Electrified extension hose for vacuum cleaner

Abstract

An electrical extension hose includes a flexible hose body having first and second ends. A first electrified coupler is provided at the first end. A second electrified coupler is provided at the second end. At least two electrical conductors interconnect the first and second couplers. Further, the first and second couplers are capable of mating interconnection. Thus any number of electrical extension hoses may be connected together to construct a working hose of desired length.

Description

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/490,633 filed on Jul. 28, 2003.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to the floor care equipment field and, more particularly, to an electrified extension hose for a vacuum cleaner specially designed to allow one or more such extension hoses to be connected together so the vacuum cleaner operator may construct a hose of desired length.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It has long been known in the art to equip canister vacuum cleaners with an electrified hose in order to power a motor for driving the rotary agitator of a power nozzle assembly. More recently, stretch hoses have been utilized so that the operator has an additional length of hose to allow operation of the power nozzle assembly a greater distance from the canister of the vacuum cleaner.

In a recent development, the assignee of the present invention has designed an upright vacuum cleaner incorporating a small powerhead and equipped with a stretch hose in order to power the motor for driving the rotary agitator of that powerhead.

While such vacuum cleaner designs are particularly useful and beneficial for an operator, some operators have been frustrated by the limited length of hose that is provided on such vacuum cleaners. The present invention relates to an electrified extension hose. Any number of segments of such an extension hose may be connected together in order to provide a stretch hose of substantially any desired length for substantially any vacuum cleaner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the purposes of the present invention as described herein, an electrified extension hose is provided. The electrified extension hose includes a flexible body having a first end and a second end. A first coupler is provided on a first end of the hose body. A second coupler is provided on the second end of the hose body. First and second electrical terminals are provided on that first coupler. Third and fourth electrical terminals are provided on that second coupler.

A first electrical conductor carried on the hose body connects the first and third electrical terminals. A second electrical conductor carried on the hose body connects the second and fourth electrical terminals. The electrified extension hose is further characterized by at least one of the first and second couplers being capable of mating with a cooperating electrical coupler on another hose.

Further describing the invention, the hose body includes a reinforcing wire and a collapsible wall. Further, the first coupler carries a first connector and the second coupler carries a second connector. In one possible embodiment the first and second connectors are cooperating male and female connectors that secure two like hoses together.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention the electrified extension hose may be defined as comprising a flexible hose body having a first end and a second end. A first electrified coupler is provided at the first end while a second electrified coupler is provided at the second end. At least two electrical conductors interconnect the first and second electrified couplers. Further, the first and second electrified couplers are capable of mating interconnection.

In the following description there is shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention, simply by way of illustration of one of the modes best suited to carry out the invention. As it will be realized, the invention is capable of other different embodiments and its several details are capable of modification in various, obvious aspects all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions will be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

The accompanying drawing incorporated in and forming a part of this specification, illustrates several aspects of the present invention, and together with the description serves to explain certain principles of the invention. In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the electrified extension hose of the present invention connected between a wand and an original equipment hose of a canister vacuum cleaner;

FIG. 2 is a detailed, perspective view of a first coupler on a first end of the hose body;

FIG. 3 is a detailed, perspective view of the second coupler on the second end of the hose body; and

FIG. 4 is a detailed, cross-sectional view showing the interconnection of a first coupler on the first end of the extension hose with a coupler on another hose such as an original equipment hose of the canister vacuum cleaner illustrated in FIG. 1.

Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiment of the invention, an example of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference is now made to FIG. 1 showing the electrified extension hose 10 of the present invention in use interconnecting the original equipment hose H and wand W of the canister vacuum cleaner V. As illustrated, that vacuum cleaner V includes a canister housing C mounted on wheels L for movement across the floor. The wand W carries a powerhead P including a motor driven rotary agitator A. A switch S on the wand W allows the operator to turn on both the suction generator G in the canister housing and the motor M of the powerhead P for driving the agitator A. Advantageously, the extension hose 10 of the present invention includes the necessary electrical circuitry to allow proper interconnection between the switch S on the wand W, the motor M in the powerhead P and the suction generator G in the canister housing C to allow proper operation.

The electrified extension hose 10 includes a flexible hose body 12 including a lumen that defines a dirty air pathway. The hose body 12 has a first end 14 and a second end 16. The hose body 12 is constructed from a flexible resin that is molded around a coiled reinforcing wire 18, a first insulated electrical conductor 20 and a second insulated electrical conductor 22 (see FIG. 3). For many applications the hose body 12 also includes a third insulated electrical conductor (not shown). The wall of the body 12 is collapsible with a resilient memory to assume a retracted or shortened length. Thus, when at rest the electrified extension hose 10 assumes a static length A. In contrast, when in use such as when the wand W is manipulated for above-floor cleaning, the hose 10 may be stretched to a length B where B>A by extending the collapsible wall of the body 12. Additional details relating to the construction of electrified stretch hoses of the type incorporated into the present invention may be gleaned from reviewing various prior art references including, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,555,915 to Kanao.

