Vacuum cleaner attachment for a suction tube of a vacuum cleaner for the non-destructive screening of objects and / or living beings with an impact protection material

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a vacuum cleaner attachment for a suction tube of a vacuum cleaner for the non-destructive screening of objects and / or living beings, wherein the vacuum cleaner attachment has a suction tube with a suction opening at a first end and a collecting unit for screening is arranged in the suction tube downstream of the suction opening in a suction direction, wherein the collecting unit has one or more openings for the flow of an intake air stream and the vacuum cleaner attachment has an adapter unit for connecting to the suction tube of the vacuum cleaner at a second end opposite the first end.

[0002] With conventional bagged vacuum cleaners and cyclone vacuum cleaners, sucked-in small particles and insects are first trapped in the pre-filter, vacuum cleaner bag, and / or cyclone filter. The disadvantage is that insects and spiders can crawl out of the vacuum cleaner and / or the vacuum cleaner bag or cyclone filter or even die in them. Furthermore, the insects and spiders are often injured or killed by impact with the vacuum cleaner's internal components. The resulting bodily fluids from the insects and spiders create an additional microbial burden due to degradation processes, for example, in the pre-filter, vacuum cleaner bag, or cyclone filter.

[0003] In order to capture and release insects back into the wild rather than killing them, various devices for vacuum cleaners are known. DE 10 2013 018 532 A1 describes a vacuum cleaner attachment for capturing live insects with a suction nozzle. The suction nozzle serves as a collecting container and has a sieve across the entire cross-section of the suction nozzle to retain the insects and / or small parts. Downstream of the sieve in the suction direction, the suction nozzle is connected to a suction pipe, which in turn can be connected to the vacuum cleaner pipe of a standard suction hose vacuum cleaner using an adapter or sealing rings. The disadvantage of this is that insects can hit the sieve directly in the suction air stream, get their legs caught in the sieve mesh, or even be killed.

[0004] DE 9110052 U1 discloses an approximately 1 m long, transparent extension tube for handheld and upright vacuum cleaners for vacuuming and trapping insects. This tube opens into a funnel shape at the end and can be plugged onto the telescopic tube of a vacuum cleaner. An intermediate piece containing a grid-like sieve for trapping insects can be plugged into one end of the extension tube. The sieve is also arranged perpendicular to the airflow in the intermediate piece.

[0005] EP 1 040 756 A1 describes an insect catching attachment for a vacuum cleaner, which has a collecting container with a filter medium also arranged transversely to the air flow, designed as a sieve, wherein a movable valve is connected upstream, which is opened when a vacuum suction pressure is applied in the collecting container.

[0006] DE 18 09 771 U describes a funnel-shaped device for catching flying insects, which can be attached to the fan of a vacuum cleaner. A sieve box is attached inside the funnel-shaped device, which, after catching the insects, can be closed with a second sieve designed as a hinged lid inside the funnel-shaped device.

[0007] Insect trapping devices are also known as separately designed devices. For example, US Pat. No. 6,226,919 B1 describes an insect vacuum trap with an elongated housing and a vacuum-generating centrifugal impeller. A mesh basket for trapping insects is arranged within the housing, and pellets containing paradichlorobenzene are arranged within the mesh basket to disorient the sucked-in insects.

[0008] DE 10 2005 030 502 A1 discloses a standalone insect trapping device with a funnel-shaped inlet opening, a subsequent trap tube, and a trapping device. A propellant nozzle for injecting a gaseous propellant into the trap tube is arranged coaxially within the trap tube. The trapping device is made of a soft or hard material and is gas-permeable.

[0009] DE 20 2004 006 039 U1 discloses an insect vacuum cleaner for catching insects consisting of two interconnectable parts, in which the first part has a suction motor and a removable, washable foam filter, wherein the foam filter is arranged directly in front of the suction motor, and the second part has a transparent catching container with a suction opening.

[0010] US 4 074 458 A describes a portable motorised hand-held vacuum device for catching flying insects, in the housing of which an inner chamber open towards the inside of the nozzle is arranged to accommodate a removable mesh cage.

[0011] WO 96 / 26641 A1 discloses a suction apparatus and a handheld vacuum cleaner for the safe capture of insects, wherein a suction nozzle configured as a tube has a hair filter. The hairs of the hair filter extend radially and longitudinally into the suction nozzle, thereby trapping insects and preventing them from re-escaped from the suction nozzle.

[0012] WO 2004 / 081541 A1 discloses an assay device for detecting allergens in the feces of house dust mites, comprising a cylindrical collection unit to which a test unit is directly connected. The cylindrical collection unit is separated by a partition wall with a central air passage into a lower mounting unit for attachment to a vacuum cleaner hose and an upper sample chamber. A cellulose filter with a pore size of 10 to 50 µm is arranged in front of the central air passage in the upper sample chamber. Solid particles and house dust mites retained by the cellulose filter are extracted directly in the sample chamber using an extraction fluid and transferred to the test unit via a sample outlet opening.

