Turbine brush

Abstract

A turbine brush for a vacuum cleaner comprises a brush body having an upper casing and a lower casing, and the lower casing having a suction slot through which air is drawn in from a surface being cleaned, an agitator unit having bristles at predetermined intervals, a turbine unit rotatably supported within the lower casing and being rotated by the air drawn into the turbine brush by suction force generated by the vacuum cleaner, and a power transfer unit to cause the agitator unit and the turbine unit to rotate in association with each other. When cleaning surfaces having loose material, such as a blanket or other fabric, the suction slot of the lower casing includes a plurality of ribs to inhibit the blanket or other fabric from being drawn into the brush body by the suction force generated by the vacuum cleaner. The bristles are in contact with the surface being cleaned by passing through apertures in the suction slot defined by the plural ribs. The turbine brush enables a user to conveniently clean surfaces having loose material by inhibiting the blanket or fabric from being caught by the turbine brush. Preferably, the upper casing comprises a transparent material.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates generally to a turbine brush for a vacuum cleaner, and more particularly to a turbine brush for a vacuum cleaner having ribs to prevent adsorption at the bottom of the turbine brush.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional vacuum cleaner. A turbine brush 7 of the vacuum cleaner moves along in contact with the surface to be cleaned and forms an air suction path from the surface being cleaned to a main body 9 of the vacuum cleaner. Accordingly, air, containing dust and dirt that has been removed from the surface to be cleaned, is drawn into the main body 9 of the vacuum cleaner through the turbine brush 7.

[0005] The air suction path includes an extended pipe 8a connected to the turbine brush 7, an operation handle 8b, and a flexible hose assembly 8c.

[0006] If the surface being cleaned is a textile fabric, such a carpet, the dust and dirt can be effectively removed if they are separated from the surface to be cleaned. Accordingly, a brush having an agitator has been proposed. The agitator by repetitive motion, such as scratching or striking, separates the dust and dirt from the surface being cleaned.

[0007] The turbine brush 7 has an agitator receiving chamber, including a suction slot in a brush body, and a turbine receiving chamber, which are divided by a partition 17. The turbine receiving chamber, through an air path, is in fluid communication with the agitator receiving chamber.

[0008] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective detail view partially depicting an example of the conventional turbine brush 7. As shown in FIG. 2, the turbine brush 7 of the conventional vacuum cleaner comprises a turbine brush body 10, an agitator unit 20, and a turbine unit 30.

[0009] The turbine brush body 10 includes an upper casing 11 and a lower casing 12, coupled to the upper casing 11. The upper casing 11 preferably is made of a translucent plastic material. A suction slot 21 is formed at a front portion of the bottom of the lower casing 12, nearest to the surface to be cleaned during operation.

[0010] At a rear side of the brush body 10, a discharging pipe 60 is disposed to be connected with the extended pipe 8a of the main body 9 of the vacuum cleaner. The discharging pipe 60 is removably connected with the extended pipe 8a by a connecting member 41, which is formed having a ball spring structure.

[0011] A projection 22 is formed along an outer circumference of the lower casing 12. A recess (not shown) is formed at the upper casing 11 corresponding to the projection 22. The upper casing 11 and the lower casing 12 are coupled in tight contact with each other by connection of the projection 22 and the recess, and affixed to each other, for example, by screws or other appropriate connection.

[0012] The brush body 10 comprises an agitator receiving chamber 14 and a turbine receiving chamber 15. At the lower portion of the lower casing 12, the suction slot 21 is formed in fluid communication with the agitator receiving chamber 14. The suction slot 21 is in a rectangular shape extending at the bottom of the lower casing 12 in an axial direction. The agitator unit 20 comes into contact with the surface to be cleaned through the suction slot 21.

[0013] The agitator receiving chamber 14 and the turbine receiving chamber 15 are defined by the partition 17 extending for the length of the slot 21. At a central portion of the partition 17, an air path 16 is formed to provide fluid communication between the agitator receiving chamber 14 and the turbine receiving chamber 15.

