BASE PLATE FOR A SUCTION HEAD FOR VACUUM CLEANERS OR THE LIKE

Abstract

A base plate for a suction head for vacuum cleaners or a similar electric household appliance is described, said base plate comprising a lower face configured as to be directed towards the surface to be vacuumed, an opposite upper surface and a base plate channel open towards the surface to be vacuumed, wherein the base plate channel comprises a front edge and a rear edge, wherein at least the surface of the lower face which extends along the front edge of the base plate channel and at least the surface of the lower face which extends along the rear edge of the base plate channel lie in a same plane.

Claims

1. A base plate for a suction head for a vacuum cleaner comprising a lower face configured so as to be directed towards the surface to be vacuumed, an opposite upper face and a base plate channel open towards the surface to be vacuumed, wherein the base plate channel comprises a front edge and a rear edge, wherein said lower face consists of a single surface delimited by a perimeter comprising a front side, a rear side and two lateral sides, said single surface being completely closed except said base plate channel which is the sole aperture configured to suck up dust and/or fluids and/or dirt from said surface to be sucked, wherein said base plate, during use, is joined to a suction channel and said base plate channel is in fluid communication with the suction channel, wherein said base plate channel extends substantially through a whole width of said base plate and has closed ends in proximity of lateral sides of said base plate, wherein at least the surface of the lower face which extends along the whole front edge of the base plate channel and at least the surface of the lower face which extends along the whole rear edge of the base plate channel lie in a same plane.

2. The base plate of claim 1, wherein at least one further surface of the lower face not in the vicinity of the rear edge of the base plate channel lies in said same plane.

3. The base plate of claim 1, wherein at least one further surface of the lower face not in the vicinity of the front edge of the base plate channel lies in said same plane.

4. The base plate of claim 1, wherein substantially the entire surface of the lower face is flat and lies in said same plane.

5. The base plate of claim 1, further comprising a front strip of velvet and/or a rear strip of velvet lying in said same plane or in a plane parallel thereto.

6. A suction head comprising a base plate with a base plate channel open towards a surface to be vacuumed, a suction channel in fluid communication with the base plate channel and a covering body connected to at least one of said base plate and said suction channel, wherein the base plate has a lower face configured so as to be directed towards the surface to be vacuumed, and an opposite upper face, wherein the base plate channel comprises a front edge and a rear edge, wherein said lower face consists of a single surface delimited by a perimeter comprising a front side, a rear side and two lateral sides, said single surface being completely closed except said base plate channel which is the sole aperture configured to suck up dust and/or fluids and/or dirt from said surface to be sucked, wherein said base plate channel extends substantially through a whole width of said base plate and has closed ends in proximity of lateral sides of said base plate, wherein at least the surface of the lower face which extends along the whole front edge of the base plate channel and at least the surface of the lower face which extends along the whole rear edge of the base plate channel lie in a same plane.

7. The suction head of claim 6, wherein at least one further surface of the lower face not in the vicinity of the rear edge of the base plate channel lies in said same plane.

8. The suction head of claim 6, wherein at least one further surface of the lower face not in the vicinity of the front edge of the base plate channel lies in said same plane.

9. The suction head of claim 6, wherein substantially the entire surface of the lower face is flat and lies in said same plane.

10. The suction head of claim 6, further comprising a front strip of velvet and/or a rear strip of velvet lying in said same plane or in a plane parallel thereto.

Description

[0030] The invention will become clearer from the following detailed description, provided by way of a non-limiting example, to be read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0031] FIG. 1 is a view of a suction head with base plate according to an embodiment of the invention;

[0032] FIG. 2.1 is a top plan view of the base plate according to FIG. 1;

[0033] FIGS. 2.2 and 2.3 are cross-sectional views along the lines A-A and B-B of FIG. 2.1;

[0034] FIG. 2.4 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2.2, but relating to a variant;

[0035] FIGS. 3.1 and 3.2 show a second embodiment of the invention; and

[0036] FIGS. 4.1 and 4.2 show a third embodiment of the invention.

[0037] FIG. 1 shows by way of example an embodiment of a suction head 1 of a vacuum cleaner or the like with a base plate 2 mounted in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] The suction head 1 according to the invention is particularly suitable for vacuuming surfaces such as carpets, rugs, doormats, matting or the like. It is, however, also effective for smooth and compact surfaces such as floors made of stone (marble or the like), terracotta, clinker, cement, resin, tiles, parquet or the like, in particular when used together with bristles which may vary their configuration depending on the needs.

[0039] As shown in the various figures, the base plate has a lower face 21 directed towards the surface to be vacuumed and an opposite upper face 22 which is connected to the brush body 8 or to other components of the suction head.

[0040] The suction head 1 has a suction channel 4 which, during use, is joined to the base plate 2 and is in fluid communication with a base plate channel 3 and optionally a covering body which can be connected to the base plate and/or to the suction channel. The other end of the suction channel 3 communicates with a suction tube, usually via a rotatable joint 7.

