Having thus described the preferred embodiment, the invention is now claimed to be:
1. An upright vacuum cleaner comprising:
a nozzle base having a suction inlet;
an upper housing hingedly connected to the nozzle base, the upper housing being selectively moveable between a generally vertical position and a generally inclined position;
a tube assembly disposed at least partially within the upper housing;
a receiving portion located within the nozzle base; and
a coupling member configured to be received by the receiving portion for coupling the tube assembly to the suction inlet, the coupling member having a thread segment disposed on its outer surface dimensioned to cooperate with a surface of the receiving portion, the thread segment and the cooperating surface of the receiving portion being dimensioned to urge the coupling member into a friction fit seal with the suction inlet upon less than one full rotation of the coupling member.
2. The upright vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the thread segment extends across less than one half the perimeter of the coupling member.
3. The upright vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the thread segment extends across less than one quarter the perimeter of the coupling member.
4. The upright vacuum cleaner according to claim 3, wherein the thread segment and cooperating surface of the receiving portion are dimensioned to urge the coupling member into a friction fit seal with the inlet area upon less than a half rotation of the coupling member.
5. The upright vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the coupling member is substantially cylindrical including a first axial end and a second axial end, the first axial end being tapered.
6. The upright vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the coupling member includes a finger extending from its outer peripheral surface for assisting in rotation of the coupling member.
7. The upright vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein a first axial end of the coupling member is tapered and dimensioned to frictionally fit within the suction inlet and a second axial end of the coupling member is dimensioned to be supported on a rear wall of the receiving portion, the cooperating surface of the receiving portion being an inner surface of the receiving portion’s rear wall.
8. The upright vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the coupling member is substantially toroidal having a duct extending axially therethrough, an inner surface of the coupling member having a plurality of threads for threadably connecting the coupling member to the tube assembly.
9. The upright vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the thread segment is angled with respect to a plane perpendicular to an axial end of the coupling member.
10. A coupling member for connecting a hose assembly to a nozzle base of an upright vacuum cleaner comprising:
a substantially toroidal body portion having a first axial end, a second axial end, an outer sidewall, and a duct extending therethrough, said first axial end of said body being tapered; and,
a thread segment disposed on the outer sidewall of the body and extending less than 360 around a periphery of the outer sidewall of the body, the thread segment being dimensioned to rotatingly cooperate with an associated surface of the nozzle base for urging the coupling member into a friction fit seal with the associated surface.
11. The upright vacuum cleaner according to claim 10, wherein the thread segment extends less than 180 around the periphery of the outer sidewall of the body portion.
12. The upright vacuum cleaner according to claim 10, wherein the thread segment extends less than 90 around the periphery of the outer sidewall of the body portion.
13. The upright vacuum cleaner according to claim 10, further including a finger disposed on the peripheral sidewall of the body portion for assisting in rotation of the coupling member.
14. The upright vacuum cleaner according to claim 10, wherein an inner sidewall of the body portion includes a plurality of threads for threadably connecting the coupling member to an associated tube assembly.
15. The upright vacuum cleaner according to claim 10, wherein the thread segment is angled with respect to a plane perpendicular to an axial end of the body portion.
16. A method of connecting a tube assembly of an upright vacuum cleaner to an opening in a nozzle base of the vacuum cleaner, the steps comprising:
providing a coupling member having a substantially cylindrical body portion with a thread segment extending less than 360 around an outer surface of the body portion;
positioning the coupling member within a receiving portion disposed in the vacuum cleaner’s nozzle base so that a first tapered end of the coupling member is fitted within a suction inlet of the nozzle base,
rotating the coupling member less than one full rotation so that the thread segment rotatingly cooperates with a surface of the receiving portion; and
urging the tapered end of the coupling member into a friction fit seal with the suction inlet of the nozzle base through continued rotation of the coupling member.
17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the step of rotating the coupling member includes rotating the coupling member less than 90.
18. The method according to claim 16, wherein the step of positioning the coupling member further includes positioning the coupling member within the receiving portion so that a finger extending from a peripheral sidewall of the coupling member is located at approximately a 12 O’clock position.
19. The method according to claim 16, wherein the step of rotating the coupling member further includes urging a finger extending from the coupling member in one of a clockwise and counterclockwise direction.
20. A vacuum cleaner comprising:
a suction nozzle located in a housing;
a filter chamber;
a conduit fluidly connecting said suction nozzle to said filter chamber, said connector having a first end and a second end;
a connector mounted on said first end of said conduit, said connector comprising an outer surface including a thread segment; and,
a receiving portion located on said housing and communicating with said suction nozzle, said receiving portion comprising a wall having an edge which cooperates with said thread segment in order to cammingly engage said connector with said receiving portion.
