CN101415358B - An attachment for a cleaning appliance - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides an attachment (10; 100) for a cleaning appliance comprising a head (2; 112) and a neck (11, 111), the head comprising a suction opening (20a, 20b; 112b ), the neck comprising a middle portion (14; 114) and an end (16; 116) for connection to the mouth of a rod or hose. The end has a longitudinal axis (XX). The attachment further comprises a first rotatable connection (18; 118) having a first axis of rotation (X'-X';X"-X") between the end portion and the middle portion (14; 114), and a second rotatable connection (26; 126) having a second axis of rotation (Y'-Y';Y"-Y") between the head (12; 112) and the middle portion (14; 114) . Each rotatable connection (18, 26; 118, 126) allows relative movement of the end with respect to the head (12; 112). The axis of rotation (X'-X';X"-X") of the first rotatable connection (18; 118) is inclined relative to the longitudinal axis (XX) of the end. By providing an attachment (10; 100) for a cleaning appliance having a first rotatable connection (18; 118) with a rotation axis (X'-X';X"-X") inclined relative to the longitudinal axis (XX) of the end, the head (12; 112) of this add-on (10; 100) can be moved into various useful positions to allow for horizontal surfaces on walls and high levels Cleaning is easier.

Description

Additional parts for cleaning utensils

technical field

The present invention relates to an attachment for a cleaning appliance, in particular, but not exclusively, to an attachment for a vacuum cleaner.

Background technique

Attachments for vacuum cleaners are known in the art. Vacuum cleaners are sold with a range of add-ons for different cleaning purposes. These attachments typically fit onto the rod or end of the hose of an upright or cylindrical vacuum cleaner. For example, a vacuum cleaner may be provided with a brush tool for sweeping surfaces, a stair tool for cleaning stairs, and a crevice tool for cleaning those hard-to-reach areas that are difficult to access with larger attachments.

For effective cleaning it is important that the suction opening of the attachment is adjacent to or in contact with the surface to be cleaned. Preferably, the entire suction opening should be very close to the surface to be cleaned. If there is too much air gap between the suction opening of the attachment and the surface to be cleaned, this air gap will create an air leak and less of the air entering the suction opening will pass or pass through the surface to be cleaned . As a result, less dirt and dust is picked up and reduces the cleaning performance of the vacuum cleaner.

In order to achieve a sufficient proximity between the suction opening of the attachment and the surface to be cleaned, the wand or hose of the vacuum cleaner to which the attachment is connected must often be kept at a certain angle. Consequently, there may be surfaces that are oriented and positioned so that they cannot be cleaned effectively or can only be cleaned with great difficulty using conventional attachments. This is because the user may not be able to hold the wand or hose at the desired angle in order to clean these surfaces. For example, the tops of doors, shelves or cabinets are particularly problematic due to their location at a high level relative to the user.

To eliminate this problem, add-ons for vacuum cleaners such as ladder tools or brush tools are often provided with a rotatable connection between the tool head and the tool connection (which connects to the rod or the mouth of the hose) structure. The rotatable connection is angled relative to the head or connection so that different angular orientations of the head relative to the rod or hose can be obtained. This allows the user to more easily clean difficultly oriented or positioned surfaces.

However, while improving on attachments that do not have a rotatable connection, a disadvantage of the above-mentioned type of attachment is that a single swivel connection only allows a limited range of angular positions of the head of the attachment relative to the rod or hose. . In particular, it is difficult to clean surfaces at high levels (such as the tops of shelving units, cabinets or light fixtures) with such add-ons. This is because the limited range of movement of the attachment head means that the wand or hose of the appliance must be held at difficult angles for effective cleaning. This is unpleasant because it is uncomfortable for the user to hold, or it may render some surfaces impossible to clean.

