EP1013212A2

EP1013212A2 - Improved electric household appliance usable as multipurpose accessory for vacuum cleaners and electric brooms and as stand-alone device

Info

Publication number: EP1013212A2
Application number: EP99124081A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Fabio Giuggioli; Manuela Parmesani; Fabio Repossi
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1998-12-14
Filing date: 1999-12-10
Publication date: 2000-06-28
Also published as: IT1304099B1; JP2000197595A; ITMI982672A1; EP1013212A3

Abstract

An electric household appliance to be fitted according to the requirements on vacuum cleaners, electric brooms or the like and/or to be used as a stand-alone electric household appliance, comprising a base (21) with wheels (11a,11b), supporting an electric motor (3) which is kinematically connected to a roller-like implement (4), the base (2) being provided with means (14) for fixing to a vacuum cleaner, an electric broom or the like or to a handle, and with a seat (10a,10b) for the roller implement, characterized in that said seat (10a,10b) is provided with means (9a,19) for detachably accommodating said roller (4).

Description

The invention relates to electric household appliances and in particular to an accessory device to be applied to vacuum cleaners and electric brooms in order to augment their performance.
In the use of vacuum cleaners or electric brooms, the need is felt to augment the performance of these devices with other functions, particularly the cleaning of carpets and fitted carpets, polishing of any kind of floor and mattress beating.
Electric cleaning accessories for carpets and fitted carpets, provided with an electric power supply coupling and with an air intake to be fitted on a vacuum cleaner or on an electric broom, are already known; accessories for electric floor-polishers, with two or three rotating circular brushes and with an air intake to be fitted on vacuum cleaners or electric brooms and also provided with a power supply coupling, are known too.
Mattress beating accessories with an air intake are also known.
All these conventional accessories are devices conceived and manufactured in order to perform a single function; accordingly, the carpet cleaner can act only as a carpet cleaner, the polisher can only work as a polisher, etcetera.
The aim of the present invention is to provide an accessory, to be fitted appropriately and when necessary on vacuum cleaners, electric brooms etcetera, provided with a power supply coupling, usable for cleaning or polishing floors, for cleaning carpets or fitted carpets, for beating mattresses etcetera, and which can be configured for a plurality of functions.
Within the scope of this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide an accessory which has a compact and lightweight structure, which allows quick and easy using in connection with a vacuum cleaner or an electric broom and also allows safe operation, all without drawbacks linked to excess heating of the motor.
This aim, this object and others which will become apparent hereinafter are achieved by an improved electric household appliance fittable according to requirements, on vacuum cleaners, electric brooms or the like and/or to be used as a stand-alone electric household appliance, which comprises a base with wheels, supporting an electric motor which is kinematically connected to a roller-like implement, the base being provided with means for fixing to a vacuum cleaner, an electric broom or the like or to a handle and with a seat for the roller implement, characterized in that said seat is provided with means for detachably accommodating said roller.
Advantageously, said accessory is provided with an air intake to be connected to the suction duct of a vacuum cleaner.
Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of an embodiment thereof, illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a top view of the accessory according to the present invention;
Figure 2 is a sectional view, taken along the plane II-II of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a top view of the accessory without the covering dome;
Figure 4 is an enlarged-scale detail view of the region of the means for engaging the roller with the base;
Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken along a vertical plane of the accessory.
With reference to the above figures, an accessory according to the invention has, under a covering dome 1, a base 2 which supports an electric motor 3 which in this case is arranged horizontally and to the rear of a roller 4 which constitutes the cleaning implement.
In the motor 3, the shaft 5 has a lateral output 6 on which a driving pulley 7 is fitted; said pulley is coupled, by means of a driving belt 8, to a driven pulley 9 which has a larger diameter, so as to provide a reduction in the rotation rate, and is rotationally rigidly coupled to a pivot 9a which is supported by a flange 10 which is accommodated within a seat 10a formed on the base 2.
A seat 10b is formed opposite to an end of the roller 4, in the base 2, and retains a flange 10c which supports a pivot 19a on which a coupling 19 is rigidly coupled so that it can slide with respect to said pivot but rotates rigidly with it; said coupling 19 is pushed toward the end of the roller 4 by a spring 19b which is arranged between said coupling and the flange 10c.
The pivot 9a and the coupling 19 have a head which has a toothed frustum-shaped profile which is adapted to fit in a complementarily shaped seat, designated by the reference numerals 9b and 19d respectively, of the roller 4.
The translatory stroke of the coupling 19 is at least equal to the extent by which the head of the pivot 9a or of the coupling 19 can enter the respective seat.
This is done in order to allow interchangeability of the roller 4.
In the central part of the base 2 there are two smaller wheels 11a, whereas in the rear part two larger wheels 11b are provided which are meant to facilitate the movement of the fitted accessory during operation.
By means of a preset position of the rear wheels and of the possibility, as explained in detail hereinafter, to vertically adjust the roller 4, the bristles of said fitted roller 4 can yield if the load becomes excessive.
The base 2 furthermore has, behind the roller 4, a slot 12 which acts as air intake (said air being drawn by the vacuum cleaner if the accessory is fitted thereon) communicating further through the interior of the accessory, by way of a duct 13, with the fitting articulation 14 suitable for fitting on the hose of the vacuum cleaner.
The accessory according to the invention is furthermore provided with a switch 15 allowing a switching on of the device after the power supply cable 16 has been connected to the power supply coupling of the vacuum cleaner or of the electric broom, not shown.
On the dome 1, a knob 17 is instead provided (or an equivalent device) whose lower part 17a is shaped like an inclined plane on which a horizontal axle 21 rests; said axle supports, at its ends, corresponding vertical sliders 21a which can slide in the seats 10a and 10b and rigidly support the flanges 10 and 10c.
By turning the knob 17 so as to lower the axle 21, in contrast with elastic means 22, which tend to push the sliders 21a upward, the vertical elevation of the roller 4 is changed, as shown by the dashed lines of Figure 5.
The possibility to modify the height of the operating position of the brushing roller 4 that is fitted as a carpet cleaner allows to render the load of the motor constant regardless of the height (length) of the pile of the carpets being treated.
A luminous indicator, not shown and, preferably but not necessarily, red, can be provided in order to warn, for example, depending on the current absorbed by the motor, when the load of said motor 3 is too high, indicating the need to actuate the knob 17 in order to change the distance of the roller 4 being used with respect to the surface being treated.
Other luminous and/or acoustic indicators can be provided in order to report the status of the machine (on, off, etcetera) to the operator.
By fitting a handle 18 to the articulation 14 and by providing it with a suitable power supply cable, not shown, and equipped with a two-pin plug to be connected to a mains outlet, said accessory can be used as a stand-alone, floor-polisher, electric household appliance, without a vacuum effect.
As an alternative, the accessory without the roller 4 can also operate as a vacuum cleaner even with no roller fitted, being actuated directly by the electric household appliance to which it is joined and therefore without requiring any switching on.
In practice it has been observed that the intended aim and object of the present invention have been achieved.
The invention thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the appended claims.
All the details may also be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.
The materials and the dimensions may be any according to requirements.
The disclosures in Italian Patent Application No. MI98A002672 from which this application claims priority are incorporated herein by reference.
Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

