FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns a multi-functional electric brush, able to be used to suck in solid dry- particles of dust and dirt, and also liquid substances and damp materials.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

An electric brush for cleaning is known, comprising a supporting structure on which a suction unit is assembled provided with an electric motor and able to create a suction flow.

A cleaning end-piece is able to be connected to the supporting structure by means of a tubular connector, and is provided with a suction aperture disposed in correspondence with the surface to be cleaned, or is able to be extended as far as the latter.

The cleaning end-piece comprises, for example, a device with rotary brushes and driven by an electric motor, or a device to deliver a cleaning liquid.

These cleaning end-pieces all need electric feed, which is normally supplied by means of an electric cable autonomous with respect to the cable that electrically feeds the suction unit. The known electric brush has the disadvantage that, to allow said end-piece to be removed from or inserted into the supporting structure, the user must perform two distinct operations: he must connect the tubular connector and connect the autonomous electric cable to an external electric power point.

WO-A-97/29675 describes an electric brush provided with a cleaning end-piece having an aperture for delivering a liquid and an aperture for sucking in said liquid. A tank

for the liquid is mounted on the supporting structure and is connected to the delivery aperture by means of a tube. This known electric brush, however, has the disadvantage that it is difficult to move and maneuver, because its baricenter is very high with respect to the floor, due to the raised position of the tank. Moreover, it does not comprise means to generate steam for cleaning and/or making the surface hygienic.

EP-A-0621003 describes an electric brush having a cleaning end-piece able to be associated with the supporting structure and provided with an electric motor in order to make the brushes rotate. However, this known document does not provide that the cleaning end-piece can generate steam and/or deliver cleaning liquids. The electric brush of a known type also comprises a container associated with the suction unit and in which the material sucked in is collected. This container is provided with a filter which can be of the dry type, or the water type, to contain possible liquids sucked in. In the state of the art, dry filters and water filters are not interchangeable, due to their different sizes, so that it is not possible to assemble them selectively and alternately in the same electric brush. This is therefore another disadvantage of known electric brushes. One purpose of the present invention is to achieve a multi-functional electric brush in which the cleaning end- piece is connectable, simply and quickly, by means of a single operation, to the end of the supporting structure, guaranteeing both the mechanical assembly for conveying the material sucked in, and also the electric connection.

Another purpose of the present invention is to achieve a multi-functional electric brush which allows to deliver steam and/or cleaning liquids and which can be used, moved

and maneuvered easily.

Another purpose of the present invention is to achieve a multi-functional electric brush in which the container for the material sucked in, either dry or containing water, can easily be replaced and is interchangeable with another that may not be of the same type.

The Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and advantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is set forth and characterized in the main claim, while the dependent claims describe other characteristics of the invention or variants to the main inventive idea.

In accordance with the above purposes, a multi-functional electric brush according to the present invention comprises a supporting structure, a suction unit fed electrically and able to create a suction flow, means to contain the material sucked in from the surface to be cleaned and at least a cleaning end-piece having at least a suction aperture.

The supporting structure is provided, at a lower end, with first connection means able to be coupled mechanically and removably with second connection means disposed on the cleaning end-piece in order to put the suction aperture in communication with the suction unit.

According to a characteristic of the present invention, the cleaning end-piece comprises at least an electric device which is able to generate steam and/or deliver cleaning liquids, including hot or cold water.

According to another characteristic, the first and the second connection means comprise respectively first and

second electric feed means able to feed the electric device electrically.

In this way, the cleaning end-piece can be connected to or removed from the end of the supporting structure, simply and quickly by means of a single operation, guaranteeing both the mechanical assembly for conveying the material sucked in by the suction aperture to the suction unit, and also the electric connection.

Thanks to the invention, the electric device is integrated into the cleaning end-piece, allowing to displace the baricenter of the electric brush downwards, thus making it more easily usable, movable and maneuverable with respect to known solutions.

According to a variant of the invention, the cleaning end-piece comprises at least an electric cleaning device having one or more brushes driven by an electric motor.

The first connection means comprise a first tubular suction pipe, not necessarily cylindrical, communicating at one end with said containing means, and terminating at another end with a first coupling element.

