US3780398A

US3780398A - Flexible skirt construction for a vacuum cleaning nozzle and the like

Info

Publication number: US3780398A
Application number: US00224484A
Authority: US
Inventors: J Candor
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-02-08
Filing date: 1972-02-08
Publication date: 1973-12-25
Anticipated expiration: 1990-12-25

Abstract

In combination with a nozzle construction for a vacuum cleaning operation, a separate member having a body portion detachably secured to the nozzle construction and having a flexible wall surrounding the inlet of the nozzle construction and outboard of the same to have one side thereof engage against a surface means around the inlet to substantially seal the inlet of the nozzle construction to the surface means. The flexible wall is so constructed and arranged that a pressure differential acting across the same and resulting from a vacuum pump drawing fluid from the surface means into the inlet of the nozzle construction is adapted to cause the flexible wall to be urged toward the surface means to substantially seal against the same around the inlet and substantially conform to the contour of the surface means outboard of the nozzle construction.

Description

United States Patent 1 Candor FLEXIBLE SKIRT CONSTRUCTION FOR A VACUUM CLEANING NOZZLE AND THE LIKE [76] Inventor: James T. Candor, 5440 Cynthia Ln.,

Dayton, Ohio 45429 [22] Filed: Feb. 8, 1972 Appl. No.: 224,484

Primary Examiner-Harvey C. Hornsby Assistant Examiner-C. K. Moore 1 Dec. 25, 1973 [57] ABSTRACT In combination with a nozzle construction for a vacuum cleaning operation. a separate member having a body portion detachably secured to the nozzle construction and having a flexible wall surrounding the inlet of the nozzle construction and outboard of the same to have one side thereof engage against a surface means around the inlet to substantially seal the inlet of the nozzle construction to the surface means. The flexible wall is so constructed and arranged that a pressure differential acting across the same and resulting from a vacuum pump drawing fluid from the surface means into the inlet of the nozzle construction is adapted to cause the flexible wall to be urged toward the surface means to substantially seal against the same around the inlet and substantially conform to the contour of the surface means outboard of the nozzle construction.

16 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures FLEXIBLE SKIRT CONSTRUCTION FOR A VACUUM CLEANING NOZZLE AND THE LIKE This invention relates to an improved flexible skirt construction for a vacuum cleaner nozzle as well as to an improved combination of such flexible skirt construction with such a vacuum cleaner nozzle.

It is well known from the patent to Candor et al., No. 3,605,171, issued Sept. 20, 1971, that a vacuum cleaner nozzle construction can be provided wherein a flexible wall extends outwardly from the support means of the nozzle construction to provide a means for sealing to a surface means being cleaned completely around the inlet means of the nozzle means so that such flexible wall will conform to the contour of the surface means to be cleaned outboard of the inlet of the nozzle construction even though irregularities are being provided by the surface means, such as at the juncture between a rug and a floor receiving such rug.

However, it has been found according to the teachings of this invention that such prior nozzle construction did not provide any way for adapting the features of that invention to conventional nozzle constructions which are utilized with present day vacuum cleaners. In fact, it is realized that the number of different styles and shapes of vacuum cleaner nozzle constructions now in use and being continuously redesigned and produced by the various vacuum cleaner manufacturers is so vast that a standarized nozzle construction is substantially non-existent.

Therefore, it is a feature of this invention to provide a flexible skirt construction that can be utilized with a particular style of vacuum cleaner nozzle construction.

It is also a feature of this invention to provide a flexible skirt construction that can be utilized with a plurality of different types of vacuum cleaner nozzle constructions.

In particular, one embodiment of this invention provides a flexible skirt construction for use with a conventional nozzle construction for a vacuum cleaning operation or the like wherein such conventional nozzle construction has a support means provided with an outlet to be interconnected to a vacuum pump and an inlet to be disposed adjacent a surface means to be cleaned thereby, the flexible skirt construction having a body portion adapted to be detachably secured to the nozzle construction and having a flexible wall adapted to surround the inlet of the nozzle construction to have one side thereof engage against the surface around the inlet to substantially seal the inlet of the support means to that surface means. The flexible wall is so constructed and arranged that a pressure differential is adapted to act across the same which results from a vacuum pump means drawing fluid from the surface means into the inlet and out through the outlet of the opening means and is adapted to cause the flexible wall to be urged toward the surface means to substantially seal against the same around the inlet and substantially conform to the contour of the surface means outboard of the inlet of the nozzle construction. The body portion of the flexible skirt construction of this invention can be so constructed and arranged that the same is adapted to be detachably secured to only a particular type of conventional nozzle construction or can be so constructed and arranged that the same is adapted to be acceptable to a variety of different types 'of conventional nozzle constructions.

