NOZZLE FOR VACUUM CLEANER

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to embodiments of suction-hose attachments and nozzles for use with a vacuum cleaner. The invention will disclose a nozzle especially designed for hard surface and for accessing narrow spaces.

BACKGROUND ART

There is a huge variety of solutions related to vacuum cleaners and hose attachments, or so called nozzles. The main usage for vacuum cleaners is for removing dust from carpets and floors. A popular design for a nozzle for use on floors is where the main body of the nozzle is an elongated box like shape, perpendicular to the direction of hose, and movement in usage. This to cover as much areal on the floor as possible. As examples reference is made to U.S. Pat. No 2,214,725—Ross, U.S. Pat. No. 2,933,753—Woodhull and U.S. Pat. No. 3,069,716—Smith. US 2021/0085140—Santrizos has a universal design on this subject. As for the effort of accessing tight spaces, U.S. Pat. No. 4,638,527—Fleischhauer, disclose a v-shaped vacuum cleaner attachments and nozzle. U.S. Pat. No. 5,440,782—Yamashita, disclose an embodiment of a nozzle allowing for tight spaces, though not vertically.

The disadvantage of prior art is that the design of the nozzles are rather spacious and with that spread the suction air over a large area within the “large” and “boxy” nozzles. This makes the effect of suction less optimal and therefore demand big electricity consuming motors. The many prior art designs also allow suction air to “escape” of does not capture the wanted amount of dust efficiently

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

It is the object of the invention too overcome the limitations of prior art by design of a suction efficient nozzle of which also is flexible and made for accessing narrow spaces. The inventive nozzle comprises of a knee and housing unit for attachment to a hose of a vacuum cleaner with an elongated unit for contact with suction area, as a floor. Housing and elongated unit are flexible joined so for easy maneuverability of nozzle. The elongated unit forms a thin and flat narrow shape which is partially enclosed and has a certain air volume capacity. The elongated unit is made narrower towards the end from knee and housing unit and has a flat floor surface and panel with suction openings only facing suction area. The air suction openings have different diameters and size based on distance from source of air suction which optimize the effect of suction and allows suction from all directions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The foregoing aspects and many of the advantages of the present invention will be more appreciated and better understood by reference to the following detailed description, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 a and 1b show perspective views of the invention.

FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of the invention for detailed disclosures.

FIGS. 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d show embodiment of floor panels with different designs for suction openings.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Disclosed in FIGS. 1a and 1b is shown a full overview of the invention. FIG. 1a show the nozzle in a natural position where the top side of elongated unit 2 is shown. A knee and housing unit 1 is connected and has a tubular end for connecting to vacuum cleaner. FIG. 1b shows the underside of nozzle and surface area and panel 4 of which is to face suction area as a floor.

FIG. 2 shows an exploded drawing of which disclose in more detail the present vacuum cleaner nozzle invention. The knee and housing unit 1 of the nozzle is designed for attachment to a vacuum cleaner hose whereas an elongated unit 2 is designed for with contact with suction area as a floor. The housing 1 and elongated unit 2 are rotary joined at 1′ and 2′ whereas the rotary connection is transverse to the direction of length of hose 20, and direction of suction air. Numeral 21 denotes a fitting and or hose adaption tube unit.

The elongated unit 2 relates to and has airflow through two channels 6, 7 from both sides of housing unit 1. The two channels 6, 7 meet and form a thin and flat space 8 within the elongated unit 2 which is partially enclosed and has a certain air volume capacity. The elongated unit 2 and floor-panel 4 is made narrower towards the end from knee and housing unit 1. Numerals 22 and 24 are denoted to seals and covers for joint between housing 1 and elongated unit 2.

