U.S. patent application number 10/832370 was filed with the patent office on 2005-04-21 for bendable extension pipe having joint for vacuum cleaner.
This patent application is currently assigned to SAMSUNG GWANGJU ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to Jeon, Kyong-hui.
Application Number | 20050081326 10/832370 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34386777 |
Filed Date | 2005-04-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050081326 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Jeon, Kyong-hui |
April 21, 2005 |
Bendable extension pipe having joint for vacuum cleaner
Abstract
A bendable extension pipe for a vacuum cleaner with a body bent
by a button manipulation that forms a sealed fluid passage between
a vacuum cleaner body and a suction brush, is disclosed. The
bendable extension pipe includes a first extension pipe and a
second extension pipe. The first and second extension pipes are
rotatably connected. A locking button is elastically disposed on
the first extension pipe to restrict rotation of the first and the
second extension pipes. A sealing cover prevents the locking button
from moving out of joint of the first and second extension pipes
and seals the first and the second extension pipes.
Inventors: |
Jeon, Kyong-hui;
(Seosan-city, KR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BLANK ROME LLP
600 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVENUE, N.W.
WASHINGTON
DC
20037
US
|
Assignee: |
SAMSUNG GWANGJU ELECTRONICS CO.,
LTD.
|
Family ID: |
34386777 |
Appl. No.: |
10/832370 |
Filed: |
April 27, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/414 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L 9/242 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
015/414 |
International
Class: |
A47L 009/24 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 20, 2003 |
KR |
2003-72874 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A bendable extension pipe for a vacuum cleaner with a body bent
by a button manipulation, the bendable extension pipe forming a
sealed fluid passage between a vacuum cleaner body and a suction
brush, comprising: a first extension pipe; a second extension pipe
rotatably connected with the first extension pipe; a locking button
elastically disposed on the first extension pipe to restrict
rotation of the first and the second extension pipes; and a sealing
cover for preventing the locking button from moving out of joint of
the first and second extension pipes and sealing the first and the
second extension pipes.
2. The bendable extension pipe of claim 1, wherein the locking
button is formed on a seating protrusion which is protruded from a
side of an axis of a rotation of a joint which movably connects the
first extension pipe and the second extension pipe.
3. The bendable extension pipe of claim 2, wherein the locking
button comprises: at least one interfering rib protruding along an
outer circumference; and a restriction projection for restricting
the rotation of the first and the second extension pipes.
4. The bendable extension pipe of claim 2, wherein the seating
protrusion comprises at least one guide projection formed on the
outer circumference, and a sliding groove formed in the locking
button to correspond to the guide projection such that, in
accordance with a push and release of the locking button, the
sliding groove is guided by the guiding projection to prevent
rotation of the locking button.
5. The bendable extension pipe of claim 4, wherein an elastic
member is disposed between the locking button and the seating
protrusion such that, in accordance with the push of the locking
button, the elastic member exerts a recovery force in a direction
of releasing from the locking button.
6. The bendable extension pipe of claim 3, wherein the second
extension pipe comprises: a slot plate comprising a sliding slot
for a sliding engagement with the seating projection, the sliding
slot having one open end; and a locking part formed in a position
corresponding to the restriction projection, to selectively lock
the restriction projection in accordance with a displacement of the
restriction projection in an axial direction.
7. The bendable extension pipe of claim 6, wherein the locking part
is separated from the slot plate by a distance equal to, or greater
than a thickness of the restriction projection.
8. The bendable extension pipe of claim 1, wherein the sealing
cover comprises a first cover with a button hole corresponding in
size with an outer circumference of the locking button, and a
second cover engaged with the first cover and sealing connecting
parts between the first and the second extension pipes.
9. A bendable extension pipe for a vacuum cleaner with a body bent
by a button manipulation, the bendable extension pipe forming a
sealed fluid passage between a vacuum cleaner body and a suction
brush, and comprising: a first extension pipe comprising a seating
protrusion formed on the center of a cylinder joint, with a locking
button which is pushed and released by an elastic member, the
cylinder joint having one open end; a second extension pipe
including a slot plate for a sliding engagement with the seating
protrusion, and a locking part for selectively locking the locking
button; and a sealing cover for sealing connecting parts between
the first and the second extension pipes, and including a button
hole through which the locking button is exposed to the
outside.
10. The bendable extension pipe of claim 9, wherein the locking
button comprises: at least one interfering rib protruding along the
outer circumference; and a restriction projection for restricting
rotation of the first and the second extension pipes.
