Vacuum Nozzle Pivoting Brush Roll Cleaner for Entangled Hair
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vacuum cleaner nozzles with rotatable brush rolls face difficulties in detecting and removing entangled fibrous materials like threads or hair, as they often wrap tightly around the brush roll, requiring significant manual force and visibility issues due to the downward-facing design.
Innovation Solution
A vacuum cleaner nozzle with a brush roll cleaner mechanism featuring a pivotally connected longitudinal bar, a sharp steel edge, and a push button that moves the cleaner from a resting to a cleaning position to remove debris, combined with transparent housing and illuminating lights to aid visibility and efficient cleaning.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a cleaning member presses against a friction member to remove entangled debris from the brush roll, then the cleaning effectiveness is improved, but the force required increases significantly making it difficult for users to operate
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning member is designed to move between a resting position and a cleaning position, transforming from a static component to a dynamic one. This allows the system to adapt force requirements: during normal operation the cleaning member is retracted requiring minimal force, while during cleaning it engages the brush roll when the user applies pressure to the push button, providing effective cleaning only when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The cleaning action is converted from a continuous force requirement to a periodic action triggered by user input. The user presses the push button periodically when cleaning is needed, causing the cleaning member to engage the brush roll temporarily. This transforms the continuous force burden into intermittent, manageable actions that are easier for users to perform.
2Reliability
If the brush roll is positioned at a downward-facing opening for cleaning operation, then the cleaning function is improved, but the visibility of the brush roll and entangled debris deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The housing incorporates transparent or translucent portions that allow visual detection of the brush roll and entangled debris. This optical property change enables users to observe the cleaning needs without altering the downward-facing functional position of the brush roll, resolving the contradiction between maintaining cleaning effectiveness and improving visibility.
3Device complexity
If the cleaning member is positioned adjacent the rotary brush in a resting position, then the device complexity is reduced, but the ease of operation deteriorates as users cannot easily initiate cleaning action
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates a push button that allows the user to self-initiate the cleaning action without requiring complex external mechanisms. When the user presses the button, it directly actuates the cleaning member to engage the brush roll. This simple self-service interface maintains low device complexity while dramatically improving ease of operation, allowing users to easily initiate cleaning when needed.
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
Enables easy detection of entangled debris, reduces the force needed for cleaning, and enhances the efficiency of removing entangled materials by illuminating the brush roll and distributing the cleaning force effectively, thereby improving the overall cleaning performance and user experience.
Implementation Method 1
an arm extending from the longitudinal bar, the arm being configured to transmit a force to rotate the brush roll cleaner from a first position in which the edge does not contact the brush roll, to a second position in which the edge contacts the brush roll
Implementation Method 2
an edge connected to the longitudinal bar, the edge being spaced from the pivot axis and extending along to the longitudinal axis of the brush, wherein the edge is sharp steel
Data Source
AI summary
A vacuum cleaner nozzle having a housing with a downward facing opening, a brush roll rotatably mounted to the housing at the downward facing opening, and a brush roll cleaner mounted to the housing. The brush roll cleaner includes a longitudinal bar extending along a longitudinal axis of the brush and pivotally connected to the housing at a pivot axis, an edge connected the longitudinal bar at a spaced location from the pivot axis and extending along to the longitudinal axis of the brush, and an arm extending from the longitudinal bar. The arm is configured to transmit a force to rotate the brush roll cleaner from a first position in which the edge does not contact the brush roll, to a second position in which the edge contacts the brush roll to remove debris from the brush roll as the brush roll rotates.