A first coupler 26 is provided on the first end 14 of the hose body 12 while a second coupler 28 is provided on the second end 16 of the hose body. The first coupler 26 includes an outer hard plastic sleeve 30 constructed, for example, from ABS or polycarbonate plastic and an inner soft plastic sleeve 32 constructed of, for example, polyvinylchloride or tetrapolyfluoroethylene. As further illustrated in FIG. 2, the first coupler 26 carries a first electrical terminal 34 and a second electrical terminal 36. Further, the first coupler 26 carries a first connector 38 which may, for example, take the form of a male connector such as a projecting lug.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, the second coupler 28 includes an outer sleeve 40 constructed from a soft plastic such as polyvinylchloride or tetrapolyfluroethylene and an inner sleeve 42 constructed from a hard plastic such as ABS or polycarbonate. Additionally, the second coupler 28 carries a third electrical terminal 44 and a fourth electrical terminal 46. In addition, the second coupler 28 carries a second connector 48. That second connector 48 may take the form of a female connector sized and shaped to cooperate and mate with the first connector 38 of the first coupler 26. Thus, as illustrated, the second connector 48 may take the form of a groove such as the hook-shaped groove illustrated in drawing FIG. 3.

It should be appreciated that the first conductor 20 runs through the hose body 12 of the electrified extension hose 10 and interconnects the first electrical terminal 34 on the first coupler 26 with the third electrical terminal 44 on the second coupler 28. Similarly, the second electrical conductor 22 runs through the hose body 12 of the electrified extension hose 10 and interconnects the second electrical terminal 36 on the first coupler 26 with the fourth electrical terminal 46 on the second coupler 28.

By providing standard first and second, mating electrical couplers 26, 28 on all hoses and either a first or second coupler on the wand W and the opposite thereof on the canister housing C, one may interconnect any number of electrified extension hose sections 10 of the present invention to provide a working hose between the canister housing C and the wand W of substantially any desired length.

The interconnection of the first end 14 and, therefore, first coupler 26 of the extension hose 10 of the present invention with the free or wand end of the original equipment hose H is illustrated in FIG. 4. As should be appreciated, the first coupler 26 is of a diameter that may be snugly received in the inner diameter of the original equipment hose coupler O which corresponds to the second coupler 28. Accordingly, the first coupler 26 is aligned with the coupler O so that the first connector 38 is inserted into the second connector 48 as the two couplers are pushed together. During this interconnection, the first coupler is twisted slightly so that the first connector 38 follows the curve of the hook-shaped groove of the second connector 48. When the first coupler 26 is fully seated in the coupler O, the first terminal 34 exposed through the outer wall of the first coupler is brought into contact with the third terminal 44 exposed through the inner wall of the second coupler O. Similarly, the second terminal 36 exposed through the outer wall of the first coupler 26 is brought into contact with the fourth terminal 46 exposed through the inner wall of the second coupler O. Accordingly, not only is fluid communication established between the two hoses 10, H but so is full electrical connectivity through the mating terminals 34, 36, 44 and 46 and the hose conductors 20, 22.

The second end 12 and second coupler 28 of the extension hose 10 may be similarly interconnected with the end of the wand W. In this way both fluid communication and electrical connectivity are fully established between the canister housing C and the powerhead P. As a result, the operator may manipulate the switch S to energize both the suction generator G in the canister housing C and the motor M for the rotary agitator A in the powerhead P. Thus dirt and debris are brushed and beaten from the nap of an underlying carpet by the rotary agitator A. That dirt and debris becomes entrained in the suction airstream produced by the suction generator G. As a result the dirt and debris is drawn through the wand W, the first extension hose 10 and the original equipment hose H into the dirt collection vessel V in the canister housing C. That air is then passed over the motor of the suction generator G to cool the motor before being exhausted into the environment through the exhaust vents E. The vessel V may, of course, be a filter bag, a dirt cup or a cyclonic collection vessel.

Since the first and second couplers 26, 28 are standardized for interconnection, any number of extension hoses or sections 10 may be coupled together to provide a working hose of substantially any desired length. The design of the couplers 26, 28 ensures that full airstream fluid communication and electrical connectivity are maintained throughout the length of the working hose no matter how many extension hose sections 10 are connected together.

The foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of this invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. For example, while the electrified extension hose 10 described in detail above is a “stretch hose”, the invention also includes non-stretch embodiments. Further, while illustrated for use with a canister vacuum cleaner, it should be appreciated that the extension hose 10 may also be used with an upright vacuum cleaner if desired.

The embodiment was chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally and equitably entitled. The drawings and preferred embodiment do not and are not intended to limit the ordinary meaning of the claims and their fair and broad interpretation in any way.

Claims

1. A electrified extension hose, comprising:

a flexible hose body having a first end and a second end;

a first coupler on said first end of said hose body;

a second coupler on said second end of said hose body;

a first electrical terminal and a second electrical terminal on said first coupler;

a third electrical terminal and a fourth electrical terminal on said second coupler;

a first electrical conductor carried on said hose body and connecting said first and third electrical terminals;

a second electrical conductor carried on said hose body and connecting said second and fourth electrical terminals; and

said electrified extension hose being characterized by at least one of said first and second couplers being capable of mating with a corresponding electrical coupler on another hose.

2. The electrified extension hose of claim 1 wherein said hose body defines a lumen and includes a reinforcing wire and a collapsible wall.

3. The electrified extension hose of claim 1, wherein said first coupler carries a first connector and said second coupler carries a second connector.

4. The electrified extension hose of claim 3, wherein said first and second connectors are cooperating male and female connectors that secure two like hoses together.

5. An electrical extension hose, comprising:

a flexible hose body having a first end and a second end;

a first electrified coupler at said first end;

a second electrified coupler at said second end; and

at least two electrical conductors interconnecting said first and second electrified couplers;

said first and second electrified couplers being capable of mating interconnection.