COMBINATION RUG AND FLOOR VACUUM CLEANER NOZZLE

• US 3,768,114 A
• Filed: 09/03/1971
• Issued: 10/30/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Osten Schwartz
• Original Assignee: Osten Schwartz
• Inventors: Schwartz, Osten
• Primary Examiner(s): Petrakes, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Moore, C. K.
• Application Number:
  US05/177,665
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• Field of Search: 15/319,365,368,371,373,419
• US Class Current: 15/319
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/02 Nozzles suction nozzles for fluid transport B65G51/00
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/06 with fixed, e.g. adjustably fixed brushes or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0646 with pneumatic actuation

Abstract

A combination rug and floor vacuum cleaner nozzle has a suction inlet which serves as one cleaning tool and is movable over a porous object like a rug to remove dirt therefrom. A brush serving as another cleaning tool is mounted on the nozzle at the vicinity of the suction inlet for movement between upper and lower positions respectively above and below the suction inlet. The suction inlet functions to remove dirt from a rug when the brush is in its upper position and the brush functions to remove dirt from a smooth object like a floor when it is in its lower position. Pneumatic mechanism operable responsive solely to operating conditions prevailing when the nozzle is moved either over a smooth object or a porous object becomes effective to automatically shift the brush above or below the suction inlet, respectively, to position the proper cleaning tool in contact with the object to be cleaned even when the vacuum producing ability of the vacuum cleaner connected to the nozzle varies within wide limits.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner nozzle which includes a. first and second operating surfaces for performing different types of cleaning, b. said nozzle comprising a body including means defining a first passageway having a suction inlet at the vicinity of said operating surfaces and an outlet adapted to be connected to a source of supply of air at a partial vacuum, said first passageway providing a path of flow for air between the inlet and outlet, c. means for mounting said second operating surface on said body for movement between upper and lower positions with respect to said first operating surface, said first operating surface functioning to clean an object with which it is in contact when said second operating surface is in its upper position and said second operating surface functioning to clean an object with which it is in contact when it is in its lower position, d. means providing a second passageway having one end thereof in communication with a first region of said first passageway and the opposite end thereof in communication with said movable mounting means, e. a valve which is movable between open and closed positions and in said second passageway intermediate the ends thereof and acted upon by the pressure differential of air at a partial vacuum in said first region of said first passageway and of air At a partial vacuum in a second region of said first passageway, f. said valve moving to its closed position when said pressure differential is above a definite value and the rate at which air flows through said first passageway is in a first range and moving to its open position when said pressure differential is below the definite value and the rate at which air flows through said first passageway is in a second lower range, and g. said movable mounting means being rendered operable to move said second operating surface to its upper position when said valve is in its open position.

2. A vacuum cleaner nozzle as set forth in claim 1 in which said second region in said first passageway is removed lengthwise therein from said first region, and means between said first and second regions for throttling air flowing in said first passageway between said regions.

3. A vacuum cleaner nozzle as set forth in claim 2 in which said second passageway has a break at which the adjacent ends of two sections thereof terminate, one of said sections in communication with said first region of said first passageway terminating in an opening at said break which defines a seat against which one face of said valve is adapted to move in sealing relation therewith, a first segment of said one face of said valve moving against said seat defining a first part of the area of said valve, and the other of said sections of said second passageway in communication with said movable mounting means also terminating at an opening at said break, a second segment of said one face of said valve co-acting with the last-mentioned opening of the other of said sections defining a second remaining part of said valve area, and the opposite face of said valve being in communication with said second region of said first passageway.

4. A vacuum cleaner nozzle as set forth in claim 3 in which said valve comprises a flexible diaphragm, and means for securing the peripheral edge portion of said diaphragm in said body adjacent to said break in said second passageway, the ratio of the area of the first part of said diaphragm to the entire cross-sectional area thereof being such that flexing of said first and second segments of said diaphragm at opposing sides of said seat in substantially the same manner is promoted when said diaphragm moves to its closed position.

5. A vacuum cleaner nozzle as set forth in claim 3 in which said valve comprises a resilient diaphragm, means for securing the peripheral edge portion of said diaphragm in said body adjacent to said break in said second passageway, said seat being defined by a sharp edge formed at said break by the opening in said first section of said second passageway, and said diaphragm having a larger cross-sectional area than the cross-sectional area of said seat with the radial distance of said diaphragm from said seat to the peripheral edge portion thereof being such that zones of said diaphragm at both sides of the edge of said seat and immediately adjacent thereto flex and move in substantially the same manner.

