Patent Publication Number: US-7222393-B2

Title: Vacuum cleaner nozzle for floors and carpets

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention is related to a vacuum cleaner nozzle for floors and carpets, having a housing part with a plastic upper part, a slide sole with a suction port, a gasket base adjustably arranged inside the upper part of the housing, at least one strip-shaped gasket element that can be retracted and moved out at the lower side of the nozzle with an adjustment movement of the gasket base, a tilting lever to operate the gasket base and return springs that act on the gasket base. A suction channel is formed on the upper part of the housing, which has on one end a connecting piece connected to the slide sole and is developed at the other end as the joint cup of a tilting joint. The suction port is comprised of a flow channel formed into the slide sole, which extends from a central opening running into the suction channel transversely to the suction channel. 
   2. The Prior Art 
   Vacuum cleaner nozzles with the aforementioned construction are shown, for example, in U.S. Design Pat. No. D333,539. When vacuuming carpets, the gasket elements, which may be bristle strips or elastomer strips, are retracted into the inside of the housing and the slide sole rests on the floor. To vacuum floors, the gasket elements are moved out at the lower part of the nozzle with an adjusting movement of the gasket base to support the upper part of the housing on the floor. The gasket base is often developed as a metal plate that is arranged to be vertically adjustable in the upper part of the housing and can be lowered against the action of return springs by means of a tilting lever that acts on the base plate. A pivotable arrangement of the base around a stationary pivot axis arranged inside the upper part of the housing at a rear segment is also generally known, as described in German Application No. DE 197 38 046 A1. A bristle strip is connected to the gasket base, which is developed as a rocker, and the bristle strip reaches through a gap between the slide sole and the upper part of the housing in a pivot movement of the gasket base. 
   During operation of the vacuum cleaner nozzle, great force is exerted on the gasket base, which must be absorbed by the housing. The gasket base, as well as the housing, which is comprised of a slide sole and an upper part, must have a high dimensional stability. Vacuum cleaner nozzles must be produced economically as mass products on modern assembly machines. To lower the production costs, they should be comprised of as few components as possible, and be assembled with a minimum of assembly steps. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Given this background, it is therefore an object of the invention to provide a vacuum cleaner nozzle having the functions described initially, which is constructed as simply as possible, can be easily assembled, and has a high dimensional stability with economic use of material. 
   These and other objects are achieved by a vacuum cleaner nozzle in which the slide sole is attached to the upper part of the housing with slip joints between pivot-shaped projections of the upper part of the housing and counter elements formed to the slide sole. The gasket base is pivotably held in a rear segment of the upper part of the housing in a working direction between the formed support webs of the upper part of the housing and the sliding sole, and is guided on at least one of the pivots formed by the slip joints. 
   The slide sole is preferably comprised of plastic. Furthermore, the gasket base is usefully guided at two pivots formed by the slip joints. The return spring can be developed as a torsion spring and formed directly on the gasket base or the slide sole, for example. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, however, separate spring elements, for example in the form of coil springs, are provided. In another embodiment, the gasket base has formed support surfaces for the return springs with one respective guide recess and a pivot reaching through the guide recess. The return springs are arranged on the pivots between the slide sole and the support surfaces of the gasket base. 
   The vacuum cleaner nozzle is constructed of few elements and can be assembled without screws. In the assembly, the tilting lever, the gasket base and the return valves are positioned as insertion parts in the upper part of the housing. Then the slide sole is engaged with the upper part of the housing. This completes the assembly. The pivots formed by the slip joints have multiple functions. For one, they brace the housing and in particular lend the slide sole high usage stability. Furthermore, they form guides for the return springs as well as for the pivot movement of the gasket base. They are permanent joints that cannot be removed without destruction. 
   The counter elements of the slide sole that cooperate with the pivot-shaped projections in the upper part of the housing are usefully developed as stump-shaped cylindrical elements with a mushroom head. A plurality of these elements are arranged across the surface of the slide sole. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, catch projections are additionally formed at the slide sole, which can be affixed to the connecting piece of the upper part of the housing and at the wall surfaces of the upper part of the housing. They snap into the appropriate counter elements and lend the sliding sole additional stability in these areas. 
   In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the gasket base is comprised of a pin-jointed frame plastic molding having a rod with cylindrical bearing surfaces and at least one profile strip parallel to the rod and being connected to the gasket element as a longitudinal member. There are also cross-members arranged on both sides of the suction channel to connect the longitudinal members. The gasket element that supports the profile strip is arranged in a working direction upstream of the connecting piece of the suction channel. 
   In an especially preferred embodiment of the invention, the gasket base has two profile strips that brace the plastic molding to connect gasket elements, with the profile strips being arranged in a working direction in front of and behind the suction port. The gasket element connected to the rear profile strip can be retracted or moved out through a gap in the slide sole that is preferably developed in one piece. 
   Bristle strips, rubber lips, dimensionally stable plastic strips, foamed material strips and the like can be fastened to the profile strips of the gasket base in random combinations depending on the respective application. In a preferred embodiment, a bristle strip is attached to the front profile strip and a strip of elastomer material is attached to the rear profile strip. 
   The tilting lever is usefully comprised of a pivotable shaft, at least one actuating surface developed as an impact switch as well as formed cam lobes that act on an assigned contact surface of the gasket base and can also be developed as plastic molding. 
   The gasket base usefully has two respective cross-members on both sides of the suction channel, which are spaced such that the impact switch dips into the free space between adjacent cross-members. The contact surfaces that cooperate with the tilting lever are also usefully arranged between the cross-members. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed as an illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the invention. 