Therefore, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved flexible skirt construction for use with a vacuum cleaner nozzle construction or the like, the flexible skirt construction of this invention having one or more of the novel features set forth above or hereinafter shown or described.

Other objects, uses and advantages of this invention are apparent from a reading of this description which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of one embodiment of the flexible skirt construction of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of the flexible skirt construction of FIG. 1 being utilized in combination with a particular, conventional vacuum cleaner nozzle construction.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, cross-sectional view taken on line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a top perspective view similar to FIG. 1 and illustrates another embodiment of the flexible skirt construction of this invention.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 and illustrates the flexible skirt construction of FIG. 4 being utilized with one of a plurality of types of conventional vacuum cleaner nozzle constructions, FIG. 5 illustrating in phantom lines substantially the normal expanded shape of the flexible skirt construction before the same is attached to the vacuum cleaner nozzle construction.

While the various features of this invention are hereinafter described as being particularly adaptable for being secured to conventional vacuum cleaner nozzle constructions, it is to be understood that the various features of this invention can be utilized singly or in any combination thereof to provide flexible skirt constructions for other types of nozzle constructions or the like as desired.

Therefore, this invention is not to be limited to only the embodiments illustrated in the drawings, because the drawings are merely utilized to illustrate some of the wide variety of uses of this invention.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, one embodiment of the flexible skirt construction of this invention is generally indicated by the reference numeral 10 and comprises a body portion 11 formed of relatively rigid material, such as a relatively thick plastic material adapted to slip over and be snap fitted to the body or support portion 12 of a conventional vacuum cleaner nozzle construction 13, such as by having a cooperating groove means 14 thereof snap fittingly receiving a flange means 13 or other external abutment means of the support means 12 therein as illustrated in FIG. 3 so that the body portion 11 of the flexible skirt construction 10 is adapted to be detachably secured to a particularly shaped nozzle construction 13 as the body portion 11 of the skirt construction 10 has been constructed to conform to the exterior contour of the particular nozzle construction 13 as fully illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3.

Formed integrally with or separately from the body portion 11 of the flexible skirt construction 10 of this invention is a surrounding continuous flexible wall 16 having its inner periphery 17 secured or otherwise fixed to the body portion 11 while its outer periphery 18 is interconnected to a continuous rigidifying means 19. In order to stabilize the position of the rigidifying means 19 of the flexible wall 16 relative to the inlet 20 of the conventional nozzle construction 13, a plurality of flexible or springlike stays 21 are provided that can be molded integrally with the rigidifying means 19 or formed separately therefrom and otherwise have their outer ends 22 respectively interconnected to the rigidifying means 19 and their inner ends 23 secured to the body portion 11 of the skirt construction 10, such as by being received in suitable openings 24 formed in the body portion 11 as illustrated or otherwise secured thereto.

As previously stated, the flexible wall 16 of the flexible skirt construction of this invention performs the same function as the flexible wall fully described in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,605,l7l wherein it can be seen that the flexible wall 16 is so constructed and arranged that the same has an actual length between the rigidifying means 19 and the inner peripheral means 17 thereof greater than the straight line distance between the inner peripheral means 17 at the support means 12 and the rigidifying means 19 in any transverse cross section thereof when the rigidifying means 19 is held in the position illustrated in FIG. 3 by the stabilizing means 21. For example, the flexible skirt 16 is illustrated in phantom lines in FIG. 3 as to the actual length thereof if the same were permitted to hang free and not be disposed on the flat floor 25 illustrated in FIG. 3.

In order to take up such slack between the inner and outer peripheries 17 and 18 of the flexible wall 16, the flexible wall 16 can be provided with one or more continuous flutes 26 disposed between the inner and outer peripheries 17 and 18 and surrounding the inlet 20 of the support means 12. If desired, the length of the flexible wall 16 between its inner and outer peripheries 17 and 18 can be such that when the support means 12 of the nozzle construction 13 has been placed against one part of the rigidifying means 19 when the rigidifying means 19 is prevented from movement, such as by being pushed up against a wall, the flexible wall 16 will still have slack between the support means 12 and the rigidifying means 19 in any transverse cross section thereof.

In order to provide a controlled flow of fluid along the surface means into the inlet 20 of the nozzle construction 13, the under surface 27 of the flexible wall 16 can have channel means 28 provided therein such as by being disposed between outwardly directed and spaced rib means formed on the bottom surface 27 of the flexible wall 16 in the manner fully set forth in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,605,171.

