Shag rug adapter

Abstract

A shag rug adapter designed to be attached to a standard vacuum cleaner rug tool. The adapter has (1) a plurality of hollow rake stands, also called "tines," subjected to vacuum pressure which have openings therein alternately directed forward and backward to create a scissors-like fluid agitation of the pile as the adapter is drawn through it, (2) a plurality of solid rake toes, also called "fingers," spaced intermediate the rake stands to comb the pile and to act as a divider between the oppositely directed air currents flowing to the rake stands, and (3) a plurality of lint slots spaced intermediate the rake stands.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to vacuum cleaners and particularly to vacuum cleaners adapted for use with a plurality of interchangeable attachments for effecting various types of cleaning operations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention is of a vacuum cleaning tool for use in cleaning shag rugs and the like. While it can be employed as an entire tool designed to be attached directly to a vacuum wand, it is advantageously designed as an adapter for attachment to a standard vacuum cleaner rug tool. In a preferred embodiment, the tool has (1) a plurality of hollow rake stands whose ends are alternately bevelled forward and backward to create a scissor-like agitation of the pile as the adapter is drawn through it, (2) a plurality of solid rake toes spaced intermediate the rake stands to comb the pile and to act as a divider between the oppositely directed air currents flowing to the rake stands, and (3) a plurality of lint slots spaced intermediate the rake stands.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a rear view of a shag rug adapter made in accordance with the present invention and detachably mounted on a standard vacuum cleaner rug tool (shown in phantom).

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the adapter and standard rug tool shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the lines 3-3 in FIG. 1 but omitting the standard rug tool.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the lines 4-4 in FIG. 1 but omitting the standard rug tool.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

FIGS. 1 and 2 show an adapter 10 detachably mounted on a standard vacuum cleaner rug tool 12 (shown in phantom). The adapter 10 can be made of plastic, metal, or any other suitable material. The detachable mounting can be effected by dimensioning the parts for a moderate squeeze fit or by providing a spring catch, both in manners well known in the art, or by any other appropriate method. The standard rug tool 12 has a downwardly opening face (not shown expressly) which, in conjunction with an upwardly opening face 14 on the adapter 10, defines an air-tight vacuum chamber. The standard rug tool 12 includes a mounting 16 by which the standard rug tool 12 can be connected to the wand of a vacuum cleaner, allowing the chamber defined by the downwardly opening face of the standard rug tool 12 and the upwardly opening face 14 of the adapter 10 to communicate with the vacuum supplied by the vacuum cleaner.

A plurality of rake stands 18, also called rake "tines" are mounted on the work face 20 of the adapter 10. Each of the rake stands 18 contains a passageway leading from the air-tight vacuum chamber to the end of the rake stand removed from the work face 20. The ends of the rake stands 18 removed from the work face 20 are bevelled alternately forward and backward (see particularly FIG. 1) so that the vacuum from the air-tight vacuum chamber is alternately directed forward and backward when the ends of the rake stands 18 are in contact with a relatively impervious surface, such as the base of a rug. This construction creates a violent scissor-like agitation of the pile on shag rugs as the tool is drawn through it, resulting in a remarkably effective cleaning of the rug.

Intermediate the rake stands 18, solid rake toes 22, also called rake "toes" are likewise mounted on the work face 20 of the adapter 10. The rake toes 22 comb the pile on shag rugs as the tool is drawn through it, and they act as a divider between the oppositely directed air-currents flowing to the rake stands 18.

Finally, lint slots 24 are provided in the work face 20 of the adapter 10 intermediate the rake stands 18. As may best be seen in FIG. 4, lint slots 24 provide direct communication between the work face 20 of the adapter 10 and the air-tight vacuum chamber. This construction provides additional cleaning power at a higher stratum of the pile than the bevelled rake stands 18, thereby maximizing the effectiveness of the cleaning operation.

CAVEAT

While the invention has been illustrated by a detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail can be made therein without departing from the true scope of the invention. Accordingly, the scope of this invention must be measured by the attached claims and not solely by reference to the foregoing detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. In a shag rug vacuum cleaning tool comprising:

1. a housing having

a. a work face adapted to be brought in contact with shag rugs to clean them,

b. an air-tight chamber therewithin, and

c. a passageway adapted to place said chamber in communication with a vacuum source; and

2. a plurality of rake tines each of which

a. is fixedly mounted on said work face of said housing and

b. contains a passageway leading from said chamber in said housing to the end of said rake tine removed from said work face,

the improvements

a. wherein said rake tines have means thereon for directing the vacuum pressure from each of said tines

i. in a plane parallel to said work face,

ii. in a direction parallel to the direction of travel of the cleaning tool when in normal use, and

iii. in the direction opposite to the direction in which the vacuum pressure from the adjacent tine or tines is directed; and

b. wherein said rake tines and the means thereon for directing the vacuum pressure from each of said tines are located on said work face such that the oppositely directed means on adjacent tines are close enough so that, when the cleaning tool is used to clean a shag rug, the piles of the shag rug located between two of said tines are subjected to a shearing action from the simultaneous application in opposite directions of the vacuum pressure from the adjacent tines.

