FLEXIBLE SKIRT CONSTRUCTION FOR A VACUUM CLEANING NOZZLE AND THE LIKE

• US 3,780,398 A
• Filed: 02/08/1972
• Issued: 12/25/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: James T. Candor
• Original Assignee: James T. Candor
• Inventors: Candor, James T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hornsby, Harvey C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Moore, C. K.
• Application Number:
  US05/224,484
• Time in Patent Office: 686 Days
• Field of Search: 15/393,396,399,403,414,415,420,421,418
• US Class Current: 15/415.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/02 Nozzles suction nozzles for fluid transport B65G51/00

Abstract

In combination with a nozzle construction for a vacuum cleaning operation, a separate member having a body portion detachably secured to the nozzle construction and having a flexible wall surrounding the inlet of the nozzle construction and outboard of the same to have one side thereof engage against a surface means around the inlet to substantially seal the inlet of the nozzle construction to the surface means. The flexible wall is so constructed and arranged that a pressure differential acting across the same and resulting from a vacuum pump drawing fluid from the surface means into the inlet of the nozzle construction is adapted to cause the flexible wall to be urged toward the surface means to substantially seal against the same around the inlet and substantially conform to the contour of the surface means outboard of the nozzle construction.

Claims

1. In combination, a conventional vacuum cleaner nozzle construction that is normally utilized by itself with a vacuum cleaner for a vacuum cleaning operation or the like comprising a support means having opening means therein provided with an outlet to be interconnected to a vacuum pump means and an inlet to be disposed adjacent a surface means to be cleaned, and a separate member having a body portion detachably secured to said nozzle construction and having a flexible wall surrounding said inlet to have one side thereof engage against said surface means around said inlet to substantially seal said inlet of said support means to said surface means, said flexible wall being so constructed and arranged tHat a pressure differential acting across the same and resulting from said vacuum pump means drawing fluid from said surface means into said inlet and out through said outlet of said opening means is adapted to cause said flexible wall to be urged toward said surface means to substantially seal against the same around said inlet and substantially conform to the contour of said surface means outboard of said inlet.

2. A nozzle construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein said flexible wall has an inner peripheral means and an outer peripheral means, said inner peripheral means being disposed intermediate said outer peripheral means and said inlet of said support means, said flexible wall having a substantially continuous rigidifying means secured to said outer peripheral means of said flexible wall and aurrounding said inlet of said support means outboard of said inlet.

3. A nozzle construction as set forth in claim 2 wherein said flexible wall has a length between said rigidifying means and said support means greater than the distance between said support means at said inlet thereof and said rigidifying means in any transverse cross section thereof when said rigidifying means is in at least one position relative to said support means.

4. A nozzle construction as set forth in claim 3 wherein said flexible wall has at least one continuous flute between its inner and outer peripheral means and surrounding said inlet of said support means to at least partially take up some of the slack thereof between said rigidifying means and said support means when said rigidifying means is in said one position thereof.

5. A nozzle construction as set forth in claim 3 wherein stabilizing means is interconnected to said rigidifying means and said support means to tend to maintain said rigidifying means in a certain spaced relation about said support means when said support means and said rigidifying means are disposed against said surface means.

6. A nozzle construction as set forth in claim 5 wherein said stabilizing means is so constructed and arranged that said rigidifying means can move axially relative to said inlet of said support means.

7. A nozzle construction as set forth in claim 3 wherein the slack in said flexible wall between said support means and said rigidifying means when said rigidifying means is in said one position thereof is such that when said support means and said rigidifying means are disposed against said surface means the support means can be moved against the inside of said rigidifying means at one point thereof and said flexible wall will still have slack between said support means and said rigidifying means in any transverse cross section thereof.

8. A nozzle construction as set forth in claim 1 wherein said one side of said flexible wall has spacing means thereon to provide a controlled fluid flow between said one side of said flexible wall and said surface means.

9. A flexible skirt construction for use with a conventional vacuum cleaner nozzle construction that is normally utilized by itself with a vacuum cleaner for a vacuum cleaning operation or the like wherein said nozzle construction has a support means provided with an outlet to be interconnected to a vacuum pump means and an inlet to be disposed adjacent a surface means to be cleaned, said flexible skirt construction comprising a body portion adapted to be detachably secured to said nozzle construction and having a flexible wall adapted to surround said inlet to have one side thereof engage against said surface means around said inlet to substantially seal said inlet of said support means to said surface means, said flexible wall being so constructed and arranged that a pressure differential acting across the same and resulting from said vacuum pump means drawing fluid from said surface means into said inlet and out through said outlet of said opening means is adapted to cause said flexible wall to be urged toward said surface means to substantially seal against the same around saId inlet and substantially conform to the contour of said surface means outboard of said inlet.

10. A flexible skirt construction as set forth in claim 9 wherein said flexible wall has an inner peripheral means and an outer peripheral means, said inner peripheral means being adapted to be disposed intermediate said outer peripheral means and said inlet of said support means, said flexible wall having a substantially continuous rigidifying means secured to said outer peripheral means of said flexible wall and being adapted to surround said inlet of said support means outboard of said inlet.

11. A flexible skirt construction as set forth in claim 10 wherein said flexible wall has a length between said rigidifying means and said inner peripheral means greater than the distance between said inner peripheral means and said rigidifying means in any transverse cross section thereof when said rigidifying means is in at least one position relative to said inner peripheral means.

12. A flexible skirt construction as set forth in claim 11 wherein said flexible wall has at least one continuous flute between its inner and outer peripheral means and being adapted to surround said inet of said support means to at least partially take up some of the slack thereof between said rigidifying means and said inner peripheral means when said rigidifying means is in said one position thereof.

13. A flexible skirt construction as set forth in claim 11 wherein stabilizing means is interconnected to said rigidifying means and said body portion to tend to maintain said rigidifying means in a certain spaced relation about said body portion when said rigidifying means is disposed against said surface means.

14. A flexible skirt construction as set forth in claim 13 wherein said stabilizing means is so constructed and arranged that said rigidifying means can move axially relative to said body portion.

15. A nozzle construction as set forth in claim 11 wherein the slack in said flexible wall between said inner peripheral means and said rigidifying means when said rigidifying means is in said one position thereof is such that when said support means and said rigidifying means are disposed against said surface means the support means can be moved against the inside of said rigidifying means at one point thereof and said flexible wall will still have slack between said inner peripheral means and said rigidifying means in any transverse cross section thereof.

16. A flexible skirt construction as set forth in claim 9 wherein said one side of said flexible wall has spacing means thereon to provide a controlled fluid flow between said one side of said flexible wall and said surface means.