Vacuum cleaner head

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner head for attachment to a suction pipe or hose of a vacuum cleaner includes a body, an inlet through which air from a surface enters the body en route to the vacuum cleaner, and an agitation plate attached movably to the body across or adjacent to the inlet and adapted to beat against the surface in use. An ultraviolet lamp illuminates and disinfects dust and debris as is passes through the head.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to vacuum cleaners. The invention more particularly, although not exclusively, relates to a vacuum cleaner head having a carpet or fabric beating feature to raise dust from carpet pile or fabrics such as bed linen and curtains.

Vacuum cleaner heads for attachment to suction poles of vacuum cleaners usually comprise a simple brush or carpet slider or rollers to engage a hard floor or carpet surface as the case may be. These heads rely almost solely on the suction provided by the vacuum cleaner to lift dust and debris from the surface. Some vacuum cleaner heads known as “turbo heads” have a rotating drum with peripheral bristles. These rely on energy in the airflow to cause rotation of the drum and bristles and therefore some of the energy of the airflow which might otherwise be useful for lifting dust and debris is exploited.

Another problem associated with vacuum cleaners is that the dust and debris lifted and stored in a receptacle such as a cyclone chamber or paper bag can be contaminated with bacteria which might multiply in the receptacle.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate at least one of the above disadvantages and/or more generally to provide an improved vacuum cleaner head.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

There is disclosed herein a vacuum cleaner head for attachment to a suction pipe or hose of a vacuum cleaner, comprising:

• • a body;
  • an inlet through which air from a surface enters the body en route to the vacuum cleaner; and
  • an agitation plate attached movably to the body across or adjacent to the inlet and adapted to beat against the surface in use.

Preferably, the vacuum cleaner head further comprises a motor adapted to cause the agitation plate to move.

Preferably, the agitation plate is pivotally mounted to the body.

Preferably, the vacuum cleaner head further comprises a cam driven to rotate by the motor and the agitation plate comprises a cam follower against which the cam bears to cause pivotal oscillation of the agitation plate.

Preferably, the vacuum cleaner head further comprises a spring extending between the body and the agitation plate to bias the cam follower against the cam.

Preferably, the agitation plate is perforated.

Preferably, the vacuum cleaner head further comprises an ultraviolet light located within the body across or adjacent to the inlet and adapted irradiated airborne dust and/or debris entering the body en route to the vacuum cleaner.

The ultraviolet light can be located adjacent to the agitation plate and adapted irradiated airborne dust and/or debris passing the agitation plate en route to the vacuum cleaner.

Preferably, the body comprises a battery compartment for receiving batteries to power the ultraviolet light and motor.

The agitation plate as well as the ultraviolet light will advantageously kill dust mites when drawn up from carpets and fabrics and help prevent dust mite allergies.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a vacuum cleaner head;

FIG. 2 is a schematic inverted plan view of the vacuum cleaner head showing a printed circuit board and an ultraviolet light source inside the vacuum cleaner head;

FIG. 3 is a schematic end elevation of the vacuum cleaner head;

FIG. 4 is a schematic inverted plan view of the vacuum cleaner head;

FIG. 5 is a schematic inverted plan view of the vacuum cleaner head showing a motor-driven agitation plate;

FIG. 6 is a schematic parts-exploded perspective illustration of the vacuum cleaner head; and

FIG. 7 is a schematic inverted partial illustration of the vacuum cleaner head showing the motor, agitation plate and associated drive mechanism.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In the accompanying drawings there is depicted schematically a vacuum cleaner head 10 comprising a body 11 typically formed as a thermoplastics moulding. The body has pivotally extending from it a vacuum hose or pole attachment 14 via which air is drawn through the body en route to a vacuum cleaner.

Inside the body there is provided a PCB 16 having wires extending to an ultraviolet fluorescence lamp 15.

A covered battery compartment 20 houses a number of batteries 24. A switch 13 conveys power from the batteries 24 to the PCB 16. A power indicator LED 12 is provided upon the body 11 to indicate that the switch 13 is in the ON position.

