Cleaning head
A cleaning head, such as a floor tool, for a cleaning appliance has a housing with a floor engaging face and an outlet for fitting to a wand of the cleaning appliance which includes a linkage for coupling the housing to the wand. The linkage is movable between an operative position, in which the outlet extends parallel to or at a positive angle with respect to the floor engaging face of the cleaning head, and a storage position in which the outlet extends at a negative angel with respect to the floor engaging face of the cleaning head. The linkage may alternatively take the form of a barrel joint. The cleaning head can be used with a cleaning appliance in which the wand is retained alongside the main body. In the storage position, the cleaning appliance.
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This invention relates to a cleaning head for use with a cleaning appliance such as a vacuum cleaner.
Cylinder or canister vacuum cleaners, an example of which is shown in
The outlet 41, 42 of the tool 20 can be moved through a range of positions with respect to the remainder of the tool. This is due to the articulated connection provided between the outlet 41, 42 and the connecting duct 45. A first part 41 of the outlet is pivotably connected to the connecting duct 45 so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis 43, which provides the outlet 41, 42 with the ability to move through a range of angles in a vertical movement (see arrow A in
It is known to provide a socket on the main body of the vacuum cleaner and a hook on the floor tool so that a user can ‘park’ the wand in a storage position (see socket 18 and hook 17 in
The present invention seeks to improve the available storage of a cleaning head of a cleaning appliance.
The present invention provides a cleaning head for a cleaning appliance comprising a housing having a floor-engaging face, means for allowing the housing to travel across a floor surface, an outlet for fitting to a wand of the cleaning appliance, and a linkage for coupling the housing to the outlet, wherein the linkage is arranged such that the outlet is movable between an operative position, in which the outlet lies parallel to, or at a positive angle with respect to, the floor-engaging face of the cleaning head, and a storage position in which the outlet lies at a negative angle with respect to the floor-engaging face of the cleaning head.
By allowing the outlet to be positioned so as to lie at a negative angle with respect to the floor-engaging face of the cleaning head, the cleaning head can be stored conveniently alongside the main body of a cleaning appliance; This is particularly useful where the cleaning head is used in combination with a cleaning appliance in which the wand of the cleaning appliance is retained alongside the main body of the cleaning. In use, the wand is brought alongside, and retained against, the main body of the cleaning appliance and the cleaning head is moved into the storage position. This provides a tidy, convenient and economical storage solution.
Preferably the outlet is positively retained in the storage position. This has the advantage that, in normal use, the cleaning head does not ‘flop’ into the storage position which can be irritating. The manner in which the cleaning head is positively retained can take the form of a manually operable release mechanism, with the linkage being arranged such that the outlet can only be moved to and/or from the storage position by operation of the control. This has the advantage of being reliable and easily manufacturable.
The linkage can comprise a force-transmitting coupling between the housing and the outlet together with a flexible hose for carrying fluid flow between the housing and the outlet. This arrangement can provide a good quality seal between the main housing and outlet, since the fluid flow is always carried by a hose which is reliably sealed at each end thereof. The force-transmitting coupling can comprise a pair of arms, one arm lying on each side of the flexible hose. This allows the hose to flex freely into a new position when it is required to do so.
Alternatively, the linkage of the cleaning head can comprise a hollow duct, the duct serving to transmit a force between the outlet and the housing and to carry fluid flow between the housing and the outlet. In such an arrangement, there is a requirement to provide a reliable seal at each end of the duct.
A form of connection which provides a good range of movement is a barrel connection between the housing and the outlet, with the rotational axis of the connection lying substantially parallel to the plane of the floor-engaging face. A range of movement of around 180° is possible.
In the embodiments which are described hereafter, the tool takes the form of a turbine-driven tool for use with a vacuum cleaner. However, it will be readily apparent that the turbine is not essential to the invention and, as such, the invention could equally be applied to tools which are entirely passive (i.e. relying solely on suction, with no agitation of the floor surface, such as the tool 20 shown in
Although the invention is described in detail with reference to a vacuum cleaner, it will be appreciated that it can also be applied to other forms of cleaning appliance. The term “cleaning appliance” is intended to have a broad meaning, and includes a wide range of machines having a main body and a wand for carrying fluid to or from a floor surface. It includes, inter alia, machines which only apply suction to the surface, such as vacuum cleaners (including dry, wet and wet/dry variants), so as to draw material from the surface, as well as machines which apply material to the surface, such as polishing/waxing machines, pressure washing machines and shampooing machines.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, in which:
FIGS. 3 to 5 show a first embodiment of a floor tool according to the invention;
FIGS. 7 to 9 show a second embodiment of a floor tool according to the invention; and
FIGS. 3 to 5 show an embodiment of the invention in the form of a tool 40 which is adapted to be fitted to the end of a wand or hose of a vacuum cleaner.
