# US 10,307,028 B2 · Cleaner head for a vacuum cleaner > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,307,028 B2 - Document ID: US10307028B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/427,454 - Filed: 2017-02-08 - Published: 2017-08-17 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2016-02-12 - Assignees: Dyson Technology Limited - Applicants: Dyson Technology Limited - Inventors: Jonathan James Gray - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10307028B2 ## CPC - A47L 9/0633: {with retractable brushes, combs, lips or pads} - A47L 9/0666: {with tilting, floating or similarly arranged brushes, combs, lips or pads} - A47L: DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING (brushes A46B; cleaning quantities of bottles or of other hollow articles of one kind B08B9/00; laundry D06F); SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL (cleaning in general B08) ## Abstract A cleaner head for a vacuum cleaner having a suction inlet, a front blade and a rear blade. The front blade is located forward of or at the front of the suction inlet and is arranged to pivot about a first axis. The rear blade is located rearward of or at the rear of the suction inlet and is arranged to pivot about a second axis different to the first axis. Each blade pivots between a deployed position and a retracted position. The blades are configured such that when one of the blades is in the deployed position, the other of the blades is in the retracted position. Additionally, when one of the blades moves from the deployed position to the retracted position, the other of the blades moves from the retracted position to the deployed position. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A cleaner head for a vacuum cleaner comprising: a suction inlet; a front blade located forward of or at the front of the suction inlet and arranged to pivot about a first axis; and a rear blade located rearward of or at the rear of the suction inlet and arranged to pivot about a second axis different to the first axis, wherein each blade pivots between a deployed position and a retracted position, each blade projects downwardly when in the deployed position, and the blades are coupled together by at least one linkage such that (i) when one of the blades is in the deployed position the other of the blades is in the retracted position, and (ii) moving one of the blades from the deployed position to the retracted position causes movement of the at least one linkage that causes the other of the blades to move from the retracted position to the deployed position, and wherein, when a direction of travel of the cleaner head over a cleaning surface is reversed, the cleaning surface applies a force to the blade in the deployed position that causes the blade in the deployed position to move towards the retracted position. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The cleaner head of claim 1, wherein, when in the deployed position, the front blade has a ramped front-facing surface, and the rear blade has a ramped rear-facing surface. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The cleaner head of claim 1, wherein, when in the deployed position, the front blade has a vertical rear-facing surface, and the rear blade has a vertical front-facing surface. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The cleaner head of claim 1, wherein, when in the deployed position, each blade has a front-facing surface and a rear-facing surface, and, when in the retracted position, the rear-facing surface of the front blade and the front-facing surface of the rear blade are horizontal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The cleaner head of claim 1, wherein the cleaner head comprises a planar front plate located forward of the front blade and a planar rear plate located rearward of the rear blade, the front blade projects downwardly beyond the front plate when in the deployed position, and the rear blade projects downwardly beyond the rear plate when in the deployed position. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The cleaner head of claim 5, wherein the front blade is flush with the front plate when in the retracted position, and the rear blade is flush with the rear plate when in the retracted position. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The cleaner head of claim 1, wherein the front blade moves to the deployed position when the cleaner head is manoeuvred forwards over a cleaning surface, and the rear blade moves to the deployed position when the cleaner head is manoeuvred rearwards over the cleaning surface. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The cleaner head of claim 1, wherein the front blade pivots forward and the rear blade pivots rearward when moving from the deployed position to the retracted position. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The cleaner head of claim 1, wherein the blades are coupled together by a bracket that is attached to each blade. ### Claim 10 A cleaner head for a vacuum cleaner comprising: a suction inlet; a front blade located forward of or at the front of the suction inlet and arranged to pivot about a first axis; and a rear blade located rearward of or at the rear of the suction inlet and arranged to pivot about a second axis different to the first axis, wherein each blade pivots between a deployed position and a retracted position, each blade projects downwardly when in the deployed position, and moving the cleaner head over a cleaning surface in a forward direction causes the cleaning surface to front blade to move to the deployed position and the rear blade to move to the retracted position, and moving the cleaner head over the cleaning surface in a rearward direction causes the rear blade to move to the deployed position and the front blade to move to the retracted position. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The cleaner head of claim 10, wherein the front blade pivots forward and the rear blade pivots rearward when moving from the deployed position to the retracted position. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The cleaner head of claim 10, wherein, when the direction of travel of the cleaner head over the cleaning surface is reversed, the cleaning surface applies a force to the blade in the deployed position that causes the blade to move towards the retracted position. