Carpet fluffing and dust-suction device
[451 Apr. 22, 1975 United States Patent [1 1 Hukuba [54] CARPET FLUFFING AND DUST-SUCTION 3.766.588 10/1973 Kopccky............................... 15/142 DEVICE [75] Inventor: Hiroshi Hukuba, Nagareyama, Y wilhite Japan Assistant E.\&#39;aminerC. K. Moore Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Woodhams, Blanchard and Flynn [73] Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Hukuba Future Research,  
 Nagareyama-shi, Chiba-Ken. Japan Feb. 11, 1974 [57] ABSTRACT A carpet flufi&#39;mg and dust-suction device, which com- 22 Filed:  
 Appl. No.: 440,993  
 prises a hollow axle closed at both ends and having plural axially extending rows of hollow rakes arranged Foreign Application Priority Feb. 16. 1973 Data linearly thereon to project radially therefrom at predetermined axially spaced intervals, a pair of wheels rotatably mounted on the two ends of said axle, and a hollow handle fixedly secured to substantially the middle of said axle, said hollow axle, rake and handle being internally connected with one another at their joints, and each rake being provided with the suction port(s) at either the tip or the vicinity of the tip thereof and having a length substantially equal to the radius of said wheel.  
 nmmmm 4 4 3 3 N 2 l 0 i47 7 ,5 4 1 um an M m a n/ B 5 .l. u mh C u &#34;r n &#34;a e n NS l hf C In cm 5 mfm U [F .4 od 5 55 References Cited 7 4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures X 3 7 B 5 5% M W E&#34; Tm Am m Sm mm S mm S0 D E8 H% N 7 2 9 7 2 4 8 2 CARPET FLUFFING AND DUST-SUCTION DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a device capable of fluffing carpets specifically carpets commonly referred to shag as carpets which usually have thick and long fluffs and concurrently performing suction of dust adhering thereto.  
  A carpet having thick and long fluffs like shag carpets has the disadvantage that it is difficult to remove dust adhering to fluffs thereof. and it is quite impossible to clean the carpet when its fluffs are trod down unseemly.  
  Under such circumstances. there has not yet been proposed any satisfactory device apposite to the purpose of keeping the carpet seemly and clean by setting up fluffs again whenever they are trod down and removing dust therefrom at the same time. Therefore. the advent of a device capable of such functions has been demanded by the consumers of shag carpets.  
  Principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved carpet fluffing device capable of dust suction concurrently which meets the foregoing demand of consumers.  
  Another object of the present invention is to provide a carpet fluffing device capable of dust suction concurrently. which is so designed that. while the device runs on the carpet by means of a pair of wheels rotatably mounted on both ends of a hollow axle. plural axially extending rows of hollow rakes arranged linearly to project radially from said hollow axle at predetermined axially spaced intervals set up fluffs and, at the same time. dust adhering to fluffs can be sucked in by utilizing the suction port provided for said hollow rake.  
  A further object of the present invention is to provide a carpet fluffing device capable of dust suction concurrently. wherein plural rows of hollow rakes are provided on the hollow axle at a predetermined angle and in such a fashion that the radial length of the rakes in one row is different from the radial length of the rakes in another raw. therby making the shorter rakes suited for setting up longer fluffs and the longer rakes suited for setting up shorter fluffs.  
  A still further object of the present invention is to provide a carpet fluffing device capable of dust suction concurrently, wherein the suction port of the shorter rake is disposed on the side of said rake to be suitable for suction of dust adhering to the middle of fluffs, while the suction port of the longer rake is disposed on the tip of said rake to be suitable for suction of dust adhering to the lower part of fluffs.  
  Still another object of the present invention is to provide a carpet fluffing device capable of dust suction concurrently. wherein a change-over valve is installed within the hollow axle. so that. by the rotation of said change-over valve. the suction port of the hollow rakes in the row not in use is closed to thereby impart the dust suction force to exclusively the rakes in use.  
  The present invention will be explained more particularly with reference to the accompanying drawings.  
 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWlNGS ln the accompanying drawings.  
  FIG. 1 is a perspective view ofa carpet fluffing device capable of dust suction concurrently embodying the present invention.  
  FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional side view on an enlarged scale of the device shown in FIG. 1,  
  FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the device shown in FIG. 2 as partially cut away along the line llllll therein. and  
  FIG. 4 is illustrative of the condition of use of the device shown in FIG. 1.  
