VACUUM CLEANER
A vacuum cleaner includes a base and a brushroll positioned within the base. The base has a suction opening and is configured to move along a surface to be cleaned. The brushroll is rotatable relative to the base about an axis, and the brushroll includes a first end, a second end, an inflection point located between the ends, and a material that protrudes radially away from the brushroll. The material extends between the first end and the second end and wraps around the brushroll with a pitch. The material wraps in a first direction between the first end and the inflection point and wraps in a second direction between the inflection point and the second end.
This application claims priority to U.S. application Ser. No. 16/582,381, filed Sep. 25, 2019, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/741,440 filed on Oct. 4, 2018, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUNDThe present subject matter relates to vacuum cleaners and more particularly to brushrolls for vacuum cleaners.
SUMMARYIn one embodiment, a vacuum cleaner includes a base and a brushroll positioned within the base. The base has a suction opening and is configured to move along a surface to be cleaned. The brushroll is rotatable relative to the base about an axis, and the brushroll includes a first end, a second end, an inflection point located along the axis between the first end and the second end, and a first material that protrudes in a radial direction away from the brushroll. The first material, having a first width, extends between the first end and the second end and wraps around the brushroll with a pitch relative to the axis. The first material wraps in a first direction between the first end and the inflection point and wraps in a second direction between the inflection point and the second end. The pitch of the first material that wraps in the first direction is opposite to the pitch of the first material that wraps the second direction.
In another embodiment, a vacuum cleaner includes a base and a brushroll positioned within the base. The base has a suction opening and is configured to move along a surface to be cleaned. The brushroll is rotatable relative to the base about an axis, and the brushroll includes a body, a first end, a second end, an inflection point located along the axis between the first end and the second end, a wall that extends in a radial direction away from the body, and grooves along the wall. The wall follows a sloped path around the brushroll between the first end and the second end and wraps around the brushroll about the axis. The direction of the sloped path around the body reverses at the inflection point. The grooves along the wall extend along a length of the brushroll between the first end and the second end and are spaced around a circumference of the brushroll.
In yet another embodiment, a vacuum cleaner includes a base, a brushroll that is removable from and insertable into the base, and an aperture though which the brushroll is removed and inserted. The base has a suction opening and is configured to move along a surface to be cleaned. The brushroll is rotatable relative to the base about an axis, and the brushroll includes a body, a first end, and a second end. The aperture includes teeth that are spaced around a circumference of the aperture. The teeth protrude parallel with axis and away from the aperture towards the brushroll. The teeth of the aperture align with the body of the brushroll to collect debris from the brushroll as the brushroll is being removed from the base through the aperture.
Other aspects of the present subject matter will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.
Before any embodiments of the present subject matter are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the present subject matter is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The present subject matter is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONReferring to
With continued reference to
In the illustrated embodiment, the path of the first material 24A may be substantially the same as the path of the first recess 24, the path of the second material 25A may be substantially the same as the path of the second recess 25, and the path of the third material 26A may be substantially the same as the path of the third recess 26. In another embodiment, the first, second and third material 24A, 25A, 26A may be received directly on the body 20 of the brushroll 16 and connected with a fastener rather than received in a first, second, or third recesses 24, 25, 26, respectively.
Referring now to
The details regarding the inflection point 20C will now be described with reference to the V-shaped path. In some embodiments, the inflection point 20C lies along the axis 17 and is about equidistant between the first end 20A and the second end 20B. The first material 24A protrudes in a radial direction away from the brushroll 16 and extends between the first end 20A and the second end 20B. The path of the first material 24A wraps around the brushroll 16 with a pitch P (
In the illustrated embodiment, the V-shaped path extends between the first end 20A and the second end 20B, and the inflection point 20C represents the tip of the letter “V” where the V-shaped path changes direction. The first, second, and third recesses 24, 25, 26 and the first, second, and/or third materials 24A, 25A, 26A disposed in the recesses may each follow the V-shaped path as described in the illustrated embodiment. In the illustrated embodiment, each of the first, second, and third recesses 24, 25, 26 are duplicated at least once around the brushroll 16. In another embodiment, the first, second, and third recess 24, 25, 26 are duplicated multiple times around the brushroll 16.
The illustrated brushroll 16 further includes the wall 23 which extends in a radial direction away from the body 20 and follows a sloped path around the brushroll 16. The wall 23 extends between the first end 20A and the second end 20B and wraps around the brushroll 16 about the axis 17. The direction of the sloped path about the axis 17 reverses at the inflection point 20C. The sloped path of the wall 23 substantially follows the path of the first material 24A around the brushroll 16. The sloped path has the pitch P angle that remains constant as the wall 23 wraps clockwise around the brushroll 16 between the first end 20A and the inflection point 20C. At the inflection point 20C, the pitch P angle changes by about 90 degrees relative to the axis 17. As the wall 23 wraps counter clockwise around the brushroll 16 between the inflection point 20C and the second end 20B, the pitch P angle remains constant. The wall 23 between the first end 20A and the inflection point 20C is substantially the same as the wall 23 between the inflection point 20C and the second end 20B when mirrored across the inflection point 20C along the axis 17. In the illustrated embodiment, an entire outer surface of the body 20 is covered by the first material 24A, second material 25A, third material 26A and the wall 23. Meaning that when the materials 24A, 25A, 26A are received on the brushroll 16, none of the outer surface of the body is exposed. In another embodiment, some of the body 20 (e.g., a portion of the body 20) is exposed or uncovered. In yet another embodiment, the entire outer surface of the body 20 is covered by only the first material 24A and the wall 23.
