Abstract:
An adapter for connecting a hose to a hose receptacle of an object in a locking relationship. The adapter includes a first end adapted to be fixedly attached to one of the hose receptacle or the hose and a second end having a first locking element adapted to selectively engage a second locking element to establish a locking relationship. The adapter is suitable for adapting a friction-based vacuum appliance hose connection receptacle such that it can be used with a hose-locking mechanism to selectively, securely lock the hose to the vacuum appliance.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED CASES  
       [0001]    This is a divisional of application Ser. No. 09/422,480, filed on Oct. 21, 1999, and currently pending, which is a continuation in part of application Ser. No. 09/141,545, filed on Aug. 28, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,115,881, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The present invention relates generally to hose locks, and more particularly to hose locks for wet/dry vacuum cleaners requiring a sealed connection to prevent leakage.  
           [0004]    2. Description of Related Art  
           [0005]    Vacuum appliances capable of picking up both wet and dry material, commonly referred to as wet/dry vacuums or wet/dry vacs, are often used in workshops and other environments where both wet and dry debris can accumulate. Wet/dry vacs conventionally consist of a collection tank or canister, sometimes mounted on wheels or casters, and a powerhead within which a motor and impeller assembly is mounted. The motor and impeller assembly creates suction within the canister, such that debris and/or liquid is drawn in to the canister through an air inlet to which a flexible hose can be attached. A filter within the canister prevents incoming debris from escaping from the canister while allowing filtered air to escape. Any liquid drawn into the canister is diffused and accumulates on the bottom of the canister.  
           [0006]    With known wet/dry vacs, the hose is typically attached to the air inlet via a friction fit. Ordinarily, the connection end of the hose is tapered, and the tapered end is simply inserted into the air inlet until the two parts mate. The friction between the hose and the air inlet is relied upon to hold the hose in place. It is important to have a sealed connection between the hose and the air inlet, because any air leaks thereabout reduce the suction through the hose, degrading performance. Unfortunately, wet/dry vacs employing a hose connection using a purely friction fit often have problems with the hose connection leaking, or inadvertently disconnecting.  
           [0007]    One common attempted remedy for this problem is to insert the end of the hose into the air inlet forcefully, such that the hose end is mated very tightly with the air inlet. However, this type of connection is often unsatisfactory for users, since it is difficult to discern whether the connection is tight enough to prevent leaks and disconnections. Further, if the hose end is mated with the air inlet tightly enough to provide a sealed connection and prevent inadvertent disconnections, the hose often becomes difficult to remove.  
           [0008]    Another attempted solution uses a locking member to positively couple the hose to the air inlet. This is also not without problems. With purely friction fit, manufacturing tolerances for the tapered hose end are typically relaxed, since the tapered end is inserted until it mates with the air inlet. However, if a locking member is added to lock the hose to the air inlet, manufacturing tolerances become significantly more critical. If placement of the locking member is off in one direction, the tapered end of the hose may not mate with the air inlet when the lock is engaged. On the other hand, if placement of the locking member is off in the opposite direction, friction between the tapered end of the hose and the air inlet may prevent inserting the hose end far enough to allow the locking member to engage. Tightening tolerances such that the tapered hose end mates with the air inlet in a sealed manner, while allowing the locking member to positively lock the hose in place can significantly increase design and manufacturing costs.  
           [0009]    Thus, there remains a need for a hose lock that is quick and easy to lock and unlock with a secure connection that prevents leakage. The present invention provides for a hose lock that addresses shortcomings associated with the prior art.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0010]    In one aspect of the present invention, a device for connecting a hose to a wet/dry vacuum includes a first member having first and second ends, with the first end adapted to be coupled to the hose. A receptacle has first and second ends. The first end of the receptacle is adapted to be mounted to the article, and the second end is adapted to be connected to the second end of the first member. A locking member is mounted on one is of the first member or the receptacle for securing the first member to the receptacle, and at least one sealing member is situated about one of the second end of the first member or the second end of the receptacle. In one embodiment, the sealing member is integrally formed with the first member and is adapted to seal against an external surface of the receptacle. In another embodiment, the sealing member comprises a sealing ring removably mounted on the first member or the receptacle.  
