VACUUM ACCESSORY TOOL
A vacuum cleaner accessory tool configured for use with a vacuum cleaner. The accessory tool includes a nozzle body that defines a chamber. The accessory tool further includes a first resilient flexible blade that extends from the nozzle body, a second resilient flexible blade that extends from the nozzle body, and a third resilient flexible blade that extends from the nozzle body. A first elongated inlet aperture extends through the nozzle body directly between the first blade and the second blade and the first inlet aperture allows air to pass therethrough and into the chamber. A second elongated inlet aperture extends through the nozzle body directly between the second blade and the third blade and the second inlet aperture allows air to pass therethrough and into the chamber.
The present invention relates to vacuum cleaner accessory tools.
Vacuum cleaners are often supplied with multiple accessory tools. For example, in one type of vacuum, an upright vacuum, the vacuum includes a foot or main nozzle that is in fluid communication with a dirt cup and the dirt cup is in fluid communication with a fan that is operable to generate a suction air flow through the foot and the dirt cup. The main nozzle often includes a brush roll or agitator and the user moves the main nozzle along a surface to be cleaned, typically carpet or other types of flooring. The main nozzle and the dirt cup can be fluidly coupled by a suction hose that is in fluid communication with the fan. An end of the suction hose is often removably coupled to the main nozzle. The user can uncouple this end of the hose from the main nozzle and attach an accessory tool for cleaning furniture, stairs, or other areas where it is not convenient to use the main nozzle.
SUMMARYIn one embodiment, the invention provides a vacuum cleaner accessory tool configured for use with a vacuum cleaner. The accessory tool includes a nozzle body that defines a chamber and an outlet conduit that extends from the nozzle body and in fluid communication with the chamber. The outlet conduit is configured to couple the accessory tool to the vacuum cleaner and to provide fluid communication from the chamber to the vacuum cleaner. The accessory tool further includes a first resilient flexible blade that extends from the nozzle body, a second resilient flexible blade that extend from the nozzle body, and a third resilient flexible blade that extends from the nozzle body. A first elongated inlet aperture extends through the nozzle body directly between the first blade and the second blade, and the first inlet aperture allows air to pass therethrough and into the chamber. A second elongated inlet aperture extends through the nozzle body directly between the second blade and the third blade, and the second inlet aperture allows air to pass therethrough and into the chamber.
In another embodiment the invention provides a vacuum cleaner accessory tool configured for use with a vacuum cleaner. The accessory tool includes a nozzle body that defines a chamber, and the nozzle body includes an upper end and a lower end. An outlet conduit extends from the upper end of the nozzle body and the outlet conduit is configured to couple the accessory tool to the vacuum cleaner and to provide fluid communication from the chamber to the vacuum cleaner. A nozzle plate is coupled the lower end of the nozzle body. The accessory tool further includes a first discrete resilient flexible blade that extends from the nozzle plate away from the lower end of the nozzle body and the first blade defines a longitudinal axis and a length measured along the longitudinal axis. A second discrete resilient flexible blade that extends from the nozzle plate away from the lower end of the nozzle body and the second blade defines a longitudinal axis and a length measured along the longitudinal axis. A third discrete resilient flexible blade extends from the nozzle plate away from the lower end of the nozzle body, and the third blade defines a longitudinal axis and a length measured along the longitudinal axis. A first discrete elongated inlet aperture extends through the nozzle plate directly between the first blade and the second blade, and the first inlet aperture allows air to pass therethrough and into the chamber. A second discrete elongated inlet aperture that extends through the nozzle plate directly between the second blade and the third blade, and the second inlet aperture allows air to pass therethrough and into the chamber.
Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.
Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONReferring to
With continued reference to
The nozzle plate 16 includes a plate portion 54 and a wall 56 that extends from the plate portion 54 around the periphery of the plate portion 54. The nozzle plate 16 has a length 60 (
The nozzle plate 16 further includes inlet apertures 66 and 68 that extend through the plate portion 54 of the nozzle plate 16 to provide fluid communication through the suction inlet aperture 40 of the nozzle body 14 and into the chamber 20. The illustrated inlet apertures 66 and 68 both have a length 72 and a width 74 (
Referring to
Referring to
The blades 90, 92, and 94 each include an end surface 110 that is configured to move along a surface that is cleaned by the accessory tool 10 when used with a vacuum cleaner. The end surfaces 110 generally face away from the nozzle body 14 and the plate portion 54 of the nozzle plate 16. The illustrated end surfaces 110 are generally flat and are co-planer (plane 114 of
In one embodiment, the blades 90, 92, and 94 are both flexible and resilient. In such an embodiment the blades 90, 92, and 94 can be formed from thermoplastic polyurethane rubber, other types of rubber, thermoplastic elastomers, and the like. In the illustrated embodiment, the blades 90, 92, and 94 are formed by over-molding the blades 90, 92, and 94 through the blade apertures 80, 82, and 84, respectively. Accordingly, the second blade 92 is directly adjacent and directly between the first inlet aperture 66 and the second inlet aperture 68 extending along the length 72 of the apertures 66 and 68. The first blade 90 is directly adjacent the first inlet aperture 66 extending along the length 72 of the aperture 66 on the side of the aperture 66 opposite the second blade 92. The third blade 94 is directly adjacent the second inlet aperture 68 extending along the length 72 of the aperture 68 on the side of the aperture 68 opposite the second blade 92.
