A cleaner head for a vacuum cleaner

Abstract

A cleaner head for a vacuum cleaner comprises a housing 33 having one or more walls 37 which define a suction chamber 34 having an outlet 36 and an inlet 35 surrounded by an inlet perimeter 39. One or

Description

BACKGROUND Vacuum cleaners are very effective at picking up dust and other debris from open stretches of floor surfaces. However, it can be difficult for vacuum cleaners to collect dust and other debris from the edges of a room where the floor meets the wall, and from relatively tight or enclosed spaces such as the comers of a room or stair where the floor meets two orthogonal walls, or a wall and stair riser. It is against this background that the present invention has been developed. SUMMARY The present invention provides a cleaner head for a vacuum cleaner, the cleaner head comprising: a housing comprising one or more walls, wherein the housing defines a suction chamber having an inlet and an outlet, wherein the inlet is surrounded by an inlet perimeter; an opening located in the one or more walls; and a conduit having a proximal portion and a distal portion, wherein the proximal portion is in fluidic communication with the opening, and wherein at least part of the distal portion intersects, or protrudes beyond, an inlet plane defined by at least a portion of the inlet perimeter. In use, when the cleaner tool is placed in an area to be cleaned, such as in the corner of a staircase where a stair tread meets both the riser of the next stair and a side wall, the inlet perimeter engages the surfaces of the stair / wall and the conduit projects beyond the inlet perimeter so that when suction is applied to the suction chamber by a motor of a vacuum cleaner, air is preferably drawn into the suction chamber through the opening in the one or more walls and is directed to the distal end of the conduit where it exits as a jet directed to the intersections of the surfaces where dust and dirt may be accumulated. The jet helps to dislodge such dust and dirt so that it enters the suction chamber from where it is removed to the bin of the vacuum cleaner. In this way, inaccessible or trapped duct and dirt may be effectively and efficiently removed. Optionally a plurality of openings may be located in the one or more walls, wherein each opening is in fluidic communication with a proximal portion of an associated conduit. This allows for air to be drawn in from more than one location to provide a plurality of air jets. If airflow to one opening is blocked, for example by a wall, the remaining jets remain unaffected. A distal portion of each conduit may optionally intersect, or protrude beyond, the inlet plane so that each jet exiting each conduit in use is positioned close to the area to be cleaned. The distal portions of the conduits may be connected together to form a bundle of conduits to help focus the jets on a particular area to be cleaned. In one example, two or more of the conduits may share a common distal portion. Optionally each conduit intersects the inlet plane proximate the centre of the inlet perimeter. This helps to provide even cleaning to the areas below the inlet in use. One or more conduits may optionally comprise a flexible material so that the direction of the jets may be altered in use. One or more conduits may comprise a resilient material so that the conduits may return to an original position after displacement from their original position. In one example, one or more may be conduits are configurable so that, in use, air flow exiting the distal end of the conduit is directed towards a surface to be cleaned. This is useful to allow a user to orientate the jets to a particular location to be cleaned. Optionally the distal end of each conduit is biased towards the exterior of the housing so that the distal ends of the conduits, and hence the jets, are located close to the area to be cleaned. The distal end of each conduit is optionally retractable to a position within the housing to facilitate storage. The housing may be configured so that, in use, the inlet perimeter effectively seals the suction chamber from an atmosphere surrounding the housing when the inlet perimeter is positioned against three, preferably orthogonal, non-parallel surfaces. In one example, the housing may be of pyramidal form and / or the inlet perimeter may describe a triangle. Optionally a seal may be located around the inlet perimeter to reduce the amount of air able to enter the suction chamber, in use, via the inlet so that more air preferentially enters the suction chamber via the conduits. The inlet may be configured so that, in use, the inlet perimeter effectively seals the suction chamber from an atmosphere surrounding the housing when the inlet perimeter is positioned against two non-parallel surfaces to be cleaned such as between a floor and a wall. In another aspect, the present invention provides a cleaner head for a vacuum cleaner, the cleaner head comprising: a housing comprising one or more walls, wherein the housing defines a suction chamber having an inlet and an outlet; an opening located in the one or more walls; and a flexible conduit having a proximal portion in fluidic communication with the opening and a distal portion, wherein the conduit is configurable so that, in use, air flow exiting the conduit is directed towards a surface to be cleaned. In a further aspect, the present invention provides a cleaner head for a vacuum cleaner, the cleaner head comprising: a housing comprising one or more walls, wherein the housing defines a suction