U.S. patent number 3,739,422 [Application Number 05/184,525] was granted by the patent office on 1973-06-19 for shag rug cleaning tool for use with vacuum cleaners.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Whirlpool Corporation. Invention is credited to Robert E. Johnson, Donald F. Swanson, George A. Westergren.
United States Patent |
3,739,422 |
Johnson , et al. |
June 19, 1973 |
SHAG RUG CLEANING TOOL FOR USE WITH VACUUM CLEANERS
Abstract
A tool for use with a canister-type vacuum cleaner wherein a
wand is provided at one end with a suction dirt pick up tool and is
connected through suitable flexible tubing to the suction means of
the canister wherein the picked up dirt is deposited in the vacuum
cleaning operation. The pick up tool is adapted for use in cleaning
high pile material such as shag rugs and defines a rake structure
having a plurality of hollow teeth for improved cleaning of the rug
pile.
Inventors: |
Johnson; Robert E. (St. Paul,
MN), Swanson; Donald F. (St. Paul, MN), Westergren;
George A. (White Bear Lake, MN) |
Assignee: |
Whirlpool Corporation (Benton
Harbor, MI)
|
Family
ID: |
22677262 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/184,525 |
Filed: |
September 28, 1971 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/397 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L
9/02 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47L
9/02 (20060101); A47l 009/06 () |
Field of
Search: |
;15/363,393,396,397,402,420 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Price; William I.
Assistant Examiner: Moore; C. K.
Claims
The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or
privilege is claimed as defined as follows:
1. A tool for use with a vacuum cleaner for suction cleaning of
high pile material such as shag rugs, comprising: a body defining a
chamber portion adapted to be connected to the suction means of the
vacuum cleaner; and a rake having an upper portion adapted to
sealingly mate with said body to define therewith a suction
chamber, and a lower portion defining a plurality of depending
hollow tines adapted to comb the pile of a carpet to be vacuum
cleaned, said tines defining a suction passage inlet opening to
said suction chamber and having a downwardly directed bottom end
and a downwardly and rearwardly extending front surface, each said
suction passage inlet including a rear portion opening downwardly
through said bottom end for applying suction to lower portions of
the carpet pile and a front portion contiguous to said tine bottom
end opening forwardly through said front surface for concurrently
applying suction to upper portions of the carpet pile spaced above
the bottom end of the suction passage as the rake is moved through
the pile in a combing, suction cleaning movement.
2. A tool for use with a vacuum cleaner for suction cleaning of
high pile material such as shag rugs, comprising: a body defining a
chamber portion adapted to be connected to the suction means of the
vacuum cleaner; and a rake having an upper portion adapted to
sealingly mate with said body to define therewith a suction
chamber, and a lower portion defining a plurality of depending
hollow tines adapted to comb the pile of a carpet to be vacuum
cleaned, said tines defining a suction passage inlet opening to
said suction chamber and having a downwardly directed bottom end
and a downwardly and rearwardly extending front surface, each said
suction passage inlet including a portion opening forwardly through
said front surface for concurrently applying suction to upper
portions of the carpet pile spaced above the bottom end of the
suction passage as the rake is moved through the pile in a combing,
suction cleaning movement, said suction passage inlet comprising an
L-shaped passage with said forwardly opening portions extending
vertically downwardly to said bottom end.
3. The vacuum cleaner tool of claim 1 wherein said tines are
elongated rearwardly from said first surface, and said suction
passage inlets include a vertical portion opening to said suction
chamber located approximately midway between the front and back of
the tines.
4. The vacuum cleaner tool of claim 1 wherein said inlet openings
extend substantially the full width of the tines.
5. The vacuum cleaner tool of claim 1 wherein said tines have flat
sides.
6. The vacuum cleaner tool of claim 1 wherein said tines are spaced
apart a distance greater than the thickness thereof.
7. The vacuum cleaner tool of claim 1 wherein the top of said
forwardly opening portion of each suction passage inlet is
arcuate.
