CA2658644A1

CA2658644A1 - Surface cleaning head

Info

Publication number: CA2658644A1
Application number: CA2658644A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Wayne Ernest Conrad
Original assignee: GBD Corp
Current assignee: GBD Corp
Priority date: 2009-03-13
Filing date: 2009-03-13
Publication date: 2010-09-13

Abstract

A surface cleaning head comprises at least two front wheel assemblies and at least two rear wheels. The front wheel assemblies are rotatable about a vertical axis.

Description

TITLE: SURFACE CLEANING HEAD
FIELD
[0001] The specification relates to surface cleaning heads. More particularly, the specification relates to surface cleaning heads for surface cleaning apparatuses such as vacuum cleaners.

INTRODUCTION

[0002] The following is not an admission that anything discussed below is prior art or part of the common general knowledge of persons skilled in the art.

[0003] United States Patent 5,850,666 discloses an upright vacuum cleaner including an upper section with a handle and a lower cleaning nozzle section having a main suction opening formed in the underside thereof. First and second laterally spaced casters extend from the underside of the nozzle and each caster is pivotal respectively about a vertical axis. First and second laterally spaced fixed wheels, each rotatable about a single rolling axis, are also provided and positioned forward of the first and second casters.

SUMMARY

[0004] The following introduction is provided to introduce the reader to the more detailed discussion to follow. The introduction is not intended to limit or define the claims.

[0005] According to one broad aspect, a surface cleaning head is provided that comprises front and rear wheels wherein the front wheels are rotatable about more than one axis. Examples of such wheels include caster wheels, swivel wheels and ball wheels. An advantage of such a design is that improved maneuverability of a surface cleaning head is obtained. For example, in some applications, a user may have to clean a small floor area. In such an area, the user may have difficultly maneuvering the surface cleaning head over all portions of the floor without lifting the surface cleaning head and repositioning it. A
surface cleaning head using front caster wheels provides improved mobility and assists a user to clean all portions of a floor.

[0006] In one example, a surface cleaning head comprises a front end, a rear end. And an air flow passage extending from at least one dirty air inlet to an air outlet. The surface cleaning head comprises at least two front wheel assemblies and at least two rear wheels, wherein the front wheel assemblies are rotatable about a vertical axis.

[0007] In some examples, the front wheel assemblies comprise wheels that are rotatable about a horizontal axis.

[0008] In some examples, the rear wheels are positioned closer together than the front wheel assemblies. Alternately, or in addition, the front wheel assemblies may be positioned adjacent lateral sides of the surface cleaning head.

[0009] In some examples, a portion of each front wheel assembly is recessed upwards from a bottom surface of the surface cleaning head.
Accordingly, only a portion of each wheel may extend below the bottom surface of the surface cleaning head.

[0010] In some examples, the surface cleaning head may further comprise a bottom plate, and the front wheel assemblies may be mounted in recesses provided in the bottom plate.

[0011] In some examples, each front wheel has a horizontal axis of rotation that is spaced from the vertical axis of rotation of the wheel assemblies.
For example, each front wheel assembly may comprises a wheel rotatable about the horizontal axis, and a bracket rotatable about the vertical axis. The bracket may comprise outwardly extending arms on which the wheel is mounted.

[0012] In some examples, the front wheel assemblies comprise a wheel having a smaller diameter then the rear wheels.

[0013] In some examples, the surface cleaning head further comprises a pivot joint positioned between the front wheel assemblies and the rear wheels.
A
handle may be pivotally mounted to the surface cleaning head. In addition, the handle may be rotatably mounted to the cleaning head about.

[0014] In some examples, the rear wheels are positioned adjacent the rear end.

[0015] It will be appreciated that a surface cleaning head may incorporate one or more of the features of each of these examples DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 is a top perspective view of an embodiment of a surface cleaning head;

[0017] Figure 2 is a side elevation view of the surface cleaning head of Figure 1;

[0018] Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the surface cleaning head of Figure 1;

[0019] Figure 4 is a bottom perspective view of the surface cleaning head of Figure 1;

[0020] Figure 5 is an exploded view of the surface cleaning head of Figure 1; and, [0021] Figure 6 is a front perspective view of an upright surface cleaning apparatus comprising the surface cleaning head of Figure 1.