chamber having an inlet and an outlet, wherein the inlet is surrounded by an inlet perimeter, an opening located in the one or more walls arranged so that, in use, air flows through the opening and is directed towards a surface to be cleaned; and wherein the inlet is configured so that, in use, the inlet perimeter effectively seals the suction chamber from an atmosphere surrounding the housing when the inlet perimeter is positioned against two non-parallel surfaces to be cleaned. Optionally the inlet is configured so that, in use, the inlet perimeter effectively seals the suction chamber from an atmosphere surrounding the housing when the inlet perimeter is positioned against three non-parallel surfaces to be cleaned, preferably wherein the three non-parallel surfaces are three orthogonal surfaces. In yet another aspect, the present invention provides a vacuum cleaner comprising a cleaner head as described above. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 shows a vacuum cleaner; Figure 2 shows a side view of a cleaner head for use with the vacuum cleaner; Figure 3 shows an isometric view of a cleaner head for use with the vacuum cleaner; Figure 4 shows the and cleaner head of Figure 2 attached to a vacuum cleaner in use; Figure 5 shows the cleaner head of Figure 2 in a storage configuration; and Figure 6 shows an alternative a cleaner head for use with the vacuum cleaner. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Figure 1 shows a hand-held vacuum cleaner 10 comprising a main body 12, a wand 14 and a cleaner head 20. The main body 12 comprises a separating system 11, in the form of a cyclonic separator, a motor and impeller (not visible) arranged to draw air through the separating system 11, and a power supply 13, in the form of a battery, for powering the motor. The wand 14 is attached at one end to the main body 12 via an adaptor 17, and at the other end to the cleaner head 20 via an adaptor 15. The wand 14 provides fluid communication between the cleaner head 20 and the separating system 11 and supports the cleaner head 20 during use. The cleaner head 20 comprises an adaptor 21 which is releasably attached to the adaptor 15 of the wand 14. A spring loaded button 22 operates to secure the cleaner head 20 to the wand 14. If it is desired to remove the cleaner head 20 from the wand 14 (for example to replace the cleaner head 20 with an alternative cleaner head), the button 22 is depressed to allow the cleaner head 20 to be released from the wand 14. Similarly, the main body 12 comprises an adaptor 16 which is releasably attached to the adaptor 17 of the wand 14. A spring loaded button 18 operates to secure the wand 14 to the main body 12. If it is desired to remove the wand 14 from the main body 12, the button 18 is depressed to allow the wand 14 to be released from the main body 12. Figures 2 and 3 show a cleaner head 30 for use with the vacuum cleaner 10. The cleaner head 30 comprises an adaptor 31 which is configured to attach to the adaptor 15 of the wand 14 and the adaptor 16 of the main body 12. In this regard, it will be understood that the cleaner head 30 may be used when attached directly to the main body 12, or when attached to the main body 12 via the wand 14. A spring loaded button 32 is provided to secure and release the cleaner head 30 to the wand 14 or the main body 12. The cleaner head 30 comprises a housing 33 which defines a suction chamber 34 having an inlet 35 and an outlet 36. The housing 33 has three generally triangular walls 37 which extend from the outlet 36 to the inlet 35. The edges 38 of the walls 37 proximate the inlet 35 form an inlet perimeter 39 which surrounds the inlet 35. In this example, the housing 33 has a pyramidal form and the edges 38 of the walls 37 form a triangular inlet perimeter 39. Each of the walls 37 comprises an opening 40 which is connected to a proximal portion 41 of a flexible conduit 42 such that the proximal portions 41 are in fluidic communication with the respective openings 40. The distal portions 43 of the conduits 42 are located proximate the centre of the inlet perimeter 39 and protrude beyond an inlet plane 44 which passes through, and is defined by, the inlet perimeter 39. A seal 45 is provided along the edges 38 of the walls 37 around the inlet perimeter 39. The seal 45 serves to effectively seal the suction chamber 34 from the atmosphere surrounding the housing 33 when inlet perimeter 39 is positioned against one or more surfaces to be cleaned as will be described in greater detail below. The seal 45 may comprise any suitable material such as rubber. The seal 45 may be continuous around the inlet perimeter 39, or may comprise separate sections which extend along the edge 38 of one wall 37. The material of the seal 45 may be continuous or in the form of bristles which may be synthetic or natural. Figure 4 shows the cleaner head 30 in use attached to the main body 12 of a vacuum cleaner. The cleaner head 30 is positioned in the comer of a staircase where a stair tread 50 meets both the riser 51 of the next stair and a wall 52. The cleaner head 30 is positioned so that a portion of the seal 45 which surrounds the inlet 35 engages with each of the stair tread 50, the riser 51, and a wall 52. In so doing, the suction chamber 34 is essentially sealed from the atmosphere surrounding the housing 33 of the cleaner head 30. When suction is applied to the cleaner head 30 by the motor located in the main body 12 of the vacuum cleaner 10, air inside the suction chamber 34 is evacuated via the outlet 36 resulting in a pressure