[0013] DE 693 08 706 T2 also relates to a device for collecting for antigen detection in house dust mites, wherein the collecting device comprises either a tubular receptacle with a body made of nylon sieve material with a pore size in a range of 15 to 60 µm or a removable disc with a pore diameter in a range of 5 to 300 µm, which are extracted after retention for detection.

[0014] US 5,768,748 A describes a suction attachment for vacuuming fleas from pet hair. The suction attachment comprises a trap with a transparent cylindrical trap body, a cylindrical outlet connector, and a cylindrical inlet connector. A vacuum head is connectable to the cylindrical inlet connector. The inlet connector has a centrally arranged spherical barrier element that defines an annular airflow inlet between the spherical barrier element and its inner wall, preventing the re-egress of vacuumed fleas. A circular filter screen is then arranged in the outlet connector to retain fleas and other particles.

[0015] The disadvantage of all known devices in which the insects or spiders impact directly onto the sieve basket or mesh is that, in addition to potential injury from the impact itself, there is always the risk that the legs of the insects or spiders will be pulled through the sieve openings due to the vacuum suction of the vacuum cleaner. The legs easily break off and / or the insects / spiders are injured by being crushed by the edge of the sieve opening. Because the insect's body remains on one side of the sieve surface while the legs are pulled through to the other side, the subsequent targeted release of the insect or spider without injury is also made more difficult.

[0016] The object of the invention is to improve the state of the art.

[0017] The object is achieved by a vacuum cleaner attachment for a suction tube of a vacuum cleaner for the non-destructive screening of objects and / or living beings, wherein the vacuum cleaner attachment has a suction tube with a suction opening at a first end and a collecting unit for screening is arranged in the suction tube downstream of the suction opening in a suction direction, wherein the collecting unit has one or more openings for an intake air stream to flow through and the vacuum cleaner attachment has an adapter unit for connecting to the suction tube of the vacuum cleaner at a second end opposite the first end, wherein the collecting unit has an air-permeable impact protection material upstream of the opening or openings in the suction direction, wherein the air-permeable impact protection material is a damping, compressible and / or elastic material.

[0018] This provides a vacuum cleaner attachment with a sieve function, which allows for the sustainable and non-lethal capture of insects or spiders, and the non-destructive capture of objects, such as game pieces.

[0019] It is particularly advantageous that the air-permeable impact protection material is arranged upstream of the aperture(s) in the suction direction. This covers the aperture(s) for the intake air with the air-permeable impact protection material, preventing a living being sucked into the vacuum cleaner attachment from coming into direct contact with the screen surface and the aperture. Consequently, the legs of the living being cannot be pulled through the aperture(s) due to the negative pressure of a connected vacuum cleaner. Likewise, finely contoured small parts with a small component cannot be sucked into the aperture and become stuck there.

[0020] In addition to spatially covering the openings in the suction direction, the air-permeable impact protection material also acts as a cushioning agent when the living creature and / or object impacts the collection unit, further reducing the risk of injury or damage. This design of the collection unit ensures that the captured living creature can be released unharmed from the vacuum cleaner attachment back into the environment. Consequently, the vacuum cleaner attachment prevents injury to insects, spiders, and / or damage to small objects during vacuuming.

[0021] By positioning the collection unit downstream of the suction opening, insects, spiders, and / or small parts are sucked directly into the collection unit and captured there without being transported further into the vacuum cleaner's suction tube and / or suction pipe. This prevents insects and / or spiders from entering the pre-filter and / or vacuum cleaner bag of a conventional vacuum cleaner, where they can either crawl out again or die. Furthermore, small parts, such as puzzle pieces, are difficult to find among the sucked-in dirt in a conventional vacuum cleaner bag without exposing yourself to increased dirt and dust while searching through them.

[0022] Because the living organisms and / or small parts are sifted out by the collecting unit in close proximity to the suction opening of the vacuum cleaner attachment, they can be released and / or tipped out of the vacuum cleaner attachment directly and quickly.

[0023] A key concept of the invention is based on providing a cushioning effect for the impact of the living organisms and / or small parts by means of a surface lining of the collecting unit with the air-permeable impact protection material, at least in the area where the living organisms and / or small parts impact the surface of the collecting unit during suction. At the same time, by covering the sieve surface with the openings, direct contact of the living organisms and / or small parts is prevented. The cushioning effect of the air-permeable impact protection material reduces the impact speed of the living organisms and / or small parts, thus providing a vacuum cleaner attachment that reliably captures and vacuums insects without injuring them and small parts without destroying them.Because the impact protection material is permeable to air in the suction direction upstream of the penetration(s), pressure loss through the impact protection material itself is minimized, and the operation of a connected vacuum cleaner is not affected. This makes the vacuum cleaner attachment suitable for both the targeted suction of living creatures and / or small parts and for conventional surface cleaning.

