U.S. patent application number 14/065858 was filed with the patent office on 2014-04-17 for vacuum hose storage system.
This patent application is currently assigned to H-P Products, Inc.. The applicant listed for this patent is H-P Products, Inc.. Invention is credited to Andrew L. Gabric, James F. Smith.
Application Number | 20140101886 14/065858 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43604099 |
Filed Date | 2014-04-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140101886 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Gabric; Andrew L. ; et
al. |
April 17, 2014 |
VACUUM HOSE STORAGE SYSTEM
Abstract
A vacuum hose storage system includes a housing which is mounted
in a storage area of a dwelling and connected to a vacuum source. A
length of flexible, expandable hose is mounted in a looped fashion
about a plurality of rollers rotatably mounted within the housing.
A handle is attached to one end of the hose and is seated in a
cradle formed in the housing when the hose is in a fully retracted
position within the housing. A vacuum source ON/OFF switch is
located in the cradle and is actuated when the handle is placed in
or removed from the cradle. A control valve on the cradle enables
the strength of the vacuum source to be manually controlled by a
user.
Inventors: |
Gabric; Andrew L.;
(Louisville, OH) ; Smith; James F.; (Louisville,
OH) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
H-P Products, Inc. |
Louisville |
OH |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
H-P Products, Inc.
Louisville
OH
|
Family ID: |
43604099 |
Appl. No.: |
14/065858 |
Filed: |
October 29, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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12883302 |
Sep 16, 2010 |
8590098 |
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14065858 |
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12341571 |
Dec 22, 2008 |
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12883302 |
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12151174 |
May 5, 2008 |
7945990 |
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12341571 |
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61062724 |
Jan 29, 2008 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
15/323 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L 9/0009 20130101;
A47L 9/0063 20130101; Y10T 137/6943 20150401; A47L 5/38
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
15/323 |
International
Class: |
A47L 9/00 20060101
A47L009/00; A47L 5/38 20060101 A47L005/38 |
Claims
1. A vacuum hose storage system comprising: a housing forming an
internal storage compartment; a length of hose extendable from a
retracted position in the storage compartment to an extended
position extending from said storage compartment, said hose having
a first end adapted to be connected to a vacuum source and an open
second end for collecting dirt from an area to be cleaned; a handle
on the second end of the hose; a cradle on the housing for holding
the handle when the hose is in the retracted position; and a
control valve on the cradle for regulating the strength of the
vacuum source.
2. The storage system defined in claim I wherein the cradle is
pivotally mounted on the housing and has a tubular section which
slidably receives the open end of the handle therein; and in which
the open end of the handle has a tapered configuration to form a
seal with the tubular section of the cradle when slidably received
therein.
3. The storage system defined in claim 2 wherein a vacuum source
connection tube is mounted-on the housing and is operatively
connected to the hose, said connection tube having an air exhaust
opening and an exhaust valve regulating the size of the exhaust
opening.
4. The storage system defined in claim 3 wherein the control valve
includes a collar moveably mounted with respect to the tubular
section of the cradle; and in which a control device is operatively
connected between the collar of the control valve and the exhaust
opening valve for regulating the strength of the vacuum by
regulating the size of the exhaust opening upon movement of the
collar.
5. The storage system defined in claim 3 wherein the exhaust
opening valve is a collar slidably mounted on the vacuum source
connection tube; and in which the control device includes a cable
extending between the cradle and exhaust valve collar.
6. The storage system defined in claim 5 including a coil spring
biasing the exhaust valve collar toward an exhaust opening
position.
7. The storage system defined in claim 5 wherein the exhaust valve
opening is a plurality of holes formed in the vacuum connection
tube selectively covered by the exhaust valve collar.
8. The storage system defined in claim 1 where the cradle includes
a tubular section which slidably receives the open end of the
handle therein; wherein the control valve includes a collar
moveably mounted on the tubular section of the handle; and in which
a control device is operatively connected to the collar for
regulating the strength of the vacuum.
9. The storage system defined in claim 8 wherein the control valve
collar is moveable both axially and rotationally for operating the
control device; and in which the control valve collar has a
plurality of teeth operatively engageable with mating teeth formed
on the cradle for selectably setting the control valve at a desired
position.
10. The storage system defined in claim 8 wherein the tubular
section of the cradle is formed with a groove and a slide strip
slidably mounted in the groove; and in which a boss on the slide
strip extends into a slot formed in a collar axially and
rotationally mounted on the tubular section.
11. The storage system defined in claim 10 wherein a plurality of
teeth are formed on an end of the control valve collar and
operatively engage mating teeth formed on the tubular section of
the cradle.
12. The storage system defined in claim 10 including a cable
operatively connected to the slide strip and an exhaust valve in
fluid communication with the vacuum source.
13. The storage system defined in claim 1 including a plurality of
guide rollers mounted within the storage compartment; and in which
the hose extends in a looped fashion about the guide rollers when
in the retracted and extended positions.
14. The storage system defined in claim 1 wherein the hose has an
approximate 5 to 1 elongation factor between extended and retracted
positions.
15. The storage system defined in claim 1 including a helical
spring mounted within the hose providing a biasing force for
retracting the hose toward the retracted position; in which a
one-way latch is mounted on the housing and operatively engages the
helical spring of the hose permitting the hose to move freely
toward the extended position from the storage compartment while
preventing movement of the hose toward the retracted position.
16. The storage system defined in claim 1 including a switch
mounted on the housing for turning the vacuum source ON and OFF
when the handle is placed in the cradle.
17. The storage system defined in claim 1 wherein the housing has
at least a pair of side walls; wherein a plurality of opposed stub
shafts are molded integrally on the side walls and are located
within the storage compartment forming a plurality of shafts for
rotatably mounting guide rollers thereon for supporting the hose
within the storage compartment.
18. The storage system defined in claim 16 wherein the stub shafts
have cylindrical configurations and are in opposed abutting
relationship to form the plurality of shafts; and in which
fasteners extend through at least one of each of the abutting stub
shafts securing the opposed stub shafts together.
19. The storage system defined in claim 16 wherein the guide
rollers have a concave outer circumference; and in which said guide
rollers are formed of a plastic material.
20. The storage system defined in claim 1 wherein the housing
includes at least a pair of opposed side walls and a pair of
opposed end walls; an opening formed in one of the end walls
through which the hose extends from the storage compartment; and
wherein the cradle is formed in the said one end wall.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 12/883,302, filed Sep. 16, 2010, which is a
continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No.
12/341,571, filed Dec. 22, 2008, which is a continuation-in-part of
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/151,174, filed May 5, 2008, now
U.S. Pat. No. 7,945,990, which application claims priority from
U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/062,724, filed Jan.
29, 2008; the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by
reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Technical Field
[0003] The invention relates to vacuum cleaning systems, and in
particular to a storage system connected to a vacuum source for
storing an extendable length of hose in a retracted condition
within a storage housing. More particularly, the invention relates
to a small, compact storage system adapted to be mounted in a
concealed area within a home, such as in a kitchen cabinet, which
contains a sufficient length of an expandable hose for ease of
cleanup of the adjacent room.
[0004] 2. Background Information
[0005] Central vacuum systems for home and commercial use have been
used for many years, examples of which are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos.