differential between the interior of the suction chamber 34 and the surrounding atmosphere. This pressure differential causes air to be drawn into the openings 40 and along the conduits 42 before being expelled via the distal portions 43 of the conduits 42. The air flow ejected from the conduits 42 is directed into the corner where the stair tread 50 meets the riser 51 and the wall 52. Consequently, any dust or other debris that is trapped in the comer is dislodged by the airflow exiting the conduits 42 and removed via the outlet 36 as a result of the suction acting on the suction chamber 34. Because the conduits 42 protrude from around the centre of the inlet perimeter 39 beyond the inlet plane 44, the distal portions 43 of the conduits 42 are positioned close to the comer to be cleaned such that the velocity and focus of the airflow exiting the conduits 44 is greatest in the vicinity of the corner. However, it is not essential that the conduits protrude beyond the inlet plane 44, such that in other examples the distal portions 43 of the conduits 42 may intersect the inlet plane 44, or even be located entirely within the bounds of the suction chamber 34. It will be understood that it is not necessary for the seal 45 to completely seal the inlet perimeter 39 against the surfaces of the stair tread 50, the riser 51 and the wall 52 provided that there is enough of a seal to allow a pressure differential to form between the suction chamber 34 and the surrounding environment. It will also be understood that the cleaner head may be used in any corner and is not limited to the example of a stair given in Figure 4. Referring to Figure 5, when not in use, the conduits 42 of the example cleaner head 30 shown in Figures 2 and 3 are retractable to a storage configuration such that the conduits 42 reside in the suction chamber 34. The conduits 42 may be retracted so that the entirety of the conduits 42 are located within the bounds of the suction chamber 34. Alternatively, the distal portions 43 of the conduits 42 may protrude beyond the inlet plane 44 in the storage configuration all be it to a lesser extent than when the conduits 42 are in their operative configuration. The conduits 42 described above are flexible conduits. In one example, the conduits 42 may comprise a resilient material which is configured to return to a storage configuration from an operative configuration, or which is configured to return from an operative configuration from a storage configuration. Suitable retention means such as clips or supports may be provided to retain the resilient conduits 42 in the desired configuration during storage or use as appropriate. The conduits 42 may be biased towards the exterior of the housing 33 so that they default to an operative configuration when not held in place. Alternatively, conduits 42 may be biased towards the interior of the housing 33 so that they default to a stored configuration when not held in place The flexible conduits 42 are configurable so that, in use, the air flow exiting the distal portions 43 of the conduits 42 is directed towards one or more surfaces, or the intersection of one or more surfaces, to be cleaned. In another example, configurability may be provided by conduits 42 which comprise a plurality of stiff or flexible sections which are configured to articulate and / or telescope with respect to one another. It is not essential that the conduits 42 be flexible and in another example the conduits 42 may comprise a stiff or inflexible material. A mixture of flexible and inflexible conduits 42 may also be used. In the example described above, each wall 37 of the housing 33 comprises an opening 40 which has an associated conduit 42. It will be appreciated that it is not necessary to provide an opening in each wall 37 and that only one opening 40 with one associated conduit 42 may be used. Alternatively, there may be more than one opening in each wall 37, each opening having an associated conduit 42. The conduits 42 may be connected together to form a bundle of conduits 43. Alternatively, the conduits 42 may share a single common distal portion 43. In the example described above the housing 33 has a pyramidal form with a triangular inlet 35. It is not necessary that the housing 33 be of pyramidal form with a triangular inlet 35 and in another example the housing 33 may be of pyramidal form with a square inlet. Other housing shapes are envisaged such as part spherical or cylindrical for example. Figure 6 shows an alternative configuration of a cleaner head 130. In this example, the housing 133 comprises a curved wall 137 and two planar walls 146 which define a suction chamber 134. The planar walls 146 each have a curved portion 147 which correspond to the curve of the curved wall 137, and rectilinear portions 148 which comprise two edges 149, 150 which are orthogonal to one another. An outlet 136is located in the curved wall 137, and an inlet 135 is defined by an inlet perimeter 139 formed by the edges 151 of the curved wall 137 and the orthogonal edges 149, 150 of the planar end walls 146. A seal 145 is provided around the inlet perimeter 139. The curved wall 137 comprises a plurality of openings 140 each of which is fluidically connected to a proximal portion of an associated conduit 142. The conduits 142 are spaced along the length of the suction chamber 134 and extend towards the inlet 135 so that the distal portions 143 of the conduits 142 protrude beyond the edges 151 of the curved wall 137. In this example, the entirety of the conduits 142 are located within the suction