DUSTER WITH VACUUM INTERNAL TO HANDLE

Abstract

A duster configured to be used by a user and held by a hand, comprising a lower chamber, a middle chamber, an upper chamber, a head, a control mechanism, and an extension.

Description

BACKGROUND

[0001] There are currently an assortment of vacuum cleaners on the market. However, they are often bulky, vehicular or otherwise too heavy to lift and move about freely. These bulky vacuums often come with a hose which may be moved more freely, but it is attached to and must remain in proximity to the main portion of the vacuum, from which it draws its sucking power and transmits the debris it sucks in through the hose.

[0002] There are small vacuums that may be wielded with one hand, but they are still cumbersome to use because while they can be carried and directed by the hand, they cannot be used as extensions of the arm for two reasons. First, the bulk of the vacuum is usually below a handle, so that there is a disconnect between the axis of the hand and arm and the action of the vacuum. Second, the bulk of the vacuum and its relationship to the handle prevents the user from easily changing the angle of action without moving the entire arm upward or downward, and consequently, areas where the user may wish to vacuum but are too high for arm to be angled downward but require a downward line of action due to some impediment or obstacle, cannot be reached.

SUMMARY

[0003] The subject of this application is a handheld vacuuming apparatus. The apparatus comprises a housing, a head, and an extension.

[0004] The housing comprises a lower chamber, a middle chamber, and an upper chamber. The lower chamber may be permanently or removably attached to the middle chamber, and the middle chamber may be permanently or removably attached to the upper chamber. Each chamber features a side wall, but may also feature one or more dividers. A divider may operate as a top wall or ceiling for one chamber and a bottom wall or floor for another chamber. A divider may feature a channel providing communication between one chamber and another chamber.

[0005] Each chamber may be threadably engaged or otherwise removably attached, or they may be permanently fixed or molded together.

[0006] The lower chamber may be contoured so as to be comfortably held by a user's hand, and may accordingly feature one or more finger ridges. The lower chamber may also feature a control panel comprising one or more buttons, switches, or related features, preferably on a portion of a side wall opposite a portion featuring the finger ridges in order to be pressed by a thumb while being held in an ergonomical manner. In another embodiment, a button may be disposed in a finger ridge fitted to the index finger of a user's hand.

[0007] The lower chamber is ideally between 1.5 and 2 inches in diameter, in order to provide a user with an adult hand size an adequate circumference for a wrapping grasp of the device. The diameter can bulge in the middle of its length in order to provide a relatively flush contact with the palm.

[0008] The lower chamber may feature a lidded battery cavity or a lidded cable cavity, enabling either battery or outlet power. A motor cavity, housing a motor, may be disposed in the lower chamber as well. The motor may be in electrical communication with the power supply and mechanical and rotational communication with a shaft or pin, and may accordingly be positioned between a battery cavity and the middle chamber. The shaft or pin may traverse the lower and middle chamber by means of a channel and be engaged to a fan on its end opposite the motor. The shaft may be coaxial with the handle, specifically the axis that spans the longest dimensions of the handle.

[0009] The middle chamber may feature one or more vents on the side wall, enabling airflow egress. The vents constitute horizontal bands or holes and may be stacked in one or more columns disposed on the side wall. Preferably, the middle chamber is divided from the lower chamber except for the channel, which traverses a divider between the middle chamber and the lower chamber, thereby sealing off the middle chamber from the lower chamber. The fan may be disposed in this middle chamber. The fan may feature one or more wings connected to a central portion configured to receive the shaft or pin. The wings may be angled and contoured so as to provide the greatest application of force on transient air as the fan spins around the shaft.

[0010] The middle chamber is preferably between 2 and 3 inches in diameter, which is larger than the lower chamber, in order to provide additional room for a wider fan, which is ideally between 0.25 and 1 inch less in diameter than the middle chamber.

[0011] The upper chamber may be in open fluid communication between the middle chamber and the head by means of openings in the dividers. The upper chamber may the feature a framing mechanism configured to receive a filter. The filter may be a thin layer of carbon material shaped like a cross section of the upper chamber. In one embodiment, the cross section is circular. The framing mechanism may wrap around one or more sides of the filter or may clip the filter into place by means of a clipping mechanism.

