Patent Application
20090165242
This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2008-0000409, filed on Jan. 2, 2008, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a vacuum cleaner. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to an upright vacuum cleaner that draws in dust-laden air from a surface being cleaned through a suction port assembly or an extension pipe connected to a cleaner body according to a user's selection, using a suction force generated by a motor housed in the cleaner body, and that separates the dust from the drawn-in air.
2. Description of the Related Art
Vacuum cleaners can be generally divided into upright vacuum cleaners and canister vacuum cleaners. An upright vacuum cleaner has a suction port assembly that is directly connected to a cleaner body, without requiring a separate hose of extension pipe, and provides improved cleaning efficiency, especially on carpets, using its own weight.
Unlike the upright vacuum cleaner, a canister vacuum cleaner has a suction port assembly connected to a cleaner body using a hose and an extension pipe. The canister vacuum cleaner is easier for a user to manipulate than an upright vacuum cleaner, and therefore, the canister vacuum cleaner is generally used to clean narrow places that are not accessible by an upright vacuum cleaner, such as stairs, or corners.
An upright vacuum cleaner is generally heavy, and thus it is hard for a user to change the direction of a suction port assembly. Furthermore, since the suction port assembly generally moves in a straight line, a user of an upright vacuum cleaner has to pull the vacuum cleaner towards him first, in order to move the suction port assembly to an intended location.
An example of a conventional upright vacuum cleaner is described in GB2391459, published on Feb. 11, 2004, by Dyson. The upright vacuum cleaner of GB2391459 includes a suction motor housed in a cleaner body, and a spherical rotatable member to increase maneuverability of the vacuum cleaner.
However, conventional upright vacuum cleaners have a very complicated structure, and accordingly suffer deteriorated assemblability. Furthermore, a considerable amount of cost and time is required for repair and maintenance.
An aspect of the present disclosure is to address at least the above problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages described below. Accordingly, an aspect of the present disclosure is to provide an upright vacuum cleaner having a steering unit to adjust the direction of a suction port assembly conveniently to the left or right, according to the movement of the center of gravity of the vacuum cleaner.
In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, an upright vacuum cleaner includes a cleaner body that houses a suction motor and a dust separating unit, and comprises a manipulation handle at the top thereof; a suction port assembly that is connected to a lower portion of the cleaner body; and a steering unit that is disposed between the cleaner body and the suction port assembly, and that elastically supports the cleaner body in order to shift the center of gravity of the cleaner body to the left or right, so that the direction of the cleaner body is changed.
The steering unit may include a support housing that is hinged to a lower portion of the cleaner body forward and backward, and a front portion of which is contacted by the suction port assembly; first and second main wheels; and a steering portion that is formed in such a manner that the first and second main wheels are disposed at both ends thereof, and that is elastically disposed on the support housing.
The suction port assembly may be formed in such a manner that a rear portion thereof contacts the support housing about a shaft, and the center of the shaft may be disposed so as to slope downward from the front portion of the cleaner body towards a rear portion of the cleaner body.
The steering portion may be made of a metal or synthetic resin having elasticity, and if a user tilts the cleaner body, the steering portion may be twisted, and if the user moves the cleaner body vertically, the steering portion may be restored, in order to change the direction of the suction port assembly.
The steering portion may be formed in such a manner that the center is fixed to the bottom of the support housing, and is bent toward the rear portion.
The steering portion may include a first portion of which the center is fixed to the bottom center of the support housing, and that is disposed so as to slope downward toward at the rear of the support housing; a second portion that extends from the rear of the first portion, and is disposed so as to slop upward toward the rear of the support housing; and a third portion that extends from both sides of the rear of the second portion, and is rotatably connected to the first and second main wheels.
