US2975391A

US2975391A - Combined handle and electric plug retainer

Info

Publication number: US2975391A
Application number: US641064A
Authority: US
Inventors: Arnold H Beede; Allen P Cawl; Robert C Lampe
Original assignee: Electrolux Corp
Current assignee: Electrolux Corp
Priority date: 1957-02-19
Filing date: 1957-02-19
Publication date: 1961-03-14
Anticipated expiration: 1978-03-14

Description

March 14, 1961 A. H. BEEDE EIAL COMBINED HANDLE AND ELECTRIC PLUG RETAINER Filed Feb. 19, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVEN TOR S HEIYOU) H. 55:05 Hus/v P. CnwL 77-IEIR ATTORNEY March 14, 1961 A. H. BEEDE ETAL COMBINED HANDLE AND ELECTRIC PLUG RETAINER Filed Feb. 19, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS HENOLD H8550: HlLt'N P ('nwz Bearer l. lam MJM IU-IEIR ATTORNEY United States Patent COMBINED HANDLE AND ELECTRIC PLUG RETAINER Arnold H. Beetle, Stamford, Allen P. Cawl, Noroton Heights, and Robert C. Lampe, Stamford, Conn., assignors to Electrolux Corporation, Old Greenwich, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 19, 1957, Ser. No. 641,064

4 Claims. (Cl. 339-91) Our invention relates to electrical appliances and particularly to vacuum cleaners or the like which are moved about the floor during use and to which current is supplied by means of a flexible cord.

In appliances of this nature it is convenient to have the electric cord detachable and one of the objects of our invention is to provide means for preventing accidental or unauthorized removal of the cord plug from the appilance. It has been found in practice that, with an ordinary plug connection, small children may remove the plug from the appliance while the other end of the plug is still connected to the house circuit and, even though the contacts are recessed within the plug, metal objects such as pins, nails or the like may be inserted into the slots leading to the contacts, with the result that the child may be burned or may receive an electric shock. Also, if the cord becomes caught around a piece of furniture, movement of the cleaner may cause the plug to become detached. In accordance with our invention a strap or band of resilient material is provided for bolding the plug in the receptacle, the arrangement being such that the strap cannot be moved accidentally and some force applied in the proper place and direction is required to move it even when done intentionally.

Another object of our invention is to incorporate a plug locking arrangement of this nature with a carrying handle for the device.

Further objects and advantages of our invention will be apparent from the following specification when considered in connection with the drawings forming part of this application and of which;

Fig. 1 is a side view, partially in cross-section and taken on the line 11 of Fig. 3, of a vacuum cleaner embodying our invention;

Fig. 2 is a top view of a portion of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end view of a portion of the device shown in the preceding figures;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a detail taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a side view showing the plug retaining band in released position and the plug partially removed.

Referring to the figures, reference character designates generally the casing of a vacuum cleaner which is adapted to be supported and moved around on a floor by means of small wheels 12 and 14. A motor fan unit including an electric motor 16 and a centrifugal fan 18 is mounted within the casing 10. A decorative channel member 20 may be secured to the upper part of the casing 10. A removable cover 17 at one end of casing 10 provides access to a dust bag compartment 19, while an end member 21 is secured to the other end of the casing. Cover 17 is formed with an inlet opening 23 for dirty air and member 21 has a clean air outlet 25.

Mounted on the top of the channel 20 is a carrying handle 22 of somewhat resilient and elastic material having an end 24 through which extends a bolt 26 for secur- 2,975,391 Patented Mar. 14, 1961 "ice ing this end of the handle and the channel 20 to the easing. The other end of the handle 22 is held by a bolt 28 which also extends through a switch housing 30 to secure both the end of the handle and the housing 30 to the casing 10. A switch cover 32 is secured to the switch housing by means of the bolt 28 and an additional bolt 34. A switch operating member 36 extends through an opening in the top of switch cover 32 so as to be accessible for operation. Cover 32 also includes side walls 38 which extend downwardly to the surfaces of the casing 10 and end member 21. These side walls together with the top of the cover 32 extend rearwardly beyond the switch so as to form a plug receptacle 40 above member 21. A pair of electric contact prongs 42 extend from the switch into this receptacle.