11. The bendable extension pipe of claim 9, wherein the seating
protrusion comprises at least one guide projection formed on the
outer circumference, and a sliding groove formed in the locking
button to correspond to the guide projection such that, in
accordance with a push and release of the locking button, the
sliding groove is guided by the guiding projection to prevent
rotation of the locking button.
12. The bendable extension pipe of claim 9, wherein the second
extension pipe comprises: a slot plate comprising a sliding slot
for a fitting-engagement with the seating protrusion; and a locking
part formed in the position corresponding to the restriction
projection, to selectively lock the restriction projection in
accordance with a displacement of the restriction projection in an
axial direction.
13. The bendable extension pipe of claim 12, wherein the locking
part is separated from the slot plate by a distance equal to, or
greater than the thickness of the restriction projection.
14. The bendable extension pipe of claim 9, wherein the sealing
cover comprises a first cover including the button hole, and a
second cover engaged with the connecting parts of the first cover
to seal the first and the second extension pipes, respectively.
Description
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority to copending Korean Patent
Application No. 2003-72874 filed in the Korean Intellectual
Property Office on Oct. 20, 2003, the entire contents of which are
incorporated herein by reference.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0002] This application is related to the co-pending application
entitled, "Bendable Nozzle For Vacuum Cleaner", (Korean Application
10-2003-72873, filed Oct. 20, 2003) which disclosure is commonly
owned by the same assignee as the present application and is
entirely incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0003] The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner, and more
particularly, to a bendable extension pipe of a vacuum cleaner
which enables the operator of the cleaner to clean the small places
underneath furniture such as a bed and a couch with
convenience.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] Generally, a vacuum cleaner draws in dust from a cleaning
surface along with ambient air using a suction force which is
generated by a suction motor provided inside a cleaner body. In
order to allow drawn in air and dust to pass into the cleaner body,
a fluid passage is sealingly formed connecting the cleaner body and
the suction brush while contacting on the cleaning surface.
[0005] Various types of fluid passages are available. For example,
a canister vacuum cleaner may include a flexible hose connecting
the cleaner body with an operation handle, and an extension pipe
connecting the operation handle with the suction brush. Generally,
the extension pipe is formed in a telescopic manner, or formed from
a plurality of assembly pipe parts to enable adjustment in length
as necessary.
[0006] In the vacuum cleaner as described above, the extension pipe
and the suction brush are usually at a fixed angle and as a result,
it is inconvenient for an operator to clean lower places such as
places underneath the bed or couch. That is, the operator has to
lower his/her body, keep the suction brush in contact with the
cleaning surface and turn the extension pipe to clean the underside
places. Even with the extension pipe and the suction brush disposed
at an adjustable angle, however, there still exists an
inconvenience because the operator has to bend his body to put the
suction brush underneath the furniture.
[0007] Thus, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the industry
to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The present invention has been developed in order to solve
the above drawbacks and other problems associated with the
conventional arrangement. An object of the present invention is to
provide a bendable extension pipe for a vacuum cleaner which has an
improved structure to enable an operator to perform a cleaning
operation without having to bend or lower his/her body, but bending
the extension pipe through a simple manipulation of a few
buttons.
[0009] The above aspects and/or other features of the present
invention can be substantially achieved by providing a bendable
extension pipe for a vacuum cleaner with a body bent by a button
manipulation, the bendable extension pipe forming a sealed fluid
passage between a vacuum cleaner body and a suction brush. The
bendable extension pipe includes a first extension pipe, a second
extension pipe rotatably connected with the first extension pipe, a
locking button elastically disposed on the first extension pipe, to
restrict rotation of the first and the second extension pipes, and
a sealing cover for preventing the locking button from moving out
of joint from the first and second extension pipes and sealing the
first and the second extension pipes.
[0010] According to a preferred embodiment, the locking button is
formed on a seating protrusion which is protruded from a side of an
axis of a rotation of a joint which movably connects the first
extension pipe and the second extension pipe. The locking button
includes at least one interfering rib protruding along the outer
circumference and a restriction projection for restricting the
rotation of the first and the second extension pipes. The seating
protrusion includes at least one guide projection formed on the
outer circumference and a sliding groove formed in the locking
button to coincide with the guide projection. With a push and
release of the locking button, the sliding groove is guided by the
guiding projection to prevent a rotation of the locking button. An
elastic member is disposed between the locking button and the
seating protrusion. With the push of the locking button, the
elastic member exerts a recovery force in the direction of a
release from the locking button.
[0011] The second extension pipe includes a slot plate with a
sliding slot for a sliding engagement with the seating projection.
