Abstract:
A vacuum extension kit elements includes extensions, a flexible hose and an adapter, each having plural diameter male and female connectors for connection to different size vacuum cleaner elements and attachments. The conduit through the elements is essentially a uniform diameter, for uninterrupted flow, and is small enough to double the flow velocity through standard vacuum cleaner elements. A clog preventer, for filtering out large particles, and inserts, for optional further reduction of female connector inside diameters, are also provided.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     A universal vacuum cleaner extension kit extends the reach of standard cleaners. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     Most vacuum cleaners come with some sort of extension and replacement parts. These prove to be satisfactory for the standard rooms, but do not meet the needs for high locations such as high ceilings, vaulted ceilings, high windows, and high foyers. 
     In the vacuum cleaner art, extensions are well known for reaching heights and for extending the horizontal reach from the collection cannister or bag. There is no universally accepted standard for tubing or connectors. However, most tubing and connectors used with vacuum cleaners vary from 1¼ inches to ½ inches in diameter. B. Baxter (U.S. Pat. No. 2,122,633, issued Jul. 5, 1938) is an example of tubular extension sections having locking couplings between the sections. N. Okun (U.S. Pat. No. 2,801,437, issued Aug. 6, 1957) teaches a tapered male and female coupling; N. Schneider (U.S. Pat. No. 5,410,776, issued May 2, 1995) teaches small tapers for frictionally securing parts of vacuum attachments to extension tubes; and, R. McDowell (U.S. Pat. No. 4,053,962, issued Oct. 18, 1977) teaches several stepped and tapered inner surfaces for forcefully attaching a tubular vacuum cleaner section to various size nozzles, such as 1¼ and 1½ inch external diameter nozzles. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is to components that attach to most cannister and upright vacuums. To meet the special needs for extending the reach of vacuum cleaners, this invention provides extensions with a decreased uninterrupted internal diameter to increase velocity within the extensions for improved removal of dust, cobwebs and insects, a hose extension and adapter. 
     There are four to six extensions provided in the kit. Each extension has a male and a female plastic end connector with tapered surfaces that allow for easy slip-fit attachment to each other. The average height person with four three-foot extensions or six two-foot extensions can reach about seventeen feet in height. This allows a person to stand on one floor and vacuum the ceiling and corners of an above floor or a 2 nd  level. 
     There is an adapter provided for connecting the extensions to existing vacuum hoses, attachments, and pipes. It is primarily used to attach an extension to vacuum units having a smaller diameter conduit. 
     A flexible hose extension is provided for additional flexibility and additional operator freedom when using an existing hose. The flexhose is especially useful for upright vacuum cleaners in view of the short flexible hoses used on them as compared to the cannister type. While an extension can be attached to the upright flexible hose, a very limited freedom of movement usually results. Connecting the flexible hose of the invention to the flexible hose of a vacuum cleaner adds footage and use well beyond the vacuum cleaner. A tapered or stepped female fitting can be provided on the flexhose. With it a standard or smaller diameter vacuum can be connected. The opposite end of the flexhose can be connected to the extension. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded view of an extension with parts shown separated and with sectional views of the end connectors. 
     FIG. 2 is a sectional side view of the adapter. 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional side view of a clog preventer. 
     FIG. 4 is a front view of the clog preventer of FIG.  3 . 
     FIG. 5 is a view of a hose extension with the end connectors shown in section. 
     FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the female end connector of the hose extension with an alternate adapter insert. 
     FIG. 7 is a front view of a container housing the components of the extension kit. 
