Cleaner head

Abstract

A cleaner head comprising a suction chamber having a suction opening; an agitator comprising a hollow body and supported in the suction chamber by a support member having a first end fixed to a side wall of the suction chamber and a second end which is free, the hollow body of the agitator being slidably received on the second end; and a drive assembly forming part of the support member and arranged to rotate the agitator about an axis. The fixed end of the support member is pivotably fixed to the side wall of the suction chamber such that the free end of the support member is pivotable with the agitator supported thereon to protrude from the suction opening to allow the agitator to be detached and replaced.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of the invention patent application filed on October 2, 2019, with application number 201980066265.2 and invention title "Cleaner Head". Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to a cleaning head for a vacuum cleaner, and more particularly to a cleaning head having an electric motor-driven brush, wherein the electric motor is located inside the brush. Background Technology

[0003] Vacuum cleaner heads are typically equipped with brushes, often called agitators. Brushes usually consist of bristles for agitating dust from the floor surface and are especially important for improving dust pickup levels from carpeted floors. Brushes can be motor-driven, and are typically driven by a motor via a belt. However, the drive and belt assembly can take up valuable space in the cleaner head and often prevents the cleaner head from having brushes that extend across its entire width.

[0004] Recently, progress has been made in placing the brush motor inside the brush itself. Such a scheme is described in GB2498351. In GB2498351, the brush is formed by a hollow body and can be inserted through one side of the cleaner head, and is slidably mounted on a drive assembly that is cantilevered to the other end of the cleaner head.

[0005] Here, Figure 1 Another example is shown in the figure. Figure 1 A cleaner head 1 with a suction chamber 2 is shown. A brush 3 can be inserted into the suction chamber 2 through an opening 4 in the side wall of the cleaner head 1. When the brush 3 is inserted into the suction opening as shown by arrow A, the brush 3 is slidably received on a support body 5. The support body 5 is fixed to a side wall opposite the opening at point 6 and extends through the center of the suction chamber 2. The side wall at point 6 provides cantilever support for the support body. A motor for driving the brush 3 is located within the support body 5. Once the brush 3 is inserted into the suction chamber 2, a brush end cap 7 is then secured to the housing via a bayonet fitting to hold the brush 3 in place.

[0006] While there are many advantages to housing the motor inside the brush, removing the brush from the side of the cleaner head presents some design limitations. Additionally, without proper sealing, air may leak out from the side of the cleaner head where the brush is removed, potentially affecting head pressure within the suction chamber and negatively impacting the cleaner head's pickup performance. Summary of the Invention

[0007] A first aspect of the invention provides a cleaner head comprising: a suction chamber having a suction opening; an agitator including a hollow body and supported in the suction chamber by a support member having a first end fixed to a sidewall of the suction chamber and a free second end, the hollow body of the agitator being slidably received on the second end; and a drive assembly forming part of the support member and arranged to rotate the agitator about an axis. The fixed end of the support member is pivotally fixed to the sidewall of the suction chamber such that the free end of the support member, together with the agitator supported thereon, is pivotable to protrude from the suction opening to allow the agitator to be removed and replaced.

[0008] As a result, it is still possible to have a cleaner head where the brush motor is located inside the brush, without having to remove the brush from one side of the cleaner head. This, in turn, reduces the risk of air leakage through the side of the cleaner head, thus helping to maintain better head pressure in the suction chamber and improving pickup performance.

[0009] The suction opening can face downwards. In this way, the suction opening allows dirt to be sucked from the floor surface where the cleaner head is used, and also allows the brush to be inserted for removal and replacement.

[0010] The fixed end of the support member can be pivotally secured to the side wall of the suction chamber via a pivot joint. Therefore, the joint allows for controlled pivoting and ensures that the support member pivots only to the desired point without over-pivoting, which could damage the cleaner head.

[0011] The first end of the support member may include a patch panel disposed through the pivot joint to provide power to the drive assembly. Therefore, the patch panel can be protected by the pivot point and ensured that it is not damaged when the support member and brush bar pivot out of the suction opening.