6. A vacuum cleaner nozzle as set forth in claim 1 in which said means for movably mounting said second operating surface on said body comprises a diaphragm, spring means acting on said diaphragm for moving said second operating surface in a first direction to its lower position, and said movable mounting means being acted upon by air at a partial vacuum when said valve moves to its open position and said second passageway is open, such air at a partial vacuum being operable to overcome said spring means and move said second operating surface in a second opposite direction to its upper position.

7. A vacuum cleaner nozzle as set forth in claim 3 in which said first section of said second passageway includes two portions, a first portion of which is nearer to said first region of said first passageway and a second portion of which is nearer to said valve and has the opening defining said seat, and the cross-sectional area of said second poRtion at said seat being greater than the cross-sectional area of said first portion.

8. A vacuum cleaner nozzle as set forth in claim 7 in which the junction between the first and second portions has a restriction which throttles air flowing therethrough when said valve is in its open position.

9. A vacuum cleaner nozzle as set forth in claim 3 in which said means for movably mounting said second operating surface on said body comprises a diaphragm, spring means acting on said diaphragm for moving said second operating surface in a first direction to its lower position, said body having a space defined by wall means and said diaphragm, the other of said sections of said second passageway in communication with said mounting means being connected to said space, said mounting means being acted upon by air at a partial vacuum when said valve moves to its open position and said second passageway is open, such air at a partial vacuum and in said space being operable to overcome said spring means and more said second operating surface in a second opposite direction to its upper position, and said wall means defining said space having an opening for ambient air at atmospheric pressure to flow into said space.

10. A vacuum cleaner nozzle which includes a. first and second operating surfaces for performing different types of cleaning, b. said nozzle comprising a body including means defining a first passageway having a suction inlet at the vicinity of said operating surfaces and an outlet adapted to be connected to a source of supply of air at a partial vacuum, said first passageway providing a path of flow for air between the inlet and outlet, c. means for mounting said second operating surface on said body for movement between upper and lower positions with respect to said first operating surface, (1) said first operating surface being operable to clean a soft porous surface with which it is in contact when said second operating surface is in its upper position and (2) said second operating surface being operable to clean a smooth surface with which it is in contact when it is in its lower position, d. structure defining a space, e. said mounting means being operable (1) to move said second operating surface relative to said first operating surface from its lower position to its upper position responsive to air in said space at a first pressure which is at a partial vacuum and operable (2) to move said second operating surface relative to said first operating surface to its lower position responsive to air in said space at a second higher pressure, f. means providing a second passageway for air between said first passageway and said space, g. valve means in said second passageway which is movable between closed and open positions, h. means operable to control said valve means responsive solely to the pressure differential of air in first and second regions in said first passageway which varies with the physical characteristics of the surface being cleaned by the nozzle and over which said body is moved, said valve means moving to its closed position when said pressure differential is above a definite value and the rate at which air flows through said first passageway is relatively high and in a first range and moving to its open position when said pressure differential is below the definite value and the rate at which air flows through said first passageway is relatively low and in a second lower range, and i. said structure defining said space being so constructed and formed that, during normal operation of said nozzle when said outlet is connected to a source of supply of air at a partial vacuum, the air in said space will be at the first pressure when said valve means is open and at the second higher pressure when said valve means is closed.

11. A vacuum cleaner nozzle as set forth in claim 10 in which said means for mounting said second operating surface on said body for movement between its upper and lowEr positions comprises a flexible diaphragm.

12. A vacuum cleaner nozzle as set forth in claim 11 in which said structure defining said space includes said flexible diaphragm.

13. A vacuum cleaner nozzle as set forth in claim 12 which includes resilient means biasing said flexible diaphragm to render the latter operable to move said second operating surface in one direction to its lower position when said valve means is closed and the air in said space is at the second higher pressure, the air in said space at the first pressure, which is at a partial vacuum when said valve means is open, overcoming the biasing action of said flexible diaphragm means by said resilient means to move said second operating surface in the opposite direction to its upper position.

