HK1060503B - Floor nozzle for vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Description

Floor nozzle for vacuum cleaner

Technical Field

The invention relates to a floor nozzle for a vacuum cleaner with a cleaning head, having a substantially rectangular base with two narrow sides and two broad sides, and which is provided at its bottom side with a suction nozzle for cleaning a floor surface by means of vacuum, which suction nozzle extends over the entire width of the cleaning head, at least one cleaning element for cleaning vertical surfaces, wherein the cleaning element is provided on a substantially stable carrier connected to the outside of the cleaning head, with a cleaning surface arranged at a lateral spacing. The floor nozzle can be operated in the form of a static floor nozzle without rotating parts, on the underside of which a sliding bottom and a nozzle made in the form of a channel are arranged. Other brush arrangements provided with a rotatably driven brush roller also fall within the scope of this term. The brush roller is arranged in a brush roller chamber of the suction head, and an opening constituting a suction nozzle is provided on the floor surface side of the suction head. The brush device may be provided with a movable suction pipe connection member and a suction pipe manufactured in the form of a lever. Within the scope of the invention, it is also possible to consider: the floor nozzle is a fixed part of the vacuum cleaner, which is also shown as an upright vacuum cleaner.

Background

A floor cleaning nozzle having the above characteristics is disclosed in us patent 4198727. In the front region of the outer surface of the cleaning head, the floor nozzle is provided with a brush holder in the form of a U which is arranged at a distance in the transverse direction, while the cleaning head is positioned in the longitudinal direction with respect to the working direction. In the bristle holder, the dust suction head is provided with a round hole which is spaced from the floor surface by a certain distance and sucks dust particles scattered by the bristle holder. If the brush has a small horizontal extension, it can be difficult to slide the floor nozzle over a wall surface or a vertical surface to be cleaned. Accordingly, there is a need for improved cleaning operations on vertical surfaces. In addition, the outer surface of the cleaning head may rub against a wall surface and may also scratch the wall surface when vacuuming floor surface areas adjacent to walls and sensitive surfaces.

DE9013080U1 discloses a floor nozzle with a cleaning head, around the outer surface of which a continuous bristle strip is arranged for cleaning vertical surfaces. With such floor nozzles, cleaning is limited because the brush and vacuum functions cannot be coordinated with each other.

Us 6381802B1 discloses a floor nozzle for a vacuum cleaner having a cleaning head with a suction nozzle at the underside for vacuum cleaning a floor surface and a plurality of brushes on the outside of the cleaning head for cleaning the edge surface of the floor. The floor nozzle includes a rotating brush roller. The brush should be able to clean areas that the brush roller does not touch. The device is not provided with components that enable vacuum cleaning of vertical surfaces.

Us 4888852 discloses a floor nozzle for a vacuum cleaner having a cleaning head, the device being provided with a suction nozzle extending across the width of the cleaning head. On this device, no cleaning surface for cleaning skirting boards is installed.

In practice, floor nozzles are also known, the outside of the cleaning head of which is covered by narrow strips, in particular of soft PVC. The above-mentioned components are used to prevent the outer wall or components of the furniture from being hit, thus avoiding the problem of scratching. They are either attached to the cleaning head in a non-removable manner or are only attached removably with great effort.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a floor nozzle for a vacuum cleaner, which can effectively and selectively clean a vertical surface at the same time when vacuum cleaning a floor surface located in a region near a wall using the apparatus.

Starting from a floor nozzle with the above-mentioned features, this problem is solved by the invention in the following manner: the cleaning surface extends substantially the entire height of the cleaning head and also extends along the narrow and wide sides of the cleaning head which define the bottom boundary; the suction nozzle arranged at the narrow side of the suction head is provided with an inflow opening for vacuum cleaning of the edge of the floor surface. With the device of the invention, a wide strip area on the wall can be cleaned. The holder is preferably detachably connected to the outside, so that the cleaning elements arranged on the holder can be flexibly used. The dust suction performance of the dust suction head is not influenced by the bracket. With the above-mentioned features of the invention, it is possible to clean very easily the skirting area, the furniture parts, the skirting boards, etc. bordering the floor surface while vacuuming the floor surface close to the wall, and in practice this depends on the material used for the bracket parts, e.g. from a soft material with a polishing function or from brushes for removing textile coatings. The cleaning member may be made as a brush, flexible PVC tape, fabric tape or flexible foam. However, the cleaning member may have a plush surface or a surface covered with fibers. The cleaning component and the bracket are always fixedly connected. The holder and the cleaning element attached to the holder preferably form a replaceable attachment for a floor nozzle. The nozzle extending over the entire width of the cleaning head and the front nozzle edge, on which a plurality of inflow openings are provided on the narrow side of the cleaning head, make it possible to efficiently suck dust particles from a vertical surface with the aid of the cleaning element. Since the cleaning element can have a great length, the floor nozzle can be guided well over a vertical surface, so that the cleaning effect is further increased. In addition, scratching or damage to sensitive vertical surfaces can be substantially avoided.