[0024] It is particularly advantageous that the insects, spiders, and small particles are retained within the intake pipe by the upstream impact protection material and not by the apertures. By positioning the air-permeable impact protection material upstream of the apertures in the intake direction, the impact protection material simultaneously assumes the function of impact dampening and the function of a filter element for the insects, spiders, and / or small particles to be screened out, ensuring their retention. This means that the apertures downstream in the flow direction, with their maximum diameter and thus the separation size, do not need to be tailored to the size of the insects, spiders, and / or small particles.

[0025] Advantageously, the apertures can also have a larger diameter than the insects, spiders, and / or small objects to be vacuumed up, since their retention is not achieved by the dimensions of the apertures, but rather by the air-permeable impact protection material positioned upstream. By selecting a significantly larger diameter for the apertures than the maximum diameter of the insect, spider, or small object, the pressure loss through the collection unit is minimized, and the pressure loss caused by the air-permeable impact protection material itself can be compensated for by a correspondingly large design of the apertures.

[0026] The following terminology should be explained: A "vacuum cleaner attachment" is, in particular, a component that can be connected to the suction tube of a conventional vacuum cleaner via an adapter unit of the vacuum cleaner attachment. For example, a vacuum cleaner attachment is connected to the suction tube of a vacuum cleaner instead of a brush head. When connected, the sucked-in air thus first enters the vacuum cleaner attachment and then into the connected suction tube of the vacuum cleaner. The vacuum cleaner attachment is, in particular, tubular and has an intake tube. The intake tube has the intake opening for sucking in living beings, objects, and / or dust, and the subsequent collecting unit for collecting and thus sieving the living beings and / or objects. In principle, the vacuum cleaner attachment and its components, including the collecting unit, can be made of any material, such as plastic, metal, and / or a composite material.The vacuum cleaner attachment can also contain a bio-based plastic, such as one based on wood, bamboo, oilseeds and / or other starch- and cellulose-rich plants.

[0027] An "intake pipe" is, in particular, a pipe that carries living creatures and / or objects to the collection unit and / or the intake air stream containing dust and other small dirt particles to the suction pipe of a vacuum cleaner. An intake pipe can also be a suction hose. The intake pipe preferably has an intake opening at one end and an adapter unit for connecting to the suction pipe of a vacuum cleaner at the opposite end.

[0028] The "suction opening" of the vacuum cleaner attachment is, in particular, an opening on the suction side of the vacuum cleaner attachment's intake tube. The suction opening preferably has the inner diameter of the intake tube or the inner diameter of the collection unit. The user guides the suction opening of the vacuum cleaner attachment over the insect, spider, object, and / or surface to be removed.

[0029] The "suction direction" is in particular the direction in which the air is sucked in from the suction opening of the suction pipe of the vacuum cleaner attachment through the adapter unit and, in the case of a connection, further through the suction pipe into the vacuum cleaner and thus forced to move.

[0030] A "collection unit" is, in particular, a component that serves to classify and separate, and thus sift out, living organisms and / or objects from the intake air stream. To separate and thus retain living organisms and / or objects, the collection unit, in particular, has a surface or partial surface with one or more openings through which the intake air stream passes, along with the dust and other dirt particles that are not retained. In its simplest form, the collection unit can be designed as a sieve base or as a sieve basket. The collection unit, in particular, has the air-permeable impact protection material, at least in the area where the insects and / or objects impact the collection unit.

[0031] A "perforation" is, in particular, a hole or slot in a surface of the collection unit. The perforation, in particular, has a minimal diameter or dimension, which determines the separation size of the collection unit as a sieve, particularly for dust and / or dirt particles and not for the insects and / or objects already filtered out by the impact protection material. The intake air flow is drawn through the perforation(s) in the collection unit, particularly when connecting the vacuum cleaner attachment to the suction tube of a vacuum cleaner, thereby creating the necessary vacuum to suck in the living beings and / or objects at the suction opening.

