Vacuum cleaner apparatus of versatile type for cleaning surfaces of various kind and hardness

Abstract

 Vacuum cleaner apparatus of versatile type, particularly but not exclusively for industrial uses, for cleaning surfaces of various kind and hardness, Apparatus the brush bottom (12) of which is shaped for housing and supporting movable support means (13) and at least a regulation mechanism (14), which may be actuated by selector means (18), wherein the movable support (13) is provided with sliding pads (36, 37, 39) made of felt, which may be actuated by the regulation mechanism (14), through the selector (18), from a first to a second operative position thereof, and vice versa, wherein in the first operative position the movable support (13) is raised into said brush bottom (12), and also said sliding pads (36, 37, 39) are raised with respect to the surface to be cleaned, and the wheels (22, 26) of the brush bottom are lowered into contact with the surface to be cleaned, under the condition in which the apparatus may clean floors or floor coverings made of hard and strong materials, and wherein in the second operative position the movable support (13) is lowered into said brush bottom (12), and also said sliding pads (36, 37, 39) are lowered into contact with the surface to be cleaned, and the wheels (22, 26) are raised with respect to the surface to be cleaned and polished, under the condition in which the apparatus may clean and polish floors or floor coverings made of delicate and/or tender and/or soft materials, which involve delicate cleaning treatments.

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a vacuum cleaner apparatus of versatile type, particularly but not exclusively for industrial uses, for cleaning surfaces of various kind and hardness, such for example floors of wood, plastic, stone, tiles, and carpets or similar coverings for these floors.

[0002] Vacuum cleaner apparatuses for cleaning surfaces of various kind and hardness as above specified are known, which are constituted substantially by a lower brush bottom adequately shaped, adapted to provide for the suction of the dirt, dust etc.. being accumulated on to such surfaces, and joined removably with a possible lengthened vertical rod, which can be displaced manually or automatically, to which a suction unit of conventional type is connected, which in turn is connected to an electric supply cable to determine the operation of the same unit, and therefore the apparatus suction action, said brush bottom being covered by an upper covering.

[0003] Such upper covering has a lower flat surface, to which the corresponding brush bottom of interchangeable type is applied, before starting the cleaning operation, which brush bottom is provided with a lower flat surface adapted to be laid and displaced on to the surface to be cleaned by corresponding wheels. In the practice, there are employed brush bottoms of different kind for cleaning surfaces of various kind and hardness, and each brush bottom is selected from time to time in advance depending on the kind and hardness of the respective surface to be cleaned, and is applied removably below the upper covering. As a consequence thereof, each vacuum cleaner apparatus of this kind must be equipped with different types of brush bottoms, which besides involving greater cost burdens for the purchaser of the same apparatus often require to perform a series of complicated and laborious assembling operations.

[0004] The object of the present invention is to eliminate the described drawbacks and limits of the current vacuum cleaner apparatuses, by employing an innovative vacuum cleaner apparatus of versatile type, which is so shaped as to allow to clean surfaces of various kind and hardness in a simple and quick manner with a single brush bottom, without requiring different brush bottoms as it is needed at the present time.

[0005] This vacuum cleaner apparatus is made with the constructive characteristics substantially described, with particular reference to the enclosed claims of the present patent.

[0006] The invention will be understood better from the following description, given solely by way of not-limitative example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein :

• Fig. 1 shows a perspective front and exploded view of the different component parts of a portion of the present vacuum cleaner apparatus ;
• Fig. 2 shows a perspective front view of a portion of the vacuum cleaner apparatus according to the invention, partially assembled and displaced in a first operative position thereof ;
• Fig. 3 shows a front view of a portion of the vacuum cleaner apparatus according to the invention, on an assembled condition and displaced in the same first operative position of Fig. 2 ;
• Fig. 4 shows a front view of a portion of the vacuum cleaner apparatus according to the invention, on an assembled condition and displaced in a second operative condition thereof ;
• Fig. 5 shows a side view of a portion of the vacuum cleaner apparatus of Fig. 3 ;
• Fig. 6 shows a side view of a portion of the vacuum cleaner apparatus of Fig. 4 ;
• Fig. 7 shows a rear view of a component part of the present vacuum cleaner apparatus ;
• Fig. 8 shows a perspective rear and upper view of a portion of the vacuum cleaner apparatus according to the invention, on an assembled condition thereof ;
• Fig. 9 shows a perspective rear and lower view of a portion of the vacuum cleaner apparatus of Fig. 8 ;
• Fig. 10 shows a perspective front view of the vacuum cleaner apparatus according to the invention, in a constructive variant thereof ;
• Fig. 11 shows a perspective front and lower view of a portion of the vacuum cleaner apparatus according to the invention, in another constructive variant thereof.

