EP4591769A1

EP4591769A1 - Suction nozzle for vacuum cleaner

Info

Publication number: EP4591769A1
Application number: EP24154292.7A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Andreas Seufert; Zenon Florek
Original assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH
Current assignee: BSH Hausgeraete GmbH
Priority date: 2024-01-26
Filing date: 2024-01-26
Publication date: 2025-07-30

Abstract

A suction nozzle for a vacuum cleaner comprising: a main body, a stud for connecting the suction nozzle to the vacuum cleaner, front castors disposed on a bottom side of the main body and rear castors, a suction channel, a gear mechanism and a hinge movably connecting the main body to the stud wherein, each of the front castor has a castor socket which is mounted in the main body of the suction nozzle rotatable and which has a vertical axis of rotation (A).

The present invention enables a suction nozzle for a vacuum cleaner of an enhanced manoeuvrability thanks to providing a steering mechanism which cooperating with suction nozzle castors bring an improved agility and better comfort of using the device.

Description

The present invention relates to a suction nozzle for a vacuum cleaner comprising: a main body, a stud for connecting the suction nozzle to the vacuum cleaner, front castors disposed on a bottom side of the main body and rear castors, a suction channel, a gear mechanism and a hinge movably connecting the main body to the stud.
Suction nozzles also known as vacuum cleaner heads are used for cleaning carpets or hard floors and are well known from the state of the art. The suction nozzle is connected to a vacuum cleaner by a rigid tube and flexible hose in standard type vacuum cleaner or the suction nozzle is connected to the vacuum cleaner only by a rigid tube in a handheld type of vacuum cleaners. In case of standard vacuum cleaners a steering grip is provided to make the manoeuvring of the suction nozzle possible. In case of handheld vacuum cleaners the vacuum unit is a steering handle at the same time. Usually, suction nozzles are provided with castors making the cleaning unit manoeuvrable for user. Suction nozzle castors plays an important role in ensuring effective and easy cleaning. Typically, the castors rotation axis has fixed orientation or undefined degree of freedom in relation to the suction nozzle. The castors facilitates the movement of the suction nozzle along the cleaning surface in a straight direction but when the nozzle is pushed by an obstacle into a lateral direction and the user keeps moving the nozzle straight, a relative movement between the main body of the suction nozzle and the rear castors which have a fixed orientation in relation to the main body occurs. Such movement of the suction nozzle leads to slipping castors, wear and bad manoeuvrability in general.
The patent document DE 101 44 129 A1 discloses a nozzle for a vacuum cleaner, in particular a hard floor nozzle, with a nozzle head resting on the floor and a nozzle body connecting the nozzle head to a vacuum cleaner, wherein a connection piece is formed on the nozzle body and the nozzle as a whole can be moved by means of rollers or via sliding surfaces, and wherein a suction channel is provided which, extending from the connection piece through the nozzle body, opens into the nozzle head. In order to further design a nozzle for a vacuum cleaner of the type in question in an advantageous manner, in such a way that improved edge suction, for example along skirting boards, and improved accessibility in corners and niches are achieved, it is proposed that the nozzle head can be pivoted relative to the nozzle body.
The patent document KR 10 0 783 156 B1 discloses a robot cleaner with a robot cleaner main body having a plurality of drive wheels disposed at a lower portion thereof; a suction port rotatable installed at a predetermined angle on a front surface of the main body and adapted to suck foreign substances from a clean surface. A robot cleaner have a steering wheel that moves in accordance with a traveling direction of a main body. The steering wheel and the suction port are interlocked with each other so that the suction port is rotated while the robot cleaner main body is running, and the steering wheel is interlocked to adjust the traveling direction.
The patent document WO 2003 055 370 A1 discloses a vacuum cleaner or the like comprising a suction hose and a body including at least a front wheel and at least a rear wheel, the latter having an orientation (R) capable of being modified relative to the vacuum cleaner body. The vacuum cleaner comprises a link between said at least one rear wheel and an orientation-sensitive member, relative to the vacuum cleaner body, by an action exerted by a user on said member to displace the vacuum cleaner body on the floor.
The patent document EP 1 110 496 B1 discloses the floor suction jet has a housing provided with an air channel, an attached connection fitting for a suction hose, which pivots about a horizontal axis and a suction head having a suction mouth brought into contact with the floor, pivoted about a vertical axis on the opposite side of the housing to the connection fitting. The housing is supported from the floor by a roller outside the pivot range of the suction head.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a suction nozzle for a vacuum cleaner of an enhanced manoeuvrability.
