Abstract:
A vacuum cleaner current-carrying hose connection system is disclosed having a female connection end on a first vacuum cleaner current-carrying hose adapted for receiving a male connection end on a second vacuum cleaner current-carrying hose. The male connection has at least two male receptor plugs configured for inserting into female receptor holes in the female connection end. A vacuum cleaner hose connection system is further disclosed having a male connection end that has at least two male receptor plugs for transmitting current, a female connection end having at least two female receptor holes for receiving the male receptor plugs, and the male and female connection ends being rotatably movable, about the longitudinal axis of at least one of the female connection end and the male connection end, between an unengaged position and an engaged position.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0001]     The invention relates to vacuum cleaners, and particularly to a connection system for connecting a vacuum cleaner current-carrying hose to a second vacuum cleaner current-carrying hose, to a handle part, to a vacuum cleaner body or to a wall outlet.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0002]     Many modern vacuum cleaners transmit electrical current from the body of the vacuum cleaner to a power nozzle via wires arranged in a helix along the length of the vacuum cleaner hose. Typical vacuum cleaner current-carrying hoses have a first end adapted to receive current from the body of the vacuum cleaner and a second end adapted to transmit current to a handle part.  
         [0003]     A significant limitation of existing vacuum cleaner current-carrying hoses is that the first and second ends do not use the same connection system so that two current-carrying hoses cannot be coupled together in a manner that would enable an extension current-carrying hose to be added between the first current-carrying hose and the handle part. There exists a need for a connection system for vacuum cleaner current-carrying hoses and handles that will allow a vacuum cleaner current-carrying hose to be connected to either a handle part or to a second current-carrying hose.  
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
       [0004]     According to the present invention, a vacuum cleaner current-carrying hose connection system has a female connection end on a first vacuum cleaner current-carrying hose adapted for receiving a male connection end on a second vacuum cleaner current-carrying hose. The male connection has at least two male receptor plugs configured for inserting into female receptor holes in the female connection end.  
         [0005]     The invention also provides for vacuum cleaner hose connection system having a male connection end that has at least two male receptor plugs for transmitting current, a female connection end having at least two female receptor holes for receiving the male receptor plugs, and the male and female connection ends being rotatably movable about the longitudinal axis of the female connection end between an unengaged position and an engaged position.  
         [0006]     The invention provides a vacuum cleaner handle part having a male connection end adapted for engagement with a female connection end on a current-carrying hose, the female end being rotatably movable about the longitudinal axis of the female end between a position engaged with the handle part and an unengaged position.  
         [0007]     The invention provides a female connection end for a vacuum cleaner current-carrying hose having at least two female receptor holes for receiving male receptor plugs carrying current and means for engaging with a male connection end via rotation about a longitudinal axis of the female connection end.  
         [0008]     The invention provides a male connection end for a vacuum cleaner current-carrying hose having at least two male receptor plugs for transmitting current to female receptor holes and means for engaging with a female connection end via rotation about a longitudinal axis of the male connection end. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0009]     In Figures which illustrate non-limiting embodiments of the invention:  
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a side view of a preferred embodiment of a male connection end of the system of the present invention;  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is a side view of a preferred embodiment of a female connection end;  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is a top view of the male connection end shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is a top view of the female connection end shown in  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0014]      FIG. 5  is a first side view of the male connection end shown in  FIG. 1  with the hard cover removed;  
         [0015]      FIG. 6  is a second side view of the male connection end shown in  FIG. 1  with the hard cover removed;  
         [0016]      FIG. 7  is a side view of the male and female connection ends shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  with the hard covers removed and in a partially engaged position;  
         [0017]      FIG. 8  is a side view of the male and female connection ends shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2  with the hard covers removed and in a fully engaged position;  
         [0018]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the female connection end shown in  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0019]      FIG. 10  is a side view of a preferred embodiment handle part male connection end along with the female connection end shown in  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0020]      FIG. 11  is a side view of a second embodiment of a male connection end;  
         [0021]      FIG. 12  is a side view of a second embodiment of a female connection end;  
         [0022]      FIG. 13  is a top view of the male connection end shown in  FIG. 11 ;  
         [0023]      FIG. 14  is a top view of the female connection end shown in  FIG. 12 ; and  
         [0024]      FIG. 15  is a side view of a second embodiment handle part male connection end along with the female connection end shown in  FIG. 12 . 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION  
       [0025]     Throughout the following description, specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the invention. However, the invention may be practiced without these particulars. In other instances, well known elements have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the invention. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative, rather than a restrictive, sense.  
