Passive forced suction broom

Abstract

Passive forced suction broom (100); said broom (100) including a stick (109) and a broom head (107) used to collect and vacuum dust and dirt; called broom (100) being characterized by: a manually operated vacuum generation system (101) and installed on said stick (109); this system (101) being connected by means of a check valve (102) to a vacuum holding chamber (103); a tank (105) used to collect said dust and dirt; said tank (105) being equipped with a filter (106) and being connected to said vacuum holding chamber (103) by means of a valve (104a) piloted by a control (104); said command (104) being positioned on said stick (109); at least one hollow bristle (108) installed on said broom head (107) and pneumatically connected to said tank (105); called at least one hollow bristle (108) being equipped with a non-return valve (110).

Description

[0001] Passive forced suction broom

[0002] Technical field

[0003] The present invention concerns a system and method o f passive forced suction, therefore without the use of any power source ; this system can be conveniently applied to traditional fixed or removable stick brooms .

[0004] More speci fically, it concerns a system that can be applied or integrated with advantage in traditional brooms to vacuum the last residues of dust and dirt that are di f ficult to remove during manual use with a dustpan . In certain extended versions , the proposed system can also be used autonomously for the integral collection of dust and dirt instead of the dustpan .

[0005] State of the art

[0006] (Non-electric ) brooms have remained essentially the same over the centuries . Materials have changed and snap-in systems or extensions have been added, but the basic technology has not changed . A body made of more or less dense bristles o f various materials and a stick, fixed or removable . The dirt is mechanically dragged (by rubbing the bristles on the floor ) to the collection point where , again by means of the broom, it is typically made to flow into a dustpan (with or without a handle ) for subsequent disposal in the trash . From a patent point of view, some attempts , however of little commercial success , are known to obtain more ef fective brooms , and equipped with an integrated system for the collection and accumulation of dirt .

[0007] For example , the patents KR20120032662A ( LEE JEA HYEN [KR] ) , 6 April 2012 and the patent are known KR102197698B1 ( JUNG MIN YOUNG [KR] ; LEE JEONG MU [KR] ) ; 4 January 2021 ] . However, these patents present a series of inconveniences and, more generally, even a reliable , consolidated and durable technology such as the broom is subj ect to limits and inef ficiencies . One of its historical problems has always been the elimination of the last portion of the collected dirt , since the coupling between the floor and the pallet is anything but reliable and uni form and implies the formation of a line of dirt in front of the front edge of the dustpan . This portion of dirt , not being able to be collected, is often abandoned and / or dispersed in the environment with all the problems that derive from it . In fact , in the face of repeated and unsuccess ful attempts to eliminate it through repeated broomdustpan actions , this line of dirt is typically swept under sofas , carpets or dispersed again in the environment to be cleaned .

[0008] Disclosure of the invention

[0009] The problem to be solved with the present invention can be considered as making the broom more ef fective , reliable and easy to use . This patent aims to overcome the critical issues described above by implementing a system that allows , at the end of use , to mechanically vacuum the residual dirt on the floor, through the broom head .

[0010] The obj ective of the proposed system is in fact the collection of the residual dirt thread and, by appropriately si zing the suction system, it could further obviate the use of the scoop completely, especially in the presence of limited quantities of dirt and dust .

[0011] A further obj ective of the proposed system is to introduce a new class of brooms that allows complete cleaning of the environment with less effort and above all that allows the operator not to have to constantly bend down at floor level , reducing stress and j oint problems deriving from these movements in the long term .

[0012] Finally, a further obj ective of the proposed system is to obtain a reliable cleaning system with reduced production costs that can obviate the need to resort to electric brooms , to the benefit of the environment ( therefore characteri zed by zero operating energy costs and no use of polluting substances and raw materials and problems for the environment , such as batteries , which makes electric brooms environmentally unsustainable both in the production phase and in subsequent disposal ) .

[0013] The above obj ectives and other purposes that will be clearer below, are achieved by means of the broom with passive forced suction according to the main claim 1 . Some advantageous forms of implementation and some alternatives of implementation are represented in the dependent claims .

[0014] In an advantageous implementation of the invention, the proposed system achieves the aforementioned obj ectives by means of a passive suction system . The heart of the invention is a mechanical pump system in which the operator, acting on the plunger, creates a vacuum in a tank . It can be either a venturi vacuum system ( the plunger generates compressed air directly or through a tank, air that is passed through a bottleneck to create a vacuum in a second tank) , a direct suction system with a check valve , or a system in which the vacuum is generated by the mechanical compression of an elastic tank whose walls , To restore their original shape , they will suck air from the suction noz zle when the latter is opened by the operator control .

[0015] The second component of the invention, in addition to the empty tank, is the suction noz zle whose opening control is operated by those who want to suck up the dirt , once the entire floor has been swept and the dirt itsel f has accumulated in a single point . The noz zle sucks in air using the vacuum tank through special bristles in the broom head, consequently sucking up all the dirt .

