MXPA03009931A - Brushroll having improved cleaning capability. - Google Patents

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner brushroll including a spindle, bristle tufts carried by the spindle, and sleeves fitted on the ends of the spindle, the bristle tufts including angled end tufts that extend through the sleeve outwardly beyond the ends of the spindle to provide a wide cleaning path and improved edge cleaning capability upon rotation of the brushroll. The sleeve on one end of the brushroll has a pulley.

Description

BRUSH ROLLER THAT HAS IMPROVED CLEANING CAPACITY DESCRIPTIVE MEMORY This application is a continuation in part of serial number 09 / 974,354, filed October 10, 200.

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates generally to vacuum cleaners and more specifically to a vacuum cleaner brush roller having improved cleaning ability.

PREVIOUS TECHNIQUE An example of a vacuum brush planer roller and a planer roller assembly assembly is set forth in U.S. Patent No. 5,272,785 dated December 18, 1993, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. The planer roller assembly assemblies that are disclosed include short shafts which are fixed to the spindle ends of the planer roller, brackets which make their inner channels press fit on the protruding ends of the short shafts and outer members external, for example end caps that receive the outer channels of the supports and serve as means to mount the planer roller at the inlet of the vacuum cleaner. Certain planer rollers of the prior art including metal rivets that embrace the outer ends of the spindle. In a typical construction, the short shafts extend through the central apertures of the ridges into the spindle ends. The metal regatons may have expanded end openings that receive the protruding portions of the end ferrules to protect the holders against the entry of strands and dirt. Conventional planer roller spindles have a pulley band drive surface near one end and carry rows of bristle bunches that agitate the carpet to loosen dirt as the planer roller is rotated. Typically, the rows of bristle bunches end in the ends of the brush roller spindle. This is particularly true in the case of planer rollers having metal ripples, since they can not be drilled with conventional wood drills to allow the formation of bundles at the ends of the spindle. Thus, a planer roller with metal grooves at its ends necessarily has insufficient cleaning capacity at the edges and a cleaning path no greater than the length of the spindle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The invention is a new and improved brush roller for vacuum cleaner having bunches of bristles that are biased outwardly to extend beyond the ends of the brush roller spindle. These slanted end bunches widen the normal cleaning path of the planer roller, provide improved cleaning ability at the edges and enhance the general cleaning characteristic of the planer roller. In the disclosed embodiments, a sleeve is snapped onto each end of the planer roller spindle. The sleeves are made of plastic or other material that can be drilled with a conventional wood drill to form holes for slanted bundles very close to the ends of the spindle. The sleeves prevent cracking or cracking of the spindle ends when they are drilled. The biased end bunches are fixed in the holes and extend outwardly through the sleeves beyond the ends of the spindle. Changes in humidity in wood spindles can cause shrinkage and swelling of the wood. In many conventional constructions, the swelling may result in the pivots or short shafts mounting the spindle supports loosening from the spindle holes, thus causing rattling of the planer roller and general unsatisfactory operation. The end sleeves of the present invention avoid this difficulty. As the spindle swells against the sleeves, the wood is compressed to maintain a firm grip on the pivots or short shafts that are adjusted at the ends of the spindle. Another feature of the invention is an end sleeve as described above including a drive pulley molded together which takes the place on the enlarged pulley bore surface formed so far as an integral part of the wood spindle near one end. The pulley that is integrally made with the end sleeve can be of any suitable shape acting in conjunction with the drive belt of the vacuum cleaner. For example, the pulley may have band engaging grooves or may be formed to act together with a timing belt drive. In an exposed embodiment, the planer roller also includes one-piece plastic ridges at each end of the planer roller.

Each rim has a peripheral skirt that embraces the end portion of the adjacent sleeve, a hollow pin that is pressed into the end of the spindle and receives the short support mounting shaft, and a membrane that connects the pivot and the skirt. Other features, advantages and a more complete understanding of the invention will still become apparent to those skilled in the art with the following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a side vertical view of a planer roller according to an embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is a fragmentary, enlarged end view, partly in cross section, of the planer roller shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a partially developed end view of the planer roller shown in Figure 2; Figure 4 is a fragmentary and vertical end view of a planer roller according to another embodiment of the invention; Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 partially in cross section; and Figure 6 is a fragmentary end view, partially in cross section, of a planer roller according to another embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITIES Shown in Figure 1 is a planer roller 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. It includes a spindle or spike 20 of wood supported rotatably in each end-to-end assembly. Each end assembly may be mounted at the inlet of the vacuum cleaner nozzle (not shown) to rotatably position the planer roller 10. In accordance with conventional practice, the spindle 20 carries rows of bristle bundles 30 which agitate the carpet to loosen the carpet. dirt, as the planer roller is rotated. The ends of the spindle 20 and the end assemblies 35 are similar. Accordingly, only one end of the planer roller 10 is shown and described in detail. As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, an axial hole 22 is drilled in the end of the spindle and opens through the bottom wall 23 of a spindle. entrance 24 countersunk. An axially extending flange 25 surrounds the inlet 24 and has an interior surface 26 and an exterior surface 27. As discussed more fully in the U.S.A. No. 5,272,785, cited above, each end assembly 35 includes a short shaft 36, a support 37 having its inner channel fitted on a protruding end of the short shaft 36 and an end member 38 having a cavity in which it is press fit. the outer channel of the support 37. According to the present invention, the sleeve 40 is press fit on the end of the spindle 20. The sleeve 40 is made of material, such as plastic, which can be drilled with a conventional drill for wood. If desired, the inner surface of the sleeve 40 may be formed with grooves (not shown) to assist in holding the sleeve 40 over the end of the spindle 20 and using the relative rotation between the two members.