Attachments for vacuum cleaners with two rotatable connections are known from US 1,658,311 and JP 2003-000483. US 1,658,311 discloses a vacuum cleaner attachment comprising two vertical elbow joints connected by coupling nuts. The coupling nut allows relative rotation between the elbow joints. This allows the opening of the attachment to be moved to different angular positions relative to the handle member. JP 2003-000483 discloses a vacuum cleaner attachment comprising a square opening and a rear pipe connected together by a movable joint. The joint includes a pair of parallel pivotable connection structures. The pivotable connection structure pivots the square opening up and down relative to the connection portion.

However, the rotatable connection structures or pivoting structures of the above-mentioned attachments only allow the movement of the various openings in a plane perpendicular or parallel to the handle member or the rear tube of the various attachments. This limits the range of potential orientations of the opening relative to the handle.

Contents of the invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide an attachment for a cleaning appliance which allows greater flexibility in the orientation of the suction opening relative to the rod or the hose than the attachments provided in the prior art. Another object of the present invention is to provide an add-on that makes it easier for the user to clean a range of surfaces, in particular walls and surfaces with high water levels.

The invention provides an attachment for a cleaning appliance comprising a head comprising a suction opening in a suction plane and a neck comprising a middle part and a shaft for connection to a rod or a hose the end of the mouth, the end having a longitudinal axis, the attachment further comprising a first rotatable connection having a first axis of rotation between the end and the middle, and a first rotatable connection between the head and the middle having A second rotatable connection of a second axis of rotation, each rotatable connection allowing relative movement of the tip relative to the head, wherein the first axis of rotation is inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of the tip and the second axis of rotation is opposite Inclined to the suction plane.

By providing an attachment for a cleaning appliance having a first rotatable connection having an axis of rotation inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of the end, the head of the attachment can be moved into various useful positions. Position to allow easier cleaning of walls and high-level horizontal surfaces.

By slanting the second axis of rotation relative to the suction plane, the head can be positioned within a wide range of angular orientations relative to the wand or hose, enabling the user to select the most appropriate orientation for the cleaning job at hand.

Preferably, the first axis of rotation is inclined to the longitudinal axis of the end at an angle in the range of 20° to 60°.

Preferably, the second axis of rotation is inclined to the suction plane at an angle in the range of 20° to 70°.

It can be seen by empirical analysis that the above angular ranges yield a more useful range of attachment head positions. The criteria used to assess the usefulness of each angular orientation included the physical configuration of the attachment, the ease of use of the final head position, and the useful difference in orientation between each final position of the head.

Preferably, the first axis of rotation is at an angle to the second axis of rotation. This allows for a greater range of motion of the head relative to the end. More preferably, the first axis of rotation is at an angle in the range of 80° to 130° with the second axis of rotation. Empirically, this range of angles has been shown to form the most useful range for the position of the head of the attachment, while still allowing compact and easy manufacture of the attachment.

Preferably, the sum of the angle between the first axis of rotation and the longitudinal axis and the angle between the second axis of rotation and the suction plane is in the range of 40° to 130°. This combination of angles creates the most useful range of attachment head positions.

Description of drawings

Embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an attachment according to a first embodiment of the invention, showing the attachment in a first configuration;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the attachment of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the attachment of Fig. 1;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the attachment of Figure 1, showing the attachment in a second configuration;

Figure 5 is a side view of the attachment of Figure 1, showing the attachment in a second configuration;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the attachment of Figure 1, showing the attachment in a third configuration;

Figure 7 is a side view of the attachment of Figure 1, showing the attachment in a third configuration;

Figure 8 is a side view of an attachment according to a second embodiment of the invention, showing the attachment in a first configuration; and

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the attachment of Figure 8, showing the attachment in a fourth configuration.

Detailed ways

1 to 7 show a first embodiment of the invention. Referring first to FIGS. 1 to 3 , the attachment 10 includes a neck 11 and a head 12 . Neck 11 includes end portions 16 and a curved intermediate portion 14 .

The end 16 has a cylindrical portion 17 sized to connect with the mouth of a vacuum cleaner wand or hose (not shown). The end portion 16 has an axis X-X ( FIG. 3 ) which is coaxial with the cylindrical portion 17 . Two diametrically opposite holes 16 a are formed in this cylindrical portion 17 . The hole 16a is sized to receive a lug on the outer wall of a rod or hose (not shown). This allows the attachment 10 to be connected to a rod or hose in a snap fit manner.

