VACUUM CLEANER HEAD

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner (10) having a hollow body (11). The body (11) includes a coupling (12) providing a conduit (13) to which air under reduced pressure is delivered. The body (11) has a transverse slot (16) that faces the floor surface to be cleaned. Forward or rearward of the slot (16) are wheels (20).

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to Australian Patent Application Number 2013904405, filed Nov. 14, 2013, which is herein incorporated by reference.

FIELD

The present invention relates to vacuum cleaner heads.

BACKGROUND

Vacuum cleaner heads consist of a hollow body to which there is attached a tube having a reduced air pressure so that air is drawn through the head. The airstream delivers dust to collection mechanism of the vacuum cleaner.

The area swept by the head is directly proportional to its width. That is, the width transverse of the general fall direction of travel of the vacuum cleaner head over the surface to be cleaned. Any inefficiency in operation of the vacuum cleaner is time consuming and therefore adds cost to the cleaning process.

A disadvantage of known vacuum cleaner heads is that the full width of the vacuum cleaner head is not fully employed.

A further disadvantage of known vacuum cleaners is they can suffer reduced suction and degraded ability in respect of dirt pick up. Examples of these cleaners are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,497,532 and 5,564,161.

OBJECT

It is the object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate at least one of the above disadvantages.

SUMMARY

There is disclosed herein a vacuum cleaner head to move in a forward direction over a floor surface to clean the floor surface, the head including:

• • a. a hollow body to be connected to a supply of air having a reduced pressure relative to atmosphere, the body having a duct to be connected to the supply;
  • b. two wheels to engage said floor surface to at least partly support the head on said floor surface; and wherein
  • c. said body is elongated transverse of said direction so as to extend longitudinally between opposite end surfaces, includes a slot connected to said duct, the slot being open downward so as to face said floor surface, with said wheels being directly forward or rearward of said slot relative to said direction and adjacent one of the end surfaces.

Preferably, said slot extends between end openings in the end surfaces. Preferably, each wheel is forward of a respective one of the openings.

Preferably, the end openings face transversely outwardly relative to said direction.

Preferably, the slot has a central portion with a transverse area, and each end opening has an area less than the transverse area of the central portion.

Preferably, the slot includes end slot lengths, each slot length extending to a respective one of the end openings, with each wheel forward of a respective one of the lengths.

Preferably, the slot has a central portion with a transverse area, and each end length has a transverse area less than the transverse area of the central portion.

Preferably, the slot has a transverse area that reduces toward the end openings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Preferred forms of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

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

FIG. 2 is a schematic bottom view of a vacuum cleaner head of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic isometric view of part of the vacuum cleaner head of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

In the accompanying drawings there is schematically depicted a vacuum cleaner head 10. The head 10 includes a hollow body 11. The body 11 has a central coupling 12 providing a conduit 13 that is intended to be attached to a pipe connected to the main body of a vacuum cleaner. Reduced air pressure is delivered to the conduit 13 so that an airstream is drawn up through the body 11.

The body 11 is to be intended to move in a forward direction 14 over a floor surface to clean the floor surface and is longitudinally elongated transverse of the direction 14. The body 11 has a longitudinal width 15 and a slot 16 through which the airstream passes to be delivered to the duct 13. The body 11 and slot 16 extends between opposite end edge surfaces 17 and 18 of the body 11, and with the slot 16 terminating at the surfaces 17 and 18 with end openings 19. Air is drawn into the openings 19 and slot 16, and is delivered to the coupling 12, and therefore to the conduit 13.

The slot 16 extends transverse relative to the direction 14, with the end openings 19 facing transversely outward. The slot 16 is open downward so as to face the floor surface.

The body 11 supports a pair of front wheels 20 having a common rotational axis 21, and a pair of rear wheels 24 having a common rotational axis 25. The axes 21 and 25 are generally parallel and transverse of the direction 14. In this embodiment the wheels 20 are forward (relative to the direction 14) of the slots 16 and are directly in front of the slots 16. In an alternative embodiment the wheels 20 are directly behind the slot 16. In particular the slots 16 end lengths 22 immediately in front of the wheels 20. Each of the wheels 20 is spaced toward the longitudinal ends of the body 11 so that each wheel 20 is adjacent a respective one of the surfaces 17, 18.

As best seen in FIG. 2, the slot 16 has a central portion 23 having a transverse cross-section (area) that reduces toward the lengths 22, with the apertures 22 having a smaller area than the portion 23.

The body 11 has a first set of slots (and therefore ribs) 26 adjacent the coupling 12, that aids in inhibiting distortion of the body 11 when it is being moulded of plastics materials. The body 11 may also have a second set of slots (and therefore ribs) 27 adjacent lengths 22, again to inhibit distortion during moulding.