           [0011]    An alternative embodiment of this invention is an adapter for adapting a friction-based vacuum connection receptacle, as disclosed in the prior art, such that that it can be used with the hose-locking mechanism of this invention. The adapter has first and second ends. A first end is constructed such that the adapter can be affixed to the friction-based connecting receptacle of a vacuum. A second end of the adapter is constructed so as to be able to connect to a first member, (such as on the end of a hose) having a locking member, as described above.  
           [0012]    In another aspect of the present invention a wet/dry vac includes a collection tub, a lid coupled to the collection tub and a powerhead assembly operable to create suction within the collection tub. An inlet port is disposed in one of the lid or the collection tub and a receptacle is coupled to the inlet port. A connection member has first and second ends, with the first end adapted to be coupled to the hose. At least one sealing member is mounted on at least one of the receptacle and the first end of the connection member. The sealing member may be integrally formed with the receptacle or the connection member, or the sealing member may comprise a sealing ring that is removably mounted to the connection member or the receptacle. A locking member is provided for securing the connection member to the receptacle member. In one embodiment, the sealing member seals with an external surface of the receptacle. In another embodiment, the sealing member seals with an internal surface of the receptacle in addition to, or in place of, the external seal.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0013]    The features and advantages of the present invention will be best appreciated upon reference to the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings, in which:  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a wet/dry vacuum cleaner connected to a hose utilizing an embodiment of a hose lock in accordance with the invention.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2. shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a hose connector in accordance with the invention.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 3. shows a plan view of another embodiment of a hose connector in accordance with the invention.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 4 shows a partial sectional view of the hose connector of FIG. 3 coupled to a receptacle.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 5 shows a side elevation view of a locking handle for use with the hose connector of FIG. 2 and FIG. 3.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 6 shows a top view of the receiving piece for the hose connector of FIG. 2.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view of the hose connector of FIG. 2 having a hose attached to it.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of the alternative embodiment of FIG. 8 in the connected and locked position.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of another alternative embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 11 shows a close-up, cross-sectional view of the alternative embodiment of FIG. 10.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 12 shows a perspective view of an adapter utilizing an embodiment of a hose lock in accordance with the invention.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 13 shows a side view of an adapter utilizing an embodiment of a hose lock in accordance with the invention.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 14 shows a partial top view of a wet/dry vacuum utilizing an embodiment of a hose lock in accordance with the invention. 
     
    
       [0028]    While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the description herein of specific embodiments is not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0029]    Illustrative embodiments of the invention are described below. In the interest of clarity, not all features of an actual implementation are described in this specification. It will of course be appreciated that in the development of any such actual embodiment, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers&#39; specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints, which will vary from one implementation to another. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time-consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.  
         [0030]    Turning to the figures, FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a hose lock according to the present invention employed on a wet/dry vac  1 . As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art with the benefit of this disclosure, the hose lock can be utilized on any application requiring a leak-free seal and a quick connect/disconnect mechanism. As shown in FIG. 1, the wet/dry vac  1  comprises a collection tub  2  having a lid  3  and a powerhead assembly  4 . The collection tub  2  and the lid  3  are preferably made of injection-molded plastic, such as polypropylene or the like, in accordance with conventional practice.  
         [0031]    In accordance with conventional designs, an air inlet port  5  is defined in the lid  3  or, alternatively, may be defined in a side wall of the collection tub  2 . The powerhead assembly  4  houses a motor and impeller assembly, and has defined therein an air exhaust or outlet port  6 . A hose connection member  10  is locked onto a receptacle  150  that is mounted on the inlet port  5  of the wet/dry vac  1  to attach a hose  202  to the wet/dry vac  1 . A locking handle  100  positively locks the connection member  10  to the wet/dry vac  1 . The connecting receptacle  150  can be removably mounted to the wet/dry vac  1 , or can be an integral part of it. The powerhead assembly  4  is operable to create a suction within the collection tub  2 , such that debris and/or liquid is drawn into the collection tub  2  through the hose  202 , which is attached to the inlet port  5  via the connecting receptacle  150  and connection member  10 .  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the hose connection member  10  in accordance with the present invention. The hose connection member  10 , may be made of plastic. The hose connection member  10  has a hose end  40 , a main body  80 , and a vac end  50 . In the particular embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the vac end  50  has a larger outside diameter than the main body  80 , and is adapted to have one or more sealing members removably mounted thereto. The inside diameter of the vac end  50  and the main body  80  is roughly uniform. The vac end  50  of the hose connection member  10  defines a groove  30 , which is adapted to have seated therein the sealing member, which, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, comprises an O-ring  20 .  
