Patent ID: 6908122

Claim:
A coupling device for a vacuum cleaner, the device comprising: a first and second end piece connectors releasably coupled to one another; means fixedly connecting the first and the second end piece connectors to a pair of connection ends of first and second tubular elongated members, each of the end piece connectors have end piece threads extending along the lengths of their interior surfaces from about a respective first end of each of the end piece connectors to about an axial midpoint of each of the end piece connectors, and each of said end piece threads mates with circumferential grooves along an exterior surface of each respective said tubular elongated member such that the end piece connectors may be fixedly threaded onto the tubular elongated members; means of releasably coupling the first and second end piece connectors, the first end piece connector has a coupling thread located circumferentially around its exterior surface from about an axial midpoint of the first end piece connector to an axial point about three fourths of the distance from said first end of the first end piece connector, the second end piece connector has a coupling thread located circumferentially along its interior surface from a point about three fourths of the distance from said first end of the second end piece connector to about a second end of the second end piece connector which mates with the coupling thread of the first end piece connector; and means of sealing the first and second end piece connectors, the first end piece connector has a smooth tapered surface extending axially along its exterior surface from a point about three fourths of the distance from the first end to about a second end of the first end piece connector, the second end piece connector has a smooth tapered surface extending axially along its interior surface from about said midpoint of the second end piece to a point about three fourths of the distance from the first end and mates with said tapered surface of the first end piece connector providing a releasable sealing engagement between the tapered surface and providing a leakproof connection for the tubular elongated members.