     FIG. 8 is a side view of the container of FIG.  7 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1 shows an extension  10  having an elongated tube  11  with female connector  19  and male connector  20 . The elongated tube has a wall thickness sufficient to make it self-supporting and capable of supporting an accessory (i.e. tool implement, etc.), other extensions, and the moderate lateral pressures used against surfaces to be cleaned. If stainless steel is used, a wall thickness of 0.01 to 0.02 inches has been found sufficient with ¾ to 1 inch diameter tubes. The female connector  19  is provided with a cylindrical opening  13  in a first end  12  to receive one first end of the elongated tube  11  with a tapered wall thickness that increases inwardly. A stop  14  is formed by having the wall thicker at a central inner location for locating the end travel of the elongated tube and strengthening the connector between the elongated tube and receiving first end  12  and an element held within the cavity  27  of the female connector second end  18 . The connector second end has an inwardly decreasing diameter that can have a uniform taper, or be stepped  28 , or a combination of the two, to receive standard diameter accessories or elements, or to be attached to the male end  52  of the flexhose or extensions. The inside diameter at the end  15  can be about 1½ inches, at the middle  17  1⅜ inches, and at the base  16  1¼ inches. 
     The male connector  20  includes a first end  21  having a cylindrical opening  22  that receives a second end of the elongated tube  11 . A thicker wall  23  with a slightly smaller internal diameter  25  at the base of the cylindrical opening  22  acts as a stop for the elongated tube. The second end  24  of the male connector  20  is provided with a modest external taper that gives a slightly larger outside diameter  24   a  at the central area and a slightly smaller outside diameter  24   b  on the second end. The outside taper is also designed to engage a female connector of another extension or standard accessory or the adapter  30  so as to attach to smaller accessories. 
     The extensions can be made from various metal and plastic materials that offer strength, rigidity and light weight. Since the assembled extension must be strong enough to be essentially self supporting, stainless steel tubing is preferred. Most plastics have been found to be too flexible, heavy and hard to control. The end connectors or fittings are preferably ABS plastic attached to the tubing with a high strength adhesive such as CA-50 GEL sold by 3M Corporation. A ¾ to 1 inch diameter tube has about 0.44 to 0.79 square inch of flow area, while a 1¼ to 1½ inch diameter tube has about a 1.2 to 1.8 square inch flow area. By using tubes having a diameter of from ¾ to 1 inch, the velocity within the tube is increased by about 200% and the overall weight that must be manipulated is reduced. 
     The end connectors or fittings are somewhat larger or thicker than those that are used in the prior art. This is to accommodate the smaller diameter tube yet allows it to fit larger diameter accessories found on some vacuum cleaner hoses and conduits. They also join the tubes such that an uninterrupted flow path extends through the tubes, when they are joined together, and gives the extensions a rigid support. 
     The female connectors, on their inner surfaces, and the male connectors, on their outer surfaces, can be provided with irregularities such as ridges or recesses around their circumferences or longitudinally. It has been found that a smooth surface male connector placed inside a smooth surfaced female receptor has such a hold that it is very difficult to pull them apart. This could be from a vacuum type hold created between the two. To overcome this problem, it has been found that ridges or recesses around the circumference or longitudinally on these surfaces provide the necessary grip for securing the two together while giving a reasonably easy release of the two. This use is illustrated as longitudinal recesses  29  inside female connector  19  of the extension  10  shown in FIG.  1  and as circumferential ridges  57  on male connector  52  of the flexible hose  50  shown in FIG.  5 . The preferred size of these irregularities is from 0.01 to 0.02 inches in height and up to 0.12 inches in width that extend from 1 to 1½ inches in length. The irregularities can be rectangular or rounded and may be tapered along their length in any given area they are used at. The recesses and ridges are designed into the connector so as to not let air in and/or the mating connectors are designed to make contact circumferentially and the inner and/or outer end of the connectors to block air leakage. 
     An adapter  30  is shown in FIG.  2 . The first end  31  has a cylindrical outer surface and a tapered inner opening  32 . The outer opening first end  32   b  has a larger diameter than the inner opening second end  32   a  for example. This opening  32  accommodates male extensions generally ranging from 1.16 to 1.25 inches. This could be the male connector  20  of extension  10  or the male connector of some larger element or accessory. The second end  34  is joined  33  to the first end and has a passage  35  and a tapered outer wall with an inner outside diameter  34   a  that has a larger diameter than the outer end outside diameter  34   b.  The taper generally ranges from 0.09 to 1.15 inches and is designed to engage with the elements or accessories used on smaller vacuum sizes. The adapter allows the extensions, having a smaller diameter than commonly used, to connect to standard vacuums having a larger diameter, usually 1¼ to 1½ inch. Additional adapters can be provided to allow extensions to attach to accessories with smaller than standard diameters. 
