VACUUM CLEANER APPARATUS AND HOSE THEREOF

ASPIRATEUR ET TUYAU CORRESPONDANT

English Abstract

A vaccum cleaner has a hose (10, 30, 30') that is retractable in length by the
application of reduced pressure from the vacuum cleaner. After use, the free
end (14, 21, 33) of the hose is occluded so that pressure falls within the
hose and it is retracted in length. The hose is restrained in its shortened
length before suction is turned off. The hose in its retracted state may be
stored on or off the vacuum cleaner.

French Abstract

L'invention concerne un aspirateur constitué d'un tuyau (10, 30, 30') pouvant être rétracté dans la longueur par application d'une faible pression à partir de l'aspirateur. Après son utilisation, l'extrémité libre (14, 21, 33) du tuyau est occluse de manière que la pression baisse à l'intérieur du tuyau et que ce dernier puisse être rétracté dans la longueur. Le tuyau est immobilisé dans sa longueur et raccourci avant la mise hors tension de l'aspirateur. Le tuyau dans son état rétracté peut être stocké sur l'aspirateur ou indépendamment de celui-ci.

Claims

9

CLAIMS


1. Vacuum cleaner apparatus including a suction inlet (3) and a hose (10, 30,
30')
connected with the inlet, characterised in that the hose (10, 30, 30') has a
first length
during normal use and a second length shorter than the first length when the
end (14,
21, 33) of the hose remote from the inlet (3) is occluded so that pressure
falls within
the hose.

2. Vacuum cleaner apparatus according to Claim 1, characterised in that a part
at least of
the length of the hose (10, 30, 30') has a natural extended length.

3. Vacuum cleaner apparatus according to Claim 1, characterised in that a part
at least of
the length of the hose has a natural retracted length.

4. Vacuum cleaner apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims,
characterised
in that the hose includes a valve (16) towards the end remote from the inlet
(3) for
occluding the hose.

5. Vacuum cleaner apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims,
characterised
in that the apparatus includes a restrainer (4, 34, 35, 34', 35', 42, 49) for
restraining the
hose (10, 30, 30') in its shorter length.

6. Vacuum cleaner apparatus according to Claim 5, characterised in that the
restrainer
(4) is fixed with a housing of the apparatus.

7. Vacuum cleaner apparatus according to Claim 5 or 6, characterised in that
the
restrainer (34, 35, 34', 35', 42, 49) includes a sleeve within which the hose
(30, 30') is
retracted.

8. Vacuum cleaner apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims,
characterised
in that the apparatus is portable.



10


14. A hose (10, 30, 30') for a vacuum cleaner according to any one of the
preceding
claims.

15. A hose for vacuum cleaner apparatus, characterised in that the hose (10,
30, 30') has a
natural extended length and is retractable in length by the application of
reduced
pressure within the hose.

16 A hose according to Claim 15, characterised in that the hose (10, 30, 30')
has an
occluder (16) towards the end of the hose remote from the vacuum cleaner
apparatus
for occluding passage of air through the hose (10, 30, 30') so that suction
applied by
the vacuum cleaner apparatus creates a reduced pressure within the hose
sufficient to
shorten the hose to its retracted length.

17. A hose according to Claim 15 or 16, characterised in that the hose (30,
30') includes a
retainer (34, 35, 34', 35', 42, 49) arranged to retain the hose in its
retracted length such
that the hose and retainer can be removed from the vacuum cleaner and stored
separately in a retracted state.

18. A hose according to any one of Claims 15 to 17, characterised in that the
hose (10, 30,
30') includes an inner resilient helical support member (11, 11') having a
natural
extended length and an outer sleeve (12, 12') of a flexible material attached
with the
support member.

19. A method of operating vacuum cleaner apparatus including the steps of
applying
suction to one end of a flexible hose (10, 30, 30'), using a cleaning head
(15) at the
opposite end of the hose to clean, occluding flow of air through the hose at
the
opposite end (14), allowing pressure in the hose to reduce sufficiently to
retract the
hose in length, restraining the hose in its retracted length and turning off
suction
power.



