Hoses and equipment

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner hose has a helical reinforcement and a compressible channel extending along the hose between the reinforcement. The channel is formed between two overlapping layers of flexible material bonded together where they extend over the reinforcement and unbonded where they extend between the reinforcement. Passages containing valves connect one end of the channel to the outlet of a vacuum cleaner pump and to its inlet so that air can be either supplied to the channel to extend the hose or withdrawn from the channel to retract the hose.

What we claim is:  
     
         1 . A flexible hose comprising a wall, said wall defining a main bore extending axially along the hose and said wall having a helical channel extending around the hose along its length, wherein said channel is expansible such that the hose can be extended by supplying fluid to the channel to expand the channel.  
     
     
         2 . A hose according to  claim 1 , wherein said fluid is air.  
     
     
         3 . A hose according to  claim 1  including a helical reinforcement member, and wherein said channel extends between turns of said reinforcement member.  
     
     
         4 . A hose according to  claim 1 , wherein said channel is formed between overlapping layers of flexible material.  
     
     
         5 . A flexible hose comprising a helical reinforcement member and a plurality of layers of flexible material overlapping one another, wherein said layers are bonded together where they extend over the reinforcement member and are unbonded between turns of said reinforcement member so as to form a channel that is compresible and expansible such that the hose can be extended by supplying fluid to the channel to expand the channel.  
     
     
         6 . A hose according to  claim 1 , wherein said channel is open at one end and closed at its opposite end.  
     
     
         7 . A retractable hose having an inflatable wall, wherein said hose has a first retracted length when the wall is deflated and a second extended length when the wall is inflated.  
     
     
         8 . Vacuum cleaner equipment comprising: a vacuum cleaner machine, said machine having an inlet and an outlet; and a flexible hose, said hose including a wall defining a main bore extending axially along the hose, wherein said wall has a helical channel extending around the hose along its length, wherein said channel is expansible and wherein the vacuum cleaner machine is connected to supply air from said outlet to said channel such as to expand the channel and extend the hose.  
     
     
         9 . Vacuum cleaner equipment according to  claim 8  including a valve operable to connect said channel to or isolate said channel from said outlet.  
     
     
         10 . Vacuum cleaner equipment according to  claim 8  including a passage connecting said inlet of said machine with said channel such that air can be withdrawn from said channel and said hose retracted.  
     
     
         11 . Vacuum cleaner equipment according to  claim 10  including a valve operable to connect said channel to or isolate said channel from said inlet.  
     
     
         12 . Vacuum cleaner equipment comprising a vacuum cleaner machine and a flexible hose, wherein said machine includes a pump having an inlet and an outlet, wherein said hose has a wall that is inflatable to extend the length of the hose and is deflatable to retract the length of the hose, wherein said hose has a main bore connected with said inlet such that operation of said pump draws air along the bore of the hose to the outlet of the pump, and wherein the wall of the hose is selectively connectible to either said outlet or said inlet whereby the wall can be inflated or deflated and the hose extended or retracted.