[0012] The cooling airflow path can pass through the pivot joint to provide cooling airflow to the drive assembly. Therefore, the brush motor can remain cooled during operation, and the airflow path is not obstructed by the pivot joint.

[0013] The drive assembly may include a drive dog configured to engage with a complementary drive dog receiving portion disposed on the stirrer. Alternatively, the drive assembly may be soft-mounted to the inner surface of the stirrer. Either approach allows for efficient transmission of drive torque from the brush motor to the brushes.

[0014] The cleaner head may further include a retaining frame to prevent the support members from pivoting and to hold the agitator in place within the cleaner head. Therefore, during use, or if the cleaner head is lifted off the floor surface, the brush and support members will not unintentionally pivot out of the cleaner head.

[0015] The retainer frame can be pivotally mounted to the edge of the suction opening. Therefore, the retainer frame can be moved to allow for the removal and easy replacement of the brush. This reduces the likelihood of tricky alignment difficulties when replacing the retainer frame, and also reduces the possibility of the retainer frame being lost or damaged.

[0016] The clip can engage with the free end of the agitator to prevent the agitator from pivoting out of the suction opening and to retain the agitator in the cleaner head. This provides an alternative method for holding the brush in place.

[0017] A second aspect of the invention provides a vacuum cleaner comprising a cleaning head as described in any of the foregoing statements. Therefore, due to the benefits associated with the aforementioned cleaning head, a more efficient vacuum cleaner can be achieved, and improved pickup performance can be realized.

[0018] A third aspect of the invention provides a robotic vacuum cleaner comprising a cleaning head as described in any of the foregoing statements relating to the cleaning head. Therefore, due to the benefits associated with the aforementioned cleaning head, a more efficient robotic vacuum cleaner can be achieved, and improved pickup performance can be realized. Furthermore, the cleaning head has no brush removal features on its sides, allowing it to be used for other purposes important to autonomous mobile robotic devices.

[0019] The outer surface of the cleaner head's side can form part of the outer surface of the robotic vacuum cleaner and may be sensitive to physical contact with obstacles. Therefore, the robotic vacuum cleaner has higher sensitivity, and the side of the cleaner head does not create a "blind spot" for the robot's sensor system, which is tasked with detecting obstacles in the environment in which the robotic vacuum cleaner is operating.

[0020] A robotic vacuum cleaner may include at least one microswitch that is triggered when one side of the cleaner head physically contacts an obstacle. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To facilitate a better understanding of the invention, embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the following drawings, in which: Figure 1 This is an example of a cleaner head using existing technology; Figure 2A and 2B The cleaner head according to the invention is shown during a brush removal operation; Figure 3 This is a bottom side view of a robotic vacuum cleaner; and Figure 4A , 4B And 4C shows the brush removal operation. Figure 3 Robotic vacuum cleaner. Detailed Implementation

[0022] Figure 2A and 2B A cleaner head 20 is shown. The cleaner head 20 has a body 21 and an attachment portion 22 for attaching the cleaner head to a vacuum cleaner, such as the stick of a stick vacuum cleaner. The body 21 includes a cover 23 and sides 24A and 24B, which together form a suction chamber within the body 22. A suction opening 25 is located on the underside of the body 22. A brush 26 is typically housed within the suction chamber. However, the cleaner head is shown during a brush removal operation. Figure 2A In the image, the brush is shown extending partially outside the suction chamber and protruding partially through the suction opening 25.

[0023] During use, the brush stick 26 agitates dirt and dust on the floor surface being cleaned. The brush stick may be equipped with nylon bristle strips and rows of carbon fiber bristles to help improve the pickup performance of the cleaner head. The brush stick 26 may sometimes become dirty, for example, hair may become tangled around it. When this happens, it is necessary to be able to remove the brush stick 26 from the cleaner head 20 for cleaning, and then reinstall it in its proper position within the cleaner head 20 once cleaning is complete.