11


20. A method according to Claim 19, characterised in that the method includes
the
subsequent step of removing the hose (30, 30') from the vacuum cleaner
apparatus in
its retracted state.


12

CLAIMS



1. Vacuum cleaner apparatus including a housing (1) having a suction inlet (3)
and a
hose (10) connected with the inlet, the hose (10) having a first length during
normal
use and a second length shorter than the first length when the end (14, 21) of
the hose
remote from the inlet (3) is occluded so that pressure falls within the hose,
characterised in that the housing (1) includes a formation (4) for restraining
the hose
in its shorter length.

2. Vacuum cleaner apparatus according to Claim 1, characterised in that a part
at least of
the length of the hose (10) has a natural extended length.

3. Vacuum cleaner apparatus according to Claim 1, characterised in that a part
at least of
the length of the hose has a natural retracted length.

4. Vacuum cleaner apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims,
characterised
in that the hose includes a valve (16) towards the end remote from the inlet
(3) for
occluding the hose.

5. Vacuum cleaner apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims,
characterised
in that the hose has a helical support member (11') and a sleeve (12')
attached thereto,
and that the sleeve (12') is arranged to fold outwardly between turns of the
helical
support member (11') when the hose is retracted in length.

6. Vacuum cleaner apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims,
characterised
in that the apparatus is portable.

7. A hose (10) for vacuum cleaner apparatus according to any one of the
preceding
claims.

8. A hose according to Claim 7, characterised in that the hose (10) has an
occluder (16)
towards the end of the hose remote from the vacuum cleaner apparatus for
occluding




13


passage of air through the hose (10) so that suction applied by the vacuum
cleaner
apparatus creates a reduced pressure within the hose sufficient to shorten the
hose to
its retracted length.

9. A hose according to Claim 7 or 8, characterised in that the hose (10)
includes an inner
resilient helical support member (11, 11') having a natural extended length
and an
outer sleeve (12, 12') of a flexible material attached with the support
member.

10. A hose according to Claim 9, characterised in that the outer sleeve (12')
folds
outwardly between the turns of the helical support member when the hose is
retracted.

11. A method of operating vacuum cleaner apparatus including the steps of
applying
suction to one end of a flexible hose (10), using a cleaning head (15) at the
opposite
end of the hose to clean, occluding flow of air through the hose at the
opposite end
(14), allowing pressure in the hose to reduce sufficiently to retract the hose
in length,
maintaining the end of the hose (10) on a housing (1) of the apparatus to
retain it in its
retracted length, and turning off suction power.

12. Vacuum cleaner apparatus including a suction inlet (3) and a hose (10)
connected
with the inlet, the hose (10) having a first length during normal use and a
second
length shorter than the first length when the end (14, 21) of the hose remote
from the
inlet (3) is occluded so that pressure falls in the hose, characterised in
that the hose
(10) has a helical support member (11') and a sleeve (12') attached thereto,
and that
the sleeve (12') is arranged to fold outwardly between turns of the support
member
(11') when the hose is retracted in length.

13. Vacuum cleaner apparatus according to Claim 12, characterised in that a
part at least
of the length of the hose (10) has a natural extended length.

14. Vacuum cleaner apparatus according to Claim 12, characterised in that a
part at least
of the length of the hose has a natural retracted length.


14


15. Vacuum cleaner apparatus according to any one Claims 12 to 14,
characterised in that
the hose includes a valve (16) towards the end remote from the inlet (3) for
occluding
the hose.

16. Vacuum cleaner apparatus according to any one of Claims 12 to 15,
characterised in
that the apparatus includes a restrainer (4, 34, 35, 34', 35', 42, 49) for
restraining the
hose in its shorter length.

17. Vacuum cleaner apparatus according to Claim 16, characterised in that the
restrainer
(4) is fixed with a housing (1) of the apparatus.

18. Vacuum cleaner apparatus according to Claim 16 or 17, characterised in
that the
restrainer includes a sleeve within which the hose is retracted.