The tool 40 has a main housing 50 which houses the main components of the tool. A wheel 54 is rotatably mounted to each side of the housing 50 to allow the tool 40 to be moved easily across a floor surface. The forward, generally hood-shaped, part 51 of the housing 50 and a lower plate 55, or sole plate, together define a chamber 42 which houses a rotatably mounted brush bar 52. The lower plate 55 defines a suction opening 53 through which bristles 52a mounted on the brush bar 52 protrude as the brush bar rotates so as to agitate the floor surface and thereby enhance the amount of dirt and dust released from the floor covering. This action maximises the pick-up performance of the cleaning head 40, particularly on carpeted floor surfaces. The housing 50 also houses a turbine (not shown) for driving the brushbar 52. An air inlet delivers ambient air to the turbine and ducting feeds exhaust air from the turbine towards the outlet 44 of the tool 40. A belt or geared connection (not shown) connects the output shaft of the turbine to the brushbar 52.
The outlet 44 of the tool 40 comprises collectively the parts labelled 60 to 66. A first connector 61 is rotatably mounted to the rear of housing 50. The first connector 61 is rotatable about the axis 66. A second connector 60 is connected to the first connector 61 by means of a pair of rigid arms 62 and a flexible hose 65. The arms 62, one lying on each side of hose 65, provide a mechanical, force-transmitting connection between the connectors 60, 61 whilst the flexible hose 65 carries airflow between the connectors 60, 61, thus providing a continuous airflow passageway from the suction opening 53 to the connector 60. Each arm 62 is pivotably connected to the first connector 61 about an axis 63 and to the second connector 60 about an axis 64. The second connector 60 is adapted to be connected to a wand or hose of a vacuum cleaner as is shown in
In both of the positions illustrated in
In the position illustrated in
The cleaner head 40 described above also incorporates a release mechanism which is mounted on the second connector 60.
The release mechanism serves several purposes: it limits the angle through which the second connector 60 can be rotated with respect to the arms 62 so as to define the positions shown in
As described above, the arms 62 are pivotably mounted to the second connector 60 about an axis 64. The end of each arm 62 adjacent the second connector 60 incorporates a generally disc-shaped portion 62a in which a notch 62b is formed. The notch 62b has a first face 62c and a second face 62d. Two projections 70, 73 project outwardly from the second connector 60 in a direction parallel to the axis 64. An edge 73 of projection 72 facing the arm 62 defines a stop for the storage position of the tool 40. When the second connector 60 is rotated into the storage position, the edge 73 abuts against the lowermost side 71 of the arm 62.
A locking member 74 is pivotably mounted on the connector 60 about an axis 75 which lies parallel to the axis 64. The locking member 74 has a first arm 74a and a second arm 74b. A compression spring 76 acts between the first part 74a and the projection 70 so as to bias the locking member clockwise into the position shown in
When the cleaning head is to be brought into the storage position, the first arm 74a is depressed, against the bias of spring 76, towards the projection 70. This causes the locking member 74 to rotate about the axis 75 in an anticlockwise direction. The distal end of the second arm 74b then moves out of the notch 62b, thus allowing the disc-shaped portion 62a to move beyond the position illustrated in
It is possible to remove the locking member 74 so that the tool 40 can move freely between an operating position and a storage position without the need for a user to operate a release mechanism such as the locking member 74, but we have found that this can make the tool difficult to use, since the tool will tend to flop into the storage position whenever the wand is pointed upwards.
FIGS. 7 to 9 illustrate a second embodiment of a floor tool 99 which can be fitted to the end of a wand or hose of a vacuum cleaner.