chamber 134 such that the conduits 142 do not intersect inlet planes 144, 154 which pass through, and which are defined by, portions of the inlet perimeter 139. The conduits are positioned proximate the middle of the suction chamber 134 between opposing sides of the curved wall 137. In use, the cleaner head 130 is positioned at the intersection of a floor and wall, or a stair tread and a stair riser, so that the seal 145 is positioned against the surfaces of the wall and floor to essentially seal the suction chamber 134 from the surrounding atmosphere. When suction is applied to the cleaner head 130, the air inside the suction chamber 134 is evacuated and air is drawn through the conduits 142 and air flow is directed at the intersection of the floor and the wall where dust and debris may be trapped. The dust or debris a thereby dislodged and removed through the outlet 136. In the example of Figure 6, the conduits 142 may be inflexible, flexible or otherwise configurable, or a mixture thereof. Where flexible and / or configurable conduits 142 are used, these may be biased towards or away from their operative configurations in dependence on the specific design of the cleaner head 130. In another example the conduits 142 may be configured to intersect one or both of the inlet planes 144, 154. For example, the distal ends 155 of he conduits 142 may be located in an inlet plane 144, 154. Additional examples of a cleaner head are described with reference to the following numbered clauses: Clause 1. A cleaner head for a vacuum cleaner, the cleaner head comprising: a housing comprising one or more walls, wherein the housing defines a suction chamber having an inlet and an outlet; an opening located in the one or more walls; and a flexible conduit having a proximal portion in fluidic communication with the opening and a distal portion, wherein the conduit is configurable so that, in use, air flow exiting the conduit is directed towards a surface to be cleaned. Clause 2. A cleaner head according to clause 1 wherein the inlet is surrounded by an inlet perimeter configured so that, in use, the inlet perimeter effectively seals the suction chamber from an atmosphere surrounding the housing when the inlet perimeter is positioned against two non-parallel surfaces to be cleaned, or when the inlet perimeter is positioned against three, preferably orthogonal, non-parallel surfaces to be cleaned. Clause 3. A cleaner head for a vacuum cleaner, the cleaner head comprising: a housing comprising one or more walls, wherein the housing defines a suction chamber having an inlet and an outlet, wherein the inlet is surrounded by an inlet perimeter, an opening located in the one or more walls arranged so that, in use, air flows through the opening and is directed towards a surface to be cleaned; and wherein the inlet is configured so that, in use, the inlet perimeter effectively seals the suction chamber from an atmosphere surrounding the housing when the inlet perimeter is positioned against two non-parallel surfaces to be cleaned. Clause 4. A cleaner head according to clause 3, wherein the inlet is configured so that, in use, the inlet perimeter effectively seals the suction chamber from an atmosphere surrounding the housing when the inlet perimeter is positioned against three non-parallel surfaces to be cleaned, preferably wherein the three non-parallel surfaces are three orthogonal surfaces. Clause 5. A cleaner head according to any preceding clause, comprising a plurality of openings located in the one or more walls, wherein each opening is in fluidic communication with a proximal portion of an associated conduit. Clause 6. A cleaner head according to any preceding clause, wherein an inlet plane is defined by at least a portion of the inlet perimeter, wherein a distal portion of the or each conduit intersects, or protrudes beyond, the inlet plane. Clause 7. A cleaner head according to clause 5 or 6, wherein the distal portions of a plurality of conduits are connected together to form a bundle of conduits. Clause 8. A cleaner head according to clause 5 or 6, wherein two or more conduits share a common distal portion. Clause 9. A cleaner head according to any one of clauses 6 to 8, wherein the or each conduit intersects the inlet plane proximate the centre of the inlet perimeter. Clause 10. A cleaner head according to any one of clauses 5 to 9, wherein one or more conduits comprise a flexible material. Clause 11. A cleaner head according to any one of clauses 5 to 10, wherein one or more conduits comprise a resilient material. Clause 12. A cleaner head according to any one of clauses 5 to 11, wherein one or more conduits are configurable so that, in use, air flow exiting the distal end of the conduit is directed towards a surface to be cleaned. Clause 13. A cleaner head according to any one of clauses 5 to 12, wherein the distal end of each conduit is biased towards the exterior of the housing. Clause 14. A cleaner head according to any one of clauses 5 to 13, wherein the distal end of each conduit is retractable to a position within the housing to facilitate storage. Clause 15. A cleaner head according to any preceding clause, wherein the housing is of pyramidal form. Clause 16. A cleaner head according to any preceding clause, wherein the inlet and / or the inlet perimeter describe a triangle. Clause 17. A cleaner head according to any preceding clause, comprising a seal located 5 around the inlet and / or the inlet perimeter. Clause 18. A vacuum cleaner comprising a cleaner head according to any preceding clause. 10

