Abstract
An apparatus configured to collect dust from a ceiling fan blade, comprises: a body comprising an internal air flow chamber; a plurality of bristles configured to extend from a surface of the body; a plurality of holes located along the surface of the body, wherein the plurality of holes is configured to provide air suction; a vacuum hose connector configured to connect to a vacuum hose, wherein the vacuum hose connector is configured to allow air from the internal air flow chamber to exit the body. In one embodiment, the body further comprises: an internal surface and an external surface, wherein each of the plurality of holes and plurality of bristles are located only on the interior surface of the body. In a second embodiment, each of the plurality of holes and bristles are located along the interior and exterior surfaces of the body.
Claims
1. An apparatus configured to collect dust from a ceiling fan blade, comprising: a body comprising an internal air flow chamber, wherein the body is contiguous around an internal space; a plurality of bristles configured to extend from a surface of the body; a plurality of holes located along the surface of the body, wherein the plurality of holes is configured to provide air suction to a space proximate to the surface of the body; a vacuum hose connector configured to connect to a vacuum hose, wherein the vacuum hose connector is configured to allow air from the internal air flow chamber to exit the body, wherein the internal air flow chamber is configured to allow a particle the enters the body via one of the plurality of holes to travel through the body toward the vacuum hose connector.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body further comprises: an internal surface; and an external surface, wherein each of the plurality of holes located are only on the interior surface of the body.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body further comprises: an internal surface; and an external surface, wherein each of the plurality of holes are located on both the interior surface of the body and the exterior surface of the body.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body further comprises: an internal surface; and an external surface, wherein each of the plurality of bristles are only located along the interior surface of the body.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body further comprises: an internal surface; and an external surface, wherein each of the plurality of bristles are located on both the interior surface of the body and the exterior surface of the body.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein no holes are located on the exterior surface of the body.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein no bristles are located on the exterior surface of the body.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a width of each of the plurality of holes is between one centimeter and a hundred centimeters.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: an extension arm configured to connect to the vacuum hose connector, wherein the extension arm is also configured to connect to the vacuum hose.
10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of holes are circular in shape.
11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the interior surface of the body has an oval shape.
12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the interior surface of the body has a rectangular shape.
13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the interior surface of the body has a U-shape.
14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the interior surface of the body has an L-shape.
15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body is made from molded plastic or molded metal.
16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body has an internal space proximate to the interior surface that is configured to allow a ceiling fan blade to pass through the internal space.
17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the body and the plurality of bristles are configured to be washed with water without damaging the body or the plurality of bristles.
18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of holes includes at least three rows of openings located along the interior surface of the body, and wherein the plurality of bristles includes at least three rows of bristles located along the interior surface of the body.
19. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a fan; a battery; and a switch, wherein the fan is configured to be powered by the battery when the switch is in a first position, and wherein the fan is configured to not be power by the battery when the switch is in a second position, and wherein the fan is configured to cause air to flow from the internal air flow chamber out through the vacuum hose connector.
20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the switch is an electro-mechanical switch, a transistor switch, or a processing circuit configured to preform a power switching operation.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] The accompanying drawings, where like numerals indicate like components, illustrate embodiments of the invention.
[0020] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a person cleaning a ceiling fan using a dust rag.
[0021] FIG. 2 is a diagram of a fan blade dust vacuum head.
[0022] FIG. 3 is a diagram of a fan blade dust vacuum head showing suction air flow.
[0023] FIG. 4 is a diagram of a fan blade dust vacuum head during blade dusting operation.
[0024] FIG. 5. is a diagram of a fan blade dust vacuum head with extendable arm and vacuum hose attachment.
[0025] FIG. 6. is another diagram of an L-shaped fan blade dust vacuum head.
[0026] FIG. 7 is a U-shaped fan blade dust vacuum head.
[0027] FIG. 8 is a diagram of a fan blade dust vacuum head in yet another shape.
[0028] FIG. 9 is a flowchart diagram of a fan blade dust vacuum head operation.
[0029] FIG. 10 is a flowchart diagram of fan blade dust vacuum head with extension arm operation.
[0030] FIG. 11 is a diagram of a fan blade dust vacuum head with internal and external surface holes and bristles.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0031] Reference will now be made in detail to background examples and some embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the description and claims below, relational terms such as top, down, upper, lower, top, bottom, left and right may be used to describe relative orientations between different parts of a structure being described, and it is to be understood that the overall structure being described can actually be oriented in any way in three-dimensional space.
