VACUUM CLEANER TOOL FOR SUCTION OF HARD AND/OR SOFT SURFACES

Abstract: The invention relates to a vacuum cleaner nozzle intended for the vacuum cleaning of hard and/or soft surfaces. When using a vacuum cleaner, in the course of working through the room one often wishes to switch between vacuuming the floor with the floor nozzle and vacuuming furniture, skirting boards, fabrics etc. with the dust brush or the flat nozzle as appropriate. Switching between the different nozzles is impeded by the fact that one must let go of the floor nozzle and its wands in order to free a hand to connect or disconnect the dust brush or the flat nozzle. Switching between the dust brush and the flat nozzle also requires a free hand. The invention solves this problem in that the dust brush/flat nozzle is so designed that the wands (6) of the floor nozzle are easily inserted into the nozzle body (3) of the dust brush/flat nozzle, which can thus be left in place on the hose handle. Without the floor nozzle and its wands, a dust brush/flat nozzle with a convenient contact angle is obtained.

Description: VACUUM CLEANER TOOL FOR SUCTION OF HARD/OR SOFT SURFACES : The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner nozzle for the vacuum cleaning of hard and/or soft surfaces, whereof one end is designed to be connected to the vacuum cleaner hose handle and the other end is equipped with an inner tube surrounded by a clear space permitting the wand for the floor nozzle to be fitted upon said inner tube. Swedish Patent 509 890 discloses a nozzle which can be left in place on the vacuum cleaner hose handle even when the wands of the floor nozzle are connected to the vacuum cleaner. Switching between the use of a dust brush nozzle and of a floor nozzle is facilitated thereby. A drawback of the above-mentioned solution is that the dust brush nozzle, or the mounting thereof on the hose handle, is dependent on the length of the hose handle in order for the mouth of the hose handle to be correctly positioned in relation to the bevelled mouth opening of the nozzle body. This is a problem because the length of the hose handle can vary between makes. The purpose of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned drawback by integrating a tube into the dush brush nozzle so that the hose handle can be inserted into one end of the dust brush nozzle and the wands can be fitted to its other end. This provides a general-purpose dust brush nozzle or flat nozzle with a convenient contact angle (claim 6), which does not need to be moved from its active position when the floor nozzle and wands are in use (claim 1 ). The user can easily switch between floor cleaning and the use of the dust brush/flat nozzle without the need to put down the floor nozzle and wands in order to free one hand. The invention also permits the dust brush and the flat nozzle to be combined as a combination nozzle with retained ease of use (claim 5). The invention is explained more particularly below with the aid of Figures 1 to 6. Figures 1 and 2 show a flat nozzle, figures 3 and 4 a dust brush nozzle, and Figures 5 and 6 a combination nozzle. Figures 1 and 2 show in perspective and in section, respectively, a nozzle body (3) provided at one end with a hole of a suitable fit for connection to the hose handle (2). The interior of the nozzle consists of a tube (5) onto which the wand of the floor nozzle is fitted when desired. The nozzle body (3) exhibits at its far end (4) from the vacuum cleaner a mouth opening cut at a bevelled angle in relation to the central axis. The bevelled mouth opening forms an angle of approximately 45 degrees with said central axis. The length of the inner tube is chosen so that the mouth of the tube comes to be situated approximately at that edge of the bevelled mouth opening which is nearer to the vacuum cleaner. Wands are readily fitted onto the inner tube by pressing the end of the wand against the far end of the inner surface of the nozzle body and inserting it into the nozzle body. If the inner tube of the nozzle body and its outer shell are correctly sized, the wand (6) will slide in accurately onto the inner tube (5). The bevel angle of approximately 45 degrees of the nozzle body (3) is chosen so that the surface of the bevelled mouth opening will be approximately horizontal when the hose handle (2) is held in the hand in the same way as when vacuuming the floor with the floor nozzle. The edge of the bevelled mouth opening (4) is designed so that it can be used as an effective and gentle flat nozzle for e.g. the vacuuming of textiles. The edge may be provided with e.g. tooth-like notches so that air will be sucked in through the notches, entraining dust from the surface being cleaned. The edge may also be lined with a Velcro- like adhesive material. Figures 3 and 4 show in perspective and in section, respectively, a brush head ( 1 ) mounted on the bevelled end (4) of a nozzle body (3) so that the end of the brush head itself forms an angle of approximately 45 degrees with the axis of the nozzle body. Thus a dust brush nozzle is formed having a convenient contact angle and with the retained ability, with the aid of the bevelled end (4) of the nozzle body, to easily guide the wand (6) into connection with the inner tube (5). The bristles of the brush may be of differing lengths about the periphery in order to further modify the contact angle. The bristles may moreover point somewhat outwards from the centreline of the nozzle body in order to increase the suction surface and facilitate the insertion of the wand (6). Figures 5 and 6, finally, show in perspective and in section respectively a combination nozzle wherein the brush head (1) of Figures 3 and 4 is replaced with a brush head (8) fixed to a tube (7) which can be slid lengthways along the nozzle body (3). The tube (7) has two end positions in which it is retained with snap fastenings. The snap fastenings are not shown in the figures. The end positions are chosen so that in one position, Figures 5a and 6a, the brush head is active when the wand is removed and in the other position the brush head is retracted far enough so that the bevelled mouth opening (4) of the nozzle body (3) is exposed for use as a flat nozzle, Figures 5b and 6b. The wand (6) can be easily attached to the inner tube (5) with the brush head (8) in either of its end positions. The two snap-lock positions can be achieved in a number of ways such that the snap-locking force is sufficient to retain the tube (7), with the brush head (8) in place, during vacuuming with the brush head (8) in active position, or in retracted position during vacuuming with the flat nozzle (4), but is still easily overcome in order to slide the tube (7) and brush head (8) between its two end positions. In the end positions, one end of the tube (7) coincides approximately with the corresponding end of the nozzle body (3). The tube (7) is so constrained in its motion along the nozzle body that it is prevented from rotating about the latter. This constraint is not shown in Figures 5 and 6 but may be achieved in a known manner e.g. by means of splines or by endowing the outside of the nozzle body (3) and the inside of the tube (7) with an oval cross-section. Obviously, specially designed nozzles for additional functions may be attached to the inner tube (5) in place of the wand (6), with all the above-mentioned nozzles in place.

