U.S. patent application number 11/386802 was filed with the patent office on 2007-03-29 for brush assembly for vacuum cleaner and vacuum cleaner employing the same.
This patent application is currently assigned to SAMSUNG GWANGJU ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to Hyun-ju Lee, Hiroyuki Uratani, Dong-houn Yang.
Application Number | 20070067949 11/386802 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37478935 |
Filed Date | 2007-03-29 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070067949 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lee; Hyun-ju ; et
al. |
March 29, 2007 |
Brush assembly for vacuum cleaner and vacuum cleaner employing the
same
Abstract
A brush assembly for a vacuum cleaner includes a brush body
having a suction pathway in fluid communication with a cleaner body
of the vacuum cleaner; a brush having a suction port in fluid
communication with the suction pathway of the brush body, the brush
being disposed to rotate at the brush body, and a sealing part
sealing between the suction pathway and the suction port for the
brush to rotate with respect to the brush body. The sealing part
forms a gap for outside air to enter the suction pathway of the
brush body through as the brush rotates with respect to the brush
body.
Inventors: |
Lee; Hyun-ju; (Gwangju-city,
KR) ; Yang; Dong-houn; (Gwangju-city, KR) ;
Uratani; Hiroyuki; (Gwangju-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: |
37478935 |
Appl. No.: |
11/386802 |
Filed: |
March 23, 2006 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/421 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L 9/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
015/421 |
International
Class: |
A47L 9/02 20060101
A47L009/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 27, 2005 |
KR |
2005-89821 |
Claims
1. A brush assembly for a vacuum cleaner, the brush assembly
comprising: a brush body having a suction pathway in fluid
communication with a cleaner body of the vacuum cleaner, a brush
having a suction port in fluid communication with the suction
pathway of the brush body, the brush being disposed to rotate at
the brush body, and a sealing part configured to seal between the
suction pathway and the suction port for the brush to rotate with
respect to the brush body, the sealing part forming a gap for
outside air to enter the suction pathway of the brush body through
as the brush rotates with respect to the brush body.
2. The brush assembly of claim 1, wherein the sealing part
comprises: an upper sealing part formed at the suction pathway, and
an under sealing part extending from a top end of the suction port,
the under sealing sliding on the upper sealing, wherein, as the
brush rotates with respect to the brush body at a predetermined
angle, the gap is formed between the upper sealing and the under
sealing so that outside air enters the suction pathway through the
gap.
3. The brush assembly of claim 2, wherein the brush includes a
hinge disposed at a side of the suction port, and has at least an
outside air hole formed at a part of the under sealing opposite to
the hinge.
4. The brush assembly of claim 2, wherein the upper sealing and
under sealing are substantially formed as rectangular pipes, and a
top end of one wall of the under sealing and a bottom end of the
upper sealing form the gap.
5. The brush assembly of claim 4, wherein the one wall of the under
sealing is farthest away from a rotation center of the brush.
6. The brush assembly of claim 5, wherein the one wall of the under
sealing forms the gap between the top end thereof and the bottom
end of the upper sealing as the brush inclines 2 degrees or more
downward with respect to the brush body.
7. The brush assembly of claim 4, wherein the under sealing is bent
based on a rotation center of the brush.
8. The brush assembly of claim 1, wherein as the brush assembly
moves in a first direction, the brush rotates with respect to the
brush body so that the gap is formed in the sealing part, and as
the brush assembly moves in a second direction, the gap is
closed.
9. A vacuum cleaner, comprising: a cleaner body configured to
generate suction force; an extension pipe assembly in fluid
communication with the cleaner body, the extension pipe assembly
forming a passage for contaminants; and a brush assembly in fluid
communication with the extension pipe assembly, the brush assembly
being configured to draw in the contaminants, wherein the brush
assembly comprises, a brush body having a suction pathway in fluid
communication with the extension pipe assembly, a brush having a
suction port in fluid communication with the suction pathway of the
brush body, the brush being disposed to rotate at the brush body,
and a sealing part configured to enable outside air to enter the
suction pathway of the brush body as the brush assembly moves in a
first direction, and configured to prevent outside air from
entering the suction pathway of the brush body as the brush
assembly moves in a second direction.
10. The vacuum cleaner of claim 9, wherein the sealing part
comprises: an upper sealing formed at the suction pathway of the
brush body, and an under sealing extending from a top end of the
suction port of the brush, the under sealing sliding on the upper
sealing, and wherein, as the brush assembly moves in the first
direction, the brush rotates with respect to the brush body at a
predetermined angle so that the gap is formed between the upper
sealing and the under sealing.
