Electric pet hair remover

Abstract

A pet hair remover comprises a roller with an outer surface, a strip for capturing pet hair and a motor for driving the roller to rotate. A wiper strip is placed to remove pet hair from the strip as the drum is flipped. The motor may be placed outside the drum. The pet hair remover may also include a housing for the drum, wherein the wiper strip may be removably attached. A rechargeable battery may power the motor. A status display may indicate motor parameters, such as rotational speed, switching status, battery life, or state of charge. The strip may adhere dust, dirt, and hair. The strip may also include an array of protrusions or bristles to enhance hair capture. At least a portion of the blade may be comb-shaped. A debris collector may be included to collect the removed pet hair.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to a pet hair remover, and more particularly to an electrically operable pet hair remover. Background Art

[0002] Vacuum cleaners are a common household appliance in modern homes and can be designed to remove dirt, dust, hair, and various other forms of debris from floors, furniture upholstery, and other surfaces. These cleaning devices have a variety of designs, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Although vacuum cleaners perform well in general cleaning tasks, they are unable to adequately remove pet hair from clothing, furniture, and delicate fabrics. The design and suction of many vacuum cleaners are too aggressive for certain materials and may cause damage or scratching.

[0003] Given these limitations, many pet owners turn to other alternative methods for dealing with pet hair, the most common of which include using manual rollers with sticky surfaces. These rollers, typically consisting of a cylindrical core wrapped in a disposable adhesive sheet, can be manually rolled over surfaces to lift and capture pet hair. Although seemingly simple and convenient, these sticky rollers still have many drawbacks that severely hinder their effectiveness and user satisfaction:

[0004] First, manually operating these rollers requires repetitive motion and multiple passes over the affected area to achieve a moderate level of hair removal. This process is extremely time-consuming and laborious, especially when dealing with large surfaces or heavily soiled items. The user must continuously apply pressure and maintain a steady rolling motion to ensure adequate contact between the sticky surface and the pet hair, resulting in user fatigue and inconsistent results.

[0005] Second, the sticky surfaces of these rollers have limited ability to capture pet hair and debris. As the roller is used, the adhesive quickly becomes saturated, losing its stickiness and effectiveness. This requires frequent tape replacement, usually after a few passes, resulting in interruptions to the cleaning process and increased consumption of disposable materials. The rate at which the adhesive becomes saturated is directly proportional to the amount of pet hair present, making these rollers particularly unsuitable for households with heavily shedding pets.

[0006] Third, the need to constantly monitor the sticky surface and replace the strip poses a great inconvenience to the user. The cleaning process is frequently interrupted, requiring the user to peel off, dispose of, and apply a new strip of the used tape. This not only increases the time required for the job but also creates additional waste, necessitating the constant purchase of replacement adhesive rolls. The inconvenience is further exacerbated by the fact that the tape often tears or is difficult to remove, resulting in frustration and wasted effort.

[0007] Next, the disposable nature of the adhesive roll leads to the generation of environmental waste. The tape used is typically made of plastic or paper with an adhesive and is ultimately landfilled, causing pollution and resource depletion. The constant need to purchase replacement rolls further exacerbates this problem, making the sticky roller an unsustainable solution for pet hair removal.

[0008] Furthermore, the current manual roller has limited adaptability to different types of surfaces and pet hair. The adhesive strength is generally fixed, making it either too aggressive for delicate fabrics or too weak for the coarse pet hair embedded in carpets or furniture upholstery. The lack of adjustability to meet the specific needs of different cleaning scenarios results in impaired performance and the potential to damage sensitive materials.

[0009] Given the above limitations and drawbacks of current pet hair removal options, there is clearly a need for a more effective, convenient, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible solution. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] In one aspect of the present invention, a pet hair remover is disclosed. The pet hair remover includes a roller, one or more strips, an electric motor, a controller, and at least one debris removal scraper. The roller includes an outer surface. The strip is attached to the outer surface and is configured to capture hair. Further, the electric motor is placed outside the roller and is operably coupled to the roller. The controller is configured to activate the electric motor to cause the roller to perform a reciprocating rotation about an axis to alternately move between a first angular position and a second angular position about the axis. The debris removal scraper is configured to remove the hair captured by the strip during the reciprocating rotation.

