Hair ingestion device and dust protector for vacuum cleaner

Abstract

A hair ingestion device and dust protector for a vacuum cleaner, and a combination of an end cap and a dowel assembly having a thread cap, wherein a set of arms extends from the thread cap for rotating with the dowel for deflecting threads to avoid contamination of the bearing assembly included in the dowel assembly. The thread cap also includes tapered vanes for cooperating with an end cap to form a dust shield.

1 . Apparatus for keeping threads from moving to the bearing assembly of a vacuum cleaner, the vacuum cleaner having a dowel for rotating about the longitudinal axis of the dowel, said apparatus comprising: 
 a set of angularly spaced arms extending generally radially from structure near the bearing assembly for rotating with the dowel, said arms deflecting threads moving towards said arms away from the bearing assembly.    
   
   
       2 . A thread cap for rotating with a dowel in a vacuum cleaner for deflecting threads away from said thread cap to avoid the contamination of the vacuum cleaner by said threads, said thread cap comprising: 
 a support for rotating with the dowel,    a set of arms extending from said support in a direction generally away from the longitudinal axis of the dowel, said arms being spaced from each other for deflecting threads in the vicinity of said arms.    
   
   
       3 . A thread cap according to  claim 2  wherein said arms have free ends spaced from said support, said free ends being configured for deflecting threads away from said support in a direction generally parallel to the axis of rotation of the dowel.  
   
   
       4 . A thread cap according to  claim 3  having an outer end for being placed near the end of the dowel and an inner end, and said free ends extend radially outwardly with respect to the dowel, said free ends being partially concentric with the dowel and terminating in concentric edges in the form of ramps inclined inwardly from the outer end of said thread cap towards the inner end of said thread cap for deflecting threads striking the respective ramps.  
   
   
       5 . A thread cap according to  claim 2  wherein the dowel has an axially extending shaft and the vacuum cleaner has a bearing assembly, and said thread cap is mountable on the shaft near the bearing assembly for deflecting threads away from the bearing assembly.  
   
   
       6 . A thread cap according to  claim 2  wherein the dowel has at least one recess at an end of the dowel, and said thread cap is configured to be mountable on the shaft within the recess.  
   
   
       7 . A thread cap according to  claim 6  wherein said thread cap further comprises: 
 a surface for being engaged by the bearing assembly to position the bearing assembly relative to the dowel.    
   
   
       8 . A thread cap according to  claim 6  wherein said thread cap further comprises: 
 a wall extending longitudinally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the dowel in which said thread cap is mountable, and tapered vanes extending from said wall and directed towards the longitudinal axis for cooperating with other structure to keep dust from contaminating a vacuum cleaner incorporating said thread cap.    
   
   
       9 . A thread cap according to  claim 8  wherein the at least one recess in the dowel is generally of a frusto-conical configuration with the larger dimension being at the end of the dowel, and wherein said thread cap further comprises: 
 a relatively narrow hub-portion for being placed inwardly in the dowel away from the end of the dowel, said hub portion having an inner edge fixing said hub portion to said shaft and an outer edge; and    a relatively wide annular flange longitudinally spaced from said hub portion, and having an inner edge and an outer edge;    wherein said set of arms extends radially from said outer edge of said annular flange, and said wall extends between said hub portion and said inner edge of said annular flange.    
   
   
       10 . Apparatus for a vacuum cleaner, said apparatus comprising: 
 a dowel assembly including: 
 a rotatable dowel having a longitudinal axis and opposite ends;  
 a shaft extending from at least one end of said dowel;  
 a bearing assembly attached to said shaft, and  
 a set of angularly spaced arms extending generally radially with respect to said dowel adjacent to said bearing assembly for rotating with said dowel, for deflecting threads moving towards said arms away from said bearing assembly.  
   
   
   
       11 . Apparatus for a vacuum cleaner according to  claim 10 , wherein said dowel assembly further includes: 
 a support for rotating with said dowel, said set of arms forming part of said support.    
   
   
       12 . Apparatus for a vacuum cleaner according to  claim 10  wherein said dowel further includes: 
 surfaces defining a recess at at least one end of said dowel; and wherein said dowel assembly further includes:    a thread cap mounted on said shaft and being disposed in said recess, said set of angularly spaced arms extending from said thread cap.    
   
   
       13 . Apparatus for a vacuum cleaner according to  claim 12 , wherein said thread cap further comprises: 
 a hub having a hole for fixing said thread cap to said shaft; and wherein said support comprises:    a flange spaced from said hub and extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of said dowel, said angularly spaced arms extending from said flange.    
   
   
       14 . Apparatus for a vacuum cleaner according to  claim 13  wherein: 
 said surfaces defining a recess in said dowel define a recess having a frusto-conical configuration; and    said thread cap further comprises a wall extending longitudinally with respect to the longitudinal axis of said dowel between the outer edge of said hub portion and the inner edge of said flange, said wall being configured to rest in the recess of said dowel.    
   
   
       15 . Apparatus for a vacuum cleaner according to  claim 14  wherein said hub includes a surface for locating said bearing assembly with respect to said dowel.  
   
   
       16 . Apparatus for a vacuum cleaner according to  claim 14  wherein the vacuum cleaner has a body, and wherein said apparatus further comprises: 
 an end cap located on an end of said dowel and fixed with respect to the body of the vacuum cleaner, said end cap having a collar for engaging a first portion of said bearing assembly to fix said first portion to one body of the vacuum cleaner.    
   
   
       17 . Apparatus for a vacuum cleaner according to  claim 16  wherein said bearing assembly is a ball bearing assembly having an inner ring fixed to said shaft and an outer ring fixed to said collar of said end cap.  
   
   
       18 . Apparatus for a vacuum cleaner according to  claim 16  and further comprising a set of tapered vanes extending from said wall and directed towards the longitudinal axis for cooperating with said end cap to keep dust from contaminating the vacuum cleaner.  
   
   
       19 . Apparatus for a vacuum cleaner according to  claim 18  wherein said collar of said end cap has tapered configuration corresponding to said tapered vanes, said thread cap rotating with said dowel relative to said end cap to establish an air shield to keep dust from contaminating said bearing assembly and for directing dust from between said dowel assembly and said end cap to the ambient air.