The second connection means comprise a second tubular suction pipe, also not necessarily cylindrical, communicating at one end with the suction aperture and terminating at another end with a second coupling element. Said two tubular pipes are able to be coupled in correspondence with the respective coupling elements, so as to achieve the mechanical connection between the supporting structure and the cleaning end-piece, and at the same time to guarantee continuity to the suction flow. Advantageously the first electric feed means are disposed adjacent to the first tubular suction pipe, while the second electric feed means are disposed adjacent to the second tubular suction pipe.

The first electric feed means are connected to an electric cable, for example arriving from the supporting structure, while the second electric feed means are connected to a feed cable that terminates in the cleaning end-piece in order to feed at least the electric device electrically.

According to another characteristic of the present invention, the containing means comprise a liquid bath filter, towards which the dirt sucked in is conveyed and remains trapped, or alternatively a dry filter consisting for example of a bag made of paper or similar material, and able to block and contain the particles of dirt sucked in.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferential form of embodiment, given as a non-restrictive example with reference to the attached drawings wherein:

- fig. 1 is a view of an electric brush according to the present invention; - fig. 2 is a detail of a cleaning end-piece of the electric brush in fig. 1;

- fig. 3 is a lateral section of the electric brush in fig. 1;

- fig. 4 is a lateral section of the cleaning end-piece in fig. 2;

- fig. 5 is a front view of the cleaning end-piece in fig.

2;

- fig. 6 is a lateral view of the cleaning end-piece in fig. 2; - fig. 7 is a rear perspective view of the cleaning end- piece in fig. 2;

- fig. 8 is a front perspective view of the cleaning end- piece in fig. 2;

- fig. 9 is a lateral section of a variant of the electric brush in fig. 1;

- fig. 10 is a lateral section of another variant of the electric brush in fig. 1; - fig. 11 is a lateral section of another variant of the electric brush in fig. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERENTIAL FORM OF EMBODIMENT With reference to fig. 1, an electric brush 10 according to the present invention comprises a supporting structure 12, substantially tubular, a suction unit 14, a container 15, assembled on the supporting structure 12.

The suction unit 14 is of a known type and comprises an electric motor and a fan, partly shown in the fig. 3.

The container 15 comprises a liquid bath filter 32 (figs. 3 and 9), for example with water, of a known type, able to retain the dirt and dust sucked in.

The electric brush 10 also comprises a cleaning end-piece 16 (figs. 1-8 and 11) able to be associated with a lower end of the supporting structure 12, and a handle 13 disposed at an upper end of the supporting structure 12.

The cleaning end-piece 16 is equipped with a suction aperture 25 (fig. 4), disposed in correspondence with the surface to be cleaned.

The suction unit 14 is able to create a suction flow from the suction aperture 25 to the container 15, able to contain the material thus sucked in.

The supporting structure 12 is provided at its lower end with a first connector 17 (figs. 1 and 2) mating with a second connector 18 with which the cleaning end-piece 16 is equipped.

The first connector 17 comprises a first tubular pipe 19 (fig. 2), disposed partly also inside the supporting structure 12, and a first electric connector 21 attached to

the first tubular pipe 19.

The second connector 18 comprises a second tubular pipe 20 (figs. 2 and 4), and a second electric connector 22 attached to the second tubular pipe 20. The first and the second tubular pipe 19, 20 are cylindrical in shape, or any other hollow shape.

The first tubular pipe 19 is connected at one end to the container 15, and at the other end has a first coupling element 23, while the second tubular pipe 20 is connected at one end to the suction aperture 25 and at the other end has a second coupling element 24.

The first tubular pipe 19 is able to be inserted inside the second tubular pipe 20 in order to constrain the cleaning end-piece 16 removably to the supporting structure 12 and to guarantee the continuity of the suction flow.