8. A tool for use with a vacuum cleaner for suction cleaning of
high pile material such as shag rugs, comprising: a body defining a
chamber portion adapted to be connected to the suction means of the
vacuum cleaner; and a rake having an upper portion adapted to
sealingly mate with said body to define therewith a suction
chamber, and a lower portion defining a plurality of depending
hollow tines adapted to comb the pile of a carpet to be vacuum
cleaned, said tines defining a suction passage inlet opening to
said suction chamber and having a downwardly directed bottom end
and a downwardly and rearwardly extending front surface, each said
suction passage inlet including a portion opening forwardly through
said front surface for concurrently applying suction to upper
portions of the carpet pile spaced above the bottom end of the
suction passage as the rake is moved through the pile in a combing,
suction cleaning movement, the bottom end of each tine being flat
and extending rearwardly of the suction passage inlet to define a
slide surface of the rake.
9. The vacuum cleaner tool of claim 1 wherein said body and upper
portion of the rake define cooperating spring latch means disposed
rearwardly and forwardly of the suction passage inlets for
releasably securing the said rake to the tool body for facilitated
selection, installation and removal as desired.
10. The vacuum cleaner tool of claim 9 wherein said suction passage
inlets define an upper end opening to said vacuum chamber
intermediate the rearward and forward spring latch means
portions.
11. The vacuum cleaner tool of claim 1 wherein said front surface
is downwardly rearwardly curved.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to vacuum cleaners and in particular to dirt
pick up tools for use with canister-type vacuum cleaners.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In one conventional form of vacuum cleaner, a canister is provided
with means for inducing suction through a hose connected to the
handle end of a wand having on its lower end pick up means for
picking up dirt from carpeting and the like, and passing the picked
up dirt by means of the suction pressure into a filter bag provided
in the canister. The dirt pick up tool is adapted to be moved over
the surface of the carpet with the suction applied thereto drawing
the dirt from the carpet through an inlet in the underside of the
tool. A problem arises in the use of the conventional pick up tools
for cleaning high pile shag rugs in that the suction inlet at the
bottom of the tool does not effectively clean upper portions of the
pile and also the required push force is extreme. One solution to
the problem has been to provide means in the tool for elevating the
suction inlet when the tool is used with such high pile material so
that the upper portions of the pile will be effectively cleaned.
However when the tool is so arranged, the lower portions of the
pile are not effectively cleaned as they are spaced substantially
below the suction inlet. Thus with such means it is necessary to
clean the carpeting by repeated operations, one with the tool set
to clean the lower portion of the carpeting pile and one with the
tool set to clean the upper portion of the carpeting pile.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention comprehends an improved tool for use with a
vacuum cleaner for suction cleaning of high pile material such as
shag rugs. More specifically, the invention comprehends the
provision of such a tool defining a rake provided with a plurality
of depending teeth or tines, adapted to comb the pile of the
carpet. Each of the tines define a suction passage inlet having a
downwardly directed bottom end. The front surface of the tine is
curved downwardly rearwardly to the bottom end of the inlet passage
and a turned portion of the inlet passage is provided opening
forwardly through the curved front surface. Thus the tine is
adapted to apply suction not only to the carpeting at the bottom of
the tine, but also to upper portions of the carpet pile spaced
above the bottom end of the tine to provide in a single passage,
cleaning of the entire pile of the rug. In addition, the required
push force is materially reduced because of the curved front
surface of the tines.
At the same time, the use of the rake tines provides a combing
action tending to loosen pile and facilitate cleaning thereof. Upon
completion of the improved cleaning operation, the pile is left in
a loose, aesthetically pleasing condition.
The improved cleaning functioning of the tool of the present
invention is provided in an extremely simple and economical manner
by forming the rake as a molded plastic element adapted to be
releasably secured to the body portion of the tool for facilitated
installation and removal as desired. Each of the tine inlet
passages opens freely to the suction chamber and provides improved
cleaning of the carpeting over the entire lateral extend of the
tool.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent
from the following description taken in connection with the
accompanying drawing wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner tool embodying the
invention as used in cleaning a high pile shag rug material;
FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the tool shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the rake portion of the tool;
FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view thereof;
FIG. 5 is a front elevation with the body of the tool shown in
vertical section;
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical section thereof taken
substantially along the line 6--6 of FIG. 5; and
FIG. 7 is an enlarged vertical section taken substantially along
the line 7--7 of FIG. 5.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
In the exemplary embodiment of the invention as disclosed in the
drawing, a tool generally designated 10 is shown for use with a
canister-type vacuum cleaner (not shown) for suction cleaning of a
high pile material such as shag rug 11. The tool comprises an
attachment adapted to be mounted on the lower end of a hollow wand
12 and includes a body portion 13 connected to the tubular wand by
a swivel connector 14 of conventional construction. As shown in
FIG. 6, body portion 13 defines a downwardly opening chamber 15
communicating with the axial passage 16 of wand 12 through the
connector 14 for conducting dirt to the canister from the pick up
tool 10.