2,943,698 and 3,173,164. These systems usually are comprised of a
main vacuum source which is usually mounted in the basement or
other location in the structure or closely adjacent thereto. The
vacuum source is connected to various outlet locations in the
structure by tubing which terminate in valves mounted in the wall
into which one end of a length of cleaning hose is removably
connected for cleaning an area adjacent the wall valve. These wall
or hose end valves usually include some type of closure lid, which
seals the hose receiving opening in the valve enabling another of
the valves to be operational within the structure. Many of these
valves are provided with electrical contacts or switches which
energize the main vacuum source. The vacuum hose also may be
provided with a pair of electric conductors for actuating the
central vacuum source by a switch on the handle, such as shown in
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,064,355, 4,133.972, 4,194,081 and 4,368,348.
[0006] When using the cleaning system, the homeowner will generally
have a single length of cleaning hose with various attachments
which are stored in a closet or other location requiring the hose
to be moved from room to room to be connected to the appropriate
wall valve for cleaning the area adjacent the valve location. In
many situations, this is less convenient than desired since the
homeowner must continually go to a remote location to retrieve the
cleaning attachments and hose for use in a particular room and then
return the cleaning attachment, cleaning wand and hose to the
closet for final storage. Also, these storage areas become
cluttered and occupy needed space in other closets of the
house.
[0007] Some central vacuum cleaning systems attempt to solve some
of these storage problems by having the hose retractably inserted
into the vacuum supply duct when not in use such as shown in U.S.
Pat. Nos. 2,953,806, 3,593,363. 5,526,842 and 7,010,829. In another
attempt to solve this storage problem in a central cleaning system,
an in-wall storage cabinet was developed and shown in U.S. Pat. No.
5,740,581. However, the storage arrangement of this latter system
requires the use of a power-driven mechanism for retracting the
hose when not in use. Although this may perform satisfactory for
its intended purpose, it is a more costly installation than may be
desired by many homeowners and it requires the hose to be dedicated
to a single vacuum source. This prevents the same vacuum source to
be energized for supplying a vacuum to other wall valves in the
structure. Also, these units may tend to be weak because their size
is very limited, and in addition, their dirt capacity may also be
limited.
[0008] Due to the need to retrieve the vacuum hose from a storage
area and connected to an in-wall vacuum supply valve, many
homeowners will not use the system for small cleanups, such as
small quantities of dirt or other debris such as spillages in a
kitchen or the like, and will use a manual broom. These types of
cleanups usually are required in a kitchen, workroom or laundry
area, but do not receive the homeowner's immediate attention due to
the need of retrieving the relative long length of hose from the
storage area and connecting it to a central vacuum system.
Afterwhich the hose has to be disconnected from the wall valve and
returned to the storage area.
[0009] Thus, the need exists for an improved hose storage system
contained in a small, compact hose storage housing which can be
located inside of a larger storage cabinet, such as a kitchen sink
cabinet or adjacent cabinet, which facilitates the use of the
vacuum cleaning equipment in a relatively simple and convenient
manner, and most importantly enables a sufficient length of
cleaning hose to be easily removed from and returned to the storage
housing when not in use, and which can enable other vacuum outlets
in the structure to be active, that is, have the vacuum source
supplied to the storage housing of the present invention and to
other vacuum outlets from a single central vacuum supply source, by
providing a closure for an open end of the cleaning hose when not
is use and stored in the housing.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] The present invention provides a vacuum hose storage system
having a compact hose storage housing for storing the cleaning
hose, wherein the housing preferably is mounted in a larger storage
area or cabinet which is connected to a vacuum source tube, which
tube can extend from a main central vacuum source or from a
self-contained vacuum source located within or adjacent the hose
storage housing.
[0011] Another feature of the invention is to provide such a hose
storage system in which the hose is permanently connected to a
vacuum source tube by providing a sealing device at an open end of
the hose handle which enables a central vacuum source to be active
and provide a source of vacuum at other wall valves throughout the
structure, enabling another hose to be used by the homeowner at one
or more of these other valves if desired.
[0012] Still another feature of the invention is to provide such a
hose storage system in which the hose when not in use is inserted
into a pivotally mounted cradle which automatically actuates a
switch to turn off the vacuum source and which seals the end of the
hose to enable a central vacuum source to be active and provide a
source of vacuum at other wall valves throughout the structure.
[0013] A further feature of the present invention is to provide the
hose storage housing with a plurality of rollers attached in a
spaced relationship between the walls of the housing within the
storage compartment around which the hose is placed in a looped
fashion preventing it from becoming tangled within the housing, and
which enables the hose to be easily grasped and pulled from the
housing by expanding the hose from a retracted to an extended
position.
[0014] Another aspect of the invention is to form the rollers with
a concave outer circumference to ensure that the hose during
expansion and contraction remains in proper alignment within the
storage housing thereby reducing friction during expansion and
contraction of the hose.
[0015] Still another aspect of the present invention is to provide
a sealing device for an open end of the hose handle when the handle
is mounted in a storage cradle, which sealing device can have
various configurations for sealing the open end of the handle while
the vacuum supply is energized, and in which an ON/OFF switch can
be mounted in the support cradle to turn the vacuum power supply ON
and OFF automatically upon placing the handle in the cradle.
[0016] Another aspect is to provide the hose with an expansion
ratio of 5 to 1 thereby enabling a long useable length of hose to
be obtained from a relatively short contracted length of hose
easily stored in a small storage area.
[0017] A further feature is to provide a vacuum storage system in
which one or more drive belts may extend between the hose storage
rollers to assist in the uniform expansion and contraction of the
hose as it is pulled from or retracted back into the housing by
synchronizing the rotational movement of the rollers.
[0018] Still another feature of the invention is to provide a small
compact storage housing preferably mounted within an outer cabinet
which stores a maximum length of hose in a minimum amount of
storage space within the housing whereby the hose end is easily
removed from a storage cradle which upon removal will automatically
turn the vacuum source ON and when returned to cradle will
automatically turn the vacuum source OFF, in which a maximum length
of hose can be stored and removed from a minimum storage area, and
in which the vacuum source can be connected at various locations in
the storage housing and connected to a remotely located central
vacuum source or to a dedicated source of vacuum adjacent the hose
storage housing.
[0019] Another aspect is to use a neutrally biased hose or an
expansion biased hose which relies upon the retraction force
created by the vacuum to assist in retracting the hose back into
the housing after use eliminating the use of a spring biased
retraction type of hose.
[0020] Still another feature of the invention is to use a switched
hose for actuating the vacuum source by providing an ON/OFF switch
on the wand or handle which is connected to the vacuum source motor
via electrical conductors extending through the hose.
[0021] A further feature is to provide a type of ratchet mechanism
on the hose storage rollers which will lock the rollers in position
upon pulling the hose from within the storage housing which
relieves the biased retraction force on the hose avoiding the user
having to continually apply a force to the hose when in use to
prevent it from being pulled back into the housing.