The first and the second electric connector 21, 22 cooperate to guarantee the supply of the electric feed to the cleaning end-piece 16, arriving from an electric cable 29. The electric cable 29 has a first segment 30 associated with the supporting structure 12 and terminating in the first electric connector 21, and a second segment 31 which exits from the second electric connector 22 in order to enter the cleaning end-piece 16. The first electric connector 21 comprises a plurality of metal terminals 26, for example ten, and the second electric connector 22 comprises a corresponding plurality of seatings 27, each one able to accommodate the corresponding metal terminal 26. In this way the cleaning end-piece 16 can be associated with the supporting structure 12, obtaining in a single operation the mechanical attachment, the continuity of the suction flow and also the electric connection.

The number of metal terminals 26, and relative seatings

27, generally depends on the number of different types of feed tensions (alternate current, direct current and amplitude) required by the cleaning end-piece 16. It is also provided to transmit to the cleaning end-piece

16, by means of the electric cable 29 and the electric connectors 21, 22, command signals which can be sent for example by switches or regulators, of a known type and not shown here, disposed near the handle 13, or on the handle 13 itself.

The cleaning end-piece 16 (fig. 4) comprises a tank 35 able to contain water or a cleaning liquid and is provided with a stopper 38, selectively removable in order to allow to insert or remove the water or cleaning liquid. The cleaning end-piece 16 also comprises a steam generator 40 and a pump 41 to deliver the steam and/or water, or cleaning liquid, contained in the tank 35.

The cleaning end-piece 16 also comprises a cleaning brush 43 provided with a plurality of bristles and able to be adjusted in height, with respect to the floor, by means of an adjuster 44 (figs. 5-8).

The electric brush 10, by means of the cleaning end-piece

16, is able to deliver water or the cleaning liquid and/or steam onto the surface to be cleaned and, at the same time, to suck in, together with the fluid and/or the steam condensation, the dirt removed.

The cleaning end-piece 16 is provided with two wheels 46, disposed laterally and having a diameter of a length substantially equal to the overall height of the cleaning end-piece 16 itself, so as to confer on the electric brush

10 in its entirety great maneuverability and stability.

According to a variant not shown here, the cleaning brushes are of the rotary type and driven by an electric

motor disposed inside the cleaning end-piece 16 and fed by means of the electric connectors 21, 22.

According to a variant, the cleaning end-piece 16 can be replaced by a brush 116 (fig. 9), of a known type, comprising a plurality of fixed bristles disposed in correspondence with the surface to be cleaned and able to be used also in the case of liquids present on the surface to be cleaned.

In this case the electric brush 10 is able to suck in the dirt removed and possible liquids present on the surface to be cleaned.

According to another variant, the container 15 can be removed from the electric brush 10 and replaced by another container 115 (fig. 10), of a known type, having a dry filter 33, made for example with a paper bag, and able to retain the particles of dirt removed.

The substitution operation can be performed, since the second container 115 has the same characteristics of size as the container 15. In this variant, the electric brush 10 is able to suck in only dry particles of dirt, not damp or liquid. Moreover, the brush 116 can be of the simplified type and suitable only to dry particles of dirt.

According to another variant, in the electric brush 10 the container 15 or the second container 115, can be replaced by a third container 215 (fig. 11), of a known type and having the same characteristics of size as the container 15 and the dry container 115.

The third container 215 comprises a filter 34 able to filter and contain both the dirt removed and also possible drops of steam delivered on the surface to be cleaned.

In this other variant, the electric brush 10, by means of the cleaning end-piece 16, is able to deliver steam onto

the surface to be cleaned and at the same time to suck in the dirt removed, together with the steam.

The electric brush 10 therefore has a basic structure comprising the supporting structure 12 and the suction unit 14.

The user can combine with the basic structure the desired container, for example the container 15, the second container 115 or the third container 215, and the cleaning end-piece 16, 116 desired. The electric brush 10 according to the present invention is therefore easy to personalize according to the requirements of the user, the type of cleaning to be done and according to cost.

It is clear that modifications and/or additions of parts may be made to the electric brush 10 as described heretofore, without departing from the field and scope of the present invention.

It is also clear that, although the present invention has been described with reference to some specific examples, a person of skill in the art shall certainly be able to achieve many other equivalent forms of multi-functional electric brush, having the characteristics as set forth in the claims and hence all coming within the field of protection defined thereby.