[0032] FIG. 1 is a diagram of a person cleaning a ceiling fan using a dust rag. Cleaning a ceiling fan 1 and its blades 2 includes many different issues that are illustrated in FIG. 1. Reaching the ceiling fan usually requires retrieving a ladder 4, moving furniture, setting up the ladder, balancing on the ladder, extending a limb toward the ceiling fan, and then moving the rag 3 along the ceiling fan to dislodge the accumulated dust, and lastly dealing with the dust that falls from the ceiling fan onto the floor, furniture, and onto the body of the person cleaning the ceiling fan 6.
[0033] A solution is needed that does not require the use of a ladder and that actually collects the dust removed from the ceiling fan blades instead of causing the dust to fall and everything and everyone below.
[0034] FIG. 2 is a diagram of a fan blade dust vacuum head. The fan blade dust vacuum head 10 is a new and novel solution to provide a solution to the falling dust problem illustrated in FIG. 1. The fan blade dust vacuum head 10 includes an internal air flow chamber 16, a vacuum hose connector 15, an interior surface 14, an exterior surface 13, a plurality of vacuum holes, and a plurality of dust bristles 12.
[0035] As is illustrated in the following figures, the location and arrangement of the holes and bristles may be varied to allow for different uses and benefits of the present invention.
[0036] In operation, the fan blade dust vacuum head is attached to a vacuum hose via vacuum hose connector 15. When a vacuum source connected to the vacuum hose connector is enabled, a vacuum air force is applied to the internal air flow chamber 16. The vacuum air force in turn causes air suction at each of the plurality of vacuum holes, so that any dust particles in the proximity of a vacuum hole is sucked into the internal air flow chamber 16 and directed out the vacuum hose connector 15 toward the vacuum hose connected to the vacuum source, where the dust particle is collected.
[0037] Once the vacuum air force is applied, the fan blade dust vacuum head can be moved such that the fan blade of the ceiling fan enters the internal space 17 of the fan blade dust vacuum head 10, as is illustrated in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5. As the fan blade dust vacuum head moves along the fan blade, the dust resting on the fan blade is disturbed by the dust bristles 12. The disturbed dust is dislodged from the fan blade and sucked into the fan blade dust vacuum head via the vacuum holes. In this fashion, the dust bristles and the vacuum holes work in concert to dislodge and collect dust from the ceiling fan while preventing the dislodged dust from falling onto surfaces below the ceiling fan.
[0038] FIG. 3 is a diagram of a fan blade dust vacuum head showing suction air flow. The suction air flow 21 and 22 travel through the internal air flow chamber. The amount of suction per vacuum hole will vary depending on the number of vacuum holes and the amount of vacuum suction applied to the fan blade dust vacuum head.
[0039] FIG. 1 also illustrates one embodiment where the dust bristles and vacuum holes are only present on the internal surface of the fan blade vacuum head. This configuration of vacuum holes directs all the vacuum suction toward the part of the fan blade dust vacuum head that is facing the fan blade being cleaned. This maximizes the dust suction capability of the fan blade dust vacuum head during operation. Conversely, the exterior surface of the fan blade dust vacuum head does not include any vacuum holes.
[0040] FIG. 5. is a diagram of a fan blade dust vacuum head with extendable arm and vacuum hose attachment. FIG. 5 not only illustrates how the fan blade dust vacuum head travels along the fan blade during cleaning, FIG. 5 also illustrates how a fan blade dust vacuum head extendable arm 44 can be utilized to reach ceiling fan blades that are out of a user's reach. The extendable arm vacuum hose attachment 45 serves to provide suction from the vacuum hose to the fan blade dust vacuum head and to provide a long handle to control the position of the fan blade dust vacuum head. The extendable arm to vacuum hose may be constructed of plastic or metal material and may attach via a slide-to-fit sleeve, a locking pin, a clamp, a threading, or a bracket.
[0041] Use of the extendable arm to vacuum hose arm 44 allows the user to reach high locations without the use of a ladder, or with use of a shorter easier to manipulate ladder.
[0042] The shape of the fan blade dust vacuum head may also be made in different shapes configured to clean a fan blade. For example, FIG. 6. is another diagram of an L-shaped fan blade dust vacuum head. The illustrated L-shaped fan blade dust vacuum head is beneficial due to its one open side configuration, which allows the movement of the head from one fan blade to another fan blade without first moving the head back to the end of the current fan blade that is being cleaned. This L-shaped design also makes it easier to place the head on the fan blade when conducting a quick clean of the fan blade.
[0043] FIG. 7 is a U-shaped fan blade dust vacuum head. This U-shaped design is yet another useful design that allows the movement of the head from one fan blade to another fan blade without first moving the head back to the end of the current fan blade that is being cleaned. This U-shaped design also makes it easier to place the head on the fan blade when conducting a quick clean of the fan blade.
