Vacuum Cleaner Nozzle with Disposable Cover Sheet

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner base includes a source of suction and front wheels and rear wheels for wheeling the base across a floor. A nozzle assembly is attached to and supported by the base. The nozzle assembly includes a suction inlet and a sheet-pressing surface that are located in front of the front wheels. A disposable sheet is configured to be removably attached to the nozzle assembly such that, as the base is wheeled across the floor, the sheet-pressing surface presses the sheet against the floor to dislodge dirt from the floor, and the suction draws the dirt from the floor through the suction inlet.

1 . A vacuum cleaning apparatus comprising:
 a vacuum cleaner base including a source of suction and front and rear wheels for wheeling the base across a floor;   a nozzle assembly attached to and supported by the base, the nozzle assembly including a suction inlet and a sheet-pressing surface that are located in front of the front wheels; and   a disposable sheet configured to be removably attached to the nozzle assembly such that, as the base is wheeled across the floor, the sheet-pressing surface presses the sheet against the floor to dislodge dirt from the floor, and the suction draws the dirt from the floor to and through the suction inlet.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the sheet includes an airflow opening, configured for an airflow to carry dirt through the airflow opening to and through the suction inlet. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the suction inlet is a front suction inlet of the nozzle assembly, and the nozzle assembly further includes a rear suction inlet, and the sheet-pressing surface is located between the front and rear suction inlets. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein the nozzle assembly further includes a second sheet-pressing surface, located rearward from the rear suction inlet, that presses the sheet against the floor as the base is wheeled across the floor. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the sheet-pressing surface is a front sheet-pressing surface, and the nozzle assembly further includes a rear sheet-pressing surface, and the suction inlet is located between the front and rear sheet-pressing surfaces. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the nozzle assembly includes a nozzle and a bracket, with the bracket removably attached to the nozzle and including the sheet-pressing surface. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the nozzle includes a brushroll configured to rotate against the floor to dislodge dirt from the floor when the sheet is removed from the nozzle. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein a portion of the sheet-pressing surface is located directly under the brushroll. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the nozzle assembly is removably attached to the base. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the base includes a mechanism for raising and lowering the nozzle assembly. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the sheet is impregnated with an oil. 
     
     
         12 . A vacuum cleaning apparatus comprising:
 a nozzle configured to be connected to a source of suction, the nozzle having a suction inlet and a brushroll extending through the suction inlet and configured to rotate against a floor to dislodge dirt from the floor;   a bracket removably attached to the nozzle and having a sheet-pressing surface, a portion of which located directly below the brushroll; and   a disposable sheet having an opening and configured to be removably attached to the nozzle and configured such that, as the nozzle is moved along a floor, the sheet-pressing surface presses the sheet against the floor to dislodge dirt from the floor as the suction draws the dirt from the floor through the sheet's opening and the nozzle's suction inlet.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein a portion of the sheet-pressing surface is directly under the rotational axis of the brushroll. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 12  wherein the nozzle is configured to be attached to and supported by a vacuum cleaner base that includes the source of suction. 
     
     
         15 . A vacuum cleaning apparatus comprising:
 a nozzle assembly configured to be connected to a source of suction, the nozzle assembly having front and rear suction inlets and a sheet-pressing surface located between the inlet openings; and   a disposable sheet having front and rear airflow openings, and configured to be removably attached to the nozzle assembly with the front and rear airflow openings of the sheet respectively aligned with the front and rear suction inlets of the nozzle assembly; and   configured such that, as the nozzle assembly is moved along a floor, the sheet-pressing surface presses the sheet against the floor to dislodge dirt from the floor and the suction draws the dirt from the floor through the sheet's front and rear airflow openings and the nozzle assembly's front and rear airflow inlets.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15  wherein the nozzle assembly further includes a second sheet-pressing surface that is located rearward from the rear suction inlet and is configured to press the sheet against the floor. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 15  wherein the nozzle assembly includes a nozzle and a bracket, the bracket being removably attached to the nozzle and including the sheet-pressing surface and configured to attach the sheet to the nozzle. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 15  wherein the nozzle assembly includes a spacer located in front of the front inlet to space a front end of the nozzle assembly above the floor to maintain an airflow path extending from in front of the nozzle assembly rearward to the front suction opening. 
     
     
         19 . A vacuum cleaning apparatus comprising:
 a nozzle assembly having opposite front and rear side edges and opposite first and second end edges, and configured to be connected to a source of suction, the nozzle assembly having front and rear sheet-pressing surfaces and an airflow inlet located between the sheet-pressing surfaces; and   a disposable sheet having an airflow opening, configured to be removably attached to the nozzle assembly in a mounted position in which the airflow opening is located between the front and rear sheet-pressing surfaces and, under the first end edge, an end opening is vertically bounded by the nozzle assembly and the sheet and horizontally bounded by the front and rear scrubbers;   configured such that, as the nozzle assembly is moved along a floor, the sheet-pressing surfaces press the sheet against the floor to dislodge dirt from the floor, and the suction draws air through the end opening to the sheet's airflow opening for the air to carry the dirt from the floor upward through the sheet's airflow opening to and through the nozzle assembly's airflow inlet.   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19  wherein the nozzle assembly includes a nozzle and a bracket, the bracket being removably attached to the nozzle and including the sheet-pressing surfaces and configured to attach the sheet to the nozzle. 
     
     
         21 . A vacuum cleaner apparatus for use with a nozzle assembly having a scrubber configured to support the nozzle assembly in a cleaning position above a floor surface, the apparatus comprising:
 an elongated, generally rectangular sheet configured for mounting on the nozzle assembly in an installed position, the sheet having a longitudinal axis, a front portion with a longitudinally extending row of air flow inlets forward of the axis, a rear portion with a longitudinally extending row of air flow inlets rearward of the axis, and a central portion extending along the axis between the rows of air flow inlets, the central portion being configured for overlying engagement by the scrubber when the sheet is in the installed position.   
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 21  wherein the sheet further includes holes for hooking the sheet onto hooks of the nozzle assembly.