Abstract:
A suction cleaner includes a suction unit for creating a flow of air and a flexible suction hose having a hose inlet at which air may be drawn into the suction hose. The suction hose leads from the suction unit and includes a first hose portion and a second hose portion having a connection to the first hose portion. The second hose portion includes the hose inlet. The suction unit includes a body that at least partially defines a storage volume in which the first hose portion can be accommodated when the first hose portion is in a contracted condition, and from which the first hose portion can be deployed when required. A first roller is positioned within the body and is supported on a first axis that is fixed with respect to the body. A second roller is positioned within the body and is supported on a second axis. The second axis is movable along an arc. A portion of the arc has a focus point positioned on the same side of the arc as the first axis. The first roller and the second roller cooperate to support the first hose portion in the contracted condition.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION DATA 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/018,552, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,631,396, filed Dec. 22, 2004, which claims the priority of British Patent Application No. 0329770.2 filed Dec. 23, 2003, the entire contents of all are hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     This invention relates to a suction cleaner (vacuum cleaner), having a suction hose which connects to the suction unit and has an inlet at which dirt-laden air may be inducted, e.g. by the connection of the inlet to a wand and/or a cleaning tool. 
     The invention has been devised in relation to a suction cleaner of the so-called “cylinder” type. This type of cleaner comprises a suction unit having a source of suction (a motor and impeller) and a separator/collector arrangement, for separating entrained dirt from the flow of air created by the source of the suction and for collecting and retaining such separated dirt for appropriate disposal. The separator/collector may include one or more filters for removing entrained dirt from the airflow and/or one or more “cyclonic” separators in which the separation is effected by centrifugal force. In use the suction unit is positioned in the vicinity of where a cleaning operation is being carried out, and a flexible suction hose connects the suction unit to a cleaning tool being wielded by a person carrying out the cleaning. For floor cleaning and for cleaning some other surfaces, the cleaning tool usually is connected at the end of an elongate rigid wand, possibly telescopically extendible and contractible, whose other end is connected to the suction hose. 
     Usually the suction hose is detachable from the suction unit, and when the cleaner is not in use the suction hose may be stored wherever is convenient. It is known that a suction unit can be provided with external formations on which the suction hose can be arranged, e.g. coiled, for storage. Possibly the hose may even remain connected to the suction unit when thus stored. However, such storage of a hose is generally inconvenient. A hose of reasonable length is bulky and vulnerable to damage when stored. It has also been proposed that the suction unit of a suction cleaner may be provided with internal storage, e.g. in the form of a drum on which the hose can be coiled and stored within the unit, to be deployed therefrom when required. However such arrangements as proposed hitherto have been bulky, and thus inconvenient, and have had other disadvantages including the necessity of providing complex mechanisms for controlling the operation of the drum and the coiling of the hose thereon. 
     Certain cleaning operations make it desirable that a suction cleaner should be provided with a relatively long hose, e.g. four metres or possibly even longer. This facilitates the cleaning of a stairway, with the suction unit being positioned at the top or bottom of the stairway. However a hose of this length is even more difficult to accommodate either inside or outside the suction unit. 
     Apart from the cylinder type of suction cleaner, the other main type of cleaner is the “upright” type, in which a cleaning head is provided as part of a generally upstanding suction unit, the whole cleaner being manoeuvrable over a floor surface by an operator grasping a handle on the suction unit. It is known that such a cleaner may have a suction hose either provided on the suction unit and able to be deployed for use with other cleaning tools, or possibly as a separate component to be attached to the suction unit for use with cleaning tools other than the floor cleaning head. Although primarily intended for use with a cleaner of the cylinder type, the present invention may also be applicable for use with an upright type of cleaner having a suction hose. 
     SUMMARY 
     It is broadly the object of the present invention to provide a suction cleaner, which may be of the cylinder type, with a hose arrangement which provides the advantage of a long hose, usable e.g. as above described, whilst overcoming or reducing the disadvantages associated with conventional arrangements for hose storage. According to one aspect of the present invention, we provide a suction cleaner comprising a suction unit for creating a flow of air for drawing in dirt, a flexible suction hose leading from the suction unit and having a hose inlet at which the suction air flow may be drawn in, the suction hose comprising a first hose portion and a second hose portion having a connection to the first hose portion, the second hose portion having the hose inlet, wherein the first hose portion is extendible lengthwise when subject to lengthways tension, and wherein the suction unit affords a storage volume for accommodating the first hose portion when it is in a contracted condition, and from which the first hose portion can be deployed when required. 
