Vacuum cleaner hair removal attachment

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner attachment for the removal of pet hair. The attachment has a cap with a perimeter rim and orifices. The orifices have rims surrounding them and elastic projections held in place by rectilinear strips which are received by the cap and orifice rims. The projections extend beyond the orifice rims. The projections have either a triangular shape or a sawtooth shape. The projections are arranged so that the triangular shapes are located along the central axis of the cap and the sawtooth projections are arranged along substantially parallel axes. The projections flex against fabric to loosen and remove pet hair from fabric or other surface.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This patent application is related to and claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/792,914 filed Apr. 18, 2007.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates, in general, to vacuum cleaner attachments and, more particularly, this invention relates to the use of such attachments to remove pet hair from fabric.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Prior to the conception and development of the present invention, as is generally well known in the prior art, provides a tool which is sized to fit with a vacuum cleaner hose. Removal of pet hair with a vacuum cleaner is difficult if not impossible where the pet hair is partially or completely woven into the fabric. Previous efforts to remove have relied on attachment of a pet air brush onto a vacuum cleaner tool. This is unsatisfactory because of the inconvenience of attaching and detaching the tool and the less than satisfactory negative vacuum pressure to remove the pet hair.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a tool with a cap perforated by a plurality of orifices to allow the passage of air through the cap. The cap has a rim around its perimeter so that the external surface of the cap is recessed. The orifices in the cap are surrounded by rims. The cap rim and the orifice rims have slot to receive sliders. Within the orifices are projections. The projections are flexible and are preferably rubber. The projections have an opening and are held in place by the sliders. The projections have a shaped end with either a sawtooth shape or a triangular shape. The sawtooth shaped projections are referred to as pluckers and the triangular shaped projections are referred to as diggers. In the preferred embodiment the diggers are placed in the orifices along and axis through the center of the cap and the diggers are place in the generally peripheral orifices.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is, therefore, one of the primary objects of the present invention to provide an effective device to remove pet hair from fabrics including carpets and upholstery.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for removal of pet hair from other surfaces.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a device for grooming pets.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a convenient pet hair removal attachment for home, shop or wet/dry vacuum cleaners.

In addition to the various objects and advantages of the present invention described with some degree of specificity above it should be obvious that additional objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those persons who are skilled in the relevant art from the following more detailed description of the invention, particularly, when such description is taken in conjunction with the attached drawing figures and with the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is perspective of the assembled attachment.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the cap.

FIG. 3 is an elevational drawing of the plucker projection.

FIG. 4 is an elevational drawing of the digger projection.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF A PRESENTLY PREFERRED AND VARIOUS ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

Prior to proceeding to the more detailed description of the present invention it should be noted that, for the sake of clarity and understanding, identical components which have identical functions have been identified with identical reference numerals throughout the several views illustrated in the drawing figures.

Reference is now made, more particularly, to FIGS. 1 and 2. Cap 1 has a perimeter rim 2 with predetermined height, depth and width. The cap has a plurality of orifices 3. The orifices 3 permit the passage of air through cap 1. Each orifice has a rim 4 of with a diameter generally equal to the diameter of the orifice. The height of the orifice rim 4 is less than or equal to the perimeter rim 2. The orifice rim has a predetermined width. In the preferred embodiment the orifices 3 are arrange with along a central axis generally bisecting the cap 1 and with the other orifices 3 aligned along substantially parallel axes peripheral to the central axis. The perimeter rim 2 and orifice rims 4 have slots to receive and engage sliders 5. In the preferred embodiment the sliders 4 are substantially flat metal strips.

Projections 6 are flexible elastic members. In the preferred embodiment the member is rubber. The projection has an opening 7 of predetermined height and width to receive and engage sliders 5. The projections 7 have a predetermined length so that the proximal end of the projection extends beyond the perimeter rim 2. The predetermined width is less than or the interior diameter of the orifice rim 4. In the preferred embodiment the proximal end has one of two shapes.

FIG. 3 is the projection with a sawtooth proximal end referred to as a plucker.

FIG. 4 is the projection with a triangular proximal end referred to as a digger.

In the preferred embodiment the diggers are within the orifice rims 4 along the central axis of the cap and the pluckers are arranged within the orifice rims 4 along the peripheral axes.

The diggers are loosen the pet hair and the pluckers remove the pet air from the fabric.

The cap is attached to a tube 9 with a proximal and distal end. The proximal end 10 of the tube 9 has a predetermined diameter to receive and attach the cap. The distal end 11 has a diameter to connect to a vacuum cleaner hose. In the preferred embodiment, the tube 9 has a substantially right angle bend.

While a presently preferred and various alternative embodiments of the present invention have been described in sufficient detail above to enable a person skilled in the relevant art to make and use the same it should be obvious that various other adaptations and modifications can be envisioned by those persons skilled in such art without departing from either the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner tool to be attached to a vacuum cleaner hose comprising:

(a) a cap with predetermined shape, a perimeter rim with a predetermined depth and width and a recessed exterior surface;

(b) said exterior surface having a plurality of orifices that permit the communication of air through said cap,

(c) an orifice rim for each orifice of predetermined depth and width adjacent to said exterior surface with a predetermined diameter equal to or greater than said orifice having at least two slots;

(d) a plurality of slides that are of a predetermined length that are engageably received by said cap rim said orifice rim, so that a slider is located along a generally central axis of the cap and sliders are generally parallel with generally central slider;

(e) a plurality of projections with an opening and a proximal end, said opening having a predetermined height width, depth to engageably receive said sliders, said projections having a proximal end with a predetermined shape of a group of a sawtooth shape and a triangular shape, said projections formed of a generally elastic material that flexes.

(d) a tube member with a proximal and distal end, said the distal end of said tube having a predetermined diameter that can be a accommodated by said vacuum cleaner hose, and said proximal end having a predetermined diameter to accommodate said cap;

(e) an attaching means to attach said cap to said proximal end of said tube.

2. An apparatus of claim 1 in which said projections are arranged in a pattern with said projections with proximal end triangular shaped are along the central said generally central slider and said sawtooth shaped projections are arranged along said parallel axes sliders.

3. An apparatus of claim 1 in which said projections are a made of said generally elastic material of the group of plastic and rubber.

4. An apparatus of claim 1 in which said tube has a substantially right angle bend.