19. Vacuum cleaner apparatus according to any one of Claims 12 to 18,
characterised in
that the apparatus is portable.

20. A hose for vacuum cleaner apparatus according to any one of Claims 12 to
19.

21. A hose according to Claim 20, characterised in that the hose (10, 30, 30')
has an
occluder (16) towards the end of the hose remote from the vacuum cleaner
apparatus
for occluding passage of air through the hose so that suction applied by the
vacuum
cleaner apparatus creates a reduced pressure within the hose sufficient to
shorten the
hose to its retracted length.

22. A hose according to Claim 20 or 21, characterised in that the hose (30,
30') includes a
retainer (34, 35, 34', 35', 42, 49) arranged to retain the hose in its
retracted length
such that the hose and retainer can be removed from the vacuum cleaner and
stored
separately in a retracted state.





15


23. A hose according to any one of Claims 20 to 22, characterised in that the
retainer
includes an outer sleeve (34, 35, 34', 35', 42) within which the hose is
retracted.

24. A method of operating vacuum cleaner apparatus including the steps of
applying
suction to one end of a flexible hose (10, 30, 30') having a helical support
member
(11') and a sleeve (12') of a flexible material attached with the support
member, using
a cleaning head (15) at the opposite end of the hose to clean, occluding flow
of air
through the hose at the opposite end (14), allowing pressure in the hose to
reduce
sufficiently to retract the hose in length and to fold the sleeve (12')
outwardly
between turns of the support member (11') without substantially reducing the
bore
through the hose, restraining the hose in its retracted state, and
discontinuing the
suction power.

Description

CA 02457712 2004-02-11
WO 03/024294 PCT/GB02/04200
VACUUM CLEANER APPARATUS AND HOSE THEREOF
Technical Field
This invention relates to vacuum cleaner apparatus of the kind including a
suction
inlet and a hose connected with the inlet..
Background Art
Vacuum cleaners may be of the upright kind where cleaning suction is applied
by
means of a pump having an inlet directly below the machine. Cylinder vacuum
cleaners, by
contrast, have an inlet to which one end of a hose is connected, the other end
being connected
to a suction head. Upright cleaners also usually have provision by which a
hose can be
connected to the inlet so that a hand-held suction head can be used to clean
regions that
would otherwise be inaccessible to the machine. The hoses used with vacuum
cleaners tend
to be bulky so that they have to be stored separately from the cleaner. An
alternative hose
available on some vacuum cleaners as sold by the major manufacturers has
stretch
characteristics with a natural, retracted length (when not in use) that is
less than its extended
length (when in use). The extended length may be about five times the
retracted length.
Although this hose has the advantage of being much easier to store than
conventional hoses,
its resilience may make it more difficult to use in some situations,
especially with cylinder
vacuum cleaners, which are lighter than upright cleaners.
Disclosure of the Invention
It is an object of the present invention to provide an alternative hose and
vacuum
cleaner apparatus including such a hose.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided vacuum
cleaner
apparatus of the above-specified kind, characterised in that the hose has a
first length during
normal use and a second length shorter than the first length when the end of
the hose remote
from the inlet is occluded so that pressure falls within the hose.
A part at least of the length of the hose may have a natural extended length.
A part at
least of the hose may have a natural retracted length. The hose may include a
valve towards