Claims

1. A cleaner head for a vacuum cleaner, the cleaner head comprising:a housing comprising one or more walls, wherein the housing defines a suction chamber having an inlet and an outlet, wherein the inlet is surrounded by an inlet perimeter;a seal located around the inlet perimeter;an opening located in the one or more walls; anda conduit having a proximal portion and a distal portion, wherein the proximal portion is in fluidic communication with the opening, and wherein the distal portion intersects with, or protrudes beyond, an inlet plane defined by at least a portion of the inlet perimeter, wherein the inlet perimeter describes a triangle.

2. A cleaner head as claimed in claim 1, comprising a plurality of openings located in the one or more walls, wherein each opening is in fluidic communication with a proximal portion of an associated conduit.

3. A cleaner head as claimed in claim 2, wherein a distal portion of each conduit intersects, or protrudes beyond, the inlet plane.

4. A cleaner head as claimed in claim 3, wherein the distal portions of the conduits are connected together to form a bundle of conduits.

5. A cleaner head as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein two or more of the conduits share a common distal portion.

6. A cleaner head as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein each conduit intersects the inlet plane proximate the centre of the inlet perimeter.

7. A cleaner head as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein one or more conduits comprise a flexible material.

8. A cleaner head as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein one or more conduits comprise a resilient material.

9. A cleaner head as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein one or more conduits are 5 configurable so that, in use, air flow exiting the distal end of the conduit is directed towards a surface to be cleaned.

10. A cleaner head as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the distal end of each conduit is biased towards the exterior of the housing.1011. A cleaner head as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the distal end of each conduit is retractable to a position within the housing to facilitate storage.

12. A cleaner head as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the housing is of 15 pyramidal form.

13. A vacuum cleaner comprising a cleaner head as claimed in any preceding claim.

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