Central vacuum cleaning system battery housing and handle

• US 20070151073A1
• Filed: 12/30/2005
• Published: 07/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cube Investments Limited
• Original Assignee: Cube Investments Limited
• Inventors: Cunningham, J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,765,641 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/410
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/38 Built-in suction cleaner installations, i.e. with fixed tube system to which, at different stations, hoses can be connected
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2884 Details of arrangements of batteries or their installation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/327 for suction cleaners with hose between nozzle and casing

Abstract

A central vacuum cleaning system hose handle uses a battery, and has a battery compartment and a battery housing. Battery housing is interchangeable with power plug housing. When housing is drawer then drawer and handle have slide mechanism on which drawer extends in and out. First stop limits depth drawer can slide in. Second stop limits depth drawer can extend out. External access prevented when drawer extended to first stop, permitted when drawer extended to second stop. Releasable locking mechanism inhibits drawer from extending out when handle in use. Crib releasably retains battery. Spring electrical contacts at opposing ends of crib. Crib generally formed to profile of battery. Drawer oriented generally parallel to longitudinal wand adapter axis of handle, crib opening away from axis. Alternatively, housing has body with internal chamber to receive battery and an opening to provide access through an aperture in the handle to the chamber.

Claims

1. A combination for use within a central vacuum cleaning system, the combination comprising:

a) a central vacuum cleaning system hose handle including a battery compartment, and

b) a battery housing for releasably retaining a battery,

wherein the battery compartment is within the handle and has an aperture through the handle to provide external access to the compartment through the handle,

wherein the housing has an open position and a closed position,

wherein external access to the battery is prevented when the housing is in the closed position, and

wherein external access to the battery is permitted when the housing is in the open position.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the battery housing is interchangeable with an attachment power plug housing such that the hose handle may be combined with either the battery housing or the plug housing.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein the battery housing has an external profile similar to the plug housing.

4. The combination of claim 1:

wherein the housing is a drawer,

wherein the drawer and compartment have a slide mechanism on which the drawer can be extended into and out of the handle through the aperture,

wherein the drawer and compartment have a first stop to limit the depth to which the drawer can slide into the handle through the aperture,

wherein the drawer and compartment have a second stop to limit the depth to which the drawer can be extended out of the handle through the aperture,

wherein external access to the battery is prevented when the drawer is extended into the handle to the first stop, and

wherein external access to the battery is permitted when the drawer is extended out of the handle to the second stop.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein the slide mechanism comprises a combination of rails and guides on the drawer and compartment.

6. The combination of claim 4 wherein the slide mechanism comprises a combination of rails on the drawer and guides on the compartment.

7. The combination of claim 4 wherein the drawer and compartment further comprise a releasable locking mechanism to inhibit the drawer from extending out of the compartment when the handle is in use.

8. The combination of claim 4 wherein the slide mechanism comprises a releasable locking mechanism to inhibit the drawer from extending out of the compartment when the handle is in use.

9. The combination of claim 5 wherein the drawer and compartment further comprise a boss that inhibits the drawer from extending out of the compartment when the handle is in use.

10. The combination of claim 6 wherein the drawer further comprises a boss on one of the rails to releasably engage the handle at the aperture to inhibit the drawer from extending out of the compartment when the handle is in use.

11. The combination of claim 4 wherein the handle comprises an external shell and the aperture is in the shell.

12. The combination of claim 4 wherein the drawer comprises a crib, and the drawer releasably retains the battery in the crib.

13. The combination of claim 12 wherein the drawer further comprises a first contact at one end of the crib and a second contact at an opposing end of the crib, and wherein the drawer releasably retains the battery between the contacts in the crib.

14. The combination of claim 13 wherein at least one of the contacts is a spring contact to releasably retain the battery between the contacts within the crib.

15. The combination of claim 12 wherein the crib has bed that is generally formed to a longitudinal profile of the battery.

16. The combination of claim 12 wherein the crib has a curved bed for receiving a cylindrical battery.

17. The combination of claim 12 wherein the drawer is oriented generally parallel to a longitudinal wand adapter axis of the handle and the crib opens away from the wand adapter axis.

18. The combination of claim 17 wherein the crib opens from beneath the wand adapter axis when the handle is held in a normal operating position with the wand adapter axis directed downwardly.

19. A battery drawer for use in a central vacuum cleaning system hose handle having a compartment for retaining a central vacuum cleaning system attachment power plug and an aperture through the handle to provide external access to the plug, the drawer comprising:

a) a first slide mechanism portion,

b) a first stop surface, and

c) a second stop surface,

wherein battery drawer releasably retains the battery, and

wherein the first slide mechanism portion acts in combination with the compartment to provide a slide mechanism on which the drawer can be extended into and out of the handle through the aperture, and

wherein the first stop surface acts in combination with the compartment to provide a first stop to limit the depth to which the drawer can slide into the handle through the aperture; and

wherein the second stop surface in combination with the compartment to provide a second stop to limit the depth to which the drawer can be extended out of the handle through the aperture, and

wherein external access to the battery is prevented when the drawer is extended into the handle to the first stop, and

wherein external access to the battery is permitted when the drawer is extended out of the handle to the second stop.

