VACUUM-CLEANER NOZZLE

Abstract

A vacuum-cleaner nozzle has a housing formed with a downwardly open suction mouth on a lower face of the housing and having a front mouth edge and a rear mouth edge. A suction fitting on a rear end of the housing and opening into the housing serves for drawing air in through the mouth. A floor-engaging support rearward of the rear mouth edge is vertically displaceable relative to the housing between upper and lower positions. A spring biases the support into the lower position.

Claims

1. A vacuum-cleaner nozzle comprising: a housing formed with a downwardly open suction mouth opening on a lower face of the housing, having a front mouth edge and a rear mouth edge, and adapted to move on a surface to be cleaned in a working direction; a suction fitting relative to the direction on a rear end of the housing and opening into the housing for drawing air in through the mouth; a floor-engaging support rearward of the rear mouth edge and vertically displaceable relative to the housing between upper and lower positions respectively spaced far and closely from the surface; and spring means for biasing the support into one of the positions.

2. The vacuum-cleaner nozzle according to claim 1, wherein the support is an arm having an upper end pivoted on the housing and a lower end projecting rearward from the housing.

3. The vacuum-cleaner nozzle according to claim 2, further comprising: a wheel on the lower end of the support.

4. The vacuum-cleaner nozzle according to claim 2, further comprising: a pivot connecting the upper end of the arm to the housing.

5. The vacuum-cleaner nozzle according to claim 4, wherein the lower end of the housing is pivotal through an acute angle between the upper and lower positions.

6. The vacuum-cleaner nozzle according to claim 2, wherein the spring biases the arm into the lower position.

7. The vacuum-cleaner nozzle according to claim 6, wherein the lower end travels through vertically at least 5 mm between the upper position and the lower position.

8. The vacuum-cleaner nozzle according to claim 1, wherein there are two such supports spaced transversely apart on the housing.

9. The vacuum-cleaner nozzle according to claim 1, further comprising: latch means for securing the support in the upper position.

10. The vacuum-cleaner nozzle according to claim 9, wherein the latch means releases the support on forcible downward depression of the housing.

11. The vacuum-cleaner nozzle according to claim 1, further comprising: an extension on the lower face of the housing and adapted for connection to a cleaning attachment is provided on the lower face.

12. The vacuum-cleaner nozzle according to claim 11, wherein the extension projects rearward from the housing.

13. The vacuum-cleaner nozzle according to claim 11, wherein the extension is below the fitting.

14. A vacuum-cleaner nozzle assembly comprising a housing formed with a downwardly open suction mouth opening on a lower face of the housing and having a front mouth edge and a rear mouth edge; a suction fitting on a rear end of the housing and opening into the housing for drawing air in through the mouth; a floor-engaging support rearward of the rear mouth edge and vertically displaceable relative to the housing between upper and lower positions; and spring means for biasing the support into one of the positions; and a removable cleaning attachment securable to the lower face of the housing.

15. The assembly according to claim 14, wherein the attachment includes a water-absorbing element for damp cleaning.

16. The assembly according to claim 14, wherein the attachment is formed with a cutout through which the support projects.

17. The assembly according to claim 14, wherein in the upper position the attachment cannot be coupled to the housing and in the lower position projects through the attachment while being unable to move from the lower position to the upper position when the attachment is secured to the lower face.

18. The assembly according to claim 14, further comprising: an extension removable secured to the lower face of the housing and adapted for connection to the cleaning attachment.

19. The assembly according to claim 1, further comprising: another support on a front end of the housing, adapted to hold the housing at a fixed spacing from the surface, and not movable toward or away from the housing.

20. The assembly according to claim 19, wherein the other supports carries a floor-engaging wheel rotatable about an axis fixed relative to the housing.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0052] The above and other objects, features, and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:

[0053] FIG. 1A is a perspective view of the inventive nozzle;

[0054] FIG. 1B is a bottom view of the nozzle;

[0055] FIGS. 2A and 2B are side views of the nozzle in the lower, hard-floor position and the upper, carpet position;

[0056] FIG. 3 is a side view of the nozzle fitted with a wet-cleaning attachment; and

[0057] FIG. 4 is a side view of the nozzle and attachment of FIG. 3.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0058] As seen in FIG. 1A, a vacuum-cleaner nozzle 1 according to the invention has a housing 2 extending in a working direction x, a transverse direction y and a vertical direction z. As can be seen from the bottom view of FIG. 1B, a mouth 3 is formed on the bottom wall of the housing 2 with respect opening downward in the vertical direction z. This mouth 3 is formed by a suction nozzle extending upward in the vertical direction z. The suction mouth is limited by a front suction-mouth edge 3a and a rear-suction-mouth edge 3b in the working direction x.

