Many vacuum cleaners operate in the cylinder mode, that is to say that the dirty air inlet is located at the end of a wand which is connected to the main body of the vacuum cleaner by a flexible hose. Dirty air is drawn into the dirty air inlet by means of a fan driven by a motor, both of which are located in the main body of the vacuum cleaner.

The dirty air inlet is normally formed by a cleaner head, but there are times when the cleaner head is inappropriate and the user of the vacuum cleaner requires to replace the cleaner head with a tool more appropriate to the type of cleaning being carried out. The most common types of tool are a brush tool (incorporating a ring of bristles surrounding a suction inlet), a crevice tool (comprising a slim, elongate suction pipe suitable for providing access into corners and other places difficult to access) and a stair tool (consisting of an angled inlet suitable for use on stairs). In many cases, these tools are carried on the main body of the cleaner itself and each tool must be placed in a specific position which is not suitable for any other tool. This can be inconvenient for the user, particularly when the user is elderly or disabled. It would be more convenient to locate the tools more readily to hand and in a more flexible manner.

Various proposals have been made in which the tools for a vacuum cleaner are carried by a tool holder in the vicinity of the portion of the wand or hose normally gripped by the user during use. One such proposal is set out in European Patent Application No EP 0 747 OOOA. However, the device disclosed in this publication has several disadvantages. Firstly, the tools are stored directly on the handle which makes the handle bulky and unwieldy. Secondly, each of the tools must be placed in a specially shaped recess and therefore care must be taken to ensure that each tool is correctly placed. The construction is inconvenient and can be expensive to add to an existing vacuum cleaner. Because of the fixed position of each tool with respect to the handle, one or more of the tools is also less readily accessible by a user than others.

Other proposals for carrying tools on a vacuum are illustrated in US 55 28 794, US 5 373606, US 5307537 and US 5737156. In each case, the tools are held in place only by friction and there is therefore a risk that the tools will become dislodged.

A further arrangement is illustrated in GB 2320 179A. In this document it is proposed to store tools on the upper surface of a brush housing. However, in order to keep the height of the brush housing to a minimum the tools are stored with a side surface facing into the recess in the brush housing. This is very limiting and does not allow the normal variety of tools to be stored.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a tool and tool holder assembly for a vacuum cleaner which overcomes the disadvantages specified above. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a tool and tool holder assembly which is more versatile than known tool and tool holder assemblies. A further object of the invention is to provide a tool and tool holder assembly which tools can be easily and readily attached to the tool holder and in which tools can be easily released therefrom.

The invention provides a tool and tool holder assembly for a vacuum cleaner or other cleaning appliance according to Claim 1.

A tool and tool holder assembly according to the invention provides a simple construction which is easy to use and which does not require further tools or awkward manipulations to release the tool from the tool holder. The simple tongue and groove arrangement of the receiving means is a particularly simple and effective arrangement.

Further preferable and advantageous features are set out in the subsidiary claims.

An embodiment of a tool holder according to the invention will now be described in detail by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 is a plan view of a tool holder for a vacuum cleaner according to the invention; Figure 2 is a cross sectional view taken on line II-II of Figure 1 and showing the position of the tool holder with respect to a hose of a vacuum cleaner; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the tool holder of Figures 1 and 2 illustrating a method of attachment of a variety of tools; and Figure 4 illustrates a possible position of the tool holder of Figures 1 to 3 on the hose of a vacuum cleaner when in use.

The tool holder 10 shown in Figures 1 and 2 comprises a central cylindrical sleeve 12.

The cylindrical sleeve 12 is open at its upper end 12a and at its lower end 12b. Three equispaced projections 14 extend inwardly just inside the open upper end 12a of the cylindrical sleeve 12. Each projection 14 has a smooth contour although it is generally triangula in cross section with a rounded inner edge (see Figure 2). Each projection 14 could alternatively be semi-elliptical or semi-circular in cross section.

The inner diameter of the cylindrical sleeve 12 along the majority of its length is a little greater than the outer diameter of the hose 16 of the vacuum cleaner to which the tool holder 10 is to be attached. A typical hose diameter is 40-50mm The internal diameter of the sleeve 12 along the majority of its length is between 2mm and 10mm greater than the diameter of the hose 16. The projections 14 extend radially inwardly towards the longitudinal axis 18 of the tool holder 10 such that, when the tool holder 10 is located on the hose 16, the projections 14 project radially inwardly between the convolutions of the telescopic hose 16. The projections 14 thus engage with the hose and prevent the tool holder 10 from moving axially along the hose 16.

However, the projections 14 are dimensioned so as to allow the hose 16 to be pulled through the cylindrical sleeve 12 if desired. The user of the vacuum cleaner may grasp the hose 16 and apply a moderate force so as to allow the hose 16 to distort and slip past the projections 14. In this way, the tool holder 10 can be positioned on the hose 16 at any required point between the wand the main body containing the motor and the fan.

The projections 14 shown in Figures 1 and 2 lie on an annular path.

In an alternative embodiment, the projections can be located so that they lie on a helical path. The helical path is then adapted to coincide with one complete turn of the convolutions of the hose. This reduces distortion of the hose when the tool holder is located on the hose. In order to adjust the position of the tool holder, either the hose can be pulled through the tool holder as described above or, alternatively, the tool holder can be rotated about the longitudinal axis of the hose in order to"screw"the tool holder along the hose.

At the upper end 12a of the tool holder 10 shown in Figures 1 and 2, an annular web 20 extends radially outwardly from the cylindrical sleeve 12. Equispaced about the axis 18 and attached to the annular web 20 are three tool-receiving pegs or spigots 22. Each peg or spigot 22 consists of a cylindrical member 22a closed at its upper end by an inclined base 22b. The inclined base 22b extends radially outwardly beyond the cylindrical member 22a in the manner of a lip 22c. Each peg or spigot 22 is spaced from the cylindrical sleeve 12 so that a gap is formed between the cylindrical sleeve 12 and the cylindrical member 22a. The purpose of this gap 24 will be described below.