20. The drawer of claim 19 wherein the first slide mechanism portion comprises rails.

21. The drawer of claim 19 wherein the drawer further comprises a releasable locking mechanism to inhibit the drawer from extending out of the compartment when the handle is in use.

22. The drawer of claim 19 wherein the drawer further comprise a boss that inhibits the drawer from extending out of the compartment when the handle is in use.

23. The drawer of claim 20 wherein the drawer further comprises a boss on one of the rails to releasably engage the handle at the aperture to inhibit the drawer from extending out of the compartment when the handle is in use.

24. The drawer of claim 19 wherein the drawer comprises a crib, and the drawer releasably retains the battery in the crib.

25. The drawer of claim 24 wherein the drawer further comprises a first contact at one end of the crib and a second contact at an opposing end of the crib, and wherein the drawer releasably retains the battery between the contacts in the crib.

26. The drawer of claim 25 wherein at least one of the contacts is a spring contact biased to releasably retain the battery between the contacts within the crib.

27. The drawer of claim 24 wherein the crib has a bed that is generally formed to a longitudinal profile of the battery.

28. The drawer of claim 24 wherein the crib has a curved bed for receiving a cylindrical battery.

29. The drawer of claim 24 wherein the drawer is oriented generally parallel to a longitudinal wand adapter axis of the handle and the crib opens away from the wand adapter axis.

30. The drawer of claim 29 wherein the crib opens from beneath the wand adapter axis when the handle is held in a normal operating position with the wand adapter axis directed downwardly.

31. A combination for use in a central vacuum cleaning system, the combination comprising:

a) a central vacuum cleaning system hose handle for use with a battery to power at least one device, and

b) a battery housing retained by the hose handle, the battery housing comprising an open position to provide access to the battery external to the handle such that the battery can be removed from or inserted into the housing, and a closed position to retain the battery and prevent access to the battery.

32. The combination of claim 31 wherein the battery housing is compatible with a compartment within the hose handle that is also compatible with an attachment power plug housing such that the hose handle may be combined with either the battery housing or the plug housing.

33. The combination of claim 32 wherein the battery housing has an external profile similar to the plug housing.

34. The combination of claim 31 wherein the battery housing is a battery drawer, wherein in the open position the drawer extends out of the handle to provide access to the battery external to the handle, and wherein in the closed position the drawer extends into the handle to retain the battery and prevent access to the battery.

35. The combination of claim 34 wherein the drawer comprises a crib with an interior curved bed, opposing first crib end and second crib end, a first electrical contact extending into the crib from the first crib end, and a second electrical contact extending into the crib from the second crib end.

36. The combination of claim 35 wherein the crib and contacts are dimensioned such that the battery is retained within the crib after the battery is placed is the crib.

37. The combination of claim 35 wherein the contacts are spring type contacts that allow the battery to be manually inserted and removed while firm contact is maintained between the contacts and electrodes of the battery when the battery is in the crib.

38. The combination of claim 34 wherein the drawer and handle have a plurality of rail/guide combinations spaced about the drawer parallel to a longitudinal axis of the drawer on which the drawer can slide between the open position and the closed position.

39. The combination of claim 34 wherein the handle further comprises an exterior shell that extends about the handle, and an aperture in the shell, and wherein the drawer slides through the aperture.

40. The combination of claim 34 wherein the handle has two attached casing halves.

41. The combination of claim 40 wherein the drawer is inserted in the handle before the halves are attached.

42. The combination of claim 39 wherein the drawer and shell comprise a manually releasable locking mechanism for the drawer.

43. The combination of claim 31 wherein the battery housing comprises a body which includes an internal chamber to receive the battery, and includes an opening to provide access through an aperture in the handle to the chamber.

44. The combination of claim 43 wherein the housing has a cap that has an open position and a closed position, such that access external to the handle is provided to the battery in the chamber through the aperture when the cap is in the open position, while such access is prevented when the cap is in the closed position.

45. The combination of claim 44 wherein attachment of the cap to the body is temporary.

46. The combination of claim 44 wherein attachment of the cap to the body is permanent.

47. The combination of claim 44 wherein the cap is hingedly connected to the body, such that the cap swings on a hinge between the open position and closed position.

48. The combination of claim 47 wherein the hinge is a living hinge.

49. The combination of claim 47 wherein in the closed position a lock is provided between the cap and body to prevent the cap from opening inadvertently.

50. The combination of claim 49 wherein the lock comprises a boss on one of the cap and body and a corresponding hollow on the other of the cap and body.

51. The combination of claim 47 wherein the battery housing comprises a spring mechanism to allow the cap to pop open when unlocked.

52. The combination of claim 44 wherein the cap is attached to the body by way of corresponding guide mechanisms, such that the cap slides into and out of the body to cover access to the chamber.