[0032] According to the invention, an "impact protection material" is a damping, compressible, and / or elastic material. The impact protection material, in particular, covers one or more openings in the collection unit on the side of the collection unit aligned with the intake opening. "Air-permeable" is understood in particular to mean that the impact protection material is porous and thus has air-filled cavities. The air-filled cavities of the impact protection material are, in particular, continuous, so that air sucked in at the intake opening of the vacuum cleaner attachment passes through the air-permeable impact protection material and is further conveyed through the intake pipe in the intake direction to the vacuum cleaner. The impact protection material can be firmly or detachably attached to the collection unit in front of the opening(s). For example, the impact protection material can be adhesively bonded to the collection unit.The impact protection material can also be positively and thus detachably connected to the collection unit, for example by means of a hook and loop fastener. Instead of being connected to the collection unit itself, the impact protection material can also be connected inside the vacuum cleaner attachment. For example, the impact protection material can be force-fitted directly inside the suction opening of the suction pipe using a clamp connection. Furthermore, there is no need to connect the impact protection material to the collection unit and / or the vacuum cleaner attachment, and the air-permeable impact protection material can simply be inserted into the collection unit in front of the opening(s) in the suction direction. Due to the suction pressure in the suction direction, the air-permeable impact protection material is automatically sucked in in the suction direction itself and thus held in front of the opening(s) on the collection unit.The impact protection material can be arranged with its underside in the suction direction directly against the opening or openings or can be arranged at a distance by an air volume and / or carrier material, for example a coarse mesh grid, in the suction direction in front of the opening or openings.

[0033] The "suction tube" of a vacuum cleaner is, in particular, the tube through which the intake air, dust, and dirt enter the interior of the vacuum cleaner. A suction hose can be arranged between the suction tube and the vacuum cleaner housing. However, a suction hose can also replace a suction tube, so that the vacuum cleaner's suction hose can be connected directly to the vacuum cleaner attachment according to the invention.

[0034] A "vacuum cleaner" can be any standard vacuum cleaner. A vacuum cleaner is, in particular, a cleaning device equipped with a fan, which creates a vacuum to draw in air, dust, and / or dirt. A vacuum cleaner can be, for example, a bagged vacuum cleaner, a cyclone vacuum cleaner, an industrial vacuum cleaner, and / or a vacuum cleaner with a water filter. In principle, the vacuum cleaner attachment can also be used for a tabletop vacuum cleaner or a leaf vacuum cleaner.

[0035] In a further embodiment of the vacuum cleaner attachment, the air-permeable impact protection material comprises a foam and / or a fiber structure.

[0036] Thus, the cavity volume and the damping properties of the impact protection material can be specifically adjusted through the production of the foam and / or the fiber structure.

[0037] "Foam" refers specifically to a synthetically produced material with a cellular structure and low density. Foam is particularly compressible, meaning that a reduction in volume occurs under pressure. Foam is specifically an open-cell foam in which the cell walls are not closed, creating a continuous system of cavities for air to pass through. Foam is particularly made of plastic, for example, polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, PET, and / or a biopolymer.

[0038] A "fiber structure" (also called a "nonwoven") is, in particular, a structure made of fibers of limited length, continuous fibers, and / or chopped yarn of any kind, which are combined and bonded together to form a fiber layer. The fibers can be natural and / or synthetic fibers. A fiber structure is, in particular, a flexible textile fiber structure that is easily bendable and preferably has a small thickness compared to its length and width. Instead of or in addition to textile fibers, the fiber structure can also comprise paper, plastic, and / or fiber-reinforced plastic fibers. The fiber structure is also, in particular, permeable to air.

[0039] In order to achieve low air resistance and low pressure loss, the air-permeable impact protection material has a porosity in a range of 10% to 99%, in particular 30% to 95%, preferably 50% to 90%.

[0040] Thanks to optimal porosity and thus air permeability, dust particles and other dirt particles can pass through the air-permeable impact protection material in the suction direction via the additional suction pipe and the adapter unit of the vacuum cleaner attachment into the suction pipe of the connected vacuum cleaner, where they are separated. Furthermore, the suction power of the vacuum cleaner is not or only slightly impaired by the air-permeable impact protection material. Furthermore, the damping properties and compressibility of the impact protection material can be adjusted by adjusting the porosity and thus the cavity volume.

[0041] "Porosity" is, in particular, a dimensionless measurement that indicates the ratio of void volume to the total volume of the impact protection material. Porosity also refers, in particular, to the total porosity, which is the sum of the open porosity, which includes the voids that are connected to each other and to the environment, and the closed porosity, in which the voids are not connected to each other.

[0042] In a further embodiment of the vacuum cleaner attachment, the air-permeable impact protection material has a material thickness of 1.0 mm to 50.0 mm, in particular of 3.0 mm to 30.0 mm, preferably of 5.0 mm to 20.0 mm.

[0043] The "material thickness" is, in particular, the dimension of the air-permeable impact protection material in the direction transverse to the largest longitudinal dimension of the impact protection material, and thus to its length and width. The material thickness of the impact protection material can essentially be the longitudinal dimension parallel to the intake direction and / or parallel to the passage direction of the opening(s).

[0044] In order to allow flow through the openings directly in the suction direction, the collecting unit has a sieve disc, wherein the sieve disc is arranged essentially transversely to the suction direction in the suction pipe.

