Vacuum cleaner nozzle comprising flexible bellow arrangement

A vacuum cleaner nozzle having a flexible bellow arrangement for connecting a nozzle inlet to a nozzle outlet. The bellow arrangement has a flat inside surface.

This application is a National Stage Application of International Application No. PCT/EP2012/054422, filed Mar. 14, 2012, the entire disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a vacuum cleaner nozzle comprising a flexible bellow arrangement.

BACKGROUND

Prior art vacuum cleaners as disclosed in e.g. WO 2005/074778 may be arranged with a flexible hose or bellow between an inlet and outlet of a vacuum cleaner nozzle and a suction tube for transporting particles picked up by a nozzle intake from a surface to be cleaned, such as threads, lint, human or animal hairs or other debris, via a suction hose to a bag or cyclone arrangement located in a main body of the vacuum cleaner for housing the debris. When air is drawn with high velocity through the nozzle and suction tube/hose, turbulence may result in an increased noise level of the vacuum cleaner.

SUMMARY

An object of the present invention is thus to solve, or at least mitigate, this problem in the art and provide a vacuum cleaner nozzle having a flexible bellow where the air can flow in a more unimpeded manner, which results in a less noisy vacuum cleaner.

This object is attained according to the present invention by a vacuum cleaner nozzle comprising a flexible bellow arrangement for connecting a nozzle inlet to a nozzle outlet, which flexible bellow arrangement has a flat inside surface.

Thus, the bellow arrangement has a flat inside surface, which is advantageous for lowering the noise level of a vacuum cleaner in which the bellow arrangement is mounted. The air drawn through the bellow arrangement will by means of the flat inside surface flow freely and smoothly. The bellow arrangement can be arranged such that its cross-sections takes on any appropriate form, e.g. circular, oval or rectangular.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the flexible bellow arrangement of the vacuum cleaner nozzle comprises a tubular bellow and a plurality of elements axially arranged inside the bellow for radially supporting the tubular bellow. Further, the elements have a flat inside surface and are arranged to axially move in relation to each other. This movement may occur for example when the bellow is expanded, compressed or bent.

Hence, by means of the elements, the bellow arrangement has a flat circumferential inside surface, which is advantageous for lowering the noise level of the vacuum cleaner in which the bellow arrangement is mounted. By having a flat circumferential inside surface, the air drawn through the bellow arrangement will flow freely and smoothly, without causing air flow in and around the bellow corrugations.

Further advantageous is that the elements provide stability along their radial axes thereby preventing the bellow from collapsing from the vacuum arising inside the bellow. By arranging the elements such that they axially can move in relation to each other when the bellow is expanded, compressed or bent, bellow flexibility is facilitated.

In an embodiment of the present invention, each element is fastened at an inside surface of the tubular bellow. Any appropriate fastening means can be employed, such as adhesive. In further embodiments of the present invention, the shape of the elements are annular, oval or rectangular. In the following, the elements will be referred to as annular.

In an embodiment, each annular element is arranged with a radially protruding flange along its circumference for engagement with a respective corrugation of the tubular bellow. By having the flange of each annular element engage with a corresponding bellow corrugation, the annular elements are fastened to the bellow without having to apply a fastening means such as adhesive. Further, by ensuring an accurate and tight flange engagement with the respective corrugation, there is little risk that an annular element will disengage with the bellow.

In a further embodiment of the present invention, the annular elements are arranged in the bellow such that two adjacent annular elements become axially displaced from each other when the bellow is expanded and moves into contact with each other when the bellow is compressed. Advantageously, this increases the flexibility of the bellow arrangement.

In yet a further embodiment of the present invention, at least one axial end face of each annular element is bevelled such that an annular element can slide onto an adjacent annual element which abuts the bevelled axial end face when the bellow is compressed. Advantageously, by providing at least one of the two axial end faces of the annular elements with a bevelling, sliding of an annular element onto an abutting adjacent annular element is facilitated, thereby allowing the bellow arrangement to be flexible.

In still another embodiment of the present invention, both axial end faces of each annular element are bevelled such that an annular element can slide onto an adjacent annual element which abuts one of the two bevelled axial end face when the bellow is compressed. Advantageously, the bevelling of each axial end face of an annular element is made such that it is fitted with the respective abutting axial end face of its two adjacent annular elements, thereby allowing further bellow arrangement flexibility.

