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(11) | EP 2 218 385 A2 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | Nozzle unit for a vacuum cleaner |
| (57) A nozzle unit (100), having a brush body (110), a brush cover (130) mounted on the
brush body, a suction port (115) formed on the brush body, and a hair removal unit
(150), is provided. The hair removal unit (150) includes at least two hair removal
members (151, 153) that are disposed apart from each other; and the at least two hair
removal members rotate with respect to the brush body (110) when the nozzle unit (100)
moves forward and backward, alternately contacting a surface (50) being cleaned, thereby
removing dirt or fibrous contaminants from the surface.
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[0001] The invention relates to a nozzle unit, in particular to a nozzle unit of a vacuum cleaner, which draws in dust-carrying air from a surface using a suction force generated by the vacuum cleaner.
[0002] Known vacuum cleaners include a nozzle unit which draws in dust-carrying air from a surface. The nozzle unit including a suction port contacts the surface and draws in dirt or dust from the surface.
[0003] When a vacuum generator of a cleaner body operates to generate a suction force, a suction port draws in the dust from a surface. However, it is difficult to efficiently remove fibrous dirt such as pet hair (hereinafter referred to as "fibrous contaminants") or to other dirt when the vacuum cleaner cleans the surface (which may be a carpet or a rug) using only the suction force. It is desirable for the fibrous contaminants on the surface to be lumped or collected together and then to be drawn in.
[0004] An aim of the invention is to provide a nozzle unit of a vacuum cleaner which efficiently draws in hair from a surface.
[0005] According to an exemplary aspect of the present invention, there is provided a nozzle unit of a vacuum cleaner, which includes a brush body, a brush cover mounted on the brush body, a suction port formed in the brush body, and a hair removal unit, wherein: the hair removal unit includes at least two hair removal members that are disposed apart from each other; and the at least two hair removal members rotate with respect to the brush body when the nozzle unit moves forward or backward, alternately contacting a surface being cleaned, thereby removing dirt or fibrous contaminants from the surface.
[0006] The hair removal unit may transfer at least some of the dirt or fibrous contaminants removed from the surface (50) being cleaned to the suction port (115) when the nozzle unit (100) moves forward or backward.
[0007] The nozzle unit may further comprise a rotatable drum that is rotatably mounted on the brush body, and which has a semi-circular profile.
[0008] The at least two hair removal members may be mounted on both sides of the rotatable drum, and rotate along with the rotatable drum.
[0009] The at least two hair removal members may include directional bristles. The bristles may be inclined at opposite directions relative to a horizontal.
[0010] The nozzle unit may further comprise at least two dusters that remove the dirt or fibrous contaminants off the at least two hair removal members, wherein the at least two dusters include bristles that are inclined at opposite directions to each other. The at least two dusters may be mounted on the brush body and the brush cover.
[0011] The rotatable drum may include a rotation leading member, and the rotation leading member contacts the surface being cleaned, and rotates the rotatable drum when the nozzle unit moves forward or backward.
[0012] The nozzle unit may further comprise a rotatable brush (116) that is mounted on the nozzle unit (100) adjacent to the suction port (115).
[0013] The nozzle unit may further comprise a turbine fan that rotates the rotatable brush, wherein the brush cover comprises a plurality of air inlets formed therein, and wherein external air flows into the nozzle unit through the plurality of air inlets, and drives the turbine fan.
[0014] According to an exemplary aspect of the present invention, there is provided a nozzle unit of a vacuum cleaner comprising a brush body on which a suction port is formed; a brush cover that is mounted on the brush body; a rotatable drum that is rotatably mounted on the brush body or the brush cover, and of which at least a part of the rotatable drum has a semi-circular profile; a hair removal member that is mounted on the rotatable drum; and a duster that remove fibrous contaminants off the hair removal member.
[0015] The duster may be mounted on the brush body. A side surface of the rotatable drum may be formed in an approximate semicircular shape.
[0017] As described above, according to embodiments of the present invention, when the nozzle unit moves forward or backward, the hair removal member rotates, alternately contacting a surface thereby efficiently removing fibrous contaminants from the surface.
[0018] The hair removal unit removes fibrous contaminants using the duster without contacting the surface being cleaned. Therefore, the hair removal unit is always clean when contacting the surface with enhanced cleaning efficiency.
[0019] The invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of example with the drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a nozzle unit constructed according to the invention;
FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a bottom surface of the nozzle unit;
FIG. 3 is a view of a hair removal unit mounted on a rotating drum;
FIG. 4 is a sectional view in which the nozzle unit moves forward; and
FIG. 5 is a sectional view in which the nozzle unit moves backward.