An electric cord 44 is provided with a plug 46 at one end which is adapted to be received within the receptacle 40. The plug is provided with slots into which the prongs 42 extend so as to make contact with conductors recessed within the plug in the usual manner. The other end of this cord is provided with a plug 48 which, during use of the cleaner, is plugged into a wall receptacle so as to supply electric current to the motor 16. However, as shown in the drawings, for convenience in storage the cord may be wound around a drum 50 carried by end member 21 and surrounding opening 25.

Formed integrally with handle 22 is a flexible and elastic band or strap 52 including a pair of elongated portions 54 extending along opposite sides of the switch cover 32 and a cross piece 56 which connects the ends of the elongated portions. The cross piece 56 is formed with a slot 58 having a bottom opening through which is adapted to extend the cord 44 when the parts are in assembled position, as shown in Figs. 1 through 3. The top of switch cover 32 is formed with a pair of spaced lips 60 which extend rearwardly beyond the side walls 38, which lips are adapted to overlie the upper edge of cross piece 56 so as to hold it in position, as is shown in Fig. 4. As is apparent from Figs. 1 and 3, the plug 46 is considerably larger than the slot 58 in the cross piece 56, and consequently when the cross piece is in position underneath the lips 60 it is impossible to remove the plug 46 from the receptacle 40.

Extending upwardly from the center of cross piece 56 is a pair of resilient arms 62 between which is formed a slot 64. One of these arms extends upwardly between the spaced lips 60. The width of the slot 64 is slightly less than the diameter of the cord 44 so that, after the cord has been wound around the drum 50 the free end of it adjacent to the plug 48 may be forced into the slot by virtue of the resilience of the arms 62, to thereby prevent the cord from unwinding from the drum.

In order to remove the plug 46 from the receptacle 40, the arms 62 may be grasped and the cross piece 56 pulled from under the lips 60 and then moved upwardly to the position shown in Fig. 5. This rearward displacement of the cross piece, as well as the bending of the elongated portions 54 may take place because of the resilrent and elastic nature of the material of which the elongated portions, as well as the rest of the handle are made. With the cross piece 56 in the position shown in Fig. 5, the plug 46 may be grasped and pulled out of the receptacle so as to completely detach the cord 44 from the vacuum cleaner. When it is again desired to connect the cord to the cleaner, the plug 46 may be reinserted into the receptacle 40 and the cross piece 56 forced downwardly over the lips 60, whereupon the elasticity of the elongated portions 54 will pull the cross piece back underneath the lips so as to prevent its accidental release.

While we have shown one more or less specific embodiment of our invention it is to be understood that this has been done for the purpose of illustration only and that the scope of our invention is not to be limited thereby, but is to be determined from the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. A plug retainer for an electric appliance having a casing, a cover on said casing providing a plug receptacle, said cover having a top wall and downwardly ex tending side walls extending down to the casing. the receptacle having a forward wall through which contact prongs extend and an opposite open rear end, said receptacle having a lip on the top wall and extending rearwardly beyond the free edges of the downwardly extending walls, an elastic band secured to the casing having a pair of elongated portions extending along opposite sides of the side walls and a cross piece joining the elongated portions, the normal unextended length of the elongated portions being such as to position the cross piece in snug engagement with the free edges of the side walls when the cross piece is brought with its upper edge below the lip, whereby when a plug attached to the end of an electric cord is inserted into the receptacle and into electrical contact with the contact prongs, the lower edge of the cross piece will be in line with a portion of the plug to prevent withdrawal of the plug, while the upper edge of the cross piece will be beneath the lip to prevent upward movement of the cross piece.

2. A plug retainer as set forth in claim 1 in which the lower edge of the cross piece is recessed to accommodate the cord to which the plug is attached.

3. A plug retainer as set forth in claim 1 in which there is provided a handle secured to the casing and in which the securement of the elastic band to the casing is effected through the interposition of the handle, said handle and band being integral.

4. A plug retainer as set forth in claim 1 in which the cross piece has an upward slotted extension to receive the free end of the cord and a support on the casing to store the intermediate portion of the cord between the plug and the free end thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,182,446 Nelson Dec. 5, 1939 2,258,252 Lang Oct. 7, 1941 2,332,846 Fladd Oct. 26, 1943 2,418,130 Lofgrcn Apr. 1, 1947 2,690,543 Mackensen Sept. 28, 1954 2,747,214 Allen May 29, 1956 2,753,536 Tjader July 3, 1956 2,866,169 Lofgren Dec. 23, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 407,259 Italy Sept. 26, 1944 449,190 Great Britain June 22, 1936