This object is solved by a suction nozzle for a vacuum cleaner where each of the front castor has a castor socket which is mounted rotatable in the main body of the suction nozzle and which has a vertical axis of rotation (A).
A suction nozzle is a part of the vacuum cleaner through which a dirt from a cleaning surface is picked up and transferred to the vacuum cleaner in order to be removed. The suction nozzle has a main body which is connected movably to the stud. The stud receives a rigid tube through which the suction nozzle is connected to the vacuum cleaner. The suction nozzle main body is connected to the stud movably by a hinge. The hinge allows the suction nozzle to move straight of laterally in relation to the steering direction which means that the main body is able to change its position in relation to the stud. The stud acts as an extension of the tube. Thanks to this connection, a certain flexibility of the suction nozzle main body in relation to the stud is possible in order to avoid obstacles, between chairs or reach niches and narrow spaces easily during vacuuming process. The main body is a part of the suction nozzle in which all components e.g. a suction channel, a bristle roller, castors, a gear mechanism etc. are placed. The suction nozzle has a pair of rear castors which have a fixed orientation with respect to the stud. The aim of the rear castors is to make the movement of the suction nozzle along the floor or other cleaning surface possible. The front castors are provided at the bottom side of the suction nozzle main body and are provided to facilitate non-straight movement of the suction nozzle. Each of the front castor has a castor socket. Each castor socket has two pins which are inserted into the castor central opening to make the castor movement possible. The castor can be mounted into the castor socked by other known means. Each of the castor socket is mounted in the main body of the suction nozzle rotatable around a vertical axis of rotation. The positive effect is that the front castors can rotate in relation to the main body of the suction nozzle and change its position when the suction nozzle turns right or left in order to omit an obstacle or just in order in case of changing direction of the nozzle. Front castors direction is opposite to the direction of the suction nozzle so the front castors slipping effect is eliminated and the manoeuvrability of the suction nozzle is enhanced resulting in better user experience of the device.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the gear mechanism comprises a main gear wheel, at least two first gear wheels and at least two second gear wheels. The first gear wheel has an upper toothed portion and a lower toothed portion.
The gear mechanism is a part that transmits the relative movement between the stud and the main body of the suction nozzle to the movement of the castor sockets around a vertical axis of rotation A. The gear mechanism comprises a main gear wheel which is fixedly connected to the stud. The main gear wheel is placed in the central part of the main body and cooperates with two first wheels placed on both side of the main wheel. Both of first gear wheels have an upper toothed portion which cooperates with the main gear wheel and a lower toothed portion which cooperates with the second gear wheel. By such cooperation a movement from the stud is transferred to the second gear wheels. The first gear wheel creates a pair with the second gear wheel on one side of the main gear wheel and the same pair is created on the other side of the main gear wheel. Thanks to the gear mechanism manoeuvring of the suction nozzle is possible.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention each of the second gear wheel of the gear mechanism is fixedly connected to one castor socket. The positive effect is that the castor socket in which the front castor is placed is able to turn around its vertical axis so the front castor can change its direction which results in much better manoeuvrability of the suction nozzle in comparison to the suction nozzles equipped with standard castors. Thanks to the pivotal castor sockets, much less force has to be applied by the user to push the suction nozzle in comparison to the suction nozzles with fixed front castors.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention the hinge comprises a connecting ring which connects the stud to the main body of the suction nozzle. The stud part is fixedly coupled to the connecting ring. On the connecting ring, the main gear wheel is fixedly seated in order to transfer the relative movement of the stud and the main body to the front castors through the castors sockets. The positive effect is an agile suction nozzle, efficient in cleaning and giving a positive perception of the device.
The present invention enables a suction nozzle for a vacuum cleaner of an enhanced manoeuvrability thanks to providing a steering mechanism which cooperating with suction nozzle castors bring an improved agility and better comfort of using the device.
The construction of the invention, however, together with additional objects and corresponding advantages will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments and in connection with the accompanying drawing.
In the drawing:

Fig. 1: shows a suction nozzle side view
Fig. 2: shows a bottom view of the suction nozzle in a flexed position
Fig. 3: shows the suction nozzle gear mechanism