[0011] In some additional, alternative, or selectively cumulative embodiments, the reciprocating rotation of the roller corresponds to the movement of the roller moving to the first angular position along a first angular direction, and corresponds to the movement of the roller moving to the second angular position along a second angular direction. The roller performs a first return when returning from the first angular position to move to the second angular position along the second angular direction. The roller performs a second return when returning from the second angular position to move to the first angular position along the first angular direction.

[0012] In some additional, alternative, or selectively cumulative embodiments, at least one debris removal scraper includes a first scraper and / or a second scraper. The first scraper can be placed near the outer surface of the roller so that the first scraper can remove the hair captured by the strip during the first return. The second scraper can be placed near the outer surface of the roller so that the second scraper can remove the hair captured by the strip during the second return.

[0013] In some additional, alternative, or selectively cumulative embodiments, the strip includes a first strip and a second strip. The pet hair remover further includes a first brush and a second brush, the first brush being disposed on the first strip and the second brush being disposed on the second strip. The pet hair remover further includes a main brush and a secondary brush, the main brush being disposed on the first scraping strip and the secondary brush being disposed on the second scraping strip. The first brush engages with the main brush to remove the hair captured by the first brush during the first return process, and the second brush engages with the secondary brush to remove the hair captured by the second brush during the second return process.

[0014] In some additional, alternative, or selectively cumulative embodiments, during the first return process, the movement of the first brush disposed on the first strip is opposite to the extending direction of the main brush, which enables the hair captured by the first brush to fall off from the first brush when the first brush and the main brush interact and engage with each other. During the second return process, the movement of the second brush disposed on the second strip is opposite to the extending direction of the secondary brush, which enables the hair captured by the second brush to fall off from the second brush when the second brush and the secondary brush interact and engage with each other.

[0015] In some additional, alternative, or selectively cumulative embodiments, the first scraping strip is placed near the outer surface of the drum so that the first scraping strip can remove the hair captured by the strip when the drum performs a rotational movement along the second angular direction to move to the second angular position. The second scraping strip is placed near the outer surface of the drum so that the second scraping strip can remove the hair captured by the strip when the drum performs a rotation along the first angular direction to move to the first angular position.

[0016] In some additional, alternative, or selectively cumulative embodiments, in the deactivated state of the drum, the drum obtains a free position. The first angular direction and the second angular direction are defined to be angularly opposite to each other around the free position. Further, a first angular offset defined between the free position and the first angular position is equal to a second angular offset defined between the free position and the second angular position.

[0017] In some additional, alternative, or selectively cumulative embodiments, when the drum moves in the clockwise direction relative to the free position and the first angular offset is anywhere between 0 degrees and 180 degrees, the drum obtains the first angular position. When the drum moves in the counterclockwise direction relative to the free position and the second angular offset is anywhere between 0 degrees and 180 degrees, the drum obtains the second angular position.

[0018] In some additional, alternative, or selectively cumulative embodiments, the pet hair remover further includes a gear mechanism to operably couple the electric motor to the roller. A debris collector is disposed near the first and second scraping bars to collect the hair removed from the strip by the first and second scraping bars. The roller includes a long and narrow cavity and the debris collector is formed by the long and narrow cavity.

[0019] In some additional, alternative, or selectively cumulative embodiments, during operation of the pet hair remover, hair is collected from the surface adhered to or moving relative to the roller. The roller remains in contact with the surface throughout the entire reciprocating rotation performed between the first angular position and the second angular position. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 Perspective view of an electric pet hair remover according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 An electric pet hair remover according to an embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 First cross-sectional view of the first side of the electric pet hair remover in

[0022] Figure 3 An electric pet hair remover according to an embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 Second side cross-sectional view of the first side of the electric pet hair remover in; and

[0023] Figure 4 An electric pet hair remover according to an embodiment of the present invention Figure 1 Exploded view of the electric pet hair remover in

[0024] Figure 5 Shows exemplary bristles disposed on the various components of the electric pet hair remover according to an embodiment of the present invention in Figure 1 ;

[0025] Figure 6 Shows exemplary scraping bars applied to one or both of the electric pet hair removers in Figure 1 and Figure 5 ; which include a comb-shaped profile. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] Exemplary embodiments will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise clearly stated in the drawings, the dimensions, positions, etc. of components, features, elements, etc. and any distances between them are not necessarily drawn to scale and may be out of proportion and / or exaggerated for clarity.