[0041] Usually, the base plate of a known suction head has an inclined front surface departing from the front edge of the base plate channel and extending towards the front edge of the base plate. Usually, a known base plate also has an inclined rear surface departing from the rear edge of the base plate channel and extending towards the rear edge of the base plate. Therefore the surface of a known base plate is not flat. Therefore, the imprint of a known base plate does not coincide with the surface of the base plate.

[0042] The form of such a known base plate gives rise to significant losses due to the imperfect adherence with the surface to be vacuumed and therefore most of the suction power is wasted.

[0043] A further drawback of the known base plates is the impossibility of correctly employing the strips of velvet. As is known, in fact, usually there are two strips of velvet, a front strip of velvet along the central part of the front inclined surface and a rear strip of velvet along the central part of the rear inclined surface. It can be easily understood that, in order to work properly, the two strips must be parallel to the surface to be vacuumed. In other words, the front strip of velvet works correctly only when its whole area rests on the ground and therefore the suction head is inclined so that the front inclined surface is parallel to the surface to be vacuumed. In all the other situations, the front velvet strip works partially or not all.

[0044] According to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, the base plate has a completely flat surface 21. In other words, the entire surface of the lower face 21 of the base plate lies in a single plane. This embodiment is shown in FIGS. 2.1 to 2.4. Hence the front surface 34 and the rear surface 36 lie in a same plane, i.e. a horizontal plane.

[0045] For the purposes of the present invention, the expression “the entire surface of the base plate lies in a single plane” is understood as meaning that substantially the entire surface 21 of the base plate 2 lies in a single plane, with allowance for a tolerance of up to a ±5°, preferably not greater than ±3° and even more preferably not greater than ±1°. The base plate channel 3, any holes, cavities, depressions or the like must not be taken into consideration during calculation of the surface area. For example, holes for screws designed to connect the base plate to another component of the suction head are not considered.

[0046] According to this first preferred embodiment, there may be strips of velvet 36 (or other similar material) in (at least) the central part of the base plate channel 3. Preferably, there is a front strip of velvet 36 and a rear strip of velvet 36. These strips of velvet 36 are embedded and lie substantially in a surface parallel to the flat surface of the base plate.

[0047] FIG. 2.2 is a cross-sectional view along the line A-A of FIG. 2.1. The planarity between the front surface 34 (that between the front edge of the base plate and the front edge of the channel 3) and the rear surface 35 (that between the rear edge of the base plate and the rear edge of the channel 3) is evident. Also visible are the cavities 36′ inside which the strips of velvet 36 are housed and fixed. The bottom of these cavities is substantially parallel to the plane of the surfaces 34 and 35 and therefore the strips of velvet also lie in the same plane as the surfaces 34 (front surface) and 35 (rear surface).

[0048] In other embodiments, the strips of velvet could also not lie in the same plane as the surfaces 34 and/or 35.

[0049] FIG. 2.3 is another cross-sectional view along the line B-B of FIG. 2.1.

[0050] FIG. 2.4 is a cross-sectional view similar to that of FIG. 2.2, but relates to a variant in which the front edge 31 of the channel 3 has a substantially triangular tooth 31D which helps separate the dust from the surface to be vacuumed. The tooth 31D extends towards the inside of the opening of the channel 3.

[0051] According to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention, the base plate has a completely flat surface in an area which extends along the front edge 31 of the base plate channel 3 and along its rear edge 32. In other words, only a part of the surface of the base plate, i.e. that around the edge 31+32 of the base plate channel, lies in a single plane. This embodiment is clearly shown in FIGS. 3.1 and 3.2. From these figures it is clear that not all the rear surface 35 is at the same level as the front surface 34. Only the portion 35′ closer to the rear edge 32 lies in the same plane as the front surface 34. The other portion 35″ lies in a plane different from that of the surfaces 34 and 35′.

[0052] According to preferred embodiments, the front flat surface 34 extends over the entire width L of the suction head and over a depth of between a few mm (3-6 mm) and 10-50 mm.

[0053] According to preferred embodiments, the rear flat surface 35′ extends over the entire width of the suction head and over a depth of between a few mm (3-6 mm) and 10-50 mm.

[0054] According to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention (shown in FIGS. 4.1 and 4.2), the base plate has a completely flat surface in an area which extends along the front edge of the base plate channel and along its rear edge. Substantially in the same manner as the second embodiment (FIGS. 3.1 and 3.2). Moreover, along the remainder of the surface of the base plate there are separate areas 35′″ which also lie in the same plane as the flat surface 34, 35′ around the front edge 31 and the rear edge 32 of the channel of the base plate. These separate areas 35′″ have the function of making the surface of the suction head more stable.

[0055] The separate areas 35′″ may extend over the entire width of the suction head or only over a part thereof. They may have a length of between a few mm (3-6 mm) and a few tens of millimetres (10-50 mm).