Vacuum cleaner adapter set

Abstract

This invention relates to a set of related new and useful vacuum cleaner adapters and accessories, designed for vacuum cleaning areas that are high clearance, low clearance, narrow clearance, or surfaces with special cleaning needs. The various embodiments disclosed may be fit onto the terminal end of a standard hose fitting of a vacuum cleaner, and used to clean heretofore inaccessible areas. There is also an associated flashlight assembly disclosed herein that may be affixed to the other adapters disclosed, or may be affixed to a vacuum cleaner hose or a portion of the hose fitting. The flashlight assembly may be used to provide illumination to the otherwise non-illuminated area being cleaned with an adapter, and may also be useful for vacuum cleaners that do not have lights incorporated therein such as the canister variety of vacuum cleaners. There are a number of embodiments, shapes, and configurations for these related adapters disclosed, including an article retrieval screen, and with a variety of specialized new and useful cleaning applications disclosed.

We claim:  
     
         1 . A Reversible Double Ended Vacuum Cleaner Adapter, comprised essentially of: 
 a. a channeled reversible cylindrical body with two open ends, a first open end and a second open end, and a channel connecting said first open end with said second open end;    b. a first vacuum cleaner adapter is an integral part of and is affixed on the first open end of said cylindrical body;    c. a second vacuum cleaner adapter is an integral part of and is affixed on the second open end of the cylindrical body;    d. said first vacuum cleaner adapter has said first open end of said cylindrical body, located near the first vacuum cleaner adapter's terminal end, and the first open end has dual utility, as either a hose fitting port or as a suction intake orifice; and    e. said second vacuum cleaner adapter has said second open end of the cylindrical body, located near the second vacuum cleaner adapter's terminal end, and the second open end has dual utility, as either a hose fitting port or as a suction intake orifice;    
     
     
         2 . A Reversible Double Ended Vacuum Cleaner Adapter, as recited in  claim 1 , and further comprised essentially of: 
 a. said first vacuum cleaner adapter is a modified rectangular terminal adapter; and    b. said second vacuum cleaner adapter is a modified corner terminal adapter.    
     
     
         3 . A Bristled Wheel Adapter, comprised essentially of: 
 a. an adapter body with a hose fitting port located on one end of said adapter body, and a suction intake orifice located near the opposite end of the adapter body;    b. a cylindrical wheel attached into said adapter body, with said cylindrical wheel located in front of said suction intake orifice and at the terminal end of said adapter body; and    c. a plurality of bristles affixed to the curved surface of the cylindrical wheel.    
     
     
         4 . A Bristled Wheel Adapter, as recited in  claim 3 , and further comprised essentially of: 
 a. said cylindrical wheel has a convex dimple located on each approximately circular side of the cylindrical wheel; and    b. the adapter body has two dimple ports positioned such that each of said two dimple ports would matedly receive one of said two convex dimples, thereby attaching said cylindrical wheel to said adapter body.    
     
     
         5 . A Bristled Wheel Adapter, as recited in  claim 3 , and further comprised essentially of: 
 a. said cylindrical wheel has a centrally located channel running through its length; and    b. an axle of suitable dimension to fit through said centrally located channel, and said axle will protrude from each of two ends of the cylindrical wheel a sufficient length to each matedly fit into one of two dimple ports positioned on the adapter body, such that each of said two ends of the axle are matedly fit into said one of two dimple ports, thereby attaching the cylindrical wheel to said adapter body.    
     
     
         6 . A Flashlight Assembly comprised essentially of: 
 a. a flashlight housing containing a battery port that is electrically connected, using electrical circuitry, to a light bulb receptacle with a light bulb affixed therein;    b. said electrical circuitry has a flashlight activation switch, which when manually activated, would close a portion of the electrical circuitry at said flashlight activation switch; and    c. said flashlight housing has a plurality of clips protruding therefrom, to allow a user to attach said Flashlight Assembly to a desired part of a vacuum cleaning device.    
     
     
         7 . A Flashlight Assembly, as recited in  claim 6 , and further comprised essentially of: 
 a. a light bulb housing containing said light bulb receptacle and said light bulb, and such that said light bulb housing has a pivot point located at the interface between the light bulb housing and said flashlight housing, said pivot point enabling the light bulb housing to rotate about the pivot point.    
     