In operation, a user couples the accessory tool 10 to a hose of a vacuum cleaner, typically by inserting the outlet conduit 36 into the hose of the vacuum. With the vacuum ‘on’ or generating a suction, air and debris is drawn through the inlet apertures 66 and 68, through the suction inlet aperture 40 and into the chamber 24, and then through the outlet conduit 36 and into the vacuum cleaner. The user moves the inlet apertures 66 and 68 and the blades 90, 92, and 94 along a surface to remove dirt, dust, and other debris from the surface. Meanwhile, the blades 90, 92, and 94 agitate the surface to facilitate removal of the debris from the surface. As the blades 90, 92, and 94 are moved along the surface, the blades 90, 92, and 94 flex, but yet are resilient so that the blades 90, 92, and 94 return to their original shape, which is the shape illustrated. The resilient flexible blades 90, 92, and 94 are particularly well suited for removing hair, such as pet hair, from the cleaning surface. The end surfaces 110 of the three blades 90, 92, and 94 provide multiple points to contact hair to pull or remove the hair from the surface. Also, in some embodiments, the blades 90, 92, and 94 can be somewhat tacky to facility removal of the hair from the surface.
Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.
Claims
1. A vacuum cleaner accessory tool configured for use with a vacuum cleaner, the accessory tool comprising:
- a nozzle body that defines a chamber;
- an outlet conduit that extends from the nozzle body and in fluid communication with the chamber, the outlet conduit configured to couple the accessory tool to the vacuum cleaner and to provide fluid communication from the chamber to the vacuum cleaner;
- a first resilient flexible blade that extends from the nozzle body;
- a second resilient flexible blade that extends from the nozzle body;
- a third resilient flexible blade that extends from the nozzle body;
- a first elongated inlet aperture that extends through the nozzle body directly between the first blade and the second blade, the first inlet aperture allowing air to pass therethrough and into the chamber; and
- a second elongated inlet aperture that extends through the nozzle body directly between the second blade and the third blade, the second inlet aperture allowing air to pass therethrough and into the chamber;
- wherein the first and the second elongated inlet apertures are the only two inlet apertures of the accessory tool configured to draw air and debris therethrough and into the chamber.
2. The accessory tool of claim 1, wherein the first, the second, and the third blades are flexible rubber blades.
3. The accessory tool of claim 1, wherein each of the first, the second, and the third resilient flexible blades define a longitudinal axis, wherein the longitudinal axes of the first, the second, and the third resilient flexible blades are curved.
4. The accessory tool of claim 1, wherein the first, the second, and the third resilient flexible blades each include an end surface that faces away from the nozzle body, the end surfaces configured to be moved along a surface to be cleaned, and wherein the end surfaces of the first, the second, and the third resilient flexible blades are substantially flat.
5. The accessory tool of claim 4, wherein the end surfaces of the first, the second, and the third resilient flexible blades are co-planer.
6. The accessory tool of claim 1, wherein the first elongated inlet aperture has a length measured along a longitudinal axis of the first elongated inlet aperture, wherein the second elongated inlet aperture has a length measured along a longitudinal axis of the second elongated inlet aperture, wherein the lengths of the first and the second elongated inlet apertures are approximately equal.
7. (canceled)
8. The accessory tool of claim 1, wherein the first, the second, and the third resilient flexible blades are the only blades of the accessory tool configured to agitate debris on a surface to be cleaned.
9. The accessory tool of claim 1, wherein the nozzle body includes a suction inlet opening, the nozzle body further comprising a nozzle plate coupled to the nozzle body adjacent the suction inlet opening, and wherein the nozzle plate includes the first, the second, and the third resilient flexible blades and the first and the second elongated inlet apertures.
10. The accessory tool of claim 9, wherein the nozzle plate includes a first blade aperture, a second blade aperture, and a third blade aperture, wherein the first resilient flexible blade extends through the first blade aperture, the second resilient flexible blade extends through the second blade aperture, and the third resilient flexible blade extends through the third blade aperture.
