Abstract:
A hand-held cleaning device that utilizes a low-power, low-torque motor coupled to an impeller for creating a vacuum. The device includes a contact head having a plurality of protrusions formed on its top surface. The contact head contacts the surface to be cleaned, for example, the coat of a pet. The protrusions are sized and spaced to avoid tangling or clumping of pet hair. The device includes a container for collecting hair and debris. The impeller includes ribs on a disk portion thereof for increasing the efficiency of the vacuum system.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a cleaning device. Specifically, the present invention relates to a hand-held cleaning device that is advantageously used on pets and other animals. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Pet ownership is widespread in most parts of the world, and many pet owners spend a considerable amount of time grooming and cleaning up after their pets. For example, many “short-hair” pets are prone to “shedding.” This is the term for the normal and systematic loss of hair by the animal. For some animals, a large volume of hair is shed at certain times during the year, while some animals seem to shed piles of hair at a constant rate. 
     Many pet owners go to long lengths to control the amount of pet hair that accumulates in their home, car, etc. Shed pet hair is generally perceived as unhygienic and may reflect poorly on a pet owner&#39;s cleanliness in the eyes of their colleagues. Pet hair also can cause or exacerbate allergic reactions in pet owners or those that visit their homes. 
     One typical first step in controlling pet hair is to brush the coat of the pet with a hand-held brush or comb which causes the pet&#39;s hair to be loosened from the pet and either collected in the bristles of the brush or released to the ground nearby. In the typical second step, the pet owner will then clean the brush or comb and vacuum the area to dispose of the loosened hair. As many pet owners can attest, this can be a time consuming chore, and one that must be repeated on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. 
     Many attempts to simplify the management of pet hair have been made in the past. In particular, many have attempted to combine the brushing and vacuuming steps by providing a device that performs both tasks simultaneously. In general, such a device includes a brush or comb portion for running over the animal&#39;s coat and an attached vacuum portion for collecting hair and debris loosened by the brush portion. Of course, such devices are in many ways similar to the various hand-held vacuum cleaners known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,786,384 to Amstutz describes a hand-held vacuum brush having a bottom plate with a ring of bristles. The device uses an electric motor to draw debris into a bag. 
     Pet hair behaves in a considerably different manner than typical household dirt and dust, and thus requires any vacuum intended to collect it to have unique characteristics and capabilities in order to be effective. Many difficulties have been encountered in designing such devices to effectively handle the substantial quantity of hair generated by the pet. One example of a pet grooming device is given by U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,131 to Plyler. This device includes a vacuum system and a detachable head with a plurality of individually spaced bristles. The bristles are long and thin and include a tiny ball-like outer tip end. The vacuum system includes a motor for drawing hair, ticks and fleas into a collection bag. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,462,018 to Louison also discloses a device intended for grooming pets. The device has a suction means and a brush. The brush includes scratching teeth and combing teeth, which loosen and groom an animal&#39;s hair. The suction means serves to press the loosened hair against a collection grill, through which the teeth extend. Cleaning the device after use requires that the grill be removed from the grill and the hairs then removed from the grill. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,481 to Trahan discloses a hand-held pet grooming apparatus having a generally cylindrical shape. Individually spaced bristles are provided on the lower end of the device for engaging pet hair. A vacuum is created in a vacuum chamber by a battery operated mechanism, and hair and other debris is drawn into the vacuum chamber and retained by a hair catch member which has a porous-type material to separate the vacuum chamber from the air chamber 
     Unfortunately, it has been found that the devices of the prior art intended to aid pet owners in grooming and cleaning their pets have significant shortcomings. For instance, it is often the case that brush or comb teeth or bristles do not provide sufficient loosening of a pet&#39;s hair. Brush or comb teeth may be advantageously used to separate hair, but not necessary to loosen and remove hair. The teeth or bristles are also often designed such that they collect a tangled mass of hair between them, preventing this hair from being collected by the vacuum means. The result is that the user must repeatedly clean the teeth or bristles. The teeth or bristles also often cause pain or irritation to the pet. 
     It has also been found that many devices are inconvenient to clean. The use of a collection bag significantly complicates the cleaning of the device, as many parts must be opened or disassembled in order to prepare the device for an additional use after the collection bag is filled. 
