US 12,070,177 B2
Surface cleaning head for vacuum cleaner
Adam Udy, Sutton (GB); Andre David Brown, Natick, MA (US); John Freese, Newton, MA (US); Patrick Cleary, Allston, MA (US); Daniel Meyer, Boston, MA (US); Daniel John Innes, West Roxbury, MA (US); Jason Thorne, Wellesley Hills, MA (US); Peter Hutchinson, Suzhou (CN); Gordon Howes, Suzhou (CN); Wenxiu Gao, Suzhou (CN); Daniel R. Der Marderosian, Westwood, MA (US); Thomas Ford, Wellesley, MA (US); and Owen R. Johnson, Needham, MA (US)
Assigned to SharkNinja Operating LLC, Needham, MA (US)
Filed by SHARKNINJA OPERATING LLC, Needham, MA (US)
Filed on Jul. 6, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/921,350.
Application 16/921,350 is a division of application No. 15/685,456, filed on Aug. 24, 2017, granted, now 10,702,108.
Application 15/685,456 is a continuation in part of application No. PCT/US2016/058148, filed on Oct. 21, 2016.
Application 15/685,456 is a continuation in part of application No. 15/331,045, filed on Oct. 21, 2016, granted, now 11,278,171.
Application 15/685,456 is a continuation in part of application No. 14/867,599, filed on Sep. 28, 2015, granted, now 9,955,832, issued on May 1, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/313,394, filed on Mar. 25, 2016.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/248,813, filed on Oct. 30, 2015.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/244,331, filed on Oct. 21, 2015.
Prior Publication US 2020/0329930 A1, Oct. 22, 2020
Int. Cl. A47L 5/30 (2006.01); A47L 5/34 (2006.01); A47L 9/04 (2006.01)
CPC A47L 5/30 (2013.01) [A47L 5/34 (2013.01); A47L 9/0411 (2013.01); A47L 9/0444 (2013.01); A47L 9/0461 (2013.01); A47L 9/0477 (2013.01); A47L 9/0488 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A surface cleaning head comprising:
a housing having a front side, a back side, a first lateral side, and a second lateral side, and an underside, the housing further including a suction conduit having an opening on the underside of the housing;
a brush roll rotatably mounted to the housing within a brush roll chamber and having a first brush roll end proximate the first lateral side and a second brush roll end proximate the second lateral side;
a leading roller mounted to the housing in front of the brush roll and having a first leading roller end proximate the first lateral side and a second leading roller end proximate the second lateral side, wherein at least an inside upper portion of the leading roller is not exposed to a primary air flow path into the opening of the suction conduit while at least an inside of a bottom portion of the leading roller is exposed to the primary flow path into the opening of the suction conduit; and
a drive mechanism coupled to the first brush roll end for rotating the brush roll, wherein the second brush roll end of the brush roll is coupled to the second leading roller end of the leading roller for transferring rotation from the brush roll to the leading roller, the drive mechanism including a drive motor, wherein the drive mechanism is further configured to cause the brush roll and the leading roller to both rotate in the same direction.