     In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views: 
       FIG. 1  shows a frontal sectional view of the vacuum cleaner nozzle in accordance with the invention; 
       FIG. 2  shows a longitudinal section along lines II—II through the nozzle of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  shows a sectional view along lines III—III of the nozzle of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 4  shows an exploded view of the vacuum cleaner nozzle in accordance with the invention; 
       FIG. 5  shows a single component drawing of the slide sole in a representation that is enlarged relative to  FIG. 4 ; 
       FIG. 6  shows a sectional view along lines VI—VI of  FIG. 5 ; 
       FIG. 7  shows an interior view of the upper part of the vacuum nozzle housing; and 
       FIG. 8  shows a single component drawing of the gasket base in a representation that is enlarged relative to  FIG. 4 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
   The vacuum cleaner nozzle shown in the figures can be used for floors and carpets, either directly or with the interconnection of a flexible line on the suction side of a vacuum cleaner device. The principal structure of the vacuum cleaner nozzle includes an upper part  1  of the plastic housing and a plastic slide sole  2  having a suction port  3  as well as a gasket base  4  adjustably arranged inside the upper part  1  of the housing. The gasket base has at least one strip-shaped gasket element  5  that can be retracted and moved out at the lower side of the nozzle with an adjusting movement of the gasket base  4 . There is a tilting lever  6  comprised of a pivotable shaft  7 , at least one actuating surface developed as an impact switch  8  as well as formed cam lobes  9  that act on a respective contact surface  10  of gasket base  4 , as well as return springs  11  acting on gasket base  4 . A suction channel  12  is formed on upper part  1  of the housing, which has on its one end a connecting piece  13  connected to the slide sole  2  and is developed at the other end as joint cup  14  of a hinge joint  15 . Suction channel  12  forms a projection in the inside of the housing comprised of upper part  1  and slide sole  2 . Suction port  3  is comprised of a flow channel  16  formed into slide sole  2 , which extends from a central opening  17  that runs into suction channel  12  transversely to suction channel  12 . 
   Gasket base  4  is pivotably arranged in upper part  1  around an axis  18  and is comprised of a pin-jointed frame plastic molding having as a first longitudinal member a rod  19  with cylindrical bearing surfaces, for example in form of an integral shaft, and parallel to the rod two profile strips  20 ,  20 ′ that brace the pin-jointed frame as additional longitudinal members to connect gasket elements  5 ,  5 ′. Profile strips  20 ,  20 ′ are arranged in front of and behind suction port  3  in working direction, with a bristle strip  5  being connected to the front profile strip  20  and a rubber lip  5 ′ being connected to the rear profile strip  20 ′. During a pivot movement of the gasket base  4 , bristle strip  5  reaches through a gap between slide sole  2  and upper part  1  of the housing. Gasket lip  5 ′ can be retracted and moved out through a gap in integrally developed slide sole  2 . Rod  19 , which is developed with cylindrical support surfaces, for example as a shaft, is rotationally held in a rear segment of upper part  1  of the housing in working direction, between slide sole  2  and formed bearing webs  21  of upper part  1  of the housing. Longitudinal members  19 ,  20 ,  20 ′ are connected by proportionally formed cross-members  22  arranged at both sides of suction channel  12 . 
   Slide sole  2  is fastened at upper part  1  of the housing with permanent joint slip joints  23  between pivot-shaped projections  24  of the upper part of the housing and counter elements  25  formed onto the slide sole. The counter-elements  25  are developed as stump-shaped cylindrical elements with mushroom head, as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
   Gasket base  4  is guided at two of the pivots formed by slip joints  23  and has formed support surfaces  26  for return springs  11  with one respective guide recess  27 , with the assigned pivot reaching through recess  27 .  FIG. 2  shows that return springs  11  are arranged on the pivots formed by elements  24 ,  25  between slide sole  2  and support surfaces  26  of gasket base  4 . The pivots formed by slip joints  23  brace the housing of the vacuum cleaner nozzle, which is comprised of slide sole  2  and upper part  1  of the housing, and stabilize slide sole  2 . A plurality of counter elements  25  are arranged on a flat segment of slide sole  2 , which connects behind suction port  3  in a working direction. In addition, catch projections  28 ,  28 ′ are formed at slide sole  2 , which can be affixed at the connecting piece  13  of upper part  1  of the housing and at the wall surfaces of upper part  1  of the housing ( FIG. 1 ). A comparative view, in particular of  FIGS. 1 ,  5  and  6 , furthermore reveals that the opening  17  of slide sole  2 , which runs into suction channel  12 , is surrounded by formed projections  29  that engage in connecting piece  13  of the suction channel  12  and seal the transition between suction port  3  of slide sole  2  and suction channel  12  of upper part  1  of the housing against extraneous air. 
   In the embodiment, the gasket base has two respective cross-members  22  on both sides of suction channel  12 , which are spaced such that impact switch  8  dips into the free space between adjacent cross-members  22 . The contact surfaces  10  cooperating with actuating lever  6  are also arranged between cross-members  22 . 
   In front of and behind suction port  3 , slide sole  2  has recesses, with thread lifting strips  30 , for example of tilted bristle velour, being glued into said recesses. Furthermore,  FIG. 4  shows that hinge joint  15  has an integral shaft axis  31 , with wheels  32  being plugged onto the ends of said shaft axis. 
   Upper part  1  of the housing, slide sole  2 , gasket base  4  as well as actuating lever  6  are one-piece plastics moldings that can be produced economically in the injection molding process and are used without machining. During the assembly, actuating lever  6 , gasket base  4  as well as return springs  11  are positioned inside upper part  1  of the housing. Then plastic slide sole  2  is engaged with upper part  1  of the housing. The vacuum cleaner nozzle does not comprise any screws and can be produced economically with the use of fully automated assembly facilities. 
   Accordingly, while only a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it is obvious that many changes and modifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.