U.S. patent application number 16/967169 was filed with the patent office on 2020-11-19 for vacuum cleaner nozzle.
The applicant listed for this patent is KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.. Invention is credited to Arnoldus Cornelis WESSELS.
Application Number | 20200359864 16/967169 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 1000005006642 |
Filed Date | 2020-11-19 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20200359864 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
WESSELS; Arnoldus Cornelis |
November 19, 2020 |
VACUUM CLEANER NOZZLE
Abstract
A vacuum cleaner nozzle (N) for cleaning a surface. The nozzle
(N) has a first brush (FB) along a first side of the vacuum cleaner
nozzle (N), the first brush (FB) having a first brush holder (FBH),
and a second brush (SB) along a second side of the vacuum cleaner
nozzle (N), the second brush (SB) having a second brush holder
(SBH). The second side of the vacuum cleaner nozzle (N) is adjacent
to the first side of the vacuum cleaner nozzle (N). According to
one aspect of the invention, the second brush holder (SBH) is at a
larger distance from the surface than the first brush holder (FBH).
Preferably, the second brush (SB) is at an angle of less than
30.degree. with regard to a vertical. The invention also provides a
vacuum cleaner having such a vacuum cleaner nozzle (N).
Inventors: |
WESSELS; Arnoldus Cornelis;
(PEIZE, NL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V. |
EINDHOVEN |
|
NL |
|
|
Family ID: |
1000005006642 |
Appl. No.: |
16/967169 |
Filed: |
February 8, 2019 |
PCT Filed: |
February 8, 2019 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP2019/053069 |
371 Date: |
August 4, 2020 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L 9/062 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A47L 9/06 20060101
A47L009/06 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 8, 2018 |
EP |
18155666.3 |
Claims
1. A vacuum cleaner nozzle (N) for cleaning a surface, the vacuum
cleaner nozzle (N) comprising: a first brush (FB) along a first
side of the vacuum cleaner nozzle (N), the first brush (FB) having
a first brush holder (FBH); a second brush (SB) along a second side
of the vacuum cleaner nozzle (N), the second brush (SB) having a
second brush holder (SBH), the second side being adjacent to the
first side of the vacuum cleaner nozzle (N), wherein the second
brush holder (SBH) is at a larger distance from the surface than
the first brush holder (FBH).
2. The vacuum cleaner nozzle (N) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the
second brush (SB) is at an angle of less than 30.degree. with
regard to a vertical.
3. The vacuum cleaner provided with a vacuum cleaner nozzle (N) as
claimed in claim 1.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The invention relates to a vacuum cleaner nozzle, and to a
vacuum cleaner provided with a vacuum cleaner nozzle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The design of a vacuum cleaner is subject to two conflicting
boundary conditions. Obviously, the vacuum cleaner should ensure
that the floor is cleaned well, so that no dirt remains on the
floor. On the other hand, the vacuum cleaner should consume an ever
decreasing amount of energy to clean the floor, so that prior art
high-wattage vacuum cleaners can no longer be sold.
[0003] One way to ensure that vacuum cleaners optimally meet the
conflicting boundary requirements, is to reconsider the design of
the vacuum cleaner nozzle.
[0004] U.S. Pat. No. 3,069,186 discloses a suction nozzle avoiding
the disadvantages of prior constructions and which prevents leakage
of air at its swiveling coupling and assures a more effective flow
of air into its suction inlet. The inlet rim of the suction nozzle
is provided with a continuous seat having side and top walls which
lie at right angles to one another. The seat seats a pair of
brushes or bristle strips, each having a U-shaped metal strip
holding bristles clamped about a rigid core member. One straight
bristle strip extends the full length of the forward edge of the
nozzle inlet, whereas the other strip is bent into a generally
U-shaped configuration dimensioned to nest snugly against the
similarly shaped portions of the seat extending along the rear edge
and across the ends of the nozzle inlet. The adjacent ends of
brushes or bristle strips are slightly spaced to provide narrow
openings at the opposite forward corners of the nozzle, the size of
these openings being reduced somewhat under operating conditions by
the tendency of the bristles to flare toward one another across the
opening. However, this flaring is insufficient to close the
opening, and with the nozzle connected to a source of suction, a
high velocity jet of air flows inwardly through each opening.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] It is, inter alia, an object of the invention to provide an
improved vacuum cleaner nozzle. The invention is defined by the
independent claims. Advantageous embodiments are defined in the
dependent claims.
