Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Machines – With air blast or suction
Reexamination Certificate
2000-04-03
2001-09-04
Moore, Chris K. (Department: 1744)
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Machines
With air blast or suction
Reexamination Certificate
active
06282749
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner and to a suction nozzle body thereof; and, more particularly, the invention relates to a vacuum cleaner comprising a suction nozzle having a rotary brush (in particular a rod shaped member constituted by a rotary impeller member having a brush member wound thereon in a spiral shape) and in which a suction force can serve as a driving power source to rotate the brush member, and to a suction nozzle body thereof.
In conventional vacuum cleaners, in particular those with a suction nozzle having a rotary brush in which the suction force serves as a driving power source to drive the rotary brush, the rotation of an impeller is transmitted to the rotary brush through a pulley member or a belt member. With such a structure, since the impeller and the rotary brush are mounted as separate elements, the whole suction nozzle body becomes large and is heavy.
Thus, as described in Japanese patent laid-open publication No. Sho 63-214,217 and Japanese patent laid-open publication No. Sho 64-58223, it has been proposed to provide a suction nozzle having a rotary brush which is rotated integrally with an impeller and is mounted on the same shaft therewith, and a suction nozzle body forming a turbine chamber which encloses the impeller using a partition wall. Further disclosures of the above stated kind of apparatus are provided in Japanese utility model laid-open publication No. Sho 54-177,170 and Japanese utility model laid-open publication No. Sho 57-69,665.
Among the above-stated conventional techniques, in an apparatus wherein the rotary brush of the suction nozzle body is driven by an impeller mounted on another shaft, the volume of the impeller is large, and, as a result, there is a problem in that the size of the suction nozzle body becomes large. Further, since the impeller rotates with a rotation speed about from three times to four times that of the rotary brush, there is a problem in that substantial noise is generated.
Further, in an apparatus wherein the impeller and the rotary brush are mounted on the same shaft, the air sucked from outside of the suction nozzle body passes through a surface to be subjected to cleaning. The air transports dust swept up using the brush member or the blade member of the rotary brush, after which the air passes through the suction nozzle body. The air enters into the turbine chamber which is enclosed using a partition wall and collides with the impeller and generates a torque.
When the suction nozzle body is lifted up, since the resistance against rotation of the rotary brush becomes small, the rotary brush rotates with an abnormally high speed of rotation, and so increased noise is generated. Further, since the suction inlet is exposed, if an operator accidentally inserts his or her fingers into the suction nozzle body, there is a problem that they may be injured.
Further, since the dust on the floor passes through the nozzle, it is impossible to make the cross-sectional area at the nozzle outlet small, thereby it is impossible to increase the velocity of the air flow which impacts and drives the impeller. As a result, there is a problem in that it is difficult to generate a sufficient torque for rotation of the rotary brush.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a suction nozzle body having a small size, a light weight and which is silent in operation for use in a vacuum cleaner, and a vacuum cleaner using the same.
The above stated object is attained by providing, in an interior portion of a suction nozzle body, an impeller (which also may be referred to as a runner) which is rotated in response to the suction force producing an air flow which impacts on the impeller or a part of the impeller, an attachment of a brush member or a blade member (which also may be referred to as a soft material blade member, for example, a blade member having a flexibility, like a rubber spatula, compared with the material of the conventional impeller) which contacts a surface to be subjected to cleaning.
Or, the above stated object is attained by provision of a rotary brush rotated integrally on the same shaft with an impeller, but with no provision of a partition wall or other obstruction between the impeller and the rotary brush, and further the object is attained in that all of the fluid or a part of the fluid which is sucked from outside of the suction nozzle body collides with the impeller and forces the impeller to rotate, after which the fluid passes along the surface to be subjected to cleaning and is finally sucked into the main body of the vacuum cleaner.
Namely, the vacuum cleaner according to the present invention comprises an electric blower motor for generating a suction force, a casing for receiving the electric blower motor, a dust collection part formed in the casing at a suction side of the electric blower motor, a hose and/or an extension pipe connected at one end to an opening portion of the casing, which opening portion communicates with the duct collection part, a switch operation unit positioned at a midway point of the hose and/or the extension pipe or positioned in the vicinity of a connection portion of the hose and the extension pipe for controlling the driving operation of the electric blower motor, and a suction nozzle body connected to the other end of the hose and/or the extension pipe, in which the suction force of the electric blower motor is utilized for cleaning a surface to be subjected cleaning. For this purpose, the desirable features of the invention include the following:
(1) An impeller is provided in an interior portion of the suction nozzle body and rotates in response to an air flow produced by the suction force, a brush member and/or a blade member is attached to the whole impeller or to a part of the impeller and contacts the surface to be subjected to cleaning, the whole impeller or the part of the impeller serving as a rotation brush member and/or a rotation blade member.
(2) In the arrangement of the above item (1), the brush member and/or the blade member is attached in a spiral shape to the impeller using a single brush member or plural brush members, a single blade member or plural blade members, or plural brush members and blade members in a combined shape.
(3) In the arrangement of the above stated items (1) or (2), the length of the impeller is longer that a half length in the longitudinal direction of the interior portion of the suction nozzle body.
(4) In any one of the arrangements of the above stated items (1) to (3), the brush member and/or the blade member extends over a vane of the impeller toward at an outer periphery side thereof.
(5) In any one of the arrangements of the above stated items (1) to (4), a housing is provided to enclose the impeller, and an opening is provided in the housing which opens toward a floor surface.
(6) In any one of the arrangements of the above stated items (1) to (5), separately provided in inlet nozzles are disposed in the vicinity of both ends of the suction nozzle body for sucking air into the suction nozzle body from outside, an outlet nozzle is formed at a portion where a tip end of the hose and/or the extension pipe is connected to a center portion of the suction nozzle body, and with respect to an axial extension line of the outlet nozzle, the inlet nozzles in the vicinity of the respective ends are arranged symmetrically.
(7) In the arrangement of the above stated item (6), the diameter of the impeller is large at both ends of the suction nozzle body, but is small at the center portion thereof.
(8) In any one of the arrangements of the above stated items (1) to (5), an air inlet is provided at a central portion of the suction nozzle body for sucking air into the suction nozzle body from outside, air flow passages are formed at respective ends of an air receiving region of the impeller in an interior portion of the suction nozzle body, and an outlet nozzle is formed at a portion where a tip end of the hose and/or the extension pipe is connected at a cent
Iwase Yukiji
Komatsu Shigesaburou
Satou Shigenori
Satou Susumu
Shinozaki Toshiya
Antonelli Terry Stout & Kraus LLP
Hitachi , Ltd.
Moore Chris K.
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