     It has further been found that the devices of the prior art are designed such that the vacuum means are relatively weak and/or require frequent replacement of batteries. Pets are often fearful of loud noises, and many vacuum systems are relatively loud. In general, low-power/low-torque motors must be used for vacuums to be employed on pets. Vacuum systems with such motors have been known to perform poorly due to inefficiencies in the design of the vacuum system. A low-power/low-torque motor requires extremely efficient components in order to generate a sufficiently strong vacuum in a device small enough to be hand-held. 
     What is desired, therefore, is a cleaning device that loosens debris and hair so that the debris and hair can be collected by a vacuum. It is further desired that the device be capable of dislodging hair without causing the hair to become tangled or clumped together. It is further desired that the device be easy to clean and prepare for subsequent use. It is yet further desired that the device not cause pain or irritation to a pet. It is still further desired that the device be efficiently designed so as to maximize the capabilities of a low power and low torque electric motor. It is also desired that the device be hand-held and easy to use. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a cleaning device that effectively dislodges hair and debris for collection by a vacuum system. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a cleaning device that will not cause pain or irritation to the pet. 
     It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a cleaning device that is easy to clean and prepare for additional uses. 
     It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a cleaning device that is efficiently designed so as to maximize the capabilities of a low-power and low-torque electric motor. 
     It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a cleaning device that is hand-held and easy to use. 
     According to a first embodiment of the present invention, a hand-held cleaning device is provided. The device comprises: a housing having a swirl chamber; an impeller mounted in the swirl chamber; a motor for driving the impeller; and a contact head mounted to the housing upstream of the impeller for loosening debris to be collected by the device. The contact head comprises a contact surface with a plurality of protrusions formed thereon. The ratio of the height of each protrusion to the width of each respective protrusion at its widest portion is less than 2. 
     In some embodiments, the ratio of the height of each protrusion to the width of each respective protrusion at its widest portion is less than 1. In some embodiments, the ratio of the height of each protrusion to the distance to the nearest adjacent protrusion is less than 1. In some embodiments, the contact head is in the shape of a ring, and debris is drawn by the impeller through the center opening of the ring. In some embodiments, the swirl chamber includes an opening out of which debris is blown by the impeller, and the opening is coupled to a collection container removably mounted to the housing, which collection container collects debris that is blown from the swirl chamber. 
     In some embodiments, the contact head is formed of flexible thermoplastic or rubber material. In some embodiments, the motor is a low-torque electric motor. In some embodiments, the motor is driven by at least one battery that is rechargeable via an electrical circuit integral with the cleaning device. In some embodiments, the impeller comprises a disk portion that has a top surface that includes at least one rib extending from the center of the disk portion to the edge of the disk portion. 
     According to a second embodiment, a hand-held cleaning device is provided. The device comprises: a housing having a swirl chamber; an impeller mounted in the swirl chamber; a motor for driving the impeller; a contact head for loosening debris to be collected by the device; and a collection container having a first end and a second end. The first end of the collection container includes a first opening that is coupled to the swirl chamber for receiving debris and the second end includes a hinged door for closing a second opening in the collection container. The collected debris may be evacuated from the collection container when the hinged door is open. 
     In some embodiments, the collection container comprises at least four surfaces having vent holes formed therein. In some embodiments, the hinged door comprises at least one surface having vent holes formed therein. In some embodiments, the collection container is detachably connected to the housing. In some embodiments, the motor is a low-torque electric motor. In some embodiments, the motor is driven by at least one battery that is rechargeable via an electrical circuit integral with the cleaning device. In some embodiments, the impeller comprises a disk portion, which has a top surface that includes at least one rib extending from the center of the disk portion to the edge of the disk portion. 
     According to a third embodiment, a hand-held cleaning device is provided. The device comprises: a housing having a swirl chamber; a low-torque electric motor; at least one source of electric power connected to the motor; and an impeller coupled to the motor and disposed in the swirl chamber. The impeller comprises a disk portion and a plurality of impeller blades attached to a bottom surface of the disk portion. The top surface of the disk portion includes at least one rib extending from the center of the disk portion to the edge of the disk portion. In some embodiments, the ribs are in the form of grooves. In some embodiments, the ribs are in the form of ridges. For purposes of this specification, the term “rib” shall mean a longitudinal feature, which includes ridges formed on an object and grooves formed in an object. 