As before, the tool 99 has a main housing 81 which houses the main components of the tool with a wheel 82 rotatably mounted on each side of the housing 81. However, the outlet of the tool 99 has a different form from that described above. In this arrangement, the outlet comprises a first pipe 83 and a second pipe 84. The first pipe 83 is rotatably connected to the rear of the housing 81 by a barrel connection, which is best shown in the plan view of
The first pipe 83 is movable through an angle of around 180° with respect to the main housing 81. It is movable between an operative position in which the first pipe 83 points upwards, with the longitudinal axis 86 of the second pipe 84 extending generally upwards, away from the surface being cleaned, and a position similar to that shown in
The tool 99 illustrated in FIGS. 7 to 9 is a turbine tool. A first air outlet duct 90 leads from the suction opening to the first pipe 83 and a second air outlet duct 91 leads from the turbine 96 to the first pipe 83. Each side of the first pipe 83 has a circular aperture and flange arrangement of the type described above. In a simplified tool having no turbine, or in a tool in which the airflow leading from the suction opening is used to drive the turbine, there need only be a single circular opening and flange on one side of the first pipe 83. In such a case, one side of the outlet pipe 83 will simply form part of the wall of the first pipe 83.
In the embodiment shown in
A flexible hose 150 is connected at a first end thereof to an inlet port 151 on the main body 100 and a wand assembly 160 is connected to a second end of the hose 150. The main body 100 of the cleaner is manoeuvred across a floor surface via the hose 150 as a user moves around a room. The hose 150 has a construction which is robust enough to withstand this pulling action, together with any normal abrasion which may be encountered as the hose 150 comes into contact with obstacles in a room.
Ducting on the chassis 110 connects the air inlet port 151 to an inlet to the separating apparatus 120. For a cyclonic separating apparatus 120, the inlet to the separating apparatus is arranged to guide incoming airflow through the wall of the chamber of the cyclonic separator in a tangential manner.
A suitable wand assembly 160 is described in our co-pending International Patent Application WO 02/071913. The wand comprises a set of three tubes of progressively decreasing diameter. The tubes can telescope inside one another and are retractably housed inside a storage tube 165. The three tubes can be moved between a stored configuration and an extended configuration in which one tube is extended from another such that only the ends of the tubes overlap one another. Securing mechanisms secure the tubes in an extended position.
The distal end of the wand assembly 160 has a connector 280 which is adapted to receive the floor tool described above. The floor tool can be connected to the connector 280 by means of an interference fit, interconnecting bayonet fittings, snap-fit connections, a screw threaded collar and sleeve, or by any other suitable means. A handle 200 is connected to storage tube 165 to allow a user to manipulate the wand 160. The flexible hose 150 is connected to the storage tube 165 by an outlet connector 168 which is rotatable about the axis X-X′. This part of the wand assembly 160 is described more fully in our International Patent Application WO 01/50940.
For ease of storage, and ease of carrying, the wand assembly 160 can be attached to the main body 100 of the vacuum cleaner. The length of the storage tube 165 is substantially equal to the length of the part of the main body 100 against which the wand assembly 160 is stored. In this manner, the wand assembly 160 does not protrude substantially beyond the limits of the main body 100 when it is fully retracted and stored on the main body 100.
The wand assembly 160 is stored alongside the uppermost surface of the main body 100. In this embodiment, the upper surface of the separating apparatus 120, which itself is releasable from the remainder of the chassis 110 for emptying, is the part of the main body against which the wand 160 is secured. Fittings located on the storage tube 165 of the wand assembly 160 cooperate with complementary fittings on the upper surface of the separating apparatus 120 to retain the storage tube 165 in the stored position.
When a user wishes to store the vacuum cleaner, the user brings the storage tube 165 of the wand assembly 160, in its fully retracted configuration, alongside the uppermost face of the main body 100 and locks the wand assembly 160 in position on the main body 100. The floor tool 40 can remain attached to the end of the wand assembly 160. The user then operates the release mechanism shown in
If, alternatively, the vacuum cleaner is to incorporate the cleaning tool 99 shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, the barrel connection between the first pipe 83 and the housing 81 allows unrestricted movement between the operating position and a storage position. The nature of the barrel connection, incorporating the annular seal 89, provides a comparatively stiff connection and thus the floor tool 99 is less likely to ‘flop’ into the storage position when the wand assembly 160 is lifted away from the floor surface. However, if required, a similar mechanism to that shown in
Claims
1. A cleaning head for a cleaning appliance comprising a housing having a floor engaging face, a rolling structure allowing the housing to travel across a floor surface, and an outlet for fitting to a wand of the cleaning appliance, the outlet comprising a linkage for coupling the housing to the wand,
- wherein the linkage is configured so that the outlet is movable between an operative position, in which the outlet extends parallel to or at a positive angle with respect the floor engaging face of the cleaning head, and a storage position in which the outlet extends at a negative angle with respect to the floor engaging face of the cleaning head.
