CONNECTORS AND VACUUM CLEANERS

This invention relates to connectors of the kind for fitting with a mount member, the connector being of generally tubular form.

The invention is more particularly, but not exclusively concerned with connectors for vacuum cleaners.

Vacuum cleaners may be of the upright kind where cleaning suction is applied by means of a pump having an inlet directly below the machine. Cylinder vacuum cleaners, by contrast, have an inlet connected to one end of a flexible hose, the other end of which connects to a suction cleaning head. Upright cleaners also usually have provision by which an accessory hose can be connected to the inlet so that a hand-held suction head can be used to clean regions that would otherwise be inaccessible to the machine. The hoses used with vacuum cleaners tend to be bulky so that they have to be stored separately from the cleaner. An alternative hose available on some vacuum cleaners as sold by the major manufacturers has stretch characteristics with a natural, retracted length (when not in use) less than its extended length (when in use). The extended length may be about five times the retracted length. Although this hose has the advantage of being much easier to store than conventional hoses, its resilience may make it more difficult to use in some situations, especially with cylinder vacuum cleaners, which are lighter than upright cleaners.

WO03/024294 describes a vacuum cleaner hose that can be retracted in length by the application of a vacuum and that can- be retained in its retracted length on the vacuum cleaner or in a separate outer container. Other retractable hoses are described in WO99/35954, EPlOl 1408 and US4050113.

Although these retractable hoses can be readily fitted to new vacuum cleaners by the manufacturer, it would be expensive for the hose manufacturer to provide a range of hoses with different fittings to suit all existing machines. It is also often desirable to fit conventional hoses to vacuum cleaners such as to replace damaged hoses or to replace existing hoses with superior hoses. There exists, therefore, a need for a connector that would

enable new hoses to be used with existing vacuum cleaners. Examples of connectors for vacuum cleaner hoses are described in, for example, GB2406264, EP0970653, DE20215182U and PCT/GB 06/002002.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an alternative connector and vacuum cleaner apparatus including such a connector, and an alternative method of providing a vacuum cleaner with a connector.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a connector of the above-specified kind characterised in that the connector has at least one hook member extending from the forward end of the connector and adapted to engage an edge of the mount member, that the hook member is movable between an extended position where it extends beyond the edge of the mount member and a retracted, rear position where it engages the edge and retains the connector with the mount member, and that the connector includes a lock for retaining the hook member in the retracted position.

The connector may have a plurality of hook members spaced around the connector. The or each hook member may include a strap having a plurality of ribs, the lock including a member arranged to engage against the ribs. The or each hook member preferably has a hook formation at its forward end arranged to project beyond a forward end of the connector and has an opposite end arranged to project beyond a rear end of the connector. The opposite end of the or each hook member is preferably severable so that it can be cut off when the hook member has been displaced to the retracted rear position. The connector may include a compressible sealing ring at its forward end arranged to locate between the connector and the mount member. The connector preferably includes a first, forward part including the lock and a second rear part rotatable relative to the first part. The second part is preferably a snap- fit with the first part. The rear end of the connector is preferably adapted to receive the forward end of a hose. The rear end of the connector may have an internal thread adapted to engage the outside of the hose.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a vacuum cleaner with a suction inlet, characterised in that the cleaner includes a connector according

to the above one aspect of the invention fitted with the inlet and a hose connected with the connector.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of fitting a hose to a vacuum cleaner, including the step of aligning a connector with a suction inlet of the cleaner, characterised in that the method includes the steps of inserting a hook member through the inlet, withdrawing the hook member such that it catches on a part of the vacuum cleaner within the inlet, and restraining the hook member with the connector, the connector providing an interconnection between the hose and the vacuum cleaner.

The hose is preferably fitted with the connector after the connector is fitted with the suction inlet.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided a connector for use in a method according to the above further aspect of the invention.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention there is provided a connector for coupling a hose with a mount member, the connector including a forward part of generally tubular form, characterised in that the forward part has at least one hook member extending from the forward end of the forward part and adapted to engage an edge of the mount member, that the hook member is movable between an extended position where it extends beyond the edge of the mount member and a retracted, rear position where it engages the edge and retains the connector with the mount member, that the connector includes a lock for retaining the hook member in the retracted position, that the connector includes a rear part attached with the hose, and that the rear part is connectible with the rear end of the forward part.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention there is provided a rear part for use with a connector according to the above fifth aspect of the present invention, characterised in that the rear part makes a snap-fit connection with the forward part.