[0006] One aspect of the invention provides a vacuum cleaner nozzle
for cleaning a surface. The nozzle has a first brush along a first
side of the vacuum cleaner nozzle, the first brush having a first
brush holder, and a second brush along a second side of the vacuum
cleaner nozzle, the second brush having a second brush holder. The
second side of the vacuum cleaner nozzle is adjacent to the first
side of the vacuum cleaner nozzle. According to one aspect of the
invention, the second brush holder is at a larger distance from the
surface than the first brush holder. Preferably, the second brush
is at an angle of less than 30.degree. with regard to a vertical.
The invention also provides a vacuum cleaner having such a vacuum
cleaner nozzle.
[0007] The invention is based on the recognition that in order to
cope with reduced power requirements, leakage openings should be
reduced to the maximum extent possible, so that openings at corners
where two different bristles meet should be minimized. As the
bristle holders take some space, putting the bristle holders as
close as possible to one another still leaves an opening between
the bristles. If, however, one bristle holder is arranged higher
than the other bristle holder, the bristles themselves can be made
to closely adjoin one another, without leaving a gap between the
bristles.
[0008] These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent
from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described
hereinafter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIGS. 1 and 2 show different views of the brushes for use in
a vacuum cleaner nozzle in accordance with an embodiment of the
present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0010] FIGS. 1 and 2 show different views of brushes for use in a
vacuum cleaner nozzle N in accordance with an embodiment of the
present invention. The vacuum cleaner nozzle N has a first brush
FB, and a second brush SB. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the
first brush FB is located at a front of the vacuum cleaner nozzle N
while the second brush SB is located at a side of the nozzle, but
in another embodiment, it may be the other way around. The first
brush FB has a first brush holder FBH, and the second brush SB has
a second brush holder SBH. If the first brush holder FBH and the
second brush holder SBH were positioned on the same level, a gap
would arise between the first brush FB and the second brush SB,
because the brush holders are larger than the respectively
corresponding brushes. To ensure that the first brush FB and the
second brush SB sit tightly against each other without leaving a
gap between them, the invention provides the solution that one
brush holder SBH is at a larger distance to the surface to be
cleaned than the other brush holder FBH. In the embodiment shown in
FIGS. 1 and 2, one brush holder SBH sits on top of the other brush
holder FBH.
[0011] Preferably, the second brush SB is at an angle of less than
30.degree. with regard to a vertical, as is shown most clearly in
the embodiment of FIG. 2. The reason for doing so is that without
this measure, a nozzle housing that encompasses the brush holders
FBH and SBH would cause a gap at surface level between the second
brush SB and a bottom of a wall of a room. By mounting the second
brush SB at a small angle with regard to the vertical, the second
brush SB can touch the wall even though the second brush holder SBH
creates some distance between the top of the second brush SB and
the wall. The performance of a vacuum cleaner provided with such a
vacuum cleaner nozzle is thereby improved.
[0012] It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments
illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled
in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments
without departing from the scope of the appended claims. For
example, the feature that the second brush holder SBH is at a
larger distance from the surface than the first brush holder FBH,
may be implemented by molding the first and second brush holders as
separate components which are then mounted in such a way that the
second brush holder SBH is at a larger distance from the surface
than the first brush holder FBH, or by molding the first and second
brush holders as one component in which the second brush holder SBH
is at a larger distance from the surface than the first brush
holder FBH. In the claims, any reference signs placed between
parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. The word
"comprising" does not exclude the presence of elements or steps
other than those listed in a claim. The word "a" or "an" preceding
an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such
elements. In the device claim enumerating several means, several of
these means may be embodied by one and the same item of hardware.
The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually
different dependent claims that do not refer to one another does
not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to
advantage.
* * * * *