11. A brush assembly, comprising: a brush body, a brush; and means
for forming a gap through which air passes.
12. The brush assembly of claim 11, wherein the brush body further
comprises a suction pathway.
13. The brush assembly of claim 12, wherein the gap enables air to
travel through the suction pathway.
14. The brush assembly of claim 11, wherein the means for forming a
gap includes: first means for sealing; and second means for
sealing.
15. The brush assembly of claim 14, wherein the first means for
sealing is slideable relative to the second means for sealing.
16. The brush assembly of claim 14, wherein at least one of the
first means for sealing and the second means for sealing is
flexible.
17. The brush assembly of claim 11, wherein the brush is configured
to rotate about a hinge.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority under 35
U.S.C. .sctn. 119 to Korean Patent Application No. 2005-89821,
filed Sep. 27, 2005, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein
by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner. More
particularly, the present invention relates to a brush assembly for
a vacuum cleaner.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Generally, a vacuum cleaner includes a brush assembly, an
extension pipe, a handle, a suction hose, and a cleaner body. The
brush assembly has a suction port facing a cleaning surface and
sucking dust, or dirt, and the like (hereinafter referred to
collectively as contaminants) with air. The extension pipe is in
fluid communication with the brush assembly to guide the sucked
contaminants and air. The suction hose guides the air with
contaminants moving through the extension pipe to the cleaner body.
The cleaner body has a vacuum generator for generating suction
force.
[0006] In the vacuum cleaner, a motor of the vacuum generator
disposed in the cleaner body generates suction force. Contaminants
on the cleaning surface are sucked with air through the suction
port formed in the brush assembly by the suction force.
Contaminants and air sucked through the suction port are moved to
the cleaner body through the extension pipe and the suction hose.
Contaminants that enter the cleaner body are separated from air and
then collected in a dust collector. Therefore, air and contaminants
pass through the brush assembly, the extension pipe, the suction
hose, and the cleaner body.
[0007] When cleaning using the vacuum cleaner described above, a
user grasps the handle to push or pull the brush assembly. When the
brush assembly is pushed forward, the suction port of the brush
assembly approaches the cleaning surface as a result of the applied
force while the suction force applies negative pressure to the
suction port. As a result, the user should push the handle forward
with a fairly strong force for the brush assembly to move forward.
However, when pulling the brush assembly, the suction port of the
brush assembly receives the applied force in a direction that
causes separation from the cleaning surface so that the applied
force cancels out the suction force. Consequently, high negative
pressure is not applied to the suction port of the brush assembly.
The user can pull the handle backward with a weak force for the
brush assembly to move backward. When the user pushes or pulls the
brush assembly with the handle, force (hereinafter, referred to as
handling force) that the user should apply to the handle is
different. In other words, a handling force required to push the
brush assembly forward is greater than a handling force required to
pull the brush assembly backward. Therefore, it is inconvenient for
the user to push the brush assembly forward. Furthermore, when
cleaning a soft surface such as a carpet, it is hard to push the
brush assembly forward because the cleaning surface sticks to the
brush assembly.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0008] The present invention has been developed in order to
overcome the above drawbacks and other problems associated with the
conventional arrangement. An aspect of the present invention is to
provide a brush assembly for a vacuum cleaner and a vacuum cleaner
employing the same that requires weaker force than the conventional
art to push the brush assembly forward.
[0009] To this end, a first non-limiting aspect of the invention
provides a brush assembly for a vacuum cleaner comprising, which
includes: a brush body having a suction pathway in fluid
communication with a cleaner body of the vacuum cleaner, a brush
having a suction port in fluid communication with the suction
pathway of the brush body, the brush being disposed to rotate at
the brush body, and a sealing part configured to seal between the
suction pathway and the suction port for the brush to rotate with
respect to the brush body, the sealing part forming a gap for
outside air to enter the suction pathway of the brush body through
as the brush rotates with respect to the brush body.
[0010] A second non-limiting aspect of the invention provides
vacuum cleaner that includes: a cleaner body configured to generate
suction force; an extension pipe assembly in fluid communication
with the cleaner body, the extension pipe assembly forming a
passage for contaminants; and a brush assembly in fluid
communication with the extension pipe assembly, the brush assembly
being configured to draw in the contaminants, wherein the brush
assembly includes, a brush body having a suction pathway in fluid
communication with the extension pipe assembly, a brush having a
suction port in fluid communication with the suction pathway of the
brush body, the brush being disposed to rotate at the brush body,
and a sealing part configured to enable outside air to enter the
suction pathway of the brush body as the brush assembly moves in a
first direction, and configured to prevent outside air from
entering the suction pathway of the brush body as the brush
assembly moves in a second direction.