[0022] A still further feature is to provide a high voltage source
(120V or 240V) to a power driven brush-type of cleaning attachment
mounted on the end of the hose and connected to the remote source
of voltage by electrical conductors extending through the hose to
enhance the cleaning ability of the vacuum cleaning system. Another
aspect of the invention is to provide a length of tubing fixedly
mounted in the storage housing and extending in a serpentine
fashion in which the length of expandable hose is located within
the tubing and has an inner end which is slidably, sealingly
engaged within the tubing to enable the length of hose to be pulled
from its stored position within the tubing, which in combination
with the natural expansion of the hose provides a considerably
greater length of available hose from within the storage
compartment.
[0023] Another feature of the invention is to provide a control
knob located on a handle receiving cradle which receives the end of
the hose, which when operated controls the size of an opening in
the internal vacuum line to regulate the strength of vacuum applied
to the cleaning end of the hose.
[0024] Still another aspect of the invention is to provide a stiff
wire pivotally mounted on a front wall of the housing which has a
curved configuration which can be manually moved into and out of
engagement with a helical spring incorporated within the vacuum
hose to provide a one-way latch preventing movement of the hose
towards its retracted position within the housing, while permitting
free pulling of the hose from the housing toward a desired extended
position.
[0025] A further feature of the present invention is to provide a
plurality of tool holder brackets secured to the housing with
attachment thumb screws.
[0026] Another feature of the present invention is to provide side
panels on the housing which may contain decorations or printed
indicia which are removably secured within complementary-shaped
recesses formed in side walls of the housing.
[0027] A further aspect of the present invention is to provide a
U-shaped mounting bracket which is secured to the bottom wall of a
storage cabinet or other mounting structure whereupon the housing
can be snap-fitted therein to removably mount the housing on the
storage bracket permitting easy removal for maintenance.
[0028] Still another feature of the present invention is to mold a
plurality of stub shafts on opposed side walls of the housing to
form roller shafts on which are rotatably mounted hose guide
rollers within the internal storage compartment of the housing
thereby reducing production costs by eliminating mounting separate
shafts on the side walls for mounting the rollers thereon.
[0029] A still further aspect of the present invention is to form
at least three holes in the spaced side walls of the housing, which
holes receive standoff brackets formed on cardboard packing panels
which space the housing from an outer packing box, which panels are
then slidably received within the outer packing box to provide a
gap or crush zone between the housing and the packing box
preventing damage to the housing when shipped and stored.
[0030] Still another aspect of the invention is to provide various
snap-fit grooves in the housing side walls enabling the housing
side walls to be snap-fitted into and removed from the other
portion of the housing enabling the internal mechanism of the
housing to be readily accessible for servicing and maintenance
procedures.
[0031] These features and advantages are obtained by the vacuum
hose storage system of the present invention, the general nature of
which may be stated as including a housing or cabinet forming an
internal storage compartment; a plurality of guide wheels mounted
within the storage compartment; a length of hose extendable between
a retracted position in the storage compartment and an extended
position extending from said storage compartment, wherein the hose
has a first end adapted to be connected to a vacuum source and a
second end, with the hose extending in a looped fashion about the
guide wheels when in the retracted and extended positions; a handle
attached to the second end of the hose; a cradle for holding the
handle in a stored position; a switch for turning the vacuum source
ON and OFF when the handle is placed in the cradle; and a biasing
device connected to the hose exerting a retracting force on the
hose when in an extended position.
[0032] These features and advantages are further obtained by the
vacuum hose storage system of the present invention the general
nature of which includes a housing forming an internal storage
compartment; a length of tubing fixedly mounted within the storage
compartment and arranged in a serpentine fashion with a first end
adapted to be connected to a vacuum source and an open second end;
a length of hose located within the tubing and movable within said
tubing from a retracted collapsed stored position to an extended
expanded position from said tubing and the storage compartment, the
hose having a first seal adjacent a first end of the hose and
movable with the hose in sealing engagement with the tubing, and an
open second end for collecting dirt from an area to be cleaned,
wherein the hose moves in a serpentine fashion throughout the
tubing between the retracted stored position and the extended
position; a handle on the second end of the hose; a cradle on the
housing for holding the handle when the hose is in the retracted
position; and a switch for turning the vacuum source ON and
OFF.
[0033] These features and advantages are further obtained by the
vacuum hose storage system of the present invention comprising a
housing forming an internal storage compartment; a length of hose
extendable from a retracted position in the storage compartment to
an extended position extending from said storage compartment,
wherein the hose has a first end adapted to be connected to a
vacuum source and an open second end for collecting dirt from an
area to be cleaned; a handle on the second end of the hose; a
cradle on the housing for holding the handle when the hose is in
the retracted position; a control valve on the cradle for
regulating the strength of the vacuum source; and a switch for
turning the vacuum source ON and OFF.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0034] A preferred embodiment of the invention, illustrated of the
best mode in which Applicant contemplates applying the principles,
is set forth in the following description and is shown in the
drawings and is particularly and distinctly pointed out and set
forth in the appended claims.
[0035] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view showing the vacuum
hose storage system mounted within an outer storage cabinet and the
hose in a partially extended position.
[0036] FIG. 2 is a side perspective view of the hose storage
housing with the hose in a retracted position within the housing
and the handle placed in the cradle.
[0037] FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic side sectional view of the storage
housing as shown in FIG. 2 with the hose in an extended position
and the handle removed from the supporting cradle.
[0038] FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the hose
placed in the supporting cradle in the power ON position.
[0039] FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIG. 4
showing the hose supporting cradle in a power unit OFF
condition.
[0040] FIG. 6 is a fragmentary side view showing the hose in a
fully retracted stored position within the storage housing.
[0041] FIG. 7 is a diagrammatic view of the hose storage housing
shown in section and the hose in a partially extended position
connected to a remote central vacuum cleaning unit.
[0042] FIG. 8 is a side elevational view with the side wall of the
housing removed showing a modified embodiment wherein a pair of
drive belts assist in extending and retracting the hose into and
out of the housing.
[0043] FIG. 9 is an elevational view of one of the guide rollers
used for storing the hose within the housing.
[0044] FIG. 10 is a sectional view through the center of the roller
of FIG. 9.
[0045] FIG. 11 is a side elevational view of the roller shown in
FIG. 9.
[0046] FIG. 12 is a diagrammatic cut-away view of the hose of FIG.
13 in an expanded position.
[0047] FIG. 13 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a portion of
the hose of FIG. 12 in a collapsed position.
[0048] FIG. 14 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the hose end
in a stored position with a modified end sealing member engaged
therewith.
[0049] FIG. 15 is a perspective view of a vacuum power source
mounted adjacent the storage housing of the type shown in FIG.
2.
[0050] FIG. 16 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a modified
embodiment of the vacuum hose storage system of the present
invention.
[0051] FIG. 17 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the
hose storage system of the present invention.
[0052] FIG. 18 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a modified
vacuum hose storage system with the side wall removed and the hose
in a retracted collapsed stored position.
[0053] FIG. 19 is a side elevational view of the storage housing of
FIG. 18.
[0054] FIG. 20 is a side elevational view similar to FIG. 19 with
the hose in a partially expanded and extended position.
[0055] FIG. 21 is a view similar to FIGS. 19 and 20 with the hose
in a fully extended position.
[0056] FIG. 22 is a diagrammatic side perspective view of a further
modified vacuum hose storage system with the hose in a retracted
stored position.
[0057] FIG. 23 is an opposite side perspective view of FIG. 22
showing a pair of tool holder brackets mounted thereon and the hose
removed.
