U.S. patent application number 15/227396 was filed with the patent office on 2018-02-08 for vacuum accessory storage system and method.
The applicant listed for this patent is SHOP VAC CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Kevin D. Fry.
Application Number | 20180035857 15/227396 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 61066565 |
Filed Date | 2018-02-08 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180035857 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Fry; Kevin D. |
February 8, 2018 |
VACUUM ACCESSORY STORAGE SYSTEM AND METHOD
Abstract
A vacuum accessory storage system includes an elongate rail and
an accessory holder that mounts to the elongate rail in order to
store a vacuum accessory. The accessory holder may slide along the
length of the rail to any selected one of several possible
locations. The rail may be mounted to a support structure, such as
a wall. The accessory holder is configured to hold a vacuum
accessory. One or more rails may be mounted to one or more support
in any number of different arrangements, and many different
arrangements and types of accessory holders may be mounted to the
rails, such that the storage system allows for an easily expandable
and customizable system that can be tailored to the individual
needs of a given user.
Inventors: |
Fry; Kevin D.; (South
Williamsport, PA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
SHOP VAC CORPORATION |
Williamsport |
PA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
61066565 |
Appl. No.: |
15/227396 |
Filed: |
August 3, 2016 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47B 81/02 20130101;
A47G 29/00 20130101; A47L 9/248 20130101; A47L 9/0063 20130101;
A47B 96/067 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A47L 9/24 20060101
A47L009/24; A47B 81/02 20060101 A47B081/02; A47G 29/00 20060101
A47G029/00 |
Claims
1-12. (canceled)
13. A method of storing vacuum accessories with a vacuum accessory
storage system including an elongate rail having a length extending
from first end to a second end and an accessory holder that mounts
to the elongate rail, the method comprising: mounting the accessory
holder onto an end of the rail; sliding the accessory holder to a
selected location along the length of the rail; and coupling a
vacuum accessory to the accessory holder; whereby the rail supports
the accessory holder, and the accessory holder supports the vacuum
accessory.
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: disengaging a lock
on the accessory holder to unlock the accessory holder and slide
the accessory holder along the rail; and engaging the lock to lock
the accessory holder at the selected location.
15. The method of claim 13, further comprising: mounting a second
accessory holder onto an end of the rail; sliding the second
accessory holder to a second selected location along the length of
the rail; and coupling a second vacuum accessory to the second
accessory holder.
16. The method of claim 13, further comprising: attaching the rail
to a support surface.
17. The method of claim 16, further comprising: attaching a second
rail to the support surface; mounting a second accessory holder
onto an end of the second rail; sliding the second accessory holder
to a second selected location along the length of the second rail;
and coupling the vacuum accessory to the second accessory
holder.
18-21. (canceled)
22. A vacuum accessory storage system that has: a rail that has a
back side that is adapted to be mounted to a wall; a row of spaced
teeth that are on the rail and are arranged on a plane that extends
along the length of the rail between two lateral ends, parallel to
the back side of the rail; an accessory holder that holds a vacuum
accessory and selectively mounts to the rail for movement along the
length of the rail between the lateral ends; an engagement member
that is on the accessory holder and releasably seats between the
spaced teeth on the rail, selectively locking the accessory holder
against movement along the length of the rail; and a release member
that is on the accessory holder and is arranged for being
resiliently displaced toward the back side of the rail, causing the
engagement surface to move out of the plane of the spaced teeth and
thus freeing the accessory holder for movement along the length of
the rail.
23. The vacuum accessory storage system of claim 22, in which: the
spaced teeth have facing edges that are generally perpendicular to
the length of the rail; and the engagement member has lateral sides
that extend generally perpendicularly to the length of the
rail.
24. The vacuum accessory storage system of claim 22, in which the
rail slides in a channel on the accessory holder that is defined by
a) an upper angle member that protrudes from a back side of
accessory holder and b) a lower angle member that protrudes from
the back side of the accessory holder.
25. The vacuum accessory storage system of claim 22, in which the
accessory holder is arranged to lock the accessory holder at each
one of a plurality of locations along the length of the rail.