The holder can be connected to the cleaning head with a positive fit (positive fit), for example, by means of a dovetail guide, a clip connection or a detent connection and the like. Furthermore, it is also possible within the scope of the invention for the holder to be connected together in a friction-locking manner, for example by means of a threaded connection. Non-detachable connections, such as by adhesive, are also intended to fall within the scope of the present invention. The bracket is preferably provided with a raised portion adapted to cooperate with the attachment region of the cleaner head.

The concept of the invention is applicable to devices with a brush arrangement and static floor nozzles and can be designed in the required manner with reference to the arrangement of the cleaning head. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cleaning elements are arranged on associated brackets which are in turn arranged on two outer surfaces of the cleaning head, said outer surfaces of the cleaning head being positioned in a longitudinal direction constituting the narrow sides with respect to the cleaning direction. This makes it possible to suck dust particles falling during cleaning of the skirting board directly into the inflow opening of the suction nozzle located on the narrow side of the suction head during a normal suction operation.

Another similar preferred embodiment of the invention considers: the dust collection head is provided with a dust collection pipe connecting piece which can move around two axes, and the dust collection head can be positioned along the transverse direction and the longitudinal direction relative to the dust collection direction by operating the dust collection pipe connecting piece; furthermore, the cleaning elements and associated brackets are located on the broad sides of the cleaner head. The front nozzle edge of the cleaning head serves to efficiently suck up dust particles scattered by the cleaning member.

The concept of the invention has further advantages when applied to floor nozzles, the cleaning head of which is connected to a housing provided with a cleaning channel in a manner rotatable about a vertical axis. The user can determine whether to use the cleaning elements when vacuum cleaning the adjacent area of the wall by rotating the cleaning head.

According to the invention, cleaning elements made in different ways can be mounted on the relevant support outside the cleaning head. Thus, different cleaning elements can be selectively used during cleaning, so that brushing can be associated with polishing by corresponding rotation of the cleaning head. However, two different parts may be provided along an outer side of the cleaner head, so that brushing and polishing operations can be performed simultaneously on the edge region adjacent the foot in one operation when cleaning.

Drawings

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a floor nozzle provided with replaceable outer cleaning elements;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a floor nozzle with replaceable cleaning elements disposed on both narrow sides of the cleaning head;

figures 3 to 5 show other embodiments of floor cleaning nozzles incorporating the present invention.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Fig. 1 shows a floor nozzle for a vacuum cleaner with a cleaning head 1, on the underside of which a suction nozzle 2 for vacuum cleaning a floor surface 3 is arranged, and on the outside of the cleaning head 1 a support 4, which is stable in itself, is detachably connected. The cleaning element 5 is provided with a cleaning surface 14 arranged laterally at a distance from it, which surface can be adjusted to the height position of the skirting board 6 for cleaning the vertical surface of the skirting board 6. The suction nozzle 2 extends over the entire width of the cleaning head 1 and across the narrow side of the cleaning head 1 as an inflow opening 7 for vacuum cleaning the edge of a floor surface. The inlet opening 7 is a recess opening into the floor surface and provided at the underside of the cleaner head. In this embodiment, dust particles scattered by the cleaning member 5 on the skirting board 6 will be carried away by the suction air generated at the inflow opening 7. In the embodiment shown in fig. 1, the holder 4 is fitted with a brush which is used as the cleaning member 5. The holder 4 is connected to the cleaner head 1 in a rigid mounting and can be replaced as an accessory. The holder 4 may also be replaced by a holder with another cleaning member. The cleaning element is provided with a plush surface in the form of a flexible PVC strip, a textile strip or a flexible foam, or a fabric-covered surface is also conceivable.

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a floor cleaning nozzle in which the cleaning head 1 has a substantially rectangular base and the bracket 4 with associated cleaning elements 5 is provided on both narrow sides 11, 11 'of the cleaning head 1, the narrow sides 11, 11' of the cleaning head 1 being oriented longitudinally with respect to the direction of cleaning. The cleaning surface 14 of the cleaning member 5 has a large surface area and extends over substantially the entire narrow side 11, 11'. An inlet for edge suction of the floor surface is provided below the cleaning surface 14. In figure 2 the inlet opening is covered and comprises a recess which opens towards the floor surface and which is provided in the lower edge of the cleaning head. The inflow opening leads to the suction nozzle.