[0058] FIG. 24 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 23 showing a
plurality of tools mounted on the tool holder brackets.
[0059] FIG. 25 is a front elevational view of FIG. 24.
[0060] FIG. 26 is an enlarged fragmentary front perspective view
showing the one way hose latch in a retracted non-engaged
position.
[0061] FIG. 27 is a view similar to FIG. 26 showing the one way
hose latch in latched position with the hose.
[0062] FIG. 28 is a fragmentary perspective view of the upper
portion of the hose storage housing with the side wall removed
showing the vacuum control mechanism.
[0063] FIG. 28A is an enlarged fragmentary view of the rear portion
of the vacuum control system shown in FIG. 28.
[0064] FIG. 29 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the front portion
of the vacuum control system shown in FIG. 28.
[0065] FIG. 30 is an exploded view of the front portion of the
vacuum control system removed.
[0066] FIG. 31 is a fragmentary front perspective view of the
vacuum control knob for the vacuum control system.
[0067] FIG. 32 is an enlarged perspective view of the U-shaped
bracket for mounting the hose storage housing in a cabinet.
[0068] FIG. 33 is a perspective view of the hose storage housing
connected to the U-shaped bracket of FIG. 32.
[0069] FIG. 34 is an exploded perspective view of the hose storage
housing being placed in a shipping box.
[0070] FIG. 34A is a top plan view of the hose storage housing
placed in the shipping box with the top shipping panel and housing
side panel removed.
[0071] FIG. 35 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the
hose storage housing mounted within the shipping box of FIG. 34
showing one of the hose guide rollers rotatably mounted on one of
the molded roller shafts.
[0072] Similar numbers refer to similar parts throughout the
drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0073] The improved hose storage system of the present invention is
indicated generally at 1, and includes a storage housing 2 which is
shown in FIG. 1 mounted within the interior 3 of a larger cabinet
5. Storage cabinet 5 preferably is of the type found in most
kitchens, laundry rooms or work rooms. Hose storage system 1 is
shown removed from cabinet 5 in FIG. 2. Housing 2 preferably has a
parallelepiped configuration with opposed side walls 7, opposed top
and bottom walls 9 and opposed back wall 10 and front wall 11 which
form a hollow interior storage compartment 13 (FIG. 3). In the
preferred embodiment, housing 2 will have a length between back and
front walls 10 and 11 of twenty and one half inches, a height
between top and bottom walls 9 of seventeen inches, and a thickness
between side walls 7 of three and one quarter inches, providing a
compact structure easily accommodated within the interior of
various types of outer cabinets 5. One or more brackets 12 may be
used to secure housing 2 within outer cabinet 5 as shown in FIG.
1.
[0074] In accordance with one of the features of the invention, an
extendable hose 15 is mounted in a looped fashion about a plurality
of guide rollers 17 which are rotatably mounted within housing 2 on
shafts 19, which preferably extend between and are mounted on
spaced side walls 7. In the preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 3,
four rollers 17 are provided which form for five loops in hose 15.
Hose 15 preferably is a type of expandable hose as shown in FIGS.
12 and 13 which includes an internal helical spring 21 which is
encased in the outer layer of material 22. Hose 15 is pulled
outwardly from housing 2 through a front wall opening 20 and
extends from a collapsed position as shown in FIGS. 6 and 8 to a
stretched or expanded position of FIG. 3. This will tension spring
21 which then biases the hose towards the collapsed or retracted
position of FIGS. 2 and 6 when the outward pulling force exerted
thereon is released. The looped arrangement of hose 15 about
rollers 17 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, enables a relatively large
length of hose 15 to be stored within compartment 13 without
becoming entangled while providing a sufficient length of hose when
pulled therefrom as shown in FIG. 3 to perform cleanup throughout a
room in which cabinet 5 is located. The preferred hose 15 will have
an elongated factor of 5, that is, if the hose has a collapsed
length of eight feet and it has an extended length of forty feet.
If desired, hose 15 can be a neutrally biased hose or an expansion
biased hose, which types rely solely on the vacuum source to
retract it back into the housing.
[0075] In the preferred embodiment, hose 15 in a collapsed position
as shown in FIG. 6 will have a length of 8 feet, and when stretched
out with a 5 to 1 ratio will have a length of approximately 40
feet. When in this fully stretched out position, approximately 8
feet will remain in storage compartment 13 about rollers 17
providing approximately 32 feet of hose extending from housing 2
for use in cleaning up an area about outer storage cabinet 5.
However, these lengths can change without affecting the concept of
the invention.
[0076] A handle 23 is attached to the distal open end 25 of hose 15
by a connector 27 (FIG. 3). Handle 23 is a rigid tubular member
formed of plastic or metal and will have an open end 29 through
which dirt enters the hose interior. If desired, a cleaning
attachment such as a rotary power driven brush 26 as shown in FIG.
17 could be attached to a wand 28 which in turn is attached to the
open end of handle 23. However, for many of the types of cleanups
for which hose 15 is intended to be used, a separate attachment is
generally not required.
[0077] A vacuum source such as a central vacuum cleaning unit 33,
as shown in FIG. 7, generally is mounted in a basement, attic etc.
of the building, can be connected directly to housing 2 by a length
of tubing 35 or with an elbow pipe 38 as shown in FIG. 1. A vacuum
source such as a self-contained vacuum producing motor 32, can be
mounted within a separate housing 31 (FIG. 15) that can be attached
to a side wall 7 of housing 2 or mounted adjacent thereto and
pneumatically connected to hose 15 by a section of tubing 30.
[0078] If desired, a special tube and hose connector 37 can be
mounted in a lower rear corner of housing 2 (FIG. 16) and may have
a plurality of outlets, such as outlet 39 in rear wall 10, a bottom
outlet 41 in bottom wall 9 and a pair of opposed side wall outlets
43 formed in side walls 7. This provides other attachment locations
for a section of tubing which is connected to the vacuum source
depending upon the location of housing 2 within the larger outer
storage cabinet 5, and the best location for the incoming vacuum
supply tube. Any non-used tubing outlets as shown in FIG. 16 can
easily be sealed by a cup-shaped seal 46 when not in use.
[0079] In accordance with another feature of the invention, a hose
receiving cradle 45 is located in front wall 11 of housing 2 and
accessible through an opening 44 formed in front wall 11 (FIGS. 1
and 2). Cradle 45 includes a short section of tube 47 having a
hollow interior 48 and is pivotally mounted by a pivot 50 between
side walls 7 and is adapted to slidably receive handle 23 therein
in a generally sliding frictional fit when the hose is not in use
as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. After insertion of the open end of
handle 23 therein, the handle is pivoted downwardly as shown by
Arrow A (FIG. 4) into the final stored position of FIG. 5. The
inner end of cradle 45 is formed with a projection 51 which engages
and actuates an ON/OFF switch 53 which is mounted closely adjacent
thereto. This movement of cradle 45 from the ON position of FIG. 4
to the OFF position of FIG. 5 will turn the switch off. Switch 53
is connected to the vacuum power source by a plurality of
electrical conductors 55. When handle 23 is in the storage position
as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the switch is in the OFF position and
when the user desires to use the vacuum system for a quick cleanup
job, the user will merely grasp handle 23 and pivot it upwardly
from the OFF position of FIG. 5 to the ON position of FIG. 4. This
movement will automatically turn the vacuum source on, afterwhich
the user merely slides the handle outwardly from the cradle as
shown by Arrow B and then will pull outwardly on the hose in the
direction of Arrow C, FIG. 3. This will start the hose to expand
from its coiled condition to an expanded condition, as well as
unwrapping it from around rollers 17.