[0012] The upper chamber may have the same diameter as the middle chamber in order to optimize the contact between the filter and the fan and vacuuming activity of the middle chamber. In one embodiment, a portion of the side wall of the upper chamber tapers to a smaller diameter ideally sufficient to fit the head, thereby facilitating the fluid communication of air between the head, the upper chamber, and the middle chamber. Also, a lack of corners or a decrease thereof eliminates unused space and materials. In one embodiment, the head tapers to meet the extension and the upper chamber walls are approximately cylindrical.

[0013] The housing may have one or more grooves, threads, beads, or locking mechanisms to engage with grooves, threads, beads, or locking mechanisms disposed on the head. The head may comprise a spherical, semi-spherical, cylindrical, conical, or frustum-shaped chamber with an opening to engage with the upper chamber and a second opening to engage with the extension. The head may fit over and around the upper chamber or enter into it. By fitting the head over and around the upper chamber, more surface area is provided for a user to grasp and remove the head from the upper chamber.

[0014] The head may be made of a clear or transparent material to allow a user to see the quantity of dusty or debris that has been vacuumed therein.

[0015] The extension may be threadably engaged, snap-fitted, or tight-fitted to the head. The extension may in part enter an opening at a far end of the head, opposite the near end which engages with the upper chamber.

[0016] The extension may feature a stem, which is in part inserted into the head, but extends outward and may feature a set of bristles or other components that facilitate the gathering of dust from surfaces. The stem, which may be straight, curved, or bent, may feature one or more hollow channels and one or more openings along the stem or at an end of the stem to permit fluid communication between the outside and the upper and middle chambers of the device. The openings may be long slots or an array of holes arranged in one or more lines extending along a main axis of the extension or circumferentially around the stem. The openings may have a width between 1/32nd and 1/4 of an inch.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] FIG. 1 shows a side view of an exemplary duster;

[0018] FIG. 2 shows a bottom view of an exemplary duster;

[0019] FIG. 3 shows a top view of an exemplary duster;

[0020] FIG. 4 shows a side view of an exemplary duster;

[0021] FIG. 5 shows a front view of an exemplary duster;

[0022] FIG. 6 shows a back view of an exemplary duster

[0023] FIG. 7 shows a cut-away side view of an engagement mechanism of an exemplary duster;

[0024] FIG. 8 shows an extension component of an exemplary duster;

[0025] FIG. 9 shows an intersectional view of an exemplary duster;

[0026] FIG. 10 shows an intersection view of an exemplary duster.

[0027] FIG. 11 shows an exemplary extension.

[0028] FIG. 12 shows an exemplary extension.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] As shown in FIGS. 1-6, the device features a lower chamber 100, a middle chamber 102, an upper chamber 104, a head 106, and an extension 108. The lower chamber is attached to the middle chamber, the middle chamber is attached to the upper chamber, the upper chamber is attached to the head, and the head is attached to the extension. Attachment means may include molding the components as one piece, threadable engagement, click-in-place mechanisms, magnets, or snap-fit extensions. The chambers may be made of any feasible material that resists deformation, heat, and is not electrically conductive. Preferably, surfaces will be smooth for easy cleaning.

[0030] The lower chamber features a control panel 200, a set of ridges 202, a bulge 204, and a battery cavity 206. The control panel may comprise one or more buttons or switches. In one embodiment, a button is positioned on the bulge and the bulge is disposed on a side of the lower chamber opposite the finger ridges, thereby allowing for control of the device using the thumb. The bulge is designed to be held substantially flush with the palm for more ergonomic use of the device. The bulge and finger ridges may be made of a hard plastic or like material, or be formed from a compressible or elastic material for increased comfort. The average diameter of the lower chamber may be between 1.5 and 2 inches, but the bulge and finger ridges may widen the diameter to the upper range of 2 inches or exceed it. The length of the lower chamber may be between 3.5 and 5 inches.

[0031] The middle chamber features a series of openings or vents 300. The vents may be arranged in columns, with the columns arranged side-by-side and wrapping around the wall of the middle chamber, which may be cylindrically-shaped. The middle chamber may have an average diameter greater than the average diameter of the lower chamber, preferably between 2 and 3 inches, thereby providing a greater internal space of the fan 304 diameter. The middle chamber may measure in length 0.5 to 1.5 inches.

