Cleaner Head Conduit Pivot Outside the Airflow Path
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing cleaner head designs for vacuum cleaning appliances suffer from air leakage and turbulence due to the pivoting connection within the airflow path, which reduces pick-up performance and generates noise.
Innovation Solution
A cleaner head design with a conduit assembly where the connectors for the front and rear conduits are located outside the fluid flow path, allowing for any desired configuration without seals, and using elbow sections with a seal to maintain fluid flow integrity, enabling the rear conduit to pivot relative to the front conduit without disrupting airflow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the pivoting connection between front and rear conduits is located within the airflow path, then the cleaner head can be maneuvered flexibly over the floor surface, but air leakage occurs and pick-up performance is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the pivoting connection from the airflow path by positioning it laterally adjacent to the flow path rather than within it. This allows the connection to be made in a region where it does not interfere with airflow, eliminating air leakage while preserving maneuverability through the pivotable connection between front and rear conduits.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the pivoting connection is located within the airflow path, then the conduit assembly can adopt different configurations for maneuvering, but turbulence and noise are generated
Solution Approach 1:
The pivoting connection is extracted from the airflow path and positioned in a lateral region. This removal eliminates the disruption of airflow that causes turbulence and noise, while the connection remains functional for enabling different conduit configurations during maneuvering.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a seal as an intermediary element at the pivoting connection located adjacent to the airflow path. This seal prevents air leakage at the connection point while allowing the pivotable movement, thus maintaining both maneuverability and airflow integrity without generating turbulence.
3Stability of the object's composition
If connectors are used within the airflow path to connect front and rear conduits, then the conduit assembly is structurally stable, but seals are required which complicate the design
Solution Approach 1:
The connection point is extracted from the airflow path to a lateral position. This relocation allows for simpler connector designs without requiring complex sealing mechanisms, as the connection is made in a region where airflow does not impose sealing requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
A seal is introduced as an intermediary component at the pivoting connection adjacent to the airflow path. This seal provides a simple solution to prevent air leakage without requiring complex sealing mechanisms, maintaining structural stability while minimizing design complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A cleaner head for a surface treating appliance includes a main body, a front conduit, and a rear conduit. The front conduit includes a front section connected to the main body for rotation relative thereto about a first axis extending rearwardly from the main body and centrally through the front section, a rear elbow section and at least one first connector. The rear conduit includes a front elbow section into which the rear elbow section of the front conduit is inserted, a rear section and at least one second connector connected to said at least one first connector to enable the rear conduit to pivot relative to the front conduit about a second axis which is orthogonal to the first axis and which lies outside a fluid flow path passing through the front conduit and the rear conduit.