[0024] As indicated by double arrow B, the brush 26 can pivot into and out of the cleaner head 20 through the suction opening 25. The brush 26 pivots such that one end protrudes through the suction opening 25, providing a free end 26A that the user can grip. The other end 26B remains largely within the suction chamber due to its proximity to the pivot point. A clip (not shown) can be provided to retain the end 26A of the brush within the suction chamber. The clip can take the form of, for example, a brush end cap that engages with a complementary engagement portion on the inside of the sidewall 24A. The end cap may also include a bearing support for the end 26A of the brush 26.

[0025] The brush rod 26 is supported on the support member 27 within the suction chamber and is fitted onto it like a sleeve. The support member 27 is... Figure 2B As can be seen, this illustrates the cleaner head 20 after the brush 26 has been removed from the support member 27. The support member 27 is pivotally secured to the inside of the side wall 24B of the cleaner head 20. The brush is removed by pivoting the support member 27 and the brush 26 outside the suction chamber, allowing the free end 26A of the brush to protrude through the suction opening 25 below the cleaner head 20, and then axially sliding the brush 26 away from the support member 27 as indicated by arrow C. The brush is reinstalled in the cleaner head 20 by performing the above steps in reverse.

[0026] The support member 27 internally houses the brush motor, which drives the drive claw 28. When the brush is positioned above the support member 27, the drive claw 28 engages with a structure inside the brush 26. In use, rotation of the brush motor causes the drive claw 28 to rotate, and the brush then rotates within the suction chamber of the cleaner head 20.

[0027] Since the brush 26 is first disassembled by pivoting it out of the suction opening 25, there is no need for an opening in the side wall 24A, for example... Figure 1 As shown in existing technology examples. Therefore, the sidewall 24A can be formed together with the cover 23, reducing the risk of any air leakage through the sidewall 24. This helps maintain head pressure within the cleaner head 20 during use, and this in turn helps improve the pick-up performance of the cleaner head.

[0028] While rotating the brush bar out of the central cleaning head of typical conventional vacuum cleaners (such as the stick vacuums, cylindrical and / or upright vacuums mentioned above) has clear advantages, there are even greater advantages to achieving this in robotic vacuum cleaners, which will now be discussed in more detail. Figure 3 and Figure 4A -C description.

[0029] Figure 3 A bottom view of a robotic vacuum cleaner 30 is shown. The robotic vacuum cleaner includes a body 31 and a cleaning head 32. The body 31 houses a drive system including differentially actuated wheels 33 to enable the robotic vacuum cleaner to navigate automatically in its environment. Although not shown, the body also includes a suction motor for drawing dirty air from the cleaning head and a dirt separation system for separating dirt from the airflow generated by the suction motor. It will be understood that the robotic vacuum cleaner 30 will include many other components and systems typical of robotic vacuum cleaners, but these are not the focus of this document and will not be described in detail here. For example, the robotic vacuum cleaner 30 may further include a vision system, a sensor system, a navigation system, and a power source such as a battery pack.

[0030] The cleaning head 32 of the robotic vacuum cleaner 30 has many features related to Figure 2A and 2BThe cleaning head 32 has the same features and components as the cleaning head 20. The cleaning head 32 includes a cover and side edges 36A and 36B, which together form a suction chamber 34 within the cleaning head 32. The suction chamber 34 has a suction opening 35 facing downwards below the cleaning head 32. When the robotic vacuum cleaner 30 operates on a floor surface, dirty air is drawn into the cleaning head 32 through the suction opening 35. A brush 37 is housed within the suction chamber 34 and, during use, is driven by a brush motor and rotates about an axis. Similar to the brush 26 of the cleaning head 20, the brush 37 of the cleaning head 32 of the robotic vacuum cleaner 30 is used to agitate dirt and dust on the floor surface being cleaned. The brush 37 is provided with nylon bristle strips and rows of carbon fiber bristles (not shown) to help improve the pickup performance of the cleaning head. The brush bar 37 also includes a cluster material (not shown) that extends over substantially the entire circumference and axial range of the area of ​​the brush bar between the nylon and carbon fiber bristles.

