ATTACHMENT AND METHOD FOR CLEANING A SOCKET

Abstract

An attachment for cleaning a socket is provided including a body with an insertion section of the body for insertion into the socket along an insertion direction and with a connection section of the body for connection to a suction inlet of a vacuum cleaner, the attachment including at least one cleaning element for mechanical cleaning of an inner surface of the socket. The attachment includes at least one bearing element attached to the body, wherein the cleaning element is rotatably mounted on the bearing element relative to the body about an axis of rotation aligned along the insertion direction, and at least one drive element attached to the body for automatically rotating the at least one cleaning element about the axis of rotation. A method for cleaning a socket with the attachment is also provided.

Claims

1. An attachment for cleaning a socket, the attachment having: a) a body comprising an insertion portion for insertion into the socket along an insertion direction and a connection section for connection to a suction inlet of a vacuum cleaner; b) at least one cleaning element for mechanical cleaning of an inner surface of the socket; c) at least one bearing element fastened to the body, the cleaning element being rotatably mounted on the bearing element relative to the body about an axis of rotation aligned along the insertion direction; and d) at least one drive element fastened to the body for automatic rotation of the at least one cleaning element about the axis of rotation, wherein the at least one drive element comprises at least one propeller and/or at least one turbine for rotation of the at least one cleaning element driven by an air stream flowing through the body.

2. The attachment according to claim 1, wherein the attachment comprises: a) exactly one cleaning element, wherein the axis of rotation of the cleaning element is arranged for coaxial arrangement to a central perpendicular axis of a bottom surface of the socket; or b) a plurality of, cleaning elements corresponding to a plurality of contact openings of the socket, wherein the axis of rotation of each of the cleaning elements is arranged for coaxial arrangement to a central perpendicular axis of one of the contact openings.

3. The attachment according to claim 1, wherein a) the cleaning element comprises a plurality of cleaning bristles arranged around the axis of rotation; and b) wherein the cleaning bristles are oriented obliquely to the insertion direction with an angle of inclination of 5° to 85°, of 30° to 60°, or of 40° to 50°.

4. The attachment according to claim 3, wherein a) the cleaning bristles comprise a number of inner bristles and a number of outer bristles; and b) wherein the inner bristles differ from the outer bristles in their length, their bending stiffness and/or their angle of inclination.

5. The attachment according to claim 1, comprising: at least one spacer attached to the body for spacing the at least one bearing element from a bottom surface of the socket.

6. The attachment according to claim 5, wherein a) the at least one spacer comprises at least one positioning pin for at least partial insertion, into a contact opening of the socket; b) wherein one positioning pin is provided for partial insertion into each of the contact openings of the socket; and/or c) wherein the at least one positioning pin comprises at least one internal cleaning element for internal cleaning of the contact opening.

7. The attachment according to claim 6, wherein the axis of rotation of the at least one cleaning element is identical to a central longitudinal axis of the at least one positioning pin, wherein the at least one positioning pin is rigidly connected to the body.

8. The attachment according to claim 1, wherein the propeller or the turbine is mounted on the at least one bearing element for rotation about the axis of rotation relative to the body.

9. The attachment according to claim 1, comprising: a) at least one holding element attached to the body; b) wherein the at least one holding element holds the at least one bearing element and the at least one drive element in the body; c) wherein the at least one holding element comprises a screen or grid covering a cross-sectional area of the body; and/or d) wherein the at least one holding element is detachably connected to the body.

10. The attachment according to claim 1, wherein the insertion section a) is configured for precisely fitting insertion into the socket; and/or b) comprises a number of side cleaning elements, a number of side cleaning bristles and/or cleaning lamellae and/or at least one cleaning felt, for mechanical cleaning of a side surface of the socket that extends around the insertion direction.

11. The attachment according to claim 1, wherein the attachment comprises: a) the at least one drive element comprises at least one electric motor for rotating the at least one cleaning element; b) a supply device for supplying the motor with electric energy; and c) wherein the supply device comprises an energy storage device for storing electric energy and/or an extraction device for extracting electric energy from the socket.

12. The attachment according to claim 1, wherein the at least one cleaning element, the at least one inner cleaning element and/or the at least one side cleaning element comprises an electrically non-conductive material, in particular at least one synthetic fiber, polyethylene, and/or at least one natural fiber, hair and/or hemp.

13. The attachment according to claim 1, wherein the body a) comprises an electrically insulating material, a plastic; and/or b) comprises a discharge element for discharging electrical charge to a protective contact of the socket.

14. The attachment according to claim 1, comprising: a) a suction element for sucking dirt exiting the socket radially with respect to the insertion direction outside the insertion section into the suction inlet of the vacuum cleaner; and b) wherein the suction element comprises a suction bell having a base opening with a base edge for abutment against a wall surrounding the socket and a tip opening for connection to the suction inlet of the vacuum cleaner.

