Joints and connections – Articulated members – Lockable at fixed position
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-04
2001-09-18
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3629)
Joints and connections
Articulated members
Lockable at fixed position
C403S091000, C403S103000, C015S410000, C015S423000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06290422
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vacuum cleaners and more particularly to the cord support which holds the electrical cord when it is wound up for storage.
2. Prior Art
Older vacuum cleaners, particularly those whose handles were made of metal, were provided with hooks near the top and bottom of the handle to allow the electrical cord of the vacuum cleaner to be wound about the two hooks for easy storage. The hooks were also of metal and were generally merely screwed to the handle in a fixed position. This required that the cord be wound and unwound one wrap at a time. Later, particularly with the advent of vacuum cleaners made of plastic parts including the handle, provision was made for the ability to rotate at least one of the hooks, usually the top hook, on the handle to allow the hook portion to be moved to a position where the cord could simply be slid off of the hook with out unwinding the cord. Thus, the cord could be removed more quickly. The hook could then be returned to its normal position for again winding the cord back on to the pair of hooks for storage.
These hooks, whether made of plastic or metal, were fixed to the plastic handle by means of a single screw about which the hook could be rotated. Some were spring loaded and provided with a positioning detent or the like to fix the hook in the cord winding position, but allow it to be rotated to more easily remove the cord. Unfortunately, it is a common problem in such constructions that the hook connection to the handle is easily broken since all forces are applied through the screw and there is no additional contact surfaces to spread out the loads that are applied when the hook is being rotated or when the cord is being wrapped onto the hooks. Thus, it is a common problem in such constructions to break parts or permanently destroy the connection between the hook and handle by distortion of the plastic around the threaded hole in the handle receiving the screw.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention overcomes the difficulties and disadvantages of the prior art by providing a hook assembly for a vacuum cleaner which is so constructed and arranged as to spread out the loads on the hook, handle and attachment parts, which are manually applied to the hook when the hook is being rotated or when the cord is being wound on the hooks, and thus, substantially reduce the incidence of breakage.
These advantages are achieved by providing a hook assembly for a vacuum cleaner handle which includes a base member integrally formed with the handle that provides a continuous internal surface, a hook member with a mating continuous surface, a threaded connector extending through the hook member and engaging the base member and a spring concentrically mounted with the threaded connector so as to engage the hook member and bias the mating planar surfaces of the hook member and base member together so that forces acting on the hook member, either from manually rotating it or winding the cord on to it, are spread out over the engaging surfaces and not applied to the threaded connector. The base member preferably has a continuous internally walled extension defining a central opening therein. The hook member also preferably has a continuous externally walled extension insertable in the opening defined by the internally walled extension of the base member. The engaging surfaces of the hook member and base member are so constructed and arranged as to allow the hook member to be rotated within the base member so that the cord can be more easily taken off of the hook member all at once by simply rotating the hook member 180 degrees from its normally upright position while maintaining supporting engagement between the hook member and base member. Also, the inner wall of the base member and the engaging outer wall of the hook member are preferably tapered so that if the hook member is pulled out slightly against the biasing force of the spring the engaging surfaces will disengage and the hook member can be more easily rotated within the base member. In addition, mating shelves on the hook member and base member establish a predetermined distance that the hook member can be inserted into the base member such that the engaging surfaces can engage but not become so wedged together that the hook member can not easily be pulled out or rotated.
In addition to the single hook arrangement, the present invention includes a second embodiment which includes two hook members so that the vacuum hose can be laid over the first hook member adjacent the base member and the electrical cord can be wound about the second hook member and a third hook member on the handle of the vacuum. The first hook member is received in the base member as in the first embodiment and then a second hook member is received in the first hook member. A threaded member extends through the first and second hook members and is engageable with the base member and a spring is concentrically mounted with the threaded member and engages the second hook member so as to bias the second hook member against the first hook member and the first hook member against the base member. Like the first embodiment the base member has a continuous internally walled extension defining an opening therein and the first hook member has a continuous externally walled extension insertable in the opening of the walled extension of the base member such that the external wall of the first hook member engages at least a portion of the internal wall of the base member so that forces applied externally to the first hook member are transferred through the engaging surfaces to the base member, the first hook member also having a continuous internally walled portion defining an opening therein. The second hook member has a continuous externally walled extension insertable in the opening of the internally walled portion of the first hook member such that the external wall of the second hook member engages at least a portion of the internal wall of the first hook member so that forces applied externally to the second hook member are transferred through the engaging surfaces to the first hook member. Also, the walled extensions of the base member and first hook member are adapted to permit rotation of the first hook member within the base member and the walled extension of the second hook member and the internally walled portion of the first hook member are adapted to permit rotation of the second hook member within the first hook member.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3350858 (1967-11-01), Verhagen
patent: 4062430 (1977-12-01), Momberg
patent: 4809393 (1989-03-01), Goodrich et al.
patent: 5016315 (1991-05-01), Bedsoe et al.
Hamm David T.
Kaido John F.
Browne Lynne H.
Cottingham John R.
Senniger Powers Leavitt & Roedel
Tacony Corporation
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