26. The vacuum accessory storage system of claim 22, in which the
rail has a central web, an upper track that extends along an upper
edge of the central web along the length of the rail, and a lower
track that extends along a lower edge of the central web along the
length of the rail, and the upper track and the lower track are
each slidingly received within a channel on a back side of the
accessory holder.
27. The vacuum accessory storage system of claim 22, in which the
accessory holder has a channel that slides over the end of the
rail, and at least one of the ends of the rail is tapered and
guides the rail into the channel.
28. A vacuum accessory storage system that has: a rail that has a
back side that is adapted to be mounted to a wall; a row of spaced
teeth that are on the rail and are arranged on a plane that extends
along the length of the rail between two lateral ends, parallel to
the back side of the rail; facing edges on the spaced teeth that
are generally perpendicular to the length of the rail; an accessory
holder that holds a vacuum accessory and selectively mounts to the
rail for movement along the length of the rail between the lateral
ends; an engagement member that is on the accessory holder, has
lateral sides that extend generally perpendicularly to the length
of the rail, and releasably seats between the spaced teeth on the
rail, selectively locking the accessory holder against movement
along the length of the rail; and a release member that is on the
accessory holder and is arranged for being resiliently displaced
while the accessory holder is on mounted on the rail, causing the
engagement surface to move out of engagement with the spaced teeth
and thus freeing the accessory holder for movement along the length
of the rail.
29. The vacuum accessory storage system of claim 28, in which the
rail slides in a channel that is defined by a) an upper angle
member that protrudes from a back side of the accessory holder and
b) a lower angle member that protrudes from the back side of the
accessory holder.
30. The vacuum accessory storage system of claim 28, in which the
accessory holder is arranged to lock the accessory holder at each
one of a plurality of locations along the length of the rail.
31. The vacuum accessory storage system of claim 28, in which the
rail has a central web, an upper track that extends along an upper
edge of the central web along the length of the rail, and a lower
track that extends along a lower edge of the central web along the
length of the rail, and the upper track and the lower track are
slidingly received within a channel on a back side of the accessory
holder.
32. The vacuum accessory storage system of claim 28, in which the
accessory holder has a channel that slides over the end of the
rail, and at least one of the ends of the rail is tapered and
guides the rail into the channel.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates generally to a system and
method for storing vacuum accessories, and more particularly, to a
system with one or more accessory holders that mount to one or more
rails and configured to store one or more vacuum accessories.
BACKGROUND
[0002] A vacuum cleaner, and in particular a vacuum cleaner
designed for home or shop use, typically includes a vacuum assembly
and a collection bin or tank that are provided together as a
single, often easily movable, unit that draws a vacuum and collects
debris. Typically, there may be several accessories that may be
attached interchangeably to some portion of the vacuum cleaner.
Each accessory typically is designed to meet a particular
functional purpose. Some typical accessories include different
nozzles of various shapes and sizes, extension tubes, and/or hoses,
that are adapted to be releasably attached to the vacuum cleaner,
such as interchangeably and operatively attached to a vacuum inlet
into tank or to a hose or tube attached to the vacuum inlet to
provide the user with various different functional benefits
relative to each accessory, in a manner well understood in the
art.
[0003] For a user, having multiple different accessories for use
with the vacuum cleaner can be very convenient and helpful.
However, as the number of different accessories grows, so too grows
the challenge to store the accessories in a neat and orderly
manner. While many different methods of storing the accessories are
possible, many are either confined to a specific location and/or
arrangement of specific accessories, or do not provide a neat and
orderly arrangement.
SUMMARY
[0004] It is an object of the vacuum accessory storage system of
the present disclosure to provide an improved system for storing
one or more vacuum accessories.
[0005] According to some aspects of the present disclosure, a
vacuum accessory storage system includes an elongate rail having a
length extending from first end to a second end, and an accessory
holder that mounts to the elongate rail, for example, in order to
store a vacuum accessory. In some arrangements, the accessory
holder may include a body having a front side and a back side, and
at least one bracket disposed on the front side that holds a vacuum
accessory. The back side of the accessory holder may slidably mount
to the rail, such that the rail supports the accessory holder, and
the accessory holder slides along the length of the rail.
