Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE OF INVENTION
Safety Switch Integral with a Wall Receptacle operable via a
Central Vacuum System Hose.
FIELD OF INVENTION
This invention relates to the non-contact switching of an electrical
system and specifically central vacuum systems.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Central vacuum systems are well known in the art. Applicant in
its prior patents United States Patent 5,075,920 and United States Patent
4,951,346 describes the use of his newly developed power head and wall
receptacle with a central vacuum unit. Specifically the wall receptacle is used
as a source of vacuum for the power head in United States Patent No.
5,075,920 and also a source of water.
When a house holder wishes to turn on the central vacuum unit,
which may be located in a remote portion of the home, for example the garage
or the basement, he or she place the hose end into the tubular opening of the
receptacle. Within the tubular opening are disposed two contacts, as best seen
in figure 2. The metal end of the hose connects the contacts, closes the circuit,
and the central vacuum blower starts. The householder then continues the
vacuuming of the local area and when complete removes the end of the hose
frorll the receptacle to open the circuit and shut off the central vacuum unit.
Such a circuit is well known in the art and the low voltage requirements of the
starting circuit is quite common to most, if not all of the products marketed
today. The only variation being the location of the contacts and the size of
hose end. Most manufactures have their own unique setup and therefore it is
found that a hose from one manufacture will not necessary fit in the receptacle
of another manufacturer.
The receptacles therefore in the prior art include such contact
pins which allows for a child to stick their finger into the receptacle and touch
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live electrical components of the electrical circuitry. Further if water were
introduced into the system in a manner as taught in United States Patent No.
4,951,346 or United States Patent No. 5,075,920, the risk occurs of getting
water in contact with the electrical contact pins of Figure 2 and thereby
5 shorting out the entire circuit.
There therefore exists a need to improve the safety of ~he
switching of central vacuum systems to avoid the risk of a child receiving an
electrical shock or the risk of water shorting out the starting circuit of a
central vacuum unit. Further dus~ may collect on the exposed spring loaded
10 contacts of the unit illustrated in Figure 2 which contacts require frequent
cleaning. Since the contacts are very fragile it is possible to break them easily
requiring the replacement of the entire receptacle and lose of vacuuming in
that area of the home until such repairs are completed.
Nowhere within the prior art is there found a wall valve for a
1~ central vacuum system which includes non-contact switching means which is
activated by non-contact means when the free end of a central vacuum hose is
inserted into the receptacle. In providing such a system of switching the
central vacuum system on and off the need to provide metal ends to the central
vacuum hoses becomes unnecessary. In the prior art it is necessary in order
ao for the switching to take place.
It is therefore a primary object of the invention to provide a wall
receptacle for a central vacuum system which includes an isolated non-contact
switching device which is activated by non-contact means when the free end of
a central vacuum hose is inserted therein thereby starting the central vacuum
25 blower.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a non-contact
switching means which enables a circuit resident in a wall receptacle when the
plug end of a cord is inserted therein.
It is still yet a further object of the invention to provide a wall
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receptacle for a plug or a central vacuum system which remains disengaged
until such time as the plug end or hose end is inserted into the receptacle thusallowing a non-contact switch to be closed as a result as such action.
It is s~ill yet a further objec~ of the invention to provide non-
5 contact means for closing a switch to allow the functioning of a circuit.
Further and other obJects of the invention will become apparent
to those skilled in the art when considering the following summary of the
invention and the more detailed description of the preferred embodiments
illustrated herein.
10 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to one aspect of ihe invention there is provided a
receptacle for a central vacuum system said receptacle extending through a
wall in a preferred embodiment and comprising a housing for fastening to
said wall, the housing having disposed therein vacuum inlet means and
15 preferably fluid supply means, the housing also hav;ng disposed therewith
non-contact switching means, in the preferred embodiment a reed switch
closed by a magnet, the non-contact switching means being switched by means
disposed proximate the free end of a vacuum hose, for example a magnet,
which closes the circuit within which the non-contact switching means is
ao disposed when the free end of the hose is inserted within the vacuum inlet
means.
In a preferred embodiment a vacuum hose is provided which
includes integral therewith means for mounting an activating member to
activate the non-contact switching means disposed with the wall receptacle,
25 preferably said activating member being a magnet.