     In a suction cleaner according to the invention, the total length of hose available for use is that of the first and second hose portions together, while when the first hose portion is accommodated in the suction unit only the length of hose constituting the second hose portion needs to be stored externally of the suction unit. Thus the disadvantage of having to store a very long length of hose externally of the suction unit is largely avoided. At the same time, since only the first portion of the hose is required to be accommodated in the suction unit, a relatively simple arrangement for storing the first portion in the suction unit can be adopted. Thus the problems associated with previously known arrangements for internal storage of a long length of suction hose in the suction unit are largely overcome. 
     Hoses are available for the first hose portion which are capable of being extended up to about six times their length when contracted. Thus a relatively short length of such hose, which can relatively easily be accommodated in a storage volume of a cleaner suction unit, can provide a much greater usable length of hose when deployed therefrom. For example, a length of up to about 0.5 metre of such hose when contracted, which can relatively easily be accommodated in the suction unit, can be extended and deployed to a free length of 2.5-3 metres (allowing for a length of the extended hose remaining within the storage volume of the suction unit). 
     The second portion of the hose may be a conventional (substantially non-extendible) hose, of a length of the order of 2 metres of so. Non-extendible hose is substantially less expensive than extendible hose, and such hose, especially a relatively short length thereof, is less vulnerable to damage when stored externally of the suction unit. It will be appreciated that a suction cleaner in accordance with the invention may readily achieve a total usable hose length of the order of 5 metres, which is more than adequate for most domestic cleaning tasks. 
     The first portion of the hose may be arranged to be accommodated in the storage volume of the suction unit in a generally sinuous configuration. There may be at least one guide formation for causing it to assume a generally S-shaped configuration within the storage volume. 
     There may be a pivotable member having spaced guide formations which cause the hose portion to assume its S-shaped configuration. The formations may comprise rollers, and the pivotable member may be spring biased to pivot in the sense to cause the hose portion to assume the generally S-shaped configuration. Alternatively, there may be a slidable guide formation such as a roller. 
     The free end of the first hose portion may be releasably connected to the second hose portion. Such a connection may be semi-permanent, in the sense that it is intended only to be disconnected if it is required, for example, to remove a blockage from the hose in the vicinity of the connection, or may be readily disconnectable when required, e.g. by a bayonet fitting or any other expedient known for use in disconnectable hose connections in suction cleaners. 
     The connection of the second hose portion to the first hose portion may be releasably connectable to a body part of the suction unit, e.g. by a bayonet or clip connection. Thus, when the first hose portion is not deployed, the second hose portion can be connected to the suction unit in such a way that the suction unit can be moved by pulling on the second hose portion. 
     In one construction, the invention provides a suction cleaner that includes a suction unit for creating a flow of air and a flexible suction hose having a hose inlet at which air may be drawn into the suction hose. The suction hose leads from the suction unit and includes a first hose portion and a second hose portion having a connection to the first hose portion. The second hose portion includes the hose inlet. The suction unit includes a body that at least partially defines a storage volume in which the first hose portion can be accommodated when the first hose portion is in a contracted condition, and from which the first hose portion can be deployed when required. A first roller is positioned within the body and is supported on a first axis that is fixed with respect to the body. A second roller is positioned within the body and is supported on a second axis. The second axis is movable along an arc. A portion of the arc has a focus point positioned on the same side of the arc as the first axis. The first roller and the second roller cooperate to support the first hose portion in the contracted condition. 
     In another construction, the invention provides a suction cleaner that includes a housing defining an interior space and an exterior space and a hose movable between a retracted position and an extended position. The hose includes a first portion that is fully disposed in the interior space when the hose is in the retracted position and a second portion that is disposed in the exterior space. An arm is pivotally coupled to the housing such that the arm pivots about a pivot axis. The arm includes a first end disposed near the pivot axis and a second end spaced from the first axis. The first portion of the hose is positioned adjacent the first end and the second end such that the hose is arranged in a serpentine position when in the retracted position. A portion of the second portion extends out of the housing when the hose is in the extended position. 
     In another construction, the invention provides a method of extending a hose of a suction cleaner. The method includes positioning a portion of the hose within a housing such that the hose is wrapped around a first end and a second end of an arm and biasing the arm into a retracted position in which the hose is arranged in a serpentine arrangement around the first end and the second end. The method also includes applying an extending force to the hose and pivoting the arm about the first end to rearrange the hose in a second configuration that is straighter than the serpentine arrangement. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic perspective view of a suction cleaner in accordance with the invention, showing the accommodation of a first hose portion therein; 
         FIG. 2  is a diagrammatic exploded perspective view of a connection between first and second hose portions of the suction cleaner; and 
         FIG. 3  is a diagrammatic perspective view of part of a further embodiment of a suction cleaner in accordance with the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring firstly to  FIG. 1  of the drawings, this shows in outline only a body  10  of a suction unit of a suction cleaner of the cylinder type. A suction hose indicated generally at  11  extends from one end, herein called the front end of the body  10 , for connection to a cleaning tool (or the free end of the suction hose may be used to suck up dirt directly without a cleaning tool). For some cleaning jobs, e.g. cleaning floors, a cleaning tool is usually connected to the hose with the intermediary of a rigid, possibly telescopically extendible and contractible, wand. All this is conventional. At the opposite (rear) end of the body  10  to that from which the hose  11  extends, the body has wheels as indicated diagrammatically at  12 , a corresponding wheel at the opposite side of the body  10  from the wheel  12  not being shown in the drawing. Typically there may be another wheel, e.g. a castor, not shown beneath the body  10  towards the front end thereof, so that the suction unit can easily be moved over a floor surface on its wheels. 