It is noted that the invention relates to all possible combinations of features recited in the claims. Further features of, and advantages with, the present invention will become apparent when studying the appended claims and the following description. Those skilled in the art realize that different features of the present invention can be combined to create embodiments other than those described in the following.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1illustrates a general vacuum cleaner known in the art. The vacuum cleaner has a nozzle1connected to a suction tube2that, via a tube handle3and a suction hose4with a hose connection5, is secured to a main body6of the vacuum cleaner. The vacuum cleaner main body6is supported by a front pivot wheel7and two rear wheels8. Inside the main body is a dust bag or cyclone arrangement for collecting debris picked up by the nozzle1and transported by the suction tube2and hose4.

FIG. 2shows a detailed sectional view of a more elaborate prior art vacuum cleaner nozzle. This particular nozzle1has a nozzle body16with an elongated suction opening9, i.e. a nozzle inlet, that faces the surface being cleaned and that extends in the transverse direction with respect to the direction of movement of the nozzle1. The suction opening9communicates via an air passage with a tubular outlet10for transporting debris to a dust bag or cyclone arrangement housed in a main body (not shown) of the vacuum cleaner via a nozzle outlet15to be connected to a suction tube (not shown). Further, the illustrated vacuum cleaner is arranged with support wheels11,12. Moreover, the prior art vacuum cleaner shown inFIG. 2comprises a flexible bellow13, the corrugations14of which causes noise when air is drawn with high velocity through the bellow13. The inventive bellow arrangement described in detail in the following aims at providing an improved nozzle and vacuum cleaner by improving a prior art bellow such as that shown inFIG. 2.

FIG. 3shows an annular element used in a bellow arrangement of a vacuum cleaner nozzle according to an embodiment of the present invention. The annular element20is arranged with a flat inside surface21preferably from a low-friction material such as plastic. The annular element has two radial end faces22,23. In an embodiment, the annular element20is arranged with a radially protruding flange24for engaging with a corrugation of a bellow, as will be shown in the following. It should be noted that as an alternative to providing the annular element20with a flange24along its circumference25, the annular element20could have a flat outside surface, i.e. its circumference25could be flat, in which case the annular element20would have to be attached to the bellow by means of for instance adhesive.

FIG. 4shows a flexible bellow arrangement26comprising annular elements20axially arranged inside a tubular bellow27according to an embodiment of the present invention. The radially protruding flange24of each annular element20engages with a respective corrugation28of the tubular bellow27. Thus, the annular elements20provide radial support to the tubular bellow27, thereby preventing the bellow from collapsing by vacuum when air is drawn through the bellow. As previously mentioned, even though the bellow arrangement26is illustrated as being arranged with annular elements20, thus resulting in a circular cross-section, a bellow arrangement having other cross-sectional shapes (and correspondingly shaped elements20) is envisaged, such as an oval or rectangular cross-section.

FIG. 5shows a sectional view of the bellow arrangement26shown inFIG. 4comprising annular elements20a,20b,20caxially arranged inside a tubular bellow27according to an embodiment of the present invention. The radially protruding flange24of each annular element20engages with a respective corrugation28of the tubular bellow27. Thus, the annular elements20provide radial support to the tubular bellow27, thereby preventing the bellow from collapsing by vacuum when air is drawn through the bellow. The annular elements20are arranged to axially move in relation to each other when the bellow27is expanded, compressed or bent thus facilitating flexibility of the bellow arrangement26. Further, as can be seen inFIG. 5, the annular elements20create a flat inside surface inside the bellow arrangement26such that air can be drawn through the arrangement without causing turbulence and resulting noise.

With reference toFIG. 5, in a further embodiment of the present invention, at least one axial end face of the respective annular element20ais bevelled29asuch that each annular element can slide onto an adjacent annual element20babutting said bevelled axial end face. This will allow the annual elements20to move freely in the axial direction of the tubular bellow27.

In yet a further embodiment of the present invention, both axial end faces of the respective annular element20aare bevelled29a,29bsuch that each annular element can slide onto an adjacent annual element20babutting one of the two bevelled axial end faces, wherein the bevelling29a,29bof each axial end face is arranged to be fitted with the bevelling of the respective abutting axial end face of the two adjacent annular elements20b,20c.

The flexible bellow arrangement27is advantageously arranged in a vacuum cleaner nozzle of the present invention for transporting, to the nozzle outlet, debris picked up by the nozzle inlet for subsequent transport via the suction tube to the dust bag or cyclone arrangement located in the vacuum cleaner main body.

Even though the invention has been described with reference to specific exemplifying embodiments thereof, many different alterations, modifications and the like will become apparent for those skilled in the art. The described embodiments are therefore not intended to limit the scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.