The steering portion may include a rotating portion that is rotatably connected to the bottom center of the supporting housing; first and second main rods that are formed in such a manner that one end of each is connected to a respective side of the rotating portion, and the other end of each faces the rear of the support housing, and to which the first and second main wheels are rotatably disposed; a fixing portion that is fixed to the bottom center of the support housing; and first and second sub rods that are formed in such a manner that one end of each is pivotally fixed to a respective side of the fixing portion, and the other end of each is pivotally fixed to the first and second main rods, respectively.
The steering unit may include a support housing that is hinged to the bottom of the cleaner body, and of which the suction port assembly is connected to a front portion so that the suction port assembly rotates according to the direction of the shaft; first and second main wheels; first and second supports that are formed in such a manner that one end of each is connected to a respective side of the support housing, and the opposite end of each comprises the first and second main wheels, respectively; and first and second elastic member that elastically connect the first and second supports to the support housing, respectively, and wherein one of the first and second supports is disposed so as to be closer to the cleaner body than the other of the first and second supports, and rotates at a greater angle than the other of the first and second supports.
The first and second elastic members may be formed in such a manner that one end of each is hinged to the supporting housing, and the other end of each is formed as a damper hinged to the first and second supports, respectively.
The first and second elastic members may be torsion springs.
The support housing may include a support wheel on a lower central portion thereof.
The support wheel tapers symmetrically toward the left and right sides
The above and/or other aspects of the present invention will be more apparent by describing certain exemplary embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Hereinafter, a vacuum cleaner according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawing figures.
An upright vacuum cleaner according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is described, and specifically, a steering unit 30 is described in detail with reference to
The upright vacuum cleaner according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure includes a cleaner body 10, a suction port assembly 20, and a steering unit 30.
The cleaner body 10 houses therein a suction motor (not shown) to provide the suction force, and also houses a dust separating unit (not shown) to separate and collect dust from drawn-in air. The cleaner body 10 includes a manipulation handle 11 at the top thereof, and a support housing 31 at the bottom left and right. The support housing 31 is hinged to the cleaner body 10 so as to be capable of rotating forward and backward.
Referring to
The inside of the suction port assembly 20 is connected to the suction port 21, and a guide pipe 27 extends towards the rear of the suction port assembly 20. The guide pipe 27 is rotatably connected to a connection portion 31 a protruding axially towards the front of the support housing 31.
A connection surface between the guide pipe 27 and the connection portion 31 a is inclined from a normal (N) about a surface toward the support housing 31 at a predetermined angle (⊖) as shown in
The steering unit 30 is disposed between the cleaner body 10 and the suction port assembly 20, and includes the support housing 31, a steering portion 33, and first and second main wheels 41 and 42.
The support housing 31 encloses the lower portion of the cleaner body 10, and both sides thereof are hinged to the cleaner body 10. The cleaner body 10 rotates forward and backward about a hinge point (P) at a predetermined angle. The connection portion 31 a that contacts the guide pipe 27 of the suction port assembly 20 is formed on a front portion of the support housing 31. A flexible hose (not shown) is disposed inside the guide pipe 27 to deliver the dust and air drawn-in from the suction port 21 toward the dust separating unit (not shown). This prevents the interference between the guide pipe 27 and the connection portion 31 a due to rotation.
The steering portion 33 may be made of a metal or synthetic resin having high elasticity. Accordingly, if the center of gravity of the cleaner body 10 shifts to the left or right, the steering portion 33 is twisted, and if the cleaner body 10 moves vertically, the steering portion 33 is restored. A user can efficiently move the cleaner body 10 to the original position (vertical state of
The steering portion 33 is bent from the first portion 33a to the second and third portions 33b and 33c in a stair formation, and has greater length than width. The center of the first portion 33a is fixed to the bottom of the support housing 31 by a fixing sphere 32, and is disposed obliquely downward at the rear of the support housing 31. The second portion 33b extends from the rear of the first portion 33a, and is disposed obliquely upward at the rear of the support housing 31. A plurality of support ribs 34 maintain the bent formation of the first and second portions 33a and 33b. The third portion 33c extends from the rear of the second portion 33b, and includes a shaft 33d rotatably connected to the first and second main wheels 41 and 42. The first and second portions 33a and 33b of the steering portion 33 are bent, and the first and second main wheels 41 and 42 are disposed at the rear of the cleaner body 10, so the steering portion 33 stably supports the suction port assembly 20 and the cleaner body 10.
