U.S. patent application number 11/506430 was filed with the patent office on 2007-02-22 for suction hose supporting structure for upright type vacuum cleaner capable of being converted to canister type.
Invention is credited to Im Suk Choi.
Application Number | 20070039118 11/506430 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37757754 |
Filed Date | 2007-02-22 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070039118 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Choi; Im Suk |
February 22, 2007 |
Suction hose supporting structure for upright type vacuum cleaner
capable of being converted to canister type
Abstract
Disclosed herein is a suction hose supporting structure of an
upright type vacuum cleaner capable of being converted to a
canister type. The vacuum cleaner comprises a main body having a
suction port and a discharge port, a suction unit having a dust
collecting port and a discharge opening, an extension pipe and a
handle detachably installed to the main body, a suction hose
connected at one end with the suction port and selectively
connected at the other end with the discharge opening or the
handle, a bending prevention member installed at one side of the
suction port to support the suction hose in a round state, and a
fixing ring installed to one side of the suction hose and having a
hook. When the vacuum cleaner is used as the upright type, the
suction hose is prevented from being bent, thereby minimizing
resistance in a flow passage.
Inventors: |
Choi; Im Suk; (Incheon-si,
KR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
KNOBBE MARTENS OLSON & BEAR LLP
2040 MAIN STREET
FOURTEENTH FLOOR
IRVINE
CA
92614
US
|
Family ID: |
37757754 |
Appl. No.: |
11/506430 |
Filed: |
August 18, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/323 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L 5/32 20130101; A47L
5/225 20130101; A47L 5/362 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
015/323 |
International
Class: |
A47L 9/00 20060101
A47L009/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Aug 18, 2005 |
KR |
2005-75747 |
Claims
1. A suction hose supporting structure of an upright type vacuum
cleaner capable of being converted to a canister type, comprising:
a main body having a suction port and a discharge port formed
thereon, and including a suction device inside the suction port; a
suction unit having a dust collecting port and a discharge opening,
on which the main body is detachably installed; an extension pipe
and a handle detachably installed to the main body, and having a
hollow inner space to define a flow passage along which air
containing foreign substances is induced; a suction hose connected
at one end with the suction port, and selectively connected at the
other end with the discharge opening or the handle; and a bending
prevention member installed at one side of the suction port to
support the suction hose in a round state.
2. The suction hose supporting structure according to claim 1,
further comprising: a fixing ring installed at one side of the
suction hose and having a hook positioned on a circumferential
surface thereof so as to be hung on one side of the main body.
3. The suction hose supporting structure according to claim 1,
wherein the main body has a fastening boss formed on an upper end
corresponding to the bending prevention member, and an insertion
groove formed at the side corresponding to the fixing ring.
4. The suction hose supporting structure according to claim 1,
wherein the bending prevention member comprises a round panel on
which the suction hose is seated, and a coupling hole part formed
at a lower end of the round panel and to which the fastening boss
is coupled.
5. The suction hose supporting structure according to claim 3,
wherein the main body has a rib formed around a portion separated a
predetermined distance from the fastening boss so as to be brought
into close contact with an inner wall of the coupling hole
part.
6. The suction hose supporting structure according to claim 5,
wherein the rib has a seating groove formed therearound, and into
which lower ends of the round panel and the coupling hole part are
inserted.
7. The suction hose supporting structure according to claim 4,
wherein the main body has a rib formed around a portion separated a
predetermined distance from the fastening boss so as to be brought
into close contact with an inner wall of the coupling hole
part.
8. The suction hose supporting structure according to claim 7,
wherein the rib has a seating groove formed therearound, and into
which lower ends of the round panel and the coupling hole part are
inserted.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to an upright type vacuum
cleaner capable of being converted to a canister type, and, more
particularly, to a suction hose supporting structure of an upright
type vacuum cleaner capable of being converted to a canister type,
which prevents a suction hose of a soft material connecting a
discharge opening of a suction unit with a suction port of a main
body from being bent when the vacuum cleaner is used as the upright
type, thereby reducing resistance in a flow passage through which
foreign substances and air are induced.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] A vacuum cleaner is a household appliance which sucks dust
and other foreign substances scattered on floors, walls, small gaps
and the like in a room via a strong suction force from a negative
pressure generated by driving a fan motor and operating a vacuum
pump, and then collects the dust and the other foreign substances
using a dust collecting filter positioned therein.
[0005] According to shapes and using postures, the vacuum cleaners
can be classified into a canister type vacuum cleaner, which
provides convenience in corner cleaning and movement while allowing
easy replacement of a brush and a nozzle, and an upright type
vacuum cleaner, which provides convenience in maintenance and
allows easy cleaning of a large space.
[0006] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a conventional
upright type vacuum cleaner.