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2
the end remote from the inlet for occluding the hose. The apparatus preferably
includes a
restrainer for restraining the hose in its shorter length. The restrainer may
be fixed with a
housing of the apparatus and may include a sleeve within which the hose is
retracted. The
apparatus may be portable.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a hose
for a
vacuum cleaner according to any one of the preceding claims.
The hose may have a natural extended length and be retractable in length by
the
application of reduced pressure within the hose. The hose preferably has an
occluder towards
the end of the hose remote from the vacuum cleaner apparatus for occluding
passage of air
through the hose so that suction applied by the vacuum cleaner apparatus
creates a reduced
pressure within the hose sufficient to shorten the hose to its retracted
length. The hose may
include a retainer arranged to retain the hose in its retracted length such
that the hose and
retainer can be removed from the vacuum cleaner and stored separately in a
retracted state.
The hose preferably includes an inner resilient helical support member having
a natural
extended length and an outer sleeve of a flexible material attached with the
support member.
According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a
method of
operating eacuum cleaner apparatus including the steps of applying suction to
one end of a
flexible hose, using a cleaning head at the opposite end of the hose to clean,
occluding flow
of air through the hose at the opposite end, allowing pressure in the hose to
reduce
sufficiently to retract the hose in length, restraining the hose in its
retracted length and turning
off suction power.
The method may include the step of removing the hose from the vacuum cleaner
apparatus in its retracted state.
Vacuum cleaner apparatus including a hose according to the present invention,
will
now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying
drawings.


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3
Brief Description of the Drawing-s
Figure 1 is a side elevation view of a vacuum cleaner and hose;
Figure 2 is a plan view of the cleaner and hose of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of the cleaner without the hose;
Figure 4 is an enlarged, simplified sectional elevation view of a part of
the hose;
Figure 5 is a side elevation view of a part of an alternative hose having
alternative means for blocking the hose;
Figures 6 to 8 are side elevation views of three alternative forms of retainer
for the hose;
Figure 9 is a perspective view of another alternative retainer; and
Figure 10 is an enlarged simplified elevation view of a part of an
alternative hose;
Best Modes for Carryin~ Out the Invention
With reference first to Figures 1 to 4, the vacuum cleaner is of the portable
cylinder
type having a housing 1 with wheels 2 on its lower surface and a suction inlet
3 at one end.
The cleaner includes a conventional pump and dust collection bag or other
container (not
shown). On one side of the housing 1 there is a hose restraint and mount in
the form of a
bracket 4 with a U-shape flange 5, the purpose of which will become apparent
later.
The cleaner also includes a hose 10. The hose 10 is of a flexible, corrugated
construction including a resilient, helical reinforcement member in the form
of a spring metal
wire 11 internally supporting an outer highly flexible plastics sleeve 12. The
reinforcement
helix could be of a resilient plastics material. The reinforcement wire 11 is
formed so that it


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4
has a naturally extended state but can be compressed axially against its
resilience by an
applied external force. The sleeve 12 is sufficiently flexible that the hose
itself naturally takes
up the extended length of the reinforcement wire helix 11, as shown in broken
outline in
Figures l and 2. As shown in Figure 4, the sleeve 12 of the hose, in its
extended state, has
inwardly-extending shallow valleys between each turn of the reinforcement.
This allows the
sleeve to fold up internally between the turns of the turns of the
reinforcement so that the
hose can retract freely when a compressive force is applied. Alternatively, as
shown in Figure
10, the sleeve 12' may have shallow hills extending outwardly between turns of
the
reinforcement element 11'. This allows the sleeve 12' to fold outwardly when
the hose is
retracted. This arrangement may have advantages in that the bore of the hose
is not reduced
during retraction so that the suction pressure along the length of the hose is
maintained.
The stiffness of the hose construction can be tailored to give the desired
rate of
retraction.
At one end, the hose 10 has a conventional coupling 13 by which the hose is
connected to the suction inlet 3 of the cleaner, this may include a swivel
connection. At its
opposite end, the hose 10 has a second coupling 14 by which the hose is
attached to a cleaner
head 15.
The coupling 14 includes within it means by which air flow through the hose 10
can
be occluded. As shown in Figure 4, this takes the form of a flap 16 pivotally
mounted at one
end 17 within the coupling 14 and urged to an open, longitudinally-extending
position by a
spring 18. One end of a button 19 is exposed externally of the coupling 14,
its other end being
positioned above the flap within the coupling. By pushing down on the button
19, the free
end of the flap 16 is also pushed down against the resilience of the spring
18. Once depressed
a certain distance, air flow along the hose 10 causes the flap 16 to be pulled
down to a
vertical position where it abuts an annular seat 20 within the coupling and
occludes the
passage along the hose. The flap 16 remains in tlus closed position until
suction is removed,
when the spring 18 swings it back to its original position. The rear end of
the coupling 14
locates on one side of the mounting flange 5 to retain the free end of the
hose 10 in position