[0014] The agitator unit 20 is rotatably disposed in the agitator receiving chamber 14 of the brush body 10. The turbine unit 30 is rotatably disposed in the turbine receiving chamber 15 of the brush body 10. On the agitator unit 20, plural radially extending bristles 25 are disposed and separated by regular intervals.

[0015] The agitator unit 20 and the turbine unit 30 are connected by a power transfer unit 50. The power transfer unit 50 may be a timing belt or other appropriate means.

[0016] The turbine unit 30 comprises a turbine 35, a turbine shaft 37 passing through the turbine 35 in the axial direction, retainers 39 connected to both ends of the turbine shaft 37, and a bearing member in tight contact with the lower casing 12 interposed between the retainers 39 and the turbine 35. According to the above structure, when a suction force is provided to the turbine brush 7, the turbine 35 is rotated and subsequently the agitator unit 20 is rotated through action of the power transfer unit 50. That is, the turbine 35 is rotated by the air drawn in to the discharging pipe 60 via the suction slot 21, the agitator receiving chamber 14, the air path 16, and the turbine receiving chamber 15. Accordingly, the rotating agitator unit 20 scratches or strikes, and thus separates, the dust and dirt from the surface being cleaned.

[0017] However, the conventional vacuum cleaner as described above has the following shortcomings in using the turbine brush 7 of the vacuum cleaner.

[0018] First, while the agitator unit 20 rotates, the surface being cleaned, such as a blanket or fabric, may be caught at the suction slot 21 or may become stuck to the agitator unit 20, since the bottom side of the turbine brush 7 includes suction slot 21 which has a rectangular shape extending in the axial direction of the agitator unit 20. Accordingly, the cleaning operation experiences stress and the main body 9 of the vacuum cleaner can be overloaded, causing mechanical trouble.

[0019] Secondly, since the upper casing 11 of the conventional turbine brush 7 is formed of translucent or opaque plastic material, it is hard to observe inside of the brush body 10. While opening the upper casing 11 enables the user to check the inner state of the brush body 10, the opening/closing structure is complicated the operation is difficult.

[0020] Thirdly, in opening and turning over the upper casing 11 of the brush body 10, the turbine unit 30 is likely to be released from the brush body 10 by the reaction of gravity and the parts comprising the unit nay become dislodged or separated from their proper location.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0021] The present invention has been devised in view of the above shortcomings, and an object of the present invention is to provide a turbine brush for a vacuum cleaner, which does not cause a surface being cleaned, such as a blanket or a carpet, to be caught or stuck to a suction slot at the bottom thereof.

[0022] Another object of the present invention is to provide a turbine brush for a vacuum cleaner having an improved structure for convenient maintenance.

[0023] To accomplish the above objects, the turbine brush for the vacuum cleaner according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a brush including an upper casing and a lower casing, and the lower casing having sidewalls and a suction slot through which air is drawn in from the surface being cleaned, an agitator unit rotatably supported at the lower casing and having bristles at predetermined intervals, a turbine unit rotatably supported adjacent the lower casing and being rotated by the air drawn into the vacuum cleaner by suction force, and a power transfer unit connecting the agitator unit and the turbine unit to move in association with each other. The suction slot of the lower casing has a plurality of ribs to prevent the surface being cleaned, such as a blanket or other fabric, from being drawn in to the brush body by the suction force generated by the vacuum cleaner, and the bristles are positioned at predetermined intervals between the ribs of the suction slot so that at least a part of the bristles passes through the suction slot and comes into contact with the surface being cleaned.

[0024] The upper casing preferably is transparent to allow observation by the user into the brush body.

[0025] At least one first tab is formed at a front portion of the upper casing and at least one second tab is formed at a rear portion of the upper casing. A slot corresponding to the first tab is formed at a front portion of the lower casing and a locking member corresponding to the second tab is formed at rear portion of the lower casing.

[0026] The agitator unit further comprises an agitator and a connecting member fixed at each of the sidewalls of the lower casing to support the agitator.

[0027] The connecting member comprises a bearing to support a rotating shaft of the agitator and a first retainer surrounding the bearing, and at the each of the sidewalls of the lower casing is formed a guide wall to removably support the first retainer.

