Abstract:
The invention provides a tool holder for a vacuum cleaner having a main body, a wand and a hose therebetween, the tool holder ( 10 ) comprising attachment means ( 12, 14 ) for attaching the tool holder ( 10 ) to the vacuum cleaner and tool receiving means ( 22 ) for receiving at least one tool ( 30, 32, 34 ), wherein the attachment means ( 12, 14 ) are adapted such that the tool holder ( 10 ) is attachable directly to the hose ( 16 ) at any point between the main body and the wand.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a tool holder for a vacuum cleaner or other cleaning appliance. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Many vacuum cleaners operate in the cylinder mode, that is to say that the dirty air inlet is located at the end of a wand which is connected to the main body of the vacuum cleaner by a flexible hose. Dirty air is drawn into the dirty air inlet by means of a fan driven by a motor, both of which are located in the main body of the vacuum cleaner. The dirty air inlet is normally formed by a cleaner head, but there are times when the cleaner head is inappropriate and the user of the vacuum cleaner requires to replace the cleaner head with a tool more appropriate to the type of cleaning being carried out. The most common types of tool are a brush tool (incorporating a ring of bristles surrounding a suction inlet), a crevice tool (comprising a slim, elongate suction pipe suitable for providing access into comers and other places difficult to access) and a stair tool (consisting of an angled inlet suitable for use on stairs). In many cases, these tools are carried on the main body of the cleaner itself. This can be inconvenient for the user, particularly when the user is elderly or disabled. It would be more convenient to locate the tools more readily to hand. 
     Various proposals have been made in which the tools for a vacuum cleaner are carried by a tool holder in the vicinity of the portion of the wand or hose normally gripped by the user during use. One such proposal is set out in European Patent Application No EP 0 747 000A. However, the device disclosed in this publication has several disadvantages. Firstly, the tools are stored directly on the handle which makes the handle bulky and unwieldy. Secondly, each of the tools must be placed in a specially shaped recess and therefore care must be taken to ensure that each tool is correctly placed. The construction is inconvenient and can be expensive to add to an existing vacuum cleaner. Because of the fixed position of each tool with respect to the handle, one or more of the tools is also less readily accessible by a user than others. 
     Another proposal for carrying tools on a vacuum cleaner is set out in UK Patent No 1 460 119. In this document, a dedicated tool carrier is designed to be affixed to the fitting which connects the hose to the main body of the vacuum cleaner. Because the tools are carried so close to the main body, there is no advantage over other pieces of prior art in that the user of the vacuum cleaner must make a considerable effort to locate the correct tool before attaching it to the wand for appropriate use. An arrangement for retaining the free end of the hose of a vacuum cleaner is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,563,789. 
     None of the prior art proposes a tool holder for holding the tools on a vacuum cleaner which can be positioned at a convenient point away from the portion of the wand normally gripped by the user but still in a convenient location. Furthermore, none of the prior art discloses a tool holder which can be positioned at one of a number of locations so that the tools are convenient to any specific user. 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a tool holder for a vacuum cleaner which overcomes the disadvantages specified above. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a tool holder which is more versatile and able to be adapted to the needs of individual users. A further object of the invention is to provide a tool holder to which tools can be easily attached and from which tools can be easily released. 
     A SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention provides a tool holder for a vacuum cleaner or other cleaning appliance according to Claim 1. The ability of the tool holder to be attached directly to a flexible portion of the hose at any point between the main body and the wand allows the tool to be positioned more conveniently for any one user. Preferably, the tool can be positioned at any one of a number of points between the main body and the wand. This allows the user complete control over the position of the tool holder along the hose. Thus any user can position the tool holder according to their individual requirements. Furthermore, if desired, more than one such tool holder can be located on the hose so that a large number of tools can be carried ready for use by the user of the vacuum cleaner. 
