Freestanding central vacuum system

• US 5,740,581 A
• Filed: 12/31/1996
• Issued: 04/21/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Vacs America, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Vacs America, Inc.
• Inventors: Harrelson, Clyde W. II
• Primary Examiner(s): MOORE, CHRISTOPHER K
• Application Number:
  US08/775,163
• Time in Patent Office: 476 Days
• Field of Search: 15/314, 15/323, 15/315, 137/355.16, 137/355.2, 137/355.28, 137/360
• US Class Current: 15/314
• 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 7/0047 Furniture or stationary devices with suction openings built-in suction cleaners A47L5/38
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/009 Details of suction cleaner tools for additional purposes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0063 External storing devices; Stands, casings or the like for the storage of suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 75/362 with stored material housed within a casing or container B65H75/368 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/6918 With hose storage or retrieval means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/698 Wall

Abstract

A central vacuum system mountable between adjacent studs of a wall formed of a cabinet having a top wall, side walls, a rear wall, an upper dividing wall extending beneath the side walls, a lower dividing wall extending between the side walls beneath the upper dividing wall, the walls together forming in enclosure with upper, center and lower compartments; a first hinged door covering the upper compartment, and a second hinged door covering the center and lower compartments; a hose extendable between a stored position in the center compartment, and an extended position extending from the upper compartment, the hose having an inner end and a distal end connected to a handle stored position in the upper compartment; a reversible drive means within the center compartment to move the hose between stored and extended positions; and a vacuum source mounted in the lower compartment, the inner end of the hose communicating with the vacuum source.

Claims

1. A central vacuum system mountable between adjacent studs of a wall comprising:

a) a cabinet having a top wall, side walls, a rear wall, a movable front wall, an upper dividing wall extending beneath said side walls, a lower dividing wall extending between said side walls beneath said upper dividing wall, said walls together forming an enclosure with a handle storage compartment, a hose storage compartment and a vacuum source compartment;

b) a hose extendable between a retracted position in said hose storage compartment, and an extended position extending from said hose storage compartment;

c) reversible drive means within said cabinet to move said hose between said retracted and extended positions; and

d) a vacuum source mounted in said vacuum source compartment, said hose having an inner end communicating with said vacuum source.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said reversible drive means is mounted on one of said dividing walls.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said hose includes a control nozzle at its distal end, said control handle includes a switch for controlling said reversible drive means.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said front wall is hinged.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said front wall is comprised of an upper section covering said upper compartment and a lower section covering said center and lower compartments.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said rear wall includes a hinged door opening into said upper compartment.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said cabinet further includes a flange extending outwardly from said top and side walls.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said reversible drive means is comprised of a pair of hose drive rolls having opposed concave faces together defining a hose receiving nip, and a drive means communicating with said rolls for reversibly rotating said rolls in opposite directions.

9. A central vacuum system mountable between adjacent studs of a wall comprising:

a) a cabinet having a top wall, side walls, a rear wall, and a movable front wall, said walls together forming a hose storage enclosure, and a first dividing wall extending between said side walls, said dividing wall dividing said compartment into an upper compartment and a hose storage compartment;

b) a hose extendable between a stored position in said storage compartment, and an extended position extending from said upper compartment; and

c) reversible drive means within said enclosure to move said hose between said stored and extended positions.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said reversible drive means is mounted in said storage compartment.

11. The system of claim 9, further including a second dividing wall extending between said side walls beneath said first dividing wall, and a vacuum source being mounted beneath said second dividing wall, said hose storage compartment being between said first and second dividing walls.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein said hose includes a control nozzle at its distal end, said control handle including a switch for controlling said reversible drive.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein said cabinet is divided into an upper compartment and a lower compartment, and said front wall is comprised of a hinged upper section covering said upper compartment and a hinged lower section covering said lower compartment.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein said cabinet includes a hinged door opening into said upper compartment.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein said cabinet further includes a flange extending outwardly from said top and side walls.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein said cabinet further includes mounting clips on at least one wall.

16. A central vacuum system mountable between adjacent studs of a wall comprising:

a) a cabinet having a top wall, side walls, a rear wall, an upper dividing wall extending between said side walls, a lower dividing wall extending between said side walls beneath said upper dividing wall, said walls together forming an enclosure with upper, center and lower compartments;

b) a first hinged door covering said upper compartment, and a second hinged door covering said center and lower compartments;

c) a hose extendable between a stored position in said center compartment, and an extended position extending from said upper compartment, said hose having an inner end and a distal end, said distal end being connected to a handle, said handle having a stored position in said upper compartment;

d) reversible drive means within said center compartment to move said hose between said stored and extended positions; and

e) a vacuum source mounted in said lower compartment, the inner end of said hose communicating with said vacuum source.