Surface cleaning appliance

Abstract

A surface cleaning appliance incorporating a flexible hose. The hose is a stretch hose, which is extendable lengthways from a retracted length to an extended length under a tensile force applied to the hose, the extended length being at least 25% longer than the retracted length. A length of the hose has a hose wall formed at least in part by a layer of fabric which is sealed to form an impermeable barrier for the fluid carried by the hose, and which therefore provides a layer which is both impermeable and has a high resistance to cyclic fatigue.

1 . A surface cleaning appliance comprising:
 a flexible hose, a length of the hose being extendable lengthways from a retracted length to an extended length under a tensile force applied to the hose, the extended length being at least 25% longer than the retracted length,   wherein said length of the hose has an extendable hose wall formed at least in part by one or more layers of fabric,   at least one layer of fabric being sealed to form an impermeable barrier to fluid carried by the hose.   
     
     
         2 . A surface cleaning appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the hose wall is a fabric hose-wall consisting of one or more layers of fabric, at least one of the layers of fabric being sealed to form an impermeable barrier to the fluid carried by the hose. 
     
     
         3 . A surface cleaning appliance to  claim 1 , wherein one or more of said layers of fabric is substantially inelastic and incorporates sufficient slack for non-elastic, lengthways extension of the hose wall from the retracted length to the extended length. 
     
     
         4 . A surface cleaning appliance according to  claim 3 , wherein at least some of the slack is provided by a series of corrugations or folds in the fabric. 
     
     
         5 . A surface cleaning appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the layers of fabric is woven, braided or knitted at least in part from plastic filaments. 
     
     
         6 . A surface cleaning appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the hose-wall incorporates at least one layer of ripstop fabric. 
     
     
         7 . A surface cleaning appliance  claim 1 , wherein the hose-wall is secured to one or more reinforcing frame elements arranged for lengthways movement relative to one another in order to accommodate extension of the hose wall from the retracted length to the extended length. 
     
     
         8 . A surface cleaning appliance according to  claim 7 , wherein the frame elements are resiliently connected to one another for providing a restoring force to return the hose wall from the extended length to the retracted length. 
     
     
         9 . A surface cleaning appliance according to  claim 7 , wherein one or more of the frame elements is sandwiched radially in-between layers or plies of fabric forming part of the hose wall. 
     
     
         10 . A surface cleaning appliance according to  claim 9 , wherein said layers or plies of fabric are bonded to one another, axially either side of the respective frame element, to encapsulate the frame element between the layers or plies of fabric. 
     
     
         11 . A surface cleaning appliance according to  claim 7 ,  8 ,  9  or  10 , wherein the fabric in the hose wall is arranged to form a multi-ply or multi-layer overlap around the outside of one or more of the frame elements. 
     
     
         12 . A surface cleaning appliance according to  claim 7 , wherein the hose wall comprises a layer consisting of a wound fabric tape. 
     
     
         13 . A surface cleaning appliance according to  claim 12 , wherein one or more of the frame elements is sandwiched radially in-between two axially-overlapping passes of the wound fabric tape. 
     
     
         14 . A surface cleaning appliance according to  claim 12 , wherein two or more axially overlapping passes of the wound falbric tape form a respective multi-ply overlap around the outside of one or more of the frame elements. 
     
     
         15 . A surface cleaning appliance according to  claim 7 , wherein the frame elements are coils on a resilient helical supporting member. 
     
     
         16 . A surface cleaning appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the hose is provided on the appliance as part of a hose and wand assembly.