Cleaner head

Abstract

A cleaner head including suction chamber having a suction opening; an agitator including a hollow body and supported the suction chamber by a support member, the support member having a first end that is fixed to a side wall of the suction chamber,and second end that free and over which the hollow body of the agitator can be slideably received; and a drive assembly forming part of the support member, and arranged to rotate the agitator about an axis. The fixed end of the support member is pivotal fixed to the side all of the suctionchamber such that the free end of the support member, together with the agitator supported thereon, can be pivoted to protrude out frome suction opening, to allow the agitator o be removed and replaced.

1 . A cleaner head comprising:
 a suction chamber having a suction opening;   an agitator comprising a hollow body and supported in the suction chamber by a support member, the support member having a first end that is fixed to a side wall of the suction chamber, and a second end that is free and over which the hollow body of the agitator can be slideably received; and   a drive assembly forming part of the support member, and arranged to rotate the agitator about an axis;   wherein the fixed end of the support member is pivotably fixed to the side wall of the suction chamber such that the free end of the support member, together with the agitator supported thereon, can be pivoted to protrude out from the suction opening, to allow the agitator to be removed and replaced.   
     
     
         2 . The cleaner head of  claim 1 , wherein the suction opening is downward facing. 
     
     
         3 . The cleaner head of  claim 1 , wherein the fixed end of the support member is pivotably fixed to the side wall of the suction chamber by a pivoting joint. 
     
     
         4 . The cleaner head of  claim 3 , wherein the first end of the support member comprises a wiring loom provided through the pivoting joint to provide power to the drive assembly. 
     
     
         5 . The cleaner head of  claim 3 , wherein a cooling airflow pathway passes through the pivoting joint to provide cooling airflow to the drive assembly. 
     
     
         6 . The cleaner head of  claim 1 , wherein the drive assembly comprises a drive dog that is configured to engage with a complimentary drive dog receiving portion provided on the agitator. 
     
     
         7 . The cleaner head  claim 1 , wherein the drive assembly is soft mounted to an inside surface of the agitator. 
     
     
         8 . The cleaner head of  claim 1 , wherein the cleaner head further comprises a retaining frame to prevent pivoting of the support member and to retain the agitator in place in the cleaner head. 
     
     
         9 . The cleaner head of  claim 8 , wherein the retaining frame is pivotably mounted to an edge of the suction opening. 
     
     
         10 . The cleaner head of  claim 1 , wherein a catch engages with a free end of the agitator to prevent the agitator from pivoting out from the suction opening, and to retain the agitator in the cleaner head. 
     
     
         11 . A vacuum cleaner comprising the cleaner head of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         12 . A robotic vacuum cleaner comprising the cleaner head of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         13 . The robotic vacuum cleaner of  claim 12 , wherein outer faces of the sides of the cleaner head form part of the outer surface of the robotic vacuum cleaner, and are sensitive to physical contact with an obstacle. 
     
     
         14 . The robotic vacuum cleaner of  claim 13 , wherein the robotic vacuum cleaner comprises at least one microswitch that is triggered when a side of the cleaner head physically contacts an obstacle.