Castellated Vacuum Nozzle for Large Debris Pickup
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vacuum cleaners with castellated nozzles struggle to effectively collect large debris, such as CHEERIOS, due to clogging issues and reduced suction power when trying to accommodate larger items, limiting their cleaning capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A nozzle design featuring castellations with offset wheels and chamfered profiles that allow for high suction pressure while enabling the passage of large debris, incorporating cambered wheels to improve edge cleaning and reduce noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the openings/inlets/channels of a castellated nozzle are narrowed to increase air velocity and suction power, then suction power is improved, but large debris cannot pass through and clogging occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle is divided into multiple castellated sections with individual openings, allowing each opening to be optimized for high velocity while the collective structure provides multiple pathways for debris passage, reducing clogging probability
Solution Approach 2:
The castellation structure adds a vertical dimension to the nozzle opening configuration, creating multiple elevation levels for debris to pass through while maintaining narrow horizontal openings for high air velocity
2Reliability
If the openings/inlets/channels are widened to allow large debris passage, then clogging is reduced, but air velocity and suction power decrease
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple segmented openings distribute the debris flow across several narrow channels, maintaining high velocity in each channel while the aggregate capacity handles large debris effectively
3Ease of manufacture
If standard wheels are used in the nozzle, then manufacturing is simple, but wheel-induced noise and poor edge cleaning performance occur
Solution Approach 1:
Cambered wheels with curved, non-circular profiles replace standard circular wheels, improving edge cleaning capability and reducing noise while maintaining manufacturability through molded construction
Solution Approach 2:
The wheel profile parameters are changed from circular to cambered shapes, fundamentally altering the contact mechanics with the surface to improve cleaning performance and reduce noise generation
Data Source
AI summary
A nozzle having castellations provides high suction pressure while also allowing for large pieces of debris to pass through inlet openings. In more detail, a nozzle for a surface treatment/cleaning apparatus is disclosed herein. The nozzle provides a suction channel through which debris passes into a main body of the surface treatment apparatus. Castellations are provided along a leading edge of the nozzle to allow debris to pass through the leading edge to the suction channel, and into the main body during, for instance, forward and reverse strokes of the surface treatment apparatus. In an embodiment, the castellations further include receptacles/cavities to receive and securely hold wheels therein. The wheels may extend from the nozzle at a predefined angle, also referred to herein as a camber angle, to improve vacuum handling and reduce noise during operation.