     Preferably, the tool receiving means comprise at least one peg or socket for slidably receiving the tool and further retaining means for retaining a tool on or in each of the at least one peg or socket in a snap-fit manner. This provides a simple construction which is easy to use and which does not require further tools or awkward manipulations to release the tool from the tool holder. The simple tongue and groove arrangement of the retaining means is a particularly simple and effective arrangement. Further preferable and advantageous features are set out in the subsidiary claims. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     An embodiment of a tool holder according to the invention will now be described in detail by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a plan view of a tool holder for a vacuum cleaner according to the invention; 
     FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on line II—II of FIG.  1  and showing the position of the tool holder with respect to a hose of a vacuum cleaner; 
     FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the tool holder of FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrating a method of attachment of a variety of tools; and 
     FIG. 4 illustrates a possible position of the tool holder of FIGS. 1 to  3  on the hose of a vacuum cleaner when in use. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The tool holder  10  shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a central cylindrical sleeve  12 . The cylindrical sleeve  12  is open at its upper end  12   a  and at its lower end  12   b.  Three equispaced projections  14  extend inwardly just inside the open upper end  12   a  of the cylindrical sleeve  12 . Each projection  14  has a smooth contour although it is generally triangular in cross section with a rounded inner edge (see FIG.  2 ). Each projection  14  could alternatively be semi-elliptical or semi-circular in cross section. 
     The inner diameter of the cylindrical sleeve  12  along the majority of its length is a little greater than the outer diameter of the hose  16  of the vacuum cleaner to which the tool holder  10  is to be attached. A typical hose diameter is 40-50 mm. The internal diameter of the sleeve  12  along the majority of its length is between 2 mm and 10 mm greater than the diameter of the hose  16 . The projections  14  extend radially inwardly towards the longitudinal axis  18  of the tool holder  10  such that, when the tool holder  10  is located on the hose  16 , the projections  14  project radially inwardly between the convolutions of the telescopic hose  16 . The projections  14  thus engage with the hose and prevent the tool holder  10  from moving axially along the hose  16 . 
     However, the projections  14  are dimensioned so as to allow the hose  16  to be pulled through the cylindrical sleeve  12  if desired. The user of the vacuum cleaner may grasp the hose  16  and apply a moderate force so as to allow the hose  16  to distort and slip past the projections  14 . In this way, the tool holder  10  can be positioned on the hose  16  at any required point between the wand the main body containing the motor and the fan. The projections  14  shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 lie on an annular path. 
     In an alternative embodiment, the projections can be located so that they lie on a helical path. The helical path is then adapted to coincide with one complete turn of the convolutions of the hose. This reduces distortion of the hose when the tool holder is located on the hose. In order to adjust the position of the tool holder, either the hose can be pulled through the tool holder as described above or, alternatively, the tool holder can be rotated about the longitudinal axis of the hose in order to “screw” the tool holder along the hose. 
     At the upper end  12   a  of the tool holder  10  shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an annular web  20  extends radially outwardly from the cylindrical sleeve  12 . Equispaced about the axis  18  and attached to the annular web  20  are three tool-receiving pegs or spigots  22 . Each peg or spigot  22  consists of a cylindrical member  22   a  closed at its upper end by an inclined base  22   b.  The inclined base  22   b  extends radially outwardly beyond the cylindrical member  22   a  in the manner of a lip  22   c.  Each peg or spigot  22  is spaced from the cylindrical sleeve  12  so that a gap is formed between the cylindrical sleeve  12  and the cylindrical member  22   a.  The purpose of the gap  24  will be described below. Three recesses or apertures  26  are formed in the cylindrical sleeve  12  at the points at which the cylindrical sleeve  12  approaches each peg or spigot  22 . Again, the purpose of these recesses or apertures  26  will be explained below. 
     FIG. 3 illustrates the manner in which the tool holder  10  is able to receive a plurality of tools  30 , 32 , 34 . In the illustration, tool  30  is a brush tool, tool  32  is a stair tool, and tool  34  is a crevice tool. In each case, the tool  30 , 32 , 34  has an open cylindrical socket  36  by means of which the tool  30 , 32 , 34  can be attached to the remote end of the wand of the vacuum cleaner for cleaning purposes. The dimensions of the socket  36  are therefore dictated by the dimensions of the end of the wand of the vacuum cleaner. An annular tongue  38  extends around each socket  36  and projects radially outwardly therefrom. The annular tongue  38  is spaced from the open end of the socket  36  in each case. The annular tongue  38  is made slightly resilient. 
