VACUUM CLEANER ATTACHMENT

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner attachment device may include a housing, a suction inlet on a bottom of the housing and a felt component on the bottom. This felt component may be positioned near the suction inlet to loosen hair and debris in a soft surface. An element may be attached to and extend below the housing. The element may be configured to support the housing at a predefined distance above a hard surface to be cleaned to prevent the felt component from contacting the hard surface. The element may be sufficiently narrow to sink into a soft surface to be cleaned to cause the felt component to be in direct contact with the soft surface.

Description

BACKGROUND

1. Field of Invention

The invention is related to a vacuum cleaner attachment and, more particularly, to a vacuum cleaner attachment for sweeping up pet hair from both hard and soft surfaces.

2. Related Art

Vacuum cleaners, as well as vacuum cleaner attachments and tools, are generally known in the art. However, pet hair removal from hard and soft floor surfaces can be an arduous daily task despite the staggering number of products available to help make the undertaking easier and more efficient.

Notwithstanding the wide variety of vacuum cleaners and vacuum cleaner attachments and tools, improved pet hair removal devices are needed that are economical, effective, and easy for a user to operate and maintain.

SUMMARY

A vacuum cleaner attachment device that may include a housing, a suction inlet on a bottom of the housing and a felt component on the bottom. The felt component may be positioned near the suction inlet to loosen hair and debris in a soft surface. The vacuum cleaner attachment device may include an element attached to and extending below the housing for movement of the housing over a surface to be cleaned. The element may be configured to support the housing at a predefined distance above a hard surface to be cleaned to prevent the felt component from contacting the hard surface. The element may be sufficiently narrow to sink into a soft surface to be cleaned to cause the felt component to be in direct contact with the soft surface.

This summary is provided merely to introduce certain concepts and not to identify any key or essential features of the claimed subject matter. Further features and advantages of the invention, as well as the structure and operation of various embodiments of the invention, are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following, more particular description of embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numbers generally indicate identical, functionally similar, and/or structurally similar elements. Unless otherwise indicated, the accompanying drawing figures are not to scale.

FIG. 1 depicts a partial perspective view of the attachment device according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 depicts a cross-sectional airflow diagram for the attachment device according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 depicts a bottom view of the attachment device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 depicts a side view of the attachment device, including support elements, according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 depicts a side view of the attachment device of FIG. 4 with internal structure indicated by hidden lines;

FIG. 6 depicts a side view of the attachment device of FIG. 4 wherein the top and bottom portions of the housing are hingedly coupled;

FIGS. 7A and 7B depict partial top and perspective views of the attachment device with support elements, according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 depicts a side view of the attachment device, including support elements, according to another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 9 depicts a side view of the attachment device showing internal structure with hidden lines, including a housing attachment mechanism according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 10 depicts a detached side view of the attachment device of FIG. 9; and

FIG. 11 depicts an exploded side view of the attachment device of FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various embodiments of the invention are discussed herein. While specific embodiments are discussed, specific terminology is employed for the sake of clarity. However, the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terminology so selected and it should be understood that this is done for illustration purposes only. A person skilled in the relevant art will recognize that other components and configurations can be used without parting from the spirit and scope of the invention. Each specific element includes all technical equivalents that operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.

FIG. 1 depicts a partial perspective view of the attachment device according to an embodiment of the invention. A housing 10 is connected to an attachment inlet 11 through which a vacuum cleaner hose or other similar device providing suction can attach.

FIG. 2 depicts a cross-sectional airflow diagram for the attachment device according to an embodiment of the invention. The housing 10 may include an upper member 26 and lower member 25. In an embodiment, the top member 26 of the housing 10 may attach to the bottom member 25 though a hooking device 24 attached to the bottom member 25 that fits into the structure of the top member 26. In another embodiment felt component insertion regions 23 may be located on either side of the suction inlet 28 (See FIG. 3 for further explanation).

