US3064298A

US3064298A - Vacuum door mat

Info

Publication number: US3064298A
Application number: US99386A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lera M Jones
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-03-30
Filing date: 1961-03-30
Publication date: 1962-11-20
Anticipated expiration: 1979-11-20

Description

Nov. Z0, 1962 l.. M. JONES 3,064,298

VACUUM DOOR MAT Filed March 30, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Lara M. Jones IN VENTOR.

Stat

This invention relates to a novel and useful vacuum door mat and more particularly to a door mat provided with brush means and motorized blower means for efecting a partial Vacuum whereby the soil removed from shoes by the brush means may be drawn to a suitable collection point.

The vacuum door mat of the instant invention includes a mounting frame adapted to be recessed in an opening in a section of flooring and the mounting frame includes pressure sensitive switch means for actuating the motor means of the blower means in response to weight being placed upon the mounting frame.

In addition to being provided with means for effecting a vacuum in order to draw o the soil removed from shoes by the brush means, the vacuum door mat also includes blower means including an electrical heating ele* ment for exhausting heated air whereby snow and ice may be melted from shoes positioned on the door mat. The brush means of the oor mat comprises a plurality of baralike brush heads extending transversely across the mounting frame and each of the brush heads is provided with upwardly extending bristle means for engagement with the undersurface of a shoe or the like placed on the door mat. Still further, the mounting frame is provided with a pair of inwardly directed opposing elongated brush members extending along opposite marginal edge portions of the mounting frame and these elongated brush members project above the brush heads extending transversely of the mounting frame whereby the elongated brush members may be utilized to remove dirt from the sides of shoes supported by the door mat.

The mounting frame comprises an open top receptacle having opposite side and end walls connected together at their lower ends by means of an inclined bottom wall inclining downwardly toward the rear end of the receptacle. The vacuum blower means is communicated with the lower rear end of the receptacle and the flat harslike brush heads extending transversely of the mounting frame are inclined about their longitudinal axes and have their side edges disposed in overlapping and vertically spaced relation relative to the adjacent side edges of adjacent bar-like heads.

The main object of this invention is to provide a vacuum door mat specifically adapted to remove and collect dirt from the sides and bottom surfaces of shoes positioned on the door mat.

A further object of this invention, in accordance with the immediately preceding object, is to provide a Vacuum door mat adapted to also direct a discharge of heated air upwardly through the forward end portion of the door mat whereby ice and snow clinging to shoes positioned on the door mat may be melted.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an actuating switch for the motor means utilized as a power source for the blower and vacuum means specifically adapted to be actuated in response to weight being disposed on the door mat.

A final object to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a vacuum door mat which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and automatic in operation so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble free in operation.

rI'hese together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details Aice of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE l is a perspective View of the vacuum door mat shown recessed in an opening in a section of flooring;

FiGURE 2 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 2 2 of FIGURE l; and

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 3 3 of FIGURE 2.

Referring now more specically to the drawings, the numeral itl generally designates a section of flooring in which there has been formed an opening 12. The vacuum door mat of the instant invention is generally designated by the reference numeral 14 and includes a mounting frame generally referred to by the reference numeral 3.6, The mounting frame 16 includes opposite end walls 18 and 20 and

opposite side walls

21 and 22. The end Walls 18 and 2t) and the

side walls

21 and 22 are interconnected at their lower ends by means of an inclined bottom wall 24. The bottom wall 24 is inclined downwardly toward the rear end of the frame 16.

The frame 16 is secured within the opening 12 by means of suitable fasteners 26 secured through the

side walls

21 and 22 and engaged with the ooring supporting joists 23.

The frame 16 includes a plurality of elongated and flat bar-like heads 3Q which are secured between the opposite side marginal portions of the frame 16 in any convenient manner. The bar-like heads 3i) are disposed in side-by-side relation and are downwardly inclined toward the rear end of the frame 16. It will be noted that the side edges of each head 30 overlap and are vertically spaced from the adjacent side edges of adjacent heads 3@ whereby air intake slots 32 are formed between adjacent heads l. Each of the heads 3] includes a plurality of brush bristles 3dwhich extend upwardly therefrom and are adapted to engage the undersurfaces of shoes and the like supported by the frame 16.

The frame 16 includes opposite side horizontally disposed marginal edge members 36 and opposite edge marginal edge members 3S. Each of the marginal edge members 36 has an elongated and inwardly directed brush member generally referred to by the reference numeral 38 fixedly secured thereto by means of fasteners 4l?. Each of the brush members 38 includes a plurality of inwardly directed bristle members 42 which are adapted to engage the sides of shoes and the like supported by the frame 16 in order to remove dirt from the side surfaces of the shoes. Accordingly, it may be observed that the bristle members 34 and 42 may be utilized to brush soil from the under-surfaces and side surfaces respectively of shoes and the like supported by the frame 16. The rear end of the frame 16 has a transversely extending plate 44 secured thereacross and the plate 44 includes a pair of apertured plug members y'46 which also include upwardly extending bristle members 48. ln addition, the plate 44 also includes a plurality of apertures 50 and a plurality of upwardly directed bristle elements 52.