The steering portion 33 may also include only the second and third portions 33b and 33c, without the first portion 33a, according to the formation of the support housing 31.
The operation of an upright vacuum cleaner according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be explained in detail with reference to
Referring to
If the user rotates the manipulation handle 11 to the right, in order to move the suction port assembly 20 to the right, the cleaner body 10 rotates according to the direction of rotation of a rotating shaft A2 (Referring to
As a result, the weight of the cleaner body 10 is transmitted to the steering portion 33 of the steering unit 30, and the steering portion 33 is twisted horizontally. The steering portion 33 causes the first and second main wheels 41 and 42 to rotate to the right in order to move the suction port assembly 20 to the right. Accordingly, a user can maneuver the suction port assembly 20 conveniently, by simply rotating the manipulation handle 11 to the right.
If the user rotates the manipulation handle 11 to the left in order to change the direction of a suction port assembly 20 horizontally, the cleaner body 10 rotates according to the direction of rotation of the rotating shaft A2, the weight of the cleaner body 10 is removed from the twisted steering portion 33, the steering portion 33 recovers its original formation, and the first and second main wheels 41 and 42 return to their original location. The elasticity of the steering portion 33 enables the user to conveniently restore the cleaner body 10 to its original position.
Although omitted herein, one will understand that the suction port assembly 40 may also be moved to the left in a similar manner.
The operation of an upright vacuum cleaner according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be explained in detail with reference to
As in the first exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the steering unit 130 of the second exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is disposed between the cleaner body 10 and the suction port assembly 20, and includes a support housing 131, a steering portion 133, and first and second main wheels 41 and 42.
The support housing 131 covers the lower part of the main body 10, and is hinged to the main body 10 to the left and right.
The steering portion 133 includes a fixing portion 135, first and second main rods 136a and 136b, a rotating portion 137, and first and second sub rods 139a and 139b.
The fixing portion 135 is fixed to the bottom of the support housing 131, and protrudes from the center thereof. One end of each of the first and second main rods 136a and 136b is connected to a respective side of the rotating portion 137. The other end of each of the first and second main rods 136a and 136b faces the rear of the support housing 131, and as shown in
The first and second sub rods 139a and 139b prevent the first and second main rods 136a and 136b from rotating more than a predetermined angle about the rotating portion 137. One end of each of the first and second sub rods 139a and 139b is pivotally fixed to a respective side of the fixing portion 135, and the other end of each of the first and second sub rods 139a and 139b is pivotally fixed to the center of the first and second main rods 136a and 136b, respectively.
One end of each of the first and second sub rods 139a and 139b is connected by a ball bearing 143, as shown in
The steering operation of the upright vacuum cleaner according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, in which the user rotates the suction port assembly 20 to the right, will be explained below.
Referring to
As a result, the weight of the cleaner body 10 is transmitted to the steering portion 133 of the steering unit 130, the first and second main rods 136a and 136b of the steering portion 133 rotate in opposite directions about the rotating portion 137 at a predetermined angle, and the rotating portion 137 rotates to the left side. The first and second sub rods 139a and 139b prevent the first and second main rods 136a and 136b from rotating more than a predetermined angle. Accordingly, the first and second main wheels 41 and 42 rotate to the right, and a user can thus maneuver the suction port assembly 20 conveniently by simply rotating the manipulation handle 11 at a predetermined angle.
If the user rotates the manipulation handle II to the left at a predetermined angle in order to move the suction port assembly 20 to the left, the cleaner body 10 rotates to the left about the rotating shaft A2 (Referring to
The operation of the upright vacuum cleaner according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be explained in detail with reference to
The steering unit 230 of the third exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure is disposed between the cleaner body 10 and the suction port assembly 20, and includes a support housing 231, a steering portion 233, a support wheel 238, and first and second main wheels 41 and 42.