         [0026]      FIGS. 1 and 2  show a male connection end  10  and a female connection end  80  of a current-carrying hose system made in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention. The male connection end  10  and the female connection end  80  are both connected to a flexible vacuum hose  20  having a current-carrying cord wound round in a helix. The male connection end  10  has a hard shell  30  that is snugly attached to the male connection end&#39;s contoured leading lip  40 . Two male receptor plugs  50  protrude from the contoured leading lip  40 . An inner vacuum tube member  60  protrudes out of the male connection end  10  and has a guide button  70  on each side. Female connection end  80  has a hard protective shell  90  attached snugly to the female connection end&#39;s contoured leading lip  100 .  
         [0027]      FIG. 3  shows a top view of the male connection end  10  according to the preferred embodiment of the invention, and shows a screw  110  that is used to attach the hard protective cover  30  to the remainder of the male connection end  10 .  
         [0028]      FIG. 4  shows a top view of the female connection end  80  according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, showing screw  120  that is used to attach the hard protective cover  90  to the remainder of the female connection end  80 .  
         [0029]     The inner portions of the male and female connection ends  010  and  80  are best illustrated with reference to FIGS.  5  to  8  showing the protective hard covers  30  and  90  removed.  FIGS. 5 and 6  show the alternate side views for the male connection end  10 . The male connection end  10  has a short flange  210  and a long flange  220 , each protecting and attached to a circuit board  230 . Each circuit board  230  is attached to two conducting leads  240 , and each conducting lead  240  is in contact with one of four conducting loops  250 . The four conducting loops  250  are spaced apart by insulating non-conducting loops  260 . The conducting loops  250  and the insulating loops  260  extend circumferentially around the vacuum hose. The front portion of the male connection end  10 , including the contoured leading lip  40  and the short and long flanges  210  and  220 , is freely rotatable around a longitudinal axis extending through the inner vacuum tube member  60 . Vacuum tube  60  extends into pipe  20  through a seal member. As the front end of the male connection end  10  rotates, the conducting leads  240  remain at all times in contact with the conducting loops  250 . Spacer knobs  310  extend out of the short and long flanges  210  and  220 , through the short and long circuit boards  230 . The spacer knobs  310  hold the circuit boards  230  in position and help prevent the circuit boards  230  from touching the conducting loops  250 .  
         [0030]     Each conducting loop  250  is attached to one wire from the helix of wires in the current-carrying cord  20 . Each conducting loop  250  is also connected to one conducting lead  240 , which in turn is connected via a wire on the circuit board  230  to an insulated wire  270 . For each conducting lead  240  on each circuit board  230 , the electrical connection travels on an opposite side of the circuit board  230  to a separate insulated wire  270 . Each insulated wire  270  is connected to one of the male receptor plugs  50 . The connection between the insulated wires  270  and the male receptor plugs  50  is shown as a welded joint in  FIGS. 5, 7 , and  8  and is shown using female electric push/slide connectors  265  in  FIG. 6 . It is to be understood that the connection between the insulated wires  270  and the male receptor plugs  50  can be by any suitable means. The male receptor plugs  50  are attached firmly to the front portion of the male connection end  10  by a plug mounting cover  280 , which in turn is held in place by a plug mounting screw  285  attached to a mounting screw receptacle  287 . A screw  290  and nut  300  combination are shown in FIGS.  5  to  8  for firmly connecting two halves of the male receptor end, if the male receptor end is made by two pieces.  
         [0031]     While  FIGS. 5 and 6  are similar, they illustrate opposite sides of the male connection end  10 . The configuration of the insulating wires  270  and the location of the short and long flanges  210  and  220  are slightly different for each side.  
         [0032]      FIG. 7  shows the male connection end and the female connection end in a partially engaged position. To achieve this position, the guide buttons  70  on the male connection end  10  are first slid through the guide button receiving channels  400  in female connection end  80 , as illustrated in  FIG. 9 . With the guide buttons  70  in position, a twisting action will result in the male receptor plugs  50  being guided into place within the female receptor holes  130  each time the ends are connected. A guide button receptor  410  helps keep the male and female connection ends  10  and  80  held together when in fully engaged position.  