A connector for a vacuum cleaner, and its method of use, will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the assembled connector;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the connector with its component parts separated from one another;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional side elevation view of the connector;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional side elevation view of the connector along a section different from that of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the rear end of the forward part of the connector;

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional side elevation view of the connector assembled with a hose;

Figures 7 to 13 show successive steps in assembly of the connector on a vacuum cleaner; and

Figure 14 is a cross-sectional side elevation view of an alternative connector.

With reference first to Figures 1 to 6, the connector 1 is of generally tubular form and is arranged to be mounted at the inlet of a vacuum cleaner in order to receive and make connection with a flexible hose 2.

The connector 1 comprises a forward, locking component 10, a rear swivel component 11 that is, in use, mounted at the forward end of the hose 2, a compressible foam

sealing ring 12 and three hook members 13 to 15 mounted with the forward component and used to secure the connector with the vacuum cleaner.

The forward component 10 is circular in section and is moulded from a hard, durable plastics material. A narrow skirt 16 extends outwardly and slightly forwardly around its forward end 17 forming a shallow recess 16'. The foam sealing ring 12 is secured to the recess 16' such as by means of an adhesive. A circular bore 18 extends axially, centrally through the forward component 10. Three slots 19 of rectangular section extend, longitudinally through the forward component 10 equally spaced from one another around it. The inner wall of each slot 19 is separated along both sides from the main body of the component 10 along the rear part of the slot to form a resilient tongue 20 about half the length of the slot. Each tongue 20 has a tooth 21 at its rear end projecting outwardly, that is, across the depth of the slot 19. Each tooth 21 has an inclined forward edge.

The forward component 10 also has two snap-fit features 23 and 24 as shown most clearly in Figure 4. The snap features 23 and 24 are provided by a rectangular, curved part of the wall of the forward component 10 separated from the component around three sides and attached only by a reduced thickness web along one longitudinal edge 25. This provides a longitudinal hinge line about which the snap features 23 and 24 can be deflected resiliently outwardly. The rear end of each snap feature 23 and 24 is moulded with an inwardly- projecting tooth 26 extending along about half of the width of the snap feature remote from the hinge line 25. The rear edge of each tooth 26 has an inclined ramp or taper 27. The teeth 26 project into an enlarged part 28 of the bore 18 provided by an annular step 29 spaced a short distance forwardly of the rear end of the component 10. The space above the step 29 is interrupted by six longitudinally-extending ribs 30 projecting radially inwardly from the outer wall and equally spaced around it. The thickness of the ribs 30 is only about one third that of the step 29.

The rear, swivel component 11 is, similarly, a tubular plastics moulding of circular section. The forward end of the component 11 is provided by a cylindrical nose portion 31 having an external diameter substantially the same as the bore 18 through the forward component 10, so that the nose portion is a snug, rotatable fit within the bore. Surrounding

the rear end of the nose portion 31 is an annular collar 32 of increased diameter having a radially-outwardly projecting lip 33. The rear end 34 of the swivel component 11 is larger in diameter than the nose portion 31, the collar 32 and the lip 33 and is formed of two coaxial sleeves 35 and 36. The outer sleeve 36 is circular in section with a smooth external surface 37; it is closed at its forward end 38 and is open at its rear end 39. On its inner surface 40 the outer sleeve 36 has a screw thread provided by a one or more helical ribs 41. The ribs 41 are arranged to engage the external surface of the hose 2, which is corrugated, with the ribs locating between the turns of a helical reinforcement wire 3, as shown in Figure 4. The inner sleeve 35 is spaced from the outer sleeve 36 by an annular gap 42 sufficient to receive the forward end of the hose 2. The outside surface 43 of the inner sleeve 35 is smooth, the inner surface 44 having a screw thread provided by one or more helical ribs 45. The. purpose of this inner sleeve 35 is to secure one end of an inner, retractable hose of the kind described in WO03/024294, with the outer sleeve 36 securing a shorter outer corrugated sleeve within which the retractable hose is retracted and contained. As shown in the drawings, however, the connector 1 is used with a conventional stretch hose 2 having a single corrugated hose so only the outer sleeve 36 is used. The rear swivel component could be modified in the manner shown in Figure 14 for use only with a conventional single hose, by omitting the inner sleeve 35.

