U.S. patent application number 10/207161 was filed with the patent office on 2003-08-28 for canister-type vacuum cleaner.
This patent application is currently assigned to SAMSUNG GWANGJU ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to Oh, Jang-Keun.
Application Number | 20030159233 10/207161 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 19719543 |
Filed Date | 2003-08-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030159233 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Oh, Jang-Keun |
August 28, 2003 |
Canister-type vacuum cleaner
Abstract
A canister-type vacuum cleaner has a cleaner body having a
driving portion for generating a suction force and a dust chamber
for collecting contaminants that are drawn in by the suction force
of the driving unit; a suction extension pipe connected to the
cleaner body; a suction brush disposed at an end of the suction
extension pipe to draw in the contaminants of a cleaning surface
with the suction force that is transmitted via the suction
extension pipe; and an electrolytic liquid supply device disposed
at the suction extension pipe, for spraying an electrolytic liquid
to the cleaning surface through a lower side of the suction
brush.
Inventors: |
Oh, Jang-Keun;
(Gwangju-city, KR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BLANK ROME COMISKY & MCCAULEY, LLP
900 17TH STREET, N.W., SUITE 1000
WASHINGTON
DC
20006
US
|
Assignee: |
SAMSUNG GWANGJU ELECTRONICS CO.,
LTD.
|
Family ID: |
19719543 |
Appl. No.: |
10/207161 |
Filed: |
July 30, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/321 ;
15/327.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
C02F 1/001 20130101;
C11D 3/3956 20130101; C11D 3/0031 20130101; A47L 9/248 20130101;
C02F 1/4674 20130101; A47L 11/405 20130101; A47L 11/4083 20130101;
A47L 9/02 20130101; A47L 11/34 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
15/321 ;
15/327.1 |
International
Class: |
A47L 011/30 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 28, 2002 |
KR |
2002-11046 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A canister-type vacuum cleaner, comprising: a cleaner body
having a driving portion for generating a suction force and a dust
chamber for collecting contaminants that are drawn in by the
suction force of the driving portion; a suction extension pipe
connected to the cleaner body; a suction brush disposed at an end
of the suction extension pipe to draw in the contaminants of a
cleaning surface with the suction force that is exerted via the
suction extension pipe; and an electrolytic liquid supply device
disposed at the suction extension pipe, for spraying an
electrolytic liquid to the cleaning surface through a lower side of
the suction brush.
2. The canister-type vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the
electrolytic liquid supply device comprises: an electrolytic liquid
generating unit disposed at the suction extension pipe, for
generating the electrolytic liquid from a raw water supply; and a
spray unit for spraying the electrolytic liquid, through an air
suction port of the suction brush.
3. The canister-type vacuum cleaner of claim 2, wherein the spray
unit comprises: a feeding path connecting the electrolytic liquid
generating unit and the air suction port of the suction brush; a
spray pump disposed on the feeding path; and a spray nozzle formed
at an end of the feeding path, for spraying the electrolytic liquid
through the air suction port.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a canister-type vacuum
cleaner, and more particularly, to a canister-type vacuum cleaner
having an apparatus for generating an electrolytic liquid.
[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art
[0004] Generally, a canister-type vacuum cleaner includes a cleaner
body having a driving motor for generating a suction force, a
suction extension pipe connected to the cleaner body, and a suction
brush disposed at an end of the suction extension pipe.
[0005] A dust chamber is provided in the cleaner body, having a
filtering unit and a dust receptacle therein. Accordingly,
contaminants from the cleaning surface are drawn in by the suction
force of the driving motor into the dust chamber through the
suction brush, filtered out at a filtering device, and collected in
the dust receptacle.
[0006] The suction extension pipe has a handle on which an on/off
switch is provided. Accordingly, as a user grabs the handle and
moves the suction brush along the cleaning surface, contaminants
like dust or foreign substances on the cleaning surface are drawn
in through the suction brush and thus removed from the cleaning
surface.
[0007] However, stubborn stains on the floor or carpet can not be
cleaned by the suction force of the driving motor alone, and thus,
a floor-cloth brush or rotatable brush is rotatably disposed at the
suction brush to clean the stained spots.