[0027] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing particular exemplary embodiments only and are not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should be recognized that the terms "comprise", "comprises" and / or "comprising" as used in this specification specify the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or groups thereof. Unless otherwise specified, when referring to a range of values, the range includes the upper and lower limits thereof, as well as any sub-ranges therebetween. Unless otherwise indicated, terms such as "first", "second", etc. are used only to distinguish one element from another. For example, one element may be referred to as "a first element" and, similarly, another element may be referred to as "a second element", and vice versa. The section headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the subject matter described.

[0028] Unless otherwise indicated, the terms "about", "substantially", "essentially", etc. mean that the quantity, size, formulation, parameter and other quantities and characteristics are not and need not be exact, but may be approximate and / or larger or smaller as needed, thereby reflecting tolerances, conversion factors, rounding, measurement errors, etc., as well as other factors known to those skilled in the art.

[0029] For ease of description, spatial relative terms such as "right", "left", "lower", "below", "above" and "upper" etc. may be used herein to describe the relationship of one element or feature to another element or feature, as shown in the figures. It should be recognized that, in addition to the directions shown in the figures, spatial relative terms are also intended to cover different directions. For example, if an object in a figure is flipped, an element or feature described as "lower" or "below" another element or feature will be oriented "above" the other element or feature. Thus, for example, the term "lower" can include both upper and lower directions. The object may be oriented in other ways (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and thus the spatial relative descriptors used herein can be interpreted accordingly.

[0030] Unless otherwise expressly stated, all connections and all operative connections can be direct or indirect. Similarly, unless otherwise expressly stated, all connections and all operative connections can be rigid or non-rigid.

[0031] Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. Thus, reference may be made to other figures to describe like or similar numerals even if they are neither mentioned nor described in the corresponding figures. Further, elements that are not represented by reference numerals may also be described with reference to other figures.

[0032] Many different forms and embodiments are possible without departing from the spirit and teachings of the invention, and thus the invention should not be construed as limited to the exemplary embodiments described herein. Instead, these exemplary embodiments are provided so that the invention will be thorough and complete and will convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.

[0033] The phrase "an embodiment" or "embodiment" as used herein means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one implementation of the invention. The appearances of the phrase "in an embodiment" in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are they necessarily separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments.

[0034] Referring Figures 1 to 5 , a pet hair remover device 900 is described. The pet hair remover 900 may be electrically operated and may be interchangeably referred to as an electric pet hair remover 900, or simply as the device 900. The device 900 may include a motor 112 disposed outside and / or remote from a drum 108 (e.g., fixedly disposed relative to the drum 108), as Figure 3 shown, but the motor 112 is still operably coupled to the drum 108. The device 900 defines a first side 906 from which a Figure 2 and Figure 3 cross-sectional view is obtained.

[0035] Continuing to refer Figures 1 to 5, with respect to the engagement of the electric motor 112 with the drum 108, the apparatus 900 may include a driven gear 926, which may be a component that is separate from the drum 108 but may be fixedly connected to the drum 108 and positioned towards the axial end of the drum 108. A driving gear 196 coupled to the output shaft of the electric motor 112 may, in this case, engage with the driven gear 926 so that the rotational movement generated by the electric motor 112 can be transmitted to the drum 108. In the case of the apparatus 900, an intermediate gear 930 may be provided between the driving gear 196 and the driven gear 926. Although not limited, for the apparatus 900, the axis of rotation 200 defined by the driving gear 196 remains parallel to the drum axis 136, as shown. Additionally, for the purposes of this description, the driving gear 196, the driven gear 926, and the intermediate gear 930 may be referred to as a gear assembly 950, which operably couples the electric motor 112 to the drum 108 for causing the drum 108 to operate (e.g., rotate) about the drum axis 136.