 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE lNVENTlON Referring to the accompanying drawings, the reference numeral 1 denotes the hollow axle. which circumference is provided with two rows of rakes. namely. a row of plural hollow rakes 2 and a row of plural hollow rakes 3 disposed at a predetermined angle with each other. said rakes being arranged linearly at predetermined axially spaced intervals. and the hollow handle 5 is coupled to said axle l substantially in the middle thereof. The hollow axle l, rakes 2 and 3. and handle 5 are internally connected with one another at their joints.  
  The radial length of the rakes 2 is somewhat shorter than the radial length of the rakes 3. The tip of each rake 2 is closed and the side thereof is provided with the suction ports 6 and 7, while the tip of each rake 3 is provided with the suction port 8. Further. the cross section of the rakes 2 and 3 is of ellipse-shape extcnding in the direction of travel of the device so as to facilitate effective raising of fluffs and suction of dust.  
  On the opposite ends of the hollow axle 1, there are rotatably mounted the wheels 4. These wheels 4 are preferably constructed by fixing spokes onto a hub such as shown in the drawings lest the raised fluffs should be pressed down thereby at the time of operation of the device. and said spokes may consist of plates parallel to the hollow axle 1 so as to support the device securely. Further, the wheels 4 may be of disc-shape narrow in the width of rim thereof.  
  One end of the hollow axle l is closed; and by way of the other end of same. which is left open. the curved plate-shape change-over valve 9 designed to come in sliding contact with the inner circumference of said hollow axle l and be capable of closing the base inlet of the rakes 2 and 3 is fitted therein. and the knob 10 is fixed on the outer end of said valve 9.  
  At the time of operating the above-described device. the handle 5 is connected with a vacuum cleaner 12 through a hose ll, and. in the case where the fluffs 14 are short or suction of dust adhering to the lower part of the fluffs is intended. the device is moved by rotating the wheels 4 on the carpet 13 upon placing the device on the carpet to see that the longer rakes 3 are positioned below the shorter rakes 2 as shown in FIG. 2 by manipulating the handle 5. On this occasion. by turning the change-over valve 9 by means of the knob 10, the inlets of the other rakes 2 are closed.  
  In this way. the fluffs l4 trod down are fluffed up again by means of the rakes 3, and dust staying in the lower part of the fluffs 14 is sucked up into the vacuum cleaner 12 via the suction port 8, handle 5 and hose 1]. The longer rakes 3, when applied to short fluffs. can work effectively as above because of the resistance to be offered being rather minor; even in the case of long fluffs. they can work without meeting with any noticeable resistance and dust suction can be performed effectively provided that they are employed after fluffing.  
  Next. in the case where the fluffs 14 are so long that employment of the longer rakes 3 might meet with a great resistance resulting in difficulty in operation of the device. or in the case where it is desired to suck in the dust adhering to the upper part of the fluffs 14. it is possible to perform both the desired fluffing and suction of dust adhering to the upper part of the fluffs 14 through the suction ports 6 and 7 on the side of the rakes 2 by the same operation as above upon positioning the shorter rakes 2 below the longer rakes 3 and closing the inlets of said rakes 3 by means of the change-over valve 9.  
  Although particular preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed hereinabove for the purpose ofillustration. it will be understood that variations or modifications thereof which lie within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims are fully contemplated.  
 What is claimed is:  
  l. A carpet fluffing and dusbsuction device, which comprises a hollow axle closed at both ends and having plural axially extending rows of hollow rakes arranged linearly thereon to project radially therefrom at predetermined axially spaced intervals. a pair of wheels rotatably mounted on the two ends of said axle. and a hollow handle fixed to substantially the middle of said axle. said hollow axle, rakes and handle being internally connected with one another at their joints. and each rake being provided with at least one suction port at either the tip or the vicinity of the tip thereof and having a radial length substantially equal to the radius of said wheel.  
  2. A carpet fluffing and dust-suction device according to claim 1, which is characterized in that said hol low rakes are provided on said hollow axle in plural rows at a predetermined angle and the radial length of the rakes in one row is different from that in another row.  
  3. A carpet fluffing and dust-suction device according to claim 2, which is characterized in that the suction port of each of the shorter rakes is provided on the side thereof, while the suction port of the longer rakes is provided on the tip thereof.  
  4. A carpet fluffing and dust-suction device according to claim 2, which is characterized in that a changeover valve is fitted in said hollow axle such that the connections between said hollow rakes and the axle in either the row of longer rakes or the row of shorter rakes may be closed by the rotation of said change-over valve.