US3209385A

US3209385A - Vacuum cleaner attachment

Info

Publication number: US3209385A
Application number: US271416A
Authority: US
Inventors: John P Bruck
Original assignee: AMERICAN LINCOLN CORP
Current assignee: AMERICAN LINCOLN CORP
Priority date: 1963-04-08
Filing date: 1963-04-08
Publication date: 1965-10-05
Anticipated expiration: 1982-10-05

Description

VACUUM CLEANER ATTACHMENT Filed April 8, 1963 INVENTOR.

/4 F I 1:5-7 c/o/m P B/"uc/r 60 BY P1 5. 5 @622 ATTORNEYS United tates This invention relates to an attachment for use with a source of vacuum and more particularly to an attachment for a vacuum cleaner, by means of which attachment material can be removed more effectively from a surface being cleaned.

The vacuum cleaner attachment according to the invention has particular utility for removing water from a surface being washed. Such water is dirty and soapy and if not removed substantially completely, it will leave a residue on the surface. The new attachment substantially completely removes the water and dries the surface by combining a squeegee and a vacuum.

One of the major problems with attachments of this type is to coordinate properly the air drawn into the attachment and the action of the squeegee blade, to achieve maximum water pickup. Usually the hose for the source of vacuum is connected to the attachment at a point centrally located with respect to the squeegee blade so that more air is drawn past the central portion of the blade than the ends. Hence, perhaps only one-third to two-thirds of the squeegee blade operates with maximum effectiveness while the end portions of the blade, past which much less air flows, will often leave a film of dirty water on the surface. This means that the surface must be covered by the attachment with many extra strokes; streaks of dirt will exist after the remaining water evaporates and leaves the aqueous-borne dirt on the surface.

The attachment according to the invention controls the flow of air past the squeegee to the vacuum source more effectively than heretofore possible to achieve the desired air flow. For this purpose, the upper longitudinal edge of the squeegee blade has a plurality of notches therein which control the flow of air past the blade by serving in effect as orifices. The notches can be positioned along the edge of the squeegee in any predetermined pattern to provide a uniform fiow or provide a non-uniform flow with more air flowing past the ends of the squeegee than past the center, for example.

The attachment can employ both the squeegee and a vacuum brush for use on rugs, upholstery, etc., with the squeegee extending below the brush so that it can be used with the brush in place. When the brush is to be used, however, the squeegee must be removed. For this purpose, the attachment according to the invention also incorporates a squeegee blade mounting arrangement which enables the squeegee to be easily removed. The attachment incorporates pins in the ends of the attachment body, which pins are pivotally connected to the ends of the squeegee. The squeegee is held in such a manner that it can move slightly in a transverse direction, as well as pivot. In addition, at least one of the pins preferably is slidably supported in the attachment body and is held in a rubber bumper extending around the attachment. The bumper is simply pulled out to withdraw the pin to remove the squeegee and yet hold the pin in the attachment at all times so it cannot be lost.

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It is, therefore, a principal object of the invention to provide a vacuum attachment with more effective cleaning action.

Another object of the invention is to provide air flow control for a squeegee of a vacuum cleaner attachment to enable more effective pick up of water over the entire length of the squeegee.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a vacuum attachment employing a squeegee having a plurality of openings in an upper portion thereof to effectively control air flow past the squeegee.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a vacuum attachment with improved means for pivotally mounting a squeegee therein to enable transverse movement of the squeegee and to facilitate removal of it.

Gther objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, reference being made to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is an end view in elevation of a vacuum cleaner attachment embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in vertical cross section taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the attachment;

FIG. 4 is a view in vertical cross section taken along the line 44 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a detailed view in cross section taken along the line 55 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a detailed view in cross section taken along the line 6-6 of FIG. 3, but with the squeegee removed;

FlG. 7 is a somewhat schematic view in elevation of a slightly modified squeegee; and

FIG. 8 is a somewhat schematic view in elevation of another slightly modified squeegee.

In the preferred form, the vacuum cleaner attachment, indicated by the reference numeral it basically includes an attachment body 12, a squeegee l4, and a brush 16. The squeegee 14 is used to remove water from a surface after it is washed or scrubbed and the brush 16 is used to clean rugs, upholstery, etc. The squeegee 14 extends below the brush it? and can be used with the brush to in place. However, if the brush to is to be used, the squeegee blade 14 must first be removed.

The body lZ-includes a neck 18 extending rearwardly and forming an internal groove 28 (FIG. 4) which receives projections of a vacuum cleaner hose to make a connection therewith, as is known in the art. The neck 13 also forms a main exhaust passage 22 which communicates with an intake passage or mouth 24. The intake passage 24 is defined by front and rear walls 26 and 23 (FIGS. 4 and 5), flared

end walls

30 and 32, and an upper wall 34 diverging in opposite directions from the passage 22.