     The suction unit is provided, within its body  10 , with a source of suction, i.e. a motor and impeller which may be disposed in the space between the wheels as  12 . It also has a separator/collector arrangement, for separating entrained dirt from the flow of air created by the source of suction and for collecting and retaining such separated dirt for later disposal. The separator/collector may include one or more filters and/or one or more cyclonic separators. All this is well known to those skilled in the art of suction cleaners. 
     The suction hose as indicated generally at  11  comprises a first hose portion  15  and a second hose portion  16 . The first hose portion  15  is a length of a known type of hose which is extendible lengthwise when subject to tension. For example this hose portion may be capable of being extended up to about six times its length when contracted or possibly a greater extension, and is resilient so that it contracts when free of tension. The second hose portion  16  is a conventional substantially non-extendible length of suction cleaner hose, and extends to an inlet (not shown) at which a cleaning tool may be connected, possibly by way of a wand. 
     In referring to the second hose portion as being substantially non-extendible, it will be understood that as suction hoses are usually constructed of plastics materials, a hose which is intended to be extendible in normal use will be able to be extended to some degree if subject to sufficient lengthways tension. This is unlikely to be encountered in normal circumstances, to which we are referring when using the term “substantially inextendible”. 
     The first hose portion  15  is arranged, when contracted, to be accommodated in a storage chamber within the body  10  of the cleaner suction unit. As diagrammatically shown in  FIG. 1 , the storage chamber occupies a space in the front lower body part of the suction unit, adjacent where the hose extends therefrom. When fully accommodated within the storage chamber, the contracted first hose portion assumes a sinuous, somewhat S-shaped configuration and there is guide means for causing it to assume this configuration. 
     As shown in the drawing, the guide means may comprise two guide formations in the form of rollers  18 ,  19 , spaced from one another and of a diameter such that when the hose extends around the circumference of the roller it is restrained from kinking or bending in too small a radius which might restrict its interior airflow passage. The roller  19  is carried by an arm  20  which is pivotable about an axis  21  which is concentric with the roller  18 , and the arm is spring biased about the axis  21  towards the position in which it is shown in  FIG. 1 . It is able to pivot against its spring biasing, about the axis  21 , in the direction indicated by arrow  22  and this is what happens when the first hose portion  15  is pulled and extended so as to be deployed from the storage chamber within the body  10 . When the hose portion  15  is fully deployed, it adopts a more nearly straight configuration within the storage chamber, although it is still sinuous to some extent as it passes the rollers  18 ,  19 . 
     Also visible in  FIG. 1  is a fitting  23 , e.g. an elbow, at an end of the first hose portion  15  fixed within the body  10 , connecting the hose portion  15  to an airflow passage leading to the separator/collector arrangement of the suction unit (which may be above the storage chamber accommodating the hose portion  15 ). 
     The first hose portion  15  is joined to the second hose portion  16  by a connection indicated generally at  25  in  FIG. 1  of the drawings and shown in greater detail in  FIG. 2 . The free end of the first hose portion  15  fits tightly into a cuff  26 , and is fixed permanently therein by an adhesive. The cuff  26  engages with the inside of one end portion  27  of a further cuff member  28 , and is retained therein in the manner of a bayonet fastening, i.e. it is retained by an angular movement about the common longitudinal axis of the openings extending through the cuffs  26 ,  28  after having been inserted axially into the cuff  28 . For providing such bayonet engagement, four lugs are provided on a front part  29  of the cuff  26 , being spaced angularly thereabout and two of such lugs being visible at  30 ,  31 . They are engaged with complementary formations within the part  27  of the cuff member  28 . A seal  32  provides substantially air tight sealing between the cuff  26  and cuff  28 . 
     The connection between the cuff  26  and cuff  28  does not allow for relative angular movement therebetween about their common axis (except for that entailed in the establishment of the bayonet connection therebetween). As an alternative to the bayonet connection, a “snap fit” connection could be provided, by suitable formations on the engaging parts which snap into engagement with one another. 
