HK1066711B - Vacuum cleaner nozzle for floors and carpets - Google Patents

Description

Vacuum cleaner nozzle for floors and carpets

Technical Field

Vacuum cleaner nozzle (vacuum cleaner nozzle) for floors and carpets, having an upper part of a housing made of plastic; a sliding bottom plate having a suction port; a shim base (gasketbase) adjustably disposed within the upper portion of the housing, the shim base having at least one strip-shaped shim member that can be retracted and extended under the nozzle upon adjustment movement of the shim base; a tilting lever for operating the pad base; and a plurality of return springs acting on the pad base; a suction channel is formed in the upper part of the housing, which suction channel has at one end a connection piece which is connected to the slide base and at the other end forms a connection cup of the tilting joint, and the suction opening consists of a flow channel formed in the slide base, which flow channel extends transversely from a central opening to the suction channel, which central opening leads to the suction channel.

Background

A vacuum cleaner nozzle having the above-described structure is known in the art and is shown, for example, in the design patent US 333539. When the carpet is cleaned with the vacuum cleaner, the gasket member formed as a bristle strip or an elastic strip is retracted inside the housing, and the sliding bottom plate is rested on the floor. For vacuum cleaning of the floor, the shim member is moved out of the lower part of the nozzle during an adjusting movement of the shim base, so that the upper part of the housing can be supported on the floor. Within the scope of the known manner, the spacer base is generally formed as a metal plate which is arranged to be vertically adjustable in the upper part of the housing and can be lowered against the action of a return spring by means of a tilting lever acting on the base plate. A construction is also generally known (DE 19738046 a1) in which the base is pivotally movable about a fixed pivot axis provided at the rear within the upper part of the housing. A bristle bar is connected to the pad base, which bristle bar forms a rocker, which bristle bar reaches the gap between the slide bottom and the upper part of the housing during the pivoting movement of the pad base.

During operation of the vacuum cleaner nozzle, a large force is exerted on the gasket seat, which force must be absorbed by the housing. The gasket base and the housing consisting of the sliding bottom plate, as well as the upper part of the housing, must have a high dimensional stability. It must be considered that vacuum cleaner nozzles must be economically mass-produced on modern assembly machines. In order to reduce manufacturing costs, the vacuum cleaner nozzle should contain as few components as possible, which can be assembled using a minimum of assembly steps.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of this background, the problem underlying the present invention is to provide a vacuum cleaner nozzle which has the functions described in the opening paragraph, is as simple in construction as possible, is easy to assemble and has a high dimensional stability while saving on raw materials.

As can be seen from the vacuum cleaner nozzle having the above-mentioned features, the problem to be solved by the present invention is,

the slide base is connected to the upper portion of the housing by a slide joint between a pivot-shaped projection on the upper portion of the housing and a counterpart formed on the slide base, and

the spacer base is pivotably supported in the rear part of the upper part of the housing in the working direction and is located between the shaped support web and the sliding bottom plate of the upper part of the housing and is guided on at least one pivot formed by the sliding joint.

Preferably, the skid plate is made of plastic. Furthermore, practical embodiments of the shim base effectively guide on the two pivots formed by the sliding joint.

The restoring spring can be formed, for example, as a torsion spring and directly on the shim base or the slide base. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, however, a separate spring element is provided, for example in the form of a helical spring. In another embodiment, the invention provides that the shim base has a shaped support surface adapted for a return spring, which support surface has a corresponding guide groove and a pivot passing through said guide groove, and that the return spring is arranged on the pivot between the slide base and the support surface of the shim base.

The vacuum cleaner nozzle is made up of a few components and can be assembled without screws. During assembly, the tilt rod, gasket seat and return valve are disposed as inserts within the upper portion of the housing. The slide bottom plate is then engaged with the upper portion of the housing. Thus completing the assembly process. The pivot formed by the sliding joint has a plurality of functions for achieving the object of the invention. These pivots support the housing, for example, and in particular allow the slide base to have a high stability of use. In addition, these pivots form a guide for the return spring and also for the pivoting movement of the shim base. These pivots are permanent type joints that cannot be removed without being destroyed.

