Vacuum cleaner hose and terminal connector therefor

Claim 1

In a vacuum cleaner hose construction that comprises an elongated vacuum hose having an electrical conductor extending therealong and being provided with an end portion, and an electrical connector carried by said hose and being fixed to said end portion, said connector having a knife-like portion provided with opposed edges defining sides of a slot therein that has an open end and a closed end, said end portion being disposed in said slot of said connector and being wedged between said opposed edges thereof for providing electrical connection therebetween, said connector having another knife-like portion disposed in spaced parallel relation to the first-named knife-like portion and being fixed to said end portion of said conductor by said slot thereof that faces in the same direction that said slot of said first-named knife-like portion faces, the improvement wherein said connector has holding means carried thereby and having a part thereof disposed adjacent said conductor to hold said conductor in said slots by trapping said conductor between said part and said closed ends of said slots, said holding means being disposed intermediate said knife-like portions, said connector having two snap-fit means disposed on opposite sides of said slots, said holding means having two snap-fit means respectively snap-fitted with said snap-fit means of said connector whereby said holding means is carried by said connector intermediate said knife-like portions thereof.