Suction head for application in a vacuum cleaner

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Solution Overview

Problem

Suction heads used in wet vacuum cleaning face challenges with pollution from the combination of liquids and debris, leading to difficult cleaning and potential microbial growth, making them unhygienic and requiring frequent maintenance.

Innovation Solution

The suction head design features two rotatable brushes with concavely curved areas on the housing to create narrow gaps and high air speeds, an outlet opening that covers only a portion of the brushes' length, and an airflow directing component with fang-like parts to prevent dirt deposition, ensuring effective dirt transport and internal surface cleanliness.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the suction head is used for wet vacuum cleaning, then cleaning capability is improved, but pollution and microbial growth occur on internal surfaces

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning capabilityVSAvoidpollution and microbial growth
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and removes the harmful combination of liquids and debris from the internal surfaces by designing the outlet opening to cover only a portion of the brushes' length, preventing the harmful mixture from depositing on internal surfaces while maintaining cleaning capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the harmful effect of high air speeds (which could cause turbulence and deposition) into a beneficial effect by maintaining them in the narrow gaps between brushes and housing, creating a laminar flow that prevents deposition while still enabling effective dirt transport

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

2Speed

If narrow gaps are created between brushes and housing, then air speed increases, but manufacturing precision requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveair speedVSAvoidgap precision
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by creating narrow gaps only in specific areas where brushes interact with the housing, while other areas have standard tolerances. The concavely curved areas are designed to maintain narrow gaps locally without requiring high precision across the entire housing structure

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses concavely curved areas on the housing that face the brushes, creating a curved geometry that naturally maintains consistent narrow gaps. This curvature compensates for manufacturing tolerances and brush wear, maintaining the desired air speed without requiring high precision manufacturing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If the outlet opening covers only a portion of the brushes, then dirt deposition on internal surfaces is prevented, but cleaning coverage may be reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedirt deposition preventionVSAvoidcleaning coverage
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses pneumatic principles by relying on the airflow generated by the rotating brushes to transport dirt through the narrow gaps and out of the suction head. The high air speeds in the narrow gaps create a strong suction effect that compensates for the reduced outlet opening area, maintaining cleaning coverage while preventing deposition

Inventive Principle:
Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This design enhances cleaning efficiency by maintaining high air speeds and preventing dirt buildup, keeping the suction head clean and hygienic, reducing the need for frequent cleaning and promoting a healthy environment.

Implementation Method 1

a surface of the housing facing the brushes comprises two adjacent concavely curved areas, wherein each of the concavely curved areas covers a portion of a respective one of the brushes

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectNarrow gap flow:

Implementation Method 2

The suction head design features two rotatable brushes with concavely curved areas on the housing to create narrow gaps and high air speeds

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAir speed increase through constriction: Venturi Effect

Implementation Method 3

two brushes in a substantially parallel arrangement in the housing, wherein each of the brushes is rotatable about a rotation axis and is configured to interact with the surface to be cleaned

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectRotational transport:

Implementation Method 4

each of the brushes is designed to be capable to pick up liquids from the surface

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectFriction: Friction

Implementation Method 5

an outlet opening that is at a position of an interface of the concavely curved areas and is dimensioned to cover only a portion of a dimension of the brushes

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAirflow direction control:

Implementation Method 6

the outlet opening is in fluid communication with the coupling area

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAir suction: Suction

Data Source

PatentEP4262506B1Suction head for application in a vacuum cleaner
Publication Date: 2024.05.08 KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS NV
  • EP4262506B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4262506B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4262506B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

In a suction head (101) that is of the type that is configured to be applied in a vacuum cleaner and to perform a cleaning action on a surface (10), and that comprises a housing (30) and two rotatable brushes (20) in a substantially parallel arrangement in the housing (30), a surface (32) of the housing (30) facing the brushes (20) comprises two adjacent concavely curved areas (34, 35), wherein each of those areas (34, 35) covers a portion of a respective one (20a, 20b) of the brushes (20). Further,the surface (32) is provided with an outlet opening (31) that is in fluid communication with a coupling area (33) of the suction head (101), and the outlet opening (31) is at a position of an interface of the concavely curved areas (34, 35) and is dimensioned to cover only a portion of a length of the brushes(20).