Vacuum Suction Head Wetting Layout for Cleaner Brush Wetting

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vacuum cleaners face challenges in achieving effective cleaning results while preventing pollution of the suction head, particularly in maintaining a clean bottom surface portion and ensuring consistent wetting of brushes during operation.

Innovation Solution

A suction head with a wetting arrangement that supplies liquid directly to the surface between the brushes, at a level of their rotation axes or closer, ensuring controlled wetting and effective cleaning, and an elongated intermediate component that covers the brushes and facilitates liquid distribution, preventing pollution and maintaining cleanliness of internal surfaces.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If liquid is supplied to the brushes directly, then the brushes are wetted effectively, but the bottom surface portion of the suction head becomes polluted

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconsistent wetting of brushesVSAvoidpollution of bottom surface portion
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The suction head is divided into functional zones: the bottom surface portion is separated from the brush area by the elongated intermediate component, allowing the bottom surface to remain clean while brushes receive liquid supply through the wetting arrangement positioned between the brushes

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The elongated intermediate component acts as an intermediary structure that covers the brushes and facilitates liquid distribution to the surface between brushes, preventing direct contact between liquid supply mechanisms and the bottom surface portion, thus preventing pollution while maintaining effective brush wetting

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Device complexity

If liquid is supplied at a higher level, then the wetting arrangement is simpler, but the brushes are not consistently wetted during operation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewetting arrangement structureVSAvoidconsistent brush wetting
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The wetting arrangement supplies liquid to the surface between the brushes at a level of their rotation axes or closer to surface level, ensuring that the brushes are pre-wetted before they contact the surface, guaranteeing consistent wetting during operation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Liquid is supplied locally to the specific area between the brushes where it can be directly absorbed by the brush elements, ensuring targeted and consistent wetting of the brushes rather than general spraying, which improves reliability of brush wetting

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Ease of manufacture

If the suction head structure is simplified, then manufacturing is easier, but the bottom surface portion cannot be kept clean

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesuction head structureVSAvoidpollution of bottom surface portion
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The elongated intermediate component serves as a mediator structure that is relatively simple to manufacture yet effectively prevents pollution by covering the brushes and directing liquid supply between them, maintaining a clean bottom surface portion without requiring complex multi-component assemblies

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

The solution achieves enhanced cleaning efficiency by ensuring the brushes and wheels are consistently wetted, preventing pollution of the suction head and optimizing the cleaning process, while maintaining a clean bottom surface portion through controlled liquid supply and distribution.

Implementation Method 1

a wetting arrangement that is arranged and configured to enable a direct supply of liquid from at least one liquid supplying position to at least one area of the surface to be cleaned, wherein the at least one liquid supplying position is in an area between the brushes and at a level of the rotation axes of the brushes or closer to surface level

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLiquid supply and distribution:

Implementation Method 2

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 EffectFriction: Friction

Implementation Method 3

each of the brushes is rotatable about a rotation axis and is configured to interact with the surface to be cleaned

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectRotation:

Implementation Method 4

an arrangement configured to act on the suction head so that a suction force is prevailing in the suction head during operation of the vacuum cleaner. The suction force serves to facilitate transport of dirt that is picked up from the surface

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectSuction force: Suction

Data Source

PatentEP4307975B1Supplying liquid to at least one area of a surface to be cleaned
Publication Date: 2024.09.04 VERSUNI HLDG BV
  • EP4307975B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4307975B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4307975B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

In the context of vacuum cleaning, a suction head (101) is provided, which comprises a housing (30) that is couplable to an air suction source of a vacuum cleaner, and two brushes (20) in a substantially parallel arrangement in the housing (30), wherein each of the brushes (20) is rotatable about a rotation axis (21) and is configured to interact with a surface (10) to be cleaned. The suction head (101) is further equipped with a wetting arrangement (42) that is arranged and configured to enable a direct supply of liquid from at least one liquid supplying position to at least one area of the surface (10) to be cleaned, wherein the at least one liquid supplying position is in an area (24) between the brushes (20) and at a level of the rotation axes (21) of the brushes (20) or closer to surface level.