US3605172A - Vacuum cleaner nozzle with variable venturi - Google Patents

Abstract

A VARIABLE VENTURI NOZZLE FOR USE WITH A VACUUM CLEANER OR SIMILAR APPARATUS HAVING A PAIR OF FIXED POSITION PARALLEL ROLLERS WITH A CHANNEL THEREBETWEEN COMMUNICATING WITH A VACUUM SOURCE, AND A SPRING BIASED ROLLER CENTRALLY PLACED BETWEEN SAID FIXED POSITION ROLLERS, AND HAVING ITS AXIS ALIGNED IN PARALLEL WITH THOSE OF SAID FIXED POSITION ROLLERS, SAID SPRING BIASED ROLLER BEING MOVABLE WITHIN SAID CHANNEL AND PROVIDING A VARYING CHANNEL OPENING ACCORDING TO ITS POSITION. THE CHANNEL SIDES ARE CURVED CONVEX OUTWARD, SUCH THAT A MAXIMUM CROSS-SECTIONAL OUTLET IS PROVIDED WHEN THE MOVEABLE ROLLER IS IN ITS LOWEST POSITION, THE OUTLET AREA DECREASING AS THE ROLLER IS MOVED AGAINST THE SPRING TO HIGHER POSITION.

Description

Sept. 20, 1971 DAMASCQ 3,605,172

VACUUM CLEANER NOZZLE WITH VARIABLE VENTURI Filed April 6, 1970 INVENTOR. Louis J. Dumosco BY @AM 30 I 35 4| 3O ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent Ofice 3,605,172 Patented Sept. 20, 1971 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A variable venturi nozzle for use with a vacuum cleaner or similar apparatus having a pair of fixed position parallel rollers with a channel therebetween communicating with a vacuum source, and a spring biased roller centrally placed between said fixed position rollers, and having its axis aligned in parallel with those of said fixed position rollers, said spring biased roller being moveable within said channel and providing a varying channel opening according to its position. The channel sides are curved convex outward, such that a maximum cross-sectional outlet is provided when the moveable roller is in its lowest position, the outlet area decreasing as the roller is moved against the spring to higher positions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (A) Field of the invention This invention lies in the field of vacuum cleaner nozzles and more particularly to nozzles providing a variable opening through which the vacuum cleaner suction is applied to the rug.

(B) Description of the prior art Vacuum cleaners generally provide a fixed suction pressure and fixed air flow which is applied to the object being cleaned, irrespective of the variable nature of such object. However, most objects, such as rugs, are not of absolutely uniform construction, and will be of varying thicknesses. For example, certain rug constructions contain varying pile depths, requiring different cleaning strengths corresponding to the different depths, in order to efiiciently clean same. The broad idea of a variable nozzle opening to increase or decrease the velocity of air flow, and to accordingly vary the cleaning force provided by the vacuum cleaner, has been shown in prior patents. See US. Pat. No. 2,181,594, to G. E. Bjorkman, and No. 2,885,715 to B. Anderson.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of this invention to provide a variable venturi nozzle which adjusts automatically to the condition of the surface on which it is placed, which is efiicient and inexpensive, and overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a nozzle for a vacuum cleaner having a variable venturi channel positioned between two fixed rollers.

Accordingly, a variable venturi nozzle is provided having two fixed parallel rollers With a channel therebetween, the channel having arcuate walls providing a variable channel width. A spring biased roller, parallel to the two fixed rollers and running longitudinally the length of the channel, is moved up and down within the channel, the varying position combining with the variable width to provide a variable channel opening.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 'FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the housing of the nozzle of this invention and its connection to a suction hose.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the nozzle along lines 22 shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the nozzle of this invention taken along lines 33 as shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view taken along lines 4-4 as shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a detained view taken along lines 55 of FIG. 3, showing the spring mechanism which biases the venturi roller.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a housing 20 is shown having a lengthwise portion 21 and an upper portion 22 which communicates with a hose or pipe-like structure 23, which is connected to the vacuum source of a vacuum cleaner. Upper housing 22 contains upper channel 25 which provides a passage between hose 23 and the nozzle outlet.

As seen in FIG. 2, lengthwise portion 21 contains two fixed rollers 30, having axes extending longitudinally parallel to the plane of lengthwise portion 21. The rollers 30 are placed near the side edges of the housing, leaving a space therebetween, and are fixedly mounted at points 31. Located between rollers 30 is spring biased roller 35, having its axis aligned in parallel with the axes of rollers 30. As seen in FIG. 3, roller 35 is mounted on shaft 36, the ends of which are positioned in spaces 37, which spaces allow for upward and downward movement of roller 35. In contact with shaft ends 36 are springs 39, mounted in recesses normal to shaft 36, and biasing same downward. The position of spring 39, as well as shaft end 36, can also be seen in FIG. 5.

Referring now to FIG. 5, the venturi operation of the nozzle can be seen. Venturi channel 40 communicates between upper channel 25 and the bottom of the nozzle, and is located between fixed rollers 30. The side edges 41 of the channel are contoured convex outward, such that the channel opening is greatest at the bottom, and decreases to a minimum spacing toward the upper opening of the channel. The form of the channel walls 41 is not critical, but must be such that, in combination with moveable roller 35, the passageway between wall 41 and roller 35 is increasingly restricted as roller 35 is urged upward within hole 37. From FIG. 4 it is seen that if roller 35 is pushed into its uppermost position, as by a rug nap, the passageway is restricted to a minimum. Under these conditions, for a constant suction transmitted through hose 23, the velocity of the air through channel 40 must be at a maximum, causing a velocity force imposed upon the surface beneath the nozzle. Correspondingly, for no nap or rill in the rug, roller 35 is in the position as shown, at which point there is a maximum unobstructed passageway through channel 40.

Rollers 30 may be generally of about twice the diameter of roller 35. In operation, nozzle housing 20 and fixed rollers 30 will sink into the pile of the rug, or other surface being cleaned, and the position of the bottom edges of rollers 30 will be relatively unaffected by naps or tufts in the rug. However, smaller raised surfaces will penetrate into channel 40 and force roller 35 upward, the resilient force provided by springs 39 being light enough to permit the roller to be easily forced upward. Consequently, as the nozzle is rolled along the surface, roller 35 will follow a vertical path which will vary in accordance with the contour of the surface being cleaned, with the result that the velocity force of the cleaning air will be maximized in areas of greater depth, and minimized in areas of lesser depth.

1 claim:

1. A nozzle for use with a vacuum cleaner comprising:

(a) a housing having an upper channel communicating with said vacuum cleaner, and having a lower portion with a channel running longitudinally therethrough providing a nozzle outlet;

(b) two fixed rollers housed in said lower portion and having their aXes in parallel with said channel, one of said fixed rollers being positioned on a first side of said channel and the second fixed roller on the opposite side of said channel;

(c) said channel having an upper opening communicating With said upper channel, and a lower opening, and having opposing arcuate walls between said upper and lower openings providing for a variable channel spacing;

(d) a moveable roller mounted within said channel between said opposing channel walls, the lower opening in said channel being variable with the vertical position of said moveable roller.

2. The nozzle as described in claim 1 wherein said moveable roller is confined to movement through the center of said channel, such that it remains equidistant from each channel wall, thereby providing Openings of equal size between said moveable roller and said each edge.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,181,594 11/1938 Bjorkrnan 15418 2,534,189 12/1950 Wright l5-371X 2,585,186 2/1952 Taylor 15418X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,223,107 1/1960 France 15371 WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner C. K. MOORE, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. l5372

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