As indicated briefly above, the invention comprehends the provision
in such a tool of an improved dirt pick up means in the form of a
rake generally designated 17 adapted to provide an improved suction
cleaning of the high pile shag rug material 11. As shown in FIGS. 2
and 7, the rake 17 includes an upper portion 18 adapted to mate
with the body portion 13 to define therewith a suction chamber 19.
As further shown in FIG. 7, the body portion 13 includes
longitudinally downwardly opening recesses 20 and 21 defining
inturned latch shoulders 22 and 23 respectively at the front and
back of the body portion 13. Rake 17 includes a front outturned
flange or catch portion 24 and a rear outturned flange, or catch
portion 25 releasably engaged by shoulders 22 and 23 respectively
or removably attaching the rake to the body portion.
The rake further defines a pair of longitudinally extending
upwardly projecting ribs 26 and 27 disposed inwardly of
complementary downwardly projecting ribs 28 and 29 of body 13. Ribs
28 and 29 are sufficiently resilient to permit movement of the
catches 24 and 25 inwardly to clear the shoulders 22 and 23 for
installation and removal of the rake relative to the body.
Body 13 further defines, at the mid portion thereof, upper
shoulders 30 for limiting the vertical movement of the catches 24
and 25 so as to maintain the catches in engagement with the
shoulders 22 and 23 in the connected arrangement of the rake, as
shown in FIG. 6. A bracket 31 may further be secured to the mid
portion of the rake such as by screw 32 and includes upturned side
flanges 33 for frictionally embracing the front and rear of the
body 13 outwardly of the shoulders 22 and 23 for further improved
retention of the rake on the body.
Rake 17 defines a plurality of depending tines 34 adapted to
provide a combing action as the rake is moved through the rug pile
as shown in FIG. 1. Each tine defines a suction passage inlet 35
having a vertical portion 36 opening upwardly through an upper
inlet 27 to suction chamber 19 and opening downwardly through a
bottom end 38 to the bottom 39 of the tine. The suction passages 35
are L-shaped and further define a forwardly opening end 40
extending upwardly to substantially above the tine bottom 39 and
extending downwardly to the passage bottom end 38 as shown in FIGS.
6 and 7. Front surface 41 of the tine is downwardly rearwardly
curved, with a relatively large radius, into the bottom portion 39
of the tine for facilitated movement of the tines through the
carpeting pile thereby to facilitate combing of the pile in a
fluffing action so as to expose the full length of the pile tufts
for facilitated cleaning thereof by the vacuum suction action. As
the forward opening portion 40 of the suction inlet passage 35
extends to substantially above the bottom 39 of the tine, the inlet
passage is arranged to clean substantially the entire height of the
pile including the top of the pile adjacent the top of portion 40
and the bottom of the pile adjacent the bottom end 38 of the
suction passage. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the vertical section 36
of the suction passage inlet is spaced approximately mid way
between the front and back of the tine to open into suction chamber
19 intermediate the latching shoulders 22 and 23.
Referring now to FIG. 5, the suction passages 35 are shown to
extend substantially the full width of the tine 34. The upper
surface 42 of the suction passage inlet 40 may be arcuate as shown
in FIG. 5. The sides 43 of the tines may be flat for facilitated
movement of the tines through the carpeting pile. For further
facilitated movement of the tines through the carpet pile, the
tines are preferably spaced apart a distance greater than the
thickness thereof as further shown in FIG. 5. The bottom surface 39
of the tine, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, may be flat and extends
rearwardly of the suction passage inlet 38 to define a slide
surface for facilitated movement of the rake over the carpet.
Thus upon installation of the rake portion 17 in tool 10, the user
may effect a facilitated cleaning of relatively high pile material
such as shag rugs by a simple movement of the rake through the pile
in a combing movement. The hollow tines provide facilitated
improved cleaning of the entire pile length in a single cleaning
operation so that both deep cleaning and surface cleaning of the
pile is efficiently effected. The rake structure is extremely
simple and economical of construction, being formed as a one-piece
unit as a plastic molding, while yet providing the improved high
pile cleaning functioning as discussed above.
The foregoing disclosure of specific embodiments is illustrative of
the broad inventive concepts comprehended by the invention.
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