Patent ID: 9717381
Date: 2017-08-01
CPC Classifications: A47L

Claim:
1. A hose retractor valve for a central vacuum cleaning system having a retractable suction hose that retracts into a system vacuum tubing, the hose retractor valve comprising: a valve housing having an interior, and a connection port tube arranged to communicate with the system vacuum tubing and the valve housing interior; a hose lock and seal assembly secured to the valve housing and connection port tube, the hose lock and seal assembly part of a pathway for receiving and guiding a retractable hose that extends through the valve housing interior, through the hose lock and seal assembly, through the connection port tube, and into the system vacuum tubing, the hose lock and seal assembly comprising: a tapered compression cylinder having a small inner diameter that is slightly larger than the hose outer diameter and a large inner diameter that is larger than the hose outer diameter, with the small inner diameter oriented toward the vacuum tubing; an elastomeric cylinder which encircles the hose and slides into the tapered compression cylinder, wherein the small inner diameter of the tapered compression cylinder allows free passage of the hose through the elastomeric cylinder in a first unlocked non-compressing position and compresses the elastomeric cylinder around the hose in a second locked compressing position, wherein the large inner diameter of the tapered compression cylinder is sized to receive the elastomeric cylinder from a first unlocked non-compressing position and guide the elastomeric cylinder into the tapered compression cylinder when moving into the second locked compressing position, and a thrust mechanism engageable with the elastomeric cylinder to impose a thrusting force onto the elastomeric cylinder to slide the elastomeric cylinder into the tapered compression cylinder, the thrust mechanism being moveable to move the elastic cylinder from a first unlocked non-compressing position to a second locked compressing position in which the elastomeric cylinder is forced into the tapered compression cylinder to cause the elastomeric cylinder to compress inward around the hose to form a seal around the hose.