US2951714A - Detachable coupling for a vacuum cleaner hose - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 6, 1960 E. R. CARLBERG 2,951,714

DETACHABLE COUPLING FOR A VACUUM CLEANER HOSE Filed Nov. 25, 1957 ATTORNEY United rates DETACHABLE COUPLING FOR A VACUUM CLEANER HOSE Erik Reinhold Carlberg, Stockholm, Sweden, assignor to Aktiebolaget Electrolux, Stockholm, Sweden, a corporation of Sweden Filed Nov. 25, 1957, Ser. No. 698,704

Claims priority, application Sweden Nov. 29, 1956 ZClaims. (Cl. 285-7) The present invention relates to a coupling device and more particularly to a coupling especially adapted for detachably connecting a hose to a vacuum cleaner casing.

One of the objects of the present invention is to pro vide an improved coupling of the type indicated which facilitates the attachment of a flexible hose to and detachment of the hose from a vacuum cleaner casing.

Another object is to provide a coupling of the type indicated which permits a plug attachment on the hose to rock out of the socket in a vacuum cleaner casing upon release of a single detent.

Another object is to provide a coupling of the type indicated having an enclosing sheath of a flexible impervious material to provide a dust cover while permitting manual release of the latching detents.

Another object is to provide a coupling of the type indicated which is of simple and compact construction, reliable in operation and adapted for economical manufacture.

These and other objects will become more apparent from the following description and drawing in which like reference characters denote like parts throughout the several views. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawing is for the purpose of illustration only and not a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner casing and hose attached thereto by a coupling incorporating the novel features of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the coupling showing the manner in which the hose may be detached from the casing by releasing a single detent;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of the coupling showing the plug attachment on the hose latched in a socket in the vacuum cleaner casing;

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional View of one side of the coupling to show the construction of the interlocking detents on the plug attachment on the hose and socket inthe casing; and

Figure 5 is a perspective View of the plug attachment on the hose to show the relationship of one of the detents with respect to the tapered ring flange.

Figure 1 of the drawing illustrates a vacuum cleaner casing and hose 11 connected thereto by a coupling 12 incorporating the novel features of the present invention. It will be understood that the vacuum cleaner casing 10 mounts a fan therein for producing a partial vacuum at the air inlet opening 13 at one end of the casing to which the hose 11 is attached by the coupling 12; and that the casing has a similar air outlet opening at its opposite end to which the hose 11 may be attached when a blowing operation is required. It will also be understood that the opposite end of the hose "ice 11 will be connected to a cleaning nozzle or other appliance in a conventional manner.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the air inlet opening 13 is positioned centrally in an end plate 14 on the vacuum cleaner casing 10. End plate 14 is in the form of a detachable cover to provide access to a filter bag 15 mounted in the casing 10 rearwardly of the air inlet opening 13. The filter bag 15 has a rim 16 overlying an annular seat 17 on a ring flange 18 attached to the periphery of the casing 10. An annular gasket 19 on cover plate 14 engages the rim 16 of the filter bag 15 to clamp it against the seat 17 of the ring flange 18 and seal the joint between the cover and casing. The open mouth of the filter bag 15 is then positioned to receive all air flowing through the hose 11 and air inlet opening 13 and the bag filters the dirt therefrom. Cover plate 14 may be removably secured to the vacuum cleaner casing 10 by any suitable fastening means such as that disclosed in the United States Letters Patent to Lundvall No. 1,944,291. The air outlet opening from the vacuum cleaner casing 10 to which the hose 11 may be interchangeably connected is identical in construction with the air inlet opening 13 so that the following description directed to the air inlet opening is intended to apply also to the air outlet opening.

In accordance with the present invention the coupling 12 comprises a plug attachment 20 at the end of the hose 11 and a socket 21 in the casing 10 for receiving the plug. The plug attachment 20 and socket 21 are so constructed and arranged as to facilitate the attachment of the hose 11 to and the detachment of the hose from the casing 10. To this end, the socket 21 which surrounds the air inlet opening 13 in the casing 10 has an annular locking shoulder 22 projecting inwardly therefrom. In the illustrated embodiment, the annular locking shoulder 22 is in the form of a relatively thin sheet metal flange. The flange 22 projects inwardly from the forward end of a tubular fitting 23, see Figures 3 and 4, which has an outwardly directed radial flange 2 at its opposite end projecting into a recess in the cover 14. The tubular fitting 23 is so positioned in the socket 21 that the inwardly directed annular locking shoulder 22 is positioned in substantial alignment with the forward face of the socket.

