Self-sealing vacuum hose swivel fitting

Swivel fittings between vacuum cleaner hoses and wands or tank end adapters of vacuum cleaners are well-represented by a plurality of designs in the art. Examples of such attachments include those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,427,456,2,621,048, and 3,928,715, as perhaps being most related to the disclosure of the present invention. The last identified patent discloses a pair of hose connectors fixed to the opposite ends of a vacuum hose and made integral therewith so that electricalconductors in the hose may be conveniently terminated in the hose connectors. The swivel connection is effected between the hose connector and the end of a wand or canister or tank. A separate spring and corrugated seal is shown in U.S. Pat. No.2,621,048, while a corrugated element in U.S. Pat. No. 2,427,456 acts both as a seal and the spring element. While presumably effective to satisfy the needs for which they were designed, the fittings disclosed in these patents do not meet thosecriteria which are felt to meet the need for a more effective hose fitting.

Specifically, it is desired that the fitting, which will attach a vacuum hose to a wand or tank end adapter, will allow the adapter to swivel freely and seal against air or fluid loss and to increase the seal upon increase in vacuum. It isfurther desired that the fitting design reduce the need for critical dimensional stability while, at the same time, reduce mold and inspection costs.

The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art and meets the above criteria by utilizing the natural spring characteristics inherent in the undulated wall of a hose to apply sealing pressure to the hose end and against asealing surface on the fitting. In this design, the hose is swivelable with respect to the fitting. Such a design further enables a simple electrical interconnection between the hose and the fitting.

Although the invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments thereof, it should be realized that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.