     FIGS. 3 and 4 show a clog preventer  40 . The clog preventer can be used in areas having a large number of large particles. It is used to prevent entrance of these particles into areas that might permit clogging such as the smaller diameter flexhose and extensions. The clog preventer body  41  is similar in size and shape to the female connector end  32  of the adapter  30  of FIG. 2. A first open end gives access to area  42  that can fit over the male connector  20  second end  24  or over the male connector  52  outer surface  53 . A second closed end  44  is provided with apertures  43  permitting air and small particle passage. 
     FIG. 5 shows a hose extension  50  provided with the present invention. The hose extension has a flexible hose  51  with an inside diameter of about 0.75 inch having a male hose connector  52  on one first end and a female hose connector  67  on the second end. The male hose connector  52  has a threaded internal recess  55  for threading in the first end of the hose although it can be permanently bonded or molded in place. A hose stop  56  limits the distance the hose can be threaded into the male hose connector. The second end of the hose connector has a tapered outer surface  53  for placement in the female connector  19  of the extension  10 . As an alternative, attachments can be directly connected onto the tapered outer surface  53 . The male hose connector second end has an internal passage  54  that is essentially the same diameter as the extension passage diameter. 
     The hose extension  50  female hose connector  67  on the hose extension second end has a threaded first end  65  that receives the hose until a stop  66  is engaged. The female hose connector second end  63  has a taper  68  with a decreasing internal diameter going from the second end toward the first end. The second end taper is designed to receive the male connector end of the vacuums. An internal recessed insert  69  can be temporarily or permanently placed within the taper  68  of the connector second end  63  if necessary to fit other vacuum cleaners with smaller connectors. The internal recessed insert reduces the diameter of the tapered recess  68  from about 1.16 to 0.09 inches. The outside diameter of the second end  63  is approximately 1.5 inches which will fit onto vacuum extensions that are larger. The plastic or rubber used to make the elements, such as the female connector  67  of FIG. 6, has enough resilience to expand or contract to accommodate slight differences existing between some vacuum cleaners. 
     FIG. 6 shows an optional insert for the female connector tapered second end  63  with the hose  51  threaded into the female connector first end  65 . An internal outer insert  61  can be placed into the second end of the female hose connector until a shoulder  62  on the internal outer insert abuts the outer end of the female connector. The internal outer insert enables a smaller outside diameter vacuum unit to be connected to the hose extension. The internal outer insert  61  reduces the diameter of the female hose connector first end from about 1.25 to 1.15 inches. The internal outer insert can be temporarily or permanently placed on the female hose connector first end. 
     FIGS. 7 and 8 show the parts of the extension assembled in a container  70  for transport and storage. The kit contains from four to six extensions  10  each with a male connector  20  and female connector  19 ; a hose extension  50  with a male connector  52  and a female connector  67 ; a first adapter  30 ; a clog preventer  40 ; an outer internal insert  61 ; and an internal recessed insert  69  packaged as a unit. The container  70  shown is in the form of a clear plastic “clamshell,” vacuum formed to house the parts of the kit for transport and storage. The clamshell container securely holds the parts that fit into a molded area storage compartment in a back side  71 . A cover  74  on the front side is connected to the back side by a living hinge  72  on the bottom side of the container. The back side and front side are removably secured together by a hanger type hook  73  on the top side. The portion of the hanger on the back side  71  and front side cover  74  snap fit together to removably hold the cover in place over the back side. The hook allows the clamshell container  70  to be placed on a closet pole or hook for easy storage and forms a grip for transport. 
     It is believed that the construction, operation and advantages of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. It is to be understood that the present disclosure is illustrative only and that changes, variations, substitutions, modifications and equivalents will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art and that such may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the following claims.