[0031] The brush 37 may sometimes become dirty; for example, hair may become tangled on it, or dirt may accumulate inside the cleaner head 32, requiring removal or cleaning. While it is preferable for a robotic vacuum cleaner to handle all tasks automatically without user intervention, it is inevitable that users will need to perform some maintenance tasks from time to time, such as cleaning the brush and clearing blockages. When this occurs, it is necessary for the user to be able to remove the brush 37 from the cleaner head 32 and then reinstall it in the cleaner head 32 once cleaning and / or blockage removal are complete.

[0032] Figure 4A , 4B Figures 4C and 4C show a robotic vacuum cleaner 30 at different stages during brush removal. The cleaner head 32 of the robotic vacuum cleaner 30 includes a retaining frame 40 that is pivotally secured to the front edge of the suction opening 35. The retaining frame can be held in place by a spring-biased clip mechanism that disengages via an actuated slider 41. Once disengaged, it can be... Figure 4A Arrow D indicates that the retaining frame 40 will pivot away from the suction chamber 34. Pivoting the retaining frame in this manner exposes the brush 37, allowing it to be removed from the cleaner head 32. In addition to the retaining frame, clips can be used to hold the brush 37 within the cleaner head 32. As previously mentioned... Figure 2A and 2B As described in the cleaner head 20, a clip (not shown) can be configured to retain the end 37A of the brush bar within the suction chamber, and can take the form, for example, a brush bar end cap that engages with a complementary engagement portion on the inner side of the sidewall 36A. The end cap may also include a bearing support for the end 37A of the brush bar 37.

[0033] exist Figure 4B The image shows the brush 37 pivoted out of the suction chamber 34, as indicated by arrow E, so that the free end 37A protrudes from the suction opening 35. Figure 4C As indicated by arrow F, the user can grasp the free end 37A of the brush from this position and slidably detach it from the support member 42. The support member 42 supports the brush 37 during normal use, and one end of it is pivotally fixed to the inside of the side wall 36B of the cleaner head 32, allowing the free end of the support member 42 to pivot out of the suction chamber 34. A drive assembly in the form of a brush motor 43 is provided as part of the support member 42. Figure 4C The driving components shown are Figure 2A and 2B The drive assembly shown in this embodiment differs because the brush motor 43 is not housed inside the support member 43, but rather forms part of the exterior of the support member 42. Furthermore, similar to the previous example, instead of the drive claw, the brush motor 43 has an external rotor configuration, such that the exterior of the brush motor 43 is softly mounted to the inner circumferential surface of the brush 37 and rotates relative to the rest of the support member 42 to directly drive the rotation of the brush. The brush motor can be either a brushed motor or a brushless motor.

[0034] Reinstalling the brush stick 37 can be done by performing the above and... in reverse order. Figure 4A Follow the steps shown in -C.

[0035] A bumper 50 is provided on the front edge of the robotic vacuum cleaner 30. The bumper 50 is configured to detect any physical contact between the robotic vacuum cleaner 30 and any object or obstacle located within the environment in which it travels. Detecting physical contact is crucial for enabling the robotic vacuum cleaner to navigate autonomously in its environment without the risk of damage or any other harm during its operation. The front bumper (e.g., bumper 50) is important because the robotic vacuum cleaner is likely to come into contact with obstacles as it moves forward. However, being able to detect physical contact from the side is also a significant benefit, as it allows the robot to detect physical contact while traveling along boundaries (e.g., walls) and while turning. Therefore, the outer surfaces of the side edges 36A and 36B of the cleaner head 32 are also sensitive to physical contact. This is made possible because the side edges 36A and 36B do not have anything like a brush removal port. By making the brush 37 removable through the suction opening, the side edges 36A and 37B are freed to be sensitive to physical contact, thus becoming an extension of the entire collision sensor system of the robotic vacuum cleaner.