The plug 20 of the coupling 12 is attached to the end of the hose 11 and has a forwardly projecting end adapted for interchangeable insertion in sockets 21 surrounding the air inlet and outlet openings in the vacuum cleaner casing 143. As illustrated in Figure 3, the plug attachment 2%) comprises an inner forwardly projecting tubular member 26 which surrounds the end of the hose, a ring flange 27 at its forward end and spring pressed detents 28 and 29 projecting from the ring flange for latching engagement with the annular locking shoulder 22 in the socket 21.

The rearward end of the tubular member 26 surrounds the end portion of hose 11 for a substantial distance and this portion of the member is slightly tapered. A ring 3% at the interior of hose 11 cooperates with the tapered portion of the tubular member 26 to tightly clamp the end of the hose therebetween. Forwardly of the tapered portion, the tubular member 26 has an inwardly directed annular shoulder overlying the end of the hose with a cylindrical portion 32 of substantially the same inside diameter as the hose extending forwardly from the shoulder. The ring flange 27 may be formed as an integral part of the tubular member 26 or as a separate part attached thereto. In the illustrated embodiment, the ring flange 27 is formed as a separate part having an inner annular Wall seated in a recess at the outer end of the cylindrical portion 32 of the tubular member 26. Ring flange 27 projects outwardly and rearwardly from the forward end of the tubular member 26 in spaced relation to the cylindrical portion 32 to provide an annular opening 33 therebetween. Thus, the ring flange 27 at the forward end of the plug attachment 20 provides a forwardly inclined end to facilitate insertion into and removal from the socket 21. As illustrated, the forwardly inclined end of the ring flange 27 has a conical taper, but may have a rounded spherical surface.

The spring pressed detents 28 and 29 are mounted at the outer free ends of spring fingers 34 and 35 positioned at opposite sides of the tubular member 26 and extending longitudinally thereof. The rearward ends of spring fingers 34 and 35 are attached to the rearward end of tubular member 26, as by means of rivets 36, and the forward ends of the spring fingers and detents 28 and 29 thereon project into the annular opening 33 between the end of the cylindrical portion 32 and overlying ring flange 27. As will be observed by reference to Figure 3, the spring fingers 34 and 35 are bowed outwardly from the tubular member 26 between their ends and follow the general contour of the inner tubular member 26 in spaced relation thereto. Fingers 34 and 35 have outwardly projecting flat bosses 37 intermediate their ends to provide finger actuating knobs for depressing the springs.

Each of the detents 28 and 29, arranged at opposite sides of the plug attachment 20, comprises a latching shoulder projecting radially from the end of its spring finger 34 or 35 through a slotted opening 38 in the ring flange 27. The detents 28 and 29 also have inclined cam faces 39 projecting forwardly from the outer edge ofthe latching shoulder to the outer surface of the ring flange 27. In the illustrated embodiment the latching shoulders of the detents 28 and 29 and the cam faces 39 are formed as an integral part of the spring fingers 34 or 35 by bending the free end portions of the spring fingers upwardly and folding triangular shaped wings forwardly from the sides of the upwardly bent flanges. Thus, the detent 28, as illustrated in Figure 5, comprises a sheet metal flange of generally U-shaped contour projecting outwardly through a correspondingly shaped U- shaped slot in the ring flange 27.

Surrounding the plug attachment 20 of the coupling 12 is a tubular sheath 40 composed of a relatively soft resilient material such as plastic or rubber. Tubular sheath 40 surrounds the plug attachment 20 in spaced relation to the spring fingers 34 and 35 and has an inwardly directed end 41 which grips the exterior of the hose 11 and a ring head 42 at'its forward end overlying the'rearward end of the ring flange 27, see Figure 4. The terminal end of bead 42 is formed with an annular shoulder 43 spaced rearwardly from the latching shoulders of the detents 28 and 29. A cylindrical ring 44 of an antifriction material such as nylon is mounted in an annular recess in the shoulder 43 of bead 42 to provide an annular bearing face 45 at its outer edge which engages the annular latching shoulder 22 in socket 21 to limit the inward movement of plug 20. Bearing face 45 also cooperates with the detents 28 and 29 to latch the plug 20 in the socket 21. The tubular sheath 40 also is provided with offset bosses 46 overlying the knobs 37 on the spring fingers 34 and 35. Thus, the tubular sheath 40 provides a dust cover inclosing the plug fitting 20, but flexes to permit actuation of either one or both of the spring fingers 34 and 35 and detents 28 and 29 connected thereto.

