SURFACE CLEANING APPARATUS
A surface cleaning head comprises a front hard floor cleaning brush and a rotatable carpet cleaning brush positioned rearward of the front hard floor cleaning brush, wherein the front hard floor cleaning brush extends to the hard surface floor when the surface cleaning head is positioned on the hard surface floor, and wherein the front hard floor cleaning brush engages at least a portion of an inner surface of a forward portion of the brush chamber
1 . A surface cleaning head comprising:
a) a body having a front end having a dirty fluid inlet, a rear end and a brush chamber;
b) a front hard floor cleaning brush and a rotatable carpet cleaning brush positioned rearward of the front hard floor cleaning brush, each brush having a generally horizontally extending axis of rotation when the surface cleaning head is positioned on a generally horizontal floor;
c) a debriding member which engages an upper rearward portion of the front hard floor cleaning brush; and,
d) the front end having a front wall which extends to a position spaced at least 0.25″ above a hard surface floor when the surface cleaning head is positioned on the hard surface floor,
wherein the front hard floor cleaning brush extends to the hard surface floor when the surface cleaning head is positioned on the hard surface floor, and
wherein the front hard floor cleaning brush engages at least a portion of an inner surface of a forward portion of the brush chamber.
2 . The surface cleaning head of claim 1 , wherein engagement of the front hard floor cleaning brush with the inner portion of the brush chamber essentially inhibits air travelling upwardly over the brush into the brush chamber.
3 . The surface cleaning head of claim 1 , wherein the front wall extends to a position spaced between 0.25″ and 1.5″ above a hard surface floor when the surface cleaning head is positioned on the hard surface floor.
4 . The surface cleaning head of claim 1 , wherein the front wall extends to a position spaced between 0.5″ and 1.25″, and optionally 0.75″-1″, above a hard surface floor when the surface cleaning head is positioned on the hard surface floor.
5 . The surface cleaning head of claim 1 , wherein the debriding member extends forwardly and downwardly from an upper surface of the brush chamber.
6 . The surface cleaning head of claim 1 , wherein the front hard floor cleaning brush comprises microfibers.
7 . The surface cleaning head of claim 6 , wherein the front hard floor cleaning brush has an absence of self-supporting bristles.
8 . The surface cleaning head of claim 1 , wherein the front hard floor cleaning brush comprises a plurality of generally radially extending elastomeric paddles.
9 . The surface cleaning head of claim 1 , wherein the carpet brush comprises a plurality of spaced apart rows of bristles positioned circumferentially around the carpet brush wherein some of the rows of bristles have a lower stiffness compared to other rows of bristles that have a higher stiffness.
10 . The surface cleaning head of claim 9 , wherein a row of bristles having the lower stiffness is positioned between two circumferentially spaced apart rows of bristles having the higher stiffness.
11 . The surface cleaning head of claim 1 , wherein the front rotatable brush has a diameter that is from 75% to 125% of a diameter of the carpet brush and, optionally, the front rotatable brush and the carpet brush have approximately the same diameter.
12 . The surface cleaning head of claim 11 , wherein the front rotatable brush and the carpet brush have approximately the same diameter.
13 . The surface cleaning head of claim 1 , wherein the front rotatable brush and the carpet brush operate at different speeds.
14 . The surface cleaning head of claim 1 , wherein the front rotatable brush has a radially outer portion which travels at a speed which is from 75% to 125% a speed of the surface cleaning head when travelling over carpet.
15 . The surface cleaning head of claim 13 , wherein the front rotatable brush has a radially outer portion which travels at a speed which is proximate the speed of the surface cleaning head when travelling over carpet.
16 . A surface cleaning head comprising:
a) a body having a front end having a dirty fluid inlet, a rear end and a brush chamber;
b) a front hard floor cleaning brush and a rotatable carpet cleaning brush positioned rearward of the front hard floor cleaning brush, each brush having a generally horizontally extending axis of rotation when the surface cleaning head is positioned on a generally horizontal floor; and,
c) the front end having a front wall which extends to a positioned spaced above a hard surface floor when the surface cleaning head is positioned on the hard surface floor,
wherein the front rotatable brush and the carpet brush operate at different speeds.
17 . The surface cleaning head of claim 16 , wherein the front rotatable brush has a radially outer portion which travels at a speed which is from 75% to 125% a speed of the surface cleaning head when travelling over carpet.
18 . The surface cleaning head of claim 16 , wherein the front rotatable brush has a radially outer portion which travels at a speed which is proximate the speed of the surface cleaning head when travelling over carpet.
19 . The surface cleaning head of claim 16 , wherein the front rotatable brush has a diameter that is from 0.75% to 1.25 percent of a diameter of the carpet brush.
20 . The surface cleaning head of claim 19 , wherein the front rotatable brush and the carpet brush have approximately the same diameter.