[0032] The upper chamber may be concentrically continuous with the middle chamber. The upper chamber may measure between 2 and 3 inches in diameter, and in a preferred version less than 0.25 inches larger or smaller than the middle chamber, thereby taking full advantage of the diameter and pulling surface of the fan. As shown in FIG. 7, the upper chamber and the head feature an engagement mechanism including a bead 404, a bead track 302, and an impediment 304.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 8, the head features a cylindrical portion 400 and a tapered portion 402. In one embodiment, the cylindrical portion features the bead on an inner surface, this bead disposed substantially inward so that the head may be fitted to the upper chamber which features a bead track on an outer surface, the bead aligning with and traveling down the bead track in a direction toward the lower chamber. Accordingly, the upper chamber diameter is slightly less than the cylindrical portion of the head. The bead track may feature a circumferential portion that is orthogonal to the main portion of the track and wrapping partially around the upper chamber, thereby permitting the head to be rotated with respect to the upper chamber. Once the bead passes onto the circumferential portion, the head and upper chamber can no longer be separated along an axis featuring the upper chamber and the lower chamber, but instead must be rotated in a reverse direction so that the bead may once again align with and navigate the main portion of the bead track. To decrease the ease with which the upper chamber and the head rotate with respect to one another, an impediment, such a small extension of the base material, may extend from the track between the circumferential portion and main portion of the track. Additional force is required by the user to overcome the resistance posed by the impediment to rotation. Preferably, the cylindrical portion of the head comprises the same diameter as the middle chamber, so that when the head covers the upper chamber, the outer walls of the head and the middle chamber are flush, thereby providing an easier cleaning surface.

[0034] The extension features a stem 500, a seal 502, an opening 504, and a set of bristles 506 which are disposed on the stem and extend outward radially from it. The stem is a hollow structure in fluid communication with the opening 504 and the head via a second opening (not shown) that traverses the seal. The diameter of the stem may measure between 0.25 to 1 inch, though in another embodiment, them stem is approximately of the same diameter as the head.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 9-10, the lower chamber features a housing for a motor 208, the motor electrically connected to a power source 210 and a circuit board 212. The middle chamber features a fan 304, and a channel 306. The upper chamber features a frame 404, a filter 406, a divider 408, a top opening 410 and a bottom opening 412.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 11-12, the stem can be bent, curved, angular, or pivotable.

Claims

1. A duster configured to be used by a user and held by a hand, comprising a lower chamber, a middle chamber, an upper chamber, a head, and an extension, the lower chamber attached to the middle chamber, the middle chamber attached to the upper chamber, the extension removably attachable to the head, the head removably attachable to the upper chamber; the lower chamber having an average diameter between 1.5 and 2 inches and a length between 3.5 and 5 inches and comprising a bulge contoured to a palm of the hand of the user and a set of finger ridges contoured for fingers of the hand of the user, the bulge disposed on a first side of the lower chamber and the set of finger ridges disposed on a second side of the lower chamber, the bulge comprising a control mechanism; the middle chamber having an average diameter between 2 and 3 inches and a length between 0.5 and 1.5 inches and comprising an outer wall embedded with a set of vents, the outer wall being approximately cylindrical; the upper chamber being concentrically and circumferentially continuous with the middle chamber and the head and comprising a bead track and an impediment, the bead track having a main portion and a circumferential portion, the impediment disposed between the main portion and the circumferential portion; the head being concentrically continuous with the extension and comprising a cylindrical portion and a tapered portion, the cylindrical portion configured to receive the upper chamber and comprising a bead configured to engage with the bead track of the upper chamber; the extension comprising a stem, the stem being hollow and comprising a hollow cavity, a first opening, a second opening, and a seal, the first opening and second opening in fluid communication with the hollow cavity, the second opening disposed on the seal, the seal configured to attach to an end of the tapered portion of the head; the lower chamber comprising an interior cavity, the interior cavity comprising a motor housing, the motor housing comprising a motor, the motor disposed concentrically with the lower chamber and between the bulge and the finger ridges and configured to rotate a shaft, the shaft traversing a channel spanning between the lower chamber and the middle chamber, the shaft engaged to a fan positioned in the middle chamber; and the upper chamber comprising a frame, a filter, a divider, a top opening, and a bottom opening, the frame configured to hold the filter, the divider separating the middle chamber and the upper chamber, the bottom opening disposed in the divider and configured to provide fluid communication between the upper chamber and the middle chamber, the top opening configured to provide fluid communication between the upper chamber and the head.