The end portion 16 is connected to the middle portion 14 by a first rotatable connection 18 . The first rotatable connection structure 18 includes a first connection member 18 a formed on the end portion 16 and a second connection member 18 b formed on the middle portion 14 . The second connecting piece 18b is located radially inside the first connecting piece 18a in such a manner as to be in contact with the first connecting piece. The inner surface of the second connecting piece 18 b is of smooth shape to allow air to flow freely through the interior of the attachment 10 . The top of the first link 18a adjoins the annular protrusion 18c. An annular protrusion 18c extends radially outwardly from the intermediate portion 14 at the proximal end of the second link 18b. The metal clamping portion 18d is located in the groove of the second connecting member 18b and holds the first connecting member 18a and the second connecting member 18b together while allowing relative rotation therebetween.

The first rotatable connection 18 has a first axis of rotation X'-X'. By this we mean that the first link 18a and the second link 18b are rotatable relative to each other about the first axis of rotation X'-X'. The intermediate portion 14 rotates relative to the end portion 16 about the first axis X'-X' when the first link 18a and the second link 18b rotate relative to each other. This first axis of rotation X'-X' is inclined relative to the axis X-X of the end portion 16 by an angle α. In this embodiment, α is 22.5°.

The first rotatable connection 18 has a first engagement member. The first engagement feature allows the first link 18a to be maintained in a series of discrete angular orientations relative to the second link 18b. The first engaging member includes a lug 18e attached to the second connecting piece 18b and a plurality of recesses 18f formed in the first connecting piece 18a. In this embodiment, four recesses 18f are provided. The recesses 18f are equally spaced around the rotation axis X'-X' of the first rotatable structure 18 . Accordingly, the recesses 18f have an angular interval of 90° from each other. A lug 18e is engageable with each recess 18f to hold the first link 18a and the second link 18b in position relative to each other.

The head 12 of the attachment 10 has an upper surface 12a and a planar lower surface 12b. Two suction openings 20a and 20b are formed in the planar lower surface 12b. The suction openings 20a, 20b lie in a common suction plane Y-Y. By this we mean that the planar lower surface 12b lies in the suction plane Y-Y and that the suction openings 20a, 20b are formed in the planar lower surface 12b. The lint picker 22 is located on the planar lower surface 12b. A ring of bristles 24 projects from the edge 12c of the lower surface 12b and surrounds the suction openings 20a, 20b.

A second rotatable connection 26 connects the head 12 to the middle portion 14 . The second rotatable structure 26 is similar in construction to the first rotatable structure 18 . The second rotatable structure 26 includes a third link 26a on the proximal end of the head 12 and a fourth link 26b on the middle portion 14 . The third connecting piece 26a is in contact with the fourth connecting piece 26b and is located radially outside the fourth connecting piece. The end of the third link 26a abuts an annular protrusion 26c extending radially outward from the intermediate portion 14 at the proximal end of the fourth link 26b. The metal clip 26d sits in a groove in the fourth link 26b and holds the third link 26a and the fourth link 26b together while allowing relative rotation therebetween.

The second rotatable connection 26 has a second axis of rotation Y'-Y'. By this we mean that the third link 26a and the fourth link 26b are rotatable relative to each other about the second axis of rotation Y'-Y'. As the third link 26a and the fourth link 26b rotate relative to each other, the head 12 rotates relative to the intermediate portion 14 about the second axis Y'-Y'. The second axis of rotation Y'-Y' is inclined by an angle β with respect to the suction plane Y-Y of the end portion 16. In this embodiment, β is 37.5°.

The second rotatable link 26 has a second engagement member. The second engagement feature allows the third link 26a to be maintained in a series of discrete angular orientations relative to the third link 26b. The second engagement member includes a lug 26e attached to the fourth link 26b and a plurality of recesses 26f formed in the third link 26a. In this embodiment, four recesses 26f are provided. The recesses 26f are equally spaced around the axis of rotation Y'-Y' of the first rotatable structure 26 . Accordingly, the recesses 26f have an angular interval of 90° from each other. A lug 26e is engageable with each recess 26f to hold the third link 26a and the fourth link 26b in place relative to each other.