In cooperation with attached drawing, the technical contents and detailed description of the present invention are described thereinafter according to a preferable embodiment being not used to limit its executing scope. Any equivalent variation and modification made according to appended claims is all covered by the claims claimed by the present invention.
In the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, similar identical reference numbers designate identical of comparable components.
Fig. 1 shows a suction nozzle 10 for a vacuum cleaner (not shown on the figure) in a side view. The suction nozzle 10 has a main body 11 which is connected to a stud 12 by a hinge 13. The stud 12 is a part of the suction nozzle 10 through which the main body 11 is connected to the vacuum cleaner what means that the main body 11 is able to change its position in relation to the stud 12. The stud 12 is an extension of the vacuum cleaner tube (not shown on the figure) which determines the steering direction chosen by the user. The suction nozzle 10 has a pair of front castors 20 and a pair of rear castors 22. Each of front castor 20 has a castor socket 21 which are pivotally mounted in the main body 11. Each of front castor 20 are mounted in the castor socket 21. Rear castors 22 are mounted in a fixed position in relation to the main body 11 and are provided as support for the suction nozzle 10 and make the movement along the cleaning surface easier. The main body 11 has a gear mechanism 30 for transmitting the relative movement between the stud 12 and the main body 11 to castor sockets 21.
Fig. 2 shows a bottom view of the suction nozzle 10 in a flexed position. Flexed position of the suction nozzle 10 is when the main body 11 is in angled position in relation to the stud 12. In such position the direction of front castors 20 are opposite to the direction of the main body 11 of the suction nozzle 10 what provides elimination of front castors 20 slipping effect and enhance the manoeuvrability of the suction nozzle 10.
Fig. 3 shows the suction nozzle 10 gear mechanism 30 which makes possible castor sockets 21 revolution around the rotation axis A. The gear mechanism 30 consist of a main gear wheel 31, two first gear wheels 32 and two second gear wheels 35. The main gear wheel 31 is placed in the central part of the main body 11 and is seated on a shaft on which a connecting ring 15 of a hinge 13 is also seated. The hinge 13 is a simple mechanism which allows to change the relative position between the stud 12 and the main body 11 and which consist of the connecting ring 15 which is mounted on a shaft. The stud 12 is fixedly connected to the connecting ring 15. Changing the relative position between the stud 12 and the main body 11 results in revolution of castor sockets 21 each provided with the front castor 20 thanks to the fear mechanism 30. Thanks to castor sockets 21 which are able to revolve around rotation axis A, front castors 20 are steerable and perform an opposite movement when the suction nozzle 10 turns left or right and keep their movement straight what means straight to the pushing force applied by the user. The main gear wheel 31 cooperates with the first gear wheel 32. The first gear wheel 32 cooperates with the second gear wheel 35 which is fixedly connected with the castor socket 21 which pivots around rotation axis A and the rotation angle of the castor socket 21 depends on the angle between the stud 12 and the main body 11.
The first gear wheel 32 has an upper toothed portion 33 and a lower toothed portion 34. The upper toothed portion 33 cooperates with the main gear wheel 31 and the lower toothed portion 34 cooperates with the second gear wheel 35. In such way the gear mechanism 30 transfers the movement from the stud 12 to front castors 20.
The suction nozzle 10 has a suction channel 14 through which the dirt from the cleaned surface is picked up and transferred to the vacuum cleaner (not shown on the figure). The suction channel 14 starts in the main body 11, goes through the connecting ring 15 and next through the stud 12 to the vacuum cleaner.
Each of castor socket 21 has two pins which are inserted into the front castor 20 central opening in order to make the revolution the front castor 20 possible.
The present invention enables a suction nozzle for a vacuum cleaner of an enhanced manoeuvrability thanks to providing a steering mechanism which cooperating with suction nozzle castors bring an improved agility and better comfort of using the device.

REFERENCE SIGNS

10: suction nozzle
11: main body
12: stud
13: hinge
14: suction channel
15: connecting ring

20: front castor
21: castor socket
22: rear castor

30: gear mechanism
31: main gear wheel
32: first gear wheel
33: upper toothed portion
34: lower toothed portion
35: second gear wheel

A: rotation axis of a castor socket (21)

Claims

A suction nozzle (10) for a vacuum cleaner comprising: a main body (11), a stud (12) for connecting the suction nozzle (10) to the vacuum cleaner, front castors (20) disposed on a bottom side of the main body (11) and rear castors (22), a suction channel (14), a gear mechanism (30) and a hinge (13) movably connecting the main body (11) to the stud (12) characterized in that each of the front castor (20) has a castor socket (21) which is mounted rotatable in the main body (11) of the suction nozzle (10) and which has a vertical axis of rotation (A).
The suction nozzle (10) for a vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, characterized in that the gear mechanism (30) comprises a main gear wheel (31), at least two first gear wheels (32) and at least two second gear wheels (35).
The suction nozzle (10) for a vacuum cleaner according to any of preceding claims, characterized in that the first gear wheel (32) has an upper toothed portion (33) and a lower toothed portion (34).
The suction nozzle (10) for a vacuum cleaner according to any of preceding claims, characterized in that each of the second gear wheel (35) of the gear mechanism (30) is fixedly connected to one castor socket (21).
The suction nozzle (10) for a vacuum cleaner according to any of preceding claims, characterized in that the hinge (13) comprises a connecting ring (15) which connects the stud (12) to the main body (11) of the suction nozzle (10).