WO2005004697A1

WO2005004697A1 - Universal attachment connector of work accessories to the suction pipes of vacuum domestic appliances and work accessories

Info

Publication number: WO2005004697A1
Application number: PCT/EP2004/007210
Authority: WO
Inventors: Massimiliano Pineschi
Original assignee: Soteco Spa
Priority date: 2003-07-02
Filing date: 2004-07-02
Publication date: 2005-01-20
Also published as: EP1643892A1; ITMO20030197A1; ITMO20030197A0

Abstract

The attachment connector (1) for work accessories (2) to the suction pipes of domestic appliances comprises a box body (6) defining a projecting standardised fitting (7) attachable at an end of a conventional suction pipe (5) and an attachment jaw (8) for a work accessory, substantially opposite said fitting (7), a chamber (9) inside said box body, connecting said standardised fitting and attachment jaw, a rotating body (10) located rotatably free in said chamber (9) and actuatable with rotational movement with said suction of said vacuum domestic appliances, first transmission means (11) of said rotational movement turned towards said attachment jaw (8).

Description

universal attachment connector of work accessories to the suction pipes of vacuum domestic appliances and work accessories

The object of the present invention is an attachment connector of work accessories to the suction pipes of vacuum domestic appliances and work accessories.

As is known, vacuum domestic appliances, such as for example vacuum cleaners, comprise a main body that encloses within itself a motor suitable for creating a suction action and a chamber collecting the dust and detritus sucked by the action of the motor, which is suitably protected by a filtering unit. To the aforementioned body, on the outside at a suitable opening provided for that purpose and connected with the collection chamber and motor by a corresponding conduit, an end of a normally flexible pipe is hookable, manoeuvrable by the user, to the opposite end of which different accessories are alternatively fittable, of different shapes and structures from one another, according to the intended use of the treatment of surfaces and materials that are different from one another. The aforementioned accessories normally comprise a nozzle with narrow spout, a round or widened brush and a substantially flat mouth that is also widened, which, on the face in contact with the surface to be treated, may be provided with an array of bristles that are fixed or variable in their height with the intervention of a snap mechanism that retracts them or makes them protrude outwards .

All the accessories are internally hollow and are provided with an end for fitting on the end of the aforesaid pipe, which connects them with the main body of the domestic appliance to achieve through these the suction action combined with the brushing action.

Nevertheless, the action of such accessories may not be completely effective, although high power levels of the suction motors are used, because the removal of dust and detritus occurs simply through static or dynamic contact through rubbing between the suction end of each accessory and the surface to be cleaned; this prevents dust being completely eliminated, especially when it is deeply engrained, for example between the meshes that make up the weave of a fabric, whether it be used to make curtains or upholstery for sofas, armchairs, chairs and the like. Therefore, known domestic appliances, in addition to providing a limited cleaning action, may cause the occurrence and persistence of unpleasant allergic phenomena in persons who suffer from the presence of mites in the environment.

An object of this invention is to eliminate the drawbacks of the prior art deplored above by devising an attachment connector for the work accessories to the suction pipes of vacuum domestic appliances and work accessories that enable dust and detritus to be effectively removed from any treated surface, achieving levels of cleaning that are not achievable with known domestic appliances .

This object is achieved by the present attachment connector of the work accessories to the suction pipes of vacuum domestic appliances as defined in claim 1 and by work accessories as defined in claim 2.

Further features and advantages of the present invention will become clearer from the detailed disclosure of 'a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of an attachment connector of work accessories to the suction pipes of vacuum domestic appliances and work accessories illustrated by way of non-limiting example in the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of un attachment connector of work accessories for vacuum domestic appliances, provided with a nozzle accessory, according to the invention;

Figure 2 is the corresponding side view of the connector and of the nozzle accessory of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is another side view of the connector according to the invention to which a nozzle accessory is attached; Figure 4 is a schematic plan view of a connector according to the invention to which a brush accessory for padded items is attached;

Figure 5 is the corresponding lateral schematic view of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is also a lateral view of the connector according to the invention to which a brush accessory for padded items is attached;

Figure 7 is a schematic view from above of an attachment connector of work accessories for vacuum domestic appliances, provided with a narrow brush accessory;

Figure 8 is the corresponding lateral schematic view of the connector and of the accessory of figure 7;

Figure 9 is a side view of the connector according to the invention, to which a narrow brush accessory^' is attached.

With particular reference to the above figures, 1 indicates an attachment connector of the work accessories 2, 3, 4 to the suction pipes 5 of vacuum domestic appliances.