     The invention and its particular features and advantages will become more apparent from the following detailed description considered with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first embodiment of a cleaning device according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the cleaning device shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-section view of a second embodiment of a cleaning device according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is an exploded view of a portion of the cleaning devices shown in  FIGS. 1-3 . 
         FIG. 5  is a bottom view of a part used in the cleaning devices shown in  FIGS. 1-3 . 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a third embodiment of a cleaning device according to the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a schematic view of the contact head protrusions used in embodiments of the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic view of a portion of the impeller used in embodiments of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawings.  FIG. 1  shows a first exemplary embodiment of a cleaning device according to the present invention. The cleaning device  10  is hand-held, and includes a handle  11  for grasping by a single hand of a user. The device  10  also has a contact head  12 , which includes a plurality of protrusions  13 . Below the contact head  12  in  FIG. 1  is a collection container  14 . The collection container  14  has a plurality of holes  15 . 
     The contact head  12  has an opening  16  at or near its center. Through opening  16 , the disk portion  22  of the impeller  21  can be seen. The impeller  21  will be described in more detail below. The impeller  21  is driven by a motor so that it rotates and creates a vacuum. The internal parts of device  10  are shown in  FIG. 3 , which is a cross-sectional view and is described below. 
     The contact head  12  is intended to contact the surface to be cleaned by the device, for example, the coat of an animal. In the embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the protrusions  13  are small and in the form of roundish cones. The protrusions are arranged in a pattern on the contact head  12 . The protrusions  13  dislodge loosened hair and debris as the contact head  12  is pulled across the animal&#39;s coat. The dislodged hair and debris is then sucked into the opening  16  and moved into the collection container  14 . The protrusions  13  are designed to dislodge hair but not to allow hair to become entangled between and around them. Such entanglement is known to impede the collection of the hair by preventing the hair from being sucked up by the vacuum. The protrusions  13  are also designed so that they do not grab and pull hair that is still securely rooted to the animal&#39;s skin. The protrusions  13  are intended only to dislodge hair that has already been released by the root, or that is only weakly held to the skin. The protrusions  13  are not intended to remove healthy, strong hair from the animal&#39;s coat. 
     In order to obtain the intended design and function of the protrusions  13 , the height, width, and spacing of the protrusions must be carefully selected. Shown in  FIGS. 1 and 7  is the height ‘h’ and width ‘w’ of the protrusions, as well as the spacing ‘d’ between two protrusions. It should be understood that the height ‘h’ refers to the height of a particular protrusion, while the width ‘w’ refers to the width of that protrusion at its widest portion. The spacing ‘d’ refers to the largest distance separating one protrusion and the nearest second protrusion. In accordance with the present invention, the ratio of protrusion height to protrusion width at its widest portion (h/w) is less than 2. In many embodiments, the ratio (h/w) is less than 1. This ratio helps to prevent the entanglement and clumping of hairs around the protrusions  13 . The ratio of the height of a protrusion  13  to the distance to the nearest adjacent protrusion (h/d) is also important. In accordance with the present invention, the ratio (h/d) is less than 1. In many embodiments, the ratio (h/d) is less than 1. A further useful ratio is the ratio between the height of each protrusion to the average of the distances between each protrusion and all protrusions adjacent to that protrusion. It is advantageous when this ratio is less than 2. 
       FIG. 7  shows a schematic view of the relationships between the height, width, and separation of the protrusions. Two protrusions  13   a  and  13   b  of differing sizes are shown. Protrusion  13   a  has a height of ha and a width of wa. Protrusion  13   b  has a height of hb and a width of wb. The protrusions are separated by a distance d. The h/w ratio of protrusion  13   a  (ha/wa) is 1/3. The h/w ratio of protrusion  13   b  (hb/wb) is near the limit of 2: it is 4/3. The h/d ratio from protrusion  13   a  to  13   b  (ha/d) is 0.3 (3/10). The h/d ratio from protrusion  13   b  to  13   a  (hb/d) is 0.4 (4/10). 
     In most embodiments of the present invention, all of the protrusions  13  on the contact head  12  have substantially the same size and shape. In some embodiments, however, the height, width, and separation of the protrusions  13  varies across the contact head  12 . In either case, by designing the protrusions  13  to maintain one or both of the ratios h/w and/or h/d, the clumping or tangling of the pet&#39;s hair is nearly impossible. 
