Patent Description:
Surface cleaning apparatus use brushrolls to agitate a surface to be cleaned. In some surface cleaning apparatus, such as floor and carpet cleaners, the brushroll is located near the suction inlet. The brushroll agitates debris that is attached to or embedded in the surface being cleaned, which allows the suction source to draw the debris through the suction inlet. <CIT> relates to a brushroll wherein the surface of a rotating basic shaft has mounted thereto at least one flexible blade, the surface of the blade made of rubber or a thermoplastic elastomer as its base material and which stands face to face with a surface to be cleaned is covered with a plastic material having wear resistance and slipperiness. Finally, a surface cleaning apparatus provided with a brushroll according to the preamble of claim <NUM> is known from <CIT>.

According to an aspect of the present invention, we provide a surface cleaning apparatus in accordance with the appended claims. In one embodiment, a surface cleaning apparatus includes a brushroll that rotates about an axis. The brushroll defines a cylindrical portion and the axis extending centrally through the cylindrical portion. The brushroll further includes a rib that extends in a direction away from the axis. The rib includes a face extending along a line that is collinear with a secant through the cylindrical portion and a brush member extends from the face.

In another embodiment, a surface cleaning apparatus includes a brushroll that rotates about an axis. The brushroll includes a body, a rib extending outwardly from the body, and the rib having a face that forms an angle in the range of <NUM>-<NUM> degrees with respect to the body. The brushroll further includes a brush member extending outwardly the face and the brush member forms an angle in the range of <NUM>-<NUM> degrees with respect to the face.

In another embodiment, a surface cleaning apparatus includes a brushroll including a body having a cylindrical portion, a plurality of ribs extending outwardly from the cylindrical portion, and each rib having a face that contacts the cylindrical portion at a contact edge. The brushroll further includes a plurality of bristles extending from each face, at least a portion of each bristle being parallel, plus or minus <NUM> degrees, to at least one tangent to the cylindrical portion at the contact edge.

In another embodiment, a surface cleaning apparatus includes a brushroll that rotates about an axis. The brushroll includes a body and a plurality of ribs that extend outwardly from the body and helically along and around the axis. The brushroll further includes a plurality of bristles extend from a trailing face of each of the plurality of ribs.

A surface cleaning apparatus <NUM> shown in <FIG> and <FIG> includes a brushroll <NUM> operable to act on a surface to be cleaned. Although the illustrated surface cleaning apparatus <NUM> is a carpet extractor, in other embodiments the surface cleaning apparatus could include any type of surface cleaning apparatus that uses a brushroll. For example, an upright-style vacuum cleaner, a canister style-vacuum cleaner, a power sweeper, a hard floor cleaner and the like. The surface cleaning apparatus <NUM> includes a suction source <NUM>, a dirt separator <NUM> (a wet recovery tank in the illustrated embodiment), and a suction nozzle <NUM>. The suction source <NUM> draws debris through the suction nozzle <NUM> and the debris is stored in the separator <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG>, the brushroll <NUM> includes a brushroll body and one or more brush members <NUM>. The brushroll <NUM> rotates about an axis <NUM> in operation. As illustrated in <FIG>, a schematic cylindrical portion <NUM> having a cylindrical portion diameter <NUM> extends around the axis <NUM>. The schematic cylindrical portion <NUM> may have a circular cross section or may be any other shape desired for the brushroll. The axis <NUM> extends centrally through the cylindrical portion <NUM>. The brushroll <NUM> further includes ribs 24A - 24F extending from the cylindrical portion <NUM> in a direction away from the axis <NUM>. An outer extent of the ribs form a brushroll body outer diameter <NUM>. The brushroll embodiment illustrated in <FIG> includes six ribs, 24A - 24F, whereas the brushroll embodiment illustrated in <FIG> includes four ribs. However, in other embodiments, the brushroll may include one, two, three, or more ribs. As the brushroll <NUM> rotates about the axis <NUM> in operation, each of the ribs 24A - 24F have a a trailing portion from which the brush members <NUM> extend, and a leading portion opposite the trailing portion.