2. A cleaning head according to claim 1, further comprising a manually operable release mechanism and wherein the linkage is configured so that the outlet can only be moved to or from the storage position by operation of the release mechanism.
3. A cleaning head according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the linkage comprises a force-transmitting coupling between the housing and the outlet and a flexible hose for carrying fluid flow between the housing and the outlet.
4. A cleaning head according to claim 3, wherein the force-transmitting coupling comprises a pair of arms, one arm lying on each side of the flexible hose.
5. A cleaning head according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the linkage comprises a hollow duct for carrying fluid flow between the housing and the outlet.
6. A cleaning head according to claim 5, wherein the linkage comprises a barrel connection between the housing and the outlet, the rotational axis of the connection lying substantially parallel to the plane of the floor engaging face.
7. A cleaning appliance of the cylinder type comprising a main body, a wand assembly configured to carry fluid to or from the main body, a retainer retaining the wand on the main body in a position in which a substantial part of the wand lies alongside the main body and a cleaning head according to claims claim 1 or 2, wherein the cleaning head, when in a storage position, is able to remain connected to the wand and lies alongside the main body of the cleaning appliance.
8. A cleaning appliance according to claim 7, wherein the wand assembly comprises a plurality of telescopically connected tubes which can be moved between a retracted configuration and an extended configuration, and wherein a substantial part of the length of the wand, in the retracted configuration, lies alongside the main body.
9. A cleaning appliance according to claim 8, wherein substantially all of the wand, in the retracted configuration, lies alongside the main body.
10. A cleaning appliance according to claim 7, wherein the retainer retains the wand on an upper surface of the main body.
11. A cleaning appliance according to claim 10, wherein the retainer retains the wand in a position generally along the longitudinal axis of the main body and the cleaning head, in its storage position, lies alongside the front or rear of the main body of the cleaning appliance.
12. A vacuum cleaner comprising the cleaning appliance according to claim 7.
13. (Canceled)
14. A cleaning appliance of the cylinder type comprising a main body, a wand assembly configured to carry fluid to or from the main body, a retainer retaining the wand on the main body in a position in which a substantial part of the wand lies alongside the main body and a cleaning head according to claim 3, wherein the cleaning head, when in a storage position, is able to remain connected to the wand and lies alongside the main body of the cleaning appliance.
15. A cleaning appliance according to claim 14, wherein the wand assembly comprises a plurality of telescopically connected tubes which can be moved between a retracted configuration and an extended configuration, and wherein a substantial part of the length of the wand, in the retracted configuration, lies alongside the main body.
16. A cleaning appliance according to claim 15, wherein substantially all of the wand, in the retracted configuration, lies alongside the main body.
17. A cleaning appliance of the cylinder type comprising a main body, a wand assembly configured to carry fluid to or from the main body, a retainer retaining the wand on the main body in a position in which a substantial part of the wand lies alongside the main body and a cleaning head according to claim 5, wherein the cleaning head, when in a storage position, is able to remain connected to the wand and lies alongside the main body of the cleaning appliance.
18. A cleaning appliance according to claim 17, wherein the wand assembly comprises a plurality of telescopically connected tubes which can be moved between a retracted configuration and an extended configuration, and wherein a substantial part of the length of the wand, in the retracted configuration, lies alongside the main body.
19. A cleaning appliance according to claim 18, wherein substantially all of the wand, in the retracted configuration, lies alongside the main body.
Type: Application
Filed: May 21, 2004
Publication Date: Aug 2, 2007
Applicant: Dyson Technology Limited (Wilshire)
Inventors: Matthew Allard (Suffolk), James Dyson (Gloucestershire), John Spaven (Nottingham)
Application Number: 10/557,482
International Classification: A47L 9/02 (20060101);