[0008] Another suggestion is to supply a cleaning liquid containing
a detergent to clean the areas that are hardly cleaned by the
rotatable brush or floor-cloth brush.
[0009] In the above suggestion's case, however, since there needs
to be a cleaning liquid preparatory step of diffusing a certain
amount of detergent in water, it is inconvenience for a user to
use, and the cost increases.
[0010] Another problem is that the cleaning areas are often
re-stained by the waste cleaning liquid.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0011] The present invention has been made to overcome the
above-mentioned problems of the prior art. Accordingly, it is an
object of the present invention to provide a canister-type vacuum
cleaner improved to clean stains on the floor or carpet not using a
detergent but by using a simple method.
[0012] The above object is accomplished by a canister-type vacuum
cleaner according to the present invention, including a cleaner
body having a driving portion for generating a suction force and a
dust chamber for collecting contaminants that are drawn in by the
suction force of the driving unit; a suction extension pipe
connected to the cleaner body; a suction brush disposed at an end
of the suction extension pipe to draw in the contaminants of a
cleaning surface with the suction force that is transmitted via the
suction extension pipe; and an electrolytic liquid supply device
disposed at the suction extension pipe, for spraying an
electrolytic liquid to the cleaning surface through a lower side of
the suction brush.
[0013] The electrolytic liquid supply device includes an
electrolytic liquid generating unit disposed at the suction
extension pipe, for generating the electrolytic liquid from a raw
water supply; and a spray unit for spraying the electrolytic
liquid, generated at the electrolytic liquid generating unit,
through an air suction port of the suction brush.
[0014] The spray unit includes a conveyance path connecting the
electrolytic liquid generating unit and the air suction port of the
suction brush; a spray pump disposed on the conveyance path; and a
spray nozzle formed at an end of the conveyance path, for spraying
the electrolytic liquid, which is conveyed to an outside of the air
suction port of the suction brush.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0015] The above-mentioned objects and the feature of the present
invention will be more apparent by describing the preferred
embodiment of the present invention in detail referring to the
appended drawings, in which:
[0016] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a canister-type
vacuum cleaner according to a preferred embodiment of the present
invention;
[0017] FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of the suction brush of
FIG. 1;
[0018] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an electrolytic liquid
supply device of FIG. 1; and
[0019] FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing another example of
suction brush employed in the canister-type vacuum cleaner of FIG.
1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0020] The preferred embodiment of the present invention will be
described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
[0021] Referring to FIG. 1, the canister-type vacuum cleaner
according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention
includes a cleaner body 10, a suction extension pipe 20 connected
to the cleaner body 10, a suction brush 30 disposed at an end of
the suction extension pipe 20, and an electrolytic liquid supply
device 40 disposed at the suction extension pipe 20.
[0022] Like a general vacuum cleaner, the cleaner body 10 has a
driving unit and a dust chamber, which are respectively formed
inside. The driving unit has a driving motor for generating a
suction force. A dust collecting filter or cyclone dust collecting
device is disposed in the dust chamber to filter the contaminants
from the drawn air.
[0023] If the suction brush 30 also functions to draw liquids in
addition to the contaminants, it can have a liquid separating unit
for separately collecting the liquid from the contaminants. As the
above-mentioned is the way that is generally used in the wet-type
cleaner, description thereof will be omitted here.
[0024] The suction extension pipe 20 is connected to the cleaner
body 10 and includes a flexible hose 21, a suction pipe 23
connected to the flexible hose 21, and a handle 25 disposed between
the hose 21 and the suction pipe 23. The suction pipe 23 has a
construction that allows it to extend the length selectively.
[0025] The suction brush 30 is movably disposed at an end of the
suction pipe 23. Referring to FIG. 2, the suction brush 30 has an
air suction port 31 through which contaminants from the cleaning
surface are drawn. A rotatable brush 33 can be additionally
disposed at the air suction port 31. The rotatable brush 33
performs the cleaning operation in a beating movement against the
cleaning surface while being rotated by the suction force or a
separate driving force.
[0026] The electrolytic liquid supply device 40 supplies the
cleaning surface with electrolytic liquid through the suction brush
30 to clean the carpet or floor. The electrolytic liquid supply
device 40 has an electrolytic liquid generating unit 41 formed at
the suction pipe 23, and a spray unit 43 for spraying the
electrolytic liquid generated at the electrolytic liquid generating
unit 41 to the cleaning surface through the air suction port 31 of
the suction brush 30.