2. A duster configured to be used by a user and held by a hand, comprising a lower chamber, a middle chamber, an upper chamber, a head, a control mechanism, and an extension, the lower chamber attached to the middle chamber, the middle chamber attached to the upper chamber, the extension attached to the head, the head attached to the upper chamber; the middle chamber comprising an outer wall embedded with a set of vents; the extension comprising a stem, the stem being hollow and comprising a hollow cavity, a first opening, and a second opening, the first opening and second opening in fluid communication with the hollow cavity; the lower chamber comprising an interior cavity, the interior cavity comprising a motor housing, the motor housing comprising a motor, the motor configured to rotate a shaft, the shaft traversing a channel spanning between the lower chamber and the middle chamber, the shaft engaged to a fan positioned in the middle chamber; and the upper chamber comprising a filter, a top opening, and a bottom opening, the bottom opening configured to provide fluid communication between the upper chamber and the middle chamber, the top opening configured to provide fluid communication between the upper chamber and the head.

3. The duster in claim 2, the lower chamber having an average diameter between 1.5 and 2 inches and a length between 3.5 and 5 inches.

4. The duster in claim 2, the lower chamber comprising a bulge contoured to a palm of the hand of the user and a set of finger ridges contoured for fingers of the hand of the user, the bulge disposed on a first side of the lower chamber and the set of finger ridges disposed on a second side of the lower chamber.

5. The duster in claim 2, the control mechanism disposed on the lower chamber.

6. The duster in claim 2, the middle chamber having an average diameter between 2 and 3 inches and a length between 0.5 and 1.5 inches.

7. The duster in claim 2, the upper chamber being concentrically and circumferentially continuous with the middle chamber.

8. The duster in claim 2, the upper chamber being concentrically and circumferentially continuous with the head.

9. The duster in claim 2, the head being concentrically continuous with the extension.

10. The duster in claim 2, the upper chamber comprising a bead track and an impediment, the bead track having a main portion and a circumferential portion, the impediment disposed between the main portion and the circumferential portion.

11. The duster in claim 10, the head comprising a bead configured to engage with the bead track of the upper chamber.

12. The duster in claim 2, the head comprising a cylindrical portion and a tapered portion, the cylindrical portion configured to receive the upper chamber.

13. The duster in claim 2, the upper chamber further comprising a frame and a divider, the frame configured to hold the filter, the divider separating the middle chamber and the upper chamber, and the bottom opening being disposed in the divider.

14. The duster in claim 2, the head being removably attachable to the upper chamber.

15. The duster in claim 2, the extension being removably attachable to the head.

16. A duster comprising a lower chamber, an upper chamber, and an extension, the lower chamber attached to the upper chamber, the extension removably attachable to the upper chamber; the upper chamber being concentrically continuous with the lower chamber and extension and comprising an outer wall embedded with a set of vents; the extension comprising a stem, the stem being hollow and comprising a hollow cavity, a first opening, a second opening, and a seal, the first opening and second opening in fluid communication with the hollow cavity, the second opening disposed on the seal, the seal configured to attach to the upper chamber; the lower chamber configured to be held by a user and held by a hand and comprising an interior cavity, the interior cavity comprising a motor housing, the motor housing comprising a motor, the motor configured to rotate a shaft, the shaft traversing a channel spanning between the lower chamber and the upper chamber, the shaft engaged to a fan positioned in the lower or upper chamber; and the upper chamber comprising a filter, a top opening, and a bottom opening, the bottom opening configured to provide fluid communication between the upper chamber and the lower chamber, the top opening configured to provide fluid communication between the upper chamber and the extension.

17. The duster in claim 16, the lower chamber having an average diameter between 1.5 and 2 inches and a length between 3.5 and 5 inches.

18. The duster in claim 16, the lower chamber comprising a bulge contoured to a palm of the hand of the user and a set of finger ridges contoured for fingers of the hand of the user, the bulge disposed on a first side of the lower chamber and the set of finger ridges disposed on a second side of the lower chamber, the bulge comprising a control mechanism.

19. The duster in claim 16, the upper chamber comprising a cylindrical portion and a tapered portion, the cylindrical portion configured to receive the lower chamber.

20. The duster in claim 16, the upper chamber further comprising a frame and a divider, the frame configured to hold the filter, the divider separating the lower chamber and the upper chamber, and the bottom opening disposed in the divider.