# US 11,992,172 B2 · Agitator for a surface treatment apparatus and a surface treatment apparatus having the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,992,172 B2 - Document ID: US11992172B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/466,242 - Filed: 2021-09-03 - Published: 2022-03-10 - Granted: 2024-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2018-10-19 - Assignees: SharkNinja Operating LLC - Applicants: SharkNinja Operating, LLC - Inventors: Steven Gacin; Jason B. Thorne; Adam Udy; Charles S. Brunner; Xavier F. Cullere; Nicholas Sardar; Ognjen Vrdoljak; Daniel R. Der Marderosian; Andre D. Brown; Daniel J. Innes - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11992172B2 ## CPC - A47L 9/0477: {Rolls} - A46B 13/006: {formed by winding a strip tuft in a helix about the body} - A46B 13/02: power-driven {carriers} - A47L 9/0411: {driven by electric motor} - A46B 13/001: {Cylindrical or annular brush bodies} - A46B 13/005: {made up of a series of longitudinal strips or segments} - A46B 2200/302: Broom - A46B 2200/3033: Household brush, i.e. brushes for cleaning in the house or dishes - A47L 7/0066: {adapted for removing nail dust, hair or the like} - A47L 9/0613: {with means specially adapted for picking up threads, hair or the like, e.g. brushes, combs, lint pickers or bristles 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) - A46B: BRUSHES (handles not integral with brushware B25G) ## Abstract A surface cleaning head includes a housing having a front side and back side, a brush roll rotatably mounted to the housing within a suction conduit and having at least a portion proximate the opening of the suction conduit, a leading roller mounted to the housing in front of the brush roll, and a drive mechanism operatively coupled to the brush roll and the leading roller for driving the brush roll and the leading roller at same time. The brush roll includes an agitator body and a first bristle/flap arrangement comprising a first deformable flap extending from the agitator body and a first bristle strip and/or row of tufts extending from the agitator body and disposed adjacent to the first deformable flap. The first deformable flap is disposed at an aggressive angle and the first bristle strip and/or row of tufts is arranged at a passive angle. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An agitator for a vacuum cleaner comprising: an agitator body; and a first bristle/flap arrangement comprising: a first deformable flap extending from the agitator body; and a first bristle strip and/or row of tufts extending from the agitator body and disposed adjacent to the first deformable flap; wherein the first deformable flap is disposed at an aggressive angle and the first bristle strip and/or row of tufts is arranged at a passive angle. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The agitator of claim 1, wherein the first bristle strip and/or row of tufts is arranged generally parallel to the first deformable flap. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The agitator of claim 1, wherein a length of the first bristle strip and/or row of tufts is the same as a length of the first deformable flap. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The agitator of claim 1, wherein a length of the first bristle strip and/or row of tufts is less than a length of the first deformable flap. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The agitator of claim 1, wherein a length of the first bristle strip and/or row of tufts is greater than a length of the first deformable flap. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The agitator of claim 1, further comprising a second deformable flap disposed adjacent to and rotationally in front of the first deformable flap. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The agitator of claim 1, further comprising a second bristle/flap arrangement comprising: a second deformable flap extending from the agitator body; and a second bristle strip and/or row of tufts extending from the agitator body and disposed adjacent to the second deformable flap; wherein the second deformable flap is disposed at an aggressive angle and the second bristle strip and/or row of tufts is arranged at a passive angle. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The agitator of claim 7, wherein the first deformable flap extends from a first end region of the agitator body to a central region of said agitator body, and wherein the second deformable flap extends from a second end region of the agitator body to the central region of said agitator body. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The agitator of claim 8, wherein the second deformable flap is rotationally offset relative to the first deformable flap. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The agitator of claim 8, wherein a length of the first bristle strip and/or row of tufts is less than a length of the first deformable flap and wherein a length of the second bristle strip and/or row of tufts is less than a length of the second deformable flap. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The agitator of claim 8, further comprising a first bristle/flap group comprising a plurality of first bristle/flap arrangements and a second bristle/flap group comprising a plurality of second bristle/flap arrangements. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The agitator of claim 11, wherein the plurality of first bristle/flap arrangements within the first bristle/flap group are spaced apart from each other by a circumferential distance that is no more than 20% of the circumference of the agitator body. ### Claim 13 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 rotatably mounted to the housing within the suction conduit and at least a portion of the brush roll being proximate the opening of the suction conduit, the brush roll comprising: an agitator body; a first bristle/flap arrangement comprising: a first deformable flap extending from the agitator body; and a first bristle strip and/or row of tufts extending from the agitator body and disposed adjacent to the first deformable flap; wherein the first deformable flap is disposed at an aggressive angle and the first bristle strip and/or row of tufts is arranged at a passive angle; a leading roller mounted to the housing in front of the brush roll; and a drive mechanism operatively coupled to the brush roll and the leading roller for driving the brush roll and the leading roller at same time. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The vacuum cleaner of claim 13, wherein the leading roller is spaced from the brush roll such that the leading roller and the brush roll do not overlap when both the brush roll and the leading roller are driven and define an inter-roller air passageway, the inter-roller air passageway forming at least a portion of a flow path into the opening of the suction conduit in a region between a lower portion of the brush roll and a lower portion of the leading roller. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The vacuum cleaner of claim 13, wherein the leading roller includes fabric, felt, nap or pile. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The vacuum cleaner of claim 13, further comprising debriding protrusions configured to contact an outer surface of the lower portion of the leading roller, the debriding protrusions exposed to the inter-roller passageway such that the removed debris falls into the inter-roller passageway and into the flow path to the opening of the suction conduit. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The vacuum cleaner of claim 13, wherein the brush roll, further comprises a second bristle/flap arrangement comprising: a second deformable flap extending from the agitator body; and a second bristle strip and/or row of tufts extending from the agitator body and disposed adjacent to the second deformable flap; wherein the second deformable flap is disposed at an aggressive angle and the second bristle strip and/or row of tufts is arranged at a passive angle. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The vacuum cleaner of claim 17, wherein the first deformable flap extends from a first end region of the agitator body to a central region of said agitator body, and wherein the second deformable flap extends from a second end region of the agitator body to the central region of said agitator body. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The vacuum cleaner of claim 18, wherein a length of the first bristle strip and/or row of tufts is less than a length of the first deformable flap and wherein a length of the second bristle strip and/or row of tufts is less than a length of the second deformable flap. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The vacuum cleaner of claim 18, further comprising a first bristle/flap group comprising a plurality of first bristle/flap arrangements and a second bristle/flap group comprising a plurality of second bristle/flap arrangements, wherein the plurality of first bristle/flap arrangements within the first bristle/flap group are spaced apart from each other by a circumferential distance that is no more than 20% of the circumference of the agitator body.