The counter-piece of the slide floor, which effectively forms a short cylindrical cylinder with a mushroom head, cooperates with a pivot-shaped projection in the upper part of the housing. A plurality of said cylindrical members are arranged to traverse the surface of the skid plate. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, clamping protrusions are additionally formed on the slide base, and the protrusions are fixed to the connection member of the upper portion of the housing and fixed to a wall surface of the upper portion of the housing. These projections snap into suitable counter-pieces and, in these areas, give the slide floor additional stability.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the shim base consists of a frame-like plastic moulding connected by pins, which moulding has a rod with a cylindrical bearing surface and at least one profile strip parallel to said rod, which profile strip is connected as longitudinal element to the shim element, and transverse elements arranged on both sides of the suction channel for connecting the longitudinal elements. The shim element supporting the profile strip is arranged upstream of the connection piece of the suction channel in the working direction.

According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the shim base has two profile strips which support the plastic mouldings as longitudinal elements for the attachment of the shim elements, while the profile strips are arranged in the working direction in front of and behind the suction opening. The shim element connected to the rear profile strip can be retracted or removed through a gap in the slide base, which is preferably made in one piece.

The bristle strips, rubber lips, dimensionally stable plastic strips, foam strips, etc. can be fastened to the profiled strips of the gasket base in a random combination, depending on the respective use. According to a preferred embodiment, one bristle strip is connected to the front profile strip and one elastomeric material strip is connected to the rear profile strip.

The tilt lever effectively consists of one pivotable shaft, at least one actuating surface formed as a bump switch, and a plurality of shaped cam lobes which act on the designated contact surface of the pad base and are also formed as plastic mouldings.

The gasket base effectively has two corresponding transverse elements on both sides of the suction channel, which are spaced apart so that the bump switch can enter the free space between adjacent transverse elements. A contact surface cooperating with the tilting bar is also effectively provided between the transverse elements.

According to further embodiments of the vacuum cleaner nozzle according to the invention, the opening of the slide base is surrounded by a shaped projection which engages in the connection piece of the suction channel and seals the transition between the suction opening of the slide base and the suction channel in the upper part of the housing against the ingress of outside air; in front of and/or behind the suction opening, the slide base has a groove into which the thread lifting strip is glued; the hinge joint has an integral shaft onto the end of which the wheel is inserted.

The following is a description of an embodiment. The following is a schematic illustration.

Brief Description of Drawings

Figure 1 is a front cross-sectional view of a vacuum cleaner nozzle of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section through the nozzle of the vacuum cleaner of the present invention taken along section a-a of figure 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of cross-section B-B of fig. 1.

Figure 4 is an exploded view of the nozzle of the vacuum cleaner of the present invention.

Figure 5 is an enlarged schematic view of a single element of the skid plate shown in figure 4.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of cross-section C-C of fig. 5.

FIG. 7 is an internal schematic view of the upper portion of the vacuum nozzle housing.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged schematic view of a single element of the shim base shown in fig. 4.

Detailed Description

The vacuum cleaner nozzles shown in the drawings may be used on floors and carpets either directly or where they are interconnected by a flexible tube on the suction side of the vacuum cleaner. The main structure of the vacuum cleaner nozzle comprises an upper part 1 of a housing made of plastic; and a plastic slide base 2 with a suction opening 3; a further shim base 4 which is adjustably arranged inside the housing upper part 1 and has at least one strip-shaped shim element 5 which can be retracted and extended under the nozzle in the event of an adjusting movement of the shim base 4; a tilting lever 6 consisting of a pivotable shaft 7, at least one actuating surface formed as a bump switch 8, and a plurality of shaped cam lobes 9, which shaped cam lobes 9 act on corresponding contact surfaces 10 of the pad base 4; and a return spring 11 acting on the pad base 4. A suction channel 12 is formed on the upper part 1 of the housing, which suction channel has at one end a connection piece 13, which is connected to the sliding bottom plate 2, and which suction channel at the other end forms a connection cup 14 of a hinge joint 15. The suction channel 12 forms a projection inside the housing, which is composed of the housing upper part 1 and the sliding bottom plate 2. The suction opening 3 is formed by a flow channel 16, which is formed in the slide floor 2 and which extends transversely from a central opening 17, which opens into the suction channel 12, to the suction channel 12.