The connector 1 essentially comprises a box body 6 that defines a projecting standardised fitting 7 couplable to, or fittable on, an end of a conventional suction pipe 5 and an attachment jaw 8 of one of the work accessories, which is in a zone of the box body 6 substantially opposite the standardised fitting 7.

Inside the box body 6 a chamber 9 is defined for connection between the standardised fitting 7 and the attachment jaw 8 and for housing a rotating body 10, rotatably free, which is actuatable by rotational motion with the same suction action of vacuum domestic appliances.

With the rotating body 10 is associated, as disclosed in more detail below, first means 11 for the transmission of the rotating motion turned towards the attachment jaw 8.

Each of the work accessories 2, 3, 4 comprises a body 12 along which a through cavity 13 passes longitudinally that respectively^' defines a first suction and contact opening 14 with surfaces to treat and a second opening 15 for connecting with the attachment jaw 8.

Each work accessory 2, 3, 4 is also provided with dynamic brushing means 16 that is actuatable by rotational movement and is rotationally mounted at the first suction and contact opening 14 with surfaces to be treated, with leaded means 17, which is engageable with the first transmission means 11, which is located at the second connection opening 15, and with second transmission means 18 of the rotational movement that is interposed between the leaded means 17 and the dynamic brushing means 16.

The attachment jaw 8 is provided with means 19 for the sealed hooking or unhooking of converging ends of the accessories 2, 3, 4 each of which is advantageously provided, at the respective converging end turned towards the jaw 8 in hooked configuration, with sealed coupling means 20 with the hooking or unhooking means 19.

The rotating body 10 comprises a shaft 21 that is traversely supported rotationally inside the chamber 9 inside the box body 6 of a fan 22 splined on the shaft 21 and rotationally integral therewith; support means 23 of the shaft 21 is also provided that comprises two heads 24 and 25 suitable for receiving the ends of the shaft 21 and which protrude, aligned on one another in a direction that is centripetal from the chamber 9; between the heads 24 and 25 and the ends of the shaft 21 antifriction means 26 is interposed, for example spherical bearings. The first drive means 11 comprises an extension segment 121 of the shaft 21, a reel 27 that is splined on the extension 121, coaxially to the fan 22 and a pulley 28 that is freely supported rotationally in one of the heads, namely 25, and is turned towards the attachment jaw 8, in such a way as to emerge from the latter and engage in the reel 27.

The dynamic brushing means 16 comprises a substantially cylindrical element 29 that is rotationally supported transversely free in the body 12 and is peripherally provided with cleaning and/or polishing means, such as for example bristles 30, and with at least one toothed organ 31 for connection to the second transmission means 18. The leaded means 17 comprises a second shaft 32, that is transversely supported inside the body 12 of the accessories 2, 3, 4, and two second heads 33 and 34 supporting the ends of the second shaft 32, which project centripetally opposite and coaxially. The leaded means 17 furthermore comprises a toothed gear 35 that is splined on the second shaft 32 and which is engageable with the pulley 28 and a second reel 36 that is splined on the second shaft 32 coaxially with the toothed gear 35. The second drive means 18 comprises belt or chain means 37 closed in a loop on the second reel 36 and the toothed connecting organ 31.

The sealed hooking and unhooking means 19 with which the accessories 2, 3, 4 are provided comprises at least one fulcrum pin 38 that projects outside the body 6 and elastically active gripper means 39 that is engageable with the sealed coupling means 20, which essentially comprises a lip 40 obtained projecting at the perimeter outside the second opening 15 connecting with the attachment jaw 8 and with at least one hooked foot 41 suitable for engaging in the fulcrum pin 38. The operation of the connector 1 and of the corresponding work accessories is as follows: the fan 22, splined on the first shaft 21 and inside the chamber 9, is made to rotate by the current of air sucked in by the motor of a vacuum domestic appliance, for example a vacuum cleaner. The rotation of the fan 22 also actuates means 18 of transmission of rotating motion, which in turn rotates the dynamic brushing means 16 with which the work accessories 2, 3, 4 are advantageously provided and which takes on different shapes depending on the type of accessory and its intended use.. In the example of the so-called nozzle' accessory, indicated overall as 2 in Figures 1, 2, 3, the rotational motion to which the fan 22 is subjected by the suction action is transmitted through the reel 27, to the pulley 28 and from the latter to the toothed gear 35 splined on the second shaft 32 on which the second reel 36 is also splined.