     The part  27  of the cuff member  28  has an enlarged external circumferential rib  33  and beyond that the cuff member has an externally tapering front part  34 . The rear part  27  of the cuff  28  is able to be engaged within an opening at the front of the body  10  of the suction cleaner, to be retained in such engagement and released therefrom when required. For this the parts  27 ,  33  of the cuff  28  have two diametrically opposed lug parts of which one is visible at  35  in  FIG. 2 . Free end portions of these lugs as  35 , i.e. the ends remote from the front part  34  of the cuff member, are able to snap-engage with a suitable formation in or associated with the opening in the body  10 . The lugs  35  may end in projections engageable with the wall of the body behind the opening, and they have portions as indicated at  36  for the lug  35 , which can be gripped by a user and squeezed towards one another to disengage the lugs  35  from the body, enabling the cuff  28  to be disconnected from the body of the suction cleaner. The cuff  28  may be manufactured as a moulding of a suitable plastics material, such movement of these lugs  35  being permitted by the resilience of such material. 
     A further seal  37  is operative between the cuff  28  and the front of the body  10 , when the cuff  28  is engaged with the body. 
     The second hose portion  16  is engaged, as a close fit, in the interior of a collar  40  and is fixed permanently therein by use of adhesive. The collar  40  fits into the front part  34  of the cuff  28 , and is held therein as a snap fit, by engagement of diametrically opposed resilient wall parts  41 ,  42  on the collar  40  behind an undercut lip  43  extending around the interior of the part  34  of the cuff  28  at its free end. The fit of the collar within the cuff is loose enough to allow relative angular movement therebetween about the axis extending centrally through the collar and cuff. The collar  40  is releasable from the cuff  28  e.g. for maintenance purposes (as may be required if a blockage in the first or second hose portion or connection therebetween occurs), and such release may require the use of simple tools such as by pushing the ends of thin narrow implements such as screwdrivers through apertures  44 ,  45  in the cuff part  34 , to engage the flexible wall portions  41 ,  42  and move them towards one another to be released from behind the lip  43 . 
     When the connector  25  is engaged with the body  10  of the suction unit, the length of suction hose available to be used is that of the second hose portion only. The suction unit may be moved over a floor surface by pulling on the hose portion  16 . However, if a longer length of suction hose is required, e.g. for cleaning a stairway, the connector  25  can be disengaged from the body  10 , enabling the first hose portion  15  to be pulled outwardly from the storage chamber within the body until it is completely deployed. The total length of suction hose available to the user then comprises the extended length of the first hose portion  15  which lies outside the body, plus the length of the second hose portion  16 . When the full length of the hose is no longer required, the first hose portion  15  can contract and be guided back into the storage chamber within the body  10 , assisted by the spring biasing of the arm  20  with the rollers  18 ,  19 , until the connector  25  can again be engaged with the body  10 . 
     In the embodiment described, it is not intended that the second hose portion  16  should be regularly disengaged from the first hose portion  15 , although as described above the arrangement by which the collar  40  engages with the cuff  28  enables disengagement when required, for example if a hose blockage should occur. However, it is to be appreciated that it would be possible for a more readily disengageable connection to be provided between the two hose portions, so that the hose portion  16  may be removed from the suction unit if required when the suction cleaner is not in use. For example, a bayonet fitting may be provided, or a more readily disengageable snap connection therebetween, or any other arrangement such as is generally known for disconnectible hose connections in suction cleaners. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 3  of the drawings, this shows an alternative arrangement for guiding the first hose portion  15  to cause it to assume its generally S-shaped configuration when fully contracted and accommodated within the storage volume of the cleaner. Instead of the spring loaded pivoted arm  20 , a guide formation in the form of a roller  50  is rotatably carried by a member  51  which is mounted for sliding a movement along an arcuate slot  52  provided in a member  53  forming a base of the hose-storage chamber of the cleaner. A spring operates on the roller assembly  50 ,  51  to bias it towards the end of the slot  52  in which it is shown in the drawing, and the spring is arranged to provide an increase in the spring load applied to the roller assembly as the latter moves to the opposite end of the slot as the first hose portion is deployed from the storage chamber. Any suitable spring arrangement may be provided for achieving this, e.g. a coiled tension spring arranged so that its geometry alters as they roll assembly moves along the slot. 
       FIG. 3  also depicts the connection arrangement  25  as described above in relation to  FIG. 2 , and the way in which the end  55  of the first hose portion  15 , removed from the connector assembly  25 , is fixed to the base  53  and to an outlet elbow which, in the suction cleaner, leads to the separator/collector arrangement of the cleaner and thence to the source of suction. 
     When used in this specification and claims, the terms “comprises” and “comprising” and variations thereof mean that the specified features, steps or integers are included. The terms are not to be interpreted to exclude the presence of other features, steps or components. 
     The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilized for realizing the invention in diverse forms thereof.