Suction nozzle for a handheld vacuum cleaner and handheld vacuum cleaner

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing squeegee and suction nozzles for handheld vacuum cleaners suffer from inconsistent pressure and angle application, leading to streaks or incomplete cleaning, especially when navigating corners or edges, and require complex user adjustments.

Innovation Solution

A squeegee and suction nozzle design with a support body and pivotably connected suction body, where the user's pressure is absorbed by the support surface, ensuring constant pressure and automatic angle adjustment, and a guide surface for smooth edge navigation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the squeegee and suction nozzle is pivoted against spring force with a joint inside the nozzle or vacuum cleaner, then the device can adapt to different orientations, but the squeegee lip applies inconsistent pressure and angle depending on orientation, leading to stripes and streaks

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptation to different orientationsVSAvoidcleaning consistency
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The suction nozzle is divided into two separate bodies: a support body that remains fixed relative to the vacuum cleaner and a suction body that can pivot independently. This segmentation allows the support body to maintain consistent orientation and pressure application, while the suction body adapts to surface contours, thereby resolving the contradiction between adaptability and cleaning consistency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A guide surface is introduced as an intermediary element between the support body and the surface to be cleaned. This guide surface ensures that the support body maintains a consistent angle and pressure relationship with the surface, while allowing the suction body to pivot independently. The guide surface acts as a mediator that decouples the orientation requirements of the support structure from the cleaning requirements of the suction opening.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Manufacturing precision

If the user sets the optimum angle by orienting the hand-held suction device, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but handling becomes complex and difficult especially when reaching corners or edges

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning effectivenessVSAvoidhandling simplicity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The device is designed to self-adjust to the optimal cleaning angle through the pivotable suction body that automatically orients itself relative to the support body during operation. The guide surface ensures the support body maintains the correct angle, while the suction body pivots to follow the surface contours. This self-adjusting mechanism eliminates the need for manual angle setting by the user, thereby improving ease of operation while maintaining cleaning effectiveness.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Stability of the object's composition

If the squeegee lip is firmly connected to the hand-held vacuum cleaner, then structural stability is improved, but the device cannot automatically adapt to corners and edges

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestructural stabilityVSAvoidadaptation to corners and edges
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The firm connection is maintained for the support body relative to the vacuum cleaner, ensuring structural stability. The suction body is separated and connected via a pivotable joint, allowing it to adapt to corners and edges while the stable support body provides the necessary structural foundation. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by assigning different functional requirements to different parts of the structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The connection between the support body and suction body is made dynamic through a pivotable joint, allowing the suction body to change its angle relative to the support body. This dynamic connection enables the device to adapt to corners and edges while the support body maintains its stable, fixed connection to the vacuum cleaner, thereby resolving the contradiction between structural stability and adaptability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

4Force

If pressure is applied to the hand-held vacuum cleaner, then suction force is improved, but the angle of the squeegee lip changes leading to inconsistent cleaning

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesuction forceVSAvoidangle consistency
Core Design Contradiction:
ForceVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The device is segmented into a support body that handles pressure application and a suction body that maintains angle consistency. The support body is firmly connected and absorbs the applied pressure, while the suction body pivots independently to maintain its optimal angle relative to the surface. This segmentation allows pressure to be applied without affecting the angle of the suction opening, resolving the contradiction between suction force and angle consistency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The guide surface acts as an intermediary that decouples the pressure application from the angle determination. When pressure is applied to the device, it is transmitted through the support body which maintains its angle via the guide surface, while the suction body pivots independently to maintain its optimal orientation. This intermediary structure ensures that pressure application does not change the angle of the squeegee lip, resolving the contradiction between suction force and angle consistency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

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

Facilitates consistent and reproducible cleaning results by maintaining constant squeegee pressure and angle, and simplifies edge and corner cleaning by automatically lifting the device for continuous suction.

Implementation Method 1

a pivoting movement of the suction body relative to the support body against the force of a spring means is provided

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElastic force: Elasticity

Implementation Method 2

a suction gap arranged in the region of a liquid collection side of the stripping lip for sucking in the liquid in front of the stripping lip accumulated liquid

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSuction: Suction

Data Source

PatentEP3372135B1Suction nozzle for a handheld vacuum cleaner and handheld vacuum cleaner
Publication Date: 2021.09.29 LEIFHEIT
  • EP3372135B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP3372135B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5
  • EP3372135B1 patent drawingFigure 6~7

AI summary

The invention relates to a squeegee and suction nozzle for a hand-held vacuum cleaner (7) with a nozzle body (1) which, on a working side of the nozzle body (1), has a squeegee lip (2) for contact with a surface (3) to be sucked off and for drawing liquid into a pull-off direction (A) from the surface (3) to be sucked off, a suction gap (4) arranged on a liquid-collecting side of the pull-off lip (2) and a suction channel connection (5) in flow communication with the suction gap (4) for connection to the suction channel (6) of the hand-held vacuum cleaner (7). The invention also relates to a hand-held vacuum cleaner (7) with such a squeegee and suction nozzle. The known puller and suction nozzles and handheld vacuum cleaners (7) have the disadvantage that vacuuming corners and edges is very difficult. This improves the invention in that the nozzle body (1) of the squeegee and suction nozzle has a support surface (8) on the side of the suction gap (4) facing away from the squeegee lip (2) for contact with the surface (3) to be sucked off and on that of the squeegee lip (2) has a guide surface (9) on the side facing away from the support surface (8), which is shaped in such a way that it moves away from the plane of the support surface (8) as the distance from the support surface (8) increases.