DESCRIPTION OF VARIOUS EMBODIMENTS

[0022] Various apparatuses or methods will be described below to provide an example of each claimed invention. No example described below limits any claimed invention and any claimed invention may cover processes or apparatuses that are not described below. The claimed inventions are not limited to apparatuses or processes having all of the features of any one apparatus or process described below or to features common to multiple or all of the apparatuses described below. It is possible that an apparatus or process described below is not an embodiment of any claimed invention.

[0023] Referring to Figures 1-5, an example of a surface cleaning head 100 is shown. The cleaning head may be used with any type of surface cleaning apparatus. For example, it may be used with a canister vacuum cleaner or an upright vacuum cleaner. For example, Figure 6 exemplifies an upright vacuum cleaner wherein support 606 is driving connected to the surface cleaning head 100 and surface cleaning apparatus 600, such as a vacuum cleaner unit that may be removably mounted to support 606, is in air flow communication with surface cleaning head 100.

[0024] Referring to Figures 1 to 3, the surface cleaning head 100 comprises a front end 102, and a rear end 104. The surface cleaning head further comprises first 106 and second 108 opposed lateral sides. A top surface 110 and a bottom surface 112 each extend between the front end 102 and the rear end 104, and the opposed lateral sides 106, 108.

[0025] The figures exemplify an optional clam shell construction for surface cleaning head 100. As exemplified, the surface cleaning apparatus comprises a top plate 114, and a bottom plate 116. Top plate 114 and bottom plate 116 essentially define a clam shell construction for the surface cleaning head. For example, the air flow passage from the dirty air inlet to a surface cleaning head outlet may be defined by the top plate 114 and bottom plate 116.

[0026] The top plate 114 may extend forwardly of the bottom plate 116.
Accordingly, a front portion 118 of the top plate 116 may form a front portion of bottom surface 112, and the bottom plate 116 forms a rear portion 121 of the bottom surface 112.

[0027] In alternate embodiments, the surface cleaning apparatus may be of any known construction. Accordingly, the top plate 114 and the bottom plate 116 may extend for equal distances. In such embodiments, the bottom plate may form all of the bottom surface 112.

[0028] In the preferred embodiment, one or more lower open sided airflow channels are used. An open sided air flow chamber is a chamber through which air travels prior to entering an enclosed air flow conduit. An open sided air flow chamber has a portion, and preferably all, of a lower side of the air flow chamber adjacent a surface to be cleaned (e.g., a floor). Accordingly, the floor essentially completes the lower surface of the air flow chamber. As exemplified, surface cleaning head 100 has two open sided air flow chambers. One is preferably a deep cleaning air flow chamber, which preferably extends laterally across surface cleaning head 100. The second is a front air flow chamber.

[0029] As exemplified, the bottom surface 112 comprises a first channel 122, which is open to a surface to be cleaned when the surface cleaning head is placed on the surface. The first channel 122 may be positioned forwardly of the bottom plate 114, and may be formed in front portion 118 of top plate 116. The first channel 122 may extend from a first end 124 at the first lateral side 106 to a second end 126 at the second lateral side 108 and have openings in lateral sides 106, 108. If first channel 122 has a high air flow rate, it may define a deep cleaning air flow chamber.

[0030] The bottom surface 112 further comprises a second or front channel 128, which is open to the surface to be cleaned when the surface cleaning head is placed on the surface. The second channel 128 is preferably provided forwardly of the first channel 122. The second channel 128 may extend from a front end 130 at the front end 102 of the surface cleaning head 100, to a rear end 132 in airflow communication with opening 136. Preferably, one air flow channel does not extend from the other airflow channel. Instead, it is preferred that they divide from opening 136 or a manifold provided upstream of opening 136.

[0031] Referring to Figure 4, when surface cleaning head 100 is placed on the surface to be cleaned (not shown), the first 124 and second 126 ends of the first channel 122, and the front end 130 of the second channel 126, are substantially open to the environment, and serve as the dirty air inlets to surface cleaning head 100. Accordingly, in the preferred embodiment, surface cleaning head 100 has three dirty air inlets. In alternate embodiments, only one dirty air inlet may be provided.

[0032] In alternate embodiments, another number of channels may be provided. For example, only one channel may be provided. Alternately, surface cleaning head 100 may not comprise any channels, and the dirty air inlet(s) may be provided by one or more traditional openings in bottom surface 112.

