Vacuum Cleaner Nozzle With Segmented Brush-Roll Cleaning Contact

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vacuum cleaner nozzles with rotatable brush rolls face difficulties in efficiently removing entangled fibrous materials like threads and hair due to their tendency to wrap tightly around the brush, requiring significant manual force and potentially impairing cleaning performance by causing multiple contact points between cleaning members and the brush roll.

Innovation Solution

A nozzle design featuring a rotatable member with radially projecting segments and a resilient cleaning member that moves between resting and cleaning positions, providing limited-area contact to efficiently remove entangled articles while minimizing impact on rotational speed, utilizing a resilient sheet member and radial ribs to distribute entanglements evenly and reduce cleaning time.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a cleaning member presses against a friction member to remove entangled threads, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but the force required increases significantly and may impair normal cleaning operation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning effectivenessVSAvoidforce required for cleaning
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSForce

Solution Approach 1:

The support surface is divided into multiple segments arranged at different radii. This segmentation allows the cleaning member to contact only specific segments during rotation, distributing the cleaning action across different positions and reducing the peak force required at any single contact point while maintaining effective cleaning.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different segments of the support surface are positioned at different radii, creating local variations in contact characteristics. This allows the cleaning member to engage with segments at optimal contact points, ensuring effective cleaning while minimizing overall force requirements through localized rather than continuous contact.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Productivity

If a cleaning member contacts the brush roll at multiple positions, then cleaning coverage is improved, but normal cleaning operation deteriorates due to excessive force requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning coverageVSAvoidnormal cleaning operation
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The support surface is segmented into multiple sections at different radii, allowing the cleaning member to contact different segments during rotation. This provides distributed cleaning coverage across the brush roll surface while limiting simultaneous contact to manageable force levels, thus maintaining ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of continuous contact across the entire brush roll circumference, the cleaning member contacts only specific segments at controlled points during rotation. This partial contact approach achieves sufficient cleaning coverage over time without the excessive force requirements that would impair normal operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Reliability

If significant force is applied to remove tightly wrapped debris, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but power consumption increases and brush roll rotation may be impaired

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedebris removal effectivenessVSAvoidpower consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The segmented support surface allows the cleaning member to remove debris through distributed contact points rather than concentrated force. This reduces the peak power requirements while maintaining effective debris removal, as the cleaning action is spread across multiple segments during rotation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The cleaning member applies force at specific segments rather than continuously across the entire brush roll. This partial action approach achieves necessary debris removal effectiveness while significantly reducing overall power consumption compared to continuous high-force contact.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

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

Ensures effective cleaning with reduced power requirements for the brush roll rotation, maintaining normal cleaning operation while efficiently removing entangled articles, and reducing the total cleaning time by distributing entanglements along the length of the brush roll.

Implementation Method 1

the cleaning member comprises a resilient sheet member capable of providing a resilient contact with at least one segment of the at least one support surface in the at least one cleaning position during rotation of the rotatable member

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectResilient contact: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP2770894B1Cleaning nozzle for a vacuum cleaner
Publication Date: 2015.07.08 AB ELECTROLUX
  • EP2770894B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2770894B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP2770894B1 patent drawingFigure 4a~4b

AI summary

The present invention relates to a nozzle (1) for a vacuum cleaner (2). The nozzle comprises a rotatable member (3) arranged around a longitudinal axis for picking up particles from a surface to be cleaned, and a cleaning arrangement for removing articles entangled to the rotatable member. The cleaning arrangement comprises at least one support surface (4) provided on at least one radially projecting member (13) of the rotatable member (3), and at least one cleaning member (5) movable between a resting position in which the cleaning member is arranged at a distance from the support surface (4) and at least one cleaning position in the vicinity of the rotatable member (3). In cleaning position, the cleaning member, during rotation of the rotatable member, co-operates with at least one segment of the support surface to remove any entangled articles from the rotatable member. The at least one support surface comprises a plurality of segments (4a, 4b, 4c) each of the segments being arranged at an individual radius in relation to the longitudinal axis.