     In order to locate one of the tools  30 , 32 , 34  on to the tool holder  10 , the socket  36  is introduced over one of the pegs or spigots  22 . The socket  36  is received into the gap  24  between the cylindrical member  22   a  of the peg or spigot  22  and the cylindrical sleeve  12 . The size of the gap  24  must be sufficient to allow this to happen and is therefore dependent upon the thickness of the wall of the socket  36 . The open end of the socket  36  slides over the peg or spigot  22  until it abuts against the lip  22   c  of the inclined base  22   b.  Further sliding movement of the tool  30 , 32 , 34  with respect to the peg or spigot  22  is thereby prevented. The position of the annular tongue  38  with respect to the open end of the socket  36  is such that the annular tongue  38  projects into the recess or aperture  26  in the cylindrical sleeve  12  when t he open end of the socket  36  abuts against the lip  22   c.  The size of the gap  24  is therefore also dependent upon the dimensions of the annular tongue  38 . The resilient nature of the annular tongue  38  allows a snap-fit co-operation between the annular tongue  38  and the recess or aperture  26 . As soon as the annular tongue  38  has been located in the recess or aperture  26 , the tool  30 , 32 , 34  is prevented from sliding freely off the peg or spigot  22 . The tool  30 , 32 , 34  is thereby held securely until the user of the vacuum cleaner requires to remove the tool  30 , 32 , 34  from the tool holder  10 . Moderate pulling of the tool  30 , 32 , 34  in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis  18  will cause deformation of the annular tongue  38  which then releases itself from the recess or aperture  26  and allows the tool  30 , 32 , 34  to be slid off the peg or spigot  22 . Until this happens, the tool  30 , 32 , 34  is firmly held on the tool holder  10 . 
     Each of the tools  30 , 32 , 34  incorporates a socket  36  and annular tongue  38 . Since the pegs or spigots  22  and the recesses or apertures  26  are identically formed in each case, any one of the tools  30 , 32 , 34  can be simply and easily located on the tool holder  10  in any one of a number of positions. In the embodiment shown, three pegs or spigots are provided. It will be appreciated that a different number of pegs or spigots can be provided if desired. It will also be appreciated that the exact configuration of the means which retain the tools  30 , 32 , 34  on the tool holder can be varied; for example, the cylindrical sleeve  12  could carry an annular projection instead of recesses or apertures, whilst each tool  30 , 32 , 34  could incorporate recesses or apertures. The effect would be exactly the same. It will be appreciated that a similar effect can be achieved by the peg or spigot  22  being made slightly resilient in the area of the annular web  30  so that each peg or spigot  22  can be moved away from the cylindrical sleeve  12  sufficiently far to allow the annular tongue  38  to be introduced to or removed from the recess or aperture  26 . In this case, the annular tongue  38  need not be resilient. 
     As can be seen from FIG. 4, the tool holder  10  can be attached to the hose of a vacuum cleaner and tools conveniently stored thereon at any position convenient for the individual user. Furthermore, moderate pulling of the hose  16  or “screwing” of the tool holder  10  about the hose  16  causes the position of the tool holder  10  to be adjusted at will. This means that the individual user of the vacuum cleaner can ensure that the tool holder is positioned conveniently for their own needs. The identity of each tool receiving means avoids the need to inspect the tool. holder before introducing any one tool to the holder since any of the tools can be held and retained by any one of the tool receiving means. 
     It will also be appreciated that more than one tool holder  10  can be mounted on the hose  16  of any vacuum cleaner. In the event that the number of tools commonly used by an individual user of the vacuum cleaner exceeds the number of tools capable of being retained by a single tool holder, a second, or even a third, tool holder can be introduced. The tool holder  10  would normally be introduced to the hose by detaching the hose from the main body of the cleaner and merely sliding the end of the hose through the cylindrical sleeve  12 . The application of a moderate force or screwing action will bring the tool holder  10  to the desired position. The tool holder  10  will be positioned taking account of any further tool holders which might need to be introduced to the hose. 
     Conveniently, the tool holder  10  is manufactured from a lightweight plastics material by injection moulding. Manufacturing the tool holder from a heavy material would, of course, add to the weight to be carried by the user and may in some cases detract from the maneuverability if the vacuum cleaner wand. However, the tool holder  10  must be of sufficient strength to withstand being carried by the vacuum cleaner hose during normal use of the vacuum cleaner, and also being stored when the vacuum cleaner is not in use. 
     The invention is not intended to be limited to the precise features of the embodiment described above. Various modifications and alternatives will be apparent to a skilled reader. Specifically, it is recognized that, whilst the specific embodiment described above relates to a vacuum cleaner, there are other cleaning appliances which utilize tools and incorporate hoses and this invention is as applicable to these appliances as to vacuum cleaners.