[0033] Referring still to Figure 4, an air flow passage extends from the dirty air inlets to an air outlet 134 of the surface cleaning head. In the exemplified embodiment, the air flow passage comprises the first 122 and second 128 channels. Air flow through the first 122 and second 128 channels is shown by arrows A in Figure 4. Further, an opening 136 is provided in a rear sidewall 138.
The opening 136 is in communication with a conduit 140, which extends rearwardly from the opening 136. A swivel joint 137 may be mounted to a rear end of the conduit 140, and may be in airflow communication with the conduit 140. The swivel joint maybe mountable in airflow communication with the surface cleaning apparatus 600, and may comprises the air outlet 134 of the surface cleaning head 100. The swivel joint permits the support 606 to be rotatably mounted to surface cleaning head 100. Accordingly support 606 may be rotatably mounted (clockwise and counter-clockwise) about an axis that extends parallel to the support 606.

[0034] Referring to Figures 2 to 5, the surface cleaning head 100 comprises at least two front wheel assemblies, and at least one and, preferably, at least two rear wheels. In the exemplified embodiment, the surface cleaning head 100 comprises first 142 and second 144 front wheel assemblies, and first 146 and second 148 rear wheels.

[0035] As exemplified, the front wheel assemblies 142, 144 are rotatable about more than one axis. For example, they may be rotatable about a horizontal axis to permit the surface cleaning head 100 to roll over a floor and they may be rotatable about a vertical axis to permit the front of the surface cleaning head 100 to be turned. As exemplified, the front wheel assemblies 142, 144 are rotatable about vertical axes, and comprise wheels that are rotatable about horizontal axes.

[0036] For example, in the exemplified embodiment, the first front wheel assembly 142 comprises a first front wheel 150, and second front wheel 144 assembly comprises a second wheel front 152. The first front wheel assembly 142 further comprises a first bracket 154, having outwardly extending arms 156a, 156b. The first front wheel 150 is mounted on a first axle 158, which may extend horizontally between the arms 156a, 156b. Accordingly, the first front wheel is rotatable about a horizontal axis H1 defined by first axle 158. The second front wheel assembly 144 further comprises a second bracket 160, having outwardly extending arms 162a, 162b. The second front wheel 152 is mounted on a second axle 164, which may extend horizontally between the arms 162a, 162b.
Accordingly, the second front wheel 152 is rotatable about a horizontal axis defined by axle 164.

[0037] As exemplified, the first bracket 154 comprises a first vertically extending portion 166 provided above the outwardly extending arms 156, and the second bracket 160 comprises a second vertically extending portion 168 provided above the outwardly extending arms 162. First 170 and second 172 vertical pins are mounted to the bottom plate 116, and extend downwardly therefrom. The first vertically extending portion 166 is rotatably received on the first pin 170, and the second vertically extending portion 168 is rotatably received on the second pin 172. Accordingly, the first 154 and second 160 brackets are rotatable about first and second vertical pins 170 and 172, respectively, to rotate first 142 and second 144 front wheel assemblies about vertical axes V1 and V2, respectively.

[0038] Preferably, as shown in Figure 4, the horizontal axis of rotation H1 of the first front wheel 150 is spaced from the vertical axis of rotation V1 of the first front wheel assembly 142, and the horizontal axis of rotation H2 of the second front wheel 152 is spaced from the vertical axis of rotation V1 of the first front wheel assembly 144. For example, as exemplified, outwardly extending arms 156a, 156b extend laterally away from vertically extending portion 166, such that axle 158, which defines axis H1, is spaced from vertically extending portion 166, which defines axis V1. Similarly, outwardly extending arms 162a, 162b extend laterally away from vertically extending portion 168, such that axle 164, which defines axis H2, is spaced from vertically extending portion 168, which defines axis V2.

[0039] Preferably, as shown in Figure 4, the rear wheels 146, 148 are rotatable about horizontal axes H3. For example, as shown in Figure 5, the rear wheels 146, 148 are mounted on axles 174 and 176, respectively, which are fixedly mounted on opposed sides of conduit 140, adjacent rear end 104.

[0040] Preferably, the rear wheels 146, 148 are positioned closer together than the front wheel assemblies 142, 144. For example, in the exemplified embodiment, the front wheel assemblies 142, 144 are positioned adjacent lateral sides 106, 108, respectively of the surface cleaning head 100. It is also preferred that front wheels 146, 148 are positioned exterior to the open sided air flow chambers. Further, as mentioned hereinabove, the rear wheels 146, 148 are preferably positioned on opposed sides of conduit 140 and are preferably spaced rearward of front wheels 142, 144.

[0041] Preferably, a portion of each front wheel assembly 142, 144, is recessed upwards from the bottom surface 112 of the surface cleaning head 100.

