Patent Application
20080086837
The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner, and more particularly, to an agitator provided at a suction nozzle of a vacuum cleaner.
In general, a vacuum cleaner is an apparatus for cleaning a floor or a carpet. The vacuum cleaner basically generates a suction force and includes a body configured to pass the air sucked in, and a suction nozzle connected to the body and sucking in outside air. The suction nozzle is, if necessary, connected to the body by a coupling pipe having a predetermine distance.
The vacuum cleaner sucks in outside air using a suction device provided in the body, separately collects objects such as dust from the air sucked in by a collecting is device, and discharges refreshed air outside of the vacuum cleaner.
The vacuum cleaner further includes an agitator moving along a surface to be cleaned and sucking in air so as to suck in dust on the floor together with other objects. The agitator is normally rotatably mounted at an inlet of the suction nozzle and includes a brush adhered on an outer circumferential surface thereof. Accordingly, when the agitator is rotated, the brush sweeps the floor and separates the dust and other objects from the floor so as to be easily flowed into the inlet.
The brush includes a plurality of bristles. Owing to many clearances between the plurality of bristles, the brush comes into unequal contact with the surface to be cleaned and thus is unable to sweep many objects on the surface to be cleaned.
On the contrary, the brush characteristically scatters light dust. Accordingly, a conventional agitator is unable to effectively suck in the dust and other objects on the surface to be cleaned.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to an agitator for a suction nozzle of a vacuum cleaner that substantially obviates one or more problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
An object of the present invention is to provide an agitator for a suction nozzle of a vacuum cleaner, for effectively sucking in dust and other objects on a surface to be cleaned.
Additional advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
To achieve these objects and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, an agitator for a suction nozzle in a vacuum cleaner, comprising a body rotatably provided at an inlet of the suction nozzle; and at least one blade assembly including a plurality of blades configured to come in contact with a surface to be cleaned, and mounted at the body along a length direction thereof.
The body is rotated by friction between the blade assembly and the surface, or forcibly rotated by a driving mechanism. It is preferable that the body be formed in a cylindrical shape.
The plurality of blades comprises flexibility. The plurality of blades is spaced for a predetermined distance from one another. The plurality of blades is serially disposed. The plurality of blades comprises a plurality of square sections. The free ends of the plurality of blades have reduced sections, the free ends coming in contact with the surface to be cleaned. The plurality of blades comprises triangle sections or trapezoid sections.
The plurality of blades is connected with one another. The plurality of blades is formed as one body. The blade assembly further comprises a strip member connecting the plurality of blades to one another. The strip member connects supporting ends of the plurality of blades and is inserted into the body.
The blade assembly is configured to lead objects to a particular location of an inlet with a relatively strong suction force, the objects to be sucked in. The blade assembly is configured to gather objects to a particular location of an inlet with a relatively strong suction force, the objects to be sucked in. The blade assembly is configured to lead objects to a center portion of the inlet, the objects to be sucked in.
The blade assembly is configured to gather the objects to a center portion of the inlet, the objects to be sucked in. The blade assembly comprises a first assembly and a second assembly sloped to a predetermined degree and extended respectively from both sides of the body toward central axis of the body.
The first and second assemblies arm extended so as to be joined, and a joining portion where the first and second assemblies are joined is disposed at the center portion of the inlet. The first and second assemblies are respectively extended in an opposite direction to a rotation direction of the body. The joining portion follows both ends of the blade assembly in a rotation direction of the body.
The blade assembly comprises a first assembly and a second assembly sinking toward a center portion from both ends of the body. The first and second assemblies are extended to be joined with each other. The first and second assemblies are respectively extended in an opposite direction to a rotation direction of the body. It is preferable that the joining portion follow both ends of the blade assembly in a rotation direction of the body.
Meanwhile, the blade assembly is converged on a center portion from both ends of the body. A conversion member of the blade assembly is disposed at the center portion of the inlet. The blade assembly is extended in an opposite direction to the rotation direction of the body from both ends of the body toward the center portion thereof. A conversion member of the blade assembly follows the both ends of the blade assembly in the rotation direction of the body.
The blade assembly is disposed to form a recess portion or an indent portion. The recess member is disposed at a center portion of the inlet. The blade assembly is extended in an opposite direction to the rotation direction of the body from both ends of the body toward the center portion thereof. It is preferable that the recess member follows both ends of the blade assembly in the rotation direction of the body, and the first and second assemblies are extended straight.
Meanwhile, the body comprises a groove for accommodating the blade assembly. The groove is configured to be geared with the blade assembly. The groove comprises a reduced section at an entrance thereof. In more detail the groove comprises at least one projecting member formed at an entrance thereof and having the blade assembly caught thereon. The groove comprises a section being gradually reduced from a bottom member to the entrance thereof.
The blade assembly is configured to be tightly fitted in the groove. A section of a supporting end of the blade assembly has a same shape as a section of the groove having the supporting end caught thereon. In more detail, the blade assembly comprises at least one projecting member caught on the projecting member of the groove. The blade assembly is at least partially tapered so as to be coupled with the groove.
The groove is configured to allow the blade assembly to be inserted in a lateral direction of the body from an end of the body. The groove is passed through one end of the body.
Due to the present invention, almost all objects on the surface to be cleaned are sucked in through the suction nozzle, and efficiency of the vacuum cleaner is largely improved.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present invention are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.
The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiment(s) of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the invention.
In the drawings;
Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.
A vacuum cleaner is classified into a canister type vacuum cleaner and an upright type vacuum cleaner. In the canister type vacuum cleaner, a suction nozzle is connected with a body via a coupling pipe. In the upright type vacuum cleaner, the body is directly connected with the suction nozzle.