[0059] On the rear end of the housing 2 relative to the working direction x there is a suction fitting 4 connected to the mouth 3. The suction fitting 4 is hinged to the housing 2 so that it can be pivoted about an axis k extending transversely y and is connected to the housing 2 by a corrugated hose 5. The front end of the housing 2 is supported on a pair of rollers 16.

[0060] A fastening extension 2b for connection to a damp-cleaning attachment 12 is provided rearward of the rear suction-mouth edge 3b. The fastening extension 2b projects in the working direction x past the rear end of the housing 2 below the suction port 4.

[0061] The housing 2 forms a suction chamber 7 holding a cleaning roller 6. Here, the cleaning roller is rotated the suction chamber 7 about an axis of rotation d extending transversely y. The brush roller 6 has a body 6a centered on the axis d and tufts of radially outwardly extending bristles 6b on its surface. As can be seen from the side views of FIGS. 2A, 2B and 3, the tufts of bristles partially protrude downward from the suction mouth 3.

[0062] According to the invention, two movable supports 8 are provided on the housing 2 rearward of the rear suction-mouth edge 3b that are biased downward in the vertical direction z by a spring such as the torque spring illustrated schematically at 15. These supports 8 are pairs of cantilevered arms 8a mounted on the housing 2 so that they can pivot about a pivot axis s extending transversely. As can be seen from FIG. 1B, the two supports 8 are provided in the rear corners of the housing 2. At their ends, the pairs of arms 8a are each provided with a wheel 8b that in turn is rotatable on ball bearings about a transverse roller axis r and contacts a floor surface 10 to be cleaned at 9.

[0063] As can be seen from a comparison of FIGS. 2A and 2B, the pairs of arms 8a can each be moved between an upper position (FIG. 2A) and a lower position (FIG. 2B). The force application according to the invention is designed in such a way that the arms 8a are biased by the spring 15 into the lower position of FIG. 2b, which lifts the rear end 2a of the housing 2. This increases the vertical spacing a between the suction mouth 3 and the floor surface 10 to be cleaned. Suction forces of the suction port 4 reduce the vertical spacing a against downward biasing forces applied to the wheels 8b, for instance by torsion springs 15 braced between the housing 1 and the arms 8a at the axis s.

[0064] In FIG. 2B, the upper position of the support 8 is shown in dashed lines. A vertical spacing h between the contact area 9 in the upper and lower positions is about 15 mm in this embodiment. The contact area 9 has a horizontal spacing b in the working direction x from the rear suction-mouth edge 3b of about 50 mm.

[0065] Furthermore, the supports 8 can be locked in the upper position shown in FIG. 2A. Unillustrated latches are provided for this purpose and can be released by the application of force.

[0066] It is also an object of the invention to provide a cleaning arrangement 11 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. On the one hand, this comprises a vacuum-cleaner nozzle 1 as described above that can be alone as shown in FIGS. 1A to 2B. In doing so, it can assume different functional positions, such as supports 8 locked in the upper position to form a smooth floor configuration for hard floors.

[0067] Furthermore, the cleaning arrangement 11 according to the invention comprises a damp-cleaning attachment 12 that is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 for forming a combined cleaning configuration is connected to the vacuum-cleaner nozzle 1. In the process, the attachment extension 2b engages and fits with the cleaning attachment 12.

[0068] In the embodiment shown, the attachment 12 is designed for damp or wet cleaning and has a housing 13 and a wet-cleaning wiping element 14 provided on the bottom face of the housing 13. Inside the attachment housing 13 there is a liquid reservoir 13a connected to the damp cleaning wiping pad or element 14 by an unillustrated liquid distribution system.

[0069] As can be seen in particular from FIG. 4, the supports 8 engage through respective cutouts 13b of the attachment housing 13. The wiper element 14 is also formed on its outer edge with cutouts 14a that each fit around the respective support 8. Comparison of FIGS. 3 and 4 further reveals that the attachment housing 13 ends at a horizontal spacing 1 of approximately 30 mm from the rear suction-mouth edge 3b. In contrast, the moist cleaning wiping element 14 extends right up to the rear suction-mouth edge 3b.