Apparatus for cleaning and storing a recreational vehicle sewer hose assembly

Claim 2

Apparatus for storing a recreational vehicle sewer hose assembly of a collapsible type comprising: an elongated mandrel having opposed marginal end portions, a lower enlarged cone assembly concentrically arranged in fixed relationship about a lower marginal end portion of said mandrel; an upper enlarged cone assembly slidably and concentrically arranged about an upper marginal end portion of said mandrel; said lower and upper cone assemblies having an external conical surface which reduces in diameter towards one another when both cone assemblies are positioned on said mandrel; lock means connected to said upper cone assembly by which said upper cone assembly can be selectively locked into fixed relationship respective to said mandrel and thereby selectively positioned along said upper marginal length of said mandrel; said upper and lower cone assemblies each having a major and a minor diameter of a value to receive the sewer hose of a recreational vehicle therebetween with a marginal length of each cone assembly being received within opposed marginal lengths of the sewer hose assembly such that the sewer hose assembly is held in captured relationship between the cone assemblies.

Claim 3

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said mandrel is hollow, a closure means formed at one end of said mandrel, means forming spaced apertures within the wall of said mandrel, means forming an inlet at one end of said mandrel; so that a water supply can be connected to said inlet to cause water to flow into said mandrel, through said perforations, and outwardly from said mandrel whereupon a washing action responsive to the interior of the sewer hose assembly can be effected.

Claim 4

The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said upper cone assembly includes an elongated tubular element having an inside diameter which slidably receives said mandrel in a telescoping manner therethrough; said upper cone assembly being affixed in concentric relationship about a lower marginal length of said tubular element; said lock means being affixed to an upper marginal length of said tubular element in overlying relationship respective to said upper cone assembly, means by which said lock means can change the effective inside diameter of said upper marginal length of said tubular element, so that as the inside diameter of said tubular element is reduced, the interior wall thereof engages the outer wall of said mandrel to increase the friction therebetween and thereby lock the tubular element to the mandrel.

Claim 5

The improvement of claim 3 wherein said tubular element is resilient and deformable, said lock means being disposed to deform said tubular element into engagement with said mandrel.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said mandrel is hollow, a closure means at one end of said mandrel, means forming spaced apertures along said mandrel, means forming an inlet at one end of said mandrel; means by which a water supply can be connected to said inlet to cause water to flow into said mandrel, through said perforations, and outwardly from said mandrel whereupon a washing action is effected upon the interior of any sewer hose which may be disposed about the mandrel; said upper cone assembly includes an elongated tubular element having an inside diameter which slidably receives said mandrel in a telescoping manner therethrough; said upper cone assembly being affixed in concentric relationship about a lower marginal length of said tubular element; said lock means being affixed to an upper marginal length of said tubular element in overlying relationship respective to said upper cone element, means by which said lock means can change the effective inside diameter of said upper marginal length of said tubular element, so that as the inside diameter of said tubular element is reduced, the interior wall thereof engages the outer wall of said mandrel to thereby increase the friction therebetween and lock said tubular element to said mandrel.

Claim 7

In a sewer hose assembly having a flexible accordion-type hose affixed to a flow connector, the combination with said sewer hose assembly of a sewer hose storage apparatus; said sewer hose storage apparatus comprising an elongated mandrel; a fixed lower cone assembly; and a movable upper cone assembly; said lower cone assembly being affixed to one end of said mandrel; said upper cone assembly being slidably received in a removable manner by the remaining marginal end of said mandrel; lock means by which said upper cone assembly can be selectively positioned along said remaining marginal end of said mandrel and locked into fixed relationship thereto; said upper cone assembly havng a major diameter which is greater than the outside diameter of a marginal end of said sewer hose and a minor diameter smaller than the inside diameter of the last said marginal end of said sewer hose; said lower cone assembly having a major diameter greater than the inside diameter of said flow connector and a minor diameter smaller than the marginal end of said flow connector; said upper and lower cone assemblies being arranged respectively to one another and to said mandrel such that they mutually taper towards one another; whereby said upper cone assembly can be removed from said mandrel, said sewer hose assembly positioned with said lower cone in engagement with said flow connector, said hose collapsed about said mandrel, and said upper cone affixed to a marginal length of mandrel, with said sewer hose assembly being captured between said upper cone assembly and said lower cone assembly.

Claim 8

In a sewer hose assembly having a flexible accordion-type hose affixed to a flow connector, the combination with said sewer hose assembly of a sewer hose storage apparatus; said sewer hose storage apparatus comprising an elongated mandrel; a fixed lower cone assembly; and a movable upper cone assembly; said lower cone assembly being affixed to one end of said mandrel; said upper cone assembly being slidably received in a removable manner by the remaining marginal end of said mandrel; lock means by which said upper cone assembly can be selectively positioned along said remaining marginal end of said mandrel and locked into fixed relationship thereto; said upper cone assembly havng a major diameter which is greater than the outside diameter of a marginal end of said sewer hose and a minor diameter smaller than the inside diameter of the last said marginal end of said sewer hose; said lower cone assembly having a major diameter greater than the inside diameter of said flow connector and a minor diameter smaller than the marginal end of said flow connector; said upper and lower cone assemblies being arranged respectively to one another and to said mandrel such that they mutually taper towards one another; whereby said upper cone assembly can be removed from said mandrel, said sewer hose assembly positioned with said lower cone in engagement with said flow connector, said hose collapsed about said mandrel, and said upper cone affixed to a marginal length of mandrel, with said sewer hose assembly being captured between said upper cone assembly and said lower cone assembly.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said mandrel is hollow, a closure means at one end of said mandrel, means forming spaced apertures along a sidewall of said mandrel, means forming an inlet at one end of said mandrel; so that a water supply can be connected to said inlet to said water to flow into the interior of said mandrel, through said apertures, and outwardly from said mandrel, whereupon a washing action is effected upon the annulus formed between the hose and mandrel.

Claim 10

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said upper cone assembly includes an elongated tubular element having an inside diameter which slidably receives said mandrel in a telescoping manner therethrough; said upper cone assembly being affixed in concentric relationship about a lower marginal length of said tubular element; said lock means being affixed to an upper marginal length of said tubular element in overlying relationship respective to said upper cone element, means by which said lock means can change the effective inside diameter of said upper marginal length of said tubular element, so that as the inside diameter of said tubular element is reduced, the interior wall thereof engages the outer peripheral wall surface of said mandrel to increase the friction therebetween and thereby lock the tubular element to the mandrel.

Claim 11

The improvement of claim 8 wherein said tubular element is a resilient, deformable member, and said lock means deforms said tubular element into engagement with said mandrel.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said mandrel is hollow and includes a cylindrical sidewall; a closure means at one end of said mandrel, means forming spaced apertures within said sidewall of said mandrel, means forming an inlet at one end of said mandrel; so that a water supply can be connected to said inlet to cause water to flow into said mandrel, through said apertures, and outwardly from said mandrel, whereupon a washing action is effected upon the interior of the sewer hose; said upper cone assembly includes an elongated tubular element having an inside diameter which slidably receives said mandrel in a telescoping manner therethrough; said upper cone assembly being affixed in concentric relationship about a lower marginal length of said tubular element; said lock means being affixed to an upper marginal length of said tubular element in overlying relationship respective to said upper cone element, means by which said lock means can change the effective inside diameter of said upper marginal length of said tubular element, so that as the inside diameter of said tubular element is reduced, the interior wall thereof engages the outer wall surface of said mandrel to increase the friction therebetween and lock said tubular element to the mandrel.