The central portion of the lower edge of the rear wall 2d is provided with an outlet opening 54 and a vacuum blower assembly generally referred to by the reference numeral 56 includes an inlet conduit 5S opening into the receptacle by means of the outlet opening 54. The blower assembly 56 includes an outlet neck portion 6l) whose free end is provided with a dirt trap or receptacle 62. It is to be understood that in place of the receptacle 62 a discharge conduit could be secured to the neck portion 60 having an outlet end located eXteriorly of the building in which the flooring section 10 is disposed.

The blower assembly 56 is provided with a rotatably suported blower blade assembly 64 which includes a driving pulley 66 that is drivingly connected to a driving pulley 68 connected to the blower assembly 70. The pulleys 66 and 68 are drivingly connected by means of an endless flexible belt 72 and it will be noted that the pulley 68 isY secured to one end of a driving shaft 74 extending through therear end of the eiectric motor 76. The electric motor 76 comprises the motive force for the blower blade 78 carried by the end of the shaft 74 remote from the pulley 68. The blower assembly 70 may be provided with any suitable inlet means and it includes a discharge conduit generally referred to bythe reference numeral 8i) having an electrical heating element 82 disposed therein. The outletconduit Si? includes two branch `conduits $4 which terminate at their free ends in funnel-like end portions 86 whose major diameter portions snugly receive the plug members 46. Accordingly, the branch conduits 84 deliver lheated air to the apertured plug members 46. ln this manner, heated -air may be used to melt accumulated snow and ice from the soles of shoes positioned over the plate 44.

The electric motor 76 is operatively connected to any suitable source of electrical potential by means of conductors S8 and 9i) and a pressure sensitive switch generally referred to by the reference numeral 92 is disposed in the conductor 9@ and includes an actuator 94 for `closing spaced contacts (not shown) within the switch 92 in response to downward movement ofV the forward marginal edgerportion 33. It will be understood that the Y frame 16 is mounted in the opening 12 in a manner whereby a predetermined amount of Weight positioned on the frame .i6 will effect sufficient downward movevment of the forward marginal portion 38 of the frameY 16 to depress the actuator 94 whereby the motor 76 will be actuated. The electrical heating element 82 may beV connected in series to either one of the

conductors

88 and 90 whereby it may be actuated together with the motor 76 in response to downward movement of the 'actuator 94 of the switch '92. p Y

'lf it -is desired, a manually operable switch may be operatively associated with the electrical heating element S2 in a manner whereby the heating element 82 may be temporarily disconnected from the kswitch 92 during the .seasons whenthe operation of the heating element S2 will not be required. The heating velement 82 and the -blower assembly may also be used to dry shoes in wet weatherand may also be used for drying clothes. Further, the plug members 46 may be removed and a hose .may be secured at one end to the end portions 86 whereby .the hose may then be used as a hair dryer.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles. of the invention. Further, since numerous 4modifications and changes will readily occur to those .skilled in the art, it is not desired -to limit the invention to 'the exact construction and operation shown and described, and yaccordingly all suitable modications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope-'of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A vacuum door mat comprising .a mounting frame adapted to be recessed in an opening in Va section of ooring, said mounting frame comprising an open topped receptacle having opposite side and end walls connected together at their lower ends by means of an in clined bottom wall, a plurality of elongated at bar-like support heads extending and secured between opposite side walls of said receptacle, at least some of said bar heads including upstanding bristles, said heads being slightly rotated about their longitudinal axes and slightly downwardly inclined at corresponding side edges, vacuum outlet means communicated with the lower end of said bottom wall, and vacuum blower means including an inlet conduit communicated with said outlet means.

2. The combination of claim l wherein said vacuum blower means includes outlet means provided with iilter trap means for collecting the dirt removed from shoes by said door mat.

3. The combination of claim l wherein said mounting frame includes 'a pair of inwardly directed opposing elongated brush members extending along opposite marginal edge portions and projecting upwardly above said brush heads adapted to remove dirt from the sides of shoes supported by said frame.

4. The combination of claim l wherein side edges of `said bar-like heads overlap the side edges of adjacent bar-like heads Iand are spaced vertically therefrom.

5. The combination of claim l wherein said vacuum blower means includes outlet means provided with lter trap means for collecting the dirt removed from shoes by said door mat, said vacuum blower means including motor means, said Yframe including Vweight responsive switch means operatively connected to said motor means and operable in response to weight disposed on said frame for efiectingoperation lof said motor means. Y

6. The combination of claim l including `atleast one upwardly opening outlet means carried by one lend of said "frame, second blower means includingy discharge conduit means connected with said outlet means, heater means in said discharge conduit means, said second blow,- er means operatively connected to said motor means, said heater means being disposed in an electrical actuating circuit, and switch means operatively connected to said yactuating circuit for closing the latterin response to weight being placed on said frame.

7.` The combination of claim l wherein said bar-like support heads'are inclined downwardly toward the lowerV end ot' said bottom wall.

References Cited in the file lot this patent v UNITED STATES PATENTS