Alternatively, an infrared transmitter may be disposed with the
free end of the hose and an infrared receiver may be disposed with the wall
receptacle. In use therefore when the free end of the hose is inserted within
the receptacle the infrared signal will be picked up by the receiver in the wall
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receptacle ~hereby completing a circuit and thereby starting up the central
vacuum unit. Alternatively, any optical system providing a transmitter and
receiver may be used equally well. The import aspect of the non-contact
means is to provide the closing of a circuit when the free end of a hose is
5 inserted wi~hin the wall receptacle.
Of course the invention finds application within standard
household wall plug receptacles and plugs for electrical devices. For example
wall receptacle are normally closed. That is to say there is power to the
receptacle at all times and one is merely required to insert a plug of an
10 appliance such as radio or the like into the wall receptacle to obtain power. It
is well known in the art that children insert metal objects within wall
receptacles and may suffer from electric shock. The prior art teaches the use
of blanks inserted in wall receptacles to prevent young children from
accessing the plugs. Further covers are provided within the prior art.
The present invention finds usefulness in essentially the same
manner as provide with central vacuum systems in that the wall receptacle has
disposed proximate the source of current a non-contact switching means
which disenables the source of current until such time as the plug end of a
cord containing a non-contact activating means to activate or close, in this
example, the switching means which controls power to receptacle. In this
way all receptacles are normally open and no power is available to them until
such time as plug is inserted into the receptacle. If a plug is inserted into a
receptacle a child cannot access that circuit. If the plug is removed, the circuit
goes back to being open and children can not hurt themselves accordingly.
According to yet another aspect of the invention there is provided
an electrical wall receptacle which includes a non-contact switch means which
controls the availability of power to the wall receptacle until such time as a
plug end of a cord is inserted into the receptacle, said plug end of a cord
including an non-contact switch means activating means to theleby complete
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the circuit of the wall receptacle and allow electricity to be supplied to said
receptacle.
According to yet another aspect of the invention there is provided
a plug end of a cord, said plug end of said cord including means for activating
5 a non-contact switching means within a receptacle.
According to yet another aspect of the invention there is provided
a wall receptacle for a central vacuum system said wall receptacle comprising
a housing for fastening to a wall, said housing including a vacuum inlet nozzle
to swpply vacuum to a vacuum hose connectable thereto, preferably said
10 housing including water supply means, said housing having disposed therewith
a non-contact switching means, preferably a reed switch responsive to a
magnetic signal, which controls the operation of the blower of a central
vacuum system, preferably said control circuit being a low voltage circuit, the
non-contact switching means being closed when the free end of a vacuum hose
15 is inserted within the vacuum nozzle, said free end of said vaGuum hose having
non-contact switch activating means disposed therewith and preferably a
magnet, wherein when said free end of said hose is inserted in said nozzle said
non-contact switch activating means is located adjacent said non-contact
switching means thereby causing said non-contact switching means to be closed
20 and complete the circuit Por controlling the blower of the central vacuum
system thereby turning on said blower, and when said free end of said hose is
removed from said nozzle said blower circuit becomes open and the central
vacuum system is shut down.
According to yet another aspect of the invention there is provided
25 a vacuum hose for use with a central vacuum system, said vacuum hose having
disposed proximate the free end thereof a non-contact switch activating means,
preferably a magnet, for activating a non-contact switching means disposed
with a wall receptacle.
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BRIEF DE~SCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will now be illustrated with respect to the
following drawin~s illustrating embodiments of the invention in which:
Figure l is a perspective view of the conventional known manner
5 of starting up the blower of the central vacuum system.
Figure 2 is a cut away perspective view of the switching apparatus
of thei conventiollal system.
Figure 3 is a perspective view of a wall receptacle and a free end
of the hose of the central vacuum unit illustrated in a preferred embodiment
10 of the invention.
Figure 4 is a schematic view of the non-contact switching device
of the wall receptacle of Figure 3.
Figures 5 is a schematic view of the off condition -for a wall
receptacle illustrated in a preferred embodiment of the invention.
Figure 6 is a schematic view of the on condition of the wall
receptacle and hence the central vacuum system illustrated in a preferred
embodiment of the invention.
l~igure 7 is a perspective view of the wall receptacle including
water supply and illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODTMENTS OF THE
INVENTION
.