The squeegee 14 is located in the intake passage 24 and includes a flexible squeegee blade 36 and a U-shaped metal holder 38. The blade 35 partially extends into the holder and is aflixed by rivets or other suitable means. The blade 36 and the metal holder 38 have tapered ends (FIG. 2) which are approximately at the same angle as the tapered end walls 3% and 32 of the intake passage 24. The extreme ends of the blade 36 extends to or beyond the ends of the attachment body 12 so that the blade can contact a floor surface at least to the ends of the body. This is extremely important in picking up a water on a surface near a wall or immovable object, for example.

The blade 36 and the U-shaped holder 38 form recesses 40 (FIG. at each end of the squeegee 14 to receive supporting pins 42 which are slidably supported in bores 44 (see FIG. 6) at end portions 46 of the attachment body 12. The diameter of the pins 42 is less than the vertical height of the recesses 40 to enable limited transverse movement of the squeegee 14 into and out of the intake passage 24. The squeegee 14 can then move upwardly slightly as it swings back and forth through a vertical position between forward and rearward slanted positions. Without such movement, the squeegee 14 would force the attachment 10 slightly upwardly as it moves between the slanted positions and passes through the vertical position, in which it extends farthest below the attachment body 12.

The pins 42 have heads 48 (FIG. 6) which can be grasped to pull the pins 42 outwardly and release the squeegee 14 so that the brush 16 can be used. The heads 48 of the pins 42 preferably are received in a rubber bumper 50 which is held in a peripheral groove 52 in the attachment body 12. If the bumper 50 is hollow, as shown, the pin heads 48 can be snapped through appropriate holes in the wall of the bumper. If the bumper 50 is solid, then the heads 48 can be molded directly therein when the bumpers are made. To withdraw the pin 42 in this instance, the bumper is grasped adjacent the pin head 48 and pulled outwardly. After the squeegee 14 is removed, the bumper 50 can be released and the pin 42 again extended into the intake passage 24. With this arrangement, the pins 42 always remain in the attachment body 12 and cannot be lost or misplaced, nor do they interfere at all with the operation of the brush 16. While the attachment is shown with both of the pins 42 being removable, one of them can be fixed, if desired.

The brush 16 can be of any suitable design and is affixed in a rear recess 54 by any suitable means, The recess 54 does not communicate directly with the intake passage 24 but, rather, the air movement is established in front of the brush 16 through the passage 24.

For the squeegee 14, air movement is established through the passage 24 on both sides of the squeegee 14. When the attachment 10 is being moved toward the rear and the squeegee blade 36 is in its forward slanted position, as shown in FIG. 6, then most of the air is drawn past the rear face of the blade 36, thereby more effectively picking up water collected by the blade. This occurs because the front surface of the blade 36 is in contact or substantially so with the front wall 26 of the passage 24, whereas some space usually exists between the upper edge of the U-shaped holder 38 and the rear wall 28 of the intake passage 24. Similarly, when the squeegee 14 is in its rearward position (not shown) as the attachment 1% moves forwardly, the blade 36 contacts the rear wall 28 and most of the air flows past the front of the blade 36, again picking up water collected by the blade.

With the exhaust passage 22 located centrally of the longitudinal extent of the squeegee 14, there is a strong tendency for most of the air to be drawn past the central portion of the squeegee 14, thereby reducing the elfectiveness of the end portions. This is particularly true of the specific squee ee 14 wherein the tapered ends of the blade 36 extend beyond the

tapered end walls

30 and 32 of the intake passage 24. It has been discovered that the air drawn through the intake passage 24 to the exhaust passage 22 can be distributed uniformly along the blade 14 by forming a plurality of openings or notches 56 in the upper longitudinal edge of the squeegee 14 and specifically in the U-shaped metal holder 36. These openings tend to act as orifices in combination with either the front wall 26 or the rear wall 28, depending upon which direction the squeegee 14 is slanting, and thereby effectively control the air flow, spreading it out and reducing the concentration at the central portion of the squeegee 14. The openings can assume other shapes such as being in the form of holes 58 (FIG. 7) or 60 (FIG. 8) drilled through the holder 38 rather than notches. It is only important that the openings be in that part of the squeegee 14 which is located across the intake passage 24 with the squeegee 14 in either its forward or rearward slanted position.

Rather than locating the openings 56, or the

holes

58 or 60, uniformly along the metal holder 38, they can be positioned in a different manner. For example, the holes 58 can be located more closely together near the ends of the metal holder 38 (FIG. 7) to cause more air to be drawn past the end portions of the squeegee 14 to assure that the ends of the blades 36 will pick up water effectively even though they extend somewhat beyond the ends of the intake passage 24. For the same purpose, the openings 60 can be larger at the ends of the squeegee 14 (FIG. 8).

