements 161,
163 contact
the surface 12 first and push the bumper 160 locally farther back than the
rest of the bumper
160, thereby forming a gap on either side of the compression elements 161,
163. The gaps on
either side of the compression elements 161, 163 form air paths allowing air
to be drawn
down in front of the leading roller 124, which may disturb dust and debris so
that it can be
directed into the air flow path toward the suction conduit.
[0057] The bumper 160 may be formed as one piece with the housing 110 or
may be
formed as a separate piece secured within a groove and/or notch 165 formed
between two or
more pieces (e.g., an upper and lower portion 110a, 110b) of the housing 110,
as shown in
FIG. 3. The groove and/or notch 165 may facilitate assembly of the housing 110
and the
bumper 160 (e.g., between a headlight portion 110a and main portion 110b of
the housing
110).
[0058] In some embodiments, the surface cleaning head 100 may further
include one or
more floor sealing strips 170, 172 and side edge vacuum passageways 174 on an
underside of
the housing 110, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 9. The floor sealing strip(s) 170,
172 may include
one or more sections extending outwardly from the housing 110 and having a
length
sufficient to at least partially contact the surface 10 to be cleaned. The
floor seals strip(s)
170, 172 may include soft bristles, fabric material, rubber material, or other
material capable
of contacting the surface being cleaned to substantially prevent air flow into
the opening 127
of the suction conduit 128 from the rear side. The sealing strips 170, 172 may
also include a
13
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-10-13
combination of elements or materials, such as bristles with a rubber strip
extending along the
strip between the bristles (e.g., with the bristles being longer than the
rubber strip).
[0059] In the example embodiment, a lateral floor sealing strip 170 extends
along a rear
lateral portion (e.g., behind the opening 127 of the suction conduit 128) and
side sealing
strips 172 extend partially along the left and right sides 116a, 116b. The
side sealing strips
172 extend, for example, along a substantial portion of the opening 127 of the
suction conduit
128 and are spaced from the leading roller 124 to define one or more side edge
vacuum
passageways 174 extending back towards the opening 127 of the suction conduit
128.
Because the leading roller 124 itself forms a seal with the surface 10 being
cleaned,
additional sealing strips are unnecessary along the front side 112. Although
separate strips
170, 172 are shown, one continuous sealing strip may be used. The floor
sealing strips 170,
172 may enhance sealing between the surface cleaning head 100 and the floor
10, thereby
enhancing the vacuum efficiency.
[0060] The side edge vacuum passageways 174 may enhance the side edge
cleaning
efficiency of the surface cleaning head 100. Side edge vacuum passageways 174
draw in air
from the front 112 and the corner/sides 116a, 116b towards the suction conduit
128, thereby
enhancing edge cleaning as well as front cleaning. At least one of the side
edge vacuum
passageways 474 may also direct air into the inter-roller air passageway 146
between the
leading roller 124 and the brush roll 122 to facilitate removal of debris from
the leading roller
124. As such, the side edge vacuum passageways 174 and the inter-roller air
passageway 146
together provide at least a portion of the primary air flow path (e.g., as
indicated by arrows
40) into the suction conduit 128.
[0061] The side edge vacuum passageways 174 may be arranged at an
approximately 45
degree angle with respect the longitudinal axis of the housing 110. In other
embodiments, the
angle of the side edge vacuum passageways 174 may be within 30 to 60 degrees
with respect
the longitudinal axis of the housing 110. Although the side edge passageways
are shown as
angled straight passageways, other shapes and configurations (e.g., S shaped
or curved) are
also possible and within the scope of the present disclosure.
[0062] Referring to FIGS. 10-14D, a combing unit 1050 used for cleaning a
cleaning roller
1024 in a cleaning apparatus is described in greater detail. The cleaning
roller 1024 may be
rotatably mounted in a housing, such as the surface cleaning head housing
described above,
with the combing unit 1050 engaging the cleaning roller 1024. The combing unit
1050
includes a series of spaced combing protrusions or teeth 1052 extending from a
back support
14
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-10-13
1051 and extending partially into the cleaning roller 1024. Although
the illustrated
embodiment shows the combing unit 1050 with teeth 1052 extending from a single
back
support 1051, the combing unit 1050 may also include teeth extending from
multiple back
supports.