[0006] According to some aspects of the present disclosure, a
method of storing vacuum accessories with a vacuum accessory
storage system as disclosed herein includes mounting the accessory
holder onto an end of the rail, sliding the accessory holder to a
selected location along the length of the rail, and coupling a
vacuum accessory to the accessory holder. Optionally, the rail may
be attached to a support surface, such as a wall. In some
arrangements, the rail supports the accessory holder, and the
accessory holder supports the vacuum accessory, for example, for
storage when not in use on the vacuum cleaner.
[0007] According to some aspects of the present disclosure, an
accessory holder configured to hold a vacuum accessory includes a
body, at least one bracket that holds a vacuum accessory, and a
channel that slidably receives an elongate rail to slidably mount
the accessory holder to a rail. The bracket may be disposed on a
front side of the body, and the channel may be disposed on a back
side of the body.
[0008] In further accordance with any one or more of the foregoing
aspects and exemplary arrangements, a vacuum accessory storage
system, accessory holder, and/or a method of storing vacuum
accessories according to the teachings of the present disclosure
may include any one or more of the following optional features
and/or forms.
[0009] In some arrangements, the bracket or brackets may be
configured to be complementary to and releasably hold at least one
vacuum accessory. For example, the bracket or brackets may be
configured to releasably hold any one or more of a vacuum tube, a
vacuum nozzle, and a round brush. The brackets may be complementary
to and configured to releasably hold other various different types,
shapes, and sizes of vacuum accessories. Preferably, although not
necessarily, the brackets are configured to correspond and be
complementary to only one type, shape, and size of vacuum
accessory.
[0010] In some arrangements, the accessory holder may include a
channel on the back side of the body that slidably receives the
elongate rail. To operatively mount the accessory holder to the
rail, the channel of the accessory holder may slide over the end of
the rail. An end of the rail may be tapered, such as by being
rounded, so that the tapered end helps guide the rail into the
channel. The channel may be defined by one or more angle members.
For example, the accessory holder may have an upper angle member
protruding from the back side of the body and a lower angle member
protruding from the back side of the body, which together may
define all or at least a portion of the channel along the back side
of the body.
[0011] In some arrangements, the accessory holder may include a
lock that locks the accessory holder at each one of a plurality of
locations along the length of the elongate rail. The lock may
include an engagement member that is resiliently urged toward a
locked position against the rail and a release member that, when
pushed, moves the engagement member to an unlocked position away
from the rail. The lock may have the form of a resilient tab with
the shape of an angle member, which may also help define a portion
of the channel.
[0012] In some arrangements, the elongate rail may include a
plurality of teeth spaced apart from each other along the length of
the elongate rail. The engagement member of the lock may engage the
teeth in the locked position to lock the accessory holder in one of
the locations along the length of the elongate rail. The engagement
member of the lock may disengage from the teeth in the unlocked
position to allow the accessory holder to slide along the length of
the rail.
[0013] In some arrangements, the rail may have a central web, an
upper track extending along an upper edge of the central web,
and/or a lower track extending along a lower edge of the central
web. One or both of the upper track and the lower track may extend
along the entire length of the rail. One or both of the upper track
and the lower track may be slidingly received within the channel on
the back side of the accessory holder. The upper track may include
an upper flange extending upwardly from the central web and forming
an elongate upper groove extending along a portion of or the entire
length of the rail. The upper track may be smooth along its entire
length or may have the teeth for engaging the lock. The teeth may
be disposed within the elongate upper groove and spaced apart from
each other along the length of the elongate rail. The lower track
may include a lower flange extending downwardly from the central
web and forming an elongate lower groove extending along a portion
of or the entire length of the rail. The lower groove may be smooth
along its entire length or may have teeth for engaging the
lock.
[0014] In some arrangements, the location of the accessory holder
may be adjusted along the rail, for example, by disengaging the
lock on the accessory holder to unlock the accessory holder and
sliding the accessory holder along the rail. The accessory holder
may be locked at a selected location along the rail, for example,
by engaging the lock to lock the accessory holder at the selected
location.
[0015] In some arrangements, a second accessory holder may be
mounted onto an end of the rail. The second accessory holder may be
slid to a second selected location along the length of the rail. A
second vacuum accessory may be coupled to the second accessory
holder.