The stabilizing means 21 are formed of sufficiently resilient material whereby the same tend to maintain the rigidifying means 19 of the flexible wall 16 in the position illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 but will permit the rigidifying means 19 to bend the stabilizing means 21 should the rigidifying means 19 be impacted against a stationary object or the like in the same manner as provided by the stabilizing means of the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,605,171. Of course, the stabilizing means 21 could be springs molded with the skirt con struction or later secured thereto, as desired.

Thus, it can be seen that the flexible skirt construction 10 of this invention can be provided so as to be adaptable to be detachably secured to a particular style of nozzle construction 13 and be secured thereto by snap fitting to some outwardly directed contour portion thereof as the case may be so that for each type of standard nozzle construction for a particular vacuum cleaner manufacturer, a particular flexible skirt construction 10 can be provided so that the same can be detachably secured thereto to improve the vacuum cleaning action of such nozzle.

For example, the flexible wall 16 effectively seals around the contour of the surface means 25 wherever the nozzle construction 13 is being utilized because the flexible wall 16 can conform to such contour, such as at the juncture between a rug and a bare floor whereas the nozzle construction 13 by itself obviously cannot conform to such contour and therefore loses its vacuum cleaning power at such junctures which are normally the main dirt catchers that should be more effectively cleaned then the main area of the rug or the like.

Of course, it is to be understood that the flexible skirt constructions 10 of this invention can be so constructed and arranged that the same can be detachably secured to a plurality of different shaped, standardized nozzle constructions without requiring each flexible skirt construction to have a particular molded and contoured body portion 11.

For example, reference is now made to FIGS. 4 and 5 wherein another flexible skirt construction of this invention is generally indicated by the reference numeral 10A and parts thereof similar to the flexible skirt construction 10 previously described are indicated by like reference numerals followed by the reference letter A.

As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the flexible skirt construction 10A of this invention is also provided with a continuous flexible wall 16A and its outer rigidifying means 19A surrounding a body portion 11A thereof. However, the body portion 11A is substantially baglike and is as flexible as the flexible wall 16A except at its extreme upper end 30 where the same is provided with a substantially rigid annular collar 31 that is adapted to slip downwardly on the hose connection 32 of a particular nozzle construction 13A and receive the upper ends 23A of the stabilizing stays 21A in any selected one of the openings 24A provided therein for such purpose. In fact the stays 21A could be consumer cut off to the desired length when the skirt construction 10A is initially being assembled to the consumers particular nozzle construction 13A.

Because the main part of the body portion 11A of the flexible skirt construction 10 is of flexible material, the same is substantially bag-like so as to completely surround the particular support means 12A of the nozzle construction 13A to accept contours of many different configurations. However, once a vacuum condition is created in the inlet 20A of the nozzle construction 15A by the vacuum cleaner interconnected to the hose 32, the pressure differential acting across the flexible body portion 1 1A causes the same to conform to the external contour of the body portion 12A as illustrated in full lines in FIG. 5 whereas the natural tendency for the body portion 11A is to assume the bag-like shape illustrated in phantom lines in FIG. 5.

Thus, it can be seen that the flexible body portion 11A readily permits the flexible skirt means 10A of this invention to adapt itself to a plurality of different styles of nozzle constructions 13 while still permitting the flexible wall part 16A thereof to form the effective sealing function previously described and as fully set forth in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,605,171.

While the form of the invention now preferred has been disclosed as required by the patent statutes, other forms may be utilized, all coming within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, a conventional vacuum cleaner nozzle construction that is normally utilized by itself with a vacuum cleaner for a vacuum cleaning operation or the like comprising a support means having opening means therein provided with an outlet to be interconnected to a vacuum pump means and an inlet to be disposed adjacent a surface means to be cleaned, and a separate member having a body portion detachably secured to said nozzle construction and having a flexible wall surrounding said inlet to have one side thereof engage against said surface means around said inlet to substantially seal said inlet of said support means to said surface means, said flexible wall being so constructed and arranged that a pressure differential acting across the same and resulting from said vacuum pump means drawing fluid from said surface means into said inlet and out through said outlet of said opening means is adapted to cause said flexible wall to be urged toward said surface means to substantially seal against the same around said inlet and substantially conform to the contour of said surface means outboard of said inlet.

2. A nozzle construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein said flexible wall has an inner peripheral means and an outer peripheral means, said inner peripheral means being disposed intermediate said outer peripheral means and said inlet of said support means, said flexible wall having a substantially continuous rigidifying means secured to said outer peripheral means of said flexible wall and aurrounding said inlet of said support means outboard of said inlet.