[0036] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 , in some embodiments, the apparatus 900 may include a controller 940 (see Figure 4 ). The controller 940 may be configured to activate the electric motor 112 to cause the drum 108 to perform a reciprocating rotation about the drum axis 136 to alternately move between a first angular position FAP and a second angular position SAP about the drum axis 136 (see Figure 3 ). In this regard, the drum 108 may obtain the first angular position FAP when moving in a first angular direction (see direction, FA) relative to the free position FP of the drum 108. The drum 108 may obtain the second angular position SAP when moving in a second angular direction (see direction, SA) relative to the free position FP of the drum 108. The free position FP of the drum 108 may refer to the position required by the drum 108 when the drum 108 is in a free state or a deactivated state and / or when no external force is applied to the drum 108. Additionally, the first angular direction FA and the second angular direction SA are angularly defined opposite to each other about the free position FP of the drum 108. Furthermore, a first angular offset is defined between the free position FP and the first angular position FAP. Similarly, a second angular offset is defined between the free position FP and the second angular position SAP.

[0037] In fact, the reciprocating rotation of the roller 108 corresponds to the movement of the roller 108 along the first angular direction FA to the first angular position FAP, and also corresponds to the movement of the roller 108 along the second angular direction SA to the second angular position SAP. Moreover, the roller 108 returns from the first angular position FAP to perform a first return to move along the second angular direction SA to the second angular position SAP. Similarly, the roller 108 performs a second return when returning from the second angular position SAP to move along the first angular direction FA to the first angular position FAP.

[0038] Although not limited, the controller 940 can be in the form of a controller circuit. In some embodiments, the controller 940 can include devices that work together, such as capacitors, resistors, etc., to ensure that signals are transmitted to the motor 112 in a timely manner for switching the direction of the roller between the first angular direction FA and the second angular direction SA to achieve reciprocating rotation. Alternatively, the controller 940 can be configured as a logic device and can perform the above functions based on the operation of a set of instructions. Although not limited, the controller 940 and the motor 112 can be housed in the compartment 954, as Figure 4 shown.

[0039] In some embodiments, for example, when measured in degrees, the first angular offset is the same as or equal to the second angular offset. As an example, when the roller 108 moves in the clockwise direction (e.g., direction FA) relative to the free position FP and the first angular offset is anywhere between 0 degrees and 180 degrees, the roller 108 obtains the first angular position FAP. As an example, when the roller 108 moves in the counterclockwise direction (see direction SA) relative to the free position FP and the second angular offset is similarly anywhere between 0 degrees and 180 degrees, the roller 108 obtains the second angular position SAP.

[0040] The device 900 includes two strips, namely, the first strip 184-1 (which can be similar to the first strip 184) and the second strip 188-1 (which can be similar to the second strip 188). The device 900 can include a greater or lesser number of strips. Both the first strip 184-1 and the second strip 188-1 can be attached (e.g., by using an adhesive) to the outer surface 172 of the roller 108, for example to fully and / or partially cover the outer surface 172 of the roller 108. Although not limited, both the first strip 184-1 and the second strip 188-1 can function similarly to the first strip 184 and the second strip 188 described above.

[0041] Further, the apparatus 900 may include at least one debris removal wiper configured to remove the hair captured by the first strip 184-1 and the second strip 188-1 during the reciprocating rotation of the drum 108. The debris removal wiper may correspond to only any one of the wipers 924 or both wipers 924, i.e., the first wiper 924-1 and the second wiper 924-2. Each of the first wiper 924-1 and the second wiper 924-2 may be similar to the wipers 124, 124a described above. The first wiper 924-1 is placed near the outer surface 172 of the drum 108 such that the first wiper 924-1 can remove the hair captured by the first strip 184-1 when the drum 108 performs a rotational movement in the first angle FA direction to move towards the first angular position FAP. Similarly, the second wiper 924-2 is placed near the outer surface 172 of the drum 108 such that the second wiper 924-2 can remove the hair captured by the second strip 184-1 when the drum 108 performs a rotational movement in the second angle SA direction to move towards the second angular position SAP.