[0028] The turbine unit comprises a turbine, a turbine shaft, and a second retainer to support the turbine shaft.

[0029] The power transfer unit comprises a first pulley disposed around the shaft of the turbine unit, a second pulley disposed around the shaft of the agitator unit, and the connection includes a belt connecting the first pulley and the second pulley.

[0030] Each of the ribs may be shaped and configured to increase in width from the middle toward one end.

[0031] A turbine brush for a vacuum cleaner according to another embodiment of the present invention comprises a brush body in communication with the vacuum cleaner comprising a lower casing having a suction slot through which air is drawn in from a surface being cleaned, and an upper casing being made from a transparent material, an agitator unit rotatably supported at the lower casing and having bristles at predetermined intervals, a turbine unit rotatably supported at the lower casing and rotating by action of the air drawn into the brush body by the suction force generated by the vacuum cleaner, a power transfer unit connecting the agitator unit and the turbine unit so as to rotate the agitator unit in association with the turbine unit, and a discharging pipe connected to a rear portion of the brush body. The suction slot of the lower casing has a plurality of ribs to prevent the surface being cleaned, such as a blanket or other fabric, from being drawn into the brush body by the suction force generated by the vacuum cleaner, and the bristles are positioned at appropriate intervals between the ribs of the suction slot so that at least a part of the bristles passes through the suction slot and comes into contact with the surface being cleaned.

[0032] The discharging pipe includes a locking unit to connect the discharging pipe with an extended pipe of the vacuum cleaner.

[0033] The locking unit comprises a hooking member and a pressing button removed from the hooking unit. At least one first tab is formed at a front portion of the upper casing and at least one second tab is formed at a rear portion of the upper casing, and a slot corresponding to the first tab is formed at a front portion of the lower casing and a locking member corresponding to the second tab is formed at rear portion of the lower casing.

[0034] The agitator unit comprises an agitator and a connecting member fixed at each of the sidewalls of the lower casing to support the agitator.

[0035] The connecting member comprises a bearing to support a rotating shaft of the agitator and a first retainer surrounding the bearing, and a guide wall to removably fix the first retainer is formed at each of the sidewalls of the lower casing. The turbine unit comprises a turbine, a turbine shaft, and a second retainer to support the turbine shaft.

[0036] The power transfer unit further comprises a first pulley disposed in the turbine unit, a second pulley disposed in the agitator unit and a belt to connect the first pulley and the second pulley.

[0037] Each of the ribs may be shaped and configured to increase in width from the middle toward one end.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0038] The above objects, and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent after a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

[0039] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional vacuum cleaner,

[0040] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a turbine brush of the conventional vacuum cleaner,

[0041] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a main portion of a turbine brush of a vacuum cleaner having ribs at a bottom thereof according to the present invention;

[0042] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of the turbine brush according to the present invention;

[0043] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective detail view of a turbine unit of the turbine brush according to the present invention; and

[0044] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional plan view of the turbine brush according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0045] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. With respect to the components having like construction and functions with those of the conventional vacuum cleaner described above, identical reference numerals will be used.

[0046] FIG. 3 is a perspective view depicting a main portion of a turbine brush 7 of a vacuum cleaner having ribs at a bottom thereof according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a side detail view, partially exploded in a cross-section, depicting the turbine brush 7. As shown in FIG. 3, the turbine brush 7 of the vacuum cleaner comprises a brush body 10, an agitator unit 20 and a turbine unit 30, which are disposed in the brush body 10, a power transfer unit 50 to cause the agitator unit 20 and the turbine unit 30 to be driven in association with each other, and a discharging pipe 60 connected at a rear side of the brush body 10.