[0016] In some arrangements, a second rail may be attached to the
support surface. A second accessory holder may be mounted onto an
end of the second rail. The second accessory holder may be slid to
a second selected location along the length of the second rail. One
of the vacuum accessories may be coupled to the second accessory
holder.
[0017] The vacuum accessory storage system disclosed herein is
believed to provide the user with an easy system of storing vacuum
accessories in a neat and orderly manner. The vacuum accessory
storage system may be customizable and easily adapted for
installation in different locations and arrangements and to store
different combinations of vacuum accessories. The vacuum accessory
storage system may be easily expanded and/or may be contracked to
accommodate additional or fewer accessories.
[0018] Additional optional aspects, arrangements, forms, and/or
advantages of the vacuum accessory storage system disclosed herein
will be apparent upon consideration of the following detailed
description and the appended drawings, each different functionally
operable and technically effective combination of which is
expressly included as a part of the present disclosure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0019] FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a vacuum accessory
storage system assembled according to some aspects of the present
disclosure;
[0020] FIG. 2 is a front perspective exploded view of the vacuum
accessory storage system of FIG. 1;
[0021] FIG. 3 is a rear isometric view of an accessory holder and
rail of FIG. 1;
[0022] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the vacuum accessory,
accessory holder, and rail operatively mounted on a wall along the
lines 4-4 of FIG. 1;
[0023] FIG. 5 is an enlarged detail cross-sectional view of the
circled portion of FIG. 4 showing a slide lock of the accessory
holder in a locked position; and
[0024] FIG. 6 is an enlarged detail cross-sectional view of the
circled portion of FIG. 4 showing the slide lock of the accessory
holder in an unlocked position.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0025] Turning now to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2 show one
exemplary arrangement of a vacuum accessory storage system 10 in
accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure. The vacuum
accessory storage system 10 includes at least one elongate rail 12
and at least one accessory holder 14 that mounts to the elongate
rail 12. The term accessory holder 14, as used hereinafter, refers
to any one of the specific types of accessory holders 14a-d as the
description relates to common elements across all of the individual
types of accessory holders 14a-d. Each accessory holder 14a-d is
configured to releasably couple to and carry a different vacuum
accessory 16, 18, or 20. Each accessory holder 14 includes a body
22 having a front side 24 (visible in FIG. 1) and a backside 26
(visible in FIG. 3). At least one bracket 28 is disposed on the
front side of the body and configured to releasably hold one of the
vacuum accessories 16-20. The backside 26 of the accessory holder
14 slidably mounts to one of the rails 12 such that the rail 12
supports the accessory holder 14 and the accessory holder 14 can
slide along the length of the rail. Thus, a vacuum accessory may be
stored on the front side 24 of the accessory holder 14, while the
back side is slidably attached to the rail 12.
[0026] In the depicted arrangement, two elongate rails 12 are
shown. However, the storage system 10 could include only a single
elongate rail 12 or more than two elongate rails. Each of the rails
12 has a length extending along an axis from the first end to a
second end and is configured to be mounted to a support structure.
In this exemplary arrangement, each of the elongate rails 12 is
mounted to a wall 30. However, the rails 12 can be mounted to any
support structure suitable for supporting the rails 12 and the
vacuum accessories 16-20. For example, the rails 12 could be
mounted to a column, a ceiling, a floor, a workbench, or any other
type of suitable support structure, as would be understood in the
art. In the present example, the rails may be attached to the wall
30 with fasteners, such as screws or nails, extending through
opposite ends of the rail and into the wall. However, the rails 12
may be mounted to the support structure in any suitable fashion,
such as with other fasteners, adhesive, clips, clamps, magnets, and
so on.
[0027] In addition, in this exemplary arrangement, four different
individual accessory holders 14 are depicted, each of which is
specially adapted to hold a different vacuum accessory 16, 18, or
20. For example, accessory holders 14a and 14b are configured to
releasably hold a pair of extension tubes (also called wands) 16.