[0080] Upon completion of a cleaning operation, the user will
merely relax the pulling force on the hose wherein the expanded
internal helical spring 21 of the hose will bias the hose toward a
retracted coiled looped position around rollers 17 until the handle
23 is replaced into cradle 45 in the position as shown in FIG. 4.
The handle is then pivoted downwardly to the full storage position
of FIG. 5 which will automatically shutoff the vacuum source by
actuation of switch 53. Also, retraction of the hose back into the
housing is assisted by the force of the vacuum exerted on the hose
which also biases the hose towards a retracted position. However,
neither of the biasing force exerted on the hose by helical spring
21 or the vacuum source, is sufficiently great to require a large
force to be exerted on the hose by the user to move it from the
collapsed retracted position to its extended position and to
maintain it in the extended position during a cleaning operation.
However, this biasing force does assist in retracting the hose into
its coiled looped position after cleanup has been accomplished.
Also, storage system 1 can use a neutrally or expansion biased hose
if desired, which relies solely on the vacuum source for retraction
of the hose back into the housing.
[0081] FIG. 8 shows a slightly modified form of the present
invention in which one or more drive belts 62 and 63 may extend
around adjacent pairs of rollers 17 to assist in the extension and
retraction of the hose from and back into the housing. Upon
initially pulling the hose from housing 2 in the direction of Arrow
D (FIG. 8), the hose will immediately start to move about and
rotate the lowermost roller 17A as shown by Arrow E. The next
roller 17B begins to rotate shortly thereafter as the hose is
stretched and starts to move about roller 17B as shown by Arrow F.
This progresses to the next roller 17C and then to roller 170 in a
slight time delay progression. By the use of drive belts 62 and 63,
the initial rotation of roller 17A will automatically start roller
17C rotating almost simultaneously with the rotation of roller 17A.
Likewise roller 17D will begin to rotate almost simultaneously upon
the rotation of roller 17B due to its connection therewith by drive
belt 62. The use of drive belts 62 and 63 will assist in starting
movement of all of the sections of hose and their corresponding
rollers almost at the same time to greatly facilitate the removal
of the hose from within housing 2 instead of the delayed sequence
which occurs as the hose is pulled from the housing without
connecting belts 62 and 63. Likewise, upon the hose beginning to
retract back into the housing without the use of the belts, roller
17A will begin to rotate followed shortly by the rotation of 17B,
then roller 17C and finally roller 17D in a time delay sequence.
The use of drive belts 62 and 63 will again enable the sections of
hose and associated rollers to move more in unison assisting the
retraction of the hose back into housing 2.
[0082] In accordance with another feature of the invention, one or
more ratchet mechanisms 65 can be mounted on one or more of the
rollers which when the hose is pulled from within housing 2 will
prevent the rollers from having a tendency to rotate backwards
since they are retained in their forward rotated position by the
ratchet mechanism. This assists in reducing the biasing retraction
force exerted on the hose by internal helical spring 21 and the
internal vacuum. This reduces the fatigue on the user by not
requiring the user to continually exert an outward force on the
hose to prevent its retraction back into housing 2. The ratchet
mechanism can be easily reduced by suddenly pulling out on the hose
and then releasing this pulling force permitting the one or more
rollers on which the ratchet mechanism are connected to rotate
freely in the reverse direction. This type of ratchet mechanisms is
well-known in the art such as used for vehicle seat belts and
similar applications, and thus the details thereof are not
described in further detail.
[0083] A modified cradle 66 is shown in FIGS. 14 and 16 and
includes a shutoff valve indicated generally at 67. Shutoff valve
67 is mounted in a compartment 69 formed at the corner of front
wall 11 and top wall 9 for storing handle 23 in a readily
accessible position. Shutoff valve 67 includes a sealing plate 68
which is biased by a compression spring 70 toward open end 29 of
handle 23 for automatically sealing open end 29 upon insertion of
the handle end through a front wall opening 72. Sealing plate 68
preferably will be used when the vacuum producing source is the
central vacuum cleaning unit 33 as shown in FIG. 7, which is
connected to other outlets throughout the building. This enables
unit 33 to be operative for use throughout the structure.
[0084] An electrical ON/OFF switch 75 is mounted within or adjacent
compartment 69 and connected to a source of electrical power by a
pair of electrical conductors 77 for controlling a vacuum producing
motor 32 such as shown in FIG. 15 or the motor of the central unit
33 as shown in FIG. 7. Switch 75 could be a plunger-type switch
that is actuated automatically upon insertion of the end of handle
23 into compartment 69 or other type of switch without affecting
the concept of the present invention. Likewise, sealing plate 68
can have other configuration than the spring biased seal as shown
in the drawings and described above.
[0085] In accordance with another feature of the present invention
discussed above is the attachment of a power driven rotary brush
cleaning attachment 26 (FIG. 17) on the end of handle 23 by a wand
28 and connected to a remote source of high voltage electric power
such as 120V/240V, by electrical conductors 73 which extend
throughout the interior of cleaning hose 15. An ON/OFF switch 80
mounted on the wand 28 is used to control the operation of cleaning
attachment 26. The cleaning attachment can be easily removed from
the wand 28 by a connection clip 78 of the type well-known in the
cleaning appliance industry. The cleaning wand 28 can then be
easily detached from handle 23 after the cleaning operation has
been completed.
[0086] In operation, housing 2 preferably is mounted within various
types of an outer larger storage cabinet 5 or could be located in a
closet or similar area and connected to a vacuum source, either an
adjacent self-contained vacuum unit contains motor 32 (FIG. 15) or
a remote central vacuum cleaning unit 33 (FIG. 7), Housing 2 can be
placed vertically as shown in the drawings or horizontally without
affecting its operation. The cleaning hose is operational
immediately upon removing handle 23 from the cradle by
automatically actuating switch 53 (FIG. 4) upon its upward pivotal
movement or by actuating switch 75 (FIG. 14). Either type of vacuum
unit will automatically turn on enabling the user to easily pull
outwardly on the handle hose which will extend the hose from its
collapsed position as shown in FIGS. 6 and 8 to an extended
position as shown in FIGS. 3 and 7 as it unwinds about the spaced
rollers 17. The user then pulls the hose to the needed length to
reach the cleanup area and perform the desired cleanup. After the
cleanup has been completed, the user merely releases the pulling
force on the hose enabling internal spring 21 of hose 15 and the
vacuum force to retract the hose into storage compartment 13 where
it continues to collapse about the spaced rollers 17. As discussed
above, the vacuum source created in the interior of the hose will
also exert a retracting force on the hose, which in combination
with the force exerted by spring 21, will permit the hose to be
easily retracted automatically into storage compartment 13 about
rollers 17. The user then inserts the end of the handle 23 into
interior 48 of tube section 47 or into compartment 69 where open
end 29 is automatically sealed by sealing plate 68, with switches
53 or 75 automatically being moved to the OFF position
de-energizing self-contained motor 32 or remote vacuum unit 33.