[0042] In other words, the first wiper 924-1 is placed near the outer surface 172 of the drum 108 such that the first wiper 924-1 can remove the hair captured by the first strip 184-1 during the first return. Similarly, the first wiper 924-2 is placed near the outer surface 172 of the drum 108 such that the second wiper 924-2 can remove the hair captured by the second strip 188-1 during the second return. During the operation of the apparatus 900, it should be noted that the hair is collected from the surface to which the drum 108 adheres or relative to which it moves, and the reciprocating rotation of the drum 108 causes the drum 108 to always contact such a surface during the entire reciprocating rotation performed between the first angular position FAP and the second angular position SAP.

[0043] As Figure 3As shown, the first wiper strip 924-1 and the second wiper strip 924-2 can obtain positions that are approximately exactly opposite around the drum 108 or relative to the drum 108 or the free position FP relative to the drum 108, so that during the movement of the drum in either the first angular direction FA or the second angular direction SA, debris or hair can be removed from the drum 108 or from the strips 184-1, 188-1 coupled to the drum 108. The term "approximately" as used herein means that the positions of the first wiper strip 924-1 and the second wiper strip 924-2 do not need to be exactly opposite around the drum 108 strictly, but rather the positions of the first wiper strip 924-1 and the second wiper strip 924-2 can vary (exactly opposite) based on factors such as the profiles of the first wiper strip 924-1 and the second wiper strip 924-2, the profile of the drum 108, the profiles of the cutting tips 126 of each of the first wiper strip 924-1 and the second wiper strip 924-2, device and / or wiper strip tolerances, the type of application used by the device 900, etc., where one or more of the factors can vary depending on the application.

[0044] In fact, the cutting tips 126 of the first wiper strip 924-1 and the second wiper strip 924-2 can be deployed in such a way that during operation, when debris adhering to the strips 184-1, 188-1 encounters the cutting tips 124 of the wiper strip 924, the debris can fall off or be sheared off from the strips 184-1, 188-1 as they engage with each of the cutting tips 124 of the wiper strip 924. In some embodiments, one or more of the wiper strips 924 can include a comb-shaped profile 130 of the wiper strip 124a.

[0045] The device 900 can include a debris collector 920. The debris collector 920 can be located beside or near the first wiper strip 924-1 and the second wiper strip 924-2, and for example, due to the cutting action provided by the first wiper strip 924-1 and the second wiper strip 924-2, they can be applied to or used for collecting hair removed from the strips 184-1, 188-1 (which adhere to the drum 108). In the case of the device 900, the debris collector 920 may not be an item separate from the drum 108. Instead, the drum 108 can define a cavity (e.g., a narrow cavity 910, as Figure 4 shown) and the debris collector 920 can be formed by the cavity.

[0046] The configuration of the device 900, i.e., the device 900 having the motor 112 outside the drum 108, can have corresponding applications. As an example, the device 900 having the motor 112 outside the drum 108 can be suitable for better heat dissipation. For example, it can be applied to remove larger-capacity debris. The device 900 having two wiper strips 924 can also be suitable for larger-capacity applications.

[0047] In the case of device 900, when the user actuates the power button 148, the controller 940 receives the corresponding input and can accordingly send a signal to the motor 112 to initiate the reciprocating rotational movement. Once the reciprocating rotational movement starts, the user can extend device 900 onto the surface from which debris needs to be removed. The rotating drum 108, together with the strips 184-1, 188-1 positioned thereon, scrubs the surface, so that the debris on the surface is captured by the drum 108. The rotating or oscillating drum 108 angularly moves the adhered debris (e.g., see Figure 3 for the exemplary rolling directions FA and SA of the drum 108 therein), so that they engage with the squeegee 924 and move or shear the debris away from the drum 108. The debris sheared off from the drum 108 can fall into a cavity, such as a narrow cavity, or into the debris collector 920 associated with device 900.