Airflow 22 may be sucked into the housing 10 through a suction inlet 28, past a roller 20, and into the attachment inlet 11 which leads into the vacuum cleaner or other similar cleaning device that provides suction. An interior structural element 27 may be attached from the top member 26 to guide the airflow 22 towards the attachment inlet 11. In an embodiment, the suction inlet edges 21 may be made with an angle to create a scrubbing action. The inlet edges may also act like a comb.

FIG. 3 depicts a bottom view of the attachment device of FIG. 1. This diagram clearly shows the suction inlet 21 and attachment inlet 11 of the attachment device housing 10. Additionally, two felt components 30 may be positioned on either side of the suction inlet 21. These felt components 30 may be used to efficiently remove pet hair and other kinds of hair from carpet. On carpet, for example, the felt component 30 may be in direct contact with the carpet surface to loosen up pet hair in the carpet as the attachment device moves over it. On bare floor, the felt component 30 may be lifted off (supported above) the surface floor by support elements (see FIG. 4) to provide sufficient space under the attachment for dust particles and other debris to be drawn in and to prevent obstruction of the suction inlet.

FIG. 4 depicts a side view of the attachment device, including support elements, according to an embodiment of the invention. Again the housing 10, including a top member 26 and a bottom member 25, is connected to an attachment inlet 11 through which a vacuum cleaner hose or other similar device (not shown) providing suction can attach. Additionally, two elements 40 may be attached to the housing 10 for supporting the attachment device on a hard surface to be cleaned. In this embodiment, the elements 40 are shown as wheels. These wheels may be of a specific design to accommodate the different positioning of the felt components 30 (see FIG. 3) relative to the surface to be cleaned. The wheels may be very narrow and may extend just a few millimeters below the bottom of the attachment device housing 10. In this embodiment, on a bare floor, or other hard surface, the wheels may lift the attachment device to keep the felt components 30, attached to the bottom of the housing 10, at a distance above the floor surface to allow dust and debris to be sucked into the suction inlet 21 (See FIG. 3). On carpet, or other soft surface, the wheels may sink into the thickness of the carpet allowing the felt components 30, attached to the bottom of the housing 10, to be in direct contact with the carpet to enable the loosening up of pet hair as the attachment device moves over the carpet.

FIG. 5 depicts a side view of the attachment device of FIG. 4 with internal structure indicated by hidden lines. This diagram shows an example of how the elements 40 for movement can be attached to the housing 10. Here, the elements 40 may include front wheels and rear wheels. Both the front wheels and the rear wheels may be attached by connection points 41 to the bottom member 25 of the housing 10. The front wheels may be attached within the housing 10 and the rear wheels may be attached outside of the housing 10.

FIG. 6 depicts a side view of the attachment device of FIG. 4 wherein the top and bottom portions of the housing are hingedly coupled. In this embodiment, the housing 10 includes a top member 26 and a bottom member 25. The top and bottom members 26, 25 may be removably coupled to one another on the front end of the housing 10 through a hinge connection 60. On the rear end of the housing 10, the top and bottom members 26, 25 may be removably coupled to one another through a flexible tab 62 with protrusions upon which the wheels 40 are mounted. Specifically, a rear flexible tab 62 may be connected to the bottom member 25 of the housing 10. The top member 26 of the housing 10 may include a cut out 61 whereby the top member can close and snap over the flexible tab 62. On the rear end of the housing 10, the user may depress the rear flexible tabs 62 on either side of the housing 10 to detach the top and bottom members 26, 25. This embodiment allows a user to easily clean the attachment device housing 10 and to unclog dirt and hair that may have accumulated on the roller and in the attachment inlet 11. All parts can be rinsed with water to clean. Assembly and disassembly do not require tools.

In an embodiment, a connection point 65 of the attachment inlet 11 is removably coupled to the housing 10 through a rear mount 66 attached to the bottom member 25 of the housing 10. Likewise, a front mount 64 can be attached to the bottom member 25 of the housing 10 to support the front wheel 40, at a connection point 63, or to support a roller 20 (not shown). The connection points 63, 65 of the attachment inlet 11 and front wheels 40 may be an axle or a flexible tab.