[0011] Yet another non-limiting aspect of the invention provides a
brush assembly, that includes: a brush body, a brush; and means for
forming a gap through which air passes.
[0012] Other objects, advantages and salient features of the
invention will become apparent from the following detailed
description, which, taken in conjunction with the attached
drawings, discloses non-limiting embodiments of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] These and/or other aspects and advantages of the invention
will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the
following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with
the accompanying drawings of which:
[0014] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a brush assembly
for a vacuum cleaner according to a non-limiting embodiment of the
present invention,
[0015] FIG. 2 is a sectional view illustrating the brush assembly
of FIG. 1,
[0016] FIG. 3 is a cut-out, perspective view illustrating the brush
assembly of FIG. 1,
[0017] FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view illustrating the brush
assembly of FIG. 2 taken along a line IV-IV in FIG. 2,
[0018] FIG. 5 is a view illustrating a non-limiting example of the
brush assembly of FIG. 1,
[0019] FIG. 6 is a view illustrating another non-limiting example
of the brush assembly of FIG. 1,
[0020] FIG. 7 is a cut-out perspective view illustrating the brush
inclined with respect to the brush body,
[0021] FIG. 8 is a partial sectional view illustrating an exemplary
relationship between an upper sealing and an under sealing when
pushing the brush assembly of FIG. 1,
[0022] FIG. 9 is a partial sectional view illustrating an exemplary
relationship between an upper sealing and an under sealing when
pulling the brush assembly of FIG. 1, and
[0023] FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating a vacuum cleaner
employing a brush assembly according to the present invention
[0024] Throughout the drawings, like reference numerals will be
understood to refer to like elements.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
[0025] Hereinafter, certain exemplary embodiments of the present
invention will be described in detail with reference to the
accompanying drawings. Referring to FIG. 1, a brush assembly 1 for
a vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present
invention may include a brush body 10, a brush 20, and a sealing
part 30.
[0026] The brush body 10 may include a suction pathway 11 in fluid
communication with a cleaner body 110 (see FIG. 10). The suction
pathway 11 may form a passage through which the sucked air and
contaminants move and may be disposed inside the brush body 10. An
end of an extension pipe 121 in fluid communication with the
suction pathway 11 may be connected with a side of the brush body
10. The brush 20 may be disposed at the other end of the suction
pathway 11 to rotate with respect to the brush body 10 within a
predetermined angle range. Furthermore, a pair of wheels 5 may be
disposed at both sides of the brush body 10 for the brush body 10
to move on the cleaning surface.
[0027] The brush 20 sucks contaminants from the cleaning surface,
and may include a suction port 21 in fluid communication with the
suction pathway 11 of the brush body 10. The brush may be disposed
at the brush body 10 to rotate. In this embodiment, the brush 20
may be disposed to rotate with respect to the brush body 10 within
a predetermined angle range via a pivot point, e.g., a hinge, 40
disposed at a side of an upper portion of the suction port 21. It
may be preferable that the brush 20 can rotate with respect to the
brush body 10 by approximately 15-20 degrees. Also, a cover 29 may
be disposed on the brush 20 to improve the appearance.
[0028] The sealing part 30 may be configured to seal between the
suction pathway 11 and the suction port 21 so that air and
contaminants sucked into the suction port 21 can move to the
suction pathway 11 as the brush 20 rotates with respect to the
brush body 10. The sealing part 30 may form a gap G (see FIG. 5),
through which outside air may directly enter the suction pathway 11
of the brush body 10 as the brush 20 rotates over a predetermined
angle with respect to the brush body 10. The sealing part 30 may
include an upper sealing 31 formed at the suction pathway 11, and
an under sealing 32 extending upward from a top end of the suction
port 30 and configured to slide on the upper sealing 31.
[0029] In this non-limiting embodiment of the present invention,
the upper and under sealing 31 and 32 may each be formed in a
substantially rectangular pipe shape. A front wall 33 of the under
sealing 32 may be lower than both sidewalls 34, 35 thereof. The
front wall 33 among four walls 33, 34, 35, 36 of the under sealing
32 may be farthest away from a rotation center C on which the brush
20 rotates with respect to the brush body 10 (namely, the hinge
40). The under sealing 32 may be bent based on the hinge 40 so that
the under sealing 32 can slide smoothly inside the upper sealing 31
as the brush 20 rotates with respect to the brush body 10.
