Vacuum cleaner cord locking device

Claim 1

FOR AN UPRIGHT ELECTRIC FLOOR APPLIANCE HAVING A TUBULAR HANDLE AND A CORD RETRACTOR, A CORD GUIDING AND LOCKING DEVICE COMPRISING: (A) A ONE-PIECE, HOLLOW MOLDED HOUSING MOUNTED ON AND HANDLE, SAID HOUSING HAVING RELATIVELY THIN WALLS AND AN OPEN SIDE, (B) SAID HOUSING HAVING AN APERTURE IN THE SIDE WALL THEREOF OPPOSITE SAID OPEN SIDE, (C) AN ANVIL PROJECTING INWARDLY FROM A WALL OF SAID ANVIL BEING INTEGRALLY FORMED WITH AND CONNECTED TO SAID HOUSING BY A RELATIVELY THIN WEB, SAID ANVIL HAVING AN ARCUATE CLAMPING SURFACE WIDER THAN SAID WEB, AND SAID HOUSING, SAID ANVIL BEING ALIGNED BETWEEN SAID OPEN SIDE AND SAID APERTURE, (D) SAID APERTURE, SAID ANVIL AND SAID OPEN SIDE FORMING A PASSAGEWAY FOR GUIDING THE CORD FROM THE RETRACTOR AND THROUGH SAID HOUSING, (E) SAID HOUSING HAVING AN OPENING IN THE SIDE WALL THEREOF FACING SAID ANVIL, (F) A LOCKING LEVER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID HOUSING, SAID LOCKING LEVER COMPRISING: (1) AN INNER PORTION HAVING AN EXTERNAL CAMMING SURFACE THEREON, AND (2) AN OUTER PORTION PROJECTING THROUGH SAID OPENING IN SAID SIDE WALL FACING SAID ANVIL FOR ACCESS BY THE USER, (G) MEANS BIASING SAID LEVER AGAINST THE CORD DURING WITHDRAWAL OF THE CORD, (H) WHEREBY, UPON RELEASE OF THE CORD TO THE RETRACTIVE FORCE OF THE CORD RETACTOR, THE CORD FRICTIONALLY ENGAGES SAID CAMMING SURFACE AND RETRACTIVE MOVEMENT OF THE CORD CAUSES SAID LEVER TO ROTATE UNTIL THE CORD IS SECURELY LOCKED BETWEEN SAID CAMMING SURFACE AND SAID ANVIL.