US20060248679A1

US20060248679A1 - Precision vacuum cleaner head

Info

Publication number: US20060248679A1
Application number: US11/123,666
Authority: US
Inventors: Richard Smith
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-05-06
Filing date: 2005-05-06
Publication date: 2006-11-09

Abstract

A precision vacuum cleaner head is to be employed on a variety of vacuum cleaning units, the head being especially adaptable for use with portable, handheld vacuum cleaning units. The head has a tapered outer housing configured to enter and clean corners. The housing encloses a chamber which has two different sized rotary brush members, the smaller of which is located at the tapered end of the housing. Airflow suction from the vacuum cleaner provides a vacuum suction airflow in the housing. This airflow acts on a turbo drive wheel to rotate both brush members. The tapered housing permits efficient and effective cleaning of both flat surfaces and corners.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Vacuum cleaner heads commonly comprise an outer housing with an extended section attached to a suction connection line which receives suctioned airflow generated by a vacuum cleaning unit. A suction opening is normally located at the lower part of the housing and a rotary brush member is mounted in the housing and is located close to this suction opening. The rotary brush member is routinely driven by a turbine drive wheel which is caused to turn when acted upon by the flow of the suction air from the vacuum cleaning unit. The drive wheel turns the rotary brush member. Bristles on the rotary brush member extend out through the housing's suction opening and the rotation of the brush member and its bristles in combination with the vacuum suction, brushes up and suctions dirt from soiled surfaces below the opening.
While such vacuum cleaner heads have been designed and manufactured with a variety of shapes and designs, there have been no heads which efficiently and effectively clean both soiled flat surfaces and corners and below edges or cantilevered areas. Handheld vacuum units, especially, lack the capacity to clean these areas. For example, handheld units used to clean pool table surfaces do not have access to areas under the table's cantilevered side rails, and so are ineffective in providing full cleaning.
Moreover, current prior cleaner heads, especially for handheld portable vacuum cleaner units, routinely employ the use of a single rotary brush. Such a configuration is also not efficient in adequately cleaning flat surfaces and corners.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is thus the object of the present invention to overcome the limitations and disadvantages of prior vacuum cleaning heads.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a precision vacuum cleaner head which can be used on normal vacuum cleaners and also advantageously employed for portable, handheld vacuuming units.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a precision vacuum cleaner head which is compact in design, but effectively cleans flat and cornered soiled surfaces.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a precision vacuum cleaner head which employs two different sized rotary brush members to efficiently brush and vacuum soiled surfaces.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a precision vacuum cleaner head which has a tapered housing configuration and which, in tandem with dual rotating brush members, effectively and efficiently cleans flat surfaces and corners.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a precision vacuum cleaner head which is especially adapted for use on portable vacuum units used to clean table top surfaces and corner areas under cantilevered table side rails.
These and other objects are accomplished by the present invention, a precision vacuum cleaner head to be employed on a variety of vacuum cleaning units, the head being especially adaptable for use with portable, handheld vacuum cleaning units. The head has a tapered outer housing configured to enter and clean corners. The housing encloses a chamber which has two different sized rotary brush members, the smaller of which is located at the tapered end of the housing. Airflow suction from the vacuum cleaner provides a vacuum suction airflow in the housing. This airflow acts on a turbo drive wheel to rotate both brushes. The tapered housing permits efficient and effective cleaning of both flat surfaces and corners.
Novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its design, construction and use, together with the additional features and advantages thereof, are best understood upon review of the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view of the precision vacuum cleaner head of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a broken away front view of the precision vacuum cleaner head of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Precision vacuum cleaner head 1 of the present invention is configured to be used with a variety of vacuum cleaning units, and is especially adaptable for use with portable handheld cleaner units. Cleaner head 1 comprises housing 2 whose upper surface 4 is tapered gradually downward, from after section 6 to forward tapered section 8 of the housing. Housing 2 has extension section 10 which is configured for attachment to section connection line 12 which heads to the vacuum source of the cleaning unit.
Enclosed within housing 2 is substantially open chamber 14. Located within chamber 14 is first cylindrical rotary brush member 16, second cylindrical rotary brush member 18, and turbo drive wheel 20. First brush member 16 is larger in diameter than second brush member 18. First brush member 16 also has longer bristles 22 than second brush member 18, whose bristles 24 may also be finer than bristles 22. Suction opening 19 at the bottom of housing 2 allows bristles 22 and 24 of brush members 16 and 18 respectively to contact soiled surfaces to be cleaned.
Brush members 16 and 18 are rotated by turbo drive wheel 20 via drive belt 26. Airflow suction 30 from the cleaning unit's vacuum source provides the vacuum suction for cleaner head 1. This airflow 30 acts on turbo drive wheel 20, which in turn drives belt 26, thereby rotating brush members 16 and 18.
The rotation of rotary brush members 16 and 18, and particularly their bristles 22 and 24 respectively, on soiled surface 40, in combination with the vacuum in chamber 14 created by the cleaning unit's vacuum source, suctions dirt through the chamber and out line 12, providing the cleaning action for head 1.
Second brush member 18 is advantageously positioned within forward tapered section 8 of housing 2. This and the tapered nature of housing 2, permits second brush member 18 to be used to clean corner areas 42, under cantilevered edges 44, where prior cleaning heads can not reach or extend to suction clean.
Manually adjustable slide or similar type valve 30 is located on housing 2. Valve 30 is used to control the amount of suction within chamber 14. Full closure of valve 30 results in the greatest suction, the suction decreasing as the valve is opened.
Precision cleaner head 1 of the present invention is quite versatile in being able to efficiently clean areas which other heads both do not have access to and cannot offer adequate suction. It is particularly adaptable for use with a handheld pool table cleaning unit, to not only vacuum dirt off the top playing surface of pool tables, but especially to suction dirt which has a tendency to accumulate under the cantilevered side rails of pool tables. While this use of the invention is specifically discussed, its use is by no means so restricted.
Certain novel features and components of this invention are disclosed in detail in order to make the invention clear in at least one form thereof. However, it is to be clearly understood that the invention as disclosed is not necessarily limited to the exact form and details as disclosed, since it is apparent that various modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner head comprising:

a tapered housing with a forward end section, an after end section, and an upper surface which is tapered from the forward end section downwardly to the after end section, said housing having a substantially enclosed chamber, and an extension section for connection to a line from a vacuum source;

first rotary brush means located within the chamber, for cleaning soiled surfaces;

second rotary brush means, being smaller than the first rotary brush means, for cleaning soiled surfaces, said second brush means being located within the chamber, in the tapered forward section of the housing; and

turbo means located within the chamber for rotatably driving the first and second rotary brush means.

2. The vacuum cleaner head as in claim 1 further comprising belt means extending between the turbo means and the first and second brush means for rotatably driving both said brush means.

3. The vacuum cleaner head as in claim 1 wherein the turbo means is driven by vacuum suction through the extension section of the housing.

4. The vacuum cleaner head as in claim 1 further comprising an opening in the housing through which the first and second rotary brush means clean soiled surfaces.

5. The vacuum cleaner head as in claim 1 wherein the first rotary brush means comprises a plurality of brush bristles and the second rotary brush means comprises a plurality of brush bristles which are smaller than the bristles of the first rotary brush means.

6. The vacuum cleaner head as in claim 1 further comprising adjustable means to control vacuum suction within the chamber.

7. The vacuum cleaner head as in claim 6 wherein the suction control means comprises a valve located on the housing.