Accessory holder 14c is configured to releasably hold a vacuum
nozzle 18. Accessory holder 14d is configured to releasably hold a
round brush 20. However, fewer or more accessory holders 14 and/or
different types of accessory holders 14 may be operatively used
with the rails 12 as part of a vacuum accessory storage system 10
in accordance with the present teachings. To accomplish this, each
different type of accessory holder 14 may include a different type
of bracket or set of brackets 28. Each bracket or set of brackets
28 is specifically configured to releasably hold a respective one
of the accessories 16, 18, or 20. For example, the accessory
holders 14a and 14b include brackets 28 that are complementary to
and configured to releasably hold the vacuum tubes 16. The
accessory holder 14c includes brackets 28 that are complementary to
and configured to releasably hold the nozzle 18. The accessory
holder 14d includes brackets 28 that are complementary to and
configured to releasably hold the round brush. The specific
configurations of the brackets 28 relative to each different vacuum
accessory 16-20 may take any of various forms suitable for
releasably holding the given vacuum accessory 16, 18, or 20.
Further, the accessory holders may include additional types of
brackets 28 which are adapted and configured to couple to yet other
types, forms, and/or shapes of vacuum accessories.
[0028] From the above description, it can be seen that the vacuum
accessory storage system 10 can provide significant flexibility to
a user to adapt the storage system 10 to accommodate more or fewer
vacuum accessories, different support arrangements, and so on. The
storage system 10 is expandable and/or modular such that the system
can be extended to store additional different types of vacuum
accessories and can be expanded and/or rearranged by a user. The
storage system 10 also allows the user to mix and match what types
of accessory holders 14 to use as part of the storage system 10,
which allows the user to easily adapt the storage system 10 to any
of many different sets of vacuum accessories.
[0029] In FIG. 3, it can be seen that the accessory holder 14
includes a channel 32 on the backside 26 of the body 22. The
channel 32 extends between opposite open ends and is shaped and
sized to slidably receive the rail 12 so that the accessory holder
14 slides over either end of the rail 12 and then slides along the
axis of the rail 12. In this way, the accessory holder 14 can be
slidably positioned in any desired position between the opposite
first and second ends of the rail 12. The channel 32 may be formed
in any suitable manner capable of slidably receiving the rail 12 as
described above. In this exemplary arrangement, the channel 32 is
defined by a plurality of angle members, including at least one
upper angle member 34a and at least one lower angle member 34b,
extending outwardly from a back side of the body 22 and defining
opposite upper and lower edges of the channel 32. In this
arrangement, the accessory holder 14 includes two such upper angle
members 34a and one such lower angle member 34b, which are spaced
apart vertically (as seen in the drawing) to define the channel 32
there between. However, the channel 32 may be formed by any number
of angle members and/or by other structures suitable for forming
the channel 32 along a back side of the body 22 of the accessory
holder 14 capable of slidably receiving the rail 12
therethrough.
[0030] One or both of the ends of the rail 12 may be tapered, which
may make it easier to guide the end of the rail 12 into either end
of the channel 32. The tapered ends may take any of many different
forms. In the depicted example, each end is rounded with a
semi-circular radius. However, the tapered ends may have a
wedge-shaped taper or any other similar taper that leads from a
thinner profile at the end tip of the rail to a thicker profile
along the majority of the length of the rail 12.
[0031] As best seen in FIGS. 3-6, in the exemplary arrangement of
the drawings, the rail 12 includes an elongate central web 36
extending along the axis from the first end of the rail to the
second end of the rail. An upper track 38 extends along the upper
edge of the central web 36 from the first end of the rail to the
second end of the rail 12. A lower track 40 extends along the lower
edge of the central web from the first end of the rail to the
second end of the rail. When the accessory holder 14 is operatively
mounted onto the rail 12, each of the central web 36, the upper
track 38, and the lower track 40 are disposed within the channel
32, and the upper track 38 engages the upper wall of the channel 32
and the lower track 40 engages the lower wall of the channel 32. In
this arrangement, the upper track 38 is formed by an upper flange
42 the projects upwardly from the top edge of the central web 36.