The illustrated sleeve 40 includes an integral drive pulley 45 which receives the drive belt of the vacuum cleaner. The pulley 45 is shown as formed with grooves 46 which act together with the drive belt (not shown) of the suction sweeper. The embodiment illustrated in Figures 1-3 also includes one-piece plastic catches 50 at the sweeping roller ends 10. As shown, each catwalk 50 comprises a central hollow pivot 51, a first radial wall 52 extending toward out from the end of a pivot 51, an axial wall 53 extending from the radial wall 52 to form an inlet 54 at the end of the pivot, a second radial wall 55 extending outwardly from the axial wall 53 and a skirt 56 peripheral protruding from the radial wall 55 in the opposite direction to the axial wall 53. The skirt 56 is separated radially outwardly from the axial wall 53 to form a depression 57 that opens in the axial direction to the ripple inlet 54. In the illustrated modality, an embossed seat 58 is formed on the radial wall 52 on the pad 54 around the inner opening 59 of the pivot 51. When the planer roller 10 is assembled, the rivet pin 51 is pressed towards the shaft bore 22 until the radial wall 52 abuts against the lower wall 23 of the spindle input 24. When the rim 50 is pressed towards the spindle, the spindle flange 26 and the end of the sleeve 40 are captured in the ripple depression 57 between the skirt 56 and the wall 53.

Holes are drilled in the brush roller spindle 20 for the bristle bunches 30. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, slanted holes 41 are drilled through the rip skirt 36 and the sleeve 40 towards the spindle 20 near its ends. A few skewed end bunches 42 are fixed in the holes 4. The end bunches 42 are biased from the perpendicular in an axially outward direction from the adjacent end of the spindle 20. Since the bunches 42 are located close to and extend beyond the ends of the spindle, they provide improved cleaning at the edges and create a trajectory wider cleaning compared to planer rollers of the prior art. The sleeves 40 at the ends of the planer roller 10 prevent the splitting of the wood spindle 20, when the holes 4 are drilled. In a final assembly operation, a felt washer 60 can be adhered to the outer surface of the rim wall 55 and the short axes 36 are pressed to the pivots 51, until the end pieces 38 abut the seats 58 in the rear seats. openings of the regatons. Thus assembled, the members 38 are surrounded by the axial walls 53 of the ridges in order to protect against the entry of threads and dirt into the supports. The sleeves 40 and the flap skirts 56 prevent the spindle 20 from expanding due to moisture and therefore act to maintain a tight fit of the rudder pins 51 and the short shafts 36. Figures 4 and 5 show an embodiment of the invention which is similar to the embodiment of Figures 1-3, except for the shape of the driving pulley. In the embodiment of Figures 4 and 5, the sleeve is designated by a reference number 40a and the pulley by the reference number 45a. The pulley option 45a has teeth 47 which act together with. a timing band used in some vacuum cleaners as part of the planer roller drive. Figure 6 shows another embodiment of the invention which is similar to the embodiment of Figures 1-3, with the exception that the ribs 50 are removed. The sleeve 40 is press fit on the end of the spindle 20, as shown in FIG. previously described and the biased end bunches 42 extend outwardly of the sleeve 40 beyond the ends of the spindle. Many variations and modifications of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the description detailed above. Therefore, it is to be understood, within the scope of the appended claims, that the invention may be practiced differently than specifically stated.

Claims (9)

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. - On a vacuum brush roller including a spindle and bundles of bristles extending outwards carried by said spindle, characterized by the improvement because it comprises some bunches of bristles biased outward from said spindle beyond their ends to provide cleaning improved on the edges and a wide cleaning path as a result of the rotation of said planer roller.

2. - On a vacuum brush roller including a spindle having a longitudinal axis of rotation and bunches of bristles extending outwardly from the spindle, characterized in the improvement because it comprises a member around each end of said spindle and biased end bunches extending through said members, said end bunches being biased outwardly beyond the ends of said spindle to provide a broad cleaning path and edge capacity as a result of the rotation of said brush roller.

3. The improvement according to claim 2, further characterized in that a member at one end of said spindle has a pulley band driving surface.

4. - The improvement according to claim 2 or claim 3, further characterized in that said members are sleeves.

5. - The improvement according to claim 4, further characterized in that it includes a rim that has a skirt surrounding an end portion of said sleeve, said end bundles extending biased outwardly from said end portion of said sleeve and said skirt.

6. - On a vacuum brush planer roller including a spindle having a longitudinal axis of rotation and bunches of bristles extending outward from the spindle, characterized in the improvement because it comprises a sleeve around an end portion of said spindle, a pulley integrally formed with said sleeve and biased bundles of bristles fixed in said spindle and extending outwardly through said sleeve beyond said end of said spindle to provide a broad cleaning path and improved cleaning ability at the edges .

7. - The improvement according to claim 6, further characterized in that it includes a rim that has a skirt surrounding an end portion of said sleeve, said end bunches extending outwardly through said skirt.

8. - The improvement according to claim 6 or claim 7, further characterized in that said pulley is a timing belt pulley.

9. - The improvement according to claim 6 or claim 7, further characterized in that said pulley has band coupling grooves.