[0016] The noz zle is equipped with a filter that does not allow dirt to rise up to the vacuum tank and trap it in the special suction bristles .

[0017] The third and final component of the invention are the suction bristles present in the broom head . The bristles , o f any shape and number ( at most even a single large one ) , have a peculiarity : a passive closure system . The single bristle is normally closed . The passage to the vacuum tank opens through a slat opened by the vacuum itsel f which will suck air and dirt from the floor and will close when the sucking action ceases . The bristle itsel f can act as a dirt tank or one or more bristles can carry the dirt into an additional tank that will trap all the vacuumed dirt .

[0018] Brief description of the attached drawings

[0019] Further characteristics and advantages of the proposed technical solution will be more evident in the following description of a preferred, but not exclusive , form o f reali zation of the broom represented, by way of example and not limitation, in the five tables of drawings attached where :

[0020] • Fig . 1 illustrates the operating diagram of the broom with passive forced suction according to the proposed invention;

[0021] • Fig . 2a and Fig . 2b represent respectively an example of a broom with an integrated vacuum generation system on the stick and an example with an integrated vacuum generation system on the broom head;

[0022] • Fig . 3a and Fig . 3b represent in detail two forms of reali zation of a possible bristle used to suck up residual dirt ;

[0023] • Fig . 4 represents an example of a broom head including an integrated dirt accumulation tank;

[0024] • Fig . 5 represents an example of a broom head without a dirt accumulation tank .

[0025] It should be noted that the figures attached to this application illustrate only some possible forms of execution of the system, in order to better understand its advantages and the characteristics described . These forms of execution are therefore to be understood for purely illustrative purposes and not as limiting the inventive concept claimed below.

[0026] Best mode for carrying out the invention

[0027] With reference to the attached drawings and particularly to Fig.l, the operating principle of a broom (100) with passive forced suction is briefly represented; this broom (100) is characterized by a suction system which, as anticipated, is based on the preventive creation of the vacuum by means of a special device manually implemented by the operator and on the application and exploitation of this vacuum by means of appropriate bristles of operating on a very small area of the broom head and used in order to absorb residual dirt and convey it by suction to a storage tank.

[0028] In particular, the different components constituting this broom are highlighted in Fig.l, namely:

[0029] • Vacuum creation system (101) ;

[0030] • Vacuum check valve (102) ;

[0031] • Vacuum holding tank (103) ;

[0032] • Actuation control (104) that activates a valve (104a) ;

[0033] • Dirt collection tank (105) with filter (106) ;

[0034] • Broom head (107) with vacuum distribution system by means of appropriate bristles (108) possibly integrated between common bristles.

[0035] The figures following Fig. 1 illustrate different configurations according to which the proposed extraction system can be used.

[0036] With reference to the attached drawings and particularly to Fig.2, the possible placement of the vacuum creation tank (103) is illustrated: both on board the stick (109) of the broom (100) and on the edge of the head (107) of the broom (100) . In particular, Fig. 2a represents the case of a broom where both the vacuum generation system (101) and the vacuum tank (103) are integrated into the stick (109) .

[0037] Fig. 2b, on the other hand, represents the case of a broom where the vacuum generation system (101) and the vacuum tank

[0038] (103) are integrated into the stick (109) and connected to the dirt collection tank (105) obtained in the head of the broom. In both cases, the vacuum holding tank (103) is connected to the broom head by means of a valve (104a) with a filter (106) in cascade; this valve being controlled by an actuation command

[0039] (104) .

[0040] With reference to the attached drawings and particularly to Fig.3a and Fig. 3b, two possible variants are represented in terms of the conformation of one of the appropriate bristles (108) according to the invention.

[0041] The effectiveness of the overall suction also lies in the efficiency and tightness of suitable vacuum valves (110) integrated into these bristles (108) .

[0042] In particular, Fig.3a provides an example of a bristle (108) with unidirectional suction and with a vacuum opening valve (110) installed towards the broom head (107) . This bristle (108) is characterized by the shape of a hollow cylinder, preferably but not necessarily made of rubber, silicone or other soft and deformable material functionally equivalent. In the absence of a vacuum, the reed valve (111) (110) is closed and at rest. In the presence of a vacuum effect, this reed valve (111) deforms and allows air to be sucked in along the channel obtained from the hollow cylinder that characterizes the bristle (108) used to suck up the residual dirt when the vacuum holding tank (103) is put in communication with the bristles (108) following the opening of the valve (104a) .

[0043] Fig. 3b provides an example of a bristle (108) with oneway suction and a vacuum opening valve (110) towards the floor. Also in this case, the bristle (108) is characterized by a hollow cylinder, preferably but not necessarily made of rubber, silicone or other soft and deformable material functionally equivalent. In the absence of a vacuum effect, the reed valve (111) is closed and at rest. In the presence of a vacuum effect with suction, this lamella (111) deforms and allows air to be sucked in along the channel obtained from the hollow cylinder of the bristle (108) .