     The contact head  12  is generally ring-shaped. The opening  16  shown in  FIG. 1  is the shape of a five-point star with rounded points. In other embodiments, the opening  16  is circular, square, or any other suitable, desired shape. The selection of the shape is made to maximize the efficiency with which the motor and impeller create a vacuum, balanced with providing the contact head with enough surface area and protrusions to perform its task of dislodging hair and debris. 
     The collection container  14  is shown with two surfaces having holes  15 . The hair and debris that is dislodged by the contact head  12  and sucked up by the vacuum created by the impeller is deposited inside this container  14 . Generally, a large number of holes allows for the most airflow out of the container  14 , which maximizes the effectiveness of the motor and impeller. In some embodiments of the present invention, the collection container  14  has four surfaces with holes  15 . 
     In the embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , there is a hinged door  17  at the bottom of the collection container  14 . Opening this door  17  allows the contents of the collection container  14  to be evacuated.  FIG. 1  shows the door  17  in a closed position.  FIG. 2  (a side view of the first embodiment of the present invention) shows the door  17  in an open position, with a hinge  19  and a latch  20 . In some embodiments, the surfaces of the door  17  are also provided with holes  15 . The hinged door  17  allows for the device  10  to be quickly and easily emptied of collected hair and debris. To empty the collection container  14 , the user simply opens the hinged door and switches the motor on. This causes the hair and debris in the collection container to be blown out.  FIG. 2  also shows a switch  18  for turning on and off the motor that drives the impeller. The switch  18 , in the embodiment shown, is a simple sliding switch. Handle  11  is shown in  FIG. 2  as being a comfortable size for holding with a single hand. 
       FIG. 3  is a cross-section view of a second embodiment and shows many additional details of the present invention. This second embodiment is substantially similar to the first embodiment shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , but includes additional vent holes  15  in the hinged door  17 . The device  10  comprises a lower housing  23 , which forms the collection container  14  and a swirl chamber  27 . In some embodiments, the collection container  14  is integral with the housing, while, in other embodiments, the collection container  14  is a separate structure that couples to the housing. Mounted to the lower housing  23  is the upper housing  28 , which holds the motor  29  and power source, which, in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 , is a set of two batteries  30  in series. 
     The contact head  12  is mounted upstream of the swirl chamber  27 , and comprises two parts: a flexible ring  31  and a mounting collar  32 . The flexible ring  31  carries the protrusions  13  and is generally made from a flexible thermoplastic or rubber material. The flexible ring is attached to the mounting collar  32 , which, in the embodiment shown, is threaded onto the lower housing  23 . In other embodiments, the flexible ring portion of the contact head is mounted directly to a housing such as the lower housing  23 . 
     Inside the swirl chamber  27  is the impeller  21 . The impeller  21  has a disk portion  22  and a plurality of blades  24  attached to the disk portion  22 . Both the disk portion  22  and the blades  24  are attached to sleeve  25 , which is mounted on driveshaft  26  of motor  29 . The blades  24  are shaped so that, when the impeller is rotated rapidly, air is forced through the opening  33  and into the collection container  14  from the swirl chamber  27 . Air flows out of the collection container  14  through holes  15 , which are, in this embodiment, formed in four surfaces of the collection container-portion of the housing  23  (only three are visible in  FIG. 3 ) as well as on five of the surfaces (only four are visible in  FIG. 3 ) of the hinged door  17 . 
     The motor  29  is secured in the upper housing  28  via an insulating sleeve that “double mounts” to the supports  34 . The motor  29  is a low-torque electric motor, which requires a relatively small amount of power. Such a motor will generally run quieter—and be less likely to upset the animal—than other, more powerful motors. Power is supplied by the batteries  30 , which, in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 , are rechargeable, nickel-cadmium C-cells. In other embodiments, disposable batteries, externally rechargeable batteries, and/or batteries of different size are used to power the motor  29 . Because the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3  includes rechargeable batteries, it is provided with a means for supplying the batteries with electricity from an external source. The electric circuitry  43  supports the electrical components required by the system. The end cap  36  is hingedly connected to the upper housing  28 , and includes an input port  37  for receiving a power input connector  38 . The end cap  36  is connected by a hinge so that the batteries  30  may be removed and replaced in the event that they become permanently worn out. 
