Hose-and-Wand Assembly with Nested Hose Storage for Vacuum Cleaners
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing stick-type vacuum cleaners face challenges in conveniently storing and retrieving the powered suction hose when not in use, which can be inconvenient and time-consuming.
Innovation Solution
A hose-and-wand assembly integrating a flexible suction hose and a rigid wand body with an elongated slot and wand cavity, allowing the hose to be stowed and deployed easily, and featuring end couplers with electrical contacts for seamless connection to the base and handheld portions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the powered suction hose is stored separately from the wand, then the hose can be easily accessed when needed, but the user must locate and retrieve the hose from storage, which is inconvenient and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible suction hose is stored within the rigid wand body, with the hose nested inside the wand's internal cavity. The wand acts as a container for the hose, eliminating the need for separate storage locations. This nesting arrangement allows the hose to be automatically stored in the wand when not in use, and quickly retrieved by detaching the hose from the wand, thereby resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and time loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention combines the hose storage function with the wand structure by integrating an internal cavity within the wand body. Instead of treating the hose and wand as separate components requiring separate storage, the design merges them into a unified assembly where the wand serves dual purposes as both a structural extension and a storage container for the hose.
2Ease of operation
If the hose is integrated into the wand assembly, then storage and retrieval are simplified, but the electrical conductors must be managed within the confined space of the wand
Solution Approach 1:
The electrical conductors are nested within the flexible suction hose, which itself is nested within the rigid wand body. This multi-level nesting arrangement efficiently manages the electrical conductors within the confined space of the wand assembly, allowing power and control signals to be transmitted along the hose length without requiring separate conduit routing.
3Strength
If the wand body is made rigid to provide structural support, then the wand can extend the user's reach effectively, but the hose must be flexible to allow movement and positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning system employs different material properties in different components: the wand body is constructed from rigid material to provide structural support and extend user reach, while the suction hose is made from flexible material to allow movement and positioning. This local differentiation of material qualities enables each component to fulfill its specific functional requirements without compromising the other.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A hose-and-wand assembly (40) for use with a surface cleaning apparatus (10) having a handheld portion (30) and a base assembly (20) includes a flexible suction hose (50) having first and second working positions, electrical conductors (167) connected to or carried by the flexible suction hose (50), and a rigid wand body (42). The wand body (42) defines an elongated slot (144) and surrounds a wand cavity (44) that is contiguous with the elongated slot (144). End couplers (140A, 140B) are connected to opposite ends of the hose (50) and releasably connectable a respective one of the base assembly (20) and the handheld portion (30). The end couplers (140A, 140B) each have electrical contacts (67) connected to the electrical conductors (167). The elongated slot (144) is configured to admit the flexible suction hose (50) into the wand cavity (44) for stowage therein in the first working position and release the flexible suction hose (50) from the wand cavity (44) in the second working position.