Therefore, as the brush 20 rotates with respect to the brush body
10 at the predetermined angle .theta., a gap G through which
outside air enters is formed between a top end 33a of the front
wall 33 of the under sealing 32 and a bottom end 31a of the upper
sealing 31, as shown in FIG. 5. At this time, as the brush 20 may
become inclined downward with respect to the brush body 10 over
approximately 2 degrees, the top end 33a of the front wall 33 of
the under sealing 32 and the bottom end 31a of the upper sealing 31
may form gap G through which outside air enters. As the brush 20
rotates with respect to the brush body 10 by a maximum angle, the
gap G has a maximum size. In the brush assembly 1 according to this
embodiment, as the brush 20 rotates with respect to the brush body
10 by approximately 15-20 degrees, the gap G formed by the sealing
part 30 may have a maximum size.
[0030] Furthermore, in addition to the exemplary method for forming
the gap G in the sealing part 30 described above, various
gap-forming methods are possible. Another gap forming method may be
to form at least one outside air hole 39 so that outside air may
enter through on the front wall 33' of the under sealing 32 as
shown in FIG. 6. As the brush 20 rotates with respect to the brush
body 10, the bottom end 31a of the upper sealing 31 may open or
close the at least one outside air hole 39.
[0031] Hereinafter, operation of the brush assembly 1 for the
vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention
will be explained with reference to accompanying drawings. In this
non-limiting example, the vacuum cleaner is being used to clean a
surface that is soft, such as a soft carpet. As a user grasps the
handle 123 (see FIG. 10) of the extension pipe assembly 120 (see
FIG. 10) and pushes it forwards, the brush assembly 1 is enabled to
move on the carpet in a direction of arrow A of FIG. 7 by the pair
of wheels 5.
[0032] At this time, the brush assembly 1 may receive approximately
simultaneously both a first down force applied when the user pushes
the handle 123 forward, and the second down force applied by the
suction force operating in the suction port 21 of the brush 20.
Therefore, as the user pushes the handle 123 forward, the brush 20
of the brush assembly 1 may rotate downward with respect to the
brush body 10 based on the hinge 40 so that the gap G through which
outside air D enters the suction pathway 11 of the brush body 10 is
formed on the sealing part 30. In other words, as the brush 20
rotates with respect to the brush body 10, the under sealing 32 of
the brush 20 may separate from the upper sealing 31 of the brush
body 10 so that gap G may be formed between the top end 33a of the
front wall 33 of the under sealing 32 and the bottom end 31a of the
upper sealing 31 as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. Outside air D may then
directly enter the suction pathway 11 through the gap G between the
under sealing 32 and the upper sealing 31, so that negative
pressure applied to the suction port 21 decreases. As a result, a
magnitude of the force required for the user to push the brush
assembly 1 is decreased as compared with the conventional vacuum
cleaner. Consequently, it is easier to clean soft cleaning surface
such as a carpet.
[0033] As the user pulls the handle 123, the brush assembly 1 may
be caused to move on the carpet in a direction of arrow B of FIG. 3
by a pair of wheels 5. At this time, the brush assembly 1 receives
both an upward force caused when the user pulls the handle 123
backwards, and downward force caused by the suction force operating
in the suction port 21 of the brush 20. Then when the user pulls
the brush assembly 1, the upward force and the downward force
applied to the brush assembly 1 cancel each other so that magnitude
of force required to pull the brush assembly 1 is smaller than the
force required to push it. Therefore, when pulling the brush
assembly 1, the brush 20 does not rotate with respect to the brush
body 10 and may remain parallel with the cleaning surface as shown
in FIG. 3. At this time, the under sealing 32 of the sealing part
30 may be positioned on the upper sealing 31 (as shown in FIG. 9)
so that outside air cannot directly enter the suction pathway 11 of
the brush body 10 through the sealing part 30. As a result, the
user may not have to apply much force to pull the brush assembly
1.
[0034] Hereinafter, a vacuum cleaner 100 having a brush assembly 1
for a vacuum cleaner according to a second non-limiting embodiment
of the present invention will be explained with reference to FIG.
10. Referring to FIG. 10, the vacuum cleaner 100 according to
another non-limiting embodiment of the present invention may
include a cleaner body 110, an extension pipe assembly 120, and a
brush assembly 1.