Three recesses or apertures 26 are formed in the cylindrical sleeve 12 at the points at which the cylindrical sleeve 12 approaches each peg or spigot 22. Again, the purpose of these recesses or apertures 26 will be explained below.

Figure 3 illustrates the manner in which the tool holder 10 is able to receive a plurality of tools 30,32,34. In the illustration, tool 30 is a brush tool, tool 32 is a stair tool, and tool 34 is a crevice tool. In each case, the tool 30,32,34 has an open cylindrical socket 36 by means of which the tool 30,32,34 can be attached to the remote end of the wand of the vacuum cleaner for cleaning purposes. The dimensions of the socket 36 are therefore dictated by the dimensions of the end of the wand of the vacuum cleaner. An annular tongue 38 extends around each socket 36 and projects radially outwardly therefrom. The annular tongue 38 is spaced from the open end of the socket 36 in each case. The annular tongue 38 is made slightly resilient.

In order to locate one of the tools 30,32,34 on to the tool holder 10, the socket 36 is introduced over one of the pegs or spigots 22. The socket 36 is received into the gap 24 between the cylindrical member 22a of the peg or spigot 22 and the cylindrical sleeve 12. The size of the gap 24 must be sufficient to allow this to happen and is therefore dependent upon the thickness of the wall of the socket 36. The open end of the socket 36 slides over the peg or spigot 22 until it abuts against the lip 22c of the inclined base 22b. Further sliding movement of the tool 30,32,34 with respect to the peg or spigot 22 is thereby prevented. The position of the annular tongue 38 with respect to the open end of the socket 36 is such that the annular tongue 38 projects into the recess or aperture 26 in the cylindrical sleeve 12 when the open end of the socket 36 abuts against the lip 22c. The size of the gap 24 is therefore also dependent upon the dimensions of the annular tongue 38. The resilient nature of the annular tongue 38 allows a snap-fit co-operation between the annular tongue 38 and the recess or aperture 26. As soon as the annular tongue 38 has been located in the recess or aperture 26, the tool 30,32,34 is prevented from sliding freely off the peg or spigot 22. The tool 30,32,34 is thereby held securely until the user of the vacuum cleaner requires to remove the tool 30,32,34 from the tool holder 10. Moderate pulling of the tool 30,32,34 in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis 18 will cause deformation of the annular tongue 38 which then releases itself from the recess or aperture 26 and allows the tool 30,32,34 to be slid off the peg or spigot 22. Until this happens, the tool 30,32,34 is firmly held on the tool holder 10.

Each of the tools 30,32,34 incorporates a socket 36 and annular tongue 38. Since the pegs or spigots 22 and the recesses or apertures 26 are identically formed in each case, any one of the tools 30,32,34 can be simply and easily located on the tool holder 10 in any one of a number of positions. In the embodiment shown, three pegs or spigots are provided. It will be appreciated that a different number of pegs or spigots can be provided if desired. It will also be appreciated that the exact configuration of the means which retain the tools 30,32,34 on the tool holder can be varied; for example, the cylindrical sleeve 12 could carry an annular projection instead of recesses or apertures, whilst each tool 30,32,34 could incorporate recesses or apertures. The effect would be exactly the same. It will be appreciated that a similar effect can be achieved by the peg or spigot 22 being made slightly resilient in the area of the annular web 30 so that each peg or spigot 22 can be moved away from the cylindrical sleeve 12 sufficiently far to allow the annular tongue 38 to be introduced to or removed from the recess or aperture 26. In this case, the annular tongue 38 need not be resilient.

As can be seen from Figure 4, the tool holder 10 can be attached to the hose of a vacuum cleaner and tools conveniently stored thereon at any position convenient for the individual user. Furthermore, moderate pulling of the hose 16 or"screwing"of the tool holder 10 about the hose 16 causes the position of the tool holder 10 to be adjusted at will. This means that the individual user of the vacuum cleaner can ensure that the tool holder is positioned conveniently for their own needs. The identity of each tool receiving means avoids the need to inspect the tool holder before introducing any one tool to the holder since any of the tools can be held and retained by any one of the tool receiving means.

It will also be appreciated that more than one tool holder 10 can be mounted on the hose 16 of any vacuum cleaner. In the event that the number of tools commonly used by an individual user of the vacuum cleaner exceeds the number of tools capable of being retained by a single tool holder, a second, or even a third, tool holder can be introduced.

The tool holder 10 would normally be introduced to the hose by detaching the hose from the main body of the cleaner and merely sliding the end of the hose through the cylindrical sleeve 12. The application of a moderate force or screwing action will bring the tool holder 10 to the desired position. The tool holder 10 will be positioned taking account of any further tool holders which might need to be introduced to the hose.

Conveniently, the tool holder 10 is manufactured from a lightweight plastics material by injection moulding. Manufacturing the tool holder from a heavy material would, of course, add to the weight to be carried by the user and may in some cases detract from the maneuverability of the vacuum cleaner wand. However, the tool holder 10 must be of sufficient strength to withstand being carried by the vacuum cleaner hose during normal use of the vacuum cleaner, and also being stored when the vacuum cleaner is not in use.

The invention is not intended to be limited to the precise features of the embodiment described above. Various modifications and alternatives will be apparent to a skilled reader. Specifically, it is recognized that, whilst the specific embodiment described above relates to a vacuum cleaner, there are other cleaning appliances which utilize tools and incorporate hoses and this invention is as applicable to these appliances as to vacuum cleaners.