Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Versuni Holding B.v.

Philips Domestic Appliances Holding B.v.

Bastiaan Johannes De Wit

Fokke Roelof Voorhorst

Johannes Tseard Van Der Kooi

Matthijs Hendrikus Lubbers

Pieter Kingma

Alastair Ian Blake

Arnoldus Cornelis Wessels

Albert Jan Aitink

Johan Pragt

Sepas Setayesh

Geert Veenstra

Sieds Bosch

Bastian Cornelis Kleine-Doepke

Arjan Sander Vonk

Orhan Kahya

Simon Eme Kadijk

Klaas Kooijker

Robert Godlieb

Jasper Zuidervaart

Sint Baron

Joldert Maria Boersma

Dirk Hendrik Wevers

Jacob Brinkert

Aaldert Geert Zijlstra

Albert Al-shorachi

Chengang Cao

Anke Rieka Meulendijks

Jamila Midhat

Robert Friso Burgers

Rinse Hendrik Bosma

Maarten Van Den Boogaard

Michael Van Den Bosch

Gerben Raap

Wiebe Wierda

Johan Bernard Kuperus

Jonne Steeman

Freddy Moes

Renger Ypenburg

Klaas Hilverda

Sjoerd Haites

Fermín Espín Franco

Albert Maas De Lange

Jan Spoelstra

Leonardus Hendrikus Gerardus Johannes Segeren

Jan Postma

Peter Christian Eshuis

David Schippers

Johannes Tseard Van Der Kool

Minkes Wllem

Wllem Minkes

Nyckle Owe Sijtsma

Anna Dirkje Bosma

Peter C Eshuis

Ijpe Bernardus Brada

Rogier De Vrind

Roderik De Vries

Frans Rozeboom

Renee Luijkx

Myron Alexander Maria Piontek

Robert Van Der Horn

Imogen Adams

Willem Wiersema

Albert Al-Shorachi

Fermín ESPÍN Franco

A cleaning device designed to clean a surface includes a cleaner nozzle to face the surface to be cleaned and to perform a cleaning action on the surface, where the cleaner nozzle accommodates at least one rotatably arranged brush including flexible brush elements having tip portions which are intended to contact the surface. The cleaning device includes a force-actuable mechanism that is responsive to a change of a user force on the cleaning device acting to press the cleaner nozzle against the surface when the cleaner nozzle is in an operational position on the surface, and that is functional to cause a change of a value of at least one parameter of operation of the cleaning device, thereby enabling more intuitive handling of the cleaning device by a user.

Cleaning device and cleaner nozzle designed to be used in a cleaning device

A cleaning device comprises a surface interaction layer (ML), a cleaning fluid supply (CFF) provided with a cleaning fluid channel (CFC) at the surface interaction layer (ML) for supplying a cleaning fluid to a surface (F) through the surface interaction layer (ML) being in contact with the surface (F), and a dirty fluid drain (DFD) having a dirty fluid channel (DFC) at the surface interaction layer (ML) for draining, by means of underpressure, dirty water from the surface (F) through the surface interaction layer (ML) being in contact with the surface (F).

Cleaning device

A cleaning device for cleaning a surface is described. The cleaning device includes at least one cleaning element and a wetting system to supply a cleaning liquid to the at least one cleaning element. The wetting system is operable in one of at least one normal operation mode and a boost operation mode involving an increased supply rate of the cleaning liquid with respect to the at least one normal operation mode. During start-up of the cleaning device in a wet cleaning mode thereof, a start-up operation mode of the wetting system is determined to be one of the normal operation mode or the boost operation mode on the basis of assessment of an actual value of at least one parameter that is indicative of whether or not the at least one cleaning element is in a wet cleaning condition.

Determining a start-up operation mode of a wetting system of a cleaning device

The present invention relates to a body care system (-) including a cooling device (-) for a body care system (-) comprising a brush unit () including a plurality of airflow generating structures, a connecting unit () for connecting the brush unit () to a driving unit (), the driving unit () being configured to drive the brush unit () to rotate about a rotational axis () to generate an airflow by the rotation of the airflow generating structures, wherein the rotational axis () is substantially parallel to the surface of the body part, and a supplying unit arranged inside the brush unit () for supplying a cooling medium to the plurality of airflow generating structures of the brush unit () to evaporate the cooling medium by the generated airflow.

Body care system for cooling a body part

In a vacuum cleaner nozzle (N) comprising one or more rear wheels (RW), a hinge (H) is arranged to lift all one or more rear wheels (RW) from a floor (F) when a suction tube (ST) connected to the nozzle (N) is rotated around a longitudinal axis of the suction tube (ST), e.g. after the nozzle (N) has been rotated by more than 45&#xb0; by means of a further hinge (H) in order to position a relatively short side of the nozzle at the front of the nozzle in the nozzle's motion direction so that the nozzle is able to clean relatively small spaces that could not be entered if a relatively long side of the nozzle is at the front of the nozzle in the nozzle's motion direction. If the one or more rear wheels (RW) comprise at least two rear wheels, the hinge (H) is arranged for simultaneously lifting the rear wheels (RW) from the floor (F). Preferably, the hinge (H) is bi-stable, to which end the hinge (H) may be provided with magnets (M-, M-) or a bi-stable spring (S) to fix the hinge (H) either in a first position in which the one or more rear wheels (RW) are arranged to touch the floor (F), or in a second position in which the one or more rear wheels (RW) are arranged to be lifted from the floor (F). A vacuum cleaner advantageously comprises such a nozzle.