Fig. 3 shows a perspective view of a floor nozzle, the cleaning head 1 of which has a substantially rectangular base and a cleaning tube connection 9, which cleaning tube connection 9 is movable about two axes 8, 8. The holder 4 provided with the cleaning elements 5 is arranged on the broad side 12 of the housing of the cleaning head. The cleaning element 5 can be manufactured, for example, in the form of a flexible PVC strip. The cleaning surface 14 of the cleaning member 5 extends over substantially the entire surface of the broad side 12 of the housing. On the narrow side of the cleaning head, an inflow opening 7 for edge cleaning of the floor surface is provided, which is made as a recess on the lower edge of the cleaning head and which opens into the floor surface. In the illustrated embodiment, the suction tube connection 9 is rotatable through an angle of more than 90 degrees about a horizontal axis, which enables the cleaning head 1 to have two operating orientations on one broad side 12 of the housing.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a floor cleaning nozzle in which the cleaning head 1 is connected to a housing 10 by a cleaning channel which is rotatable about a vertical axis 8 "and has a substantially rectangular base. The holder 4 provided with the cleaning member 5 is arranged outside the cleaner head 1 along a side 12 defining a bottom boundary. The cleaning member 5 may have a plush surface, for example. On the narrow side of the cleaning head, an inflow opening 7 can be seen.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a floor nozzle whose cleaning head 1 has a substantially rectangular base. In the housing broad sides 12, 12 ', there are provided holders with differently configured cleaning elements 5, 5'. The cleaning element 5 can be manufactured, for example, in the form of a flexible PVC strip, while the cleaning element 5' can be manufactured in the form of a brush. Furthermore, the cleaning surface 14, 14 'of the cleaning member 5, 5' can extend over substantially the entire broad side of the housing on both sides.

These embodiments relate to static floor cleaning nozzles. However, the concept of the present invention is also applicable to other brush arrangements.

Claims (14)

1. Floor nozzle for a vacuum cleaner with a cleaning head (1), which is provided with a substantially rectangular bottom with two narrow sides (11, 11 ') and two wider sides (12, 12 '), and on the bottom side of which a suction nozzle (2) for vacuum cleaning floor surfaces is arranged, which extends over the entire width of the cleaning head (1), and at least one cleaning element (5) for cleaning vertical surfaces, wherein the cleaning element (5) is mounted on a support (4) which is stable in itself and which is connected to the outside of the cleaning head (1), with a cleaning surface (14, 14 ') which is arranged at a lateral spacing, characterized in that: said cleaning surface (14, 14 ') extending substantially over the entire height of the cleaning head (1) and along a narrow side (11, 11 ') or a wide side (12, 12 ') of the cleaning head delimiting the bottom; the suction nozzle (2) has a plurality of inflow openings (7) which are arranged on the narrow sides (11, 11') of the cleaning head (1), said inflow openings (7) being used for vacuum cleaning of edge portions of a floor surface.

2. The floor nozzle of claim 1, wherein: the cleaning elements (5) are arranged on the associated holder (4), and the holder (4) is arranged on two outer surfaces of the cleaning head which are oriented longitudinally with respect to the cleaning direction and which form narrow side surfaces (11, 11').

3. The floor nozzle of claim 1, wherein: the cleaning head (1) is provided with a cleaning tube connection which can be moved about two axes (8, 8') and which can be actuated to position the cleaning head (1) transversely and longitudinally with respect to the cleaning direction; the cleaning elements (5) are arranged on associated supports (4) on the broad sides (12, 12') of the cleaning head.

4. The floor nozzle of claim 1, wherein: the cleaning head (1) is connected to a cleaning channel in a manner such that it can be rotated about a vertical axis (8') on a housing (10).

5. The floor nozzle of claim 1, wherein: two cleaning elements (5, 5') of different design are each arranged on an associated support (4) located outside the cleaning head (1).

6. The floor nozzle of claim 1, wherein: the bracket (4) is connected with the dust collection head in a rigid matching mode.

7. The floor nozzle of claim 1, wherein: the bracket (4) is locked on the dust collection head (1) through friction force.

8. The floor nozzle of claim 1, wherein: the holder (4) has a raised portion adapted to cooperate with the attachment region of the cleaner head (1).

9. A floor nozzle according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: the cleaning member (5) is made as a brush.

10. A floor nozzle according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: the cleaning member (5) is provided with a long pile surface.

11. A floor nozzle according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: the cleaning member (5) is made as a soft PVC tape.

12. A floor nozzle according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: the cleaning element (5) is produced as a fabric strip.

13. A floor nozzle according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: the cleaning member (5) is provided with a surface formed by covering fibers.

14. A floor nozzle according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: the cleaning element (5) is produced as a flexible foam.