[0045] The outer diameter of the sieve disc preferably covers the entire inner diameter of the intake pipe. The perforations through the sieve disc can be evenly or unevenly distributed over the entire surface of the sieve disc, or they can be arranged only in a partial area of ​​the sieve surface. For example, if only a central area of ​​the sieve disc around the longitudinal center axis of the intake pipe is formed with the perforations, the non-flowing outer edge areas create a flow-calmed area into which the sucked-up insect or spider can crawl and recover. In this case, the entire surface of the sieve disc that is aligned with the intake opening is covered with the air-permeable impact protection material, including the areas of the sieve disc that are free of perforations.

[0046] A "screen disc" is, in particular, a disc-shaped filter that operates according to the principle of a sieve. The screen disc has, in particular, one or more openings running through its thickness. The screen disc is preferably arranged downstream of the intake opening at a distance from the intake opening in the intake pipe that is substantially transverse to the intake direction in order to form a collecting space for the collecting unit. "Substantially transverse" means that the longitudinal dimension of the screen disc and thus its diameter do not necessarily have to be aligned at an angle of 90° to the intake direction and thus to the longitudinal center axis of the intake pipe. For example, the screen disc can also be installed at an angle within the intake pipe. The screen disc does not have to be a flat circular disc; rather, it can also be curved, for example, in the intake direction or opposite to the intake direction.

[0047] In a further embodiment of the vacuum cleaner attachment, the collecting unit has a sieve basket, wherein the sieve basket has an opening in a direction towards the suction opening, a side element adjoining the opening and a sieve bottom opposite the opening.

[0048] By designing the sieve basket, the openings can be incorporated into both the side element and the sieve base. Furthermore, the sieve container itself can be designed as a single piece with a sieve base firmly connected to the side element, or in multiple parts. For example, one part of the sieve basket can have the opening with the adjacent side element in the suction direction and be screwed onto a subsequent second part with the sieve base or connected with a snap-in connection. The sieve basket can be detachable within the intake pipe at the intake opening and / or the sieve basket can be disassembled between the side element in the suction direction and the sieve base, facilitating removal and cleaning of the sieve basket.

[0049] A "screen basket" is, in particular, a basket-shaped filter element. The screen basket has, in particular, one and / or more openings in its side element and / or screen base. The screen basket has, in particular opposite its screen base, an opening for the intake air to flow into the screen basket and subsequently through the openings in the screen basket. The screen basket is preferably completely covered on the inside with the air-permeable impact protection material.

[0050] A "side element" is, in particular, one or more side walls of the strainer basket. Preferably, the strainer basket, with the exception of the strainer base, is tubular in the suction direction, so that it has a circumferential side wall. Of course, the strainer basket can also be designed in its basic geometric form as an elongated cuboid and even have four square, rectangular side walls parallel to the suction direction. Likewise, the strainer basket can have a triangular or polygonal cross-section. Preferably, the strainer basket has a round cross-section at the intake opening of the intake pipe. For example, the round strainer basket can be inserted, snapped into, or firmly connected with its outer diameter around its opening within the intake pipe in the area of ​​the intake opening.

[0051] The "sieve plate" is, in particular, a structural element that defines the intake direction of the sieve basket. A sieve plate can also be a sieve disc and / or a perforated plate. The sieve plate preferably has several openings. However, the sieve plate can also be designed as a closed plate without any openings. In this case, the intake air flows only through the openings in the side element of the sieve basket.

[0052] In order to optimally integrate and / or connect the strainer basket flush with the intake opening of the intake pipe in the area of ​​its opening, the side element of the strainer basket is designed to be radially circumferential and / or conically tapered in the intake direction.

[0053] Thus, the sieve basket has a radially circumferential side wall and a round cross-section.

[0054] If the strainer basket tapers conically towards the strainer base in the suction direction, the strainer surface created by the openings in the side element increases in the transverse direction to the suction direction. Consequently, the passage of the intake air flow, which enters directly into the collection unit through the intake opening of the intake pipe and the opening of the strainer basket, is further improved in the suction direction by the openings in the side element. The suction flow exiting through the side walls thus flows increasingly in the outer region of the cavity of the intake pipe, further outwards in the suction direction, also around the strainer base of the strainer basket inside the intake pipe towards the adapter unit. Because the strainer basket has the shape of a truncated cone in the suction direction and thus the strainer base has a smaller diameter than the opening of the strainer basket, the strainer basket can be removed from the suction pipe more easily.Furthermore, in the case of a closed sieve bottom, the conical shape of the collecting unit can create a flow-calmed area above the closed sieve bottom or one with only a few openings, thus further preventing injury to living beings and / or destruction of objects in addition to the impact protection material.

[0055] In a further embodiment of the vacuum cleaner attachment, the impact protection material is arranged in front of the side element and / or the sieve base in the suction direction.

