Ceiling fan brush and adjustable angle tube vacuum connector for same

• US 5,313,687 A
• Filed: 08/14/1992
• Issued: 05/24/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Norman J. Schneider
• Original Assignee: Norman J. Schneider
• Inventors: Schneider, Norman J.
• Primary Examiner(s): MOORE, CHRISTOPHER K
• Application Number:
  US07/929,336
• Time in Patent Office: 648 Days
• Field of Search: 15/398, 15/399, 15/400, 15/394
• US Class Current: 15/394
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/00 Suction cleaners adapted for additional purposes suction devices for removing ash F23J1/02; Tables with suction openings for cleaning purposes; Containers for cleaning articles by suction; Suction cleaners adapted to cleaning of brushes; Suction cleaners adapted to taking-up liquids
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/009 Details of suction cleaner tools for additional purposes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/06 with fixed, e.g. adjustably fixed brushes or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0613 with means specially adapted for picking up threads, hair or the like, e.g. brushes, combs, lint pickers or bristles pads
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0693 Specially shaped nozzles, e.g. for cleaning radiators, tubes, fans or the like; Dusters
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/242 Hose or pipe couplings

Abstract

An elongated body, has internally formed a plenum chamber opening to one face of the body. A pair of side brushes mounted on the face projected outwardly thereof and being spaced laterally from each other and extending over the major length of the body. A pair of longitudinally opposed end brushes spanned transversely across the body face from one side brush to the other project outwardly of the one face in the direction of the side brushes and form with the side brushes a vacuum chamber. The tips of the side brushes are formed of bristles of a length in excess of the length of bristles formed by the side brushes, and are engageable with laterally opposed longitudinally extending opposite side edges of planar ceiling fan blades. The side brushes are spaced from each other a distance generally equal to the lateral width of the ceiling fan blades. Locking plates fixed to the body project outwardly from opposite ends of the body longitudinally outside of the end brushes and in contact therewith such that the ceiling fan brush is effectively locked by the locking plates to the opposite side edges of the fan blade to facilitate dust removal from the surface of the fan blade enveloped by the ray of side brushes and end brushes while mechanically guiding the ceiling fan brush during travel longitudinally over the surface of the ceiling fan blade from one end to another.

Claims

1. A ceiling fan brush for vacuum cleaning of thin, elongated, planar ceiling fan blades having laterally opposed, longitudinally extending opposite side edges, said ceiling fan brush comprising:

an elongated body, a plenum chamber within said body and opening to one face of said body, a pair of side brushes mounted on said one face and projecting outwardly thereof, spaced laterally from each other and extending over the major length of said body, a pair of longitudinally opposed end brushes, spanning transversely across the body on said one face and projecting outwardly of said one face in the same direction as said side brushes and forming with said side brushes a vacuum chamber with the tips of said side brushes in contact along each face of said thin elongated planar ceiling fan blade, the end brushes having bristles of a length in excess of the length of the bristles forming said side brushes and being spaced from each other a distance generally equal to the lateral width of the ceiling fan blades to thereby engage respective opposite side edges of said elongated planar ceiling fan blades, and means carried by said body and opening to said plenum chamber for coupling said plenum chamber to a source of vacuum pressure such that said ceiling fan brush, when moved longitudinally over the surface of the fan blade, dislodges accumulating dust from the surface of the fan blade and said dust is sucked into the plenum chamber under vacuum pressure for effectively removing the dust from the ceiling fan blades.

2. The ceiling fan brush as claimed in claim 1, further comprising locking plates fixed to said body and projecting outwardly therefrom at opposite ends of said body, positioned longitudinally outside of the end brushes and in contact therewith such that the ceiling fan brush is effectively locked by said locking plates to the opposite side edges of the fan blade to facilitate dust removal from the surface of the fan blade enveloped by the array of side brushes and end brushes and mechanically guiding the ceiling fan brush during travel longitudinally over the surface of the ceiling fan blade from one end to another.

3. The ceiling fan brush as claimed in claim 2, wherein said hollow body includes a pair of transverse slots within opposite ends of said hollow body, and wherein said locking plates comprise thin planar members having ends insertably fitted within said slots for locking the locking plates to said hollow body.

4. The ceiling fan brush as claimed in claim 1, wherein said body comprises a hollow body, and the interior of the hollow body constitutes said plenum chamber.

5. The ceiling fan brush as claimed in claim 4, wherein said hollow body comprises a top surface and a bottom surface, and wherein said vacuum source connection means comprises a tubular receptacle fixed to the top surface and opening through said top surface to said plenum chamber.

6. The ceiling fan brush as claimed in claim 5, wherein said bottom surface of said hollow body is stepped to include a raised bristle backing platform of a lateral width equal to the spacing between the side brushes and of a longitudinal length generally equal to the distance between said end brushes, and said side brushes and end brushes are fixed to said bottom surface such that the bristles of said brushes project outwardly from the bottom surface and extend parallel to and generally in contact with the opposite sidewalls of said bristle backing platform.

7. The ceiling fan brush as claimed in claim 1, further comprising an adjustable angle tube vacuum connector detachably mounted to said tubular receptacle for direct coupling to a vacuum cleaner extension wand, and wherein said adjustable angle tube vacuum connector comprises end-to-end coupled curved adjustable angle first tube and a straight adjustable angle connector, second tube, and wherein said curved adjustable angle connector, first tube comprises a cylindrical straight portion at one end and an integral arcuately curved portion at an opposite end, wherein said arcuately curved portion terminates in an end face oblique to the axis of the cylindrical straight portion, and wherein said straight adjustable angle connector, second tube comprises a straight cylindrical tube having an end face at one end, oblique to the axis of said straight cylindrical tube, and wherein said ceiling fan brush further comprises a means for mechanically coupling said oblique end faces of said first tube and said second tube together in face-to-face relationship, with said first and second tubes being mutually rotatable relative to each other over at least 180°

of rotation such that the angular relationships between the axes of the respective tubes vary during rotation of one with respect to the other.

8. The ceiling fan brush as claimed in claim 7, wherein one of said tubes at said oblique end face comprises a ring projecting axially longitudinally beyond said oblique end face perpendicular to the oblique end face, and said other tube at said oblique end face comprises a circular recess having a diameter generally equal to the outer diameter of said ring of said one tube such that the ring forms a male projection and said recess forms a female receptacle and said ring and said recess constitute said means for coupling of said first tube to said second tube.

9. The ceiling fan brush as claimed in claim 8, wherein said ring projects outwardly of the oblique end face of the first tube, and said circular recess is provided within the oblique end face of said second tube.

10. The ceiling fan brush as claimed in claim 7, wherein the curvature of said arcuately curved portion of said first tube relative to the straight portion of said first tube is of such extent, the angle of said oblique end face of the curved portion of the first tube relative to the axis of said oblique end face, and said angle of said oblique end face of said straight, second tube relative to the axis of the straight, second tube are such that the first and second tubes in rotating relative to each other through an arc of 180°

effect an angular displacement between the axis of the straight portion of the curved, first tube and the axis of the straight, second tube from an acute angle to an obtuse angle.

11. The ceiling fan brush as claimed in claim 10, wherein said acute angle is slightly less than 90°

and wherein said obtuse angle is approximately 135°

.

12. The ceiling fan brush as claimed in claim 7, further comprising detent means carried by said first tube and said second tube proximate to said bevelled ends for locking said tubes at at least two circumferentially spaced positions.

13. The ceiling fan brush as claimed in claim 7, further comprising detent means for locking said tubes at two circumferentially spaced relatively rotated positions, and wherein said detent means comprises indentations on the periphery of one of said ring and said recess and a correspondingly configured projections on the periphery of said recess facing said ring and receiving the ring.

14. The ceiling fan brush as claimed in claim 13, wherein the indentations and projections are respectively grooves and ridges at at least diametrically opposite positions on said recess and ring respectively.