[0047] The brush body 10 comprises a lower casing 12 having a suction slot 21 through which air is drawn in from a surface being cleaned, and an upper casing 11 coupled to the lower casing 12. As shown in FIG. 4, an agitator receiving chamber 14 and a turbine receiving chamber 15 are formed within the brush body 10. The agitator receiving chamber 14 and the turbine receiving chamber 15 are divided by a partition 17. At a center of the partition 17, an air path 16 is formed to provide fluid communication between the agitator receiving chamber 14 and the turbine receiving chamber 15. The shape of the partition 17 may take different forms. For example, the ends of the two sections of partition 17 adjacent to air path 16 may be perpendicular to the bottom of the lower casing 12, as shown in FIG. 3, or may extend laterally toward turbine unit 30 in a converging profile, as shown in FIG. 4 or 5.

[0048] The upper casing 11 is formed of a transparent material to allow the user to observe into the brush body 10, which provides convenience in maintenance of the vacuum cleaner. Preferably, the upper casing 11 is formed of a transparent plastic material.

[0049] The lower casing 12 includes the agitator unit 20 rotatably received in the agitator receiving chamber 14 and the turbine unit 30 received in the turbine receiving chamber 15 and rotated by the air drawn into the brush body 10 by the vacuum cleaner (not shown). The agitator unit 20 has radically extending bristles 25 formed on an agitator 27 at regular intervals separated from each other at predetermined distances.

[0050] The upper casing 11 has at least one first tab 31 at a front portion thereof and at least one second tab 33 at a rear portion thereof. At a front portion of the lower casing 12, a slot 71 is provided corresponding to each first tab 31, and at a rear portion of the lower casing 12, a locking member 72 is provided corresponding to each second tab 33. Accordingly, the upper casing 11 is easily separated from the lower casing 12 by the pressing on both sides of the locking member 72, permitting easy separation of the lower casing 12 from the upper casing 11, and maintenance of the interior of the turbine brush 7 thereby becomes more convenient.

[0051] The suction slot 21 of the lower casing 12 has a plurality of longitudinally extending ribs 22 to prevent a loose material being cleaned, such as a blanket or other fabric, from being drawn into the brush body 10 by the suction force generated by the vacuum cleaner. The bristles 25 are disposed on the agitator 27 to correspond to the suction slot 21 so that at least a part of the bristles 25 can pass through the suction slot 21 and come into contact with the surface being cleaned. Preferably, the bristles 25 are disposed in a spiral fashion at regular predetermined intervals and the agitator unit 20 may have a plurality of bristles to correspond to every opening between the ribs 22 of the suction slot 21, as shown. Preferably, each rib 22 has a shape and configuration so that it becomes gradually wider in width from the middle toward one end, as shown. Thus, the bristles 25 can be easily received in the openings between the ribs 22 and are thus free to clean the surface being cleaned. Alternatively, the rib 22 may increase in width from the middle toward both longitudinal ends of the section slot 21.

[0052] The agitator unit 20 comprises the agitator 27 and a connecting member 29 that cooperates at each of the sidewalls of the lower casing 12 to support the agitator 27 within the turbine brush 7. The connecting member 29 comprises a bearing 29a to support a shaft of the agitator 27 and a first retainer 29b surrounding the bearing 29a At each of the sidewalls of the lower casing 12, a guide wall 75, having a guide protrusion 77, is formed to removably connect the first retainer 29b within the lower casing 12.

[0053] FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective exploded view of the turbine unit 30 of the turbine brush 7. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the turbine unit 30 comprises the turbine 35, the turbine shaft 37, and a second retainer 39 to support the turbine shaft 37. In this structure, the turbine unit 30 requires a fewer number of parts than a conventional turbine unit 20, as shown in FIG. 2. Also, in separating the upper casing 11 from the lower casing 12, dislocation of the turbine unit 30 is prevented, because the second retainer 39 is directly disposed in a recess 18 of the turbine receiving chamber 15 at a rear portion of the lower casing 12.

[0054] FIG. 6 is a plan view of the turbine brush 7. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, the power transfer unit 50 comprises a first pulley 51 disposed around a shaft of the turbine unit 30, a second pulley 53 disposed around a shaft of the agitator unit 20, and a belt 55 to connect the first pulley 51 to the second pulley 53, so that rotation of the turbine 35 causes a similar rotation of the agitator 27.