Pivotally attached to the underside of the body 11 is a perforated agitation plate 17. The agitation plate 17 includes a hinge 29 through which a hinge pin 28 extends. A pair of hinge clamps 30 secures the hinge pin 28 to the body 11. Integrally moulded with the agitation plate 17 is a cam follower 23.

An electric motor 21 is attached to the body 11 by a motor cover plate 19. The output shaft of the motor has attached to it a cam 26 having an eccentric pin 27 extending therefrom. The eccentric pin 27 engages with the cam follower 23.

A spring 18 extends between the agitation plate 17 and the body 11 and pivotally biases the agitation plate such that the cam follower 23 remains in contact with the eccentric pin 27 throughout rotation of the cam 26. The electric motor 21 is connected by wires to the PCB 16 so as to receive energy from the batteries 24 upon movement of the switch 13 to the ON position.

The ultraviolet fluorescent lamp 15 is positioned directly above the agitation plate 17.

The pole attachment 14 has an inlet aperture 22 directed over the agitation plate 17 and the ultraviolet fluorescent lamp 15 extends laterally directly adjacent to the inlet aperture 22 so that air entering the inlet aperture is irradiated with ultraviolet light.

In use, the vacuum cleaner head 10 can be attached to the flexible hose or rigid pole of a vacuum cleaner. If the switch 14 is left in the OFF position, the vacuum cleaner head can be used in a conventional manner because the agitation plate 17 is perforated to allow the passage of air therethrough. Upon movement of the switch 13 to the ON position, the LED 12 will indicate that the ultraviolet fluorescent lamp 15 is illuminated and that the motor 21 is running. The rotating cam 26 will cause pivotal oscillation of the agitation plate 17 so that it pivotally oscillates downwardly from the body 11 to beat against the surface being cleaned. The surface would typically be carpet so that the beating action dislodges dust and debris from the fibres of the carpet pile. This dust and debris is drawn through and/or across the agitation plate and is irradiated by ultraviolet light from the lamp 15 en route to the inlet aperture 22 via which it is drawn to the vacuum cleaner.

It should be appreciated that modifications and alterations obvious to those skilled in the art are not to be considered as beyond the scope of the present invention. For example, rather than providing electric motor, cam and cam follower, an electric solenoid could be pulsed by a microcontroller on the PCB 16 and act directly upon the agitation plate.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner head for attachment to a suction pipe or hose of a vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a body;

an inlet through which air from a surface enters the body en route to the vacuum cleaner; and

an agitation plate attached movably to the body across or adjacent to the inlet and adapted to beat against the surface in use.

2. The vacuum cleaner head of claim 1, further comprising a motor adapted to cause the agitation plate to move.

3. The vacuum cleaner head of claim 2, wherein the agitation plate is pivotally mounted to the body.

4. The vacuum cleaner head of claim 3, further comprising a cam driven to rotate by the motor and wherein the agitation plate comprises a cam follower against which the cam bears to cause pivotal oscillation of the agitation plate.

5. The vacuum cleaner head of claim 3, further comprising a spring extending between the body and the agitation plate to bias the cam follower against the cam.

6. The vacuum cleaner head of claim 1, wherein the agitation plate is perforated.

7. The vacuum cleaner head of claim 1, further comprising an ultraviolet light located within the body across or adjacent to the inlet and adapted irradiated airborne dust and/or debris entering the body en route to the vacuum cleaner.

8. The vacuum cleaner head of claim 1, further comprising an ultraviolet light located adjacent to the agitation plate and adapted irradiated airborne dust and/or debris passing the agitation plate en route to the vacuum cleaner.

9. The vacuum cleaner head of claim 8, wherein the body comprising a battery compartment for receiving batteries to power the ultraviolet light.

10. The vacuum cleaner head of claim 2, wherein the body comprising a battery compartment for receiving batteries to power the motor.