This invention relates to a surface cleaning apparatus.
According to a first aspect of the invention we provide a surface cleaning apparatus including:
Further features of the various aspects of the invention are set out in the appended claims.
Embodiments of the invention will be set out below by way of example only with reference to the accompanying figures, of which:
Referring to the figures, these show a surface cleaning apparatus 10 in accordance with the present invention. The apparatus 10 includes a floor head 12, a housing 16 and an elongate member 14 connecting the floor head 12 to the housing 16. The housing 16 in this example is operable as a handheld surface cleaning apparatus, commonly known as a hand vac, when the elongate member 14 and floor head 12 are not connected thereto. The housing 16 supports a suction source, a dirt collection container 18 and a cyclonic separator. In this example the suction source is an electric motor driving a rotatable fan, but any appropriate suction source may be used. All that is necessary is for the suction source to be able to draw air through the floor head 12 and elongate member 14 towards the dirt collection container.
In this example the housing 16 supports or contains a battery to provide electrical power to the suction motor and other components of the apparatus 10. In alternative embodiments, the apparatus 10 may be mains powered.
Whilst in the present embodiment the apparatus 10 includes a cyclonic separator to separate dirt from the air flowing through the apparatus 10, this is not essential. Indeed, embodiments are envisaged where the apparatus 10 includes a filter bag which collects dirt, or any other appropriate device to separate the dirt from the air. Other embodiments are envisaged where the dirt is collected in a container, similar to that shown in the figures, but where the flow of air in the collection chamber is not cyclonic.
The apparatus 10 includes a pivotally moveable door 18a which enables a user to empty dirt collected within the dirt collection chamber 18b.
The elongate member 14 includes a passage for carrying dirt-laden air from the floor head 12 to the dirt collection chamber 18b. In this example the floor head 12 includes a motor for driving a rotatable floor agitating member or brush, so the elongate member 14 includes a further passage through which electrical cables may extend to provide an electric connection between the housing 16 and the motor in the floor head.
The floor head 12 is disconnectable from the elongate member 14, so that, for example, another tool can be connected to the free end of the elongate member 14. The elongate member 14 is also disconnectable from the housing 16, by way of a manually operated switch 17. This enables the housing 16 to be used as handheld surface cleaning apparatus, with the option of being able to connect another tool to the location from where the elongate member 14 is removed.
The housing 16 includes a handle for holding the apparatus 10, said handle including first 20 and second 21 user-graspable portions which are connected to each other substantially at right-angles. A first end of the first user-graspable portion 20 is connected to the housing 16 and extends generally rearwardly away therefrom and from the elongate member 14. A first end of the second user-graspable portion 21 is connected to the housing 16 and extends generally upwardly therefrom. Respective second ends of the first 20 and second 21 user-graspable portions are connected to each other. Essentially, the first 20 and second 21 user-graspable portions form a handle which is L-shaped and which provides two locations each of which is sized such that it can be grasped fully by a hand of a user. A device 22, e.g. a switch, for turning the apparatus "on" is positioned at the connection of the second ends of the first 20 and second 21 user-graspable portions to each other.
In the present embodiment, the generally cylindrical body 18 has an elongate axis A and provides at one end the dirt collection chamber 18b and an adjacent a separating chamber 18c. Within the chamber 18c is positioned a cyclonic separation device including a shroud 100 which also has an elongate axis coaxial with the axis A, the axis A being that about which dirt-laden air is caused to rotate as it passes through the apparatus 10 and circulates around the shroud 100. The shroud 100 is connected to the separating chamber 18c at one end and is free at an opposite end. The body 18 includes an inlet passage 99 through which dirt-laden air is drawn into the separating chamber 18c. The inlet passage 99 is configured to direct the incoming dirt-laden air into the generally cylindrical portion of the separating chamber 18c such that it travels circumferentially around an inner surface 18d of the separating chamber 18c. The elongate axis A is substantially horizontal in normal use. Whilst in this embodiment the elongate axes of the dirt collection chamber 18b and the shroud 100 are coaxial or substantially coaxial, they need not be. They could, for examples, be parallel and offset from each other or inclined relative to each other. Alternatively, the shroud 100 could be positioned generally centrally of the generally cylindrical portion of the separating chamber 18c.
The shroud 100 includes a framework to support a mesh or the like (not shown) and is generally cylindrical with openings 104 therein for the passage of air to an outlet through which cleaner air exits the separating chamber. Other configurations of the shroud 100 are envisaged, for example removing the mesh covering and instead making the openings 104 smaller and greater in number.
The present embodiment advantageously provides a moveable blocking member 120, one purpose of which is to prevent any dirt collected in the apparatus from falling out through the inlet passage 99 when the device is not operative. It can often be the case, especially in handheld devices such as the apparatus described in the figures, that once a user has finished with the device, and thus has cut power to the source of suction, that dirt can fall out of the inlet passage under the effect of gravity. In order to prevent this from occurring the present embodiment provides the blocking member 120 which is positioned in a tangential portion of the inlet passage 99. The blocking member 120 is positioned at an entrance (in the direction of flow of dirt-laden air) to a tangential portion of the inlet passage 99, close to the connection location between the elongate member 14 and the housing 16.