The shim base 4 is arranged pivotably about an axis 18 in the housing upper part 1 and consists of a pinned frame-shaped plastic moulding with a rod 19 as a first longitudinal element and two profile strips 20, 20 'parallel to the rod, for example in the form of a one-piece shaft, with cylindrical bearing surfaces, which profile strips serve as additional longitudinal elements, supporting the pinned frame, for joining the shim elements 5, 5'. The profile strips 20, 20 'are provided in the working direction in front of and behind the suction opening 3 with bristle strips 5 and rubber lips 5', the bristle strips 5 being connected to the front profile strip 20 and the rubber lips 5 'being connected to the rear profile strip 20'. During the pivoting movement of the shim base 4, the bristle bars 5 pass through a gap between the sliding bottom plate 2 and the housing upper part 1. The shim lip 5' can be retracted and removed in the gap of the integrally formed slide bottom 2. The rod 19 has a cylindrical support surface, which may be formed, for example, as a shaft, between the slide base 2 and a shaped bearing web 21 of the housing upper part 1 and is rotatably supported in the working direction at the rear of the housing upper part 1. The longitudinal elements 19, 20' are connected by co-operating shaped transverse elements 22, which are arranged on both sides of the suction channel 12.

The slide base 2 is fastened to the housing upper part 1 using a permanently attached slide joint 23 between a pivot-shaped projection 24 of the housing upper part and a counter-piece 25 formed on the slide base. The counter piece 25 is formed as a short cylindrical cylinder with a mushroom head (fig. 6).

The pad base 4 is guided at two of said pivots, formed by the sliding joint 23, and has a shaped support surface 26, said shaped support surface 26 having a corresponding guide groove 27 for the return spring 11, through which groove the particular pivot passes. Fig. 2 shows that the return spring 11 is arranged on a pivot formed by elements 24, 25 located between the slide base 2 and a support surface 26 of the shim base 4. The sliding joint 23 forms a pivot supporting the housing of the vacuum cleaner nozzle and stabilizing the sliding bottom plate 2, which housing consists of the sliding bottom plate 2 and the upper housing part 1. A plurality of counter-elements 25 are arranged on a flat part of the slide base 2, which flat part is connected behind the suction opening 3 in the working direction. Furthermore, clamping projections 28, 28' are formed on the sliding floor 2, which can be fixed at the connection 13 of the housing upper part and on the wall surface of the housing upper part 1 (fig. 1). With particular reference to figures 1, 5 and 6, these further show the opening 17 of the slide floor 2, which opens into the suction channel 12, which is surrounded by a shaped projection 29, which engages in the connection 13 of the suction channel 12 and seals the transition between the suction opening 3 of the slide floor 2 and the suction channel 12 of the housing upper part 1, in order to prevent this transition from entering the outside air.

In this embodiment, the pad base has two corresponding transverse elements 22 on both sides of the suction channel 12, which are spaced apart such that the impact switch 8 can enter the free space between adjacent transverse elements 22. The contact surface 10 cooperating with the actuating rod 6 is also arranged between the transverse elements 22.

In front of and behind the suction opening 3, the skid plate 2 has grooves into which thread lifting strips (thread lifting strips)30, for example, inclined steel felt, are glued. Fig. 4 furthermore shows that the hinge joint 15 has an integral shaft 31, on the end of which a wheel 32 is inserted.

The upper part 1 of the housing, the sliding bottom plate 2, the spacer base 4 and the actuating rod 6 are a one-piece plastic moulding which can be manufactured economically by injection moulding and can be used without machining. During assembly, the actuating rod 6, the shim base 4 and the return spring 11 are arranged within the housing upper part 1. The plastic sliding bottom plate 2 is then engaged with the housing upper part 1. The vacuum cleaner nozzle does not include any threads and can be economically manufactured using fully automated assembly equipment.