[0087] The relatively small compact size of housing 2 and its
ability to hold a considerable length of hose 15 and its automatic
mode of operation will enable the user to easily remove the hose
from its position within cradles 49 and 66 for cleaning up small
spills or other dirt and debris in an adjacent area which
heretofore required the homeowner to remove a length of hose from a
storage area and connect it to an adjacent vacuum outlet valve.
Heretofore, after picking up the dirt the user had to remove the
hose from the wall mounted control valve and return it to its
storage area. The collected dirt is drawn through hose 15 and
deposited in a dirt receptacle contained in housing 31 (FIG. 7) or
in the collection receptacle of central unit 33 (FIG. 7). It is
also understood that housing 2 could easily be mounted freestanding
in a work area, for example, adjacent a power saw for cleaning up
sawdust or the like, could be located within a cabinet in an RV,
boat or other vehicle where space is limited. Regardless of its
location and mounting arrangement, it is able to store a relatively
long length of hose to reach a considerable distance from the
cabinet when in operation.
[0088] Storage system 1 enables an occupant to quickly pickup small
quantities of dirt, spillage etc. by easily removing handle 23 from
its storage cradle and directing open end 29 against the area being
cleaned. Afterwhich hose 15 retracts automatically into housing 2
upon releasing the pulling force on the hose.
[0089] In accordance with another feature, the total length of the
hose for use in a particular size housing 2 can be determined
easily by the following formula L.sub.TOT .SIGMA.L+1/2W.pi.D with
reference to FIG. 6, wherein L.sub.TOT is the total length of the
hose, .SIGMA. L is the sum of the individual horizontal lengths
between the center lines of the rollers indicated by L.sub.1,
L.sub.2 etc., wherein W is the number of rollers, and D is the
diameter of the rollers as shown in FIGS. 6 and 9.
[0090] Another embodiment of the hose storage system of the present
invention is indicated generally at 100, and as shown in FIGS.
18-21. Hose storage system 100 is similar in most respects to hose
storage system 1 described above and preferably includes the same
housing as in system 1, including cradle 45, ON/OFF switch 53,
shutoff valve 67 and sealing plate 68 as that of system 1, and thus
is not described in greater detail.
[0091] The main feature of embodiment 100 is the mounting of a
length of rigid tubing indicated generally at 102, within housing
interior 3 in a serpentine arrangement. Tubing 102 is fixedly
mounted in the housing, and in the preferred embodiment will
include five horizontally extending straight sections 104 connected
by U-shaped bends or corners 106. Tubing 102 can be mounted by
various types of attachment brackets (not shown) to the interior of
the walls of housing 2 and terminates in an open end 108 which is
adapted to be connected to a vacuum source, such as central vacuum
unit 33 or to an adjacent self-contained vacuum motor 32 as shown
in FIG. 15. The opposite open end 110 of tubing 102 communicates
with front wall opening 20 of housing 2. Tubing 102 can be formed
of various materials with the preferred type being a rigid ABS
plastic tubing having a 2 inch outer diameter and a 1 7/8 inch
internal diameter. However, it is readily understood that the
number of horizontal sections 104 and U-shaped corners 106, as well
as the type and size of tubing used, can vary without affecting the
concept of the invention.
[0092] In further accordance with the invention, an expandable hose
115 is slidably moveably mounted within tubing 102 and is not
rigidly attached at its inner end 112 to a coupler 114 as in system
1. An annular sliding seal 116 is attached to hose end 112 and is
in a sliding, sealing engagement with the interior surface of
tubing 102 so as to be slidably moveable therein from a fully
retracted collapsed position as shown in FIG. 19 to a fully
extended and expanded position as shown in FIG. 21. Seal 116
preferably is formed of a low friction material, such as
Teflon.RTM.. Hose 115 is similar to hose 15 described above and
preferably includes an internal helical spring 21, which exerts a
biasing force for collapsing the hose towards its collapsed
condition. FIGS. 18 and 19 show hose 115 in a fully collapsed
retracted position within the storage housing with handle 23 being
seated within pivotally mounted cradle 45 which actuates switch 53
and is sealed by sealing plate 68.
[0093] Upon an operator removing handle 23 from cradle 45, it will
either automatically start the vacuum source being applied to the
interior of the hose by actuation of switch 53 or by a switch
mounted on the handle (not shown). The operator pulls outwardly on
the hose in the direction of arrow H (FIG. 20) to expand hose 115,
as well as causing sliding seal 116 to move within the interior of
tubing 102, moving from the position of FIG. 19 to that of FIG. 20.
Upon further force being applied to handle 23, hose 115 will expand
further, as well as sliding seal 116 extending further within the
interior of tubing 102 to a fully extended position as shown in
FIG. 21, in which position sliding seal 116 will engage a stop 118
attached to the open end 110 of tubing 102. This enables a greater
length of hose to store within housing 2 and be available to the
user than the construction wherein the inner hose end is firmly
connected to the vacuum inlet tube, as in the embodiments shown
above in FIGS. 1-17. It also reduces the pulling force required by
the user for extending the hose from within the storage
compartment. Again, as in embodiment 1, the vacuum force being
applied to the interior of the hose will apply a retraction force
on the hose, especially when the open end of the handle is closed
assisting the helical spring within the hose to pull the hose
completely from its extended position as shown in FIG. 1 to its
fully retracted position of FIG. 19, as well as collapsing the hose
from its expanded condition of FIG. 21 to its collapsed position of
FIG. 19.
[0094] Embodiment 100 provides a length of tubing which extends in
a serpentine fashion within the housing and contains a length of
expandable and slidably mounted hose in the tubing which, in
combination with the natural expansion of the hose, provides a
considerably greater length of available hose from the storage
compartment without increasing the pulling force required to pull
the hose from within the housing by providing the generally
air-tight seal between sliding seal 116 and the interior of the
rigid tubing 102. It is readily understood that the interior of
tubing 102 is air-tight and that although there may be slight
leakage of air around sliding seal 116, it is minimal so that it
does not greatly affect the vacuum cleaning source applied to the
interior of the hose by the vacuum cleaning motor. Hose 115 can be
of the same type as hose 15 described above or could be a neutrally
biased hose or other type of expandable hose which requires the
mounting of sliding seal 116 on one end thereof and the handle 23
on the other end thereof, while providing the advantages of hose
storage system 1 described above.
[0095] A still further embodiment of the present invention is
indicated generally at 200, and is shown in FIGS. 22-35. Embodiment
200 includes a housing 201 having the general parallelepiped
configuration as that discussed above for the other embodiments. It
includes a pair of side walls 205 and 207, front and back walls 209
and 211 and top and bottom walls 213 and 215 respectively, which
form an internal storage compartment 202 for storing a length of
hose 15 on a plurality of guide rollers 17 as discussed above for
the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-17. Embodiment 200 has a number of
additional features and modifications to enhance its usefulness and
to facilitate the cleaning of a dedicated area.
[0096] One of the additional features is a U-shaped mounting
bracket 204 (FIG. 32) which is adapted to be secured to the base of
a cabinet, such as bracket 12 in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.