The back side of the upper flange 42 is offset inwardly from the
backside of the central web 36, thereby forming an elongate upper
groove 44 that extends along the backside of the rail 12, which is
configured to be facing the support surface, such as the wall 30,
when operatively mounted thereon, along the entire length of the
rail. Similarly, the lower track 40 is formed by a lower flange 46
that projects downwardly from the bottom edge of the central web
36. The backside of the lower flange 46 is offset inwardly from the
backside of the central web 36, thereby forming an elongate lower
groove 48 that extends along the backside of the rail along its
entire length. Thus, when the backside of the rail 12 is mounted
against a support surface, such as the wall 30, the upper groove 44
and the lower groove 48 are formed between respective upper flange
42 and lower flange 46 and the opposing surface of the wall 30.
Thus, when the accessory holder 14 is mounted onto the rail 12, the
downwardly extended flanges of the upper angle members 34a slide
into the upper groove 44 and the upwardly extending flange of the
lower angle member 34b slides into the lower groove 48, and thereby
prevent the accessory holder 14 from falling off the rail 12. It is
contemplated, however, that the exact form of the rails 12 and the
channel 32 may take different forms suitable for slidably mounting
the accessory holder 14 to the rail 12, and need not necessarily be
limited to the shapes and forms shown in the drawings.
[0032] Optionally, the accessory holder 14 can include a lock 50 to
lock the accessory holder at any selected location along the length
of the rail 12. As best seen in FIGS. 3-6, the lock 50 includes an
engagement member 52 and a release member 54. The engagement member
52 is configured to resiliently press against and/or engage the
rail 12 to lock the accessory holder 14 in a selected location
along the rail 12. The release member 54, when pushed by a user,
moves the engagement member 52 to an unlocked position disengaged
from the rail 12. In the exemplary arrangement of the drawings,
both the release member and the engagement member 52 are formed as
different parts of a resilient tab that is partially cut out of the
body 22. The tab is shaped as an angle member that also helps
define the upper edge of the channel 32. Preferably, at least the
body 22, and preferably the entire accessory holder 14, is formed
of relatively rigid plastic, such as by injection molding, so that
the tab forming the engagement member 52 and the release member 54
can be resiliently pushed inwardly as shown by the arrow A in FIG.
6 and will spring back to its normal position shown in FIG. 5 when
nothing is pushing against it. However, the lock 50 does not need
to be limited to the exact arrangement shown in the drawings, but
rather may take other forms that include an engagement member 52 to
lockingly engage the rail 12 and a release member 54 to disengage
the engagement member 52 from the rail 12 when it is desired to
slide the accessory holder 14 along the length of the rail 12.
[0033] Optionally, the elongate rail 12 may include a plurality of
teeth 56 axially spaced apart from each other along the length of
the elongate rail configured to interact with the lock 50 to
provide a positive locking action of the accessory holder 14 with
the rail 12. In this arrangement, the teeth 56 are disposed in an
along the upper groove 44, extending almost entirely from the first
end to the second end of the upper groove 44. Thus, the teeth 56
define alternating projections and recesses along the upper groove
44. The engagement member 52 of the lock 50 is formed by a
downwardly projecting finger or flange member of the resilient tab
that fits into the recesses between adjacent teeth 56. In the
locked position, as shown in detail in FIG. 5, the release member
54 is in its unstressed normal position and the engagement member
52 sits in one of the recesses between adjacent teeth 56, in which
position the engagement member 52 prevents the accessory holder 14
from sliding axially along the length of the rail 12 by abutting
against the side of the adjacent teeth 56. In the unlocked
position, as shown in detail in FIG. 6, the release member 54 is
pushed inwardly in the direction A, for example by a user's finger,
which pushes the engagement member 52 out of the recess between the
teeth 56, in which position, the accessory holder 14 can slide
axially along the length of the rail 12. When pressure is removed
from the release member 54, the entire tab including the engagement
member 52 springs back to the locked position shown in FIG. 52 and
again locks the accessory holder 14 at a selected position along
the rail 12. It is understood that the lock 50 could simply clamp
against a portion of the rail 12 without including the teeth 56.
However, addition of the teeth 56 may provide an even more secure
locking mechanism to maintain the accessory holder 14 in any one of
a plurality of different selected locations along the length of the
rail 12. The lower groove 48 in this arrangement does not include
any teeth, but rather is smooth along its entire length. However,
in other arrangements, the lower groove 48 could also or
alternatively include teeth 56 to engage with the lock 50, either
in the exemplary form shown in the drawings or in another form.