The conical tapered end of ring flange 27 facilitates the insertion of the plug fitting 20 at the end of hose 11 into a socket 21 in the vacuum cleaner casing 10. The

forwardly projecting end of ring flange 27 lies within an are having a radius less than the internal diameter of the annular locking shoulder 22. One form of the invention having now been described in detail the mode of operation is explained below.

When the end of the h ose 11 is to be attached to the air inlet or outlet opening in the vacuum cleaner casing 10, the plug attachment 20 of the coupling 12 is merely inserted into the proper socket 21. The forwardly inclined end of ring flange 27 facilitates the centering of the end of the plug 20 in the socket 21. During such insertion the forwardly inclined edges 39 of the detents 28 and 29 ride over the annular locking shoulder 22 in the socket'21 to depress the detents into the ring flange 27 until they clear the locking shoulder. The spring fingers 34 and 35 then press the detents 28 and 29 outwardly to latch their radial flanges with the annular shoulder 22 in the socket 21. Detents 28 and 29 and nylon bearing ring 44 then engage the opposite sides of the annular shoulder 22 in the socket 21 to latch the end of the hose 11 to the vacuum cleaner casing 10 while permitting relative rotation therebetween.

When the hose 11 is to be detached from the vacuum cleaner casing 10,'it is only necessary to depress the upper or lower spring finger 34 or 35 in the manner iilustrated in Figure 2 to withdraw its detent 28 from engagement With the annular shoulder 22 in the socket 21. The weight of hose 11 projecting from the casing 10 rocks the plug attachment 20 in socket 21 about the other en gaged detent as a fulcrum. As the forwardly projecting end of the ring flange 27 has a radius of curvature less than the diameter of the annular locking shoulder 22 the end of the plug attachment 20 will clear the socket dur-' ing such rocking movement. After the end of the plug 20 rocks from the position illustrated in Figure 3 to that illustrated in Figure 2, the end of the hose may be lifted from the casing 10.

It will now be observed that the present invention provides a coupling which facilitates the insertion of a flexible hose into and removal of the hose from sockets in a casing. It will also be observed that the present invention provides a coupling having spring detents for auto matically latching the end of the hose in the sockets of a vacuum cleaner casing and permitting removal by merely disengaging a single detent. It will still further be observed that the present invention provides a coupling which is of simple and compact construction adapted for economical manufacture and one which is reliable in operation.

While a single embodiment of the invention is herein illustrated and described, it will be understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of elements without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, without limitation in this respect the invention is defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A coupling device for detachably connecting the end of a flexible hose to air inlet and outlet openings of a vacuum cleaner comprising a connecting element at the end of the hose and having locking members projecting therefrom at diametrically opposed sides thereof, each of said locking members comprising a spring finger having a hook-shaped end with an inwardly inclined extension and spring biased radially outwardly and manually operable radially inwardly, said vacuum cleaner having an annular flange surrounding each air inlet and outlet opening to receive the connecting element and providing inner and outer shoulders, said connecting element being inserted axially into the air inlet and air outlet openings in the vacuum cleaner and having a shoulder yieldingly engaging one side of the annular flange form face lying inside of an are having a radius less than the diameter of the opening in the vacuum cleaner so that when one of the locking members is manually depressed the connecting element can be removed from the opening by a tipping movement about the diametrically opposed locking member engaging the annular flange in the same direction as the locking member is depressed to releasing position, the locking members being adapted for actuation simultaneously to release the locking engagement of the two locking members to adapt the element to be removed axially, the connecting element comprising two concentric sleeves connected at the free end of the element, the outer sleeve being shorter than the inner sleeve and being provided with two diametrically opposed holes spaced from the free end of the element by the surface decreasing in diameter, the leaf spring locking members having one end fastened to the inner sleeve and extending longitudinally of the connecting element between the inner and outer sleeves with the hookshaped ends projecting radially through the holes in the outer sleeve, and a sheath of yielding material surrounding the inner sleeve and locking members fastened thereto, one 'end of the sheath extending to the outer sleeve and the opposite end providing a supporting n'ng engaging the hose.

2. A coupling device in accordance with claim 1 in which the sheath has an annular member at its end constituting the shoulder yieldingly engaging the flange surrounding the opening in the vacuum cleaner and having a lower coefiicient of friction than the sheath.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 198,402 Marsden Dec. 18, 1877 2,102,802 Lofgren Dec. 21, 1937 2,248,269 Bilde July 8, 1941 2,420,866 Coss May 20, 1947 2,444,888 Baumgardner July 6, 1948 2,516,907 Penfold Aug. 1, 1950 2,799,518 Anderson et al. July 16, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 152,839 Australia Aug. 14, 1953 705,136 Great Britain Mar. 10, 1954

Images