For example as shown in Figures 3 and 4, a first recess 178 and a second recess 180 are provided in bottom plate 116, and extend upwardly. The first front wheel assembly 142 is mounted in the first recess 178, and bracket 154 may be completely received within the first recess 178, and a portion of wheel 150 extends downwardly from the first recess 178. The second front wheel assembly 144 is mounted in the second recess 180, and the bracket 160 may be completely received within the first recess 180, and a portion of wheel 152 extends downwardly from the second recess 180. As shown in Figure 3, this allows bottom surface 112 to sit in close proximity to a floor F.

[0042] Preferably, the front wheels 150, 152 have a smaller diameter than the rear wheels 146, 148.

[0043] Preferably, as in the exemplified embodiment, surface cleaning head 100 further comprises a pivot joint 182, which is provided, e,g., on top plate 114. The air flow conduit 140 may be pivotally mounted. Alternately, the air flow conduit may be exterior to support 606. In such an embodiment, the support 606 may itself be pivotally mounted to surface cleaning head 100. For example, as shown in Figure 1, the pivot joint 182 comprises laterally opposed apertures (only one aperture is shown). The pivot joint 182 may be positioned between the front wheel assemblies 142, 144 and the rear wheels 146, 148. As shown in Figure 5, a support 606 of the surface cleaning apparatus 600 is pivotally mounted to the pivot joint 182 by a pivot pins 605a, 605b.

[0044] Referring now to Figure 6, a surface cleaning apparatus 600 comprising surface cleaning head 100 is shown. It will be appreciated that surface cleaning head 100 may be mounted to any suitable surface cleaning apparatus, and surface cleaning apparatus 600 is exemplary. Any such apparatus may be used.

[0045] Preferably, as in the embodiment shown, surface cleaning apparatus 600 comprises an optional flexible hose 602, which is mounted to swivel joint 137 and is in fluid communication with air outlet 134. Hose 602 extends upwardly to a cleaning unit 604. The cleaning unit 604 is mounted to support 606, which is pivotally mounted to pivot joint 182 of surface cleaning head 100. The cleaning unit 604 includes a cleaning apparatus 608 that is in fluid communication with hose 602, and serves to separate dirt from air. The cleaning apparatus 608 may be any type of cleaning apparatus, such as one or more cyclonic cleaning units, and/or one or more filters. The cleaning unit further comprises a suction motor 610, which draws air into the dirty air inlets of surface cleaning head, through surface cleaning head 100 to outlet 134, through house 602, through cleaning apparatus 608, and out of a clean air outlet 612 of the surface cleaning apparatus 600. A handle 614 is mounted to cleaning unit 604, and may be gripped by a user to move surface cleaning head 100 along a surface.

Claims

1. A surface cleaning head comprising:
(a) a front end and a rear end;
(b) an air flow passage extending from at least one dirty air inlet to an air outlet; and, (c) at least two front wheel assemblies and at least two rear wheels, the front wheels being rotatable about a vertical axis.

2. The surface cleaning head of claim 1 wherein the front wheel assemblies comprise wheels that are rotatable about a horizontal axis.

3. The surface cleaning head of any of claims 1-2 wherein the rear wheels are positioned closer together than the front wheel assemblies.

4. The surface cleaning head of any of claims 1-3 wherein the front wheel assemblies are positioned adjacent lateral sides of the surface cleaning head.

5. The surface cleaning head of any of claims 1-4 wherein a portion of each front wheel assembly is recessed upwards from a bottom surface of the surface cleaning head.

6. The surface cleaning head of claim 5 further comprising a bottom plate and the front wheel assemblies are mounted in recesses provided in the bottom plate.

7. The surface cleaning head of claim 6 wherein each front wheel has a horizontal axis of rotation that is spaced from the vertical axis of rotation of the wheel assemblies.

8. The surface cleaning head of claim 7 wherein each front wheel assembly comprises a wheel rotatable about the horizontal axis and a bracket rotatable about the vertical axis, the bracket comprising outwardly extending arms on which the wheel is mounted.

9. The surface cleaning head of any of claims 1-8 wherein the front wheel assemblies comprise a wheel having a smaller diameter then the rear wheels.

10. The surface cleaning head of any of claims 1-9 further comprising a pivot joint positioned between the front wheel assemblies and the rear wheels.

11. The surface cleaning head of any of claims 1-10 wherein the rear wheels are positioned adjacent the rear end.