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The cleaner head of claim 10, wherein, when in the deployed position, the front blade has a ramped front-facing surface, and the rear blade has a ramped rear-facing surface. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The cleaner head of claim 10, wherein, when in the deployed position, the front blade has a vertical rear-facing surface, and the rear blade has a vertical front-facing surface. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The cleaner head of claim 10, wherein, when in the deployed position, each blade has a front-facing surface and a rear-facing surface, and, when in the retracted position, the rear-facing surface of the front blade and the front-facing surface of the rear blade are horizontal. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The cleaner head of claim 10, wherein the cleaner head comprises a planar front plate located forward of the front blade and a planar rear plate located rearward of the rear blade, the front blade projects downwardly beyond the front plate when in the deployed position, and the rear blade projects downwardly beyond from the rear plate when in the deployed position. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The cleaner head of claim 16, wherein the front blade is flush with the front plate when in the retracted position, and the rear blade is flush with the rear plate when in the retracted position. ### Claim 18 A cleaner head for a vacuum cleaner comprising: a suction inlet; a front blade located forward of or at the front of the suction inlet and arranged to pivot about a first axis; and a rear blade located rearward of or at the rear of the suction inlet and arranged to pivot about a second axis different to the first axis, wherein each blade pivots between a deployed position and a retracted position, the blades are configured such that when one of the blades is in the deployed position the other of the blades is in the retracted position, and, when in the deployed position, the front blade has a ramped front-facing surface and the rear blade has a ramped rear-facing surface. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The cleaner head of claim 18, wherein, when in the deployed position, the front blade has a vertical rear-facing surface, and the rear blade has a vertical front-facing surface. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The cleaner head of claim 18, wherein, when in the deployed position, each blade has a rear-facing surface, and, when in the retracted position, the rear-facing surface of the front blade and the front-facing surface of the rear blade are horizontal. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The cleaner head of claim 18, wherein the cleaner head comprises a planar front plate located forward of the front blade and a planar rear plate located rearward of the rear blade, the front blade projects downwardly beyond the front plate when in the deployed position, and the rear blade projects downwardly beyond the rear plate when in the deployed position. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The cleaner head of claim 21, wherein the front blade is flush with the front plate when in the retracted position, and the rear blade is flush with the rear plate when in the retracted position. ### Claim 23 (depends on 18) The cleaner head of claim 18, wherein the front blade moves to the deployed position when the cleaner head is manoeuvred forwards of a cleaning surface, and the rear blade moves to the deployed position when the cleaner head is manoeuvred rearwards over the cleaning surface. ### Claim 24 (depends on 18) The cleaner head of claim 18, wherein, when the direction of travel of the cleaner head over a cleaning surface is reversed, the cleaning surface applies a force to the blade in the deployed position that causes the blade to move towards the retracted position. ### Claim 25 (depends on 18) The cleaner head of claim 18, wherein the front blade pivots forward and the rear blade pivots rearward when moving from the deployed position to the retracted position. ### Claim 26 A cleaner head for a vacuum cleaner comprising: a main body having a suction inlet located in a base of the main body; a front blade located forward of or at the front of the suction inlet and arranged to pivot about a first axis; and a rear blade located rearward of or at the rear of the suction inlet and arranged to pivot about a second axis different to the first axis, wherein each blade pivots between a deployed position and a retracted position, the blades are configured such that when one of the blades is in the deployed position the other of the blades is in the retracted position, each blade projects downwardly beyond the base of the main body when in the deployed position, and each blade is flush with the base of the main body when in the retracted position, and wherein, when a direction of travel of the cleaner head over a cleaning surface is reversed, the cleaning surface applies a force to the blade in the deployed position that causes the blade in the deployed position to move towards the retracted position. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The cleaner head of claim 26, wherein, when in the deployed position, the front blade has a ramped front-facing surface, and the rear blade has a ramped rear-facing surface. ### Claim 28 (depends on 26) The cleaner head of claim 26, wherein, when in the deployed position, the front blade has a vertical rear-facing surface, and the rear blade has a vertical front-facing surface. ### Claim 29 (depends on 26) The cleaner head of claim 26, wherein the front blade moves to the deployed position when the cleaner head is manoeuvred forwards over a cleaning surface, and the rear blade moves to the deployed position when the cleaner head is manoeuvred rearwards over the cleaning surface. ### Claim 30 (depends on 26) The cleaner head of claim 26, wherein the front blade pivots forward and the rear blade pivots rearward when moving from the deployed position to the retracted position.