[0007] The above indicated Figures illustrate a portion of a vacuum cleaner apparatus 10 according to the invention, of versatile type, particularly but not exclusively for industrial uses, adapted to clean surfaces of various kind and hardness, such as for example floors of wood, plastic, stone, tiles, and carpets or similar coverings for these floors. As particularly visible from the Fig. 1, in which the present vacuum cleaner apparatus is shown on a disassembled condition, with some of its different component parts, this vacuum cleaner apparatus is substantially constituted by an upper covering 11 shaped with flattened form and limited height, by an underlying brush bottom 12 secured removably below the upper covering, and by a movable support 13 housed internally the covering and the brush bottom, and carrying a regulation mechanism 14, which are made in the manner and for the functions which will be described hereinafter.

[0008] As visible also from the Figs. 2-6 and 8-9, the brush bottom 12 is joined through a conventional upper articulated joint 15 and a collector 16, with a possible lengthened vertical rod (not shown), which can be displaced manually by the user or automatically with suitable driving mechanisms, and is connected to a suction unit of conventional type, in turn connected to an electric supply cable, to determine the operation of the same unit and therefore the suction action of the present apparatus (all these components aren't shown). Moreover, such brush bottom 12 is covered by the aesthetical upper covering 11. In the illustrated example, the upper covering 11 is shaped with parallelepiped form, however it may be made also with different forms, and is provided with a side through opening 17 for the passage of a selector push-button 18 of slidable type, joined to the same covering and acting on the regulation mechanism 14 in a manner to displace it into two different regulating positions, which will be described later on. Besides, the upper covering 11 and the brush bottom 12 are enclosed along all their side edges by a peripheral bumper 19 of soft elastomer material or other suitable material, adapted to prevent that the covering and the brush bottom cause any possible damage and/or breaking of the walls, furniture or other objects situated in the displacement path of the present vacuum cleaner apparatus, under additional dampening of the stresses caused by impacting such walls, furniture and objects. In turn, the brush bottom 12 is shaped flattened, with the same form of the overlapped upper covering 11 and limited height, in order to be secured by means of screws or fixing means of other kind with the lower flat surface of such upper covering. As visible also from the Figs. 2-9, the brush bottom 12 is delimited by a bottom wall 20 shaped as it will be described and is provided with a set of through openings for the passage and accommodation of the wheels sliding on to the surfaces to be cleaned, in the present example formed by the two side front through openings 21, provided in correspondence of the front angular areas of the brush bottom, into which openings the relative wheels 22 are housed, which are supported idle rotating by the relative studs 23, which are secured laterally said through openings. Moreover, the brush bottom 12 is shaped with two rear seats 24 defined by relative curved walls (25), provided in the rear part of the same brush bottom for housing the relevant wheels 26, which are supported idle rotating through corresponding studs 27 (see Fig. 7), secured laterally the same seats. Finally, the brush bottom 12 is shaped along its side edges with stiffening and reinforcing ribs 28, 29 and 30 and additional through openings for housing respective flat sliding pads made of felt, in the illustrated example formed by two short longitudinal through openings 31 and 32 provided laterally the seats of the wheels 24 and by a longitudinal lengthened through opening 33 provided near the front reinforcing ribs 30, of which the two through openings 31 and 32 are provided for housing corresponding box-like portions 34 and 35 of the movable support 13, under which a relative sliding pad 36 and 37 is sticked or secured in another way, and the lengthened through opening 33 is provided for housing a corresponding lengthened box-like portion 38 of the movable support 13, under which a relative sliding pad 39 is sticked or secured in another way, which pad is situated at the same level of the preceding pads. Such box-like portions 34, 35 and 38 of the movable support 13 are arranged parallel and joined to each other by short crosspieces 40, 41, 42 and 43, adequately spaced away from each other in a longitudinal direction, and are made with dimensions slightly smaller than those of the respective through openings 31, 32 and 33, so as to allow the vertical displacement into these latter of the same box-like portions, in the manner and for the functions hereinafter described. The through openings 31, 32 and 33 of the brush bottom 12 delimit among them a perforated central area 44, communicating with the inner hole 45 of the upper articulated joint 15, through the collector 16, and the corresponding hole of any possible lengthened vertical rod (not shown), in order to allow the air sucked from the exterior, and therefore also the dust and the other dirty substances sucked from the floor, carpet or similar coverings, to pass therethrough, and to convey and collect such dust and dirty substances into the relative collecting bag (not shown) supported by and fixed to the vacuum cleaner apparatus.

