Flexible Crevice Tool Attachment for Vacuum Appliances

• US 20100170060A1
• Filed: 01/06/2009
• Published: 07/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emerson Electric Company
• Original Assignee: Emerson Electric Company
• Inventors: Eccardt, Curtis J., Hollis, Robert R., Williams, Matthew A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,533,907 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/415.100
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/36 Suction cleaners with hose between nozzle and casing; Suction cleaners for fixing on staircases; Suction cleaners for carrying on the back
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/02 Nozzles suction nozzles for fluid transport B65G51/00

Abstract

A flexible accessory tool for a vacuum appliance is described, comprising an elongated body with a body portion having an attachment end, a nozzle end spaced apart from the attachment end and having an opening formed therein, and a flexible intermediate region for imparting flexibility to the accessory tool during use. The flexible intermediate region is made up of a rigid skeleton portion having a one or more ribs and support struts, over which a layer of non air-permeable flexible material is applied. During use, the flexible accessory tool may be bent to extreme angles in order to reach and clean debris from hard to reach areas, while not suffering from a decrease in vacuum air flow through the tool as it flexes.

Claims

1. An accessory tool for a vacuum appliance, the tool comprising:

an extended body;

an attachment end of the extended body for slidably mounting the tool to a hose assembly connected to the vacuum appliance;

a nozzle end spaced apart from the attachment end and having an air flow entrance; and

a self-supporting, flexible region integrally formed with and intermediate between the attachment end and the nozzle end,

wherein the flexible region comprises one or more support ribs.

2. The accessory tool of claim 1, wherein the flexible region further comprises a flexible layer extending over the outer surface of the one or more support ribs.

3. The accessory tool of claim 1, wherein the flexible layer is an elastomer over-molded over the one or more support ribs such that the elastomer extends in between each of the one or more support ribs.

4. The accessory tool of claim 3, wherein the elastomer is selected from the group consisting of rubbers, polypropylene, polyurethane, and thermoplastic elastomers.

5. The accessory tool of claim 1, wherein the attachment end, the nozzle end, and the flexible region are integrally molded in one piece.

6. The accessory tool of claim 1, wherein the flexible region is laterally bendable about a central axis extending through the tool about a radius ranging from about 0°

to about 45°

without decreasing the vacuum flow through the tool.

15. A process of manufacturing an accessory tool of claim 1, wherein the process comprises:

forming a body component comprising an attachment end, a laterally spaced apart nozzle end, and an elongated flexing region intermediate spaced intermediate between the attachment end and the nozzle end,

wherein the elongated flexing region comprises one or more support ribs forming a plurality of rib spaces; and

,

over-molding an elastomeric material over at least the outer surface of the elongated flexing region using vacuum pressure, such that at least a portion of the elastomeric material is drawn into the plurality of rib spaces.

16. The process of claim 15, wherein the body component is formed by an extrusion process.

17. The process of claim 15, wherein the body component is formed by a mold-forming process.

18. The process of claim 15, wherein the over-molding of the elastomer is carried out in a direction from the attachment end toward the nozzle end using vacuum pressure.

7. A flexible accessory tool for a vacuum appliance, the tool comprising:

an extended body;

an attachment end for slidably mounting to a hose assembly connected to the vacuum appliance;

a nozzle end spaced apart from the attachment end and having an air flow entrance;

a self-supporting, flexible region integrally formed with and substantially intermediate between the attachment end and the nozzle end and comprising one or more support ribs forming rib spaces in between the ribs; and

an non air-permeable flexible material extending over the one or more support ribs.

8. The accessory tool of claim 7, wherein the non air-permeable flexible material is an elastomeric material over-molded over the outer surface of the one or more support ribs.

9. The accessory tool of claim 8, wherein the elastomer is selected from the group consisting of rubbers, polypropylene, polyurethane, and thermoplastic elastomers.

10. The accessory tool of claim 7, wherein the flexible region is laterally bendable about a central axis extending through the tool about a radius ranging from about 0°

to about 45°

without decreasing the vacuum flow rate through the tool.

11. A flexible accessory tool for a vacuum appliance having a central axis, the tool comprising:

an extended body;

an attachment end for attachment to a suction means associated with the vacuum appliance;

a nozzle opening spaced opposite and apart from the attachment end along a central axis of the body of the tool; and

an elongated, spiral portion positioned intermediate between the attachment end and the nozzle opening,

wherein the spiral portion comprises a continuous rib formed in a helix shape about the central axis.

12. The accessory tool of claim 11, further comprising an elastomeric material overmolded over the outer surface of the elongated spiral portion.

13. The accessory tool of claim 11, wherein the tool has 360°

of flexibility about the central axis extending through the tool.

14. The accessory tool of claim 12, wherein the elastomer is selected from the group consisting of rubbers, polypropylene, polyurethane, and thermoplastic elastomers.

19. An accessory tool for a vacuum appliance, the tool comprising:

a hollow, tubular body portion with a working air passageway formed therein about a central longitudinal axis and having an attachment end for attachment to a vacuum appliance;

an elongated, tapered body region extending from one end of the tubular body portion;

a nozzle opening located at the end opposite the attachment end for the fluid uptake of debris-containing air into the working air passageway of the tool; and

,

an elongated flexing region intermediate spaced intermediate between the tapered body region and the nozzle opening,

wherein the elongated flexing region comprises one or more support ribs forming a plurality of rib spaces.

20. The accessory tool of claim 19, further comprising an elastomeric material overmolded over the outer surface of the elongated flexing region.

21. The accessory tool of claim 20, wherein the elastomer is selected from the group consisting of rubbers, polypropylene, polyurethane, and thermoplastic elastomers.

22. The accessory tool of claim 19, wherein the tool has 360°

of flexibility about the central axis extending through the tool without decreasing the vacuum flow through the tool.

23. The accessory tool of claim 19, wherein the elongated flexing region is an elongated, spiral portion positioned intermediate between the attachment end and the nozzle opening, and wherein the spiral portion comprises a single continuous rib formed in a helix shape about the central axis.

24. The accessory tool of claim 19, wherein the elongated flexing region is laterally bendable about the central axis extending through the tool about a radius ranging from about 0°

to about 45°

without decreasing the vacuum flow through the tool.

25. A wet/dry vacuum kit, the kit comprising:

a wet/dry vacuum appliance;

a flexible hose having a female connector on one end and a male connector on a second, opposite end; and

,

an accessory tool for use with the vacuum appliance, the tool comprising;

an elongated, generally tubular body;

an attachment end for slidably mounting to a hose assembly connected to the vacuum appliance;

a nozzle end spaced apart from the attachment end and having an air flow entrance; and

a self-supporting, flexible region integrally formed between the attachment end and the nozzle end,

wherein the flexible region comprises one or more support ribs.

26. The kit of claim 25, further comprising an elongated extension tube having a female connector on one end and a male connector on a second, opposite end.