[0001] This invention relates to vacuum cleaner attachment systems, and more particularly
to systems using extension tubes between the cleaning tool and the vacuum cleaner
hose.
[0002] Systems for removably attaching tools to a vacuum cleaner hose are well known in
the prior art. All of the "tank type" vacuum cleaners currently on the market, and
some of the "upright" vacuum cleaners, utilise flexible hoses to provide suction at
positions remote from the vacuum cleaner to afford better accessibility to such locations.
Many of today's vacuum cleaners use extensions of various kinds for increasing the
reach of the hose, with the suction tool being releasably mounted on the end of such
extensions so that they can be replaced with other tools.
[0003] It has also heretofore been known to provide narrow, elongated suction tools for
removing dust and dirt from narrow places see, for example, United States Patent 4,332,051
and the patents cited during the prosecution thereof.
[0004] However, each of the prior art patents known to the applicant is narrow over only
a portion of its length and then bulges outwardly to a circular cross-section adapted
for connection to the end of a vacuum cleaner hose. Many times the operator of the
vacuum cleaner desires to clean narrow spaces of a length too great to be reached
by conventional flattened end tools as, for example, the space beneath a refrigerator
or stove. Dust, lint and other debris accumulate in such spaces and cannot be removed
by presently known vacuum cleaner attachments.
[0005] The applicant is also aware of the following U.S.A. patents which have relevance
namely:
U.S.A. Patent 1,403,524
U.S.A. Patent 1,694,257
U.S.A. Patent 2,276,078, and
U.S.A. Patent 2,789,307.
[0006] The vacuum cleaner attachment system of the present invention makes it possible to
clean narrow, deep spaces which have heretofore been unreachable by conventional vacuum
cleaner tools. This is accomplished in the present invention by a flattened tool which
can be fully inserted into the narrow, deep spaces. The effective length of the tool
is selectively increased or decreased at the will of the user by interposing flattened
extension tubes between the attaching end of the tool and the flattened end of a round-to-flattened
adapter capable of being mounted on the end of a vacuum cleaner attachment hose.
[0007] Each flattened extension tube has a receiving end formed for telescoping engagement
over the flattened end of the adapter and an opposite insertion end formed for telescoping
reception within the attachment end of the flattened tool. Since the receiving ends
of the flattened extension tubes are all of the same size and configuration, as are
the insertion ends, as many of the flattened extension tubes as may be desired can
be interposed between the adapter and the flattened tool.
[0008] The different parts of the system are held together in the described telescoping
engagement by manually operable detents on the insertion ends releasably engageable
in openings formed in the receiving ends.
[0009] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a vacuum cleaner attachment
system capable of cleaning long and deep narrow spaces between adjacent objects without
requiring that the objects be moved.
[0010] Another object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum cleaner attachment
system of the character described which may be readily lengthened or shortened to
adapt the system to differing sizes of narrow spaces to be cleaned.
[0011] A further object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum cleaner attachment
system of the character described in which the various parts are held securely together
for operation, but which can readily be manually detached from each other and parts
removed or additional parts added.
[0012] To enable the nature of the invention to be fully understood, a particular and at
present preferred embodiment of the same is hereafter described by way of non-limitative
example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective, partially exploded view of a portion of a vacuum cleaner
attachment system constructed in accordance with the present invention:
Figure 2 is a plan view on an enlarged scale of a flattened extension tube forming
part of the vacuum cleaner attachment system of the present invention and shown in
operative association with fragmentary portions of other elements of the system illustrated
in chain-dashed lines:
Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the flattened extension tube of Figure 2;
Figure 4 is an end view of the flattened extension tube of Figures 2 and 3;
Figure 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view on an enlarged scale of a telescoping
engagement and detent means illustrating how the parts of the vacuum cleaner attachment
system of the present invention are releasably secured together:
Figure 6 is a plan view of a flattened suction cleaning tool forming part of the system
of the present invention; and
Figure 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view substantially on the plane of line 7-7
of Figure 6.
[0013] While only the preferred form of the invention is illustrated in the drawings, it
will be apparent that various modifications could be made within the ambit of the
appended claims.
[0014] As may be seen in the accompanying drawings, the vacuum cleaner attachment system
of the present invention provides a flattened suction attachment tool 11 having a
width substantially greater than its height, a flattened extension tube 12 removably
attachable to an end 13 of the tool 11 and likewise having a width substantially greater
than its height, and an adapter tube 14 having a flattened end 16 attachable to an
end 17 of the flattened extension tube 12 opposite to the tool 11, the adapter tube
14 having a substantially cylindrical end 18 opposite the end 16 formed for removable
attachment to a vacuum cleaner hose (not shown).
[0015] For ease of manufacture, the flattened attachment tool 11, the flattened extension
tube 12 and the flattened end 16 of the adapter tube 14 are shown to be of substantially
rectangular cross-section commensurate in size, with the width of the rectangular
cross-section being over three times its height.
[0016] In accordance with the present invention, the flattened attachment tool 11, the flattened
extension tube 12, and the adapter tube 14 are releasably securable to each other
by forming an end 17 of-the extension tube 12 to telescope over the flattened end
16 of the adapter tube 14, and by forming the attaching end 13 of the flattened tool
11 to telescope over the insertion end 19 of the extension tube 12, the parts being
releasably secured together when telescoped one on the other by detent means 21.
