Suction Head Provided With A Perforateed Support Ring

Abstract

The suction head comprises a main body (4); a rotating brush (11) comprising a brush body (12); a drive motor (17) housed in a motor housing (21) delimited by the brush body (12) and configured to drive in rotation the brush body (12) about an axis of rotation; a bearing support (31) fixed relative to the main body (4); a bearing (28) mounted on the bearing support (31); and a support ring (26) interposed between the bearing (28) and an inner circumferential surface of the brush body (12) and including at least one through hole (44) through which an air stream is capable of flowing.

1 . A suction head comprising:
 a main body comprising a suction chamber opening into a lower face of the main body which is configured to be oriented towards a surface to be cleaned,   a rotating brush comprising a brush body having a generally tubular shape and a central longitudinal axis, the brush body being movably mounted in rotation in the suction chamber about an axis of rotation which is substantially coaxial with the central longitudinal axis of the brush body,   a drive device configured to drive in rotation the brush body about the axis of rotation, the drive device including a drive motor housed at least partially in a motor housing delimited at least partially by the brush body,   a support ring arranged inside the brush body, the support ring configured to support the brush body and including a first axial face oriented towards the drive motor and a second axial face opposite the first axial face,   a bearing support fixed relative to the main body, and   a bearing mounted on the bearing support and supported by the bearing support, the support ring being interposed between the bearing and an inner circumferential surface of the brush body,   wherein the support ring includes at least one through hole which opens respectively into the first and second axial faces of the support ring, the suction head configured so that, when the suction head is in use configuration, an air stream is capable of flowing through the at least one through hole.   
     
     
         2 . The suction head according to  claim 1 , further comprising an air-cooling circuit delimited at least partially by the support ring and fluidly connected to the suction chamber, the suction head configured so that, when a vacuum is generated in the suction chamber, air is sucked up into the air-cooling circuit from outside the rotating brush and is circulated in the air-cooling circuit. 
     
     
         3 . The suction head according to  claim 2 , wherein the air-cooling circuit includes at least one air intake opening through which air is capable of being sucked up into the air-cooling circuit and at least one air discharge opening through which the air flowing into the air-cooling circuit is capable of being discharged out of the air-cooling circuit, the at least one air discharge opening being formed by the at least one through hole provided on the support ring. 
     
     
         4 . The suction head according to  claim 3 , wherein the at least one air intake opening is provided on a lateral wall of the main body. 
     
     
         5 . The suction head according to  claim 3 , wherein the at least one air intake opening is oriented substantially axially. 
     
     
         6 . The suction head according to any one of  claims 2 , wherein the air-cooling circuit is delimited at least partially by the drive motor so that, when a vacuum is generated in the suction chamber, the air circulating in the air-cooling circuit flows into or near the drive motor. 
     
     
         7 . The suction head according to  claim 6 , wherein the air-cooling circuit includes at least one air inlet opening provided on a peripheral wall of a motor casing of the drive motor and through which the air, circulated in the air-cooling circuit when a vacuum is generated in the suction chamber, is capable of entering the drive motor, and at least one air outlet opening provided on an end wall of the motor casing and through which the air, having entered the drive motor via the at least one air inlet opening, is capable of flowing outside the drive motor. 
     
     
         8 . The suction head according to  claim 7 , wherein the at least one air inlet opening of the motor casing is oriented substantially radially and the at least one air outlet opening of the motor casing is oriented substantially axially. 
     
     
         9 . The suction head according to  claim 2 , wherein the bearing support delimits an air flow duct which partially forms the air-cooling circuit, the bearing extending around the air flow duct. 
     
     
         10 . The suction head according to  claim 1 , further comprising a motor compartment fastened to the bearing support and arranged at least partially in the motor housing, the drive motor arranged at least partially in the motor compartment. 
     
     
         11 . The suction head according to  claim 2 , wherein the air-cooling circuit includes a first circuit portion partially delimited by the drive motor and a second circuit portion partially delimited by the motor compartment and the brush body and located downstream of the first circuit portion. 
     
     
         12 . The suction head according to  claim 11 , wherein the air-cooling circuit is configured so that, when a vacuum is generated in the suction chamber, the air, circulated in the air-cooling circuit, flows into the first circuit portion moving away from the support ring, and flows into the second circuit portion towards the support ring. 
     
     
         13 . The suction head according to  claim 11 , wherein the air-cooling circuit is configured so that, when a vacuum is generated in the suction chamber, the air, circulated in the first circuit portion, flows at least partially inside the drive motor, and so that, the air, circulated in the second circuit portion, flows at least partially between the motor compartment and the brush body. 
     
     
         14 . The suction head according to  claim 1 , wherein the support ring is secured in rotation to the brush body, and the at least one through hole provided on the support ring is delimited at least partially by at least one stream guide wall which is inclined relative to a central axis of the support ring and which is configured to generate a vacuum within the at least one through hole when the drive motor is running and drives in rotation the rotating brush. 
     
     
         15 . The suction head according to  claim 1 , wherein the support ring is secured in rotation to the brush body, the support ring forms an impeller provided with stream guide fins distributed about a central axis of the support ring, each pair of adjacent stream guide fins partially delimiting a respective through hole, and the support ring, forming the impeller, is configured to generate a vacuum within the at least one through hole when the drive motor is running and drives in rotation the rotating brush. 
     
     
         16 . The suction head according to  claim 15 , wherein each stream guide fin has an axial dimension and a radial dimension which is smaller than the respective axial dimension. 
     
     
         17 . The suction head according to any one of  claim 1 , wherein the support ring includes an inner wall which is generally cylindrical and which extends about and in contact with the bearing, the inner wall of the support ring including at least one radial through opening, extending in a radial direction, opening into the at least one through hole provided on the support ring and being located facing the bearing. 
     
     
         18 . The suction head according to  claim 1 , further comprising a fastening device configured to fasten the bearing to the support ring. 
     
     
         19 . The suction head according to  claim 18 , wherein the fastening device includes at least one fastening tab elastically deformable and provided on the support ring, the at least one fastening tab being configured to cooperate with the bearing so as to fasten the bearing to the support ring. 
     
     
         20 . The suction head according to  claim 1 , wherein the bearing is a rolling bearing, and includes an inner ring fastened to the bearing support and extending around the bearing support, and an outer ring fastened to the support ring, the support ring extending around the outer ring of the bearing. 
     
     
         21 . The suction head according to  claim 1 , wherein the drive motor is positioned off-center relative to a median vertical plane of the suction head and is arranged between the median vertical plane of the suction head and the support ring.