[0007] The conventional upright type vacuum cleaner comprises a
suction unit 100 having wheels 105 attached to a lower surface
thereof and serving to suck dust on a floor, a main body 200 having
components such as motor and the like contained therein, and an
upright type handle 300.
[0008] For the vacuum cleaner constructed as above, the suction
unit 100 is formed at the lower surface with a suction port (not
shown) to which a brush is attached and through which dust removed
by the brush is sucked into the suction unit. Then, the sucked dust
flows along with air, and is collected via a filter, while the air
is discharged to the outside.
[0009] The conventional upright type vacuum cleaner has a merit in
that, since the suction unit has a wider area than an associated
portion of the main body to allow the vacuum cleaner to stand
upright thereon, the conventional upright type vacuum cleaner is
able to clean a wider area in a room while moving thereon, and can
be maintained in an upright state after finishing the cleaning
operation. However, since it is necessary to perform the cleaning
operation with the suction unit facing the floor, it is difficult
to perform the cleaning operation of narrow spaces such as corners
or gaps between pieces of furniture. Accordingly, there is a need
of an improved vacuum cleaner which overcomes these problems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of
the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to
provide a suction hose supporting structure for an upright type
vacuum cleaner capable of being converted to a canister type, which
comprises a main body constituting the canister type, and a suction
unit independent of the main body and adapted to allow the main
body to be detachably mounted thereon in an upright state, thereby
enabling conversion of the vacuum cleaner from the upright type to
the canister type or vice versa according to whether or not the
main body is assembled to the suction unit.
[0011] In addition, according to the present invention, the suction
hose supporting structure prevents a suction hose of a soft
material connecting a discharge opening of the suction unit with a
suction port of the main body from being bent, thereby reducing
resistance in a flow passage through which foreign substances and
air are induced.
[0012] In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the
above and other objects can be accomplished by the provision of a
suction hose supporting structure for an upright type vacuum
cleaner capable of being converted to a canister type, comprising:
a main body having a suction port and a discharge port formed
thereon, and including a suction device inside the suction port; a
suction unit having a dust collecting port and a discharge opening,
on which the main body is detachably installed; an extension pipe
and a handle detachably installed to the main body, and having a
hollow inner space to define a flow passage along which air
containing foreign substances is induced; a suction hose connected
at one end with the suction port, and selectively connected at the
other end with the discharge opening or the handle; and a bending
prevention member installed at one side of the suction port to
support the suction hose in a round state.
[0013] Preferably, the suction hose supporting structure further
comprises a fixing ring installed at one side of the suction hose
and having a hook positioned on a circumferential surface thereof
so as to be hung on one side of the main body.
[0014] Preferably, the main body has a fastening boss formed at an
upper end corresponding to the bending prevention member, and an
insertion groove formed at the side corresponding to the fixing
ring.
[0015] Preferably, the bending prevention member comprises a round
panel on which the suction hose is seated, and a coupling hole part
formed at a lower end of the round panel and to which the fastening
boss is coupled. Here, preferably, the main body has a rib formed
around a portion separated a predetermined distance from the
fastening boss so as to be brought into close contact with an inner
wall of the coupling hole part. In addition, preferably, the rib
has a seating groove formed around the rib and into which lower
ends of the round panel and the coupling hole part are
inserted.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] The above and other objects, features and other advantages
of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the
following detailed description taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings, in which:
[0017] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a conventional
upright type vacuum cleaner;
[0018] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a vacuum cleaner
according to the present invention;
[0019] FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a suction hose
supporting structure of the vacuum cleaner according to the present
invention in which a bending prevention member is installed;
[0020] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the
suction hose supporting structure according to the present
invention;
[0021] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view illustrating a fixing
ring of the suction hose supporting structure according to the
present invention; and
[0022] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the bending
prevention member of the suction hose supporting structure
according to the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0023] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be
described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings as
follows.
[0024] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a vacuum cleaner
according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a perspective
view illustrating a suction hose supporting structure of the vacuum
cleaner according to the present invention in which a bending
prevention member is installed to the vacuum cleaner.
[0025] An upright type vacuum cleaner capable of being converted
into a canister type vacuum cleaner according to the present
invention comprises: a main body 10 having a suction port 12 and a
discharge port 14 and having a predetermined space defined therein;
a suction unit 15 having a dust collecting port and a discharge
opening 18, and on which the main body is detachably installed; an
extension pipe 30 and a handle 20 detachably installed to the main
body 10 and having a hollow inner space to define a flow passage
along which air containing foreign substances is induced; a suction
hose 70 connected at one end with the suction port 12 and
selectively connected at the other end with the discharge opening
18 or the handle 20; a bending prevention member 80 installed at
one side of the suction port 12 to support the suction hose 70 in a
round state; and a fixing ring 90 installed to one side of the
suction hose 70, and having a hook 92 provided to a circumferential
surface thereof so as to be hung on the one side of the main body
10.