[0020] In the following description, the same reference numerals are used for the same elements even in different drawings. The matters defined in the description, such as detailed construction and elements, are provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of the invention. Thus, it is apparent that the present invention can be carried out without those specifically defined matters. Also, well-known functions or constructions are not described in detail since they would obscure the disclosure with unnecessary detail.
[0021] Referring to FIG. 1, the nozzle unit 100 is mounted on a conventional canister vacuum cleaner 1. The canister vacuum cleaner 1 comprises a cleaner body 10 having a suction motor (not shown) and a dust-separating unit (not shown) therein, a hose 20 connected to the cleaner body 10, and an extension pipe assembly 40 having a handle 30. The nozzle unit 100 is connected to the canister vacuum cleaner 1 shown in FIG. 1, but is not limited thereto. The nozzle unit 100 may be applied to an upright vacuum cleaner or other vacuum cleaners.
[0022] The nozzle unit 100 includes a brush body 110, a brush cover 130, and a fibrous dirt or hair removal unit 150 (see FIG. 3), which is referred to herein as a hair removal unit.
[0023] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the brush body 110 is connected to the extension pipe assembly 40 through a connector 111 attached to a lower end of the brush body 110, and is in fluid communication with the extension pipe assembly 40. The brush body 110 supports main wheels 113a, 113b at both sides of a rear portion, and auxiliary wheels 114a, 114b at a bottom surface of a front portion.
[0024] A suction port 115 is formed on the front bottom surface of the brush body 110 in a direction parallel to a width of the brush body to draw in the dust from a surface to be cleaned. A rotatable brush 116, of which opposite ends are rotatably supported in the brush body 110, is disposed inside the suction port 115. Bristles 116a disposed along a periphery of the rotatable brush 116 in a spiral.
[0025] Referring to FIG. 4, the brush body 110 includes a turbine fan 117 that rotates the rotatable brush 116 by applying a rotating force to the rotatable brush. The turbine fan 117 is connected to the rotatable brush 116 through a belt 117a, so that the belt transfers the rotating force of the turbine fan to the rotatable brush.
[0026] An opening 118 is formed on the bottom surface of the brush body 110. The opening 118 is disposed approximately parallel to a front portion of the suction port 115 at a predetermined distance therefrom. The length of the opening 118 is approximately equal to the length of the suction port 115. A rotatable drum 155, to which the hair removal unit 150 is attached, is mounted in the opening 118.
[0027] The brush cover 130 is mounted on the brush body 110 to cover a top portion of the brush body 110. The brush cover 130 has a space 131 at a front portion so that the rotatable drum 155 rotates therein. A plurality of air inlets 133 are formed on a part of the brush cover 130 corresponding to a position of the turbine fan 117. Air outside the nozzle unit 100 flows into the nozzle unit 100 through the plurality of air inlets 133, and drives the turbine fan 117.
[0028] Referring to FIGS. 3 to 5, when the nozzle unit 100 moves forward, that is, in a direction indicated by arrow F (see FIG. 4), or moves backward, that is, in a direction indicated by arrow B (see FIG. 5), the hair removal unit 150 removes dust or fibrous contaminants such as pet hair from a surface to be cleaned 50 while rotating with respect to the brush body 110 and contacting the surface alternately.
[0029] The hair removal unit 150 includes first and second hair removal members 151, 153. The first hair removal member 151 is attached to a periphery of the rotatable drum 155 corresponding to the forward direction (the direction indicated by arrow F) of the nozzle unit 100. The second hair removal member 153 is attached to a periphery of the rotatable drum 155 corresponding to the backward direction (the direction indicated by arrow B) of the nozzle unit 100. The length of the first and second hair removal members 151, 153 may be equal to or shorter than the length of the rotatable drum 155.
[0030] The first and second hair removal members 151, 153 include directional bristles 151a, 153a, respectively. These bristles 151a, 153a are inclined in opposite directions to each other. That is, the bristles 151a of the first hair removal member 151 are inclined towards the backward direction (the direction indicated by arrow B) of the nozzle unit 110, and the bristles 153a of the second hair removal member 153 are inclined towards the forward direction (the direction indicated by arrow F) of the nozzle unit 110. Accordingly, if a user moves the nozzle unit 100 forward (the direction indicated by arrow F), the bristles 151a of the first hair removal member 151 may lift off dirt or fibrous contaminants from the surface 50 and, if a user moves the nozzle unit 100 backward (in the direction indicated by arrow B), the bristles 153a of the second hair removal member 153 may lift off dirt or fibrous contaminants from the surface.