         [0033]    To allow the insertion of the vac end  50  of the hose connection member  10  into the receptacle  150  (not shown in FIG. 2) to achieve a sealed connection, the diameter of the receptacle  150  should exceed that of the vac end  50 , and the O-ring  20  should extend above the surface of the vac end  50 , so that the O-ring  20  seals against an internal surface of the receptacle  150 . In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, the hose end  40  has a smaller circumference than the main body  80  of the hose connection member  10 . The hose end  40  has a ridge  60  extending over and around the surface of the hose connection member  10  as shown in FIG. 2. FIG. 7 shows how the ridge  60  permits rotating and swiveling a hose  202  situated over the hose end  40  and maintains the hose  202  attached to the hose connection member  10 . The hose end  40  also has a hose stopper  70  to prevent the hose  202  from sliding further over the hose connection member  10  as shown in FIG. 7.  
         [0034]    In an alternative embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, O-ring  20  may be replaced by a seal member integrally formed in the vac end  50 . Such an integrally formed seal member would have a diameter generally greater than the diameter of the vac end  50  so as to form a friction seal with an internal surface of the receptacle  150  when the vac end  50  is inserted therein. Moreover, the seal member may have a diameter greater than the inside diameter of the receptacle  150  and be formed in a manner to allow the seal member to deflect when the vac end  50  is inserted into the receptacle  150 .  
         [0035]    An embodiment of the hose connection member  10  having an alternative configuration of the vac end  50  is illustrated in FIG. 3, in a plan view. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the vac end  50  defines a plurality of grooves  31  therein, and a sealing ring  21  extends around the vac end  50 . FIG. 4 is a partial section view of the vac end  50  of the hose connection member  40  inserted into the receptacle  150 . The sealing ring  21  defines a sealing surface  22  that is generally perpendicular to the axis of the connection member  10 . The sealing ring  21  is formed such that, when the vac end  50  is inserted into the receptacle  150 , the sealing surface  22  abuts an external surface of the receptacle  150 . When the wet/dry vac  1  is operated such that the power head assembly  4  creates a suction within the tub  2 , the hose connection member  10  is sucked against the receptacle  150 , causing the sealing surface  22  of the sealing ring  21  to seal against the external surface of the receptacle  150 . This “self seal” prevents air from entering the tub  2  other than through the hose and hose connection member  10 .  
         [0036]    In alternative embodiments, one or more O-rings  20 , as illustrated in FIG. 2, may be seated in one or more of the grooves  31  to provide an internal, friction seal in addition to the external seal formed by the sealing surface  22  of the sealing ring  21 .  
         [0037]    The hose connection member  10  defines a U-shaped channel  90  as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. FIG. 5 shows a side view of the locking handle  100  made to fit the U-shaped channel  90  shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. The locking handle may be suitably made of hard sturdy material, such as plastic. The locking handle  100  has a pivot  110  that fits within two spring chambers  92  on the U-shaped channel  90 . The locking handle  100  is pivotally attached to the connection member  10  by the spring chambers  92  holding the pivot  110 . The locking handle  100  has a single tooth  140  to lock onto a connecting receptacle on the vac end  50  of the hose connection member  10 . The locking handle  100  also has a pressing surface  120  having grip indentations  130  to prevent slippage when the pressing surface  120  is pushed, and a spring lever  115  extends below the pressing surface  120 . When the locking handle  115  is pivotally attached to the connection member  10 , the spring lever  115  presses against the connection member  10  to bias the tooth  140  down against the connection member  10 .  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 6 shows an exemplary embodiment of one end of the connecting receptacle  150  that is adapted to have the vac end  50  of the connection member  10  inserted therein. The receptacle  150  has a U-shaped casing  160  to receive the locking handle  100  on the vac end  50  of the hose connection member  10 . The U-shaped casing  160  has a single post  170  traversing it. The tooth  140  on the locking handle  100  is made to interlock with the post  170 . Alternatively, a groove or indentation may be used to interlock with the tooth  140  on the locking handle  100 . As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure an alternative embodiment can have the locking handle  100  attached to the connecting receptacle  150 , and the U-shaped casing  160  and post  170  located on the hose connection member  10 .  