[0048] The debris collector 920 can be integral and / or can be formed within the drum 108 itself, and the sheared or removed debris falls into the debris collector 920 and is stored therein. After the device has been used or operated for a period of time, the user can open the baffle 132 and remove the debris collector 920 from the housing 104. Thereafter, the user can discharge the contents of the debris collector 920 and return the empty debris collector 920 to its position in the housing 104 for the next cycle of debris collection that occurs during subsequent device operation.

[0049] Referring to Figure 5 , and, in some embodiments, the squeegees 924-1, 924-2 and the strips 184-1, 188-1 can include bristles. More specifically, the primary bristles 1304 can be provided on the first squeegee 924-1, and the secondary bristles 1308 can be provided on the second squeegee 924-2. Further, the first bristles 1312 can be provided on the first strip 184-1, and the second bristles 1316 can be provided on the second strip 188-1. The first bristles 1312 can engage with the primary bristles 1304 to remove the hair captured by the first bristles 1312 during the first return process, and the second bristles 1316 can engage with the secondary bristles 1308 to remove the hair captured by the second bristles 1316 during the second return process.

[0050] During the first return process, the movement of the first bristles 1312 disposed on the first strip 184-1 (e.g., rotational movement about axis 136) is opposite to the extension direction of the main bristles 1304, which causes the hairs captured by the first bristles 1312 to be captured by the main bristles 1304, so that the hairs can fall off from the main bristles 1304 when the first bristles 1312 and the main bristles 1304 interact and engage. During the second return process, the movement of the second bristles 1316 disposed on the second strip 188-1 (e.g., rotational movement about axis 136) is opposite to the extension direction of the secondary bristles 1308, which causes the hairs captured by the second bristles 1316 to be captured by the secondary bristles 1308, so that the hairs can fall off from the secondary bristles 1308 when the second bristles 1316 and the secondary bristles 1308 interact and engage.

[0051] Briefly, when the drum 108 rotates in the first angular direction FA, the first strip 184-1 will capture hairs from the surface. However, during this movement in the first angular direction FA, the hairs may not be removed by the first scraper strip 184-1. This is because the rotation direction of the drum 108 and the first bristles 1312 is the same as the extension direction of the main bristles 1304 on the first scraper strip 924-1. When the drum 108 flips or reverses to move in the second angular direction SA, for example, during the first return, the movement direction of the drum 108 and the first bristles 1312 is opposite to the extension direction of the main bristles 1304 on the first scraper strip 924-1. During the first return process, the hairs captured by the first bristles 1312 are accordingly picked up and / or transferred to the main bristles 1304 by the main bristles 1304. The same description also applies to the transfer of hairs between the second bristles 1316 and the secondary bristles 1308.

[0052] The device 900 is easy to use, not complex, and easy to maintain, and the strips 184-1, 188-1 are easy to replace at the end of their operable life. Power supply by electricity reduces the need for the user to repeatedly pass over any surface patch, thereby enhancing the ability to remove debris or hairs during operation, while also making the debris or hair removal operation time-efficient, not cumbersome, and less stressful for the user. Briefly, it is easy to complete the laborious task of removing debris such as pet hairs that are difficult to remove by a traditional vacuum cleaner from the surface through the device 900. In addition, the shape and profile of the device 900 and its various components (as described and / or shown in the present invention) are merely exemplary and can be replaced according to factors such as the application area of the device 900. Those skilled in the art can consider countless such changes without departing from the claimed subject matter.

[0053] In other alternative embodiments of the present invention, a pet hair remover 900 includes a drum 108 that includes an outer surface 172; one or more strips 184-1, 188-1 that are attached to the outer surface 172 and are configured to capture hair; a motor 112 that is placed outside the drum 108 and is operably coupled to the drum 108; and a controller 940 that is configured to activate the motor 112 to cause the drum 108 to perform a reciprocating rotation about an axis (see drum axis 136) to alternately move between a first angular position FAP and a second angular position SAP about the axis. Further, at least one debris removal scraper bar may be included. The debris removal scraper bar is configured to remove the hair captured by the strip during the reciprocating rotation.