[0056] Thus, only the side element or the sieve base can be covered with the impact protection material, or the sieve basket, including the side element and sieve base, can be completely covered with the impact protection material. It is particularly advantageous if the sieve basket is completely lined with the impact protection material on the inside, with the one-piece impact protection material being shaped to match the shape of the sieve basket. This allows the one-piece impact protection material to be easily removed from the opening of the sieve basket and cleaned or replaced.

[0057] To ensure a uniform flow, the intake pipe has a constant cross-section.

[0058] However, the constant cross-section does not have to be formed over the entire length of the suction pipe. For example, the suction pipe can have a constant cross-section in the area towards the adapter unit and widen conically towards the suction opening in order to be able to vacuum up insects and / or small objects with a larger suction opening more easily. This creates a conical narrowing of the suction pipe in the opposite suction direction, whereby the sucked-up insects and / or small objects are guided specifically to the collection unit. Conversely, the suction opening can also have a smaller cross-section than the suction pipe. Of course, the entire vacuum cleaner attachment, including the suction pipe and the adapter unit, can also have a conically widening and / or narrowing shape over its length.

[0059] In a further embodiment of the vacuum cleaner attachment, the adapter unit tapers conically in the suction direction so that suction tubes with different inner diameters can be attached to the adapter unit.

[0060] Because the adapter unit tapers conically in the suction direction, the opening of a suction pipe of a conventional vacuum cleaner can be pushed directly onto the adapter unit against the suction direction until the adapter unit and the suction pipe are frictionally connected. This eliminates the need for separate additional connecting parts and / or sealing material. A particularly advantageous feature here is that the tapered adapter unit can be inserted into all common inner diameters of suction pipes. In principle, the adapter unit can also conically widen in the suction direction in the opposite direction, so that in this case the adapter unit is pushed over the suction pipe from the outside in the suction direction until the adapter unit and the suction pipe are frictionally connected.

[0061] In order to avoid the need for a connection and / or sealing material, the intake pipe and the adapter unit following in the intake direction are formed as a single piece.

[0062] Preferably, the intake pipe with a constant diameter merges seamlessly into the adapter unit with a diameter tapering in the intake direction.

[0063] This allows the user to vacuum up insects, spiders, and / or other objects by simply handling the vacuum attachment as a single piece and inserting it into a conventional vacuum cleaner's suction tube. This significantly simplifies handling and prevents vacuum loss due to leaks.

[0064] In a further embodiment, the vacuum cleaner attachment has a hinged lid for opening and closing the suction opening.

[0065] This allows the suction opening of the vacuum cleaner attachment's intake tube, and thus the opening of the collection unit, to be immediately closed after an insect has been vacuumed up and trapped within the collection unit. This prevents the insect from crawling or flying out of the intake opening. This prevents allergy sufferers and those with insect and / or arachnophobia from coming into contact with or being close to the insect or spider.

[0066] It is particularly advantageous if the lid, which is opened during use of the vacuum cleaner attachment, closes automatically after the insect has been sucked in and trapped in the collection unit, without manual intervention. For this purpose, the lid can be attached to the outside of the suction tube, for example, using a spring mechanism, so that a light touch of the outside of the lid, for example, with the floor, causes the lid to close automatically.

[0067] In order to allow insect phobics and allergy sufferers, such as those allergic to bee venom, to have as much distance as possible from the lid, the lid has a lateral overhang over an outer diameter of the intake pipe, so that the lid can be opened by pressing against the overhang with an elongated object.

[0068] This allows even phobics and / or allergy sufferers to release a trapped insect independently and easily, without having to get too close to the suction opening. After taking the vacuum cleaner attachment outside or placing it on a windowsill, for example, the user simply presses against the side projection of the lid, parallel to the suction tube, against the direction of suction, using a long stick, for example, to open the lid again.

[0069] In a further embodiment, the cover has holes for the intake air flow to flow through.

[0070] This allows suction to continue even after an insect or spider has been sucked into the collection unit and picked up by the lid. The holes in the lid prevent a vacuum from forming in the vacuum cleaner attachment during continued suction operation and ensure that the picked-up insect or spider remains on the impact protection material of the collection unit. This ensures that the insect or spider does not move within the collection unit toward the lid when the lid is opened, and that it is immediately in the area of ​​the suction opening when the lid is opened.This ensures, on the one hand, that the insect or spider is released safely and without injury when the lid is opened and the suction operation is interrupted. On the other hand, phobics can assume that after opening the lid to release it, the insect or spider will not immediately come out of the suction opening, but will first have to move from the floor to the attachment opening or fall out when the vacuum cleaner attachment is shaken out.

[0071] Additionally, the vacuum cleaner attachment can feature a control for adjusting the suction power. This allows the suction power to be adjusted to the type, size, and / or vulnerability of the insect and / or object being vacuumed up.

[0072] A "regulator" can, for example, be a slider or dial for adjusting the airflow rate, as is often found on the handle of standard vacuum cleaners.

