Removable rotatable agitator with a tab configured to be gripped by a user

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional vacuum cleaners face difficulties in removing entangled debris from mechanical agitators, such as rotating brush rolls, which can lead to decreased performance and potential damage, and lack versatility in handling different surfaces and conditions.

Innovation Solution

A surface cleaning head with an openable agitator chamber and removable rotatable agitators, featuring a pivotable external cover for easy access and interchangeability of agitators with different agitating characteristics, allowing for efficient debris removal and adaptation to various surfaces.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of repair

If the surface cleaning head is turned upside down to remove debris from the agitator, then debris removal is possible, but the operation becomes complex and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of debris removalVSAvoidoperation complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of repairVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The surface cleaning head is divided into separable components: the agitator can be independently removed from the housing through the opening. This segmentation allows users to access and clean the agitator without disassembling the entire cleaning head or inverting the device, thereby simplifying the debris removal process while maintaining effective cleaning capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Adaptability or versatility

If a single rotating brush roll agitator is used, then the vacuum cleaner can clean carpets effectively, but it cannot handle different surfaces like hard wood floors

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesurface adaptabilityVSAvoidagitator configuration
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The opening in the housing enables universal functionality by allowing the agitator to be removed and replaced with different types suitable for various surfaces. Users can interchange between carpet-specific agitators and hard floor agitators through the same opening, making the vacuum cleaner adaptable to multiple surface types without requiring separate devices or complex mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP4008228B1Removable rotatable agitator with a tab configured to be gripped by a user
Publication Date: 2023.03.08 SHARKNINJA OPERATING LLC
  • EP4008228B1 patent drawingFigure 1~1A
  • EP4008228B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4008228B1 patent drawingFigure 3~3A

AI summary

A removable rotatable agitator (130, 730) for use in a surface cleaning head (100, 700, 2400, 2500, 2600, 2700, 2800, 2900), the removable rotatable agitator comprising: the agitator, or an agitator body (131, 531, 631, 731) having a driven end (132, 732) and a non-driven end (134, 754); at least one agitator element (136, 536) located on at least a portion of the agitator body between the driven end and the non-driven end; a tab (796), or an end cap including a tab, the tab extending radially from at least one end of the agitator body and configured to be gripped by a user to facilitate removing and inserting the non-driven end into an agitator chamber (120, 720) in the surface cleaning head; and a splined driven member (780) located at the driven end of the agitator body, the splined driven member being configured to mate axially and engage with a splined drive member (770) on a drive mechanism (750) in the surface cleaning head.