An electric household appliance to be fitted according to the requirements on vacuum cleaners, electric brooms or the like and/or to be used as a stand-alone electric household appliance, comprising a base (21) with wheels (11a,11b), supporting an electric motor (3) which is kinematically connected to a roller-like implement (4), the base (2) being provided with means (14) for fixing to a vacuum cleaner, an electric broom or the like or to a handle, and with a seat (10a,10b) for the roller implement, characterized in that said seat (10a,10b) is provided with means (9a,19) for detachably accommodating said roller (4).
The electric household appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that said electric motor (3) is arranged horizontally and to the rear of said roller-like implement (4), the shaft (5) of said motor (3) having an output (6) on which a driving pulley (7) is fitted, said driving pulley (7) being coupled by way of a driving belt (8) to a driven pulley (9) which is rotatably coupled to a pivot (9a) which is supported by a flange (10) which is accommodated within a seat (10a) formed in said base (2).
The electric household appliance according to claim 1, characterized in that opposite to an end of said roller (4) there is provided, in the base (2), a seat (10b) which retains a further flange (10c) which supports a further pivot (19a) on which a coupling (19) is coupled so that it can slide thereon but rotates rigidly therewith, said coupling (19) being pushed toward said roller (4) by elastic means (19b) which are arranged between said roller (4) and the corresponding further flange (10c).
The electric household appliance according to claim 3, characterized in that said further pivot (19a) and said coupling (19) have a toothed frustum-shaped head which is adapted to fit in a complementarily shaped seat (19d) of said roller (4), the translatory stroke of said coupling (19) being at least equal to the extent by which the head of said further pivot (19a) or of said coupling (19) can enter the respective shaped seat (19d).
The electric household appliance according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said base (2) furthermore has, behind said roller (4) , a slot (12) which acts as a suction air intake which communicates through the interior of the accessory by way of a duct (13) with an articulation (14) for connection to the hose of the vacuum cleaner.
The electric household appliance according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that a knob (17) or an equivalent device is provided at a dome (1) of the appliance and has a lower part (17a) which is shaped like an inclined plane on which a horizontal axle (21) rests, said axle (21) supporting, at its ends, corresponding vertical sliders (21a) which can slide in said seat (10a) and further seat (10b) for said flanges (10,10c) and rigidly support said flanges (10,10c), elastic contrast means (22) being provided which tend to push said sliders (21a) upward.
The electric household appliance according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a power-on switch (15) and an electric power supply cable (16).
The electric household appliance according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a handle (18) to be coupled in said articulation (14) and an electric power supply cable (16) for use as a stand-alone electric household appliance.