[0009] In turn, the regulation mechanism 14 is provided for being actuated into two different operative positions by the selector push-button 18, and for interacting with the underlying box-like portions 34, 35 and 38 in a way to displace them, together with the relative sliding pads 36, 37 and 39, from the one to the other one of their operative positions. In particular, the regulation mechanism 14 is substantially constituted by two pairs of cams 46, 47 and 48, 49, secured to and supported in rotation by a respective transversal stud 50 and 51, which are parallel and spaced away from each other in the longitudinal direction of the brush bottom 12, wherein the front cams 47 and 49 are articulated between them by a relative rectilinear connecting rod 52, in a manner that all the cams are rotated contemporaneously from the one to the other one of their operative positions, by the action of the selector push-button 18 co-operating with the rear cam 48.

[0010] Such regulation mechanism 14 is secured and housed in the interior of the brush bottom 12, by arranging and resting at first the transversal studs 50 and 51 on to the relative crosspieces 40 and 43 of the movable support 13, and then arranging these crosspieces 40 and 43 on to corresponding transversal raised parts 53 and 54 provided in the brush bottom 12 laterally the perforated central area 44 of the same, and finally by applying to each assembly stud-crosspiece-raised part a respective covering plate 55 and 56, which is fixed to the correspondent raised part by screws or similar means, which are inserted through the through holes 57, 58 of the relative covering plates 55 and 56 and the correspondent dead holed 59 and 60 of the transversal raised parts 53 and 54, and under this condition also the box-like portions 34, 35 and 38 of the movable support 13 are inserted, together with the relative sliding pads 36, 37 and 39, through the corresponding through openings 31, 32 and 33 of the brush bottom 12. Under this assembled condition, the cams 46-49 are housed and may rotate into correspondent recesses 61, 62, 63 and 64 of the box-like portions of the movable support 13, while the rear cam 48 is also arranged into contact with the overlying selector push-button 18, which is pivoted in a slidable way through the relative side through opening 17 of the upper covering 11, so that such push-button may be actuated into two different operative positions, thereby determining a correspondent rotation of the cam 48 and therefore also of all the remaining cams 46, 47 and 49 which, by acting against the box-like portions 34, 35 and 38 provide for a consequent vertical displacement of these component parts into the same operative position, together with the correspondent sliding pads. In the Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 in which the two operative positions assumed by the regulation mechanism 14, the box-like portions 34, 35 and 39 and the relative pads 36, 37 and 39 are illustrated, it is noted that in the first position of the Figs. 2, 3 and 5 all the cams are rotated in a manner to be arranged inclined upward with respect to the box-like portions, and do not push downward these latter, thereby keeping all the pads 36, 37 and 39 raised with respect to the underlying surface to be cleaned and all the wheels 22 and 26 moved in a lowered position, into contact with the surface to be cleaned (see Fig. 5).

[0011] Besides, under this condition it is noted that the raised position of the movable support 13 causes the vertical springs 65 and 66, which are interposed between the brush bottom 12 and the upper covering 11, and housed into relative lower seats 67 and 68 provided in the bottom wall 20 of the brush bottom 12 and acting against the crosspieces 40 and 43, to be released.

[0012] Then, in this first operative position, in which all the pads of the vacuum cleaner apparatus are raised with respect to the surface to be cleaned, and aren't into contact with the same surface, the vacuum cleaner apparatus may be displaced with its wheels 22 and 26 on to the surfaces to be cleaned of floors or floor coverings made of hard and strong materials, and which do not involve delicate cleaning treatments, thereby sucking effectively the dust and dirt being deposited and accumulated thereon, so avoiding any risk to deteriorate and/or damage the same materials. Moreover, in the second operative position of the Figs. 4 and 6 all the cams are rotated in a manner to be displaced downward, thereby pushing in the same direction the box-like portions, together with the relative crosspieces 40 and 43 and all the associated pads, so as to displace these latter in the lowered position into contact with the surface to be cleaned, and to raise all the wheels 22 and 26 with respect to the surface to be cleaned (see Fig. 6).