3. A nozzle construction as set forth in claim 2 wherein said flexible wall has a length between said rigidifying means and said support means greater than the distance between said support means at said inlet thereof and said rigidifying means in any transverse cross section thereof when said rigidifying means is in at least one position relative to said support means.

4. A nozzle construction as set forth in claim 3 wherein said flexible wall has at least one continuous flute between its inner and outer peripheral means and surrounding said inlet of said support means to at least partially take up some of the slack thereof between said rigidifying means and said support means when said rigidifying means is in said one position thereof.

5. A nozzle construction as set forth in claim 3 wherein stabilizing means is interconnected to said rigidifying means and said support means to tend to maintain said rigidifying means in a certain spaced relation about said support means when said support means and said rigidifying means are disposed against said surface means.

6. A nozzle construction as set forth in claim 5 wherein said stabilizing means is so constructed and arranged that said rigidifying means can move axially relative to said inlet of said support means.

7. A nozzle construction as set forth in claim 3 wherein the slack in said flexible wall between said support means and said rigidifying means when said rigidifying means is in said one position thereof is such that when said support means and said rigidifying means are disposed against said surface means the support means can be moved against the inside of said rigidifying means at one point thereof and said flexible wall will still have slack between said support means and said rigidifying means in any transverse cross section thereof.

8. A nozzle construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein said one side of said flexible wall has spacing means thereon to provide a controlled fluid flow between said one side of said flexible wall and said surface means.

9. A flexible skirt construction for use with a conventional vacuum cleaner nozzle construction that is normally utilized by itself with a vacuum cleaner for a vacuum cleaning operation or the like wherein said nozzle construction has a support means provided with an outlet to be interconnected to a vacuum pump means and an inlet to be disposed adjacent a surface means to be cleaned, said flexible skirt construction comprising a body portion adapted to be detachably secured to said nozzle construction and having a flexible wall adapted to surround said inlet to have one side thereof engage against said surface means around said inlet to substantially seal said inlet of said support means to said surface means, said flexible wall being so constructed and arranged that a pressure differential acting across the same and resulting from said vacuum pump means drawing fluid from said surface means into said inlet and out through said outlet of said opening means is adapted to cause said flexible wall to be urged toward said surface means to substantially seal against the same around said inlet and substantially conform to the contour of said surface means outboard of said inlet.

10. A flexible skirt construction as set forth in claim 9 wherein said flexible wall has an inner peripheral means and an outer peripheral means, said inner peripheral means being adapted to be disposed intermediate said outer peripheral means and said inlet of said support means, said flexible wall having a substantially continuous rigidifying means secured to said outer peripheral means of said flexible wall and being adapted to surround said inlet of said support means outboard of said inlet.

11. A flexible skirt construction as set forth in claim 10 wherein said flexible wall has a length between said rigidifying means and said inner peripheral means greater than the distance between said inner peripheral means and said rigidifying means in any transverse cross section thereof when said rigidifying means is in at least one position relative to said inner peripheral means.

12. A flexible skirt construction as set forth in claim 11 wherein said flexible wall has at least one continuous flute between its inner and outer peripheral means and being adapted to surround said inet of said support means to at least partially take up some of the slack thereof between said rigidifying means and said inner peripheral means when said rigidifying means is in said one position thereof.

13. A flexible skirt construction as set forth in claim 11 wherein stabilizing means is interconnected to said rigidifying means and said body portion to tend to maintain said rigidifying means in a certain spaced rela tion about said body portion when said rigidifying means is disposed against said surface means.

14. A flexible skirt construction as set forth in claim 13 wherein said stabilizing means is so constructed and arranged that said rigidifying means can move axially relative to said body portion.

15. A nozzle construction as set forth in claim 11 wherein the slack in said flexible wall between said inner peripheral means and said rigidifying means when cross section thereof.

16. A flexible skirt construction as set forth in claim 9 wherein said one side of said flexible wall has spacing means thereon to provide a controlled fluid flow between said one side of said flexible wall and said surface means.

Claims

13. A flexible skirt construction as set forth in claim 11 wherein stabilizing means is interconnected to said rigidifying means and said body portion to tend to maintain said rigidifying means in a certain spaced relation about said body portion when said rigidifying means is disposed against said surface means.

15. A nozzle construction as set forth in claim 11 wherein the slack in said flexible wall between said inner peripheral means and said rigidifying means when said rigidifying means is in said one position thereof is such that when said support means and said rigidifying means are disposed against said surface means the support means can be moved against the inside of said rigidifying means at one point thereof and said flexible wall will still have slack between said inner peripheral means and said rigidifying means in any transverse cross section thereof.