Various modifications of the above described embodiment of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and it is to be understood that such modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention if they are within the spirit and tenor of the accompanying claims.

What I claim is:

1. A vacuum cleaner attachment comprising a body having means for making a connection with a vacuum cleaner hose connected to a source of vacuum, said body having a central exhaust passage therein for communicating with the source of vacuum, said body also having an intake passage communicating with said exhaust passage and having flared ends extending toward ends of said body, a squeegee mounted for pivotal movement in said intake passage and extending beyond it, said squeegee having a flexible blade with a lower unbroken edge, said squeegee having a plurality of openings longitudinally thereof spaced above said unbroken edge, said squeegee being movable between two slanted positions in each of which positions said squeegee is transversely located with respect to said intake passage to at least partially restrict the flow of air through it by substantially contacting one side of said intake passage at the trailing side of said squeegee and by closely approaching the opposite side of said intake passage at the upper longitudinal edge of said squeegee, whereby said openings influence the distribution of the flow of air through said intake passage.

2. An attachment according to claim 1 wherein said squeegee openings constitute notches positioned along the upper longitudinal edge of said squeegee.

3. An attachment according to claim 1 wherein said openings are positioned uniformly along said squeegee.

4. An attachment according to claim 1 wherein said openings are more closely spaced near the ends of said squeegee than they are at the central portion thereof.

5. A vacuum cleaner attachment comprising a body having means for making a connection with a vacuum cleaner hose connected to a source of vacuum, said body having a central exhaust passage therein for communicating with the source of vacuum, said body also having an intake passage communicating with said exhaust passage, a squeegee located partly in said intake passage, a resilient bumper located around the periphery of said attachment body, a pair of pins supported by the ends of said attachment body and extending into end portions of said squeegee, at least one of said pins being slidably received in a passage in the corresponding one of said ends of said body, said one pin having a head located outside said pin passage and attached to said resilient bumper, whereby said one pin can be withdrawn from said squeegee by pulling said bumper outwardly.

(References on following page) 5 References Cited by the Examiner 2,716,773 2,893,046 UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,039,122 11/76 Leach 15-41 3 1O7387 7/09 Kindel 15369 4/10 Raymond et a1 15--401 2/12 Overholt 15405 X 48 7/12 Hope 15-369 441175 3/32 Finnell 15-401 7G4042 5/39 Nelson 15310 1 7/50 Norris 15401 X 10/52 Heftler 15-41 11/53 Smith 1541 6 9/55 Meyerhoefer 15369 7/59 Thompson 15369 X 6/62 Birdsall 15369 X 10/63 Katt 15401 X FOREIGN PATENTS 5/3 4 Denmark. 1/ 36 Great Britain. 4/58 Great Britain.

WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner.

Claims

1. A VACUUM CLEANER ATTACHMENT COMPRISING A BODY HAVING MEANS FOR MAKING A CONNECTION WITH A VACUUM CLEANER HOSE CONNECTED TO A SOURCE OF VACUUM, SAID BODY HAVING A CENTRAL EXHAUST PASSAGE THEREIN FOR COMMUNICATING WITH THE SOURCE OF VACUUM, SAID BODY ALSO HAVING AN INTAKE PASSGE COMMUNICATING WITH SAID EXHAUST PASSAGE AND HAVING FLARED ENDS EXTENDING TOWARD ENDS OF SAID BODY, A SQUEEGEE MOUNTED FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT IN SAID INTAKE PASSAGE AND EXTENDING BEYOND IT, SAID SQUEEGEE HAVING A FLEXIBLE BLADE WITH A LOWER UNBROKEN EDGE, SAID SQUEEGEE HAVING A PLURALITY OF OPENINGS LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF SPACED ABOVE SAID UNBROKEN EDGE, SAID SQUEEGEE BEING MOVABLE BETWEEN TWO SLANTED POSITIONS IN EACH OF WHICH POSITIONS SAID SQUEEGEE IS TRANSVERSELY LOCATED WITH RESPECT TO SAID INTAKE PASSAGE TO AT LEAST PARTIALLY RESTRICT THE FLOW OF AIR THROUGHIT BY SUBSTANTIALLY CONTACTING ONE SIDE OF SAID INTAKE PASSAGE AT THE TRAILING SIDE OF SAID SQUEEGEE AND BY CLOSELY APPROACHIGN THE OPPOSTIE SIDE OF SAID INTAKE PASSAGE AT THE UPPER LONGITUDINAL EDGE OF SAID SQUEEGEE, WHEREBY SAID OPENINGS INFLUENCE THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE FLOW OF AIR THROUGH SAID INTAKE PASSAGE.