Claims (12)

1. A vacuum cleaner nozzle for floors and carpets having

An upper part (1) of the housing made of plastic,

a sliding base plate (2) with a suction opening (3),

a shim base (4) which is adjustably arranged in the upper housing part (1) and which has at least one strip-shaped shim element (5) which can be retracted and extended under the nozzle during an adjusting movement of the shim base (4),

a tilting lever (6) which can operate the pad base (4), and

a plurality of return springs (11) acting on the pad base (4),

a suction channel (12) formed on the upper part (1) of the housing, which suction channel has at one end a connection piece (13) which is connected to the slide base (2) and which suction channel forms at the other end a connection cup (14) of a hinge joint (15), and the suction opening (3) consists of a flow channel (16) formed in the slide base (2), which flow channel extends transversely from a central opening (17) which opens into the suction channel (12) to the suction channel (12),

it is characterized in that the preparation method is characterized in that,

the slide base (2) is connected to the upper part (1) of the housing by means of a sliding joint (23) between a pivot-shaped projection (24) of the upper part of the housing and a counter-piece (25) formed on the slide base; a sliding joint (23) forming a pivot supporting the housing of the vacuum cleaner nozzle and stabilizing the sliding bottom plate (2); the pivot is a permanent joint; the counter-piece (25) of the sliding bottom plate (2) cooperates with the pivot-shaped projection (24) of the upper part (1) of the housing, and the counter-piece (25) is formed as a short cylindrical piece with a mushroom head; and

the spacer base (4) is pivotably supported in the rear part of the housing upper part (1) in the working direction and is located between a shaped support web (21) of the housing upper part (1) and the slide base (2) and is guided on at least one pivot formed by a slide joint (23).

2. A vacuum cleaner nozzle according to claim 1, characterized in that the gasket base (4) consists of a pinned-on frame-like plastic moulding having, as longitudinal elements, a rod (19) with a cylindrical bearing surface and at least one parallel profile strip (20) connected to the gasket element (5), said moulding further having transverse elements (22) connecting the longitudinal elements (19, 20), said transverse elements being arranged on both sides of the suction channel (12), the profile strip (20) supporting the gasket element being arranged upstream of the connection (13) of the suction channel (12) in the working direction.

3. Vacuum cleaner nozzle according to claim 2, characterized in that the pad base (4) has two profile strips (20, 20 ') which support the plastic moulding as longitudinal elements for connecting the pad elements (5, 5 '), while the profile strips (20, 20 ') are arranged in front of and behind the suction opening (3) in the working direction.

4. A vacuum cleaner nozzle according to claim 3, characterized in that the shim member (5 ') connected to the rear profile strip (20') is retractable or removable through a gap in an integrally formed slide bottom (2).

5. A vacuum cleaner nozzle according to claim 3, characterized in that a bristle strip (5) is connected to the front profile strip (20) and a strip of elastomeric material (5 ') is connected to the rear profile strip (20').

6. Vacuum cleaner nozzle according to claim 2, characterized in that the tilting lever (6) consists of one pivotable shaft (7), at least one actuating surface formed as a bump switch (8), and a number of shaped cam lobes (9), which cam lobes (9) act on the intended contact surface (10) of the pad base (4).

7. A vacuum cleaner nozzle according to claim 6, characterized in that the pad base (4) has two corresponding cross members (22) on both sides of the suction channel (12), that the impact switch (8) can enter the free space between adjacent cross members (22), and that the contact surface (10) cooperating with the tilting bar (6) is also arranged between the cross members (22).

8. A vacuum cleaner nozzle according to claim 1, characterized in that the pad base (4) has a shaped support surface (26) for the return spring (11), which shaped support surface (26) has a corresponding guide groove (27) for the return spring, through which guide groove there is a specific pivot, and that the return spring (11) is arranged on the pivot between the slide base (2) and the support surface (26) of the pad base (4).

9. Vacuum cleaner nozzle according to claim 1, characterized in that further gripping protrusions (28, 28') are formed on the sliding bottom plate (2), which protrusions can be fixed to the connecting piece (13) of the upper housing part (1) and to the wall surface of the upper housing part (1).

10. Vacuum cleaner nozzle according to claim 1, characterized in that the opening (17) of the slide base (2) is surrounded by a shaped protrusion (29) which engages in the connection piece (13) of the suction channel (12) and seals the transition between the suction opening (3) of the slide base (2) and the suction channel (12) of the housing upper part (1) against the ingress of outside air.

11. A vacuum cleaner nozzle according to claim 1, characterized in that the sliding bottom plate (2) has a recess in front of and/or behind the suction opening (3), into which recess the thread lifting strip (30) is glued.

12. Vacuum cleaner nozzle according to claim 1, characterized in that the hinge joint (15) has an integral shaft (31), onto the end of which the wheel (32) is inserted.