Cleaner head for a vacuum cleaner

Abstract

A cleaner head for a vacuum cleaner has an agitator rotatably mounted within a housing. The agitator has a main body having a wall, and bristles mounted adjacent the wall. Tips of the bristles are located at a first radial distance from a central longitudinal axis of the agitator. A tip of the wall is located at a second radial distance from the central longitudinal axis. The bristles have a first configuration in which the first radial distance is greater than the second radial distance, and a second configuration in which the first radial distance is less than or equal to the second radial distance. The bristles flex from the first configuration to the second configuration when the bristles move into contact with a surface to be cleaned, and flex from the second configuration to the first configuration when the bristles move out of contact with the surface.

1 . A cleaner head for a vacuum cleaner, the cleaner head comprising an agitator rotatably mounted within a housing, wherein the agitator comprises a main body having a wall, and bristles mounted to the main body adjacent the wall, tips of the bristles are located at a first radial distance from a central longitudinal axis of the agitator, a tip of the wall is located at a second radial distance from the central longitudinal axis of the agitator, the bristles have a first configuration in which the first radial distance is greater than the second radial distance, and a second configuration in which the first radial distance is less than or equal to the second radial distance, and during rotation of the agitator within the housing in use the bristles flex from the first configuration to the second configuration when the bristles move into contact with a surface to be cleaned, and flex from the second configuration to the first configuration when the bristles move out of contact with the surface to be cleaned. 
     
     
         2 . The cleaner head of  claim 1 , wherein the bristles are spaced from the tip of the wall in the first configuration, and the bristles move toward the tip of the wall when moving from the first configuration to the second configuration. 
     
     
         3 . The cleaner head of  claim 1 , wherein the wall is located rearward of the bristles in a direction of rotation of the agitator within the cleaner head. 
     
     
         4 . The cleaner head of  claim 1 , wherein the main body comprises a channel within which the bristles are mounted, and the wall defines, leads into, or defines and leads into a side wall of the channel. 
     
     
         5 . The cleaner head of  claim 1 , wherein the bristles are provided longitudinally along the agitator, and the wall extends longitudinally along the agitator to the same longitudinal extent as the bristles. 
     
     
         6 . The cleaner head of  claim 1 , wherein the wall is integrally formed with the agitator. 
     
     
         7 . The cleaner head of  claim 1 , wherein the bristles and the wall extend helically about the agitator. 
     
     
         8 . The cleaner head of  claim 1 , wherein the cleaner head comprises a debris collection channel, and the wall is configured to migrate debris toward the debris collection channel in use. 
     
     
         9 . The cleaner head of  claim 8 , wherein the debris collection channel is formed on the agitator. 
     
     
         10 . The cleaner head of  claim 8 , wherein the debris collection channel is located at an end of the agitator. 
     
     
         11 . The cleaner head of  claim 1 , wherein the agitator comprises comprise a further wall located on an opposite side of the bristles to the wall, a tip of the further wall is located at a third radial distance from the central longitudinal axis, and the third radial distance is no greater than the second radial distance. 
     
     
         12 . The cleaner head of  claim 11 , wherein the further wall is located forward of the bristles in a direction of rotation of the agitator. 
     
     
         13 . A vacuum cleaner comprising the cleaner head of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         14 . An agitator for a cleaner head of a vacuum cleaner, the agitator comprising a main body having a wall, and bristles mounted to the main body adjacent the wall, wherein tips of the bristles are located at a first radial distance from a central longitudinal axis of the agitator, a tip of the wall is located at a second radial distance from the central longitudinal axis of the agitator, the bristles have a first configuration in which the first radial distance is greater than the second radial distance, and a second configuration in which the first radial distance is less than or equal to the second radial distance.