[0036] The outer edges 36A and 36B of the cleaner head form part of the exterior of the robotic vacuum cleaner 30. The outer edges 36A and 36B are deformable, and a microswitch is located behind the deformable outer cover, such that when physical contact is made between the robotic vacuum cleaner 30 and an obstacle, the microswitch is triggered, sending a signal to the robotic vacuum cleaner's control system to indicate that contact has been established. The outer edges 36A and 36B are deformable by using a spring to bias the outer cover away from the microswitch. Upon contact with an obstacle, the biasing force of the spring is overcome, and the outer cover contacts the microswitch. In an alternative embodiment, the outer cover may be formed of a material with an inherent biasing force, and a spring is not required. Alternatively, other alternative embodiments may use a strain gauge instead of a microswitch to measure strain in the deformable material to detect physical contact. Other alternatives to physical contact sensors will be well understood.

[0037] In two embodiments of the cleaner head, as per [the following text is missing] Figure 2A and 2B The cleaner head shown and Figure 3 and 4A As described in the robotic vacuum cleaner of -C, a pivot joint connects support members 27, 42 to the sidewall. The pivot joint allows support members 27, 42 to pivot relative to the rest of the cleaner head, while also providing a degree of cantilever support to the brushes 26, 37 when they are within the suction chamber. In these embodiments, the pivot joint also provides a protected passage through which a wiring harness can pass. The wiring harness provides power and control signals to the brush motor. By allowing the wiring harness to pass through the pivot joint, the wiring is protected, and the risk of damage to the wiring due to the pivoting action of the support members 27, 42 is greatly reduced. The pivot joint also provides a passage through which cooling airflow can pass. The brush motor heats up during use, and it is beneficial to use cooling airflow to cool the motor. By allowing cooling airflow to pass through a conduit through the pivot joint, the risk of conduit damage and obstruction of cooling airflow due to the pivoting action of the support members 27, 42 is greatly reduced.

[0038] Although specific examples and embodiments have been described so far, it should be understood that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims, some of which have been described above.

Claims

1. A cleaner head, comprising: A suction chamber with a suction opening; A stirrer, having a hollow shape and supported on the entire outer surface of a support member within a suction chamber, wherein the inner surface of the stirrer is fitted onto the support member, one end of the support member is fixed to the side wall of the suction chamber, and the other end is a free end, allowing the stirrer to slide on the support member; and A drive assembly, which is configured as part of the support member, drives the stirrer to rotate about an axis; One end of the support member is pivotally fixed to the side wall of the suction chamber, such that the other end of the support member, together with the agitator supported thereon, is pivotable to protrude from the suction opening to allow the agitator to be disassembled and replaced.

2. The cleaner head according to claim 1, wherein, The suction opening faces downwards.

3. The cleaner head according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, One end of the support member can be pivotally fixed to the side wall of the suction chamber via a pivot joint.

4. The cleaner head according to claim 3, wherein, One end of the support member includes a wiring harness disposed through the pivot joint to provide power to the drive assembly.

5. The cleaner head according to claim 3 or 4, wherein, A cooling airflow path passes through the pivot joint to provide cooling airflow to the drive assembly.

6. The cleaner head according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The drive assembly includes a drive claw configured to engage with a structure disposed inside the stirrer.

7. The cleaner head according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, The drive assembly is flexibly mounted to the inner surface of the stirrer.

8. The cleaner head according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The cleaner head also includes a retaining frame to prevent the support member from pivoting and to hold the agitator in the proper position within the cleaner head.

9. The cleaner head according to claim 8, wherein, The retaining frame is pivotally mounted to the edge of the suction opening.

10. The cleaner head according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein, The clip engages with the other end of the agitator to prevent the agitator from pivoting out of the suction opening and to retain the agitator in the cleaner head.

11. A vacuum cleaner comprising a cleaning head according to any one of the preceding claims.

12. A robotic vacuum cleaner, comprising a cleaning head according to any one of claims 1-10.

13. The robotic vacuum cleaner according to claim 12, wherein, The outer surface of the side of the cleaner head forms part of the outer surface of the robotic vacuum cleaner and is sensitive to physical contact with obstacles.

14. The robotic vacuum cleaner according to claim 13, wherein, The robotic vacuum cleaner includes at least one microswitch that is triggered when one side of the cleaner head physically contacts an obstacle.

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