The ribs 24A - 24F are generally the same and therefore only one of the ribs 24A will be explained in detail. The rib 24A extends in a direction away from the axis <NUM> and the cylindrical portion <NUM> to the brushroll body outer diameter <NUM> forming a rib height. In one embodiment, the cylindrical portion diameter <NUM> is between about <NUM>% and <NUM>% of the brushroll body outer diameter <NUM>. In another embodiment, the cylindrical portion diameter <NUM> is between about <NUM>% and <NUM>% of the brushroll body outer diameter <NUM>. Referring to <FIG>, the rib 24A includes a rib face <NUM> on the trailing portion of the rib 24A extending along a line <NUM> that is collinear with a secant <NUM> through the cylindrical portion <NUM>. Stated another way, a secant <NUM> of a cross-section through the cylindrical portion <NUM> aligns with the rib face <NUM> of the trailing portion of the rib 24A. In the illustrated embodiment, the secant <NUM> is offset from the axis <NUM>. The rib face <NUM> intersects the cylindrical portion <NUM> at a contact edge <NUM>. The rib face <NUM> is also at an angle <NUM> with respect to the cylindrical portion <NUM>. Specifically, the angle <NUM> is measured between the rib face <NUM> and a tangent <NUM> of the cylindrical portion <NUM> at the contact edge <NUM>. In one embodiment the angle <NUM> is in a range from <NUM> degrees to <NUM> degrees. In another embodiment, the angle <NUM> is in a range from <NUM> degrees to <NUM> degrees. In the illustrated embodiment, the rib 24A extends helically along and around the axis <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG> and <FIG>, the brush members 40extend from the face <NUM> of the rib 24A along a longitudinal axis <NUM> of the brush member <NUM>. An angle <NUM> is defined between the longitudinal axis <NUM> and the line <NUM>. In one embodiment, the angle <NUM> is in a range from <NUM> degrees to <NUM> degrees. In other embodiment, the angle <NUM> is in a range from about <NUM> degrees to <NUM> degrees. The brush members 40extend from the face 26a length 44such that a portion <NUM> of the length <NUM> of the brush members <NUM> are drawn along the surface to be cleaned as the brushroll <NUM> rotates about the axis <NUM>. In one embodiment, the length <NUM> is greater than <NUM> times the cylindrical portion diameter <NUM>. In one embodiment, the the length <NUM> is greater than <NUM> times the cylindrical portion diameter <NUM>. In yet another embodiment, the length is between <NUM> and <NUM> times the cylindrical portion diameter <NUM>. The configuration of the face <NUM> and length <NUM>, described above, allows the brush members <NUM> to be dragged along the surface being cleaned. Also, in the illustrated embodiment, a portion <NUM> of the brush member <NUM> adjacent the face <NUM> is parallel, plus or minus <NUM> degrees, to the tangent <NUM> of the cylindrical portion at the contact edge <NUM>, as represented by longitudinal axis <NUM> in <FIG>.

<FIG> illustrate the interaction of the brush members <NUM> with a floor <NUM>. For a given diameter <NUM> of brushroll <NUM>, an offset rib face <NUM> provides for a longer filament of the brush members <NUM>, which in turn provides an improved sweeping action. As shown in <FIG>, the brush members <NUM> engage with the floor <NUM> when the rib face <NUM> is offset further from a vertical plane <NUM> than a traditional brushroll. Therefore, the brush members <NUM> sweep a relatively large distance or angle along the floor <NUM>. For example, as shown in <FIG>, initially a brush member <NUM> first contacts the floor <NUM> at an angle <NUM> of rotation of the brushroll <NUM> that is <NUM> degrees relative to the vertical plane <NUM>. The same brush member <NUM> continues to contact the floor <NUM> until the brushroll <NUM> rotates to an angle <NUM> measured from the vertical plane <NUM> that is <NUM> degrees in the illustrated embodiment. Therefore, the brush member <NUM> contacts the floor <NUM> for about <NUM> degrees of rotation of the brushroll <NUM>. In other embodiments, the brush member <NUM> contacts the floor <NUM> between <NUM> degrees and <NUM> degrees of rotation of the brushroll <NUM>. In another embodiment, the brush member <NUM> contacts the floor <NUM> between <NUM> degrees and <NUM> degrees of rotation of the brushroll <NUM>. In yet another alternative, the brush member <NUM> contacts the floor <NUM> for more than <NUM> degrees of rotation of the brushroll <NUM>.