[0034] The vacuum accessory storage system 10 can be used to store
vacuum accessories, such as 16-20 and/or other types of vacuum
accessories, in many different ways and methods. In fact, one of
the advantages of the storage system 10 is its flexibility and
adaptability to be used in many different ways. In one anticipated
method, an accessory holder 14 is mounted onto the end of one of
the rails 12, for example, by inserting one of the ends of the rail
12 into one of the ends of the channel 32. Thereafter, the
accessory holder 14 may be slid along the length of the rail 12 to
any selected one of many different potential locations along the
length of the rail 12. The appropriate vacuum accessory 16, 18, or
20 may be coupled to the accessory holder 14 at any convenient time
either before or after the accessory holder 14 has been mounted to
the rail 12 and/or slid to the selected location along the rail 12.
In the exemplary arrangement of the drawings, it may be most
convenient to couple the vacuum accessory to the accessory holder
14 after the accessory holder has been slid and locked into the a
desired position along the rail because the front side of the
release member 54 of the lock 50 is covered by the vacuum accessory
when operatively mounted to the accessory holder 14 with the
brackets 28. However, in some arrangements, the lock 50 may be
positioned on the accessory holder 14 in such an arrangement that
the vacuum accessory does not cover the release member 54 when
operatively mounted, or the accessory holder 14 may completely omit
the lock 50, in either of which cases the accessory holder 14 can
be adjusted along the length of the rail 12 with the vacuum
accessory operatively mounted thereto. Assuming the rail 12 is
attached to and/or supported by a suitable support structure,
either before or after the accessory folder 14 has been mounted
thereon, the rail 12 in this arrangement thereby supports the
accessory holder 14, which in turn supports the respective one of
the vacuum accessories 16, 18, or 20 for storage.
[0035] In the arrangement in which the accessory holder 14 includes
the lock 50, the lock 50 may be disengage, for example by pushing
in the release member 54 in the direction of the arrow A, and the
accessory holder 14 may then be slid along the length of the rail
12 with the lock 50 so disengaged. Then, when the accessory holder
14 is located at a selected location along the rail 12, the lock 50
is reengaged, for example by removing the pressure from against the
release member 54, such that the engagement member 52 resiliently
springs back towards the locked position against the rail 12 and/or
between the teeth 56, thereby locking the accessory holder 14 in
the selected position along the rail 12.
[0036] The vacuum accessory storage system 10 may be used with a
single rail 12 and one or more various accessory holders 14
operatively mounted to the rail 12 as described above. However, as
is shown in the figures, the vacuum accessory storage system 10 may
be expanded to include more than one rail 12. For example, in the
arrangement shown in the drawings, an upper rail 12 and a lower
rail 12 are attached to a support surface, such as the wall 12. The
accessory holder 14c may be operatively mounted to the upper rail
12 in order to store the nozzle 18. The accessory holder 14d may be
operatively mounted to the lower rail 12 in order to store the
round brush 20. In order to store the vacuum tubes 16, an upper
accessory holder 14a is operatively mounted to the upper rail 12
and a lower accessory holder 14d is operatively mounted to the
lower rail 12 directly below the upper accessory holder 14a. In
this arrangement, a lower end of each vacuum tube 16 is mounted to
the lower accessory holder 14b with the appropriate brackets 28,
and an upper portion of each vacuum tube 16 is mounted to the upper
accessory holder 14a with the appropriate brackets 28. Of course,
this is just one exemplary arrangement of a nearly infinite number
of arrangements that could be implemented by a user depending upon
the specific support structure circumstances and/or which vacuum
accessories the user wishes to store.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
[0037] A vacuum accessory storage system according the teachings of
the present disclosure provides a convenient way to easily and
neatly store any number and variety of different vacuum
accessories. The vacuum accessory storage system may be adapted
and/or configured for use with other types of vacuum cleaners to
provide improved user configurability for carrying various vacuum
attachments.
[0038] The technical examples described and shown in detail herein
are only exemplary of one or more aspects of the teachings of the
present disclosure. Additional aspects, arrangements, and forms
within the scope of the appended claims and all technically
operative combinations of features disclosed herein are
contemplated, the rights to which are expressly reserved.
* * * * *