Accordion vacuum tube relief

Abstract

A powered blower/vacuum unit includes a base portion having a housing and a power air-moving device for creating an air stream. A generally rigid, elongate tube is adapted to permit at least the air stream to flow through the tube. The tube includes a fluid inlet disposed at a first end, a fluid outlet disposed at a second end, and at least one accordion relief structure disposed generally between the first and second ends and adapted to act as a resilient shock absorber. In one example, the accordion relief structure includes at least one internal rib and at least one intermediate flexible section located adjacent to each internal rib. In another example, a coupler is adapted to be removably attached to the housing and non-removably attached to the tube. In another example, a portion of the accordion relief structure is adapted to act as a positive stop for the coupler.

1 . A powered blower/vacuum unit for performing a blowing/vacuuming operation, the powered unit including:
 a base portion having a housing and a power air-moving device disposed therein for creating an air stream: and   a generally rigid, elongate tube extending a relatively large distance away from the housing and adapted to permit at least the air stream to flow through the tube alone the relatively large distance, the tube further including:
 a fluid inlet disposed at a first end of the tube; 
 a fluid outlet disposed at a second end of the tube; and 
 at least one accordion relief structure disposed generally between the first end and the second end of the tube, and adapted to act as a resilient shock absorber responsive to forces applied to the tube. 
   
   
   
       2 . A powered unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the accordion relief structure includes at least one internal rib and at least one intermediate flexible section located adjacent to each internal rib. 
   
   
       3 . A powered unit according to  claim 2 , wherein each internal rib and each intermediate flexible section have a generally annular geometry. 
   
   
       4 . A powered unit according to  claim 2 , wherein each internal rib is generally rigid, and each intermediate flexible section is generally flexible. 
   
   
       5 . A powered unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the accordion relief structure collapses and expands to absorb forces applied to the tube. 
   
   
       6 . A powered unit according to  claim 1 , wherein the tube is a vacuum tube adapted to ingest debris in addition to the air stream. 
   
   
       7 . A powered unit according to  claim 1 , further including a coupler adapted to couple the time to the housing, wherein the tube is made of blow-molded material via a blow molding operation, and the coupler is made of injection molded material separate from the tube via an injection molding operation. 
   
   
       8 . A powered unit according to  claim 7 , wherein the housing includes an opening and at least one male component located about the opening, and the coupler includes at least one complementary female component adapted to engage the at least one male component to form a bayonet connection for securing the coupler to the housing. 
   
   
       9 . A powered blower/vacuum unit for performing a blowing/vacuuming operation, the powered unit including:
 a base portion having a housing and a power air-moving device disposed therein for creating an air stream;   a coupler adapted to be removably attached to the housing; and   a generally rigid, elongate tube extending a relatively large distance away from the housing and adapted to permit at least the air stream to flow through the tube along the relatively large distance, the tube further including:
 a fluid inlet disposed at a first end of the tube; 
 a fluid outlet disposed at a second end of the tube; and 
 at least one accordion relief structure disposed generally between the first end and die second end of the tube, and adapted to act as a resilient shock absorber responsive to forces applied to the tube, the tube being non-removably attached to the coupler, a portion of the accordion relief structure being adapted to act as a positive stop for the coupler. 
   
   
   
       10 . A powered unit according to  claim 9 , wherein the accordion relief structure includes at least one internal rib and at least one intermediate flexible section located adjacent to each internal rib. 
   
   
       11 . A powered unit according to  claim 10 , wherein each internal rib is generally rigid, and each intermediate flexible section is generally flexible. 
   
   
       12 . A powered unit according to  claim 10 , wherein at least one internal rib is adapted to act as the positive stop for the coupler. 
   
   
       13 . A powered unit according to  claim 9 , wherein the accordion relief structure collapses and expands to absorb forces applied to the tube. 
   
   
       14 . A powered unit according to  claim 8 , wherein the tube is a vacuum tube adapted in ingest debris in addition to the air stream. 
   
   
       15 . A powered unit according to  claim 8 , wherein the tube is made of blow-molded material via a blow molding operation, and the coupler is made of injection molded material separate from the tube via an injection molding operation. 
   
   
       16 . A powered unit according to  claim 9 , wherein the housing includes an opening and at least one male component located about the opening, and the coupler includes at least one complementary female component adapted to engage the at least one male component to form a bayonet connection for securing the coupler to the housing. 
   
   
       17 . A powered blower/vacuum unit for performing a blowing/vacuuming operation, the powered unit including:
 a base portion having a housing and a power air-moving device disposed therein for creating an air stream;   a coupler adapted to be removably attached to the housing; and   a generally rigid, elongate vacuum tube attached to the coupler and extending a relatively large distance away from the housing and adapted to ingest debris in addition to the air stream so as to flow through the tube along the relatively large distance the tube further including:
 a fluid inlet disposed at a first end of the tube; 
 a fluid outlet disposed at a second end of the tube; 
 at least one accordion relief structure disposed generally between the first end and the second end of the tube, and including at least one internal rib and at least one intermediate flexible section located adjacent to each internal rib, the accordion relief structure being adapted to collapse and expand to absorb forces applied to the tube so as to inhibit inadvertent detachment of the coupler from the housing. 
   
   
   
       18 . A powered unit according to  claim 17 , wherein each internal rib is generally rigid, and each intermediate flexible section is generally flexible. 
   
   
       19 . A powered unit according to  claim 17 , wherein the tube is made of blow-molded material via a blow molding operation, and the coupler is made of injection molded material separate from the tube via an injection molding operation. 
   
   
       20 . A powered unit according to  claim 19 , wherein the coupler has a rigidity that is greater than a rigidity of the tube. 
   
   
       21 . A powered unit according to  claim 17 , wherein the housing includes an opening and at least one male component located about the opening, and the coupler includes at least one complementary female component adapted to engage the at least one male component to form a bayonet connection for securing the coupler to the housing. 
   
   
       22 . A powered unit according to  claim 17 , wherein the tube includes a plurality of receiver features and the coupler includes a plurality of one-way snap-in features adapted to engage the plurality of receiver features, the plurality of one-way snap-in features being engaged with the plurality of receiver features to non-removably attach the coupler to the tube.