Inlet valve assembly for central vacuum system
First Claim
1. An inlet face plate for use in association with a central vacuum cleaning system to provide resealable access to said system, said inlet face plate comprising:
- a main body having a front facing portion and a rear facing portion;
a vacuum opening in said main body sized and shaped to receive a hose cuff;
a cover member removably covering said vacuum opening to seal said opening when not in use;
an electrical receptacle opening in said front facing portion of said main body, and extending through to said rear facing portion of said main body said electrical receptacle opening having an associated electrical receptacle mounting means; and
an electrical receptacle having a front face with electrical prong openings, wherein said front face is sized and shaped to register with said rearwardly facing electrical receptacle opening, said electrical receptacle being sized and shaped to snap fit into rear mounting engagement with said electrical receptacle mounting means, said electrical receptacle further including an integrally attached trailing wire, wherein said electrical receptacle is rear mountable to said main body when said trailing wire at an end remote from said electrical receptacle is not free.
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Abstract
This invention relates to an inlet valve assembly for central vacuum systems. In particular, this invention relates to an inlet valve assembly including an inlet face plate, a mounting plate, having a deformable mounting flange, and an electrical receptacle integrally formed with a high voltage wire. In some uses, the inlet valve assembly also can include a low voltage wire which can be used to complete a low voltage circuit to initiate a central vacuum motor. The mounting plate can accommodate the electrical receptacle in a temporary position and the inlet face plate can rear mount the receptacle into a locked position where the receptacle is securely attached to the inlet face plate. In this manner, the receptacle may be mounted to the inlet face plate even though one end of the high voltage wire is already wired into an electrical box.
63 Citations
10 Claims
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1. An inlet face plate for use in association with a central vacuum cleaning system to provide resealable access to said system, said inlet face plate comprising:
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a main body having a front facing portion and a rear facing portion; a vacuum opening in said main body sized and shaped to receive a hose cuff; a cover member removably covering said vacuum opening to seal said opening when not in use; an electrical receptacle opening in said front facing portion of said main body, and extending through to said rear facing portion of said main body said electrical receptacle opening having an associated electrical receptacle mounting means; and
an electrical receptacle having a front face with electrical prong openings, wherein said front face is sized and shaped to register with said rearwardly facing electrical receptacle opening, said electrical receptacle being sized and shaped to snap fit into rear mounting engagement with said electrical receptacle mounting means, said electrical receptacle further including an integrally attached trailing wire, wherein said electrical receptacle is rear mountable to said main body when said trailing wire at an end remote from said electrical receptacle is not free. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An inlet face plate for use in association with a central vacuum cleaning system to provide resealable access to said system, said inlet face plate comprising:
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a main body having a front facing portion and a rear facing portion; a vacuum opening in said main bodv sized and shaped to receive a hose cuff; a cover member removably covering said vacuum opening to seal said opening when not in use; an electrical receptacle opening in said front facing portion of said main body, and extending through to said rear facing portion of said main body, said electrical receptacle opening having at least one deformable cam; and
an electrical receptacle having a front face with electrical prong openings, wherein said front face is sized and shaped to register with said rearwardly facing electrical receptacle opening and to be guided and held in position in said electrical receptacle opening by said deformable cam, said electrical receptacle being sized and shaped to snap fit into rear mounting engagement with said inlet face plate, said electrical receptacle further including an integrally attached trailing wire, wherein said electrical receptacle is rear mountable to said main body when said trailing wire at an end remote from said electrical receptacle is not free. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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Specification