[0031] Hinge protrusions 155b, 155c that are formed on both ends of the rotatable drum 155 are rotatably mounted inside the brush body 110. The rotatable drum 155 has a semicircular shape in profile. In a further embodiment, the rotatable drum is formed as a portion of a cylinder. A periphery 155a of the rotatable drum 155 is disposed to be opposed to the surface 50 so that the first and second hair removal members 151, 153 attached to the periphery of the rotating drum contact the surface 50 through the opening 118 and clean the surface.
[0032] A rotation leading member 156 is mounted on the circumferential centre of the periphery 155a of the rotatable drum 155 along the length of the rotatable drum.
[0033] When the nozzle unit 100 moves forward (the direction indicated by arrow F) or backward (the direction indicated by arrow B), the rotation leading member 156 rotates the rotatable drum 155 in an opposite direction to the movement of the nozzle unit 100 because a bottom end 156a of the rotation leading unit contacts the surface being cleaned 50. The first and second hair removal members 151, 153 that rotate along with the rotatable drum 155 remove dirt or fibrous contaminants from the surface being cleaned 50 by alternately contacting the surface . In this case, at least part of the dust stuck to the first and second hair removal members 151, 153 is drawn into the suction port 115 by a suction force.
[0034] A first duster 157 is disposed on a portion inside the brush cover 130, and a second duster 159 is disposed on a portion of the brush body 110. The first and second dusters 157, 159 remove dirt or fibrous contaminants off the corresponding first and second hair removal members 151, 153 respectively, when the rotatable drum 155 rotates in either direction.
[0035] At least part of the dirt or fibrous contaminants detached from the first and second hair removal members 151, 153 is drawn into the extension pipe assembly 40 through an inflow passage 135 connecting the space 131, the rotatable brush 116, and the turbine fan 117 by a suction force, and then finally enters the dust-separating unit (not shown) mounted on the cleaner body 10.
[0036] The operation of the nozzle unit 100 of the present invention will be explained with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.
[0037] The turbine fan 117 is rotated by air flowing through the plurality of air inlets 133 when the vacuum cleaner operates, and the rotating force generated by the turbine fan is transferred to the rotatable brush 116 through the belt 117a. The rotatable brush 116 rakes off dirt or fibrous contaminants from the surface being cleaned 50 while rotating, and the dirt or fibrous contaminants flows into the suction port 115.
[0038] If a user moves the nozzle unit 100 forward (the direction indicated by arrow F) as shown in FIG. 4, the rotatable drum 155 pivots due to the hinge protrusions 155b, 155c at a predetermined angle in the backward direction (the direction indicated by arrow B) of the nozzle unit 100 while the bottom end 156a of the rotation leading unit 156 rubs the surface being cleaned 50.
[0039] The first hair removal member 151 is opposed to the surface along with the rotatable drum 155. The bristles 151a of the first hair removal member, entangled with dirt or fibrous contaminants from the surface being cleaned 50, brought into contact with the duster 157 while the nozzle unit 100 moves forward (the direction indicated by arrow F), and thus remove the fibrous contaminants from the surface.
[0040] If a user moves the nozzle unit 100 backward (the direction indicated by arrow B) as shown in FIG. 5, the bottom end 156a of the rotation leading unit 156 rubs the surface being cleaned 50, and the rotation drum 155 rotates with respect to the hinge protrusions 155b, 155c to a predetermined angle in the forward direction (the direction indicated by arrow F) of the nozzle unit 100.
[0041] Accordingly, the first hair removal member 151 moves into the nozzle unit 100 along with the rotatable drum 155, and when the first hair removal member contacts the first duster 157, the bristles 157a of the first duster cause dirt or fibrous contaminants to be removed from the bristles 151a of the first hair removal member. Some of the dirt or fibrous contaminants removed from the first hair removal member 151 remain on the first duster 157, and the rest is drawn into the extension pipe assembly 40 through the inflow passage 135.
[0042] The second hair removal member 153 is opposed to the a surface along with the rotatable drum 155, and the dirt or fibrous contaminants entangled with the bristles 153a of the second hair removal member 153 when the nozzle unit 100 moves backward (the direction indicated by arrow B)the second hair removal member 153 removes dirt or fibrous contaminants from the surface being cleaned 50.
[0043] The dirt or fibrous contaminants stuck to the second hair removal member 153 flows into the nozzle unit 100 along with the rotatable drum 155 while the nozzle unit 100 moves forward (in the direction indicated by arrow F), and when the second hair removal member 153 contacts the second duster 159, the bristles 159a of the second duster cause the removal of the dirt or fibrous contaminants from the bristles 153a of the second hair removal member. Some of the dirt or fibrous contaminants removed from the second hair removal member 153 remained on the second duster 159, and the rest is drawn into the extension pipe assembly 40 through the inflow passage 135.