On the latter and on an opposite toothed organ 31 obtained in the substantially cylindrical element 29 belt or chain means 37 is closed as a loop that definitively takes the rotational movement of the fan 22 to the dynamic brushing means 16, which in this case comprises for example a pair of round brushes splined on the ends of the substantially cylindrical element 29 advantageously protruding bilaterally from the body 12 near the first suction opening 14. As a result, the combined action of suction and rotation of the dynamic brushing means 16 enables thorough and deep cleaning of any treated surface to be obtained because the bristles 30, as they rotate also get wedged even between the meshes of the weave of any fabric. Operation of the connector 1 is substantially identical even for the accessories 3 and 4 that have different conformations because they are intended for different uses but which all combine the suction action with cleaning action by brushing by making the bristles 30 rotate; in detail, the brush accessory 3 (figures 4, 5, 6) is specially used to treat padded items in general whereas the narrow brush accessory 4 is used for surfaces with a small extent and which are difficult to access. It should be mentioned that all the work accessories 2, 3, 4 are hooked to the attachment connector 1 by inserting the hooked foot 41, with which all are advantageously provided, into the fulcrum pin 38 and tightening the perimeter lip 40 with the gripper means 39.

In this way, the attachment jaw 8 of the box body 6 and the second connection opening 15 face each other and with the respective perimeter edges pressed tight against one another.

It has been established how the disclosed invention achieves the proposed objects.

The invention that has been thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which fall within the protective scope as defined by the claims.

Furthermore, all details are replaceable with other technically equivalent ones: thus, for example, the accessories 2, 3, 4 can be replaced by others, which are all equipped with dynamic brushing means 16.

In practice, the materials used and the shapes and dimensions can be of any type, according to needs, without thereby falling outside the protective scope of the present invention.

Claims

1) Attachment connector of work accessories to the suction pipes of vacuum domestic appliances characterised in that it comprises: a box body defining a projecting standardised fitting at an end of a conventional suction pipe and an attachment jaw of a work accessory, substantially opposite said fitting, a chamber inside said box body, connecting said standardised fitting and attachment jaw, a rotating body located rotatably free in said chamber and actuatable with rotational movement with said suction of said vacuum domestic appliances, first transmission means of said rotational movement turned towards said attachment jaw.

2) Work accessories according to claim 1 characterised in that each comprises: a body longitudinally crossed by a through cavity and defining in the latter respectively a first suction opening and contact with surfaces to be treated and a second opening connecting with said attachment jaw, dynamic brushing means actuatable with rotational movement and rotationally fitted at said first suction and contact opening with surfaces to be treated, leaded means engageable with said first transmission means of said rotational movement of said rotating body, located at said second connection opening, second transmission means of said rotational movement interposed between said leaded means and said brushing means .

3) Attachment connector according to claim 1 characterised in that said attachment jaw is provided with sealed hooking/unhooking means of converging ends of said accessories. 4) Work accessories according to any one of claims 1 and 3 characterised in that each one is provided, at an end converging towards said jaw in hooked configuration, with sealed coupling means with said hooking/unhooking means. 5) Attachment connector according to claim 1 characterised in that said rotating body comprises: a shaft supported transversely rotatable in said chamber inside said box body, support means of said shaft, at least one fan splined on said shaft and rotationally integral therewith.

6) Attachment connector according to claim 5 characterised in that said support means of said shaft comprises: receiving heads of the ends of said shaft projecting aligned and centripetally from said chamber, antifriction means interposed between said ends of said shaft and said heads.

7) Attachment connector according to either of claims 1 and 6 characterised in that said first transmission means comprises: at least one extension segment of said transversely supported shaft, a reel splined on said extension coaxially to said fan, a pulley supported freely rotatable inside one of said heads turned towards said attachment jaw, emerging therefrom and engaged on said reel. 8) Work accessories according to claim 2 characterised in that said dynamic brushing means comprises a substantially cylindrical element supported rotatably free transversely in said body and peripherally provided with cleaning/polishing means and with at least one toothed connection organ with said second transmission means. 9) Work accessories according to any one of claims 2 and 7 characterised in that said leaded means comprises: a second shaft supported transversely on said body of said accessories, second support heads of the ends of said second shaft protruding centripetally opposite and coaxially, at least one toothed gear splined on said second shaft and engageable with said pulley, at least a second reel splined on said second shaft coaxially to said at least one gear.

10) Work accessories according to any one of claims 2, 8, 9 characterised in that said second transmission means comprises belt/chain means closed as a loop on said second reel and toothed connection organ.

11) Work accessories according to claims 3 and 4 characterised in that said sealed hooking/unhooking means of converging ends of said accessories comprises at least one fulcrum pin projecting outside said body, at least one elastically active gripper means, engageable with said sealed coupling means.

12) Work accessories according to claims 4 and 11 characterised in that said sealed coupling means with said hooking/unhooking means comprises: at least one lip obtained projecting externally from the perimeter of said second opening connecting with said attachment jaw, at least one hooked foot engaging with said at least one fulcrum pin.