     
         8 . An Article Retrieval Screen, comprised essentially of: 
 a. a screen manufactured to cover the terminal end of a tapered hose fitting of a vacuum cleaning device.    
     
     
         9 . An Article Retrieval Screen, as recited in  claim 8 , and further comprised essentially of: 
 a. said screen matedly attached to one end of a screen fitting, said screen fitting manufactured to matedly fit its terminal end into a hose fitting port of a vacuum cleaning device.    
     
     
         10 . A Flexible Tip Adapter, comprised essentially of: 
 a. a channeled adapter body that has a hose fitting port on one end of said adapter body, and has a suction intake orifice located on the opposite end of the adapter body;    b. said channeled adapter body is substantially tubular on one end, and tapers into a substantially flattened tip along its length to the opposite end, where said suction intake orifice is located;    c. a flexible portion of said flattened tip allows the user to insert said tip into narrow and irregular passages; and    d. said flexible portion of the flattened tip is composed essentially of an elastomeric material.    
     
     
         11 . A Narrow Clearance Adapter, comprised essentially of: 
 a. a channeled adapter body that has a hose fitting port on one end of said adapter body, and has a suction intake orfice near the opposite end of the adapter body; and    b. said channeled adapter body is substantially tubular on one end, and has a taper into a substantially flattened region for the remainder of the length of the channeled adapter body;    c. said suction intake orifice is located on one side of said substantially flattened region, and near the terminal end of said channeled adapter body.    
     
     
         12 . A Narrow Clearance Adapter, as recited in  claim 11 , and further comprised essentially of: 
 a. a plurality of adapter body nipples located along a plurality of the sides of the suction intake orifice.    
     
     
         13 . A Narrow Clearance Adapter, as recited in  claim 12 , and further comprised essentially 
 a. a rake located between said terminal end of the channeled adapter body, and said suction intake orifice.    
     
     
         14 . A Narrow Clearance Adapter, as recited in  claim 12 , and further comprised essentially of: 
 a. said taper is located along one side of the channeled adapter body.    
     
     
         15 . A Narrow Clearance Adapter, as recited in  claim 12 , and further comprised essentially of: 
 a. said taper is located along two opposite sides of the channeled adapter body.    
     
     
         16 . A Narrow Clearance Adapter, as recited in  claim 12 , and further comprised essentially of: 
 a. the channeled adapter body is bent at an angle such that the suction intake orifice is located on the side of the substantially flattened region that is farthest from said hose fitting port.    
     
     
         17 . A Narrow Clearance Adapter, as recited in  claim 12 , and further comprised essentially of: 
 a. the channeled adapter body is bent at an angle such that the suction intake orifice is located on the side of the substantially flattened region that is closest to said hose fitting port.    
     
     
         18 . A Narrow Clearance Adapter, as recited in  claim 12 , and further comprised essentially of: 
 a the channeled adapter body is bent at an angle such that the suction intake orifice is located on the opposite side of the substantially flattened region that is farthest from said hose fitting port.    
     
     
         19 . A Narrow Clearance Adapter, as recited in  claim 12 , and further comprised essentially of: 
 a. the channeled adapter body is bent at an angle such that the suction intake orifice is located on the opposite side of the substantially flattened region that is closest to said hose fitting port.    
     
     
         20 . A Narrow Clearance Adapter, as recited in  claim 14 , and further comprised essentially of: 
 a. said channeled adapter body is bent at an angle such that the suction intake orifice is located on the side of the substantially flattened region that is farthest from said hose fitting port.    
     
     
         21 . A Narrow Clearance Adapter, as recited in  claim 15 , and further comprised essentially of: 
 a. said channeled adapter body is bent at an angle such that the suction intake orifice is located on the side of the substantially flattened region that is closest to said hose fitting port.    
     
     
         22 . A Right Angle Adapter, comprised essentially of: 
 a. a channeled adapter body that has a circular openings located at each of said channeled adapter body's two ends; and    b. said channeled adapter body has an approximately 90-degree bend along its length.    
     
     
         23 . A Right Angle Adapter, as recited in  claim 22 , and further comprised essentially of: 
 a. each of said two ends terminates with an angled section.    
     
     
         24 . A Right Angle Adapter, as recited in  claim 23 , and further comprised essentially of: 
 a. each of said two angled sections are mirror images of each other, and are positioned such that the two angled sections face at approximately 90-degrees rotated about the channeled adapter body's central axis, from said approximately 90-degree bend.