15. A method for cleaning a socket using an attachment according to claim 1, comprising: a) insertion of the insertion section of the body of the attachment along the insertion direction into the socket; and b) automatic rotation of the at least one cleaning element about the axis of rotation by the at least one drive element for mechanical cleaning of an inner surface of the socket at least during insertion and/or after insertion.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION

[0050] Some of the embodiments will be described in detail, with references to the following Figures, wherein like designations denote like members, wherein:

[0051] FIG. 1 shows a schematic longitudinal section of an attachment according to embodiments of the invention;

[0052] FIG. 2 shows a schematic front view of an attachment according to embodiments of the invention; and

[0053] FIG. 3 shows a schematic side view of an attachment according to embodiments of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] FIG. 1 shows a schematic longitudinal section of an attachment 100 according to embodiments of the invention along an insertion direction E for inserting the attachment 100 into a socket (not shown).

[0055] The attachment 100 comprises a body 110, which may be configured as a tube, for example. The body 110 comprises an insertion section 120 for insertion into the socket along the insertion direction E.

[0056] The attachment 100 includes at least one cleaning element 150, such as two cleaning elements 150, for mechanically cleaning an inner surface of the socket.

[0057] The attachment 100 comprises at least one bearing element 180 attached to the body 110, for example two bearing elements 180, which can be designed as rolling bearings. A respective cleaning element 150 is mounted on a respective bearing element 180 to be rotatable relative to the body 110 about an axis of rotation D aligned along the insertion direction E.

[0058] The attachment 100 comprises at least one drive element 160 attached to the body 110, for example one drive element 160 for each cleaning element 150, for automatically rotating the at least one cleaning element 150 about the respective axis of rotation D.

[0059] In an embodiment, the two cleaning elements 150 are driven with opposite directions of rotation (indicated by arrows).

[0060] Each cleaning element 150 comprises a plurality of cleaning bristles 152 arranged around the axis of rotation D, wherein the cleaning bristles 152 are oriented, for example, at an angle of inclination of 30° to 60° obliquely to the insertion direction E.

[0061] The attachment 100 comprises at least one, for example two, spacers configured as positioning pins 191 for spacing the bearing elements 180 from a base surface of the socket, wherein, for example, one positioning pin 191 is provided in each case for partial insertion, with a precise fit, into each of the contact openings of the socket.

[0062] The rotational axes D of the cleaning elements 150 are each identical to a central longitudinal axis of one of the positioning pins 191, wherein the positioning pins 191 are rigidly connected to the body 110, for example.

[0063] The drive elements 160 are designed as turbines for the rotation of a respective cleaning element 150 driven by an air stream flowing through the body 110 (indicated by arrows), the turbines being mounted on a respective one of the bearing elements 180 to be rotatable relative to the body 110 about the axis of rotation D of the respective cleaning element 150.

[0064] For example, the attachment 100 includes a holding element 170 attached to the body 110 to hold the at least one bearing element 180 within the body 110, wherein the holding element 170 is configured, for example, as a screen covering a cross-sectional area of the body 110.

[0065] For example, the insertion section 120 includes a number of side cleaning elements 123, such as a number of side cleaning bristles 124 for mechanically cleaning a side surface of the socket that extends around the insertion direction E.

[0066] FIG. 2 shows a schematic front view of an attachment 100 according to embodiments of the invention against the insertion direction. Features with the same reference signs as in FIG. 1 can be designed as described for FIG. 1.

[0067] The insertion section 120 is designed, for example, for precise insertion into the socket and for this purpose has a cross-sectional area transverse to the insertion direction that is identical in shape and dimensions to a plug belonging to the socket. In particular, the insertion section can have the same insertion diameter D.sub.E perpendicular to the direction of insertion as the plug, which can be, for example, a Schuko plug (type F according to the classification of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)). For a type C, E, F or K socket according to the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) classification, the insertion diameter D.sub.E is (36.5±0.5) mm.

[0068] FIG. 3 shows a schematic side view of an attachment according to embodiments of the invention. 100 transverse to the insertion direction E. Features marked with the same reference signs as in FIG. 1 or 2 can be designed as described for FIG. 1 or 2.

[0069] The insertion section 120 comprises, for example, a number of, two, guide grooves 125 for guiding the attachment 100 on matching guide webs of the socket during insertion into the socket. The guide grooves 125 are configured like corresponding guide grooves of a plug belonging to the socket. Similarly, the insertion 120 may also comprise guide ridges (not shown) for guiding on matching guide grooves of the socket.

[0070] The body 110 comprises a connection section 130 for connection to a suction inlet of a vacuum cleaner. The connection section 130 is designed to be plugged into or onto the suction inlet of the vacuum cleaner and has a connection diameter D.sub.A, for example 32 mm or 35 mm for commercially available vacuum cleaners, that matches the suction inlet.

[0071] Although the invention has been illustrated and described in greater detail with reference to the preferred exemplary embodiments, the invention is not limited to the examples disclosed, and further variations can be inferred by a person skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of protection of the invention.

[0072] For the sake of clarity, it is to be understood that the use of “a” or “an” throughout this application does not exclude a plurality, and “comprising” does not exclude other steps or elements.

TABLE-US-00001 List of reference signs 100 Attachment 110 Body 120 Insertion section 123 Side cleaning element 124 Side cleaning bristle 125 Guide groove 130 Connection section 150 Cleaning element 152 Cleaning bristle 160 Drive element 170 Holding element 180 Bearing element 191 Positioning pin D Rotation axis D.sub.E Insertion diameter D.sub.A Connection diameter E Insertion direction