Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Machines – With air blast or suction
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-07
2001-09-25
Till, Terrence R. (Department: 1744)
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Machines
With air blast or suction
C015S301000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06292977
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to the field of vacuum fittings of the type that are connected to a source of vacuum. One type of vacuum source is a central vacuum system used to clean building enclosures, such as houses. In particular, this invention relates to a vacuum fitting of the type that may be permanently mounted adjacent to a floor so that dust, dirt and debris may be swept along the floor and passed into the vacuum system through the fitting by means of the suction or vacuum.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Attempts have been made in the past to develop a vacuum fitting which is permanently mounted into a wall or floor adjacent to a surface to be swept. Such fittings may be for use in association with either a central vacuum system or a portable vacuum cleaner system. The vacuum fitting ideally opens to permit air suction to flow through the fitting to pick up and carry dirt, debris and the like through the fitting and into a remote collection chamber associated with the vacuum source. Early attempts at such fittings involved cumbersome moving assemblies having nozzles which advanced out into a room to direct the suction to a place where the sweepings were collected. The sweepings would then would then be sucked up through the nozzle and taken away. However, these devices were awkward, expensive, and generally impractical. Examples of these may be found in Canadian patents 642,539, 670,879 and 675,552 to Bierstock.
More lately, there have been a number of devices developed which are somewhat simpler and which provide a fixed vacuum inlet fitting adjacent to a floor to be swept. For example, Klassen Canadian Patent 2,101,484, teaches a device which can be mounted in a floor or a wall and which is connected to the remote source of vacuum so that when a seal in the device is opened, by a foot activated lever, the remote source of vacuum is energized. This causes suction through the opening and removes undesirable sweepings from the surface being swept. Unfortunately, the Klassen device impractically requires that a person maintain their foot on the lever in order to maintain the electrical connection to energize the source of vacuum and also to keep the seal open. This is awkward and impractical as it means that the sweeping must be finished while standing on one foot.
Even more recently, a device to an inventor named Graham has been disclosed in Canadian Patent 2,123,179 which includes a closure member mounted within a housing. A lever extends out through an open front inlet and pivots the closure between two positions which open and close an outlet opening located in a top wall of the housing. A double acting spring is associated with the closure member and acts to hold the closure member in both open and closed positions. In this manner, the unit can be activated by a foot of the user. Sweepings can then be swept up to the mouth of the unit and taken away by the suction. When finished, the operator may again use their foot to move the lever to cause the closure to cover the outlet opening and to disengage the electrical contact. This switches off the remote source of vacuum.
While simple in approach, this device suffers the disability that the foot operated lever or switch extends from the front face of the fitting. Thus the front face must be always open to accommodate the lever. While this may be partially acceptable when the unit is partially hidden, for example, by being installed under a toe rail of a kitchen counter, this opening is not acceptable in, for example a front hall, mud room or other plain view application. The open front means the inside of the device, which often becomes dirty and unattractive over time is in plain view. This require s more maintenance in terms of cleaning and the like.
Further, in use, typically a user will sweep back and forth across the inlet opening to ensure that all of the crumbs or debris are swept up. Such sweeping action often accidentally switches the unit off, because the foot operated lever projects out, unprotected, from the housing. Rapid on/off energization of the central vacuum motor causes undue wear and can lead to premature failure of the motor. Finally, the top outlet opening makes installation awkward, since often the source of vacuum is from below. A top opening requires multiple elbow fittings and short tubing sections to plumb in the connection to a below grade vacuum source.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
What is desired is a simple to use device which overcomes the limitations of the prior art. Preferably the device should be simple to make and involve a minimum of parts and expense. Further the device should be robust, and not prone to accidental rapid on/off switching during sweeping. As well the device should not provide an open front which both unsightly and a source of dirt collection which requires more maintenance. Also the device should be easy to install either under a cabinet or in a wall. Most preferably the device should be equally easy to plumb to a source of vacuum no matter whether the vacuum tubing leads up, down or sideways from the fitting.
Therefore according to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a vacuum fitting for connection to a source of vacuum, said vacuum fitting comprising:
a main body mountable to a fixed structure, said main body including an inlet opening and an outlet opening;
an openable closure mounted to said main body and being moveable between an open position and a closed position;
a latch member selectively positionable between said main body and said closure to keep said closure in a closed position when positioned between said main body and said closure and to permit said closure to move to an open position when not positioned between said main body and said closure;
a biaser to urge said closure to an open position; and
a switch to initiate said remote source of vacuum when said closure assumes said open position.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2810028 (1957-10-01), Hopper
patent: 3027587 (1962-04-01), Bierstock
patent: 3027588 (1962-04-01), Bierstock
patent: 3655927 (1972-04-01), Samuelson et al.
patent: 3676986 (1972-07-01), Reiling
patent: 5083704 (1992-01-01), Rounthwaite
patent: 5205013 (1993-04-01), Lopes
patent: 5279016 (1994-01-01), Klassen
patent: 5408721 (1995-04-01), Wall et al.
patent: 5504967 (1996-04-01), Graham
patent: 6108858 (2000-08-01), Smith
patent: 642539 (1962-06-01), None
patent: 670879 (1963-09-01), None
patent: 675552 (1963-12-01), None
patent: 2101484 (1994-01-01), None
patent: 2105554 (1995-03-01), None
patent: 2125595 (1995-06-01), None
Broeders Nicholas
Mantyla James
Canplas Industries Ltd.
Piasetzki & Nenniger
Till Terrence R.
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