In the illustrated embodiment, the brush members <NUM> include polymer bristles. In other embodiments, other suitable type of brush members may be used, such as fiber or rubber bristles, cloth strips or pads, beater bars, wipers, bristle strips, microfiber, and the like.

The brushroll body may be formed as a unitary structure, such as molded, machined, formed, cast, or otherwise formed as a one-piece body, or may be formed from two or more separate segments <NUM> (<FIG>) that are attached together to form the brushroll body in a modular assembly. In one embodiment, the brushroll body is formed by two or more modular segments 154A-C assembled in axial alignment such as illustrated in <FIG>. Whether a unitary or modular brushroll body, the ribs may be formed in segments <NUM> rotated or indexed slightly with respect to the adjacent segment <NUM> to create a stepped or segmented helical shape of the ribs 24A - 24F as illustrated by the embodiment in <FIG>. Alternatively, whether unitary or modular, the ribs may form a continuous rib along the brushroll body as illustrated by the embodiment in <FIG>.

The brushroll body may be formed as a modular assembly with a plurality of segments 154A-154D such as the embodiment shown in <FIG>. This modular design allows for any suitable number of segments 154A-154D to be combined. This can provide for many different length brushrolls, color patterns, and pulley <NUM> locations. In the embodiment shown in <FIG>, the modular segments 154A-154D include a projection <NUM> that is received in a corresponding aperture to couple the segments 154A-154D and optional pulley <NUM> for co-rotation in axial alignment. The projection <NUM> may be gear-shaped, square, keyed, polygonal, cylindrical, or any other shaped projection. The shape of the projection may be indexable in the corresponding aperture. Stated another way, the shape of the projection may fit into the aperture in two or more orientations to allow the segments <NUM> to be indexed or rotated a desired amount relative to the adjacent segment. The segments 154A - 154D and optional pulley <NUM> can be fastened together by insert molding, press fitting, welding, gluing, bolts, screws, collar flanges, latches, and the like. The modular segments optionally may include tabs, keys, or other features such as shown in <FIG> in addition to the projection <NUM> that couple with corresponding features on an adjacent segment to provide a keyed or fitted orientation to aid in assembly of the segments in a desired arrangement, and may provide resistance to relative rotation between modular segments.

In one embodiment shown in <FIG>, one or more of the modular segments include different types and configurations of brush members <NUM>. Alternatively or additionally, brush members such as beater bars, wipers, bristle strips, cloth strips, microfiber, or other brush members may be installed over or between or in the form of segments. In the embodiment shown in <FIG>, a segment includes beater bar members positioned to overlap adjacent segments providing multiple interactions in the same area.

Claim 1:
A surface cleaning apparatus (<NUM>) comprising:
a brushroll (<NUM>) that rotates about an axis (<NUM>), the brushroll (<NUM>) defining a cylindrical portion (<NUM>) and the axis (<NUM>) extending centrally through the cylindrical portion (<NUM>), the brushroll (<NUM>) further including a rib (24A) that extends in a direction away from the axis (<NUM>),
wherein the rib (24A) includes a face (<NUM>) extending along a line that is collinear with a secant through the cylindrical portion (<NUM>),
characterised in that a brush member (<NUM>), which includes a plurality of bristles, extends from the face (<NUM>) a length (<NUM>) such that a portion of the length (<NUM>) of the brush member (<NUM>) is drawn along the surface to be cleaned as the brushroll (<NUM>) rotates about the axis (<NUM>), and
wherein the brush member (<NUM>) extends from the face (<NUM>) a length (<NUM>) that is larger than <NUM> times a diameter (<NUM>) of the cylindrical portion (<NUM>).