Surface cleaning head with dual rotating agitators

Abstract

A surface cleaning head with dual rotating agitators (e.g., a leading roller and a brush roll) may be used to facilitate capturing of debris in the air flow into a suction conduit on the underside of the surface cleaning head. The leading roller is generally positioned adjacent to and in advance of the opening of the suction conduit. The rotating brush roll may be located in the suction conduit with the leading roller located in front of and spaced from the brush roll, forming an inter-roller air passageway therebetween. The leading roller may provide a softer cleaning element than the brush roll and may also have an outside diameter that is less than the outside diameter of the brush roll. The surface cleaning head may also include debriding protrusions contacting the leading roller and/or a leading bumper that extends in front of the leading roller.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A surface cleaning head comprising:
 a housing having a front side and back side, the housing including a suction conduit with an opening on an underside of the housing between the front side and the back side;   a brush roll mounted to the housing within the suction conduit and configured to rotate about a brush roll rotation axis;   a leading roller mounted to the housing at least partially in a leading roller chamber configured to rotate about a leading roller rotation axis, wherein the leading roller is closer to the front of the housing than the brush roll and the leading roller does not contact the brush roll;   debriding protrusions extending from a wall at least partially separating the leading roller chamber and the suction conduit, the debriding protrusions configured to contact an outer surface of a portion of the leading roller below the leading roller rotation axis;   an inter-roller air passageway forming at least a portion of a flow path into the opening of the suction conduit in a region below the wall between the brush roll and the leading roller;   wherein at least a portion of the leading roller below the leading roller rotation axis is exposed to the flow path flowing through the inter-roller air passageway to the suction conduit, wherein at least a portion of the leading roller above the leading roller rotation axis is substantially outside of the flow path to the suction conduit;   a drive mechanism operatively coupled to the brush roll and the leading roller for driving the brush roll and the leading roller at the same time; and   wherein a position of the leading roller rotation axis is fixed relative to the brush roll rotation axis.   
     
     
         2 . The surface cleaning head of  claim 1 , wherein a bottom contact surface of the leading roller is located below a bottom contact surface of the brush roll. 
     
     
         3 . The surface cleaning head of  claim 1 , wherein the drive mechanism is operatively coupled to the brush roll and the leading roller for driving and rotating the brush roll and the leading roller in same direction at same time. 
     
     
         4 . The surface cleaning head of  claim 1 , wherein the leading roller is removable from the housing. 
     
     
         5 . The surface cleaning head of  claim 1 , wherein the housing includes at least one cover covering at least one of a brush roll chamber and a leading roller chamber, wherein at least one of the brush roll and the leading roller is removable when the cover is in an open position. 
     
     
         6 . The surface cleaning head of  claim 1 , further comprising a bumper on a front side of the housing providing a leading edge in front of the leading roller. 
     
     
         7 . The surface cleaning head of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one light source disposed on the front side of the housing generally above the leading roller. 
     
     
         8 . The surface cleaning head of  claim 1 , wherein the leading roller including fabric, felt, nap or pile that is softer than a plurality of bristles of the brush roll. 
     
     
         9 . The surface cleaning head of  claim 1 , wherein the debriding protrusions include angled edges angled downward to contact the outer surface of the lower portion of the leading roller. 
     
     
         10 . The surface cleaning head of  claim 1 , wherein the leading roller has a diameter Dlr in the range of 0.3 Dbr to 0.8 Dbr. 
     
     
         11 . A stick vacuum comprising:
 a surface cleaning head as recited in  claim 1 ;   a wand coupled at one end to the surface cleaning head; and   a hand vacuum removably coupled to an opposite end of the wand.   
     
     
         12 . An upright canister vacuum comprising:
 a surface cleaning head as recited in  claim 1 ;   a wand coupled at one end to the surface cleaning head; and   a removable canister coupled to the wand.   
     
     
         13 . The surface cleaning head of  claim 1 , wherein contact between the leading roller and the debriding protrusions substantially prevents air flow to portion of the leading roller above the leading roller rotation axis that is substantially outside of the flow path to the suction conduit. 
     
     
         14 . A surface cleaning head comprising:
 a housing having a front side and back side, the housing including a suction conduit with an opening on an underside of the housing between the front side and the back side;   a first roller rotatably mounted to the housing within the suction conduit and configured to rotate about a first rotation axis;   a second roller mounted to the housing at least partially in a second roller chamber such that the second roller is located in front of the first roller, the second roller configured to rotate about a second rotation axis which is fixed relative to the first rotation axis;   a wall disposed between the first roller and the second roller such that first roller does not contact the second roller;   an inter-roller air passageway forming at least a portion of a flow path into the opening of the suction conduit in a region below the wall between first roller and the second roller;   debriding protrusions extending from the wall, the debriding protrusions configured to contact an outer surface of the second roller below the second rotation axis to remove debris from the second roller and cause the debris to become entrained in the flow path through the inter-roller passageway, wherein at least one of the debriding protrusions or the wall contact the second roller such that at least a portion of the second roller above the second rotation axis is substantially outside of the flow path to the suction conduit; and   a drive mechanism operatively coupled to the first roller and the second roller for rotating the first roller and the second roller at the same time.   
     
     
         15 . The surface cleaning head of  claim 14 , wherein the first roller includes a plurality of bristles and the second roller includes fabric, felt, nap or pile that is softer than the plurality of bristles of the first roller. 
     
     
         16 . A robotic vacuum cleaner comprising a surface cleaning head as recited in  claim 14 . 
     
     
         17 . A surface cleaning head comprising:
 a housing having a front side and back side, the housing including a first roller chamber, a second roller chamber, and a wall at least partially separating the first roller chamber from the second roller chamber, wherein the second roller chamber is located closer to the front side than the first roller chamber;   a first roller mounted at least partially in the first roller chamber and configured to rotate about a first rotation axis;   a second roller mounted at least partially in the second roller chamber and configured to rotate about a second rotation axis, the second roller being separated from the first roller by the wall, wherein a position of the first rotation axis is fixed relative to the second rotation axis; and   a plurality of debriding protrusions extending from the wall and configured to contact an outer surface of the second roller below the second rotation axis without contacting the first roller;   an inter-roller air passageway below the wall and between the first roller and the second roller and below the plurality of debriding protrusions, the inter-roller air passageway being in fluid communication with the suction conduit, wherein a portion of the second roller above the plurality debriding protrusions is outside of the suction conduit; and   a drive mechanism operatively coupled to the first roller and the second roller for rotating the first roller and the second roller at the same time.   
     
     
         18 . The surface cleaning head of  claim 17 , wherein the first roller includes a plurality of bristles and the second roller includes fabric, felt, nap or pile that is softer than the plurality of bristles of the first roller. 
     
     
         19 . The surface cleaning head of  claim 17 , wherein the drive mechanism is operatively coupled to the brush roll and the leading roller for driving and rotating the brush roll and the leading roller in same direction at same time. 
     
     
         20 . A robotic vacuum cleaner comprising a surface cleaning head as recited in  claim 17 .