Each end length 22 has a transverse area that is less than the transverse area of the slot 16 at the central portion 23, with each wheel being forward (or rearward) of a respective on of the lengths 22.

The above described preferred embodiment has the advantage that there are apertures 22 directly in front or behind the wheels 20. A further advantage is that the slot 16 extends the full width of the body 11. A still further advantage is that the slot 16 terminates with end openings 19 that face transversely outward relative to the axis 14. By having the slot 16 extend between the end surfaces 17 and 18, the head 10 has a maximum operative transverse width, with improved air flow as a result of the length 22 and their reduced area.

Claims

1. There is disclosed herein a vacuum cleaner head to move in a forward direction over a floor surface to clean the floor surface, the head including:

a hollow body to be connected to a supply of air having a reduced pressure relative to atmosphere, the body having a duct to be connected to the supply;

two wheels to engage said floor surface to at least partly support the head on said floor surface; and wherein

said body is elongated transverse of said direction so as to extend longitudinally between opposite end surfaces, includes a slot connected to said duct, the slot being open downward so as to face said floor surface, with said wheels being directly forward or rearward of said slot relative to said direction and adjacent one of the end surfaces.

2. The cleaner head of claim 1, wherein said slot extends between end openings in the end surfaces.

3. The cleaner head of claim 1, wherein each wheel is forward and adjacent of a respective one of the openings.

4. The cleaner head of claim 1, wherein the end openings face transversely outwardly relative to said direction.

5. The cleaner head of claim 2, wherein the slot has a central portion with a transverse area, and each end opening has an area less than the transverse area of the central portion.

6. The cleaner head of claim 2, wherein the slot includes end slot lengths, each slot length extending to a respective one of the end openings, with each wheel forward of a respective one of the lengths.

7. The cleaner head of claim 6, wherein the body is moulded from plastics material, and the body includes slots and ridges adjacent each length to inhibit distortion of the body.

8. The cleaner head of claim 6, wherein the slot has a central portion with a transverse area, and each end length has a transverse area less than the transverse area of the central portion.

9. The cleaner head of claim 2, wherein the slot has a transverse area that reduces toward the end openings.

10. The cleaner head of claim 2, wherein said body is moulded from plastics material, and the body has a central coupling providing said duct, with the body including ribs and slots adjacent the coupling to inhibit distortion of the body.

11. The cleaner head of claim 2, wherein the end openings face transversely outwardly relative to said direction, and the slot has a central portion with a transverse area, and each end opening has an area less than the transverse area of the central portion.

12. The cleaner head of claim 2, wherein the slot includes end slot lengths, each slot length extending to a respective one of the end openings, with each wheel forward of a respective one of the lengths.

13. The cleaner head of claim 6, wherein the body is moulded from plastics material, and the body includes slots and ridges adjacent each length to inhibit distortion of the body.

14. The cleaner head of claim 12, wherein the slot has a central portion with a transverse area, and each end length has a transverse area less than the transverse area of the central portion.

15. The cleaner head of claim 3, wherein the slot has a transverse area that reduces toward the end openings.

16. The cleaner head of claim 1, wherein said body is moulded from plastics material, and the body has a central coupling providing said duct, with the body including ribs and slots adjacent the coupling to inhibit distortion of the body.

17. The cleaner head of claim 7, wherein the slot has a central portion with a transverse area, and each end length has a transverse area less than the transverse area of the central portion.

18. The cleaner head of claim 1, wherein said body is moulded from plastics material, and the body has a central coupling providing said duct, with the body including ribs and slots adjacent the coupling to inhibit distortion of the body.

19. A vacuum cleaner head to move in a forward direction over a floor surface to clean the floor surface, the head including:

a hollow body to be connected to a supply of air having a reduced pressure relative to atmosphere, the body having a duct to be connected to the supply;

two wheels to engage said floor surface to at least partly support the head on said floor surface; and wherein

said body is elongated transverse of said direction so as to extend longitudinally between opposite end surfaces, with said body including a slot connected to said duct, the slot being open downward so as to face said floor surface, and end opening in each end surface and between which the slot extends, the end openings facing transversely outwardly relative to said direction, the slot having a central portion with a transverse area, and each end opening having an area less than the transverse area of the central portion, the slot including end slot lengths, each end slot length extending to a respective one of the end openings, with each wheel being forward of a respective one of the lengths, and each end length having a transverse area less than the transverse area of the central portion.

20. The vacuum cleaner of claim 19, wherein the body is moulded from plastics material, and the body includes slots and ridges adjacent each length to inhibit distortion of the body, and the body has a central coupling providing said duct, with the body including ribs and slots adjacent the coupling to inhibit distortion of the body.