The sliding slot includes one open end. A locking part is formed in
a position corresponding to a restriction projection to selectively
lock the restriction projection in accordance with a displacement
of the restriction projection in an axial direction. The locking
part is separated from the slot plate by a distance equal to, or
greater than the thickness of the restriction projection.
[0012] The sealing cover includes a first cover with a button hole
corresponding in size with the outer circumference of the locking
button, and a second cover engaged with the first cover and sealing
connecting parts between the first and the second extension
pipes.
[0013] Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the
present invention will be or become apparent to one with skill in
the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed
description. It is intended that all such additional systems,
methods, features, and advantages be included within this
description, be within the scope of the present invention, and be
protected by the accompanying claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] The above aspects and other features of the present
invention will become more apparent by describing in detail certain
embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings. The
components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis
instead of being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of
the present invention. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference
numerals designate corresponding parts throughout several
views.
[0015] FIG. 1 is a drawing of a perspective view of a bendable
extension pipe according to an embodiment of the present
invention;
[0016] FIG. 2 is a drawing of an exploded perspective view of a
bendable extension pipe according to an embodiment of the present
invention;
[0017] FIG. 3 is a drawing of a perspective view illustrating a
bendable extension pipe according to an embodiment of the present
invention before the bending, with a sealing cover being omitted;
and
[0018] FIG. 4 is a drawing of a perspective view illustrating a
bendable extension pipe according to an embodiment of the present
invention after the bending, with a sealing cover omitted.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0019] Certain embodiments of the present invention will be
described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
[0020] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a bendable
extension pipe 100 for a vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment
of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, the bendable
extension pipe 100 includes first and second extension pipes 110,
120 which are bendably connected to each other according to a push
and release of a locking button 130. A sealing cover 140 prevents a
suction loss of the connecting parts and also prevents the locking
button 130 from moving out of joint from the first and second
extension pipes in the axial direction.
[0021] Referring to FIG. 2, the first extension pipe 110 includes a
cylinder joint J1 which has an opening (not shown) at a side facing
the second extension pipe 120, and approximately at the center of
the cylinder joint J1, a seating protrusion 111 is formed
overlapping with the rotational axis. The locking button 130 is
movably disposed on the seating protrusion 111 for the push and
release movement, and in one example, the seating protrusion 111
may be inserted in the locking button 130 with the intervention of
an elastic member S therebetween. As shown in FIG. 2, at least one
guide projection 111a and sliding groove 130a are formed on each of
the seating protrusion 111 and the locking button 130 in a
complementary manner. Accordingly, when the locking button 130 is
pushed or released by the guide projection 111a which is engaged in
the sliding groove 130a in the outer circumference, the locking
button 130 is guided such that the locking button 130 turns in
association with the turning of the first extension pipe 110 to the
same rotational angle.
[0022] An interfering rib 131 is formed on an outer circumference
of the locking button 130 to prevent the locking button 130 from
moving out in the axial direction, and a restriction projection 132
is formed also on the outer circumference of the locking bottom 130
to restrict the rotational angle of the first and the second
extension pipes 110 and 120. At least one interfering rib 131 with
a larger diameter than the locking button 130 may be formed in the
circumferential direction as shown in FIG. 2, to prevent the
locking button 130, which is exposed outside of the sealing cover
140, from moving out in the axial direction. In a preferred
embodiment, the interfering rib 131 may be arranged symmetrically
to be supported evenly on the sealing cover 140 and not to be
tilted.
[0023] At least one restriction projection 132 may be formed in a
circumferential direction, each on appropriate locations which do
not coincide with the interfering rib 131. The restriction
projection 132 may be formed with a smaller height than the
interfering rib 131, and additionally, the restriction projection
132 may be tapered on a predetermined side to require less force of
an operator in bending the first and the second extension pipes 110
and 120.
[0024] The second extension pipe 120 includes a cylinder joint
receiving portion J2, which has a complementary shape as the
cylinder joint J1 of the first extension pipe 110 for a turnable
engagement. The cylinder joint receiving portion J2 includes a slot
plate 121 which has a sliding slot 121a for a sliding engagement
with the seating projection 111 to a proximity of the center of the
second extension pipe 120, and a locking part 122 which selectively
contacts with the restriction projection 132 to restrict a rotation
of the first and the second extension pipes 110, 120,
respectively.