[0044] FIG. 8 is a diagram of a fan blade dust vacuum head in yet another shape. This angled design is yet another useful design that allows the movement of the head from one fan blade to another fan blade without first moving the head back to the end of the current fan blade that is being cleaned. This angled design also makes it easier to place the head on the fan blade when conducting a quick clean of the fan blade.
[0045] FIG. 9 is a flowchart diagram of fan blade dust vacuum head operation 100. In step 101, the fan blade dust vacuum head is connected to a vacuum source. In step 102, the fan blade dust vacuum head is moved to a fan blade surface. In step 103, the fan blade dust vacuum head is moved along a fan blade surface so to separate dust from the fan blade. In step 104, vacuum holes in the fan blade dust vacuum head suck in the separated dust particles and route the dust particles to the vacuum receptacle.
[0046] FIG. 10 is a flowchart diagram of fan blade dust vacuum head with extension arm operation 110. In step 111, a fan blade dust vacuum head is connected to an extension arm. In step 112, the extension arm is connected to a vacuum source. In step 113, the fan blade dust vacuum head is moved to a fan blade surface. In step 114, the fan blade dust vacuum head is moved along the fan blade surface so to separate dust from the fan blade. In step 115, vacuum holes in the fan blade dust vacuum head suck in the separated dust particles and route the dust particles to the vacuum receptacle.
[0047] FIG. 11 is a diagram of a fan blade dust vacuum head with internal and external surface holes and bristles. The fan blade dust vacuum head 80 illustrated in FIG. 11 is beneficial in that it is configured to separate and suck-in dust particles from a fan blade passing through the internal space 87, while also being configured to separate and suck-in dust particles from other surfaces that are proximate to the exterior surface 83 of the fan blade dust vacuum head 80. This bi-modal configuration allows the head to be used to clean ceiling fan blades and to clean other surfaces that do not fit within the internal space 87. The fan blade dust vacuum head 80 includes both vacuum holes 81 and dust bristles 83 on both the interior surface and exterior surface of the fan blade dust vacuum head.
[0048] The fan blade dust vacuum head illustrated in FIG. 11 that is specifically designed with an oval shape to accommodate a ceiling fan blade offers several notable benefits. [0049] Efficient Cleaning: The oval shape of the vacuum head allows it to closely match the contour of a typical ceiling fan blade. This close fit ensures that the entire surface area of the blade is effectively cleaned in a single pass. The vacuum's bristles and vacuum holes on all surfaces work together to dislodge and capture dust, dirt, and debris from both sides of the blade simultaneously, leading to more efficient cleaning. [0050] Thorough Dust Removal: With bristles and vacuum holes covering all surfaces of the attachment, including the top and bottom, the vacuum head can effectively agitate and remove even stubborn dust particles from the fan blade. This comprehensive cleaning action ensures that the blade is left virtually free of dust, contributing to improved indoor air quality and reducing the risk of dust buildup on surrounding surfaces. [0051] Prevention of Dust Scatter: The design of the vacuum head with bristles and vacuum holes helps prevent dust scatter during the cleaning process. As the attachment encapsulates the fan blade, any dislodged dust and debris are immediately captured by the vacuum's suction rather than being dispersed into the surrounding air or onto the floor, minimizing the need for additional cleanup. [0052] Versatility: While primarily designed for cleaning ceiling fan blades, the oval-shaped vacuum head attachment with bristles and vacuum holes can also be used to clean other hard-to-reach surfaces with similar contours, such as air vents, radiator fins, and window blinds. This versatility adds value to the attachment, making it a multi-functional cleaning tool for various household tasks. [0053] Time-saving: The efficient cleaning action provided by the vacuum head attachment means that users can complete the task of cleaning ceiling fan blades in less time compared to traditional methods. By eliminating the need for multiple passes and manual wiping, the attachment streamlines the cleaning process, allowing users to move on to other tasks more quickly. [0054] Reduced Physical Strain: Using a vacuum head attachment to clean ceiling fan blades eliminates the need for manual dusting or wiping, which can be physically demanding, especially when working at heights or on a ladder. The attachment's ergonomic design and effective cleaning action help reduce physical strain on the user, making the task more comfortable and less tiring.
[0055] Overall, the fan blade dust vacuum head with an oval shape, bristles, and vacuum holes configured to accommodate a ceiling fan blade offers users a convenient and efficient solution for keeping their ceiling fans clean. With its thorough cleaning action, versatility, and time-saving benefits, it proves to be a valuable addition to any household cleaning arsenal.
[0056] Although certain specific embodiments are described above for instructional purposes, the teachings of this patent document have general applicability and are not limited to the specific embodiments described above. Accordingly, various modifications, adaptations, and combinations of various features of the described embodiments can be practiced without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.