Claims: Claims 1. A vacuum cleaner nozzle for the vacuum cleaning of hard and/or soft surfaces, whereof the end further from the vacuum cleaner has the form of a flat nozzle or dust brush nozzle and whereof the end nearer to the vacuum cleaner is formed for connection to the hose handle of the vacuum cleaner (2), wherein the end further from the vacuum cleaner is equipped with an inner tube (5) surrounded by a clear space for the fitting of the wand (6) of a floor nozzle onto said inner tube. 2. A vacuum cleaner nozzle according to Claim 1 , wherein the inner tube is entirely contained inside the nozzle body (3). 3. A vacuum cleaner nozzle according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the end of the nozzle body further from the vacuum cleaner exhibits a mouth openeng (4) cut at a bevelled angle in relation to the central axis. 4. A vacuum cleaner nozzle according to Claim 3, wherein there is mounted about the oval periphery of the bevelled mouth opening (4) of the nozzle body (3) a brush head (1) with the brush approximately parallel to the central axis so that the brush head (1) forms a dust brush nozzle having a suction surface that is approximately parallel to the bevelled mouth opening. 5. A vacuum cleaner nozzle according to Claim 3, wherein there is mounted around about the exterior of the nozzle body (3) a tube (7) which can be slid by external hand power between two snap-lock positions and said tube (7) also exhibits a bevelled end of the same angle and oriented in the same direction as the bevelled mouth opening (4) of the nozzle body and there is fixed about the oval periphery of the bevelled end of the outer tube (7) a brush head (8) with the brush approximately parallel to the central axis in such a manner that the brush head forms a dust brush nozzle having a suction surface which is approximately parallel to the bevelled end. 6. A vacuum cleaner nozzle according to any of Claims 3 to 5 inclusive, wherein the bevelled mouth opening (4) of the nozzle body (3) forms an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the central axis of the nozzle body (3). A vacuum cleaner nozzle according to any of Claims 3 to 6 inclusive, wherein the edges of the bevelled mouth opening (4) of the nozzle body (3) are formed as a flat nozzle for the vacuum cleaning of fabrics in particular.

Inventors: WAGER MATS, WAGER, MATS
Applicants: WAGER MATS, WAGER, MATS
Application year: 2000
Main classification: A47L9
IPC codes: A47L9