2. In a shag rug adapter adapted to be attached to a standard vacuum cleaner rug tool, said adapter comprising:

1. a housing having

a. a work face adapted to be brought in contact with shag rugs to clean them and

b. an upwardly opening face adapted to be detachably joined to the downwardly opening face of a standard vacuum cleaner rug tool to define an air-tight chamber and

2. a plurality of rake tines each of which

a. is fixedly mounted on said work face of said housing and

b. contains a passageway leading from said upwardly opening face in said housing to the end of said rake tine removed from said work face,

the improvement

a. wherein said rake tines have means thereon for directing the vacuum pressure from each of said tines

i. in a plane parallel to said work face,

ii. in a direction parallel to the direction of travel of the cleaning tool when in normal use, and

iii. in the direction opposite to the direction in which the vacuum pressure from the adjacent tine or tines is directed; and

b. wherein said rake tines and the means thereon for directing the vacuum pressure from each of said tines are located on said work face such that the oppositely directed means on adjacent tines are close enough so that, when the cleaning tool is used to clean a shag rug, the piles of the shag rug located between two of said tines are subjected to a shearing action from the simultaneous application in opposite directions of the vacuum pressure from the adjacent tines.

3. A shag rug vacuum cleaning tool as claimed in claim 2 wherein said means for directing the vacuum pressure from each of said tines comprise bevels on said rake tines at the ends thereof removed from said work face, said bevels leading from the ends of said rake tines removed from said work face to points on said rake tines spaced from the ends thereof removed from said work face and intersecting said passageways in said tines.

4. A shag rug vacuum cleaning tool as claimed in claim 3 and further comprising a plurality of solid rake fingers mounted on said work face of said housing intermediate said rake tines and adapted to comb the pile on a shag rug as the tool is drawn through it and to act as a divider between the oppositely directed air currents flowing to said rake tines when vacuum is supplied to said chamber.

5. A shag rug vacuum cleaning tool as claimed in claim 4 wherein said housing further has a plurality of lint slots therein intermediate said rake tines on said work face of said housing.

6. A shag rug vacuum cleaning tool as claimed in claim 1 and further comprising a plurality of solid rake fingers mounted on said work face of said housing intermediate said rake tines and adapted to comb the pile on a shag rug as the tool is drawn through it and to act as a divider between the oppositely directed air currents flowing to said rake tines when vacuum is supplied to said chamber.

7. A shag rug vacuum cleaning tool as claimed in claim 6 wherein said housing further has a plurality of lint slots therein intermediate said rake tines tines said work face of said housing.

8. A shag rug vacuum cleaning tool as claimed in claim 1 wherein said housing further has a plurality of lint slots therein intermediate said rake tines on said work face of said housing.

9. A shag rug adapter as claimed in claim 2 wherein said means for directing the vacuum pressure from each of said tines comprise bevels on said rake tines at the ends thereof removed from said work face, said bevels leading from the ends of said rake tines removed from said work face to points on said rake tines spaced from the ends thereof removed from said work face and intersecting said passageways in said tines.

10. A shag rug adapter as claimed in claim 9 and further comprising a plurality of solid rake fingers mounted on said work face of said housing intermediate said rake tines and adapted to comb the pile on a shag rug as the adapter is drawn through it and to act as a divider between the oppositely directed air currents flowing to said rake tines when vacuum is supplied to said upwardly opening face.

11. A shag rug adapter as claimed in claim 10 wherein said housing further has a plurality of lint slots therein intermediate said rake tines on said work face of said housing.

12. A shag rug adapter as claimed in claim 2 and further comprising a plurality of solid rake fingers mounted on said work face of said housing intermediate said rake tines and adapted to comb the pile on a shag rug as the adapter is drawn through it and to act as a divider between the oppositely directed air currents flowing to said rake tines when vacuum is supplied to said upwardly opening face.

13. A shag rug adapter as claimed in claim 12 wherein said housing further has a plurality of lint slots therein intermediate said rake tines on said work face of said housing.

14. A shag rug adapter as claimed in claim 2 wherein said housing further has a plurality of lint slots therein intermediate said rake tines on said work face of said housing.