[0054] The reciprocating rotation of the drum 108 corresponds to the movement of the drum 108 moving along a first angular direction FA to the first angular position FAP, and corresponds to the movement of the drum 108 moving along a second angular direction SA to the second angular position SAP. The drum 108 performs a first return when returning from the first angular position FAP to move along the second angular direction SA to the second angular position SAP. The drum 108 performs a second return when returning from the second angular position SAP to move along the first angular direction FA to the first angular position FAP.

[0055] The debris removal scraper bar includes a first scraper bar 924-1 and / or a second scraper bar 924-2. The first scraper bar 924-1 may be placed near the outer surface 172 of the drum 108 so that the first scraper bar 924-1 can remove the hair captured by the strip (e.g., the first strip 184-1) during the first return. The second scraper bar 924-2 may be placed near the outer surface 172 of the drum 108 so that the second scraper bar 924-2 can remove the hair captured by the strip (e.g., the second strip 188-1) during the second return.

[0056] The strips include a first strip 184-1 and a second strip 188-1. The pet hair remover 900 further includes a first brush 1312 and a second brush 1316. The first brush 1312 is disposed on the first strip 184-1, and the second brush 1316 is disposed on the second strip 188-1. The pet hair remover 900 also includes a main brush 1304 and a secondary brush 1308. The main brush 1304 is disposed on the first scraper bar 924-1, and the secondary brush 1308 is disposed on the second scraper bar 924-2. The first brush 1312 engages with the main brush 1304 to remove the hair captured by the first brush 1312 during the first return, and the second brush 1316 engages with the secondary brush 1308 to remove the hair captured by the second brush 1316 during the second return.

[0057] During the first return process, the movement of the first bristles 1312 provided on the first strip 184-1 is opposite to the extending direction of the main bristles 1304, so that the hairs captured by the first bristles 1312 can fall off the first bristles 1312 when the first bristles 1312 and the main bristles 1304 interact and engage. During the second return process, the movement of the second bristles 1316 provided on the second strip 188-1 is opposite to the extending direction of the secondary bristles 1308, so that the hairs captured by the second bristles 1316 can fall off the second bristles 1316 when the second bristles 1316 and the secondary bristles 1308 interact and engage.

[0058] Furthermore, the pet hair remover 900 includes a first scraping strip 924-1 and a second scraping strip 924-2. The first scraping strip 924-1 is placed near the outer surface 172 of the drum 108 so that when the drum 108 performs a rotational or vibrational movement along the first angular direction FA to move to the first angular position FAP, the first scraping strip 924-1 can remove the hairs captured by the first strip 184-1 (again, optionally, by the second strip 188-1). The second scraping strip 924-2 is placed near the outer surface 172 of the drum 108 so that when the drum 108 performs a rotational or vibrational movement along the second angular direction SA to move to the second angular position SAP, the second scraping strip 924-2 can remove the hairs captured by the second strip 188-1 (again, optionally, by the first strip 184-1).

[0059] In the stopped state of the drum 108, the drum 108 obtains a free position FP. The first angular direction FA and the second angular direction SA are defined to be angularly opposite to each other around the free position FP. Further, the first angular offset defined between the free position FP and the first angular position FAP and the second angular offset defined between the free position FP and the second angular position SAP can be the same or equal.

[0060] When the drum 108 moves in the clockwise direction relative to the free position FP and the first angular offset is anywhere between 0 degrees and 180 degrees, the drum 108 obtains the first angular position FAP. When the drum 108 moves in the counterclockwise direction relative to the free position FP and the second angular offset is anywhere between 0 degrees and 180 degrees, the drum 108 obtains the second angular position SAP (see Figure 3 ).

[0061] The pet hair remover 900 further includes a gear device 950 and a debris collector 920. The gear device 950 operably couples the electric motor 112 to the drum 108. The debris collector 920 is disposed near the first wiper strip 924-1 and the second wiper strip 924-2 to collect the hair removed from the strips 184-1, 188-1 by the first wiper strip 924-1 and the second wiper strip 924-2. The drum 108 may include an elongated cavity 910 and the debris collector 920 may be formed by the elongated cavity 910 (see Figure 4 ).