[0013] Under this lowered position, the springs 65 and 66 compress themselves. Then, under this second operative position the vacuum cleaner apparatus may, thanks to continuous contact of the pads alone with the surface to be cleaned, be displaced on to surfaces to be cleaned and polished of floors or floor coverings made of delicate and/or tender and/or soft materials, which involve delicate cleaning and polishing treatments, thereby sucking effectively the dust and dirt being deposited and accumulated thereon, so avoiding any risk to deteriorate and/or damage the same materials.

[0014] When the apparatus is brought back in its first operative position again, the springs 65 and 66 urge upward the crosspieces 40 and 43 and the box-like portions 34, 35 and 38, with the relative pads 36, 37 and 39, by bringing them elastically back in the preceding position thereof.

[0015] Therefore, these cleaning operations may be performed always with the same vacuum cleaner apparatus, by displacing simply the movable support 13, and therefore the pads, from the one to the other one of the two above described operative positions, without the need to dispose of specific brush bottoms, as previously, by eliminating consequently the complicated operations for assembling them. Furthermore, as visible from the Fig. 9, in which the vacuum cleaner apparatus is shown in the position turned upside down, it is noted that the lower surface of the bottom wall 20 is shaped with a series of transversal grooves 70 which are parallel and inclined to each other, and adapted to lead air and dust, dirt etc.. being sucked, so as to convey them through the perforated bottom wall 20, the articulated joint 15 and the possible vertical rod toward the collecting bag of the vacuum cleaner apparatus. Fig. 10 shows now a constructive variant of the vacuum cleaner apparatus according to the invention, which is illustrated in an assembled condition. In this Figure, it is noted that the vacuum cleaner apparatus is provided, below its brush bottom 12, with a lengthened rectilinear strip 71 made of soft and flexible gummy material, which is positioned in the longitudinal direction into a cavity (not shown) situated between the transversal grooves 70, in order to improve the suction effectiveness, by creating a sort of hermetic seal. Finally, from Fig. 11 it is noted another constructive variant of the present vacuum cleaner apparatus, which is constituted by the fact that the sliding pads made of felt 36 and 37 are respectively provided with two (or more) inclined notches 72 and 73, parallel and slightly spaced away to each other, the inclinations of which are symmetrical to each other and convergent toward the rear part of the brush bottom, while the relative box-like portions 34 and 35 to which such pads are fixed are in turn provided with correspondent inclined side notches 74 and 75, communicating with the preceding inclined notches 72 and 73 and having the same inclination of these latter.

[0016] Also the remaining sliding pad 39 is provided with a series of notches 76, transversal and parallel and spaced away to each other along the same pad. In this way, all the so realized notches improve the air conveyance and therefore the dirt collection and, during the polishing action, they allow to cover all the brush action surface without producing longitudinal markings or streakings on to the floors and/or the surfaces to be cleaned and polished.

Claims

1. Vacuum cleaner apparatus of versatile type, particularly but not exclusively for industrial uses, for cleaning surfaces of various kind and hardness, such as for example floors made of wood, plastic, stone, tiles, and carpets or similar coverings for these floors, constituted substantially by an upper covering adequately shaped and a brush bottom secured removably by per se known means below said upper covering, and provided with wheels sliding on to the surfaces to be cleaned, said brush bottom being joined through an articulated joint and a collector with a possible lengthened vertical rod, displaceable manually by the user or automatically by means of suitable driving mechanisms, and connected to a suction unit of conventional type connected to an electric supply cable, to determine the operation of the same unit and therefore the apparatus suction action, the vacuum cleaner apparatus supporting additionally a bag to collect dust and dirt sucked from the surfaces to be cleaned, characterized in that said brush bottom (12) is shaped for housing and supporting movable support means (13) and at least one regulation mechanism (14), which may be actuated by selector means (18), said movable support means (13) being provided with sliding pads (36, 37, 39) which may be actuated by said regulation mechanism (14), through said selector means (18), from a first to a second operative position thereof, and vice versa, wherein in the first operative position said movable support means (13) are raised into said brush bottom (12), and also said sliding pads (36, 37, 39) are raised with respect to the surface to be cleaned, and said wheels (22, 26) are lowered into contact with the surface to be cleaned, under the condition in which the apparatus may clean floors or floor coverings made of hard and strong materials, which do not involve delicate cleaning treatments, and wherein in the second operative position said movable support means (13) are lowered into said brush bottom (12) and also said sliding pads (36, 37, 39) are lowered into contact with the surface to be cleaned, and said wheels (22, 26) are raised with respect to the surface to be cleaned and polished, under the condition in which the apparatus may clean and polish floors or floor coverings made of delicate and/or tender and/or soft materials, which involve delicate cleaning treatments.