[0063] The combing unit 1050 may extend along a substantial portion of a
length of the
cleaning roller 1024 (i.e., more than halt) such that the combing teeth 1052
remove debris
from a substantial portion of the cleaning surface of the cleaning roller
1024. In an
embodiment, the combing teeth 1052 may engage the cleaning surface of the
cleaning roller
1024 along, for example, greater than 90% of a length of the cleaning surface
of the cleaning
roller 1024. The combing unit 1050 works particularly well with cleaning
rollers that are
designed to move hair and other similar debris away from a center of the
roller 1024.
[0064] The combing
teeth 1052 have angled leading edges 1053 that are not aligned with
a rotation center 1023 of the cleaning roller 1024. The angled leading edges
1053 are the
edges that an incoming portion of the rotating cleaning roller 1024 hits first
and are directed
toward or into a direction of rotation (i.e., into arrow 1002) of the cleaning
roller 1020. More
specifically, the leading edge 1053 of a combing tooth 1052 forms an acute
angle a relative to
a line 1004 extending from an intersection point 1025 where the leading edge
1053 intersects
with an outer surface of the cleaning roller 1024 to the rotation center 1023.
In some
embodiments, the angle a is in a range of 50 to 500 and more specifically in a
range of 20 to
30 and even more specifically about 024 to 25 .
[0065] In some
embodiments, the combing teeth 1052 are positioned as close as possible
to the bottom contact point 1040 of the cleaning roller 1024 but high enough
to prevent being
caught on a surface being cleaned (e.g., a carpet). The combing teeth 1052,
for example, may
be positioned just above the lowest structure on the housing of a cleaning
apparatus.
Positioning the combing teeth 1052 closer to the bottom contact point 1040 of
the cleaning
roller 1024 allows debris to be intercepted and removed as soon as possible,
thereby
improving debris removal.
[0066] In another
embodiment, shown in FIG. 15A, the combing unit 1050 may have
other orientations and positions relative to the cleaning roller 1024 (e.g.,
above the rotation
center 1023). In a robotic vacuum cleaner, for example, the combing unit 1050
may be
positioned higher to prevent the combing teeth 1052 from interfering with the
debris being
deposited into a dust bin 1060.
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-10-13
[0067] The combing teeth 1052 may extend into the cleaning roller 1024 to a
depth in a
range of 0% to 50% of the cleaning roller radius for a soft roller and 0% to
30% of the
cleaning roller radius for a tufted brush roll. In one embodiment, the
cleaning roller 1024 is a
soft roller (e.g., nylon bristles with a diameter less than or equal to 0.15
mm and a length
greater than 3 mm) and the combing teeth 1052 extend into the soft cleaning
roller 1024 in a
range of 15% to 35%. The combing protrusions 1052 may be positioned to provide
a root
gap or spacing between the back support 1051 and the outer surface of the
cleaning roller
1024 such that air may flow between the cleaning roller 1024 and the back
support 1051 and
through the roots of the combing teeth 1052. The air flow through the roots of
the combing
teeth 1052 may help to dislodge debris that has been removed from the cleaning
roller 1024
and to direct the debris into an air flow passageway toward a suction conduit
of a cleaning
apparatus. The root gap may have a width RG in a range of 1 to 3 mm and more
specifically
a range of 2 to 3 mm. The root gap RG may extend across an entire length of
the combing
unit 1050, or a root gap RG may be formed only in one or more sections along
the length of
the combing unit 1050 to form air channels only at those sections. In other
embodiments, the
back support 1051 of the combing unit 1050 may contact the outer surface of
the cleaning
roller 1024 to provide sealing and force air to flow under the cleaning roller
1024.