Referring now to
With reference to
With continued reference to
In some embodiments, the cover 54 is attached to the brushroll 16 so that the cover 54 may be pulled to pull the brushroll 16 through the aperture 60. That is, the brushroll 16 may be removed along with the cover 54. In such an embodiment, the cover 54 may be rotatable within the aperture 60 relative to the brushroll 16 to align with the radial groove 62 to lock and unlock the cover 54 from the housing 14.
Referring now to
The housing 14 may additionally include a plug 82, and a gear 86. The plug 82 includes slots 90 that engage with internal blades 94 of the brushroll 16 such that the plug 82 rotates with the brushroll 16. In the illustrated embodiment, the plug 82 further includes a circular opening 98 for receiving a shaft 102 connected to the cover 54 and the circular opening 98 includes a stopper 106 for preventing the cap 54 from being removed from the plug 82. In another embodiment, the cover 54 may be separated from the plug 82. In still another embodiment, the plug 82 is fixed to the brushroll 16 and the cover 54 is fixed to the plug.
The gear 86 includes gear teeth 110 that engage with roller teeth 114 on the inside of the brushroll 16. The gear 86 is driven by the driving mechanism 42 which rotates the gear teeth 110 to engage the roller teeth 114 to rotate the brushroll 16 relative to the base 12.
Although the present subject matter has been described in detail with reference to certain preferred embodiments, variations and modifications exist within the scope of one or more independent aspects of the subject matter as described.
Claims
1-20. (canceled)
21. A base of a vacuum cleaner, comprising:
- a housing having a suction opening, the base being configured to move along a surface to be cleaned; and
- a brushroll removable from and insertable into the housing and rotatable about an axis, the brushroll including a body, a first end, and a second end opposite the first end,
- wherein the housing includes an aperture defined by a cylindrical inner surface through which the brushroll is removable,
- wherein a plurality of teeth are spaced around the cylindrical inner surface and extend into the aperture defined by the cylindrical inner surface,
- wherein the plurality of teeth protrude radially inward from the cylindrical inner surface and subsequently protrude parallel with the axis and towards the brushroll located within the housing, and
- wherein the plurality of teeth are configured to collect debris from the brushroll when the brushroll is removed from the housing through the aperture.
22. The base according to claim 21,
- wherein each of the plurality of teeth defines a radial portion that extends radially inward from the cylindrical inner surface and an axial portion that extends axially towards the brushroll in the housing from the radial portion, and
- wherein a terminal end of the radial portion has the same width as a base end of the axial portion.
23. The base according to claim 22, wherein a terminal end of the axial portion is narrower than the base end of the axial portion.
24. The base according to claim 21, wherein the body of the brushroll includes a wall and a plurality of grooves that extend into the wall along a length of the body between the first end and the second end.
25. The base according to claim 24, further comprising a cleaning material received within a recess formed in the body of the brushroll.
26. The base according to claim 24, wherein the plurality of teeth are axially spaced apart from the plurality of grooves of the brushroll when the brushroll is installed within the housing.
27. The base according to claim 21, wherein the brushroll is removable through the aperture in a direction along the axis.
28. The base according to claim 21, wherein the teeth are formed integrally with the base.
29. The base according to claim 21, further comprising a handle coupled to the brushroll, positioned at the aperture, and configured to rotate relative to the aperture.
30. The base according to claim 21, further comprising a handle coupled to the brushroll, positioned at the aperture, and configured to rotate relative to the plurality of teeth.
31. A base of a vacuum cleaner, comprising:
- a housing having a suction opening, the housing being configured to move along a surface to be cleaned; and
- a brushroll removable from and insertable into the housing and rotatable about an axis, the brushroll including a body, a first end, and a second end opposite the first end,
- wherein the housing includes an aperture defined by a circumferential surface through which the brushroll is removable,
- wherein a plurality of teeth are spaced around the circumferential surface and protrude radially inward of the circumferential surface and subsequently protrude parallel with the axis towards the brushroll located within the housing, and
- wherein the plurality of teeth are configured to collect debris from the brushroll when the brushroll is removed from the housing through the aperture.
32. The base according to claim 31,
- wherein each of the plurality of teeth defines a radial portion that extends radially inward from the circumferential surface and an axial portion that extends axially towards the brushroll in the housing from the radial portion, and
- wherein a terminal end of the radial portion has the same width as a base end of the axial portion.
33. The base according to claim 32, wherein a terminal end of the axial portion is narrower than the base end of the axial portion.
34. The base according to claim 31, wherein the body of the brushroll includes a wall and a plurality of grooves that extend into the wall along a length of the body between the first end and the second end.
35. The base according to claim 34, further comprising a cleaning material received within a recess formed in the body of the brushroll.
36. The base according to claim 34, wherein the plurality of teeth are axially spaced apart from the plurality of grooves of the brushroll when the brushroll is installed within the housing.
37. The base according to claim 31, wherein the brushroll is removable through the aperture in a direction along the axis.
38. The base according to claim 31, wherein the teeth are formed integrally with the base.
39. The base according to claim 31, further comprising a handle coupled to the brushroll, positioned at the aperture, and configured to rotate relative to the aperture.
40. The base according to claim 31, further comprising a handle coupled to the brushroll, positioned at the aperture, and configured to rotate relative to the plurality of teeth.
Type: Application
Filed: Apr 26, 2023
Publication Date: Aug 17, 2023
Inventors: Brianna Williams (Greenville, SC), Stephen A. Hughett (Anderson, SC), Christopher M. Williams (Matthews, NC)
Application Number: 18/307,612