Suggested sizes for the design for the nozzle make the width of end portion of elongated unit 40 mm, length 600 mm and height 12 mm. Towards the knee and housing unit 1 of the nozzle, the width increases to 55 mm. This allows for an increase of suction force from end to and through housing 1. The knee and housing unit 1 build only 52 mm vertically from floor providing access under low furniture when cleaning indoor private or public rooms and spaces. The flat design of elongated unit 2 of only 12 mm allows for even better access under very low equipment.

The joints 1′ and 2′ allows for a rotary motion of elongated unit 2 to 200 degrees relative housing 1. There is also a slide-button 16 for locking of the rotary motion, for example at a straight and parallel position relative tube 20 of housing 1 and at 45 and 90 degrees. The rotary motion is stepless as the button 16 has an edge 16′ of which is engaged in to grooves on linkage part 3 on housing 1.

The elongated unit 2 has a flat floor-panel 4 with suction openings 10, 11, 12, 13, only facing the suction area. The air suction openings 10, 11, 12, 13, in floor-panel 4 have different diameters and sizes based on distance from source of air suction. A preferred pattern is two rows of holes as seen in FIG. 1b and FIG. 2 where dimension of the holes closest to end of panel 4, holes 10 are the largest, namely of 8 mm, holes 11 and 12 7 mm and closest to suction force holes 13 of 6 mm. Space from end portion of floor unit 2 to first set of holes are 10 mm and space between holes are preferable 65 mm.

However, the suggested dimensions of holes and openings and distances between them are set by the dimensions of the nozzle as thickness, width, length, and the degree of the said narrowing of elongated unit, giving the total volume within nozzle suction area,—and in the end the suction force from the vacuum cleaner motor. In more detail this suggests that the area and suction openings in total must be dimensioned according to total volume within nozzle and suction force. An important factor all over is that the openings furthest from suction force are the largest. Also, there is a limit of how small and narrow the openings can be in order to capture dust and fibres. The size of suction holes and openings suggested in this application does not limit the scope of the claimed invention.

The dimensions following the invention creates a larger suction airflow through knee joint and housing 1 than the sum of the 8 holes shown as a preferred embodiment for the floor panel 4 and following that the suction airflow in to hose 20 is larger than through knee joint and housing.

The floor panel 4 of the elongated unit 2 has protruding knobs 14 on the said floor-panel 4 for enabling a distance too suction area and floor. A distance of 1 mm is preferred. This is especially critical when suction area is hard and smooth as made of wood, laminates, or stone and prevents the panel from getting stuck to the surface from the suction force.

An important aspect of the invention is that the elongated unit 2 of the nozzle has floor-panels 4-4″″ that are removable and replaceable.

The housing 1 and elongated unit 2 are made of a plastic (polymer) with stiffer properties than the floor-panel 4 of which has softer properties and may be of and allows for inserting and snap fitting of the panels 4 into the elongated unit 2.

As illustrated in FIGS. 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, the replaceable floor-panels 4 are designed with a variation of air suction openings with different shape and size for handling a range of light dirt and dust such as small particles, thin fibres, short hair and long hair and fibres. This is made possible by design of air suction openings of different forms and shapes such as: rows of circular holes; circular holes organized in diagonal squares; longitudinal organized slits; vertical organized slits and diagonal organized slits. FIG. 3a shows a design of a floor-panel 4′ with three groups of holes arranged in diagonal as squares 30 or diamond shapes. FIG. 3b shows a design of a floor-panel 4″ with diagonal slits or longitudinal openings 31. FIG. 3c shows a design of a floor-panel 4″′ with 2 slits or longitudinal openings 32 in parallel with length of panel.). FIG. 3d shows a design of a floor-panel 4″′ with 2 slits or longitudinal openings 33 in parallel and side by side with length of panel. On all figures the protruding knobs 14 are of equal size.

The invention described can be subject to modifications and variations without thereby departing from the scope of the inventive concept as disclosed with reference to the drawings and further stated in the claims. To the extent that certain functional elements can be replaced by other elements to enable the same function to be performed by the various embodiments disclosed, such technical equivalents are included within the scope of the invention.