Bracket 204 has a generally U-shape with a pair of spaced side
walls 206 and 208 with an intervening flange wall 217. Side walls
206 and 208 are each formed with an elongated projection 210 and
smaller rear projections 212 which are snap-fitted in corresponding
recesses formed in the exterior surface of the spaced side walls
205 and 207 of vacuum storage housing 201. The use of U-shaped
bracket 204 enables housing 201 to be easily snap-fitted into and
removed from a storage cabinet 5 without requiring the loosening
and/or removal of threaded fasteners or other types of attachment
devices. Bracket 204 preferably is formed of a plastic or metal
sufficiently flexible to enable the projections to be snap-fitted
into the housing recesses.
[0097] In accordance with still another feature of embodiment 200,
a one-way latch indicated generally at 216, is pivotally mounted on
front wall 209 of housing 201 (FIGS. 26 and 27). Latch 216
preferably is formed as a stiff metal wire having a curved central
section 218 and two free ends 220 which project into two openings
formed in the housing adjacent side walls 205 and 207 to pivotally
mount latch 216 thereon. Curved central section 218, when in a
latched position with hose 15 as shown in FIG. 27, extends into one
of the grooves or valleys 222 formed in hose 15 by internal helical
spring 21 as shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. To use latch 216, a user
will merely pivot the latch downwardly to the latched position of
FIG. 27 wherein curved central section 218 becomes engaged within
one of the hose grooves 222. This enables a user to merely pull the
hose outwardly from its collapsed position toward the extended
position which will automatically enable the hose to move past the
downwardly pivoted one-way latch. Upon release of this outward
pulling pressure, central section 218 becomes trapped in the most
recently engaged groove 222 preventing the movement of the hose
toward a retracted position. This temporary retention will relieve
all retraction pressure on the hose handle caused by the internal
spring and vacuum source avoiding the user to continually apply a
puffing force on the hose. Manual pivotal movement of latch 216
from its engaged latched position of FIG. 27 to its disengaged
unlatched position of FIG. 26 will then enable the hose to be
retracted into the storage compartment in one of the various
manners discussed above. Latch 216 will not restrict the continued
outward extension of hose 15 but only prevents movement in the
retraction direction.
[0098] Thus, one-way latch 216 provides an extremely simple,
inexpensive and easily used device for maintaining the hose in an
extended position eliminating retraction force on the hose handle
until retraction of the hose into the storage compartment is
desired requiring only the simple manual pivotal movement of the
one-way latch to the position of FIG. 26. Latch 216 can also be
formed of a rigid plastic or have other configurations so long as
it provides a portion which engages grooves 222 of the hose
automatically as the hose is being pulled outwardly from the
storage compartment yet which engagement within a selected groove
will prevent retraction of the hose into the storage compartment
until the latching component is moved out of engagement to an
inactive stored position as shown in FIG. 26.
[0099] Still another feature of embodiment 200 is the use of one or
more tool-holding brackets 224 and 226 secured preferably on top
wall 213 of housing 201 (FIG. 23). Tool-holding brackets 224 and
226 may be formed of a simple strip of metal or plastic preferably
having an upturned end 232 for supporting a tool or cleaning
attachment component 234 (FIG. 24). A ring 236 may also be provided
on one of the tool-holding brackets for holding a cleaning brush
238. Brackets 224 and 226 preferably are attached to top wall 213
by thumb bolts 239 which are threadably received within threaded
holes (not shown) formed in the housing top wall. Tool-holding
brackets 224 and 226 may be formed of metal, plastic or similar
materials and have various shapes and sizes depending upon the
particular configuration of the cleaning attachment or tool to be
supported thereon.
[0100] Another feature of embodiment 200 is the formation of
shallow recesses 240 (FIG. 34) in housing side walls 206 and 208,
which recesses define a majority of the area of the side walls. A
complementary-shaped side wall panel 242 is mounted in each of the
recesses 240 and preferably contains printed indicia of a
decorative or instructional nature as to the use and operation of
the vacuum storage system. Panels 242 are secured within recesses
240 preferably by snap-fit connections (not shown) or other type of
easily releasable connection. Panels 242 preferably are formed of a
thin lightweight plastic and will be installed by the homeowner or
installer after removal of the housing 201 from a shipping box 244
as discussed further below.
[0101] Still another feature of embodiment 200 is the molding of a
plurality of stub shafts 246 (FIGS. 28 and 35) on the interior
surface of the opposed side walls 205 and 207 of housing 201. These
stub shafts form a plurality of shafts 248 for rotatably supporting
guide rollers 17 thereon eliminating the need of installing
separate shafts thereby reducing production and material costs.
Stub shafts 246 are formed integrally on side walls 205 and 207 and
each has a cylindrical configuration and are designated as stub
shafts 246A and 246B. Stub shaft 246A is formed with a hollow
interior 247 and has a small bottom opening 249 through which a
threaded bolt 251 extends into threaded engagement with a threaded
opening 253 formed through the center of stub shaft 246B (FIG. 35).
Stub shafts 246A and 246B are in opposed abutting relationship with
bolt 251 securing the stub shafts together, as well as assisting
and securing housing 201 in an assembled condition. Prior to
securing the stub shafts together, a usual hose guide roller 17 is
rotatably mounted thereon, preferably by a pair of spaced sleeve
bearings 245.
[0102] Another very important addition in embodiment 200 is a
vacuum control system having a control valve indicated generally at
250, which is mounted on a modified hose-receiving cradle 252.
Cradle 252 is shown particularly in FIGS. 28, 29, and 30. Cradle
252 includes a tube section 254 preferably having a tapered bore
256 for slidably receiving the end of hose handle 23 therein. This
tapered bore configuration provides a sliding generally air tight
seal for receiving the end of handle 23. Tube section 254 is
secured to ring 258 which is pivotally mounted by a pivot 260
between housing side walls 205 and 207 and extends outwardly
through an opening 262 formed in housing front wall 209. Ring 258
is formed with a plurality of teeth 264 extending throughout the
majority of its circumference. A boss 266 is formed integrally on
an elongated slide strip 268 which is slidably received within a
groove 270 formed in tube section 254. Boss 266 is slidably
received within a slot 272 formed in a cylindrical collar 274.
Collar 274 is telescopically rotatably and slidably mounted on tube
section 254 and is provided with a series of teeth 276 formed about
an open rear end thereof. Teeth 276 are adapted to releasably and
selectively engage teeth 264 as discussed further below.
[0103] A stop ring 278 is affixed to a grooved end 280 of tube
section 254 to maintain cylindrical collar 274 on tube section 254.
A control knob 282 is secured to the outer end of collar 274 and is
formed with a through bore 284 through which the end of hose handle
23 is inserted when entering tapered bore 256 of tube section 254.
Control knob 282 preferably is provided with a plurality of axially
extending ridges and grooves 286 for ease of grasping and
manipulating knob 282 by a user for controlling the vacuum applied
to internal hose 15 and subsequently to handle 23 as discussed
further below.
