Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
FIELD OF THE :tNVENTION
The present invention relates -to a connector or
hub ror use in -the suction like of what is commonly
referred to as a central vacuum system and including
integrally formed means for holding the low voltage
electrical wire of the central vacuum system running along
the vacuum suction line.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Central vacuum systems, i.e. vacuum sys-tems
including an in situ vacuum canister with a series of
vacuum inlets located at different locations in a house or
a building are becoming ever more popular. In the central
vacuum system, the canister is connected -to the inlet
through a vacuum line consisting of a number of sections
of piping of various lengths and configurations joined
together by hubs or connectors. All such systems use a
standard low voltage switching circuit to enable the
system to be activated and deactivated remotely by the
insertion or removal of the flexible vacuum hose into the
wall inlet plate.
The low voltage switching circuit as described
above uses a low voltage electric wire which, in a
standard set up, runs along the vacuum line. According to
conventional methods of installation, the low voltage wire
is located in position through the use of electrical tape
wrapped by the installer around both the vacuum line and
~0 the wire, or in the alternative the installer uses a
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1 separate tie which must be fitted during -the time of
installation around and securing the wire to the vacuum
line.
Each of the above methods of effectively
attaching the wire to -the vacuum line requires that the
installer either has the tape immediately available and
must take the time -to wrap it around both the wire and the
vacuum line or that the installer carry with him a number
of ties to be added separately to the vacuum line. This
is both time consuming and awkward to work with since both
the tape and the tie must be wound completely around the
vacuum line where in some locations along its length the
line is tightly fitted against a wall or the like making
it very inaccessible to the installer.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention provides an answer to the
problems described above. In particular, the present
invention provides a fitting for an in place vacuum
suction line having a low voltage electrical wire running
along the suction line. The fitting itself is wi-th wire
retaining means formed as an integral part of the fitting
for holding the electrical wire to the suction line.
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1 Through the use of the fitting of the present
invention, with its in-tegral wire retaining means, there
is no need for the installer to carry or Fit -to the
suction line additional componen-ts such as tape or ties.
8RIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The above as well as other advantages and
features of the present invention will be described in
greater detail according to the preferred embodiments of
the present invention in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a central
vacuum system including a vacuum canister and an in place
vacuum line including fittings provided with electrical
wire retaining means according to preferred embodiments of
the present invention.
Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of a
vacuum pipe section connector as taken from the vacuum
suction line of Figure 1.
Figure 3 is an end view of the connector of
Figure 2.
Figure 4 is a sectional view of a further hub
fitting used in the vacuum suction line of Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a sectional view of still a further
S~-70~ 7 - 4 - 0527~/007~B
l hub ~ittlng from the vacuum suctlon line of Figure l.
Figure 6 is a cross-sec-tional view showing the
assembly of the construction of Figure 2.
Figure 7 is a perspective view of a further
preferred embodinent vacuum line fitting.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION ACCORDING TO THE PREFERRED
EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION IN WHICH:
Figure l shows a central vacuum system consisting
of a vacuum canister l which produces the vacuum suction
for the system. The motor in the canister operates on a
normal house current and voltage and uses a low voltage
electrical wire 5 (actually housing the two electrical
wires as seen in Figure l) which runs along the suction
line generally indicated at 7 to a typical wall outlet 3.
The circuit between the canister and the outlet is closed
for operating the canis-ter through the insertion of a
vacuum hose (not shown) into wall outlet 3.
The vacuum suction line 7 is as shown in Figure l
formed with a plurality of pipe sections forming a main
suction line as well as branch suction lines such as that
running to wall outlet 3. These suction lines consist of
various sections of straight piping of dif~erent lengths
which are connected together using clamps and connectors
known in the trade as hubs. Figures 2, 4, 5 and 7show
different types of hubs.
In particular, Figure 2 shows a relatively
standard connector or hub 9 u'sed to connect in line
straight pipe sections. Connector 9 is provided with
electrical wire retaining means in the form of a pair of
wire clips lO one at each end of the connector. Each of
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1 these wire cllps has a triangulated generally yoke shaped
configuration extendlng radially outwardly from the
connector as will be clearly seen in Figure 2 the two wire
clips are axially aligned with one another along the
length of the connector.
From a manufacturing standpoint, connec-tor 9 as
well as the pipe sections forming the vacuum suction line
are made from a high durability plastic material. The
wire clips 10 which are made during the manufacture of the
connector comprise the same high durability plastic
material and form an in-tegral part of the connector.
Figures 4 and 5 show further preferred embodiment
connectors indicated at 11 and 16 respectively. Connector
11 is as seen in Figure 1 used to connect the main vacuum
suction line with the branch line and accordingly includes
a straight body section 12 and a branching body section
14. For appropriate fitting of the pipe sections into the
fitting body section 12 is provided with increased
diameter end por-tions 12a and body section 14 is provided
with an increased end portion 14a. Each of the end
portions 12a is in turn provided with a wire clip 13 while
end portion 14a is provided with a wire clip 15. Again it
is to be noted that the wire clips 13 are axially aligned
with one ano-ther while wire clip 15 is on the same side of
the fitting which as shown in Figure 1 is the upper side
of the fitting as the wire clips 13. This ensures that
all of the wire clips on the main line to branch fitting
11 are easily accessible to the installer.
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1 Fitting 16 is a curved hub used to connect pipe
sections at 90 degrees to one another as agaln seen in
Figure 1. This hub includes enlarged diameter end regions
16a each of which is provided with a wire clip 17. The
two wire clips consistent with the earlier embodiment are
on the same side of the hub making them both accessible to
the installer.
Figure 7 shows, rather than a connector, a hose
clamp 19 having a wire clip 21. The clamp is used along
the vacuum line to secure an extended length of pipe to a
supporting wall surface or the like.
The construc-tion of the wire clips themselves
consistent for all of -the embodiments is well seen in
Figures 3 through 5 of the drawings. As no-ted above, the
wire clip has a triangular yoke-like shape and is provided
with a round undercut portion into which the wire actually
fits and an inwardly angled mouth opening to that undercut
portion. The inward angling of the mouth provides for a
guided snap fitting of the wire into the undercut region.
In the Figure 4 and 5 hub arrangements the
placement of the wire clips on the enlarged open mouth end
regions provides an effective reducing of the hub at
opposite sides of the wire clip further adding to the ease
with which the wire can be snapped into the clip, i.e.
there is in effect a recess immediately beside the clip
allowing the wire to be pushed down into the recess and
into the clip.
In the case of the shorter connector 9 this
recess effect for easing snapping of the wire into the
clip is provided by the straight pipe sections themselves
which as seen in Figure 6 are of reduced outside diameter
relative to the connector providing a recess to allow a
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1 pushing down o~ the wire and snapping it into the wire
retaininy clip.
In the case of the clamp 19, it fits to the
outside of the pipe section as shown in Figure 7 so that
there is again a recessing affect on either side of the
clamp.
It will now be appreciated from the description
above how the installer aligns the low vol-tage wire along
the vacuum line and slmply presses the wire down in-to the
clips at each end of the hubs. The undercut configuration
of the clips provides a positive locking action on the
wire which is easily fitted into the clip both because of
the angled mouth as well as the resiliency of the body of
the wire itself. This arrangement totally eliminates the
need for separate wrap around type ties or electrical tape
both of which, as noted above, are very difficult to
install particularly at relatively inaccessible areas
along the vacuum line.
Although various preferred embodimer-ts of the
invention have been described in detail, it will be
appreciated that variations may be made without departing
from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the
appended claims.
