Patent ID: 7802343

Claim:
A suction inlet arrangement for a vacuum cleaner, the suction inlet arrangement comprising: a body including a pair of arms which generally diverge in a forward direction from a predetermined region of the body at an angle of less than 180 degrees relative to each other, each arm defining therein a channel for the passage of air, which channel extends substantially from a free end of the arm to the region of the body from which the arms diverge, said channel being permanently open at the free end of the arm; an outlet opening located in the region of the body from which the arms diverge; a first ground-engaging barrier comprising a continuous strip extending along the region of a forward edge of one of the arms substantially from the free end of the arm to the region of the body from which the arms diverge; a second ground-engaging barrier comprising a continuous strip extending along the region of a forward edge of the other of the arms substantially from the free end of the arm to the region of the body from which the arms diverge, adjacent ends of the first and second barriers being spaced from one another to form a permanently open gap in the region of the body from which the arms diverge, for the passage of relatively large particles of debris into the suction inlet arrangement, the first and second barriers being adapted to engage a substantially flat ground surface along their entire lengths; three permanently open air passageways for air flow to the outlet opening thereby being defined, a first air passageway along the channel in one of the arms from the permanently open end of that channel, a second air passageway along the channel in the other of the arms from the permanently open end of that channel, and a third air passageway through the permanently open gap between the first and second barriers; and means for propelling the suction inlet arrangement, the propelling means being mounted in a rear portion of the region of the body from which the arms diverge such that, when the suction inlet arrangement is moved forwardly, relatively large particles of debris are urged or roll along the forward edges of the arms towards the permanently open gap formed between the first and second barriers.