11. A vacuum cleaner accessory tool configured for use with a vacuum cleaner, the accessory tool comprising:
- a nozzle body that defines a chamber, the nozzle body including an upper end and a lower end;
- an outlet conduit that extends from the upper end of the nozzle body, the outlet conduit configured to couple the accessory tool to the vacuum cleaner and to provide fluid communication from the chamber to the vacuum cleaner;
- a nozzle plate coupled the lower end of the nozzle body;
- a first discrete resilient flexible blade that extends from the nozzle plate away from the lower end of the nozzle body, the first blade defining a longitudinal axis and a length measured along the longitudinal axis of the first blade;
- a second discrete resilient flexible blade that extends from the nozzle plate away from the lower end of the nozzle body, the second blade defining a longitudinal axis and a length measured along the longitudinal axis of the second blade;
- a third discrete resilient flexible blade that extends from the nozzle plate away from the lower end of the nozzle body, the third blade defining a longitudinal axis and a length measured along the longitudinal axis of the third blade;
- a first discrete elongated inlet aperture that extends through the nozzle plate directly between the first blade and the second blade, the first inlet aperture allowing air to pass therethrough and into the chamber; and
- a second discrete elongated inlet aperture that extends through the nozzle plate directly between the second blade and the third blade, the second inlet aperture allowing air to pass therethrough and into the chamber;
- wherein the longitudinal axes of the first, the second, and the third resilient flexible blades are curved.
12. The accessory tool of claim 11, wherein the nozzle body is integrally formed as a single component.
13. The accessory tool of claim 12, wherein the nozzle plate is coupled to the nozzle body.
14. (canceled)
15. The accessory tool of claim 11, wherein the first, the second, and the third resilient flexible blades each include an end surface that faces away from the nozzle plate, the end surfaces configured to be moved along a surface to be cleaned, and wherein the end surfaces of the first, the second, and the third resilient blades are substantially flat.
16. The accessory tool of claim 15, wherein the end surfaces of the first, the second, and the third resilient flexible blades are co-planer.
17. The accessory tool of claim 11, wherein the first and the second elongated inlet apertures each define a length, wherein the lengths of the first and the second elongated inlet apertures are approximately equal to the lengths of the first, the second, and the third resilient flexible blades.
18. The accessory tool of claim 11, wherein the first and the second elongated inlet apertures are the only two apertures of the accessory tool configured to draw air and debris therethrough and into the chamber.
19. The accessory tool of claim 11, wherein the first, the second, and the third resilient flexible blades are the only blades of the accessory tool configured to agitate debris on a surface to be cleaned.
20. The accessory tool of claim 1, wherein the first, second, and third resilient flexible blades extend from a face of the nozzle body, and wherein the outlet conduit extends from the nozzle body at an acute angle relative to the face of the nozzle body.
21. The accessory tool of claim 20, wherein the acute angle is about 55 degrees.
22. A vacuum cleaner accessory tool configured for use with a vacuum cleaner, the accessory tool comprising:
- a nozzle body that defines a chamber;
- an outlet conduit that extends from the nozzle body and in fluid communication with the chamber, the outlet conduit configured to couple the accessory tool to the vacuum cleaner and to provide fluid communication from the chamber to the vacuum cleaner;
- a first blade aperture that extends through a wall of the nozzle body;
- a second blade aperture that extends through the wall of the nozzle body and is spaced apart from the first blade aperture;
- a third blade aperture that extends through the wall of the nozzle body and is spaced apart from the first and second blade apertures;
- a first resilient flexible blade that extends through the first blade aperture away from the nozzle body;
- a second resilient flexible blade that extends through the second blade aperture away from the nozzle body;
- a third resilient flexible blade that extends through the third blade aperture away from the nozzle body;
- a first elongated inlet aperture that extends through the wall of the nozzle body directly between the first blade and the second blade, the first inlet aperture allowing air to pass therethrough and into the chamber; and
- a second elongated inlet aperture that extends through the wall of the nozzle body directly between the second blade and the third blade, the second inlet aperture allowing air to pass therethrough and into the chamber.
23. The accessory tool of claim 22, wherein the first, second, and third resilient flexible blades are over-molded through the first, second, and third blade apertures, respectively.
24. The accessory tool of claim 22, wherein the nozzle body includes a suction inlet opening, the nozzle body further comprising a nozzle plate coupled to the nozzle body adjacent the suction inlet opening, and wherein the nozzle plate includes the first, second, and third blade apertures and the first and second elongated inlet apertures.
Type: Application
Filed: Sep 1, 2009
Publication Date: Mar 3, 2011
Inventor: Mark Butts (Akron, OH)
Application Number: 12/552,160
International Classification: A47L 9/00 (20060101); A47L 9/06 (20060101);