Vacuum cleaner cleaning head

Abstract

A vacuum cleaning head for a vacuum cleaner includes structure for inducing vortices in the incoming air travelling between the sole plate and the surface to be cleaned. The vortices assist in entraining dust and dirt particles raised from the surface to be cleaned by a cleaning implement which may be a brush, beater bar or the like. The axis of the vortices is substantially parallel to the surface to be cleaned and the vortices b ring the rotating air substantially adjacent to and preferably in contact with the surface to be cleaned.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A cleaning head having a front end comprising a sole plate, a vacuum inlet aperture, and vortex inducing structure for inducing vortical flow in air travelling toward said vacuum inlet aperture.  
     
     
         2 . The cleaning head of    claim 1    wherein said vortex inducing structure includes a plurality of vortex inducing members for inducing a plurality of vortices across essentially all of the front of the cleaning head.  
     
     
         3 . The cleaning head of    claim 2    wherein said vortices produced by said plurality of vortex inducing members rotate about a respective vortex axis and the axes of said plurality of vortices extend substantially parallel to said surface to be cleaned.  
     
     
         4 . The cleaning head of    claim 3    wherein said plurality of vortex inducing members are blade members and each of said blade members creates at least one vortex.  
     
     
         5 . The cleaning head of    claim 4    wherein each of said blade members creates a plurality of vortices.  
     
     
         6 . The cleaning head of    claim 5    in which each blade member produces two vortices and the air in the two vortices rotates in opposite directions.  
     
     
         7 . The cleaning head of    claim 1    further comprising a cleaning element.  
     
     
         8 . The cleaning head of    claim 7    wherein the cleaning element comprises a rotating cleaning implement and said cleaning implement rotates about an axis and said cleaning head comprises means for inhibiting flow of air between said rotating cleaning implement and a surface of said cavity for housing said cleaning implement.  
     
     
         9 . The cleaning head of    claim 1    wherein said vortex inducing structure includes a plurality of vortex inducing members for inducing a plurality of vortices spaced along at least a portion of the front of the vacuum cleaner head and defining slots openings between adjacent vortex inducing members and the ratio of the width of the openings to the width of the vortex inducing members varies from 4:1 to 1:4 and the ratio of the height of the openings to the height of the vortex induceing members varies from 4:1 to 1:4.  
     
     
         10 . The cleaning head of    claim 1    wherein said vortex inducing structure includes a plurality of vortex inducing members for inducing a plurality of vortices spaced along at least a portion of the front of the vacuum cleaner head and defining slots openings between adjacent vortex inducing members and the ratio of the width of the openings to the width of the vortex inducing members varies from 3:1 to 1:3 and the ratio of the height of the openings to the height of the vortex induceing members varies from 3:1 to 1:3.  
     
     
         11 . The cleaning head of    claim 1    wherein said vortex inducing structure includes a plurality of vortex inducing members for inducing a plurality of vortices spaced along at least a portion of the front of the vacuum cleaner head and defining slots openings between adjacent vortex inducing members and the ratio of the width of the openings to the width of the vortex inducing members varies from 2:1 to 1:2 and the ratio of the height of the openings to the height of the vortex induceing members varies from 2:1 to 1:2.  
     
     
         12 . The cleaning head of    claim 1    wherein said vortex inducing structure includes a plurality of vortex inducing members for inducing a plurality of vortices spaced along at least a portion of the front of the vacuum cleaner head and defining slots openings between adjacent vortex inducing members and the ratio of the width of the openings to the width of the vortex inducing members is substantially 1:1 and the ratio of the height of the openings to the height of the vortex induceing members is substantially 1:1.  
     
     
         13 . A method of entraining dirt for use in a vacuum cleaner having a vacuum cleaning head, said vacuum cleaning head having a sole plate and a vacuum inlet aperture causing air to pass in an air stream between said cleaning head and a surface to be cleaned, and inducing vortical flow in said air stream as said air travels toward said vacuum inlet aperture.  
     
     
         14 . The method of    claim 13    wherein said cleaning head includes a cavity for containing a cleaning implement and a cleaning implement in the cavity and the method further comprises the step of inhibiting the flow of air between said cleaning implement and said cavity.  
     
     
         15 . The method of    claim 13    further comprising the step of inducing a plurality of vortices in said air stream.  
     
     
         16 . The method of    claim 15    in which said vortices are arranged to spin about respective axes and said axes extend generally parallel to said surface to be cleaned.  
     
     
         17 . The method of    claim 16    in which said vortices are arranged such that the axes of rotation of said vortices lie substantially adjacent to said surface to be cleaned so that the air rotating in said vortices is substantially adjacent to the surface to be cleaned.