[0073] In an additional aspect of the invention, the object is achieved by a vacuum cleaner which has a vacuum cleaner attachment as described above.

[0074] The invention will be explained in more detail below using exemplary embodiments. Figure 1 is a highly schematic sectional view of a vacuum cleaner attachment with a sieve base and a foam insert arranged above it in a state with an open lid, and Figure 2 is a highly schematic sectional view of an alternative of the vacuum cleaner attachment with a sieve basket and inserted foam insert in a state with a suction opening closed by means of a lid.

[0075] A vacuum cleaner attachment 101 has an intake pipe 103, which has an intake opening 105 on one suction side. The intake pipe 103 has a constant cross-section in a suction direction 123. At an end opposite the intake opening 105, the intake pipe 103 merges seamlessly into an adapter cone 121. A collecting unit 107 is arranged inside the intake pipe 103 at a distance from the intake opening 105. The collecting unit 107 has a sieve base 113 with several sieve holes 117 across the entire internal cross-section of the intake pipe 103. An air-permeable foam insert 119 of the collecting unit 107 is arranged above the sieve base 113 in the direction of the intake opening 105. The air-permeable foam insert 119 has a material thickness of 10 mm.

[0076] The vacuum cleaner attachment 101 has a cover holder 127 on the outside of the suction pipe 103, which is connected to a cover 125 via an internal spring 131. The cover 125 has several holes 133. Opposite the cover holder 127, the cover 125 has a cover projection 129. The Figure 1 shows the vacuum cleaner attachment 101 in the state with the lid 125 open and unfolded, whereby the suction opening 105 is open.

[0077] The vacuum cleaner attachment 101 is used by an arachnophobe to vacuum up a spider in the living room. For this purpose, the vacuum cleaner attachment 101 with its adapter cone 121 is inserted into the suction tube of a Figure 1not shown. The bag vacuum cleaner (not shown) is switched on and sucks in intake air through the exposed intake opening 105 in the intake direction 123 through the intake pipe 103, the air-permeable foam insert 119, the sieve holes 117, and the adapter cone 121. The arachnophobe now moves the intake opening 105 over the spider to be vacuumed up, whereby the arachnophobe can maintain a maximum spatial distance from the intake opening 105 thanks to the vacuum cleaner attachment 101 inserted into the suction pipe of the bag vacuum cleaner via the adapter cone 121.

[0078] The sucked-in ambient air is drawn through the pores of the air-permeable foam insert 119 and through the subsequent sieve holes 117 of the sieve base 113. After passing through the sieve holes 117 in the intake pipe 103, it is conveyed further in the intake direction 123 through the adapter cone 121. The sucked-in spider has a size that is significantly larger than the pores of the air-permeable foam insert 119. Carried by the intake air flow in the intake direction 123, the spider directly impacts the air-permeable foam insert 119, which is arranged transversely to the intake direction 123. Due to the elasticity and compressibility of the foam insert 119, the impact of the spider is dampened and the spider is held back without injury by the foam insert 119 of the collecting unit 107 within the suction pipe 103 above the sieve bottom 113 and thus sieved out.In contrast, smaller dust and dirt particles in the intake air flow can pass through the pore system of the air-permeable foam insert 119 and the subsequent sieve holes 117 and are conveyed via the lower part of the intake pipe 103 and the adapter cone 121 to the suction pipe of the bag vacuum cleaner (not shown).

[0079] The person suffering from arachnophobia then turns the vacuum cleaner attachment 101 in such a way that the opened lid 125 hits the outside against the floor, whereby the lid 125 automatically closes due to the spring 131 and the spider, which is held back without injury on the air-permeable foam insert 119, is trapped inside the vacuum cleaner attachment 101.

[0080] The arachnophobe then moves the closed vacuum cleaner attachment 101 with the connected suction tube and bagged vacuum cleaner to an open window and holds the vacuum cleaner attachment 101 outside into the ambient air. The arachnophobe then turns off the bagged vacuum cleaner, preventing ambient air from being sucked into the vacuum cleaner attachment 101 through the holes 133 in the lid 125. The arachnophobe then presses the tip of a broom handle from below against the lid projection 129, causing the lid 125 to open and expose the suction opening 105. The arachnophobe now holds the suction opening 105 of the vacuum cleaner attachment 101 slightly downward, allowing the spider to fall outside into the ambient air.

[0081] In an alternative of the 101, which is in Figure 2As shown, the vacuum cleaner attachment 101 is designed as described above with regard to the cover 125, the suction pipe 103 and the adapter cone 121 and is used analogously. In this alternative of the vacuum cleaner attachment 101, the collecting unit 107 has a sieve basket 115 with an upper opening 135, a radially circumferential side wall 109, a sieve base 113 and sieve holes 117 in the radially circumferential side wall 109 and the sieve base 113. Aligned internally with the suction opening 105 and the upper opening 135, the sieve basket 115 is completely covered with the air-permeable foam insert 119, so that the sieve holes 117 of the sieve basket 115 following in the suction direction 123 are covered by the air-permeable foam insert 119.

