Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Machines – With air blast or suction
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-18
2001-08-28
Warden, Sr., Robert J. (Department: 1744)
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Machines
With air blast or suction
C015S400000, C015S401000, C015S414000, C015S415100, C015S367000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06279198
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a multi-use floor tool and, more particularly, to a vacuum nozzle and attachments which can be utilized for both wet and dry operation.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the advent of the wet/dry vacuum, consumers became able to clean a multitude of areas of their home or business, and multiple types of both wet and dry debris by using only one device. This technology thus allowed consumers to clean both wet and dry areas, without having to purchase separate machines. However, in most wet/dry cleaning operations, in order for an operator to transfer from wet to dry operation of a vacuum, the operator had to switch nozzles, for example, from a bristle-brush nozzle to a squeegee nozzle, in order to get the most effective cleaning results. This resulted in a numerous amount of parts which had to be manufactured, bought and stored.
For dry operation, many wet/dry vac nozzles have a bristle strip positioned just behind the brush nozzle's inlet. This results in the bristle only being effective in sweeping debris during the forward cleaning stroke, rather than the backward stroke as well. Other types of brush nozzles had only a formed brush surrounding the bottom portion of the nozzle. In many cases, this brush was trimmed only on one side, which allowed the brush to effectively pick up debris only when moved in one direction. Other brush nozzles had reliefs cut around the perimeter of the brush which allowed for debris pickup in both sweeping directions, but these designs did not redirect full air flow to the side of the brush accumulating debris.
Therefore, there is a need for a single nozzle assembly that can be effectively used during both wet and dry operation and that can be easily transferred between wet and dry operational modes. There is also a need for a vacuum brush nozzle, in dry operation, which can effectively pick up debris during both the forward and backward strokes, by redirecting the full air flow of the nozzle to the particular side of the brush accumulating debris at the time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed toward a multi-use floor tool that addresses at least some of the needs as expressed above. It includes a nozzle housing adapted to be coupled to a vacuum device, and designed to receive various cleaning attachments which can be easily attached and removed. The nozzle housing can also be used for cleaning without any attachments inserted. The present invention also includes a vacuum assembly having such attachments and features.
One cleaning attachment is a brush attachment for dry operation, having a brush head which can quickly and easily be attached to and detached from the nozzle housing and a plurality of bristles that protrude from the brush head. Another such cleaning attachment is a squeegee attachment for wet operation, having a squeegee head which can quickly and easily be attached to and detached from the nozzle housing, and a squeegee body that protrudes from the squeegee head. A nozzle insert can be used with the squeegee attachment. This nozzle insert latches onto the bottom of the nozzle housing and has the effect of reducing the surface area of air flow into the nozzle housing and thereby increasing the effectiveness of wet suction. The above-referenced cleaning attachments should also be of a sufficient length that they protrude slightly from the bottom of the housing when attached, so as to effectively engage the floor or other surface during cleaning operation.
The nozzle housing is able to be attached to a vacuum device and contains openings on its bottom and top such that air is allowed to flow through the nozzle housing when the vacuum is operating. It also comprises a latching means such that the head of a cleaning attachment can be easily attached and removed such that the same nozzle housing can be used with various cleaning attachments during wet and dry operation. The nozzle can also contain a plurality of recesses inside of its bottom opening such that it can receive a nozzle insert effectively reducing the open surface area of the bottom opening.
The brush attachment consists of a brush head having a plurality of bristles attached to and laterally protruding from the brush head. These bristles, when the attachment is attached to the nozzle housing, should protrude out of the bottom of the nozzle housing so as to contact the surface being cleaned. The brush head is rotatably attached to the snap inside the nozzle housing such that the brush attachment, when pushed or pulled, can rotate around its longitudinal axis. This rotation is blocked when the bristles of the attachment come into contact with a bottom side of the nozzle. This allows the nozzle to be effective during both the push and pull cleaning motions, and forces the vacuum's suction to flow through the side of the nozzle that is collecting debris during that motion.
The squeegee attachment is comprised of a squeegee head which can be attached to the snap in the nozzle head, and has a resiliently flexible squeegee body which laterally protrudes from the squeegee head. When the squeegee attachment is connected to the nozzle housing, the squeegee body should slightly protrude out of the bottom of the nozzle housing so as to contact the surface being cleaned. The squeegee attachment can also consist of a nozzle insert which has an elongate hole in its center. The squeegee body protrudes through this hole when the squeegee insert is attached to the bottom of the nozzle housing. The nozzle insert fits inside of the bottom of the nozzle, and snaps into place using tabs on the outside of the insert, which fit into corresponding recesses inside of the nozzle housing. The nozzle insert has the effect of decreasing the area of air flow through the bottom of the nozzle and thereby increasing the effectiveness of wet operation.
The net result of this disclosure is a multi-use floor tool which is effective for both wet and dry vacuum operation and which can be used in either wet or dry mode without having to replace the entire nozzle housing, merely a cleaning attachment Therefore, one object of the invention is to allow either wet or dry operation of a vacuum device while utilizing the same nozzle housing. This results in lower manufacturing costs, as well as ease to consumers because they do not have to purchase different nozzles for each mode of operation, and can quickly and easily switch from wet to dry operation.
Another object of the invention is to provide more effective cleaning operation in dry mode by allowing the vacuum to effectively pick up debris during both the push and pull strokes of the cleaning motion. It is also allows the user to utilize the full air flow of the vacuum during either of these motions by attaching the brush assembly to the nozzle housing, and allowing the brush to rotate with each push and pull motion, thereby restricting air flow through the nozzle to the side of the brush that is collecting debris during that particular motion.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2703903 (1955-03-01), Faith-Ell
patent: 3069716 (1962-12-01), Smith
patent: 4475265 (1984-10-01), Berfield
patent: 5706550 (1998-01-01), Holsten et al.
patent: 5819366 (1998-10-01), Edin
Martin Michael F.
Young Jeffrey L.
Emerson Electric Co.
Howrey Simon Arnold & White , LLP
Snider Theresa T.
Warden, Sr. Robert J.
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