Vacuum wand holder

• US 4,597,551 A
• Filed: 03/08/1985
• Issued: 07/01/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Conexant Systems Incorporated (Synaptics Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Rockwell International Corporation
• Inventors: Faraday, Robin C., Ciechanowski, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Britts, Ramon S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ramirez, Ramon O.
• Application Number:
  US06/709,640
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• Field of Search: 248/314, 248/297.2, 248/295.1, 248/538, 248/534, 248/205.3, 248/205.4, 239/282, 239/283, 4/610, 4/615, 4/596, 4/597, 4/601, 4/605
• US Class Current: 248/314
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 97/10 Supports for rods
• CPC Class Codes: B25H 3/006 Storage means specially adapted for one specific hand apparatus, e.g. an electric drill

Abstract

A surface-mounted apparatus for holding an elongated hand-held instrument, such as a vacuum wand, when not in use, the instrument having a flexible tube-like extension attached to the end inserted in the apparatus, the apparatus comprising an elongated cylindrical shell affixed to a mounting plate, the cylindrical shell having a smoothly tapered longitudinal slot extending from an upper end to near the lower end of the shell, the slot of width sufficient to allow unconstrained passage of the tube-like extension, and the shell of inner diameter sufficient to easily accommodate insertion of the end to be inserted into the shell provided the instrument is rotated to align the extension to pass through the slot during insertion, the mounting plate used to attach the apparatus to a surface in an orientation favorable to the use of the force of gravity to cradle the instrument in the shell against random dislodging forces. The slot width is selected in consideration of the instrument dimensions and the shell wall thickness and flexibility to allow for quick removal of the instrument from the holder by the forcible passage of the instrument through the slot by elastic deformation of the slot.

Claims

1. A surface-mounted apparatus for holding an elongated hand-held instrument when not in use, said instrument having a flexible tube-like extension attached to an inserted end, said apparatus comprising:

an elongated cylindrical shell having an upper end, a lower end, and a longitudinal slot extending from said upper end to near said lower end and smoothly tapered at its upper end, said slot of width sufficient to allow unconstrained passage of said tube-like extension and of width selected in joint consideration of the cross-sectional dimension of said instrument and said shell wall thickness and flexibility such as to allow for the removal of said instrument from said holder by the forcible passage of said instrument causing elastic deformation of said slot by pulling the exposed end of said instrument towards said slot and pivoting said instrument about the point where the tube-like extension comes into contact with the bottom of said slot as the instrument is drawn outward, and said shell of inner diameter sufficient to easily accommodate insertion therein of said inserted end of said instrument provided said instrument is rotated to align said tube-like extension to pass through said slot during insertion; and

a mounting plate affixed to said shell for attaching said apparatus to a surface in an orientation favorable to the use of the force of gravity to cradle said instrument in said shell against random dislodging forces.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said mounting plate is affixed to the outer side wall of said shell at an orientation allowing mounting to a vertical surface in conformance with a desired orientation of said shell.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said mounting plate is affixed to said lower end of said shell for mounting on an approximately horizontal surface.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said shell has a planar tapered portion at said lower end opposite said slot to which said mounting plate is affixed, said plate and said shell forming an acute angle therebetween.

5. An apparatus for holding an elongated vacuum wand when not in use, said wand having a flexible vacuum hose attached to a first end and having finger operated switches extending outwardly from said opposite end, said apparatus comprising:

a planar mounting plate; and

an elongated cylindrical shell having a flat upper end, a partially tapered lower end, and a smoothly tapered longitudinal slot extending from said upper end to near said lower end, said slot of width sufficient to allow unconstrained passage of said hose, and said shell of inner diameter approximately twice the largest cross-sectional dimension of said wand to easily accommodate insertion therein of said first end of said wand provided said wand is rotated to align said hose to pass through said slot during insertion;

said lower end planarly tapered on the side opposite said slot;

said mounting plate fixedly attached to said shell forming an acute angle between the upper portion of said shell and the portion of said mounting plate coextensive with said upper portion of said shell;

said mounting plate mounted on a vertical surface to favorably use the force of gravity to cradle said wand in said shell against random dislodging forces.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said mounting plate is fixedly attached to said shell by adhesive bonding.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein:

said mounting plate is made of high impact styrene;

said shell is made from PVC tubing having nominal wall thickness of 1/16 of an inch; and

said slot width is approximately 1/4 of an inch less than the nominal cross sectional dimension of said instrument.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein double-backed adhesive tape is used on the mouhting plate to mount said apparatus to a mounting surface.