[0104] Control knob 282 is movable both in an axial direction as
shown by Arrow A and in a rotational direction B (FIG. 31). Pulling
outwardly on control knob 282 in the forward direction of Arrow A
will slide cylindrical collar 274 including strip 268 and boss 266
along tube section 254 in groove 270 until stopped by stop ring
278. This outward axial movement disengages teeth 264 and 276
enabling knob 282 to be rotated in the direction of Arrow B which
will change the position of boss 266 in slot 272. Strip 268 is
connected to a control cable 288 (FIGS. 28 and 28A) which passes
along the interior of the housing and through an eyelet 290 until
terminating and secured to a connector 292.
[0105] Connecter 292 is secured to a collar 294 which is coaxial
with and slidably mounted on a short section of tube 296. Tube 296
is the vacuum connection tube which connects hose 15 to a vacuum
source. Tube 296 has an outer open end 298 which preferably extends
outwardly from the rear wall 211 of housing 201 for subsequent
connection to a vacuum connection tube such as tubing 35 as shown
in FIG. 7. Tube 296 is secured within an opening (not shown) in the
rear wall of housing 201 by a mounting collar 300 or other type of
connection. Connection tube 296 is formed with a plurality of air
exhaust holes 302 and may have a threaded end opening 304 for ease
of connection to hose 15. A spring 306 extends between connector
292 and collar 300 and biases collar 294 in the direction of Arrow
C (FIG. 28A).
[0106] The operation of the vacuum control system is shown
particularly in FIGS. 28-31. As discussed above, a source of vacuum
is connected to tube end 298 and subsequently to hose 15 through
the hose connection to vacuum tube 296 at open end 304. The user
wishing to change the strength of the vacuum source which is
subsequently applied to handle 23 of hose 15 will pull axially
outwardly on control knob 282 which will move cylindrical collar
274 and slide strip 268 and boss 266 axially along tube section 254
and disengage teeth 276 from teeth 264. Knob 282 is then rotated
which will rotate attached collar 274 resulting in boss 266 moving
along slot 272 which will subsequently move boss 266 and strip 268
in the direction of Arrow D (FIG. 30). Axial movement of strip 268
will move attached cable 288 and subsequently attached collar 294
(FIG. 28A) along vacuum connection tube 296. Movement of collar 294
will either cover or expose more holes 302 depending upon its
direction of movement thereby controlling the strength of the
vacuum due to the amount of holes which communicate with the
surrounding atmosphere within storage compartment 202. Thus, if
more holes 302 are exposed upon the movement of collar 294, the
vacuum applied to the open end of handle 23 will be reduced and
vice versa the more holes 302 that are covered by collar 294 will
increase the strength of the vacuum at the open end of handle
23.
[0107] Thus, a user merely grasps control knob 282 and slides, it
slightly outwardly and rotates it in either direction for
increasing or decreasing the vacuum force on handle 23 by the
movement of boss 266 and strip 268 and subsequently the sliding
movement of control collar 294 along tube 296 through cable 288.
Upon the inward movement of control knob 282 and subsequently
cylindrical collar 274, the engagement of teeth 276 with teeth 264
on pivot collar 258 will set the control knob at a desired
position. Thus, the vacuum control system enables the user to
easily control the strength of the vacuum source by the mere axial
movement and rotation of control knob 282 and once it is adjusted
will remain at the desired strength until a readjustment is
desired.
[0108] A control switch holder 308 is pivotally mounted adjacent to
the vacuum control mechanism as shown in FIGS. 28 and 29, for
mounting an ON/OFF switch (not shown) similar to switch 53
discussed above.
[0109] Still another feature of embodiment 200 is the formation of
a plurality of holes 312 in each side wall of housing 201 provided
by the hollow interiors 247 and 310 of stub shafts 246A and 246B.
Holes 312 are formed easily in the side walls when molding the stub
shafts thereon. Holes 312 facilitate the packaging and shipping of
housing 201 as shown particularly in FIGS. 34 and 34A. Each housing
201 preferably is contained and shipped in a separate shipping box
314. Box 314 will have a usual parallelepiped configuration with
spaced end walls 315, side walls 317 and a bottom wall 319 forming
an internal storage compartment 320 preferably closed by four top
closure flaps 322. A pair of shipping panels 316, preferably formed
of a corrugated cardboard material as is box 314, are used for
securing housing 201 safely within storage compartment 320. Each
panel 316 has a dimension equal to the inside dimension of box
314.
[0110] A plurality of studs 318 (FIGS. 34 and 35) are inserted
through a plurality of holes 324 formed in each shipping panel 316
and extend into side wall holes 312 formed by stub shaft interiors
247 and 310. Housing 201 then is placed in the box storage
compartment with studs 318 extending into holes 312 which are
aligned therewith. Next an upper panel 316 is placed onto the
opposite side of housing 201 with studs 318 extending through panel
holes 324 trapping housing 201 therebetween as shown particularly
in FIG. 35. Studs 318 preferably have an annular flange 325 which
will place shipping panels 316 in a slightly spaced relationship
shown by spacing 327 from box bottom wall 319 and the adjacent
closure flap 322. This provides a slight crush zone between the
sides of housing 201 and shipping box 314.
[0111] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 34A, when housing 201 is
placed within shipping box 314 and aligned therein by the insertion
of studs 318 in holes 312, a space 329 will be provided between the
front and back walls of housing 201 and side walls 315 of box 314.
Furthermore, a spacing 330 will be provided between the top of
housing 201 and wall 317 of box 314. Preferably, a larger open
space 331 is provided between the bottom of housing 201 and box
side wall 317 than the spacing provided adjacent the other three
sides of housing 201 to provide space large enough to accommodate
some floor tools that may be shipped in the shipping box. These
spaces provide crush zones providing additional protection to
housing 201 eliminating the need for additional package material
and the expenses associated therewith. This feature again is
provided during the molding of guide wheel roller stub shafts
246.
[0112] A second shipping panel 316 (not shown in FIGS. 34 and 34A)
will be shipped separately in storage compartment 320 of shipping
box 314 and will be snap-fitted into one or both of the shallow
recesses 240 prior to installing housing 201 in mounting bracket
204 or other type of mounting assembly. Preferably, one of the
snap-in panels 242 will have operating instructions or other
indicia printed thereon and this will be placed in the recess on
the exposed side of the housing which is easily visualized by
inspection of FIG. 1, so as to be readily seen by the homeowner and
user of the improved vacuum hose storage system.
[0113] Thus, the third embodiment 200 of the improved hose storage
system provides a considerable number of additional advantages than
the hose storage system of embodiment 1 and in particular, the
vacuum strength control valve facilitated by control knob 282; the
one-way hose latch 216 provided by the inexpensive and the
pivotally mounted stiff wire; the ease of incorporation of sundry
tool holders attached by thumb bolts 239 to the housing top wall;
the removable side panels 242 which are snap-fitted into one or
more of the pair of recesses 240; the U-shaped mounting bracket 204
which snap-fittedly mounts housing 201 within a storage cabinet;
and the molding of the pair of opposed stub shafts for forming hose
reel shaft 248 for the rotatable mounting of hose guide rollers 17
thereon.
[0114] In the foregoing description, certain terms have been used
for brevity, clearness, and understanding. No unnecessary
limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirement of
the prior art because such terms are used for descriptive purposes
and are intended to be broadly construed.
[0115] Moreover, the description and illustration of the invention
is an example and the invention is not limited to the exact details
shown or described.
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