       FIG. 4  shows an exploded view of the components of the device  10  necessary for creating the vacuum effect. The driveshaft  26  of the motor  29  is pushed through a hole  40  in the lower housing  23  and into sleeve  25  of the impeller  21 . The contact head  12  engages threads  41  on the upper housing  41  for mounting the contact head  12  to the lower housing  23 . 
     The impeller  21  has four blades  24 . The blades  24  have a curved inner edge  44 , which aids the efficiency of the impeller  21 . The blades  24  shown in  FIG. 4  also have a straight outer edge  45 . Many different shapes of the blades  24  and the edges  44  and  45  are employed in embodiments of the present invention. The design of the blades  24  is selected in relation to the design of the remaining parts of the device (e.g. the swirl chamber  27 ) in order to maximize the efficiency of the vacuum system. 
       FIG. 5  is a bottom view of the impeller  21 , and shows another feature of the present invention that is included in some embodiments. The disk portion  22  has a plurality of ribs  39  extending radially from the center of the impeller to the edge of the disk. The ribs  39  are shown in  FIG. 5  as straight lines, but in some embodiments, the ribs  39  are curved. The ribs  39  are formed by making grooves in the disk portion  22  or by making ridges on the surface of the disk portion  22 . In some embodiments, a combination of both grooves and ridges is used. The use of ribs  39  on the disk portion has been found to enhance the vacuum-creating effect of the impeller and to help guide hair and debris from the contact head, through the swirl chamber, and into the collection container. In other embodiments, the top surface of the disk portion  22  does not include ribs, but instead is made with a grainy roughness. The graininess also enhances the vacuum-creating effect of the impeller. In still other embodiments, both ribs and graininess are used on the disk portion  22  of the impeller. 
       FIG. 8  shows a schematic cross section view of the ribs used on the disk portion  22  of the impeller  21 . Rib  39   a  is in the form of a groove, which runs perpendicular to the plane of the figure. Rib  39   b  is in the form of a ridge, which also runs perpendicular to the plane of the figure. As stated above, in some embodiments all of the ribs  39  are in the form of grooves, while, in other embodiments, all of the ribs  39  are in the form of ridges. In still other embodiments, a combination of grooves and ridges are used on the impeller as the ribs  39 . 
     Because the motor  29  is a low torque motor for safety purposes, it is important that the components of the vacuum system be as efficient as possible. The ribs  39  on the impeller  21  and the large number of holes  15  on the collection container  14  are features that enhance the performance of the vacuum system. These help obtain the most efficient use of the motor  29 . 
     To use the first embodiment to groom a pet, one must first ensure that the batteries  30  have a sufficient electric charge to run the motor  29  during the cleaning. This is accomplished by connecting the cleaning device  10  to the external power source  38  for a sufficient length of time. Once the batteries are deemed ready, the user simply slides the switch  18  into the “on” position, which activates the motor. Then, the user gently brushes the animal&#39;s coat with the contact head  12 . The user may employ a circular brushing motion or long, linear strokes, depending on the animal&#39;s preference and the part of the animal being cleaned. 
     The animal&#39;s loose hair and any debris that may have been clinging to the animal&#39;s coat will be sucked up by the vacuum and deposited in the collection container  14 . Once it becomes necessary to empty the collection container  14 , either after finishing cleaning the animal or during the cleaning, the user simply holds the device  10  over a wastebasket, opens the hinged door  17 , and the pressure in the container created by the impeller  21  will blow the collected hair and debris out of the container  14  and into the wastebasket. The user may then continue cleaning or store the device  10  for a future use. 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The cleaning device  100  is slightly more compact than the embodiments shown in  FIGS. 1-3 . The device  100  includes a contact head  112  having protrusions  113 , a handle  111 , and a collection container  114  having holes  115 . In most respects, device  100  operates the same as the device of the previously described embodiment. However, the collection container  114  of device  100  is structurally distinct from the housing  123  and is detachable from the housing  123  to allow for easier and more thorough cleaning if necessary. The collection container  114  of this embodiment also includes a hinged door  117  for quickly evacuating the container  114 , as in the first and second embodiments. 
     Although the invention has been described with reference to a particular arrangement of parts, features and the like, these are not intended to exhaust all possible arrangements or features, and indeed many other modifications and variations will be ascertainable to those of skill in the art.