Floor tool for a vacuum cleaning appliance

Abstract

A floor tool for a vacuum cleaning appliance, comprising a main body connected to a conduit, the main body comprising, a supporting member adapted to support a cleaning element and a suction nozzle adjacent an edge of the supporting member, wherein the suction nozzle defines a suction chamber, and wherein the suction chamber includes a first fluid outlet and a second fluid outlet in communication with the conduit.

1 . A floor tool for a vacuum cleaning appliance comprising a main body connected to a conduit, the main body comprising:
 a supporting member adapted to support a cleaning element;   a suction nozzle adjacent an edge of the supporting member;   wherein the suction nozzle defines a first suction chamber and a second suction chamber adjacent to the first suction chamber, and wherein each suction chamber includes a respective fluid outlet in communication with the conduit.   
     
     
         2 . The floor tool of  claim 1 , wherein the suction nozzle includes a surface engaging skirt member that depends from a surface of the suction nozzle and defines the outer periphery of each of the first and second suction chambers. 
     
     
         3 . The floor tool of  claim 2 , wherein a dividing wall extends between sides of the surface engaging skirt member to define the first and second suction chambers, and depends from a housing of the suction nozzle to the same extent as the surface engaging skirt member. 
     
     
         4 . The floor tool of  claim 2 , wherein the surface engaging skirt member is flexible. 
     
     
         5 . The floor tool of  claim 2 , wherein the dividing wall is flexible. 
     
     
         6 . The floor tool of  claim 3 , wherein the surface engaging skirt and the dividing wall are defined by at least one of a plurality of bristles, a plurality of filaments and at least one strip of flexible material. 
     
     
         7 . The floor tool of  claim 2 , wherein the first suction chamber and the second suction chamber each comprise an interior wall which partitions the suction chamber into a first suction channel and a second suction channel, wherein a dirt bearing fluid flow is able to travel from the first suction channel into the second suction channel via at least one intermediate channel. 
     
     
         8 . The floor tool of  claim 7 , wherein the interior wall is flexible. 
     
     
         9 . The floor tool of  claim 7 , wherein the interior wall is shaped such that one of the first or second suction channels is tapered. 
     
     
         10 . The floor tool of  claim 7 , wherein the fluid outlet is in communication with the second suction channel. 
     
     
         11 . The floor tool of  claim 2 , wherein the surface engaging skirt member is provided with castellations along one portion wherein an opposed portion of the surface engaging skirt member is uniform along its length. 
     
     
         12 . The floor tool of  claim 7 , wherein a further floor engaging member extends transversely across the front suction channel between the interior wall and an adjacent portion of the skirt. 
     
     
         13 . The floor tool of  claim 1 , wherein each fluid outlet of the nozzle communicates with an intermediate conduit which is coupled to a manifold. 
     
     
         14 . The floor tool of  claim 13 , wherein the or each intermediate conduit is pivotably coupled to the manifold. 
     
     
         15 . The floor tool of  claim 14 , wherein the suction nozzle is pivotable with respect to the supporting member between a first, lowered state, in which the nozzle lies next to an adjacent edge of the supporting member and a second, raised, state in which the suction nozzle pivots upwardly away from the supporting member. 
     
     
         16 . The floor tool of  claim 15 , wherein the or each intermediate conduit is coupled to a cylindrical portion of the manifold by way of a part-cylindrical sleeve. 
     
     
         17 . The floor tool of  claim 16 , wherein the intermediate conduit defines, at least in part, the cylindrical portion of the manifold. 
     
     
         18 . The floor tool of  claim 13 , wherein the intermediate conduit includes a protruding formation which is engageable with a complementary shaped recess defined by the supporting member such that, when the suction nozzle is in the lowered position, the protruding formation extends into the recess to secure a wipe member to the supporting member. 
     
     
         19 . A floor tool for a vacuum cleaning appliance comprising a main body connected to a conduit, the main body comprising a suction nozzle including a first suction chamber and a second suction chamber adjacent to the first suction chamber, wherein each suction chamber includes a respective fluid outlet in communication with the conduit, wherein the first suction chamber and the second suction chamber each comprise an interior wall which partitions the suction chamber into a first suction channel and a second suction channel, and wherein a dirt bearing fluid flow is able to travel from the first suction channel into the second suction channel via at least one intermediate channel. 
     
     
         20 . The floor tool of  claim 19 , wherein the interior wall is shaped such that one of the first or second suction channels is tapered. 
     
     
         21 . The floor tool of  claim 19 , wherein the suction nozzle includes a surface engaging skirt member that depends from a surface of the suction nozzle and defines the outer periphery of each of the first and second suction chambers. 
     
     
         22 . The floor tool of  claim 21 , wherein a further floor engaging member extends transversely across the first or the second suction channels between the interior wall and an adjacent portion of the surface engaging skirt. 
     
     
         23 . The floor tool of  claim 21 , wherein a dividing wall extends between sides of the surface engaging skirt member to define the first and second suction chambers and depends from a housing of the suction nozzle to the same extent as the surface engaging skirt member. 
     
     
         24 . The floor tool of  claim 21 , wherein one or both of the surface engaging skirt member and the dividing wall are flexible. 
     
     
         25 . The floor tool of  claim 19 , wherein the fluid outlet is in communication with the second suction channel.