Vacuum Cleaner Cable and Hose Storage to Prevent Tangling

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Vacuum cleaners with long electrical supply cables and suction hoses are cumbersome to manage, often leading to tangling issues when storing and retrieving them, complicating the handling and operation of the device.

Innovation Solution

The vacuum cleaner features a cable receptacle on the upper housing for easy winding and storage of the supply cable, and a hose holder positioned below the cable holder to keep the suction hose independently arranged, preventing tangling, along with recesses for accessories like nozzles that can be clamped in place, allowing for simplified handling and storage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the supply cable and suction hose are stored together on the vacuum cleaner, then storage space is utilized, but the cable and hose become tangled making the device difficult to use

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of useVSAvoidtangling of cable and hose
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the storage function into separate components: a cable holder for the supply cable and a hose holder for the suction hose. This segmentation prevents the cable and hose from becoming tangled by giving each its own dedicated storage location on the vacuum cleaner housing.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces intermediary storage structures (cable holder and hose holder) that mediate between the cable/hose and the vacuum cleaner housing. These holders act as intermediaries that organize and separate the cable and hose during storage and retrieval operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If the supply cable is made long (more than 10 meters) to increase mobility, then the user can reach farther areas, but the cable becomes harder to manage and store

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemobility rangeVSAvoidcable management
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The cable holder is designed to allow the supply cable to be pre-coiled and stored in an organized manner on the vacuum cleaner housing. This preliminary organization of the cable before use makes it easier to manage and deploy the long cable without tangling or excessive complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If the suction hose is made long (at least two meters) to reach distant surfaces, then cleaning versatility is improved, but the hose becomes difficult to store and retrieve

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning reachVSAvoidhose handling
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The hose holder provides a dedicated segmented storage area for the suction hose, separating it from the supply cable. This allows the long hose to be stored and retrieved independently without affecting cable management, making handling easier while maintaining cleaning versatility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

4Adaptability or versatility

If multiple accessories are stored on the vacuum cleaner, then cleaning options are increased, but the device becomes more complex and harder to handle

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning optionsVSAvoidaccessory storage
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple accessory storage recesses into a single integrated structure on the vacuum cleaner housing. This merging of storage functions allows multiple accessories to be stored in an organized manner without significantly increasing device complexity or affecting handling.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP2278905B9Vacuum cleaner having a cable receptacle and hose mount
Publication Date: 2016.10.05 ALFRED KARCHER SE & CO KG
  • EP2278905B9 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2278905B9 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP2278905B9 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The invention relates to a vacuum cleaner having a housing bottom part (11), on which wheels for displacing the vacuum cleaner along a floor surface are supported and which forms a dirt collection container (14) comprising a suction inlet (15), to which a suction hose (17) may be connected, and having a housing top part (12) that can be attached to the housing bottom part (11), said housing top part receiving an electrically drivable suction unit, and comprising an electric supply cable (21) for connecting the suction unit to an electric power source. In order to refine the vacuum cleaner such that it provides for easier handling, wherein the supply cable (21) and the suction hose (17) are held in a simple manner on the vacuum cleaner for storage and may be removed from the vacuum cleaner for use, the invention provides that the vacuum cleaner has a cable holder (22) for storage of the supply cable, and a hose support (51) for storage of the suction hose, wherein the cable holder surrounds the housing top part (12) on the outside in the circumferential direction, and the hose support (51) is disposed beneath the cable holder (22).