CA 02457712 2004-02-11
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against the side of the cleaner housing l, when not in use. The cleaner head
15 may be stored
in a compartment within the housing 1.
To use the cleaner, the coupling 14 at the free end of the hose 10 is pulled
out of the
restraining bracket 4. This allows the hose 10 to adopt its natural extended
state, which may
typically be about 2m in length. The cleaner head 15 is then fitted on the
coupling 14 and
power to the cleaner is turned on so that it applies suction to the hose 10
and cleaner head.
This is used in the conventional way, to suck dust and the lilce into the
cleaner for subsequent
disposal.
When the user has finished with the cleaner, before turning off power supply,
he
presses the button 19 at the free end of the hose 10, so as to close the valve
16 and prevent air
flow into the hose. The pressure in the hose 10 between the valve 16 and the
cleaner now
drops rapidly. This applies an axial, compressive force to the hose 10, which
is sufficient to
retract it against the resilience of the reinforcement wire 11. The
construction of the hose 10
is such that it retracts to a length substantially less than its natural
length, typically about half
its natural length, that is, about lm long. The construction of the hose is
selected such that the
reduced pressure within the hose during normal cleaning operations is not
sufficient to cause
any appreciable retraction of the hose length. The user removes the cleaner
head 15 and fits
the coupling 14 into the restraint 4. Once the coupling 14 is fitted in the
restraint 4, the power
to the cleaner can be turned off. As soon as power is turned off, pressure
will start to rise in
the hose 10 because the vacuum cleaner is not air-tight, allowing air to enter
and re-pressurize
the hose. The retractive, compressive force on the hose will, therefore, fall
and the hose will
tend to resume its natural, extended length. However, because the free end of
the hose 10 is
restrained by the restraint 4, the hose will not be able to extend until
released from the
restraint. The hose restraint may include a shaped housing within which a
major part of the
length of the retracted hose is located. The hose 10 could be retained within
a curved channel
in the housing beneath a hinged lid of the housing so that it is completely
enclosed.
The present invention enables a vacuum cleaner hose to be stored compactly
without
the need for the user to apply a force to extend the hose. This, therefore,
enables the hose to


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6
be used with lightweight cleaners, which might be pulled over or pulled along
by pulling on a
conventional stretch hose.
The hose need not have a natural extended length. The invention could also be
useful
where the hose has a natural retracted length. The resilience of the hose
tending to retract it
can be made weaker than in a conventional stretch hose because the reduced
pressure created
when the free end of the hose is occluded would help retract it. In this way,
the problems
associated with conventional stretch hoses on portable vacuum cleaners can be
reduced or
avoided because less force has to be applied to extend it. The hose could have
a combination
of the naturally-retracted and naturally-extended kinds and or alternatively,
could have a
section that is neither retractable or extensible.
It will be appreciated that the present invention is not confined to cylinder
cleaners
but could be used with, for example, upright cleaners.
The hose described above is constructed so that an increase in suction
pressure causes
a corresponding directly related reduction in hose length between the fully
extended and fully
retracted states. Alternatively, the hose could be constructed so that there
is no significant
reduction in length up to a certain suction pressure and, once a threshold is
exceeded, the
hose snaps to its fully retracted length. Such a hose can be provided by
making the
configuration of the corrugations asymmetrical.
The valve for preventing air flow along the hose can have many different
constructions. The valve could be provided by some form of plug, such as shown
in Figure 5
where a ball 20 is attached with the coupling 21 by a flexible elastic tether
22, so that the user
simply holds the ball up to the end of the coupling to block flow. The valve
need not totally
block air flow but may be constructed to allow a reduced flow of air. This may
be useful so as
to reduce the speed at which the hose retracts. The valve could be adjustable
to allow
different rates of air flow. Instead of using a valve, the hose could be
blocked simply by the
user pressing his hand over the end of the coupling. The valve could be
arranged so that it is
automatically closed when the cleaner head is removed. The valve could have an
electric
operation so that it can be operated remotely, such as by a switch on the
cleaner housing. This