         [0039]    [0039]FIG. 4 illustrates the manner by which the locking lever  100  couples the hose connection member  50  to the receptacle  150 . To reach the illustrated position, the vac end  50  of the hose connection member  10  is inserted inside the connecting receptacle  150 . As the vac end  50  is inserted in the connecting receptacle  150 , the pressing surface  120  on the locking handle  100  is pressed to lift the single tooth  140  and permit insertion of the locking handle  100  end into the U-shaped casing  160 . Once the vac end  50  is inserted in the connecting receptacle  150 , the pressing surface  120  is released, and the spring lever  115  pushes the tooth  140  down, allowing the single tooth  140  to lock onto the post  170  traversing the U-shaped casing  160  as shown in FIG. 4. This action forms a positive lock between the hose connection member  10  and the connecting receptacle  150 , preventing unwanted disconnections.  
         [0040]    The embodiments of the vac end  50  disclosed herein allow for manufacturing variation in the placement of the various parts (the locking handle  100 , the post  170 , the tooth  140 , etc.) involved in locking and sealing the connection member  10  to the receptacle  150 . The locking handle  100  keeps the connection together and prevents accidental disconnection, while the sealing ring  21  self seals against the outer surface of the receptacle  150  when the wet/dry vac is operated to prevent leakage. Thus, it is not necessary for the vac end  50  to mate with the inside of the receptacle  150  to form a friction or interference seal.  
         [0041]    In embodiments employing one or more O-rings  20  (as illustrated in FIG. 2), the O-ring  20  would interact with the inner surface of the receptacle  150  to provide a sealed connection, rather than relying on a direct friction seal between the vac end  50  and the inside of the receptacle  150 . Further, the O-ring  20  is not required to interact with any particular location along the inside surface of the receptacle  150 .  
         [0042]    As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure, the sealing ring  20  shown in FIG. 2 may be positioned in alternative locations. For example, the O-ring  20  may be mounted within the inner wall of the vac end  50  of the connection member  10 . In this case, the connecting receptacle  150  will be of a smaller diameter than the vac end  50  of the connection member  10 . Alternatively, the O-ring  20  may be mounted on the connecting receptacle  150  rather than on the connection member  10 .  
         [0043]    As shown in FIG. 7, according to one embodiment of the invention, the hose end  40  of the hose connection member  10  is inserted inside a hose  202 . The hose  202  is generally flexible and composed of sequential rings  204  with alternating diameters at the connecting end. The ridge  60  on the hose end  40  of the hose connection member  10  locks onto one of the sequential rings  204  on the hose  202  to prevent the hose connection member  10  from slipping out of the hose  202 . The hose connection member  10  is prevented from further entering into the hose  202  by a decrease in hose  202  diameter as shown in FIG. 7.  
         [0044]    [0044]FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention. The exemplary embodiment of FIG. 8 differs from the embodiment disclosed in conjunction with FIGS.  2 - 6  with respect to the locking mechanism. According to the embodiment of FIG. 8, a connecting handle  180 , having a circular orifice  190 , a grooved press base  200 , and a cusp  210 , is placed inside the main body  80  of the hose connection member  10 . The main body  80  of the hose connection member  10  has an aperture  220  from where the grooved press base  200  can protrude and extend above the surface of the main body  80  of the hose connection member  10 . The connecting handle  180  is attached to the main body  80  of the connection member  10  by inserting a pin  230  through a perforation  240  on the main body  80  and through the circular orifice  190  on the connecting handle  180 . The connecting handle  180  should be long enough for the cusp  210  to extend past the end of the seal side  50  of the hose connection member  10 .  
         [0045]    According to the embodiment of FIG. 8, the connecting receptacle  150  has an elevated housing  250  adapted to receive the cusp  21   0  on the connecting handle  180 . The elevated housing  250  also defines a recess  260  to interlock with the cusp  210  on the connecting handle  180 . The hose end  40  is essentially the same in both embodiments described. The sealing ring  20  is seated over the groove  30  on the vac end  50  as in the embodiment.  
         [0046]    [0046]FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of a hose connection member  10  connected to the connecting receptacle  150  according to the embodiment of FIG. 8. When the hose connection member  10  is connected to the connecting receptacle  150  as shown in FIG. 9, the seal ring  20  seated on the groove  30  on the hose connection member  10 , makes an interference fit with the inner walls of the connecting receptacle  150 . To lock the connection the grooved press base  200  on the connecting handle  180  is pressed as the seal end  50  of the hose connection member  10  is slipped into the connecting receptacle  150 . The cusp  210  should be aligned with the elevated housing  250 . Once the cusp  210  is below the recess  260  in the elevated housing  250 , and the pressure is released from the grooved press base  200 , the cusp  210  interlocks with the recess  260 .  