[0062] During the operation of the pet hair remover 900, hair is collected from the surface adhered to or moving relative to the drum 108. The reciprocating rotation of the drum 108 causes the 108 to always contact the surface throughout the entire reciprocating rotation performed between the first angular position FAP and the second angular position SAP.

[0063] It should be understood that the foregoing description merely illustrates aspects of the disclosed embodiments. Various alternatives and modifications can be designed by those skilled in the art without departing from the aspects of the disclosed embodiments.

Claims

1. A pet hair remover, comprising: A drum, the drum including an outer surface; One or more strips, the one or more strips being attached to the outer surface and configured to capture hair; A motor, the motor being placed outside the drum and operatively coupled to the drum; A controller, the controller being configured to activate the motor to enable the drum to reciprocally rotate between a first angular position and a second angular position about the axis; And At least one debris removal scraper strip, the at least one debris removal scraper strip being configured to remove the hair captured by the one or more strips during the reciprocating rotation of the drum.

2. The pet hair remover according to claim 1, wherein, The reciprocating rotation of the drum corresponds to the movement of the drum moving to the first angular position along a first angular direction, and to the movement of the drum moving to the second angular position along a second angular direction, wherein The drum performs a first return when returning from the first angular position to move to the second angular position along the second angular direction, and The drum performs a second return when returning from the second angular position to move to the first angular position along the first angular direction.

3. The pet hair remover according to claim 2, wherein, The at least one debris removal scraper strip includes: A first scraper strip, the first scraper strip being placed near the outer surface of the drum so that the first scraper strip can remove the hair captured by the one or more strips during the first return; or A second scraper strip, the second scraper strip being placed near the outer surface of the drum so that the second scraper strip can remove the hair captured by the one or more strips during the second return.

4. The pet hair remover according to claim 3, wherein the one or more strips include a first strip and a second strip, and the pet hair remover further includes: A first brush and a second brush, the first brush being provided on the first strip, the second brush being provided on the second strip, A main brush and a secondary brush, the main brush being provided on the first scraper strip, the secondary brush being provided on the second scraper strip, wherein The main brush engages with the first brush to remove the hair captured by the first brush during the first return, and the secondary brush engages with the second brush to remove the hair captured by the second brush during the second return.

5. The pet hair remover according to claim 4, wherein, During the first return, the movement of the first brush provided on the first strip is opposite to the extending direction of the main brush, which enables the hair captured by the first brush to fall off from the first brush when the first brush and the main brush interact and engage, and During the second return, the movement of the second brush provided on the second strip is opposite to the extending direction of the secondary brush, which enables the hair captured by the second brush to fall off from the second brush when the second brush and the secondary brush interact and engage.

6. The pet hair remover according to claim 1, wherein, In the deactivated state of the drum, the drum obtains a free position, The first angular direction and the second angular direction are defined to be angularly opposite to each other about the free position, and a first angular offset defined between the free position and the first angular position is equal to a second angular offset defined between the free position and the second angular position.

7. The pet hair remover according to claim 6, wherein when the drum moves in a clockwise direction relative to the free position and the first angular offset is anywhere between 0 degrees and 180 degrees, the drum attains the first angular position, and when the drum moves in a counterclockwise direction relative to the free position and the second angular offset is anywhere between 0 degrees and 180 degrees, the drum attains the second angular position.

8. The pet hair remover according to claim 3, further comprising: a gear assembly that operably couples the electric motor to the drum; and a debris collector disposed near the first wiper and the second wiper to collect hair removed from the one or more strips by the at least one first wiper and the at least one second wiper, wherein the drum includes a narrow cavity and the debris collector is formed by the narrow cavity.

9. The pet hair remover according to claim 1, wherein hair is collected from the surface to which the drum adheres or abuts, and the drum remains in contact with the surface throughout the entire reciprocating rotation performed between the first angular position and the second angular position.

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