Attachment for a vacuum cleaner

Abstract

An attachment for use with a vacuum cleaner includes a head housing defining a brush roll cavity, a motor cavity, and a battery cavity, the battery cavity defining a central axis, a brush roll being rotatable relative to the head housing about a rotational axis, and an electric motor disposed within the motor cavity and configured to drive the brush roll, an output shaft of the electric motor rotatable about a rotational axis. The rotational axis of the brush roll is substantially parallel to the rotational axis of the output shaft of the electric motor and the central axis of the battery cavity. The rotational axis of the output shaft of the motor is offset rearward of the rotational axis of the brush roll by a first distance. The central axis of the battery cavity is offset rearward of the rotational axis of the output shaft by a second distance.

1 . An attachment for use with a vacuum cleaner, the attachment comprising:
 a head housing defining a brush roll cavity, a motor cavity, and a battery cavity, wherein the battery cavity is substantially cylindrical and defines a central axis;   a brush roll configured to be coupled to the head housing and positioned within the brush roll cavity, the brush roll being rotatable relative to the head housing about a rotational axis; and   an electric motor disposed within the motor cavity and configured to drive the brush roll, an output shaft of the electric motor being rotatable about a rotational axis;   wherein the rotational axis of the brush roll is substantially parallel to the rotational axis of the output shaft of the electric motor and the central axis of the battery cavity,   wherein the rotational axis of the output shaft of the motor is offset rearward of the rotational axis of the brush roll by a first distance, and   wherein the central axis of the battery cavity is offset rearward of the rotational axis of the output shaft of the motor by a second distance.   
     
     
         2 . The attachment of  claim 1 , wherein the battery cavity, the brush roll, and the electric motor are coplanar. 
     
     
         3 . The attachment of  claim 1 , further comprising a removable battery configured to be positioned within the battery cavity, wherein the removable battery is substantially cylindrical. 
     
     
         4 . The attachment of  claim 3 , wherein the removable battery includes a cap configured to threadedly engage the head housing external to the battery cavity. 
     
     
         5 . The attachment of  claim 3 , wherein the battery cavity has an opening on a first sidewall of the head housing, wherein the removable battery is insertable into and removable from the battery cavity through the opening via translation along the central axis. 
     
     
         6 . The attachment of  claim 5 , wherein the battery cavity further comprises an electrical connector configured to engage the removable battery in the battery cavity, wherein the battery cavity has a length extending between the opening and the electrical connector, wherein the motor has a length extending between a first axial end of the motor and a second axial end of the motor, wherein the length of the battery cavity is spaced apart from the length of the motor such that the motor and the battery cavity do not overlap. 
     
     
         7 . The attachment of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the battery extends outside of the battery cavity when coupled to the head housing. 
     
     
         8 . The attachment of  claim 1 , further comprising a suction tube extending from the head housing and configured to engage the vacuum cleaner, the suction tube defining a suction inlet at an outlet of the brush roll cavity and extending from the suction inlet to a suction outlet. 
     
     
         9 . The attachment of  claim 8 , wherein the suction tube extends upward and rearward from the suction inlet to the suction outlet. 
     
     
         10 . The attachment of  claim 9 , wherein at least a portion of the suction tube overlaps a portion of the motor when viewed in a direction along the rotational axis of the output shaft of the motor. 
     
     
         11 . The attachment of  claim 10 , wherein the suction tube does not overlap the battery cavity when viewed in a direction along the central axis of the battery cavity. 
     
     
         12 . The attachment of  claim 8 , wherein the suction tube is substantially linear between the suction inlet and the suction outlet. 
     
     
         13 . The attachment of  claim 1 , wherein the head housing includes a first sidewall, a second sidewall, a front wall, and a rear wall, the head housing has a length extending between the first sidewall and the second sidewall, wherein the head housing has a width extending rearward from the front wall to the rear wall, and wherein the width of the head housing is at least 80% of the length of the head housing. 
     
     
         14 . The attachment of  claim 1 , wherein the battery cavity has an opening on a first sidewall of the head housing, and wherein the brush roll cavity has an opening on the first sidewall of the head housing through which the brush roll is insertable into the brush roll cavity. 
     
     
         15 . The attachment of  claim 1 , wherein the second distance is at least 40% of the first distance. 
     
     
         16 . An attachment for use with a vacuum cleaner, the attachment comprising:
 a head housing defining a brush roll cavity, a motor cavity, and a battery cavity, wherein the battery cavity is substantially cylindrical and defines a central axis;   a brush roll configured to be coupled to the head housing and positioned within the brush roll cavity, the brush roll being rotatable relative to the head housing about a rotational axis;   an electric motor disposed within the motor cavity and configured to drive the brush roll, an output shaft of the electric motor being rotatable about a rotational axis; and   a suction tube extending from the head housing and configured to engage the vacuum cleaner, the suction tube defining a suction inlet at an outlet of the brush roll cavity and extending from the suction inlet to a suction outlet,   wherein at least a portion of the suction tube overlaps a portion of the motor when viewed in a direction along the rotational axis of the output shaft of the motor, and   wherein the suction tube does not overlap the battery cavity when viewed in a direction along the central axis of the battery cavity.   
     
     
         17 . The attachment of  claim 16 , wherein the suction tube includes an adapter that is configured to removably couple to at least one of a hose, a tube, and an extension wand, the adapter including a sloped surface having different diameters along a longitudinal axis of the adapter, such that the adapter is configured to couple to the at least one of the hose, the tube, and the extension wand sized in more than one diameter. 
     
     
         18 . The attachment of  claim 16 , wherein the rotational axis of the brush roll is substantially parallel to the rotational axis of the output shaft of the electric motor and the central axis of the battery cavity. 
     
     
         19 . An attachment for use with a vacuum cleaner, the attachment comprising:
 a head housing defining a brush roll cavity, a motor cavity, and a battery cavity, wherein the battery cavity defines a central axis;   a brush roll configured to be coupled to the head housing and positioned within the brush roll cavity, the brush roll being rotatable relative to the head housing about a rotational axis; and   an electric motor disposed within the motor cavity and configured to drive the brush roll, an output shaft of the electric motor being rotatable about a rotational axis;   wherein the battery cavity has an opening on a first sidewall of the head housing through which a battery is insertable into and removable from the battery cavity via translation along the central axis, and   wherein the battery cavity has a length measured along the central axis, wherein the motor has a length measured along the rotational axis of the output shaft of the motor, and the length of the battery cavity is spaced apart from the length of the motor such that the length of the motor and the length of the battery cavity do not overlap.   
     
     
         20 . The attachment of  claim 19 , wherein the battery cavity has a width measured normal to the central axis, wherein the motor has a width measured normal to the rotational axis of the output shaft of the motor, and the width of the battery cavity overlaps the width of the motor.