[0027] The electrolytic liquid generating unit 41 is well-known in
the art, and one typical example is shown in FIG. 3.
[0028] Referring to FIG. 3, the electrolytic liquid generating unit
41 has a raw water tank 51 for holding waters like tap water,
freshwater, groundwater, etc., a pump 52 for feeding the raw water
of the raw water tank 51, a filter 53 for filtering the raw water
that has passed the pump 52, a first and a second electrolyte baths
54 and 55, and an electrolyte tank 56.
[0029] The filter 53 filters out ions or impurities from the raw
water. The raw water, passed through the filter 53, is flown into
the first electrolyte bath 54. The first electrolyte bath 54 has a
cathode plate 54a and an anode plate 54b. The first electrolyte
bath 54 electrolytes the raw water and sends the resultant water to
the second electrolyte bath 55. The second electrolyte bath 55 also
has a cathode plate 55a and an anode plate 55b. The second
electrolyte bath 55 is for additionally electrolyzing the water
that has not electrolyte yet, and thereby generating an
electrolytic liquid NaCIO.
[0030] Meanwhile, gaseous substances (usually hydrogen gas) are
generated in the first and the second electrolyte baths 54 and 55.
In order to remove the gaseous substances, a separate unit can be
provided.
[0031] Although this embodiment depicts the first and the second
electrolyte baths 54 and 55 being employed, the number of baths can
be higher or lower, depending on the situations.
[0032] After that, the electrolytic liquid generated at the second
electrolyte bath 55 is fed to the electrolyte tank 56 and stored
therein.
[0033] A mixture bath 57 can also be provided to temporarily
reserve the raw water that has passed the filter 53. In this case,
the mixture bath 57 is supplied with a catalyzer from an additive
tank 58 that is separately provided. The catalyzer can be a sodium
chloride liquid, or sodium calium liquid, or calcium chloride
liquid. Depending on the situation, a proper type of catalyzer can
be selected.
[0034] Accordingly, a mixture of catalyzer and raw water is fed
from the mixture bath 57 to the first electrolyte bath 54 and go
through the electrolysis therein.
[0035] The above-described description about the electrolytic
liquid generating unit 41 is only one example of the well-known
electrolytic liquid generating means, and one will note that more
variations are possible.
[0036] Meanwhile, the electrolytic liquid spray unit 43 includes an
electrolytic liquid feed path 61 that connects the electrolyte tank
56 and the air suction port 31 of the suction brush 30, a spray
pump 63 disposed on the electrolytic liquid feed path 61, and a
spray nozzle 65 formed at an end of the electrolytic liquid feed
path 61. The spray pump 63 pumps the electrolytic liquid from the
reserve liquid of the electrolyte tank 56, so that the electrolytic
liquid can be sprayed onto the cleaning surface through the spray
nozzle 65.
[0037] The canister-type cleaner having the electrolytic liquid
supply device constructed as above according to the preferred
embodiment of the present invention sprays the electrolytic liquid,
produced at the electrolytic liquid supply device 30, to outside
through the air suction port 31 of the suction brush 30.
[0038] By the electrolytic liquid, stained spots are cleaned. The
electrolytic liquid is also usable for waste water processing, or
used as a bleaching agent for cotton fabrics, a disinfectant for
water supply, a bactericidal agent, etc., and can clean even an old
stubborn stain on the cleaning surface without a help of additional
detergent.
[0039] There is no need to dissolve detergent in the raw water, and
since there is no need to use any detergent, the cost also
decreases.
[0040] Further, as shown in FIG. 4, when the suction brush 70
equipped with the floor-cloth 71 at the lower side is mounted to
the suction pipe 23, the electrolytic liquid, supplied through the
electrolytic liquid feed path 61, is supplied to the floor-cloth
71. By the floor-cloth soaked with the electrolytic liquid, the
cleaning operation can be carried out effectively.
[0041] Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention
has been described, it will be understood by those skilled in the
art that the present invention should not be limited to the
described preferred embodiment, but various changes and
modifications can be made within the spirit and scope of the
present invention as defined by the appended claims.
* * * * *