[0082] In Figure 2This alternative of the vacuum cleaner attachment 101 is shown with the lid 125 closed. Accordingly, to use the vacuum cleaner attachment 101, the closed lid 125 is opened by hand by the user (and in Figure 2 thus moved to the right), leaving the suction opening 105 open. The vacuum cleaner attachment 105 is then used as described above. By designing the collecting unit 107 as a sieve basket 115 with the air-permeable foam insert 119, a larger retention area for insects and small parts is provided. In addition, the intake air passes not only in the suction direction 123 through the sieve holes 117 in the sieve base 113, but also through the lateral sieve holes 117 in the side wall 109. This increases both the absorption capacity of the collecting unit 107 and the amount of intake air passing through.

[0083] Thus, a vacuum cleaner attachment 101 is provided with which insects and arachnids can be sucked in and captured without injury and can then be released again in a targeted manner even by phobics at a sufficient distance from the vacuum cleaner attachment 101 and its suction opening 105. List of reference symbols

[0084] 101Vacuum cleaner attachment 103Suction pipe 105Suction opening 107Collection unit 109Side wall 113Sieve base 115Sieve basket 117Sieve holes 119Foam insert 121Adapter cone 123Suction direction 125Lid 127Lid holder 129Lid projection 131Spring 133Holes 135Opening

Claims

1. Vacuum-cleaner attachment (101) for a vacuum tube of a vacuum cleaner for non-destructively screening out objects and / or living beings, wherein the vacuum-cleaner attachment (101) comprises a suction tube (103) comprising a suction opening (105) at a first end, and a collection unit (107) for the screening out is arranged in the suction tube (103) downstream of the suction opening (105) in a suction direction (123), wherein the collection unit (107) comprises at least one hole or a plurality of holes (117) for a flow of suction air to flow through, and the vacuum-cleaner attachment (101) comprises an adapter unit (121) at a second end opposite the first end for connecting to the vacuum tube of the vacuum cleaner, characterised in that the collection unit (107) comprises an air-permeable impact protection material (119) upstream of the hole or holes (117) in the suction direction, wherein the air-permeable impact protection material (119) is a damping, compressible and / or resilient material.

2. Vacuum-cleaner attachment (101) according to claim 1, characterised in that the air-permeable impact protection material (119) comprises a foam and / or a fibre structure.

3. Vacuum-cleaner attachment (101) according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the air-permeable impact protection material (119) has a porosity in a range of 10% to 99%, in particular of 30% to 95%, preferably of 50 to 90%.

4. Vacuum-cleaner attachment (101) according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the air-permeable impact protection material (119) has a material thickness of 1.0 mm to 50.0 mm, in particular of 3.0 mm to 30.0 mm, preferably of 5.0 mm to 20.0 mm.

5. Vacuum-cleaner attachment (101) according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the collection unit (107) comprises a screen disc (113), wherein the screen disc (113) is arranged substantially transversely to the suction direction (123) in the suction tube (103).

6. Vacuum-cleaner attachment (101) according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the collection unit (107) comprises a screen basket (115), wherein the screen basket (115) comprises an opening (135) in a direction towards the suction opening (105), a side element (109) which adjoins the opening (135), and a screen base (113) which is arranged opposite the opening (135).

7. Vacuum-cleaner attachment (101) according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the side element (109) of the screen basket (115) is formed to be radially circumferential and / or conically tapered in the suction direction (123).

8. Vacuum-cleaner attachment (101) according to any of claims 6 or 7, characterised in that the impact protection material (119) is arranged upstream of the side element (109) and / or the screen base (113) in the suction direction (123).

9. Vacuum-cleaner attachment (101) according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the suction tube (103) has a constant cross section.

10. Vacuum-cleaner attachment (101) according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the adapter unit (121) is conically tapered in the suction direction (123), such that suction tubes having different internal diameters can be fitted to the adapter unit (121).

11. Vacuum-cleaner attachment (101) according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the suction tube (103) and the adapter unit (121) following in the suction direction (123) are formed in one piece.

12. Vacuum-cleaner attachment (101) according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the vacuum-cleaner attachment (101) comprises a lid (125), which can be flipped open and closed so as to open and close the suction opening (105).

13. Vacuum-cleaner attachment (101) according to claim 12, characterised in that the lid (125) comprises a lateral projection (129) beyond an external diameter of the suction tube (103), such that an elongate object can be pressed against the projection (129) to open the lid (125).

14. Vacuum-cleaner attachment (101) according to claim 12 or 13, characterised in that the lid (125) comprises holes (133) for the flow of suction air to flow through.