Although the present invention is described referring to embodiments applied to the canister type vacuum cleaner, it is obvious that the present invention may also be applied to the upright type vacuum cleaner without any substantial modification.
As illustrated in the drawings, the vacuum cleaner of the present invention includes a suction nozzle 10, a body 20, and a coupling pipe 30 provided between the suction nozzle 10 and the body 20. The suction nozzle 20 moves along a surface to be cleaned and sucks in various objects i.e., dust and other objects larger than dust.
The body 20 includes a suction device (not shown), and a collecting device for separating the objects from the air and storing the objects. The coupling pipe 30 connects the suction nozzle 10 and the body 20, as well as guides the air sucked in through the suction nozzle to the collect device 21.
Electric devices (not shown) for controlling the vacuum cleaner as well as a motor and a fan and so on are mounted in the body 20. A pair of wheels 22 is rotatably provided on both sides of the body 20 such that the body 20 is smoothly moved. The body 20 includes a space for separably accommodating the collecting device 21. A cyclone mechanism or a filtering device may be applied to the collecting device 21 so as to separate the dust and other objects from the air.
The coupling pipe 30 includes an extension pipe 31 connected to the suction nozzle 10, a coupling hose 32 made of a soft material and connected respectively to the extension pipe 31 and the body 20, and a handle 33 provided between the extension pipe 31 and the coupling hose 32.
As well illustrated in
The agitator 100 rotates and sucks in dust and other objects on the surface to be cleaned, together with the air. In the present invention, the agitator 100 includes a body 100, and at least one blade assembly 120 mounted at the body 100. The agitator 100 will be described in more detail with reference to
First of all, the body 100 is rotatably mounted at the inlet 12 and formed in a cylindrical form so as to be smoothly rotated. The body 100 may be freely rotated between the blade assembly 120 and the surface to be cleaned. In other words, as illustrated in
When the blade assembly 120 includes only one blade formed in a continuous form, the body 110 may not be smoothly rotated because of excessive friction against the surface to be cleaned. Accordingly, the blade assembly 120 includes a plurality of blades 121, and the plurality of blades 121 are spaced for a predetermined space.
When the blades 121 are overlapped each other, great friction is caused against the surface in the same way. Therefore, the blades 121 are serially disposed along the body 110. As illustrated in
In other words, the blades 121 have a trapezoid section as illustrated in
As illustrated in
Besides, suction forces are different according to parts of the inlet 12. Accordingly, in order to suck in the dust and other objects larger than dust better, it is desirable that the blade assembly 120 induce the objects to a place of the inlet, with a strong suction force. Substantially, in order to induce the objects, the blade assembly 120 needs to have an appropriate and a profile or contour.
The profiles of the assembly are illustrated in
As illustrated in
Substantially, the suction force of the inlet 12 is strongest at the center portion thereof and the first and second assemblies 120a and 120b are disposed to join at a predetermined point of the body 120 corresponding to the center portion of the inlet 12. In other words, the point 120c is located at the center portion of the inlet 12, and similarly the conversion member or the recess member 120c is located at the center of the inlet 12. Accordingly, when the blade assembly 120 is rotated along with the body 110 in the arrow direction, the objects on the surface is induced to the center portion of the inlet 12 by the first and second assemblies 120a and 120b as illustrated as a heavy arrow. At the same time, the objects are gathered to a point where the first assembly 120a and the second assembly 120b are joined, that is, the center of the inlet 12.
Thereafter, the objects gathered to the point are sucked into the center portion of the inlet 12 by the strong suction force of the inlet 12. In other words, the blade assembly 120 of the present invention is configured to guide and gather the objects to the center of the inlet 12 with the strong suction force such that the objects are sucked in well.
[11-20] When the first and second assemblies 120a and 120b are extended respectively from the both ends of the body 110 in a direction same as the rotation direction and as illustrated as a dotted line in
When the first and second assemblies 120a and 120b are extended in the same direction as the rotation direction of the body 110, the joining point 120c, i.e., the conversion member and the recess member, is ahead of the both ends of the blade assembly 120 as illustrated as the dotted line. Accordingly, with the same reason, it is desirable that the joining point 120c (the conversion member and the recess member) follows the both ends of the blade assembly 120 in the rotation direction of the body 110.
Meanwhile, the blade assembly 120 may be directly adhered to the surface of the body 110 or inserted into the body 110 so as to be firmly coupled thereto. For this reason, the body 110 includes a groove 111 for partially accommodating the blade assembly 120.
It is desirable that the groove 111 be configured to be geared with the blade assembly 120 so as to be firmly geared with the blade assembly 120. In more detail, as illustrated in
In the same manner, the blade assembly 120 is configured to be tightly fitted in the groove 111. In order to be tightly fitted in the groove 111, a part of the blade assembly 120, i.e., a section of the support end is has the same shape as the section of the groove 111. II more detail, the as illustrated in
As mentioned above, when the groove 111 is formed as illustrated in
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventions. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.
In the agitator of the present invention mentioned above, a blade assembly includes a plurality of blades. Accordingly, an entire surface to be cleaned is uniformly wiped out. The blade assembly is separable from the surface to be cleaned such that all the objects can be sucked into the suction nozzle. The blade assembly also includes an optimum profile so as to guide and to gather the objects to a particular point of the inlet with a strong suction force. Accordingly, almost all objects are sucked into the suction nozzle. Therefore, efficiency of the vacuum cleaner is largely improved by the agitator of the present invention.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2004-0102299 | Dec 2004 | KR | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/KR04/03314 | 12/16/2004 | WO | 12/21/2007 |