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7
might be arranged such that the OFF button on the cleaner automatically closes
the valve
before suction is turned off.
The hose need not be retained in its retracted state by the housing of the
vacuum
cleaner. Instead, some form of retaining means separate from the vacuum
cleaner body could
be provided, such as, for example shown in Figures 6 to 9.
Figure 6 shows a retractable hose 30 of the kind described above having a
coupling 31
at one end connected with a vacuum cleaner housing 32 and a coupling 33 at its
opposite end
for connection to a cleaning tool (not shown). Attached with both couplings 31
and 33 is a
cylindrical sleeve 34 and 35. One end of each sleeve 34 and 35 is attached
with respective
couplings 31 and 33, the other, free ends 36 and 37 of the sleeves extending
towards one
another. The free end 36 and 37 of each sleeve 34 and 35 is provided with some
form of
engaging means 38 and 39 adapted to engage one another and retain the sleeves
together. The
engaging means 38 and 39 may be of many different kinds, such as, for example,
having an
engaging lip and channel, catches that engage a surface formation, cooperating
tapered
fittings, engaging screw or bayonet fittings, magnetic members, engaging hook-
and-loop
fabric or the like. The sleeves 34 and 35 are preferably bendable so that they
do not impede
flexing of the hose. Because the sleeves 34 and 35 reduce flexing of the hose
30 at the
couplings 31 and 33, they have the benefit of reducing cracking of the hose at
the locations
where damage is most usually caused. The length of the sleeves 34 and 35 is
selected such
that their combined length is equal to that of the retracted hose. When the
end of the hose 30
is blocked so that it retracts, the two free ends 36 and 37 of the sleeves 34
and 35 come
together so that the user can engage them with one another. The vacuum cleaner
can then be
turned off since the engaged sleeves 34 and 35 will retain the hose 30 in its
retracted length.
The retracted hose 30 can be stored on the vacuum cleaner body or it can be
uncoupled at the
coupling 31 and stored separately, such as by means of a hanging loop 40.
Instead of smooth sleeves, as shown in Figure 6, the sleeves 34' and 35' could
be
corrugated as shown in Figure 7, with a natural retracted length so that they
cover less of the
hose 30' when the cleaner is in use. To fasten the sleeves 34' and 35'
together, the user simply


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8
pulls their free ends 36' and 37' together to stretch out the sleeves to their
full length so that
the engaging means 38' and 39' can be fastened together.
It is not essential to have two sleeves at opposite ends since a single longer
sleeve 42
could serve the same function, as shown in Figure 8.
The sleeve or sleeves need not be solid but could, for example, instead be
provided by
webbing material or by a series of straps disposed around the hose.
There are many alternative forms of retainer means that could be used to hold
the
hose in its retracted length. The retainer means could be in the form of a bag
that is closed
about the retracted hose. Such a bag could also have provision for storing the
cleaning wands
and~accessories after detachment from the hose.
The retainer need not be permanently attached to the hose itself but could be
a
separate component that is only attached with the hose when the hose is
retracted.
Figure 9 shows a separate retainer in the form of a rigid casing having two
shells 50
and 51 joined together along their sides by a flexible hinge 52 and having
semicylindrical
recesses 53 on one surface. Semicircular ribs 54 and 55 at opposite ends of
each shell are
shaped to engage either the couplings at opposite ends of the hose or opposite
ends of the
flexible hose itself. The two shells 50 and 51 are folded together about the
retracted hose and
are fastened together by means of engaging catches 56. The casing preferably
has flanges 57
at opposite ends shaped with recesses 5~ into which the rigid cleaning wands
or other
accessories can be clipped, so that the hose and accessories can be stored
together.
The retainer could extend internally within the hose and could, for example,
be
provided by a rigid vacuum cleaner wand and suitable couplings.

Representative Drawing