[0044] With reference to the attached drawings and particularly to Fig.4 and Fig.5, two realizations of the suction system according to the proposed invention are illustrated, broom head side (107) . There are several possible configurations, here the two main ones are explained: the one with and without a dedicated dirt collection tank (105) as indicated respectively in Fig.4 and Fig.5 of the attached drawings.

[0045] In particular, Fig.4 provides an example of a head (107) with an integrated dirt collection tank (105) . According to this configuration, the actuation control (104) opens a valve (104a) that connects the vacuum creation tank (103) with the dirt collection tank (105) ; this tank (105) being connected to the series of valves (110) with slats (111) positioned at the upper end of these bristles (108) , and the dirt being retained by the filter (106) downstream of the actuation control (106) , on the side of the dirt collection tank. According to the invention, the bristles (108) thus convey the sucked-up material into the dirt collection tank (105) , which can then be removed and emptied.

[0046] Fig. 5, on the other hand, gives an example of a head

[0047] (107) without an integrated dirt collection tank (105) . According to this configuration, the actuation control (104) opens a valve that connects the vacuum reservoir (103) with the individual bristles (108) according to the invention. The dirt, which is retained by the filter (106) downstream of the control and actuation control valve (104) , remains incorporated in the hollow body of each individual bristle

[0048] (108) . The broom head (107) then opens and with induced vibrations, e.g. manually by tapping the head (107) on the edge of a dustbin, release the dirt that falls from the hollow cylindrical section of each bristle (108) into an adjacent dustbin .

[0049] From the point of view of construction, the system with dirt collection tank (105) makes it easier to remove dirt and clean the broom (100) according to the invention, but results in a more bulky and expensive broom head (107) . The solution without a dirt collection tank (105) is more efficient when you want to use fewer bristles. By way of example, but not limited to, we could hypothesize a central bristle (imagine a very long and high but narrow parallelepiped) which can represent the central core of the broom head, together with normal bristles or other systems such as rubber slats, for example. In this case, the central bristle (108) would already have the useful dimensions to be the dirt tank in all respects.

[0050] In addition, an additional valve (110) with a slat (108) can be positioned in the upper part of the broom head shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 in order to facilitate the maintenance of the vacuum in the broom head.

[0051] Industrial applicability

[0052] The advantages of the invention according to the proposed patent are many and evident both in terms of reliability and ease of use. The suction system proposed and described above allows you to give up electric brooms without losing their advantages and allows you to clean a floor more easily without the constant need to bend down to collect and eliminate residual dirt.

[0053] While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, some preferred forms of realization have been shown in the drawings and described . It must be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the invention to the speci fic form of reali zation illustrated, but , on the contrary, it intends to cover all modi fications , alternative constructions , and equivalents that fall within the scope of the invention as defined in the attached claims .

[0054] The use of " for example" , " etc . " , "or" indicates nonexclusive alternatives without limitation unless indicated .

[0055] The use of " includes" means " includes , but not limited to" unless otherwise stated .

[0056] In particular, the invention can be made with technical equivalents , with materials or supplementary devices suitable for the purpose and the field of application .

[0057] The conformation and si zing of the constituent parts and the products manufactured may vary in a suitable way, but consistent with the proposed solution .

[0058] By way of example and not limitation, it should be noted that the dimensions and shapes of the parts involved may be varied and, further, some functions of the system without leaving the scope of the patent claimed .

[0059] In any case , the necessary changes to the system and the underlying systems , including adj ustments and si zing appropriate to the individual installation, will be deductible by a suitably trained technician in the field and without leaving the scope of protection of the claimed patent .

Claims

Claims1. Broom with passive forced suction (100) ; said broom (100) including a stick (109) and a broom head (107) used to collect and vacuum dust and dirt; said broom (100) being characterized by:• a manually operated vacuum generation system (101) installed on said stick (109) ; said system (101) being connected by means of a check valve (102) to a vacuum holding chamber (103) ;• a tank (105) used to collect said dust and dirt; said tank (105) being equipped with a filter (106) and being connected to said vacuum holding chamber (103) by means of a valve (104a) driven by a control (104) ; said control (104) being placed on said stick (109) ;• at least one hollow bristle (108) installed on said broom head (107) and pneumatically connected to said tank (105) ; said at least one hollow bristle (108) being equipped with a non-return valve (110) .

2. Broom with passive forced suction (100) according to claim 1 wherein said valve (104a) , said filter (106) and said tank (105) are integrated into the body of said stick (109) .

3. Passive forced vacuum broom (100) according to claim 1 wherein said valve (104a) , said filter (106) and said tank (105) are integrated into the body of said broom head (107) .

4. Passive forced suction broom (100) according to claim 1 where said non-return valve (110) is installed at the upper end of said hollow bristle (108) .

5. Passive forced suction broom (100) according to claim 1 where said non-return valve (110) is installed at the bottom end of said hollow bristle (108) .Broom with passive forced suction (100) according to claim 1 where said non-return valve (110) consists of a flexible reed (111) .

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