14. A vacuum cleaner nozzle as set forth in claim 10 in which said structure defining said space is so constructed and formed that, during normal operation of said nozzle when said outlet is connected to a source of supply of air at a partial vacuum, ambient air can flow into said space and the air therein will be at the second higher pressure which is at or approaches atmospheric pressure when said valve means is closed and at the first pressure which is at a partial vacuum when said valve means is open.

15. A vacuum cleaner nozzle as set forth in claim 14 in which said structure defining said space includes a wall member having an opening for ambient air to flow into said space.

16. A vacuum cleaner nozzle which includes a. first and second operating surfaces for performing different types of cleaning, b. said nozzle comprising a body including means defining a first passageway having a suction inlet at the vicinity of said operating surfaces and an outlet adapted to be connected to a source of supply of air at a partial vacuum, said first passageway providing a path of flow for air between the inlet and outlet, c. means for mounting said second operating surface on said body for movement between upper and lower positions with respect to said first operating surface, (1) said first operating surface being operable to clean a soft porous surface with which it is in contact when said second operating surface is in its upper position and (2) said second operating surface being operable to clean a smooth surface with which it is in contact when it is in its lower position, d. structure defining a space, e. said mounting means being operable (1) to move said second operating surface relative to said first operating surface from its lower position to its upper position responsive to air in said space at a first pressure which is at a partial vacuum and operable (2) to move said second operating surface relative to said first operating surface to its lower position responsive to air in said space at a second higher pressure, f. means providing a second passageway for air between a first region in said first passageway and said space, g. valve means in said second passageway which is movable between closed and open positions, h. means providing a third passageway for air which extends from a second region in said first passageway to said valve means, said third passageway being out of communication with said second passageway, i. said valve means and second and third passageways being so constructed and arranged that said valve means moves to its closed position when the pressure differential of air in said first and second regions of said first passageway is above a definite value and the rate at which air flows through said first passageway is in a first range and moves to its open position when the pressure differential of air in said first and second regions of said first passageway is below the definite value and the rate at which air flows through said first passageway is in a second lower range, and j. said structure defining said space being so constructed and formed that, during normal operation of said nozzle when said outlet is connected to a source of supply air at a partial vacuum, the air in said space will be at the first pressure when said valve means is open and at the second higher pressure when said valve means is closed.

17. A vacuum cleaner nozzle as set forth in claim 16 in which said first and second regions in said first passageway are spaced apart lengthwise thereof.

18. A vacuum cleaner nozzle as set forth in claim 17 in which said means defining said first passageway is of reduced cross-sectional area at a zone between said first and second regions.

19. A vacuum cleaner nozzle as set forth in claim 16 in which said valve means comprises a diaphragm, said third passageway being out of communication with said second passageway by said diaphragm.

20. A vacuum cleaner nozzle as set forth in claim 19 in which said third passageway extending from said second region in said first passageway terminates at said diaphragm.

21. A vacuum cleaner nozzle as set forth in claim 20 in which said second passageway includes first and second sections, said first section at one end being in communication with said first region in said first passageway and at the other end terminating at an opening defining a seat against which said diaphragm bears when said valve means is closed, said second section at one end being in communication with said space and at the other end terminating at an opening of annular form which is adjacent to said diaphragm and disposed about said seat.

22. A vacuum cleaner nozzle as set forth in claim 21 in which the area of said diaphragm includes one portion substantially equal to the cross-sectional area of said seat and another portion substantially equal to the cross-sectional area of the opening of annular form at the other end of said second section of said second passageway.

23. A vacuum cleaner nozzle as set forth in claim 21 in which said diaphragm has a larger cross-sectional area than the cross-sectional area of said seat with the radial distance of said diaphragm from said seat to its periphery being such that zones of said diaphragm at both sides of the edge of said seat and immediately adjacent thereto flex and move in substantially the same manner.

24. A vacuum cleaner nozzle as set forth in claim 23 in which said seat has a sharp edge.

25. A vacuum cleaner nozzle as set forth in claim 21 in which said first section of said second passageway, at a zone adjacent to said seat, is of larger cross-sectional area than the portion thereof nearer to said first passageway.

26. A vacuum cleaner nozzle as set forth in claim 25 in which the air outlet end of said zone is of reduced cross-sectional area and throttles air in its path of flow from said diaphragm to said first passageway in said first section of said second passageway.