The support housing 231 encloses a lower portion of the cleaner body 10, and the left and right sides thereof are hinged to the cleaner body 10.
The steering portion 233 includes first and second supports 234a and 234b, and first and second dampers 235 and 236. One end of each of the first and second supports 234a and 234b is hingeably connected to the support housing 231. The opposite end of each of the first and second supports 234a and 234b is connected to a rear portion of the support housing 231. The first and second main wheels 41 and 42 are rotatably connected to the opposite end of each of the first and second supports 234a and 234b, respectively. The first and second dampers 235 and 236 include respective elastic rods 235a and 236a, and return springs 235b and 236b. One end of each of the elastic rods 235a and 236a is hinged to a respective side of the support housing 231, and the opposite end of each of the elastic rods 235a and 236a is hinged to an upper central portion of the first and second supports 234a and 234b, respectively. The elastic rods 235a and 236a are implemented as telescopic structures that are elastically extensible. The return springs 235b and 236b coil around the circumference of the elastic rods 235a and 236a, when the length of the elastic rods 235a and 236a is reduced, the return springs 235b and 236b are compressed.
The steering portion 233 may include a pair of torsion springs 335 and 336 instead of the first and second dampers 235 and 236, as shown in
The support wheel 238 is rotatably connected to a support 237 that protrudes from a lower central portion of the support housing 231. The support wheel 238 forms a tapered surface around the circumference of the left and right sides 238a and 238b about the support 237. When the cleaner body 10 leans to the right or left, a taper surface of the left or right side 238a or 238b of the support wheel 238 contacts a surface being cleaned and stably supports the cleaner body 10, enabling the vacuum cleaner to move smoothly across a surface being cleaned in the same manner as the first and second main wheels 41 and 42.
The steering operation of the upright vacuum cleaner according to the third exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will be explained below.
In order to change the direction of the suction port assembly 20 to the right, the user grabs the manipulation handle 11, and rotates it in the direction of rotation of the rotating shaft (not shown). As a result, the center of gravity of the cleaner body 10 shifts to the right.
As a result, the weight of the cleaner body 10 is transmitted to the steering portion 233 of the steering unit 230, and the first support 234a of the steering portion 233 that is disposed on the side to which the vacuum cleaner rotates at a predetermined angle, and the second support 234b does not rotate. The length of the elastic rod 235a of the first damper 235 is reduced, and the return spring 235b is compressed.
The first and second main wheels 41 and 42, and the support wheel 238 are implemented to be inclined at a predetermined angle to the right.
A user can maneuver the suction port assembly 20 conveniently by simply rotating the manipulation handle 11 to the right.
In order to adjust the direction of the suction port assembly 20 from the heading in a rightward to heading straight ahead, the user rotates the manipulation handle 11 to the left at a predetermined angle, and the cleaner body 10 thus rotates in the direction of rotation of the rotating shaft.
The weight of the cleaner body 10 is removed from the first damper 235 of the steering portion 233, the elastic rod 235a is reduced to the original length by the elasticity of the return spring 235b, the first support 234a rotates and returns to its original position, the cleaner body 10 returns to its original position and the first and second main wheels 41 and 42 are arranged in their original positions. Accordingly, the user can move the suction port assembly 20 straight ahead.
According to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, a steering unit having a simple structure is provided, to reduce the number of assembled parts, increase productivity, and greatly reduce the cost of repair and maintenance.
Furthermore, a user of an upright vacuum cleaner can easily move the suction port assembly, by simply moving a manipulation handle and return the cleaner body to its original position with minimal effort.
The foregoing exemplary embodiments and advantages are merely exemplary and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention. The present teaching can be readily applied to other types of apparatuses. Also, the description of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention is intended to be illustrative, and not to limit the scope of the claims, and many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-2008-0000409 | Jan 2008 | KR | national |