2. Vacuum cleaner apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said movable support means comprise a movable support (13) provided with a first, a second and a third box-like portion (34, 35, 38), below them said sliding pads (36, 37, 39) are secured at the same level, said third box-like portion (38) being arranged parallel and spaced away transversally with respect to said first and second box-like portion (34, 35) and being joined to these latter through first, second, third and fourth crosspieces (40, 41, 42, 43), adequately spaced away from each other in the longitudinal direction, said first, second and third box-like portions (34, 35, 38) being realized with dimensions smaller than those of correspondent though openings (31, 32, 33) provided through the bottom wall (20) of said brush bottom (12), to allow the vertical displacement into said through openings (31, 32, 33) of the correspondent said first, second and third box-like portions (34, 35, 38), when these latter are displaced, together with said sliding pads (36, 37, 39), from the one to the other one of their operative positions.

3. Vacuum cleaner apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that said regulation mechanism (14) is substantially constituted by two pairs of cams (46, 47 ; 48, 49), secured to and supported in rotation by a respective transversal stud (50, 51), which are parallel and spaced away from each other in the longitudinal direction of said brush bottom (12), wherein the front cams (47, 49) are articulated between them by means of a relative rectilinear connecting rod (52), in a manner that all the cams are rotated contemporaneously from the one to the other one of their operative positions, by the action of said selector means (18), co-operating with the rear cam (48), said transversal studs (50, 51) being at first arranged and laid on to the relative first and fourth crosspieces (40, 43), which in turn are arranged on to correspondent transversal raised parts (53, 54) provided in the brush bottom (12), and thereafter a respective covering plate (55, 56) being applied and fixed by per se known means on to each assembly stud-crosspiece-raised part, under the condition in which also said first, second and third box-like portion (34, 35, 38) are inserted, together with the relative said sliding pads (36, 37, 39), through the correspondent said through openings (31, 32, 33).

4. Vacuum cleaner apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that said cams (46-49) are housed and may rotate into correspondent recesses (61, 62, 63, 64) of said box-like portions (34, 35, 38), while said rear cam (48) is arranged into contact with said selector means (18), which in turn are constituted by a push-button (18) pivoted in a slidable way through a relative side through opening (17) of said upper covering (11).

5. Vacuum cleaner apparatus according to claim 4, characterized by elastic means (springs 65, 66) interposed between said brush bottom (12) and said upper covering (11), and acting against said first and fourth crosspieces (40, 43), as well as urged in a manner to become released in the first operative position of said box-like portions (34, 35, 38) and the relative sliding pads (36, 37, 39), and to be compressed in the second operative position of these parts.

6. Vacuum cleaner apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that said sliding pads (36, 37) may be in case provided with two (or more) inclined notches (72, 73), parallel and slightly spaced away to each other, the inclinations of which are symmetrical and convergent toward the rear part of said brush bottom (12), while the relative said box-like portions (34, 35) of said sliding pads (36, 37) are in case provided with correspondent side inclined recesses (74, 75), communicating with said inclined recesses (72, 73) and having the same inclination of these latter, and also said sliding pad (39) of said box-like portion (38) is in case provided with a series of notches (76), transversal and parallel and spaced away to each other for the length of the same pad, in order to improve the air conveyance and therefore the dirt collection and, during the polishing operation, to cover all the brush action surface without producing longitudinal markings or streakings on to the floors and/or the surfaces to be cleaned and polished.

Drawing