[0055] The discharging pipe 60 has a locking unit 65 to connect with an extended pipe 8a of the vacuum cleaner (see FIG. 4). The locking unit 65 comprises a hooking member 61 formed at an inner wall of a rear portion of the discharging pipe 60 and a pressing button 63 removed from the hooking member 61 to move in association with the hooking member 61.

[0056] While the extended pipe 8a of the vacuum cleaner is connected with the turbine brush 7 at the discharging pipe 60, the hooking member 61 is coupled with a coupling recess 89 disposed in the extended pipe 8a, corresponding to the hooking member 61. As the pressing button 63 is depressed, the hooking member 61 is moved upwardly in association with the pressing button 63 and is released from the coupling recess 89 of the extended pipe 8a Accordingly, the extended pipe 8a may be separated from the turbine brush 7 by withdrawing the pipe 8a from the discharging pipe 60.

[0057] According to the above structure, the suction force provided to the turbine brush 7 by the vacuum cleaner (not shown in FIG. 36), causes the rotation of the turbine 35, subsequently rotating the agitator unit 20 via the power transfer unit 50. The turbine 35 is rotated by the air drawn into the discharging pipe 60 through the suction slot 21, the agitator receiving chamber 14, the air path 16, and the turbine receiving chamber 15. Accordingly, the agitator unit 20 is also rotated and separates the dust and dirt on the surface being cleaned by means of scratching or striking action thereon.

[0058] In the case of cleaning a blanket or other fabrics, the ribs 22 in the suction slot 21 inhibit or prevent the blanket or the fabric from being drawn in through the suction slot 21 of the brush body 10. In addition, the bristles 25, disposed on the agitator 27 at the predetermined intervals between the ribs 22, are rotated in association with the agitator 27 and thereby strike the blanket and effectively separate dust and dirt from the blanket or other fabric.

[0059] Any malfunction inside of the brush body 10 during the cleaning operation is easily observed by the user. The operation of the brush 7 in the brush body 10 can be observed immediately through the transparent exterior of the upper casing 11, and the upper casing 11 may be easily separated from the lower casing 12 to provide access to the inside of the brush body 10 for easy maintenance.

[0060] When the upper casing 11 is separated from the lower casing 12 without overturning the upper casing 11, the turbine unit 30 is not easily released from the lower casing 12 due to the tight connection of the turbine unit 30 with the lower casing 12.

[0061] The turbine brush 7 is conventionally used as an auxiliary brush of the vacuum cleaner, or is also used as a general brush for carpets when provided with a longer suction slot 21.

[0062] According to the present invention as described above, the ribs 22 prevent the blanket or textile fabric from being caught at the suction slot 21, and thereby inhibit breakdown of the vacuum cleaner due to fabric catching in the agitator.

[0063] In addition, the transparent upper casing 11 of the brush body 10 enables the user to easily observe the operation of the brush 7 and the state inside of the brush body 10. In case of malfunction of the vacuum cleaner turbine brush 7, the upper casing 11 is easily separated while the turbine brush 7 remains secured in position to thereby facilitate the management and the maintenance of the turbine brush 7.

[0064] While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described, additional variations and modifications from those embodiments may occur to those skilled in the art once an understanding of the basic inventive concepts is achieved. Therefore, it is intended that the appended claims shall be construed to include both the preferred embodiments described herein and all such variations and modifications as fall within the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by the following claims.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A turbine brush for a vacuum cleaner comprising: a brush body including an upper casing and a lower casing, the lower casing having sidewalls and a suction slot through which air is drawn in from a surface being cleaned; an agitator unit rotatably supported at the lower casing and having bristles at predetermined intervals; a turbine unit rotatably supported adjacent the lower casing and being rotated by the air drawn into the vacuum cleaner by suction force; and a power transfer unit connecting the agitator unit and the turbine unit so as to rotate the agitator unit in association with the turbine unit, wherein the suction slot of the lower casing has a plurality of ribs to prevent the surface being cleaned from being drawn in to the brush body by the suction force generated by the vacuum cleaner, and the bristles are positioned at the predetermined intervals between the ribs of the suction slot so that at least a part of the bristles is passes through the suction slot and comes into contact with the surface being cleaned, whereby the ribs inhibit any loose material of the surface being cleaned from being drawn into the turbine brush.