[0025] The slot plate 121 includes a circular plate. The slot plate
121 has the same diameter as that of the cylinder joint J1 such
that the inner circumference of the cylinder joint receiving
portion J2 meets the outer circumference of the cylinder joint J1
in a tight contact. The sliding slot 121a includes the width that
corresponds to the diameter of the seating projection 111 so that
the center of the seating projection 111 can coincide with the
center part of the slot plate 121. A closed end of the first
extension pipe 110 may have a circular arc as shown in FIG. 2 to
enable the first extension pipe 110 to rotate on the seating
projection 111.
[0026] The locking part 122 restricts the rotation of the first and
the second extension pipes 110 and 120 by selectively contacting
with the restriction projection 132. In the preferred embodiment,
the locking part 122 may be formed at a predetermined distance from
the slot plate 121 and the predetermined distance is larger than
the thickness of the restriction projection 132. When the operator
pushes the locking bottom 130, the restriction projection 132 is
displaced in the axial direction, and moved out of contact with the
locking part 122 to a position in which the restriction projection
132 can be passed through a space between the locking part 122 and
the slot plate 121.
[0027] The sealing cover 140 prevents a suction loss from occurring
between the cylinder joint J1 and the cylinder joint receiving
portion J2, and between the first and the second extension pipes
110 and 120. In the preferred embodiment, the sealing cover 140 may
have first and second covers 141, 142 to prevent the locking button
130 from moving out in the axial direction. The first cover 141
includes a button hole 141a to expose the locking button 130. The
button hole 141a includes a size that corresponds to the outer
circumference of the locking button 130. In the preferred
embodiment, the button hole 141a may have a size equal to, or
greater than the outer circumference of the locking button 130, and
smaller than the outer circumference of the locking button 130 with
the interfering rib 131, such that the interfering rib 131 is
supposedly on an inner circumference of the first cover 141 to
prevent the locking button 130 from moving out in the axial
direction.
[0028] The operation of the bendable extension pipe for a vacuum
cleaner according to one exemplary embodiment of the present
invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.
[0029] FIG. 3 shows the first and the second extension pipes 110,
120 connected to each other at a 0.degree. angle. For the
convenience of explanation, the sealing cover 140 has been omitted
from FIG. 3. In normal operation, i.e., when the vacuum cleaner is
cleaning places such as floor, the first and second extension pipes
110, 120 are connected at an angle of 0.degree. to each other. In
such a state, the restriction projection 132 contacts one end 122a
of the locking part 122 to prevent the first and second extension
pipes 110, 120 from bending in the `A` direction of FIG. 3, and the
interfering rib 131 contacts the other end 122b of the locking part
122 to support and prevent the first and second extension pipes
110, 120 from bending in the `B` direction of FIG. 3.
[0030] When the operator wants to clean places such as underneath a
bed or a couch, the operator presses the locking button 130, and
accordingly, the restriction projection 132 is moved out of the
locking part 122 to a position in which the restriction projection
132 can be passed through the space between the locking part 122
and the slot plate 121. When the operator bends the first or the
second extension pipes 110 or 120 by pressing on the locking button
130, the restriction projection 132 contacts the inner
circumference of the space defined between the locking part 122 and
the slot plate 121 and becomes rotatable.
[0031] In another embodiment of the present invention, the first
and the second extension pipes 110 and 120 are bent in relation to
each other at an angle of approximately 45.degree., to which the
operator is most comfortable in cleaning the underneath the
furniture. When the first and second extension pipes 110, 120 are
at an angle 0.degree. relative to the center of the locking button
130, and, if the imaginary line connecting the end 122a in contact
with the locking part 122 is at an angle of 45.degree. with respect
to the first and second extension pipes 110, 120, then an imaginary
line connects to the other end 122b of the locking part 122 with an
interior angle of 45.degree..
[0032] When the restriction projection 132 rotates by 45.degree.,
the tapered inclining end slides along the locking part 122 and
urges the locking button 130 toward the release direction in which
the recovery force of the elastic member S is exerted. As a result,
the locking button 130 returns to the initial state, i.e., to the
state before the operator presses the locking button 130 to bend
the bendable extension pipe 100. The operator manipulates the
extension pipe 100 in the reverse order to return the first and
second extension pipes 110, 120 to the angle 0.degree. to perform a
normal cleaning operation. Accordingly, as the operator unbends the
operation pipe 100 by pressing on the locking button 130, the
recovery force of the elastic member S returns the locking button
130 to the initial position.
[0033] With the bendable extension pipe 100 as described above in a
few embodiments of the present invention, operator convenience
increases because the operator is not required to bend or lower
his/her body to clean underneath furniture such as a bed and couch,
but only requires the operator to make a simple button
manipulation.
[0034] The foregoing embodiment 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 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.
* * * * *