         [0033]      FIG. 8  shows the male and female connection ends  10  and  80  in fully engaged position. Female receptor leads  350  contact the male receptor plugs  50  when the male and female connection ends  10  and  80  are in the fully engaged position. The female receptor leads  350  are in electrical communication with insulated receptor wires  270  via electrical circuit pathways  360 . The remaining inner workings of the female connection end  80  are similar to the male connection end  10 , including conducting loops  250 , insulating loops  260 , short and long flanges  210  and  220 , and conducting leads  240 .  
         [0034]      FIG. 10  shows a handle part  500  along with a female connection end  80 . The handle part  500  has male receptor plugs  50  and an inner vacuum tube member  60  with a guide button  70 , all similar to the male connection end  10 . The handle part  500  has a leading end  510  and a hard protective cover  520 . The handle part  500  is further shown with an on/off switch  540  and with an inner vacuum tube pipe  550 .  
         [0035]     As can be appreciated with references to FIGS.  1  to  10 , the preferred embodiment uses the same type of connection between the vacuum cleaner current-carrying hose  20  and a second or third vacuum cleaner extension hose as it does with the handle part  500 . This will allow for easy operation with a single vacuum hose or with any number of extensions of similar vacuum hoses, which may or may not be of similar length to the first hose. As described briefly above, the front portion of the connection ends  10  and  80 , including the hard covers  30  and  90  are freely rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the connection end. The preferred embodiment provides a simple and easy to use mechanism to connect a vacuum hose to a handle part  500  or to a second vacuum hose without requiring the pushing of buttons or straight pulling apart of connections. Engaging and unengaging the connection can be carried out by twisting.  
         [0036]     Inner vacuum tube pipe  550  is in communication with inner vacuum tube member  60  and may form a single tube.  
         [0037]      FIGS. 11 and 12  show a male connection end  580  and a female connection end  590  according to a second embodiment of the invention. The male receptor end has four male receptor plugs  620 , a straight leading lip  610 , and a hard protective shell  600 . The female receptor end has female receptor holes (not shown) that will line up with the male receptor plugs  620 . The female connection end has a connection mechanism  650  in communication with a connection mechanism button  660 . The connection mechanism  650  fits into a corresponding receptor hole (not shown) in the male connection end  580 .  
         [0038]      FIGS. 13 and 14  show top views of the male and female connection ends according to the second embodiment.  
         [0039]      FIG. 15  shows a handle part  700  with a female connection end  590  according to the second embodiment of the invention. The handle part  700  has male receptor plugs  620 , an inner vacuum tube member  60  and guide buttons  70  similar to the male connection end  580 . The handle part  700  has a leading lip  710  and a hard shell cover  720 . The handle part  700  further shows an on/off button  740  and an inner vacuum tube pipe  750 . As will be appreciated with references to FIGS.  11  to  15 , the second embodiment has a straight leading edge connection between the male and female parts. The use of the uniform male and female connection end system allows the easy insertion or removal of an extension hose between a first vacuum hose and a handle part.  
         [0040]     A basic implementation of the invention requires a male/female connection system at one end of the main hose. The connection system can connect the hose to a vacuum cleaner body or to a wall outlet of a built in vacuum cleaner at one end and/or it could connect the hose to the handle part. This description has described the connection system applying between a hose and a handle part, however it is to be understood that this system could be used between a hose and a vacuum cleaner&#39;s main body or a wall outlet. It is further possible to have a connection system at both ends of the main hose, in which case the main hose would likely have one male connection end and one female connection end according to this invention. Implementing the connection system at both ends of the main vacuum cleaner hose, namely to connect to the handle part and to the main body, would allow a main hose to have both a male connection end and a female connection end, allowing main and extension hoses to be interchangeable.  
         [0041]     Connecting two hoses together according to the invention provides a swivel at the join of the hoses, which reduces or eliminates kinking in the middle of the extended hose. The ease of opening the join between two hoses further facilitates access to any clogs that may have occurred in the extended hose.  
         [0042]     As will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of the foregoing disclosure, many alterations and modifications are possible in the practice of this invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. For example, current-carrying vacuum hoses have been described as having a current-carrying cord wound round in a helix, however it is to be understood that this invention can be practiced with cords that carry a relatively straight current-carrying cord inside or outside the vacuum cord. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be construed in accordance with the substance defined by the following claims.