The rear, swivel component 11 is a push, snap fit in the rear end of the forward, locking component 10. The nose portion 31 of the rear component 11 slides into the bore 18 of the forward component 10 and the diameter of the lip 33 is such as to engage the ramps 27 on the teeth 26 and displace the snap features 23 and 24 outwardly so that the teeth ride outwardly over the edge of the lip and then snap inwardly behind the lip to prevent subsequent removal. The ribs 30 on the forward component 10 contact the lip 33 to help centre and stabilize it. When locked in place in this manner, the rear, swivel component 11 is attached securely with the forward component 10 against normal forces applied to the hose 2 during use, and the rear component can rotate relative to the forward component.

The connector 1 is attached to a vacuum cleaner 3 by means of the three hook members 13 to 15 prior to attaching the swivel component 11 to the forward, locking component 10. The hook members 13 to 15 are similar to conventional cable ties and are

moulded from a strong, flexible but substantially inelastic plastics material. Each hook member 13 to 15 is in the form of a strap having a short length at its forward end 50 bent back parallel with the main part of the strap to form a hook 51 on the outward-facing side of the member. The main part of each hook is divided into a forward portion 52, which is smooth on both surfaces, and a longer rear portion 53, which is slightly wider than the forward portion and has a series of parallel, alternate ribs 54 and recesses 55 extending laterally of rear portion on the inward-facing surface 56 of the rear portion. The outward- facing surface 57 of the rear portion is smooth and uninterrupted by ribs. The dimensions of the rear portion 53 are such that it is a close sliding fit within a respective one of the slots 19 in the forward component 10. The hook members 13 to 15 are sufficiently stiff to enable them to be pushed rearwardly into the slots 19 from the forward end of the forward component 10. As the rear end of each hook member 13 to 15 reaches the tooth 21 at the end of each tongue 20, it engages the inclined forward edge of the tooth and flexes the free end of the tongue outwardly of the slot 19 so that the tooth can ride over the ribs 54. The tongue 20 and tooth 21, however, act as a lock to prevent forward extension of the hook members 13 to 15. When the rear end of the hook members 13 to 15 have been advanced through the slots 19 sufficiently for them to project beyond the rear end of the forward component 10 the rear ends can be gripped and the hook members can be pulled further through the slots as necessary. The connector 1 is normally supplied with the hook members 13 to 15 loaded in the slots 19 with their rear ends protruding a short distance beyond the forward component 10. The user assembles the connector 1 on the vacuum cleaner 3 in the manner shown in Figures 7 to 13.

First, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, the user opens the dust bag access door 60 of the vacuum cleaner 3, to disconnect the dust bag from the suction inlet opening 61, and aligns the forward end of the forward component 10 with the inlet opening and the short dust bag inlet pipe 62 projecting rearwardly from the door behind the inlet opening. He pushes the component 10 forwardly so that the hook members 13 to 15 thread through the inlet 61 and the dust bag pipe 62 until the sealing ring 12 abuts the external surface of the door 60 around the opening. He then grips the rear end of each hook member 13 to 15 one after the other and pulls them rearwardly, as shown in Figures 9 to 11 so that the hooks 51 at the forward end 50 of each member engage the inner end of the inlet pipe 62 and hook around its edge 63 so

that the inlet pipe provides a mount member for the connector 1. The three hook members 13 to 15 are pulled tight so that the seal ring 12 is compressed slightly between the recess 16' at the forward end of the component and the external surface of the door 60. The tongues 20 and teeth 21 retain the hook members 13 to 15 in this retracted state against any force applied to extend them. The hook members 13 to 15 are moulded of a severable plastics material so that their rear ends can be cut off using scissors 64 or the like, so that the hook members can be trimmed level with the rear end of the forward component 10, as shown in Figure 12. The rear, swivel component 11, already attached to the forward end of the hose 2, is then attached to the forward component 10 in the manner shown in Figure 13, by simply pushing its forward end 31 into the rear of the forward component so that it snaps into place. The vacuum cleaner 3 is now ready for use with the new hose 2. The small parts 51 of the hook members 13 to 15 overlapping the outside of the dust bag inlet tube 62 do not impede connection to or sealing with the dust bag.

Instead of the hook members being accessible at the rear end of the forward component they could be accessible at the outer side surface of the connector so that the connector could be attached to the vacuum cleaner with the hose already attached.

The connector is not confined to use with vacuum cleaners but could be used to make connection to other apparatus having a mount that can be engaged by a hook. The connector could be formed in one part, without the swivel feature.