21. The vacuum cleaner of claim 20 wherein said receiving portion wall edge comprises a thread segment which engages said thread segment of said connector.
22. The vacuum cleaner of claim 20 wherein said connector further comprises a first end and a second end and wherein said receiving portion further comprises a duct section which is sized to accommodate said connector first end.
23. The vacuum cleaner of claim 22 wherein said connector first end is tapered.
24. The vacuum cleaner of claim 20 wherein said connector further comprises a finger located on said outer surface.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method for displaying an ad hoc image at a venue comprising:
generating an ad hoc image data structure for the ad hoc image wherein the ad hoc image data structure comprises a plurality of a set of pixels, each set of pixels comprising one or more plurality of ad hoc image pixels;
prompting a user to enter identification information;
determine a seat location within the venue for the user based on the identification information;
providing a server configured for downloading a mobile ad hoc imaging application to a mobile device upon request to the user; and
downloading the mobile ad hoc imaging application to the user,
wherein the mobile ad hoc imaging application is configured to cause the mobile device to
receive the seat location within the venue for the user,
synchronize a display of the set of pixels comprising the one or more plurality of the ad hoc image pixels to a timing reference, and
display the set of pixels comprising the one or more plurality of the ad hoc image pixels in the venue.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the ad hoc image data structure comprises adapting an image to a seating configuration of the venue to create the set of pixels associated with the seat location in the venue.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the set of pixels is further associated with a time for displaying.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein downloading the ad hoc imaging application comprises
providing a quick response (\u201cQR\u201d) code identifying a web site providing the ad hoc imaging application and
downloading the ad hoc image application from the web site, wherein the ad hoc image application comprises the ad hoc image data structure comprising the set of pixels.
5. The method of claim 3, wherein the seat location comprises a section number, a row number, and a seat number.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the display of the set of pixels comprises a display of one of the plurality of ad hoc image pixels associated with the seat location.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein synchronize the display of the set of pixels to the timing reference uses time maintained in the mobile device.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the mobile ad hoc imaging application receives a time value of a time at which the display of the set of pixels is to occur.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile ad hoc imaging application is further configured to:
display a second set of pixels associated with the seat location in the venue at a second time.
10. The method of claim 5 wherein generating the ad hoc image data structure for an image comprises generating the plurality of a set of pixels for display at a plurality of times.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein generating the plurality of the set of pixels for display at the plurality of times further comprises generating the plurality of the set of pixels for the plurality of times for a plurality of seat locations.
12. A system for providing an ad hoc image displayed in a venue comprising:
a server storing an ad hoc image data structure, where the ad hoc image data structure comprises a plurality of ad hoc image pixels, the server further storing a mobile ad hoc image application configured to
prompt a user to enter identification information,
determine a seat location within the venue for the user based on the identification information, where the seat location comprises a section number, row number, and seat number,
synchronize display of one of a plurality of ad hoc image pixels on a mobile device with respect to a timing reference, and
display one of the plurality of ad hoc image pixels in the venue at a first time.
13. The system of claim 12 wherein the server is configured to email the ad hoc image data structure to a plurality of users.
14. The system of claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of ad hoc image pixels is associated with a respective seat location of the venue.
15. The system of claim 14 wherein the mobile ad hoc image application is further configured to display another one of the plurality of ad hoc image pixels in the venue at a second time.
16. The system of claim 15 wherein the mobile device comprises a smart phone.
17. An instance of computer readable media comprising instructions that when executed cause a mobile computing device to:
prompt a user to enter identification information;
determine a seat location in a venue for the user based on the identification information;
retrieve an ad hoc image data structure comprising an ad hoc image pixel associated with the seat location;
ascertain a time associated with displaying the ad hoc image pixel;
determine a current time is the time associated with displaying the ad hoc image pixel; and
display the ad hoc image pixel.
18. The instance of computer readable media comprising instructions of claim 17, further comprising instructions causing the mobile computing device to:
select another ad hoc image pixel from the ad hoc image data structure associated with the seat location;
ascertain a second time associated with displaying the another ad hoc image pixel; and
display the another ad hoc image pixel.
19. The instance of computer readable media of claim 18 wherein ascertaining the time associated with displaying the ad hoc image pixel is indicated by data stored in a mobile ad hoc imaging application.
20. The instance of computer readable media of claim 19 wherein the instructions further cause the mobile device to
receive the ad hoc image data structure as streaming data at the venue.