[0068] In the illustrated embodiment (FIGS. 11 and 14D), the combing teeth
1052 have a
triangular-shaped "tooth" profile with a wider base or root 1054 having a root
width Wr and a
tip 1056 having a diameter Dr. In general, the base or root 1054 may be wide
enough to
prevent the tooth 1052 from bending upward when contacted by the rotating
cleaning roller
1024 and the tip 1056 may be sharp enough to catch the debris. In some
embodiments, the
tip 1056 may be rounded with a diameter in the range of less than 3 mm and
more
specifically in the range of 1 to 2 mm and even more specifically about 1.6
mm. The root
width W, may be in a range of 5 to 6 mm.
[0069] In another embodiment, shown in FIG. 15B, combing teeth 1052' have a
curved
profile with curved leading edges 1053' forming a concave curve. In this
embodiment, a line
1006 extending from the curved leading edge 1053' at the tip 1056 forms an
angle a with the
line 1004 extending from the intersection point 1025 to the rotation center
1023. The
combing teeth 1052' with curved edges may be positioned and spaced similar to
the teeth
1052 with straight leading edges 1053 as described and shown herein.
[0070] In some embodiments, the combing unit 1050 includes combing teeth
1052 spaced
4 to 16 teeth per inch and more specifically 7 to 9 teeth per inch. The
combing teeth 1052
16
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-10-13
may be made of plastic or metal and may have a thickness that provides a
desired rigidity to
prevent bending when engaged with the rotating cleaning roller 1024. In some
embodiments,
the combing teeth 1052 may have a thickness in a range of .5 to 2 mm depending
upon the
material. In one example, the combing teeth 1052 are made of plastic and have
a thickness of
0.8 mm, a spacing S of about 2.4 mm, and a center-to-center spacing Sc of
about 3.3 mm.
[0071] Although
the combing unit 1050 is shown with combing teeth 1052 having an
equal spacing, a combing unit 1050 may also include teeth 1052 with different
spacings
including, for example, groups of equally spaced teeth. The combing unit 1050
may include
a section at the center of the cleaning roller 1024 with no teeth and groups
of combing teeth
1052 proximate ends of the cleaning roller 1024 where the hair and similar
debris migrates
during rotation. Although the combing unit 1050 is shown with teeth 1052
having the same
shape or tooth profile and dimensions, the combing unit 1050 may include teeth
of different
shapes, profiles dimensions and configurations at different locations along
the combing unit
1050.
[0072] FIGS. 16
and 17 illustrate examples of two different types of vacuum cleaners
1600, 1700 that may include a surface cleaning head 1602, 1702 with dual
agitators including
a leading roller 1624, 1724 and a combing unit (not shown), consistent with
the embodiments
described herein. The surface cleaning head 1602 with the leading roller 1624
may be used
on an upright vacuum cleaner 1600 with a removable canister 1601 coupled to a
wand 1604,
such as the type described in U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2015/0351596,
which is
commonly owned. The surface
cleaning head
1702 with the leading roller 1724 may be used on a stick type vacuum cleaner
1700 with a
removable handheld vacuum 1701 coupled at one end of a wand 1704, such as the
type
described in U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2015/0135474, which is commonly
owned.
[0073] FIG. 18 illustrates a robotic vacuum cleaner 1800 that includes a
housing 1810 and a
cleaning roller 1824 with a combing unit (not shown) as disclosed herein. The
robotic
vacuum cleaner 1800 may also include one or more wheels 1830 for moving about
a surface
to be cleaned. An example of the combing unit used in a robotic vacuum cleaner
is disclosed
in greater detail in U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/469,853, filed March
10, 2017,
[0074] While the
principles of the invention have been described herein, it is to be
understood by those skilled in the art that this description is made only by
way of example and
17
Date Recue/Date Received 2022-10-13
not as a limitation as to the scope of the invention. Other embodiments are
contemplated within
the scope of the present invention in addition to the exemplary embodiments
shown and
described herein. Modifications and substitutions by one of ordinal), skill in
the art are
considered to be within the scope of the present invention, which is not to he
limited except by
the following claims.
Date Regue/Date Received 2022-10-13
18
