Wheels having shock absorbing characteristics and a surface treatment apparatus using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11458771-B2
Application number	US-201816117934-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2018
Priority date	Aug 31, 2017
Publication date	Oct 4, 2022
Grant date	Oct 4, 2022

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner can include an upright section, a surface cleaning head coupled to the upright section, and at least one wheel coupled to the surface cleaning head. The at least one wheel can include a hub, a rim, and an absorber. The absorber can extend between the hub and the rim. The absorber can be configured to deform before the rim experiences substantial deformation. A deformation limiter can be provided that is configured to limit the deformation in the absorber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A surface cleaning head for a vacuum cleaner comprising:
a main body; and
a plurality of wheels coupled to opposing sides of the main body, the plurality of wheels including:
a hub;
a rim; and
a plurality of spokes extending from the hub at a substantially perpendicular angle towards the rim, the plurality of spokes configured to deform before the rim experiences substantial deformation, wherein the main body includes a deformation limiter to limit a deformation of the plurality of spokes.

2. The surface cleaning head of claim 1 , wherein the spokes have an arcuate shape.

3. The surface cleaning head of claim 2 , wherein a radius of curvature of the spokes increases as the spokes extend around a rotation axis of the hub.

4. The surface cleaning head of claim 3 , wherein a width of the spokes decreases as the radius of curvature increases.

5. The surface cleaning head of claim 3 , wherein at least a portion of one or more of the spokes is substantially tangent with an inner surface of the rim.

6. The surface cleaning head of claim 1 , wherein the deformation limiter is configured to prevent substantial permanent deformation in the spokes.

Assignees

• Sharkninja Operating Llc

Inventors

• Thorne Jason B
• Zhou Pu
• Yao Ming
• Howes Gordon

Classifications

• A47L5/28

  Suction cleaners with handles and nozzles fixed on the casings, e.g. wheeled suction cleaners with steering handle (A47L5/24 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60C7/14 Primary

  using springs · CPC title

• B60B9/04

  in leaf form · CPC title

• A47L9/009 Primary

  Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles · CPC title