[0026] With this structure, when converting the vacuum cleaner from
the upright type shown in FIG. 2 to the canister type, the suction
hose 70 is separated from the discharge opening 18 and coupled to
the handle 20, with extension pipe 30 and the handle 20 detached
from the main body 10, and the main body 10 is separated from the
suction unit 15, thereby constituting the canister type vacuum
cleaner.
[0027] The main body 10 is formed with a fastening boss 11 which is
separated a predetermined distance from the suction port 12 to the
discharge opening 18 side, and to which the bending prevention
member 80 is fastened by means of bolt and nut. Additionally, the
main body 10 is formed with an insertion groove 13 at one side
thereof corresponding to the discharge opening 18 side such that
the hook 92 of the fixing ring 90 is caught by the insertion
groove. Thus, this structure can prevent the suction hose 70 from
being hung down on a floor outside the main body due to movement of
the main body 10 and the suction unit 15 when the vacuum cleaner is
used as the upright type, thereby providing an appealing appearance
to the vacuum cleaner while preventing the suction hose from
contacting a user or furniture.
[0028] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the
suction hose supporting structure according to the present
invention, and FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view illustrating
the fixing ring of the suction hose supporting structure according
to the present invention.
[0029] The bending prevention member 80 comprises a round panel 82
on which the suction hose 70 is seated, and a coupling hole part 84
formed at a lower end of the round panel 82 and to which the
fastening boss 11 is coupled. Since the suction hose 70 is a
corrugated pipe made of a soft material, it is likely to be bent if
it extends between the suction port 12 and the discharge opening 18
as shown in FIG. 5. However, if the suction hose 70 is seated on
the round panel 82, the suction hose 70 becomes a round shape
toward the discharge opening 18, thereby minimizing flow resistance
in the suction hose 70.
[0030] As shown in FIG. 6, the coupling hole part 84 has a hollow
shape such that the fastening boss 11 is inserted thereinto. In
this regard, the main body 10 has a rib 11a formed along a portion
separated a predetermined distance from the fastening boss 11, and
a seating groove 11b formed along the rib 11a such that lower ends
of the round panel 82 and the coupling hole part 84 are inserted
therein. Thus, when the bending prevention member 80 is fitted to
the fastening boss 11, the rib 11a is brought into close contact
with an inner wall of the coupling hole part 84 while the coupling
hole part 84 and the round panel 82 are fitted into the seating
groove 11b, thereby suppressing shaking of the bending prevention
member 80.
[0031] Operation of the upright type vacuum cleaner capable of
being converted to the canister type according to the present
invention will be described hereinafter.
[0032] When a user wants to use the vacuum cleaner as the canister
type, one end of the suction hose 70 is first separated from the
discharge opening 18, and coupled to the fastening hole section 22
of the handle 20, with extension pipe 30 and the handle 20 detached
from the main body 10, thereby constituting the canister type
vacuum cleaner. Then, after the main body 10 is separated from the
suction unit 15, a cleaning operation can be performed using the
vacuum cleaner as the canister type.
[0033] When using the vacuum cleaner as the upright type, the main
body 10 is first coupled to an upper surface of the suction unit 15
so as to stand upright, as shown in FIG. 2, followed by coupling
the handle 20 and the extension pipe 30 to the main body 10. Then,
the suction hose 70 is inserted into the discharge opening 18,
thereby constituting the upright type vacuum cleaner.
[0034] At this time, the suction hose 70 is prevented from being
bent by seating the suction hose 70 on the round panel 82 of the
bending prevention member 80, and from deviating from the side of
the main body 10 by inserting the hook 92 of the fixing ring 90
into the insertion groove 13.
[0035] As such, for the upright type vacuum cleaner capable of
being converted to the canister type according to the present
invention, since the suction hose 70 connecting the suction unit 15
with the main body 10 is prevented from being bent or from
deviating from the main body 10, it is possible to minimize the
flow resistance in the suction hose while allowing the efficient
cleaning operation without causing contact between the suction hose
and the user or furniture.
[0036] According to the present invention, the suction hose
supporting structure for the upright type vacuum cleaner capable of
being converted to the canister type comprises the bending
prevention member positioned at one side of the suction port on an
upper end of the main body, and the fixing ring formed to allow the
suction hose to be brought into close contact with the main body,
so that, when the vacuum cleaner is used as the upright type, the
suction hose is prevented from being bent, thereby minimizing flow
resistance in a flow passage, which leads to prevention of noise
during a cleaning operation and to reduction of power waste during
the cleaning operation.
[0037] In addition, the suction hose is secured to a side of the
main body by means of the bending prevention member and the fixing
ring, so that the suction hose is prevented from being hung down
outside the main body on a floor, and from contacting a user or
furniture during the cleaning operation, thereby ensuring an
efficient cleaning operation.
[0038] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention
have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the
art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and
substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and
spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying
claims.
* * * * *