The intermediate portion 14 is curved such that the first axis of rotation X'-X' and the second axis of rotation Y'-Y' are angled with respect to each other. By this we mean that the first axis of rotation X'-X' forms an angle γ with respect to the second axis of rotation Y'-Y'. Furthermore, the two axes X'-X', Y'-Y' lie in a common plane. In this embodiment, γ is 120°.

In use, the attachment 10 may be connected to a wand or hose of a vacuum cleaner or other cleaning appliance (not shown). This is done by inserting the mouth of a rod or hose into end 16 . Lugs (not shown) on the mouth of the rod or hose engage the holes 16a to prevent the attachment 10 from disengaging in use.

1 to 3 show the attachment 10 in a first configuration. This configuration is useful for cleaning eg the top of a door, and also allows the attachment 10 to be stored in a compact manner. In the first configuration, both the first rotatable connection 18 and the second rotatable connection 26 are in the first position.

However, the first rotatable connection 18 and the second rotatable connection 26 can be moved into various positions to allow a user to clean a range of surfaces. 4 and 5 show the attachment 10 in a second configuration. In this second configuration, the first rotatable connection 18 is in the second position and the second rotatable connection 26 is in the first position. Starting from the first position, in order to reach the second position, the first connection part 18a must be turned through an angle of 180° relative to the second connection part 18b. To select this position, the user grasps the attachment and twists the middle part 14 relative to the end part 16 . The intermediate portion 14 is rotatable relative to the end portion 16 about the axis X'-X' when a twisting force sufficient to disengage the lugs 18e from the respective recesses 18f is applied. The lug 18e can then be turned through 90° to reach the next recess 18f. This process may be repeated to rotate the lug 18e through another 90° to engage the recess 18f diametrically opposite the initial recess 18f. The attachment 10 is now in the second configuration. In this configuration, the end of the cabinet and overhead can be easily cleaned by the user.

Figures 6 and 7 show the attachment 10 in a third configuration. In this configuration, both the first rotatable connection structure 18 and the second rotatable connection structure 26 are in the second position (ie rotated through 180° relative to the first position). When the attachment 10 is in the third configuration, a user can easily clean vertical or near vertical surfaces, such as shutters and walls.

A position between the first position and the second position may also be selected. These additional positions allow the head to be angled sideways in addition to being vertically up/down with respect to the axis of the rod or hose. This allows the user to clean difficult areas such as the corner of a room or cabinet.

A second embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 . The attachment 100 is similar in construction to the attachment 10 of the first embodiment. The attachment 100 comprises a neck 111 and a head 112 . The neck includes a curved middle portion 114 and end portions 116 . End 116 includes a cylindrical portion 117 for attachment to a wand or hose of a vacuum cleaner or other cleaning device.

The attachment has a first rotatable connection 118 . The first rotatable connection 118 has a first axis of rotation X"-X", which is inclined relative to the axis X-X of the end 116 coaxial with the cylindrical portion 117 . In this embodiment, the angle α' between the axis X-X of the end portion 116 and the first axis of rotation X"-X" is 50°.

In this embodiment, the head 112 takes the form of a slit tool. In other words, the head 112 includes an elongated tapered member 112a. A suction opening 112b is formed at the top of the head portion 112 . The suction opening 112b is located on a suction plane Y-Y.

The head portion 112 is attached to the middle portion 114 by a second rotatable connection 126 . The second rotatable connection structure 126 is similar to the second rotatable connection structure 26 of the first embodiment. The second rotatable connection 126 has a second axis of rotation Y"-Y", which is inclined relative to the suction plane Y-Y. The angle β' between the second axis of rotation Y"-Y" and the suction plane Y-Y is in this embodiment 60°.

The middle portion 114 connects the first connector 118 and the second connector 126 . In this embodiment, the angle γ' between the first axis of rotation X"-X" and the second axis of rotation Y"-Y" is 90°.