FIG. 7A and 7B depict partial top and perspective views of the attachment device with support elements, according to an embodiment of the invention. Again, the top and bottom members 26, 25 of the housing 10 may be removably coupled to one another through a fastening configuration. A rear flexible tab 62 may be connected to the bottom member of the housing 10. The top member 26 of the housing 10 may include a cut out 61 whereby the top member 26 can close and snap over the rear flexible tab 62. In an embodiment, the two rear elements 40 on either side of the housing 10 may be squeezed to separate the top and bottom members 26, 25 of the housing 10. For example, a spring mechanism (for example, a cantilevered tab) associated with the rear flexible tab 62 may be depressed upon squeezing to allow detachment of the top member 26 from the bottom member 25.

In an alternative form, squeezing the rear flexible tab 62 detaches the top and bottom members of the housing 10 through a lock tab.

FIG. 8 depicts a side view of the attachment device, including support elements, according to another embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment, the elements 80 may be sliders rather than wheels. The bottom member 25 of the housing 10 and the sliders 80 can be made in one piece (for example, integrally formed), or they can be attached to the bottom by any fastening means, such as for example glue, screws, lock tabs or press fit. Sliders 80 can provide the same ease of pushing the attachment device as wheels. They may also be narrow and extend below the bottom of the housing just a few millimeters to provide the same function as the wheels described above. In this embodiment, the top member 26 of the housing 10 may include a cut out 81 whereby the top member 26 can close and snap over the rear flexible tab 82 of the bottom member 25.

While various embodiments of the present invention have been described herein, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not limitation. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the described embodiments, but should instead be defined only in accordance with the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner attachment device comprising:

a housing;

a suction inlet on a bottom of the housing;

a felt component on the bottom, positioned near the suction inlet to loosen hair and debris in a soft surface; and

an element attached to and extending below the housing,

wherein the element is configured to support the housing at a predetermined distance above a hard surface to be cleaned to prevent the felt component from contacting the hard surface, and

wherein the element is sufficiently narrow to sink into a soft surface to cause the felt component to be in direct contact with a soft surface to be cleaned.

2. The vacuum cleaner attachment device of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a top member and a bottom member removably coupled to one another.

3. The vacuum cleaner attachment device of claim 2, wherein the top member and bottom member are coupled through depressible locking tabs.

4. The vacuum cleaner attachment device of claim 2, wherein the top member and bottom member are coupled through a hinge configuration.

5. The vacuum cleaner attachment device of claim 2, wherein the top member and bottom member are coupled through a fastening configuration.

6. The vacuum cleaner attachment device of claim 2, wherein the top member and bottom member are coupled using a combination of a hinge configuration and a fastening configuration.

7. The vacuum cleaner attachment device of claim 2, wherein the top member and bottom member are coupled using a combination of a hinge configuration and depressible locking tabs.

8. The vacuum cleaner attachment device of claim 1, further comprising a roller within the housing and adjacent to the suction inlet.

9. The vacuum cleaner attachment device of claim 6, wherein an outer surface of the roller includes a neoprene.

10. The vacuum cleaner attachment device of claim 1, wherein the element comprises a wheel fastened to the housing.

11. The vacuum cleaner attachment device of claim 1, wherein the element comprises a slider made as part of the bottom of the housing or fastened to the bottom of the housing.

12. A vacuum cleaner kit comprising:

the vacuum attachment device of claim 1; and

a vacuum configured to attach to and provide suction to the vacuum attachment device.

13. A vacuum cleaner attachment device comprising:

a housing comprising a top member and a bottom member, the bottom member defining a suction inlet opening;

means for loosening hair and debris in a soft surface;

means for supporting the housing at a predefined distance above a hard surface to be cleaned to prevent the loosening means from contacting a hard surface;

means for sinking the housing into a soft surface to cause the loosening means to be in direct contact with a soft surface;

means for drawing dirt, pet hair and debris into the suction inlet opening of the housing; and

means for removably coupling the top member and bottom member of the housing.