Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Machines – With air blast or suction
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-14
2001-02-06
Moore, Chris K. (Department: 1744)
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Machines
With air blast or suction
C137S355160, C206S389000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06182327
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to hose storage systems, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a gravity-operated central vacuum hose storage and dispenser installation.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A central vacuum system uses a network of pipes connected to a powerful vacuum generator and filter located in a central location of a house for example. The piping system is connected to a number of vacuum inlets installed at various locations throughout the house. In use, a long vacuum hose is connected to one of these vacuum inlets for cleaning the rooms nearest to this inlet. Common vacuum hoses used with these central vacuum systems have 25 to 40 feet in length or more, and are difficult to stow away in a neat arrangement.
Various installations have been developed in the past for storing a vacuum hose. In its simplest and most common form of storage, the hose is coiled on a horseshoe-like wire-frame rack mounted out of sight in a closet or in a utility room. The more elaborate storage system known comprises a hose reel mounted inside the wall or in an equipment room of a house for example. Generally, the reel is electrically or spring driven, and the core of the reel has a swivel joint connected to a vacuum inlet pipe. Examples of the reel-type storage systems for central vacuum hoses are disclosed in the following Canadian Patent Application and US Patent: CA 2,093,715 published on Oct. 9, 1994 by G. Workhoven et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,526,842 issued on Jun. 18, 1996 to L. G. Christensen.
Other vacuum hose storage systems of the prior art comprise a hose storage compartment wherein the hose is disorderly driven in or pulled out the compartment by a hose drive mechanism. The hose drive mechanism comprises a pair of spaced-apart indented rollers acting against the hose on opposite sides of the hose. Examples of these systems are illustrated in the following Patents:
U.S. Pat. No. 3,911,944 issued on Oct. 14, 1975 to H. Hukaba et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,740,581 issued on Apr. 21, 1998 to C. W. Harrelson II.
In a further example of the vacuum hose storage systems of the prior art, the hose is pushed in a pipe extending between the floorjoists or across the rafters of a building. This particular installation is described in the following Patent:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,430,978 issued on Jul. 11, 1995 to R. Kohler.
Although the vacuum hose storage systems of the prior art deserve undeniable merits, there is no known prior art installation that combines the advantages of having a compact arrangement, a simple drive system and the ability to stow a vacuum hose without potentially stretching, collapsing, twisting or kinking it. As such, it is believed that there continues to be a need for a hose storage and dispenser apparatus which is easily mountable in an existing building having a central vacuum system, which does not require an external source of power or the winding of a spring, and which does not apply any stress to the hose which may eventually deteriorate the hose.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides for a vacuum hose storage and dispenser apparatus which operates by gravity, which does not require the use of pressure rollers against the hose, which does not twist the hose nor bend it beyond its natural bending radius and which is easy to install and to use.
Broadly, in a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for storing and dispensing a flexible and resilient hose. The apparatus comprises a base frame, a basket pivotally mounted to the base frame, and a conduit rigidly held above the basket relative to the base frame and extending along the pivotal axis of the basket.
A first advantage of the present invention is that when a flexible and resilient hose is adapted to be inserted downward inside the conduit and into the basket, the weight and resiliency of the hose causes the basket to rotate for coiling the hose therein without twisting it. The hose is thereby neatly stowable between uses.
In accordance with another feature of the present invention the conduit has an upper end and a lower end, a first flaring segment on the upper end and a second flaring segment on the lower end. The hose is thereby slid down or drawn out the conduit with ease.
In yet another feature of the present invention, the basket has a frustoconical shape whereby several coils of hose are stably supportable therein, laid more than one over another and against the inside wall surface of the basket.
Still a further feature of the present invention is that the basket is supported on a thrust bearing which is a Lazy Suzan-type bearing. This type of bearing is relatively easily and inexpensively available.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an installation for storing and dispensing a vacuum hose of a central vacuum system. The installation according to this aspect of the present invention comprises a building structure consisting of a wall, a floor under that wall, floor joists under that floor and a wall cabinet mounted in that wall. The installation also comprises a frame affixed to the floor joists, a frustoconical basket pivotally mounted to the frame on a thrust bearing affixed to the frame. The basket has a vertical axis of rotation, an upper opened end, a rim circling the upper opened end, a closed bottom surface and an inside wall surface bordering the closed bottom surface. A conduit extends along the axis of rotation of the basket, from above the basket, through the floor, inside the wall and into the wall cabinet. A flexible and resilient vacuum hose extends inside the conduit and is partially coiled inside the basket.
The major advantages of this installation are that the vacuum hose is neatly stowed away in the conduit and under the floor and is easily accessible for use from the cabinet. Other advantages include the facts that the hose-storage basket takes very little space in a basement or a crawl space of a house, and that the installation can be mounted almost anywhere in a house. When the installation is mounted near a vacuum inlet socket, the vacuum hose is easily drawn from the conduit and the basket and readily connected to the socket for use. The wall cabinet further provides a convenient storage space for storing a number of accessories normally used with a vacuum hose.
Still another feature of the present invention is that it is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to materials, equipment and labour, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low price of sale to the industry, thereby making such vacuum hose storage and dispenser apparatus economically available to the public.
Other advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1445616 (1923-02-01), Hotchkiss
patent: 1532177 (1925-07-01), Gist
patent: 2299521 (1942-10-01), Zierden
patent: 3082868 (1963-03-01), Hubbard
patent: 3911944 (1975-10-01), Hukuba et al.
patent: 4739535 (1988-04-01), Schuld et al.
patent: 5430978 (1995-07-01), Kohler
patent: 5526842 (1996-06-01), Christensen
patent: 5657508 (1997-08-01), Herbreteau et al.
patent: 5740581 (1998-04-01), Harrelson, II
patent: 2093715 (1994-10-01), None
Moore Chris K.
Theriault Mario
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