[0044] The nozzle unit 100 may efficiently remove dirt or fibrous contaminants from the surface being cleaned 50 using the hair removal unit 150 as the nozzle unit 100 moves forward and backward in an alternating manner. In addition, the first and second dusters 157, 159 remove dirt or fibrous contaminants from the hair removal unit 150 before returning to the surface 50, so that the first and second dusters 157, 159 are always cleaner when contacting the surface .This in turn enhances cleaning efficiency.
[0045] When the nozzle unit 100 moves backward, the hair removal unit 150 removes dirt or fibrous contaminants from the surface being cleaned 50, and transfers at least some of the dirt or fibrous contaminants to the suction port 115 at the same time. Accordingly, when the nozzle unit 100 moves forward, the dirt or fibrous contaminants may be drawn into the suction part 115.
[0046] The foregoing embodiments and advantages are merely presented by way of example and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention. The present teaching can be readily applied to other types of apparatuses. Also, the description of the embodiments of the present invention is intended to be illustrative, and not to limit the scope of the claims, and many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
1. A nozzle unit (100) of a vacuum cleaner (1), which includes a brush body (110), a
brush cover (130) mounted on the brush body (110), a suction port (115) formed in
the brush body (110), and a hair removal unit (150), wherein:
the hair removal unit (150) includes at least two hair removal members (151, 153) that are disposed apart from each other; and
the at least two hair removal members (151, 153) rotatable with respect to the brush body (110) when the nozzle unit (100) moves forward or backward, alternately contacting a surface, thereby removing dirt or fibrous contaminants from the surface (50).
2. The nozzle unit (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hair removal unit (150) transfers
at least some of the dirt or fibrous contaminants removed from the surface (50) being
cleaned to the suction port (115) when the nozzle unit (100) moves forward or backward.
3. The nozzle unit (100) as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising a rotatable
drum (155) that is rotatably mounted on the brush body (110), and which has a semi-circular
profile.
4. The nozzle unit (100) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the at least two hair removal
members (151, 153) are mounted on both sides of the rotatable drum (155), and rotate
along with the rotatable drum (155).
5. The nozzle unit (100) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the at least two hair removal
members (151, 153) include directional bristles (151a, 153a).
6. The nozzle unit (100) as claimed in claim 5, wherein the bristles (151a, 153a) are
inclined at opposite directions relative to a horizontal.
7. The nozzle unit (100) as claimed in any of claims 4 to 6, further comprising at least
two dusters (157, 159) that remove the dirt or fibrous contaminants off the at least
two hair removal members (151, 153), wherein the at least two dusters (157, 159) include
bristles (157a, 159a) that are inclined at opposite directions to each other.
8. The nozzle unit (100) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the at least two dusters (157,
159) are mounted on the brush body (110) and the brush cover (130).
9. The nozzle unit (100) as claimed in any one of claims 4 to 8, wherein the rotatable
drum (155) includes a rotation leading member (156), and the rotation leading member
(156) contacts the surface (50) being cleaned, and rotates the rotatable drum (155)
when the nozzle unit (100) moves forward or backward.
10. The nozzle unit (100) as claimed in any preceding claim, further comprising a rotatable
brush (116) that is mounted on the nozzle unit (100) adjacent to the suction port
(115).
11. The nozzle unit (100) as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:
a turbine fan (117) that rotates the rotatable brush (116),
wherein the brush cover (130) comprises a plurality of air inlets formed therein, and
wherein external air flows into the nozzle unit (100) through the plurality of air inlets, and drives the turbine fan (117).
12. A nozzle unit (100) of a vacuum cleaner (1), comprising:
a brush body (110) on which a suction port (115) is formed;
a brush cover (130) that is mounted on the brush body (110);
a rotatable drum (155) that is rotatably mounted on the brush body (110) or the brush cover (130), and of which at least a part of the rotatable drum (155) has a semi-circular profile;
a hair removal member (151, 153) that is mounted on the rotatable drum (155); and
a duster (157, 159) that removes dirt or fibrous contaminants off the hair removal member (151, 153).
13. The nozzle unit (100) as claimed in claim 12, wherein the duster (157, 159) is mounted
on the brush body (110).
14. The nozzle unit (100) as claimed in claim 12 or claim 13, wherein the rotatable drum
(155) comprises a side surface formed in an approximate semicircular shape.
15. The nozzle unit (100) as claimed in any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein the hair removal
member (151, 153) and the duster (157, 159) include directional bristles (151a, 153a,
157a, 159a).