Vacuum cleaner nozzle

A surface cleaning device comprises a brush (B) that is curved at least partially around a center part (CP) of the surface cleaning device, a deformability of the brush (B) determining a deformability of an outer circumference of the surface cleaning device. The brush (B) has a rotation axis (A), which is curved at least partially around the center part (CP) of the surface cleaning device. The rotation axis (A) is parallel to the surface. The brush (B) may be a donut-shaped brush (B) fully around the center part (CP) of the surface cleaning device. The surface cleaning device may have an electrical motor (M) for driving the brush (B). The center part (CP) may comprise a container (DC) for collecting dirt swept from the surface by the brush (B). The center part (CP) may have an edge (E) for bending the brush (B), dirt being released from the brush (B) at an end of the edge (E) where the brush (B) is relaxed. The center part (CP) may have an upper rim (R) for keeping the brush (B) at its position. A length of brush fibers from the rotation axis (A) of the brush (B) is preferably at least about 0.4, and more preferably at least about 0.6, times a radius of an undeformable core of the surface cleaning device. The surface cleaning device may further comprise a fan for generating an air flow that does not exceed 6 1/s, preferably 3 1/s, and more preferably 1.5 1/s.

Surface cleaning device

The present application relates to a vacuum cleaner head (). The vacuum cleaner head () includes a housing () having a vacuum extraction zone (), and first and second rollers () configured to locate against a surface to be cleaned (). Each of the first and second rollers () is able to pick-up detritus from the surface to be cleaned () when they rotate and move over the surface () and to carry detritus to the vacuum extraction area () in the housing (). In accordance with the present invention, the first roller () is rotatable when moved along the surface to be cleaned () in a first direction and restricted from rotating when moved in an opposing second direction. The second roller () is rotatable when moved along the surface to be cleaned () in the second direction and restricted from rotating when moved in the first direction. The present application also relates to a vacuum cleaner comprising the vacuum cleaner head ().

Vacuum cleaner head

A device for cleaning a surface () comprises at least one rotatable brush () which is provided with flexible brush elements () for contacting the surface () and picking up dirt particles () and liquid which are present on the surface () during a dirt pick-up period of each revolution of the brush (), and means for driving the brush (). A linear mass density of the flexible brush elements () is chosen such as to be lower than 50 g per 10 km, at least at tip portions, and an acceleration at tips of the brush elements () is set such as to be at least 3,000 m/sec, at least at some time during another period of each revolution of the brush () than the dirt pick-up period, namely a period in which the brush elements () are free from contact to the surface ().

Device for cleaning a surface, comprising at least one rotatable brush

In a method of monitoring pollution of an air filter (Filt) in a device in which an air flow (A) generated by a fan (F) engaged by a motor (M) passes the air filter (Filt), the pollution is determined using data representative of a pressure difference (D) over the fan (F), a pressure difference (D) over the air filter, and a motor current (I) to the motor (M). The method comprises the steps of: estimating a flow through the air filter from data representative of the pressure difference (D) over the fan (F), and the motor current (I) to the motor (M), estimating a filter resistance of the air filter from data representative of the flow through the air filter, and the pressure difference (D) over the air filter, and estimating the pollution of the air filter from data representative of the filter resistance of the air filter.

Air filter monitoring

A vacuum cleaner head has a base and a suction opening in the base. An array of flexible flaps protrudes from the base. The flexible flaps are configured to act on a surface to be cleaned. The flexible flaps are spaced from each other to allow the passage of detritus therebetween in a predefined arrangement. The predefined arrangement of the flexible flaps is configured to promote a non-linear flow path through the array of flexible flaps between an end of the base and the suction opening. A gap between first and second rows of flaps is substantially equal to or greater than a space between adjacent flexible flaps in each of the first and second rows.

The present invention relates to a nozzle () for a vacuum cleaner. The nozzle () has a base () having an edge () and a suction aperture () in the base (). At least one flexible flap () protrudes from the base () between the edge () and the suction aperture (). The flexible flap () has first and second sections () separable by an opening (). The first and second sections () are urged towards each other when the nozzle () is moved in a first direction in which the edge () is a leading edge to close the opening () or tend the opening () towards closure, and the first and second sections () are biased away from each other when the nozzle () is moved in a second direction in which the edge () is a trailing edge to open the opening () or to further open the opening. The present invention also relates to a vacuum cleaner comprising a nozzle () for a vacuum cleaner.

Nozzle for a vacuum cleaner

Drive coupling assembly () for a high-speed rotating brush, comprising:&#x2014;a coupling head () having a coupling head rotation axis (L) and including three drive surfaces () which are arranged to be rotationally symmetrical through 120&#xb0; with respect to said coupling head rotation axis; and&#x2014;a coupling member (), having a coupling member rotation axis (L) and including three first drive surfaces () which are arranged to be rotationally symmetrical through 120&#xb0; with respect to said coupling member rotation axis, wherein said coupling head () and said coupling member () are detachably couplable, such that, in a coupled condition, their rotational axes (L, L) are aligned and the coupling head is rotatable to drive each of its drive surfaces () in contact with a respective first drive surface () of the coupling member, to thereby exert both a torque and an axially directed force on the coupling member.

Drive coupling for high-speed rotating brush

The present application relates to a nozzle for a vacuum cleaner. The nozzle comprises a body () and a base (). The base () has a longitudinal axis, and at least two cleaning sides () configured to act on a surface in respective cleaning conditions. The base () is rotatable around a rotational axis (A-A) that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the base to move the base () between the respective cleaning conditions.

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Drachten, Netherlands

Bastiaan Johannes De Wit