# US 2014/0196247 A1 · Vacuum cleaner > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0196247 A1 - Document ID: US20140196247A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/148,939 - Filed: 2014-01-07 - Published: 2014-07-17 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-11 - Assignees: BISSELL Homecare, Inc. - Applicants: BISSELL Homecare, Inc. - Inventors: Gary A. Kasper - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140196247A1 ## CPC - A47L 5/34: with height adjustment of nozzles or dust-loosening tools - A47L 5/30: with driven dust-loosening tools, e.g. rotating brushes - A47L 9/009: {Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles} - A47L 9/0411: {driven by electric motor} - A47L 9/0477: {Rolls} - A47L 9/0494: {Height adjustment of dust-loosening tools} - A47L 9/1616: {Multiple arrangement thereof} - A47L 9/1683: {Dust collecting chambers; Dust collecting receptacles} - A47L 9/30: Arrangement of illuminating devices - 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 vacuum cleaner includes a housing having a suction nozzle, a source of suction in fluid communication with the suction nozzle for generating a working air stream through the housing, an agitator provided within the housing, and a roller provided in front of the agitator which rolls over larger debris while creating a seal for picking up smaller debris. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A vacuum cleaner for removing debris from a surface to be cleaned, comprising: a housing comprising a suction nozzle defining a suction chamber having an inlet opening and an outlet opening; an agitator provided in the suction chamber; a passageway at a forward portion of the housing and in fluid communication with the suction chamber; a suction source fluidly connected to the suction nozzle for generating a working air stream through the suction nozzle; and a roller mounted to the housing in front of the agitator for rotation about a rotational axis and having multiple radially-spaced sealing elements defining debris chambers between adjacent sealing elements; wherein, upon the rotation of the roller about the rotational axis, the sealing elements sequentially form a temporary seal between the passageway and the surface to be cleaned such that a corresponding debris chamber is fluidly coupled to the suction chamber and debris in the corresponding debris chamber is ingested through the passageway. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the roller is configured to freely rotate in response to friction between the sealing elements and the surface to be cleaned as the housing is moved across the surface to be cleaned. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the roller comprises a body defining the rotational axis of the roller and the sealing elements comprise paddles that extend radially from the body. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The vacuum cleaner of claim 3 and further comprising at least one wheel extending radially from the body. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The vacuum cleaner of claim 3, wherein at least one paddle comprises a strip extending along the body and having a repeating pattern. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The vacuum cleaner of claim 5, wherein the repeating pattern comprises a chevron pattern. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The vacuum cleaner of claim 6 and further comprising multiple wheels extending radially from the body to divide the strip, such that a single chevron is contained between adjacent wheels. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The vacuum cleaner of claim 3, wherein at least one paddle comprises a substantially flat strip extending along the body. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The vacuum cleaner of claim 8, wherein the strip partially extends around the circumference of the body. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the roller is defined by multiple coaxially-aligned roller segments, with each roller segment individually rotatably mounted to the housing. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the inlet opening is separate from the passageway. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the roller is substantially co-extensive with the suction nozzle. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein the suction nozzle comprises a forward wall at a forward portion of the housing, and the passageway is at least partially formed by the forward wall. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The vacuum cleaner of claim 13, wherein the rotational axis of the roller is positioned in the plane of the forward wall. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the agitator is rotatably mounted to the housing and coupled to an agitator motor which drives the rotation of the agitator. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The vacuum cleaner of claim 15, wherein the agitator comprises a brushroll. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 and further comprising a separator for separating contaminants from a dirt-containing air stream, the separator in fluid communication with the suction nozzle and suction source. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises an upper housing pivotally mounted to a lower base, wherein the suction nozzle and roller are provided on the lower base. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the temporary seal comprises a partial seal between the passageway and the surface to be cleaned.