         [0047]    [0047]FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of another alternative embodiment of the present invention. The exemplary embodiment of FIG. 10 differs from the embodiment disclosed in conjunction with FIGS.  2 - 9  with respect to the sealing member. According to the embodiment of FIG. 10, a connection member  10  is shown having a first end  300  and second end  310 . First end  300  has depression  320  around its outer surface, and a thin, annular rib  330  integrally formed around connection member  10  inside of depression  320 . Rib  330  protrudes outward from depression  320  such that it extends slightly beyond the surface of connection member  10 . A magnified view of this is shown in FIG. 11.  
         [0048]    According to this embodiment, connection member  10  is inserted into receptacle  150  while creating a proper seal, without the need for a separate sealing member such as an O-ring. When connection member  10  is inserted into receptacle  150 , rib  330  is bent backward by its contact with the inner surface of receptacle  150  such that a proper seal is formed. Depression  320 , in which rib  330  is set, provides clearance for rib  330  to flex when inserted into receptacle  150 . Thus, rib  330  is deformed by the inner surface of receptacle  150 , forming a self-energizing seal when a vacuum is created inside of the vacuum cleaner. The configuration can also be reversed, with rib  330  being integrally formed into the inner surface of receptacle  150  and a seal created when connection member  10  is inserted into receptacle  150 .  
         [0049]    Rib  330  is preferably constructed from a polypropylene material, although other materials can be used which have a suitable flexural modulus to allow a proper seal to be maintained, and which allow rib  330  to return to its original shape when disengaged from receptacle  150 . This embodiment of the connecting member, having an integrated sealing member, has several benefits. First, this embodiment provides a one-piece construction of a connection member, which is easier to handle and work with than a multi-piece assembly. Secondly, cost savings can be realized by integrating the function of separate parts into a single molded part.  
         [0050]    [0050]FIG. 12 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of the invention, adapter  400 , which can be used to permanently convert a wet/dry vacuum having a friction-based hose connecting receptacle  490  (as used in the prior art, and shown in FIG. 14) to a vacuum able to receive a hose having a locking attachment, as disclosed herein. Adapter  400  has two ends, a connecting end  410  and an adapting end  420 . Connecting end  410  has a U-shaped casing  430  to receive the locking handle  100  on the vacuum end  50  of connection member  10  (not shown). The U-shaped casing  430  has a single post  470  traversing it. The tooth  140  on the locking handle  100  of connection member  10  is made to interlock with the post  470 . Alternatively, a groove or indentation may be used to interlock with the tooth  140  on the locking handle  100 . As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure, an alternative embodiment of adapter  400  can have the locking handle  100  attached to the connecting end  410  of the adapter  400 , with the U-shaped casing  160  and post  170  located on the connection member  10 . Also, the locking mechanisms need not be of the particular configuration disclosed herein.  
         [0051]    Adapting end  420  of adapter  400 , also shown in FIG. 13, is configured so as to permanently lock adapter  100  into place onto a friction-based vacuum connecting receptacle  490 . Flaps  440  at the end of adapting side  420  operate to latch adapter  400  onto the end of a friction-based vacuum connecting receptacle  490  when adapting side  420  of adapter  400  is inserted into the connecting receptacle. This thus gives a consumer the advantage of upgrading an older, friction-fit wet/dry vacuum without the expense of purchasing a new unit having a hose lock feature as disclosed herein.  
         [0052]    Adapter  400  may be made of plastic, and may be designed to fit all embodiments of receptacle  150 . One skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure will appreciate that an alternative embodiment of adapter  400  can be configured to attach to the vacuum end of a friction based hose connection member such that a friction-based hose can be adapted for use with a wet/dry vacuum having a locking attachment as disclosed herein.  
         [0053]    Thus, the present invention provides a hose lock, and adapter, that quickly and simply locks a hose to a receptacle mounted on an article such as a wet/dry vac to prevent inadvertent disconnections, while providing a seal to prevent air leaks. The above description of exemplary embodiments of the invention are made by way of example and not for purposes of limitation. Many variations may be made to the embodiments and methods disclosed herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.