2. The turbine brush of claim 1, wherein the upper casing is transparent, thereby allowing for the observation into the brush body by a user.

3. The turbine brush of claim 1, wherein the upper and lower casings include a configuration for attachment to each other, comprising at least one first tab formed at a front portion of the upper casing and at least one second tab formed at a rear portion of the upper casing, and a slot corresponding to the first tab formed at a front portion of the lower casing and a locking member corresponding to the second tab formed at rear portion of the lower casing.

4. The turbine brush of claim 1, wherein the agitator unit further comprises an agitator and a connecting member fixed at each of the sidewalls of the lower casing to support the agitator.

5. The turbine brush of claim 4, wherein the connecting member comprises a bearing to support a rotating shaft of the agitator and a first retainer surrounding the bearing, and at each of the sidewalls of the lower casing is formed a guide wall to removably support the first retainer.

6. The turbine brush of claim 1, wherein the turbine unit comprises a turbine, a turbine shaft, and a second retainer to support the turbine shaft.

7. The turbine brush of claim 6, wherein the power transfer unit further comprises a first pulley disposed around a shaft of the turbine unit, a second pulley disposed around a rotating agitator shaft of the agitator unit, and the connection includes a belt connecting the first pulley and the second pulley.

8. The turbine brush of claim 1, wherein each of the ribs is shaped and configured to increase in width from the middle toward one end.

9. A turbine brush for a vacuum cleaner comprising: a brush body in fluid communication with the vacuum cleaner comprising a lower casing having a suction slot through which air is drawn into the brush body from a surface being cleaned, and an upper casing being made from a transparent material; an agitator unit rotatably supported at the lower casing and having bristles at predetermined intervals; a turbine unit rotatably supported at the lower casing and rotating by action of the air drawn into the brush body by the suction force generated by the vacuum cleaner, a power transfer unit connecting the agitator unit and the turbine unit so as to rotate the agitator unit in association with the turbine unit, and a discharging pipe connected to a rear portion of the brush body, wherein the suction slot of the lower casing has a plurality of ribs to prevent the surface being cleaned from being drawn into the brush body by the suction force generated by the vacuum cleaner, and the bristles are positioned at predetermined intervals between the ribs of the suction slot so that at least a part of the bristles passes through the suction slot and comes into contact with the surface being cleaned.

10. The turbine brush of claim 9, wherein the discharging pipe includes a locking unit to connect the discharging pipe with an extended pipe of the vacuum cleaner.

11. The turbine brush of claim 10, wherein the locking unit comprises a hooking member and a pressing button removed from the hooking unit.

12. The turbine brush of claim 9, wherein at least one first tab is formed at a front portion of the upper casing and at least one second tab is formed at a rear portion of the upper casing, and a slot corresponding to the first tab is formed at a front portion of the lower casing and a locking member corresponding to the second tab is formed at rear portion of the lower casing.

13. The turbine brush of claim 9, wherein the agitator unit further comprises an agitator and a connecting member fixed at each of the sidewalls of the lower casing to support the agitator.

14. The turbine brush of claim 13, wherein the connecting member comprises a bearing to support a rotating shaft of the agitator and a first retainer surrounding the bearing, and a guide wall to removably fix the first retainer at each of the sidewalls of the lower casing.

15. The turbine brush of claim 9, wherein the turbine unit comprises a turbine, a turbine shaft, and a second retainer to support the turbine shaft.

16. The turbine brush of claim 9, wherein the power transfer unit further comprises a first pulley disposed in the turbine unit, a second pulley disposed in the agitator unit, and a belt connecting the first pulley and the second pulley so that rotation of the turbine causes rotation of the agitator.

17. The turbine brush of claim 9, wherein each of the ribs are shaped and configured to increase in width from the middle toward one end.

18. The turbine brush of claim 1, wherein said loose material of the surface to be cleaned is a blanket or other fabric.

19. The turbine brush of claim 9, wherein said loose material of the surface to be cleaned is a blanket or other fabric.