Referring now to Figure l and 2 there is illustrated the
conventional manner in starting up a central vacuum system. Therefore there
25 is provided a hose l which includes a rnetal end 2. The metal end 2 is inserted
within a nozzle opening 4 of a wall receptacie 3. To insert the metal end, the
lift cover 3a which is spring biased is raised. The metal end is inserted withinthe nozzle opening 4 formed by PVC conduit 4a. The entire wall receptacle is
mounted to the w~lll via fastener 6. When the metal end 2 of the hose l is
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inserted within the nozzle 4 the metal end 2 closes the contacts 5c and thereby
energizes the blower circuit thus providing vacuum to the householder. The
contacts are formed with contact ends Sc which are spring biased by a
threaded screw having a head Sa and threading Sb the end of which bears
against contact Sc . Not only does the screw head contact with the circuit for
energizing the central vacuum system 5e, but it is also adjus~able within the
threaded opening 7 of the wall receptacle. In this manner conventional unit
opera~es. However, as mentioned in the background of the invention the
contact Sc are always available to be soiled by dust entering the vacuurn supply10 nozzle 4 allowing for shorting of the electrical contacts and the requirement of
cleaning. Further a child may receive a shock when sticking its hand within
the nozzle opening 4.
Referring now to Figure 3 there is illustrated a wall receptacle 10
installed within a wall W. The wall receptacle 10 includes a housing 13 which
15 is mounted to the wall via fastener 15. The housing 13 includes a spring
biased cover plate 11 attached at the top thereof which may include a torsion
spring housed with flange portioned 1 2 of cover 11 . This aspect is
conventional. The nozzle inlet 14 has an opening 14a provided with a wall
receptacle 10. A non-contact switching device 20 is provided beneath the
~0 plastic cover plate 13a of the housing 20. Therefore the non-contact reed
switch as best seen in figure 4 is protected from moisture, dust and the prying
hands of a curious child. When the free end 31 of a vacuum hose 30 is
inserted within the nozzle opening 14a, a magnet 40 located within a handle
portion 35 activates or closes the circuit provided in non-contact switch device25 20 of the receptacle 10. The hose 30 includes the known spiral portion 60 anda supplementary water supply S0 integral therewith for use with the power
head as described in my United States Patent No. 4,951,346 and my wall
receptacle of United States Patent No. S,075,920 the teachings of which in
relation to the power head and the wall receptacle are hereby incorporated by
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reference. Therefore the receptacle 10 may be provided with a water supply,
and a nozzle having a quick connect as best seen in relation to Figure 7.
Referring now Figures 4, 5 and 6 there is illustrated the non-
contact switch device 20 of Figure 3 disposed behind the planer wall 13a of
5 the housing 13 of ~he wall receptacle. Two contact pins 21 and 22 are
therefore provided which extend via wires 23a and 23b to the blower motor
of a central vacuum system. The electrical contact pins 21 and 22 are also
connec~ed via the bottom thereof to a reed switch 25 which includes a first
reed portion 25a and a second reed portion 25b which are separated by a gap.
10 Therefore the switch may be said to be open and the blower inoperative. Such
a condition is also observed in relation to Figure 5 wherein the free end 31 of
the vacuum hose is not located within opening 14a of nozzle 14 of wall
receptacle 13 and therefore the two elements 25a and 25b of reed switch 25
are not in contact and the switch is therefore open. The magnet 40 disposed
15 within handle portion 35 is not designed to activate the switch 25 until suchtime as the nozzle 31 is disposed within the nozzle 14a as best seen in relationto Figure 5. When said nozzle 31 is inserted within nozzle opening 14a the
magnet 40 of the handle portion 35 of the vacuum hose causes the switching or
closing of contacts 25a and 25b closing the circuit and thus feeding power to
20 the blower circuit to start the blower of the central vacuum system.
Not shown in ~igure 6 is the attachment of the water supply line
50 to the nozzle D of Figure 7 which is taught in my aforementioned United
States Patents.
Referring now to Figure 7 there is provided a receptacle 30a
a5 fastened to a wall, not shown, via opening ports E via fasteners not shown.
The wall receptacle 30a has a cover F which is spring biased to expose a
nozzle I and a water supply D. Such a receptacle 30a is provided having a
general rectangular housing A with a vacuum inlet nozzle B extending there
through. Further a water supply nozzle C is incorporated in the housing
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having a quick connect D and a cheek valve J embodied therein for
convenience sake. The nozzle B has a front and rear, H and I respectively. H
extends to a vacuum tool and I extends to the vacuum source.
As many changes can be made to the invention without departing
5 from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all material contained
herein by interpreted as illustrative of the invention and not in a limiting
sense.
