U.S. patent application number 12/080339 was filed with the patent office on 2008-10-02 for dust receptacle and steam vaccum cleaner.
Invention is credited to Gyung-Hee Haan.
Application Number | 20080235899 12/080339 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39410615 |
Filed Date | 2008-10-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080235899 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Haan; