Floor suction tool for electric vacuum cleaners

• US 7,171,723 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2003
• Issued: 02/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Yoshiaki, Kobayashi, Toshinari, Fukuoka, Hidetoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Snider; Theresa T.
• Application Number:
  US10/693,974
• Publication Number:
  US 20040083574A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,197 Days
• Field of Search: 153/25, 154/151, 154/18, 153/54
• US Class Current: 15/325
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/02 Nozzles suction nozzles for fluid transport B65G51/00
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/04 with driven brushes or agitators

Abstract

A floor suction tool for electric vacuum cleaners includes a suction opening formed on a bottom face of a main body casing, a cover defining a front wall of the main body casing, and an abutting member projecting from a front face of the cover and functioning as a bumper between a front face of the main body casing and a wall. The cover is rotatably supported on a rotation axis formed horizontally in a direction of width of the front wall of the main body casing, the cover rotates upward to open the front face of the main body casing when a front-to-back force acts on the abutting member, and the cover rotates downward to close the front face of the main body casing when the front-to-back force ceases.

Claims

1. A floor suction tool for electric vacuum cleaners comprising:

a suction opening formed on a bottom face of a main body casing; and

a cover including a front portion defining a front wall of the main body casing, the front portion including a front face from which an abutting member projects forwardly to define a bumper between the front face and a wall of a room being cleaned;

wherein the cover is rotatably supported on a rotation axis oriented horizontally in the direction of width of the front wall of the main body casing, the cover being rotatable;

in a first direction when a front-to-back force acts on the abutting member, for moving the front portion and the abutting member upward and rearward to open the front face of the main body casing, and

in a second direction when the front-to-back force ceases, for moving the abutting member and the front portion downward and forward to close the front face of the main body casing.

2. The floor suction tool according to claim 1, wherein the abutting member comprises a rotatable roller.

3. The floor suction tool according to claim 2, wherein an outer surface of the roller is covered with a smooth material.

4. The floor suction tool according to claim 3, wherein the smooth material is a fibrous material.

5. The floor suction tool according to claim 3, wherein the smooth material is a fibrous material.

6. The floor suction tool according to claim 4, wherein the fibrous material is a cloth.

7. The floor suction tool according to claim 6, wherein the fibrous material is a cloth.

8. The floor suction tool according to claim 1, wherein at least a surface of the abutting member is formed of a smooth material.

9. The floor suction tool according to claim 1, wherein the cover opens the front face of the main body casing by rotating along an inside face of an upper case of the main body casing and being received in the upper case.

10. The floor suction tool according to claim 1 further comprising, in the main body casing, a rotary brush having bristles fixed thereto radially, wherein the rotary brush is so formed that the tips of the bristles projects forward in relation to a trajectory of the cover when the cover opens.

11. The floor suction tool according to claim 1, wherein the cover is constructed to receive a spring force in a closing direction by a spring member attached to the rotation axis.

12. The floor suction tool according to claim 1, wherein the cover is so constructed that the weight of the cover acts as a force in a closing direction.

13. A floor suction tool for electric vacuum cleaners comprising:

a suction opening formed on a bottom face of a main body casing; and

a cover having a front portion defining a front wall of the main body casing and including a front face from which an abutting member projects to define a bumper between a front face of the main body casing and a wall of a room being cleaned,

wherein the cover is rotatably supported on a rotation axis oriented horizontally in the direction of a width of the front wall of the main body casing, the cover is arranged to rotate such that the front portion thereof moves upward to open the front face of the main body casing when a front-to-back force acts on the abutting member, and downward to close the front face of the main body casing when the front-to-back force ceases,

wherein the abutting member comprises a rotatable roller.

14. The floor suction tool according to claim 13, wherein an outer surface of the roller is covered with a smooth material.

15. The floor suction tool according to claim 14, wherein the smooth material is a fibrous material.

16. The floor suction tool according to claim 15 wherein the fibrous material comprises a cloth.

17. A floor suction tool for electric vacuum cleaners comprising:

a suction opening formed on a bottom face of a main body casing; and

a cover having a front portion defining a front wall of the main body casing and including a front face from which an abutting member projects to define a bumper between a front face of the main body casing and a wall of a room being cleaned,

wherein the cover is rotatably supported on a rotation axis oriented horizontally in the direction of a width of the front wall of the main body casing, wherein the cover is arranged to rotate such that the front portion thereof moves upward to open the front face of the main body casing when a front-to-back force acts on the abutting member, and downward to close the front face of the main body casing when the front-to-back force ceases,

wherein the cover opens the front face of the main body casing by rotating along an inside face of an upper case of the main body casing and being received in the upper case.

18. A floor suction tool for electric vacuum cleaners comprising:

a suction opening formed on a bottom face of a main body casing; and

a cover having a front portion defining a front wall of the main body casing and including a front face from which an abutting member projects to define a bumper between a front face of the main body casing and a wall of a room being cleaned,

wherein the cover is rotatably supported on a rotation axis oriented horizontally in the direction of a width of the front wall of the main body casing,

wherein the cover is arranged to rotate such that the front portion thereof moves upward to open the front face of the main body casing when a front-to-back force acts on the abutting member, and downward to close the front face of the main body casing when the front-to-back force ceases,

wherein the cover is constructed to receive a spring force in a closing direction by a spring member attached to the rotation axis.