In use, the attachment 100 is connectable to a rod or hose (not shown) in a similar manner to the attachment 10 of the first embodiment. However, the combination of α', β' and γ' in this embodiment allows for different positions of the head 112 relative to the axis of the rod or hose. Figure 9 shows the attachment 100 in a fourth configuration. In a fourth configuration, both the first rotatable connection and the second rotatable connection are positioned intermediate the first and second positions as shown in Figures 1 to 7 of the first embodiment. This position allows the head 112 of the attachment 100 to be inserted into hard-to-reach areas, which are difficult to navigate both azimuthally and in position. Furthermore, the provision of the head 112 comprising a slit tool makes it possible to use a brush type head to clean hard-to-reach surfaces; for example, tight spaces like motor vehicle footwells.

Various modified examples can be known to those skilled in the art. For example, more than two rotatable connections may be provided. All that is required is to provide at least two rotatable connections, and one of the rotatable connections must have an axis of rotation that is inclined relative to the axis of the end of the attachment.

Furthermore, the two rotatable connections need not be similar and may have different types of connections such as pivots or universal joints.

Furthermore, any number of suction openings may be provided. If more than one suction opening is provided, they do not have to be in the same plane.

The head of the attachment need not include a brush head or slit tool, and may instead take any form. For example, it may include a ladder tool, a comb, or other grooming tools.

The angles α, α', β and β' need not take the values described in this embodiment and can be varied independently according to the specific design needs of the add-on. It is only necessary that α, α', β and β' take values other than 0°, 90°, 180° or 270°. Furthermore, the angles γ and γ' need not be 90° or 120°, and can be any reasonable value.

The add-on can also be used in various cleaning appliances such as carpet sweepers, vacuum cleaners, industrial suction units or vacuum tanks. If the add-on is to be used with a household vacuum cleaner, any suitable type of vacuum cleaner can be used, such as an upright vacuum cleaner, cylinder vacuum cleaner, stick vacuum machine or hand-held spot cleaner.

Claims (12)

1. adapter that is used for cleaning appliance, described adapter comprises head and neck, described head comprises the suction opening that is arranged in the suction plane, described neck comprises mid portion and is used to be connected to the end of the mouth of bar or flexible pipe, described end has longitudinal axis, described adapter also comprises the first rotatable syndeton with first rotation between described end and described mid portion, and the second rotatable syndeton between described head and described mid portion with second rotation, each rotatable syndeton allows the relative motion of described end with respect to described head, wherein, described first rotation tilts with respect to the longitudinal axis of described end, and described second rotation tilts with respect to described suction plane.

2. adapter as claimed in claim 1, wherein, described first rotation tilts with the longitudinal axis of angle in 20 ° to the 60 ° scopes and described end.

3. adapter as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein, described second rotation tilts with angle in 20 ° to the 70 ° scopes and described suction plane.

4. adapter as claimed in claim 1, wherein, described first rotation and described second rotation are at angle.

5. adapter as claimed in claim 4, wherein, described first rotation tilts with angle in 80 ° to the 130 ° scopes and described second rotation.

6. adapter as claimed in claim 1, wherein, described first rotation and described second rotation are arranged in common plane.

7. adapter as claimed in claim 1, wherein, described mid portion is crooked.

8. adapter as claimed in claim 1, wherein, the described first rotatable syndeton comprises first attachment, described first attachment are used for the described first rotatable syndeton is remained at least one discrete angle orientation.

9. adapter as claimed in claim 8, wherein, described first attachment are suitable for the described first rotatable structure is remained on in four discrete angle orientations one.

10. adapter as claimed in claim 1, wherein, the described second rotatable syndeton comprises second attachment, described second attachment are used for the described second rotatable syndeton is remained at least one discrete angle orientation.

11. adapter as claimed in claim 10, wherein, described second attachment are suitable for the described second rotatable syndeton is remained on in four discrete angle orientations one.

12. a vacuum cleaner comprises as described above any one described adapter in the claim.

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