[0035] The cleaner body 110 generates suction force to suck in
contaminants. To this end, the cleaner body 110 may include a
vacuum generator (not shown) for generating suction force. Also,
the cleaner body 110 may include a dust collector (not shown) that
separates and collects contaminants from air sucked via the brush
assembly 1 and the extension pipe assembly 120.
[0036] The extension pipe assembly 120 may enable the cleaner body
110 to be in fluid communication with the brush assembly 1. The
extension pipe assembly 120 may include an extension pipe 121, a
handle 123, and a suction hose 122. The extension pipe 121 may be
configured to guide the sucked contaminants and may be in fluid
communication with the brush assembly 1. The handle 123 may be
grasped by the user to push or pull the brush assembly 1 when in
use. The suction hose 122 may guide air containing contaminants
guided through the extension pipe 121 to the cleaner body 110.
[0037] The brush assembly 1 may be in fluid communication with the
extension pipe 121 of the extension pipe assembly 120 and may suck
contaminants from the cleaning surface. The brush assembly 1 may
include a brush body 10, a brush 20, and a sealing part 30. The
brush body 10 may have a suction pathway 11 in fluid communication
with the extension pipe 121. The brush 20 may have a suction port
21 in fluid communication with the suction pathway 11 of the brush
body 10, and may be disposed to rotate with respect to an end of
the brush body 10 by a predetermined angle. As the brush assembly 1
moves in a direction, the brush 20 may rotate with respect to the
brush body 10 so that the sealing part 30 may form a gap G for
outside air to directly enter the suction pathway 11 of the brush
body 10 through. Then as the brush assembly 1 moves in a reverse
direction, the sealing part 30 may close the gap G The sealing part
30 may include an upper sealing 31 formed at a bottom end of the
suction pathway 11, and an under sealing 32 extending from the top
end of the suction port 21 of the brush 20 and sliding on the upper
sealing 31. As the brush assembly 1 moves in a direction, the brush
20 may rotate with respect to the brush body 10 so that a gap G
through which air may enter the suction pathway 11 of the brush
body 10 may be formed between a bottom end 31a of the upper sealing
31 and a top end 33a of the under sealing 32. In the present
embodiment, when the handle 123 is pushed, the brush assembly 1 may
move forward to allow the gap G of the sealing part 30 to open.
When the handle 123 is pulled, the brush assembly 1 may move
backward to allow the gap G of the sealing part 30 to close. The
brush body 10, the brush 20, and the sealing part 30 included as
part of the brush assembly 1 may be the same as the above
description.
[0038] When cleaning a carpet, a user powers on the vacuum cleaner
100, grasps the handle 123 of the extension pipe assembly 120, and
then pushes or pulls the brush assembly 1 so as to clean the
carpet. As the user grasps and pushes the handle 123, the brush
assembly 1 is moved forward. Then, the brush 20 may rotate with
respect to the brush body 10, thereby inclining downwardly with
respect to the brush body 10. As a result, a gap G may be formed
between the under sealing 32 of the brush 20 and the upper sealing
31 of the brush body 10. As the gap G is formed between the under
sealing 32 and the upper sealing 31, outside air D may directly
enter the suction pathway 11 through the gap G as shown in FIG. 8.
As outside air D directly enters the suction pathway 11, the
negative pressure applied to the suction port 21 may decrease, so
that magnitude of force required for the user to push the brush
assembly 1 is decreased. As a result, with the present invention,
it is more convenient for the user to clean the carpet as compared
with the conventional vacuum cleaner.
[0039] In more detail, when the user pulls the handle 123, the
brush assembly 1 is moved backward. At this time, the brush 20 may
remain parallel with the brush body 10 as shown in FIG. 3. As the
brush assembly 1 moves backward, magnitude of the negative pressure
applied to the suction port 21 is small (as described above), so
that a magnitude of the force required for the user to pull the
brush assembly 1 is not great.
[0040] In other words, when cleaning carpet using the vacuum
cleaner 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention,
the user is required to apply less force as compared with the
conventional vacuum cleaner. When pulling the brush assembly 1, the
user can clean by applying a force of substantially equal magnitude
to the force required for the conventional vacuum cleaner.
Therefore, with the present invention, it is more convenient for
the user to clean the carpet as compared with the conventional
vacuum cleaner.
[0041] While the embodiments of the present invention have been
described, additional variations and modifications of the
embodiments may occur to those skilled in the art once they learn
of the basic inventive concepts. Therefore, it is intended that the
appended claims shall be construed to include both the above
embodiments and all such variations and modifications that fall
within the spirit and scope of the invention.
* * * * *