The blocking member 120 is moveable between a blocking position, in which the inlet passage 99 is blocked or substantially blocked, and an unblocking position, in which air can pass thereover to the dirt collecting chamber 18b. The blocking position of the blocking member 120 is shown in
The blocking member 120 is flexible. The blocking member 120 is preferably made from a resiliently deformable material, such as, for examples, a rubber or rubber-like material. The blocking member 120 is fixed at one, lower, end 121 to a part of the housing forming the inlet passage 99 by appropriate fasteners 140 (although it could be adhered or attached in any appropriate way). The blocking member 120 has a substantially opposite free end 122 which is free to move between the blocking and unblocking positions. The blocking member 120 is angularly moveable between its blocking and unblocking positions. In one embodiment, as shown in the drawings, the blocking member 120 is pivotally moveable between its blocking and unblocking positions by virtue of its fixed end 121. In this embodiment, the blocking member 120 is pivotally moveable about an axis A which extends transversely, preferably perpendicularly, to the direction of flow of dirt-laden air which is drawn through the inlet passage 99. The free end 122 of the blocking member 120 is curved when viewed from above (see reference numeral 123).
In some embodiments, such as the one shown in the figures, the free end 122 of the blocking member 120 is arcuate, preferably shaped substantially as an arc of a circle. The advantage of such a shape will be discussed later.
The blocking member 120 is moveable towards its unblocking position under the influence of the source of suction, against its inherent resilience. The resilience of the blocking member 120, as a result of its material of manufacture, is such that the blocking member 120 is resiliently biased towards its blocking position. The blocking member 120 is therefore resiliently biased towards its blocking position, such that in the absence of any suction the blocking member 120 automatically assumes its blocking position. As shown in
Thus, when the source of suction is powered, the suction created causes the blocking member 120 to be pulled away from its blocking position and causes the blocking member 120 to pivot thus moving the free end 122 thereof downwardly, e.g. towards a floor surface being cleaned, in the direction of arrow D in
Advantageously, the blocking member 120 moves towards and is at least partially received in a receiving formation 130, which acts to hide or conceal the blocking member 120 from the flow of air passing through the inlet passage 99, in an effort to reduce unwanted turbulence in the air flow. The receiving formation 130 is a recess which is shaped to correspond substantially to the shape and size of the received portion of the blocking member 120. Thus, the receiving formation has an end portion 131 which is curved in a manner similar to the free end 122 of the blocking member 120.
It will be seen from the figures that a dirt-laden air passage 110, which carries air towards the blocking member 120 and the inlet passage 99, is substantially circular in cross-section. The curved end 123 of the blocking member 120 ensures a suitable sealing of that passage 110 when the blocking member 120 is in its blocking position, which means that any dirt 150 behind the blocking member 120 is unlikely to escape.
The receiving formation 130 is provided (in some embodiments, completely or in other embodiments, partially) in a ramp formation 135 which directs air into the cyclonic separation device. Thus, incoming dirt-laden air travels circumferentially around the inner surface 18d of the cyclonic separation device. Advantageous, in the present embodiment the blocking member 120, when in its unblocking position, provides continuation of the ramp formation 135 to assist in directing incoming dirt-laden air towards the cyclonic separation device.
In some embodiments, the ramp formation 135 is located in the housing 16. Thus, the ramp formation 135 is downstream of the elongate member 14 and upstream of the cyclonic separation device. More specifically, for example, the ramp formation 135 forms part of the inlet passage 99 between a connecting portion that connects the housing 16 to the elongate member 14 (or another cleaning tool that is connected, via the connecting portion, to the housing 16) and an entrance to the cyclonic separation device. In other words, the ramp formation 135 and the inlet passage 99 provide the air flow passage between the part of the housing 16 that connects to the elongate member 14 (or another cleaning tool) and the part of the housing 16 the allows dirt-laden air into the separating chamber 18c.
The inlet passage 99 (including the ramp formation 135) is positioned outside (and generally adjacent) the main periphery of the housing 16 (i.e. the inlet passage 99 is located outside the main cylinder that forms the cyclonic separation device) and provides a passage for dirt-laden air to enter the separating chamber 18c in a generally circumferential direction.
In some embodiments, the inlet passage 99 and the connecting portion are positioned at a generally opposing side of the housing 16 (and, therefore, the cyclonic separation device) to the second user-graspable portion 21.
Whilst the advantageous blocking member and its associated receiving formation is described by reference to its use in a handheld cleaner and a handheld cleaner which is connectable to a floor head via an elongate member, it will be appreciated that the blocking member and its associated receiving formation could be utilised on any surface cleaning apparatus which relies on a source of suction to draw dirt-laden air into a collection container (or a bag positioned therein). For examples, a cylinder cleaner or an upright cleaner could utilise such a blocking member and its associated receiving formation. In addition, the position of the blocking member need not be adjacent or close to the dirt collection container of the apparatus. All that is necessary is for the blocking member and its associated receiving formation to be positioned in the airflow between the dirt collection container and the inlet passage to the apparatus which sucks up dirt from a floor surface. Thus, in the presently described embodiment, the blocking member 120 could be positioned at a lower end of the elongate member 14 (when the apparatus is used in that configuration). In addition, or alternatively still, the apparatus 10 described above could have two such blocking members - one substantially as positioned in the figures and another positioned at the lower end of the elongate member 14. This would enable the advantage of the operation of the blocking member 120 to be present irrespective of the configuration in which the user wishes to use the apparatus.
When used in this specification and claims, the terms "comprises" and "comprising" and variations thereof mean that the specified features, steps or integers are included. The terms are not to be interpreted to exclude the presence of other features, steps or components.
The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.
This list of references cited by the applicant is for the reader's convenience only. It does not form part of the European patent document. Even though great care has been taken in compiling the references, errors or omissions cannot be excluded and the EPO disclaims all liability in this regard.