[0017] The detent means 21 is provided by making the end 16 of the adapter tube 14, and
the end 19 of the flattened extension tube 12, both of which telescope within receiving
ends 17 or 13, sufficiently resilient for the longer sides of the rectangular cross-sections
to be squeezed together by the human hand in the manner illustrated in dotted lines
in Figure 5. A raised bevelled protuberance 22 is formed on one or both sides of the
ends 16 and 19 so as to be releasably engageable in detent openings 23 formed through
the receiving ends 13 and 17. Alignment of the detents 22 with the openings 23 is
assured by positioning shoulders 24 formed on the ends 16 and 19.
[0018] As will be apparent, insertion ends 16 and 19 are substantially identical to each
other, as are the ends 13 and 17. Thus, the end 16 can be received in the end 13 of
the flattened tool 11, or it can equally well be received in the end 17 of the flattened
extension tube 11. Likewise, the insertion end 19 of the flattened extension tube
12 can be received in the end 13 of the flattened tool 11 or in the receiving end
17 of another flattened extension 12. Thus, by interposition or removal of the flattened
extension members 12, the effective length from the adapter 18 to the outer end of
the flattened tool 11 can be increased or decreased as desired.
[0019] While any suitable flattened tool may be used in the vacuum cleaner attachment system
of the present invention, the tool configuration illustrated in Figures 6 and 7 of
the drawings functions particularly well. As there shown, the tool 11 is shaped similarly
to the flattened portion of an ordinary vacuum cleaner crevice tool, that is, with
the height and width of the tool tapering down toward the outer end 26 in the manner
illustrated in Figures 6 and 7 of the drawings. The outer end 26 is bevelled at 27
in the manner shown in Figure 6 of the drawings and the tip 26 is open.
[0020] An opening 28 controlled by a sliding door is formed through one flat face 29 of
the tool 11, and a comparatively flat brush 31 is mounted around the opening 28 to
stir up dust and debris sufficiently for them to be drawn into the tool 11.
[0021] From the foregoing, it will be seen that the vacuum cleaner attachment system for
cleaning narrow spaces of the present invention, and as described above, provides
a novel approach and facility for cleaning those deep and narrow spaces beneath stoves,
refrigerators, and the like, and other similarly heretofore inaccessible spaces.
1. A vacuum cleaner attachment system characterised by a flattened suction attachment
tool (11) having a width substantially greater than its height, a flattened extension
tube (12) removably attachable to an end of said tool (11) and likewise having a width
substantially greater than its height, and an adapter tube (14) having a flattened
end (16) attachable to the end of said flattened extension tube (12) opposite to said
tool (11), said adapter tube (14) having a substantially cylindrical end (18) opposite
to its said flattened end (16) formed for removable attachment to a vacuum cleaner
hose.
2. A vacuum cleaner attachment system as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the widths of
said flattened attachment tool (11) and said flattened extension tube (12) and the
flattened end (16) of said adapter tube (14) are substantially commensurate.
3. A vacuum cleaner attachment system as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said flattened
attachment tool (11) said flattened extension tube (12) and said flattened end (16)
of said adapter tube (14) are of substantially rectangular cross-section.
4. A vacuum cleaner attachment system as claimed in Claim 3, wherein the width of
said rectangular cross-section is over three times its height.
5. A vacuum cleaner attachment system as claimed in Claim 1, wherein said flattened
attachment tool (11), said flattened extension tube (12) and said adapter tube (14)
are releasably securable to each other by forming an end (17) of said extension tube
to telescope over the flattened end (16) of said adapter tube (14), and by forming
the attaching end (13) of said tool to telescope over the end (19) of said extension
tube (12), said extension tube (12) and said tool (11) and adapter tube (14) being
releasably secured together where telescoped one on the other by detent means (21).
6. A vacuum cleaner attachment system as claimed in Claim 5, wherein the telescoping
ends of said tool (11), extension tube (12) and adapter tube (14) are sufficiently
resilient for the nger sides of said rectangular cross-sections to be squeezed toward
each other by the human hand, and further comprising an opening (23) formed through
the ends of said tool, extension tube and said adapter tube which are on the outside
when telescoped, and a raised bevelled protuberance (22) on each said first named
ends registerable with and releasably engageable in said opening.
7. A flattened extension tube for releasably interposing in a connection between a
flattened vacuum cleaner attachment tool (11) and the flattened end (16) of a flat-to-round
adapter tube (14), comprising a flattened tube (12) having one end formed for releasable
attachment to the vacuum cleaner tool and an opposite end formed for releasable attachment
to the flattened end of the adapter tube, said one end being formed for releasable
attachment to said opposite end whereby a plurality of said flattened extension tubes
may be strung together to provide extensions of desired length
8. A flattened extension tube as claimed in Claim 7, and wherein portions of said
attachment tool (11), said adapter tube (14) and said extension tube telescope together,
and are releasably held in such telescoped condition by manually operable detent means
(21).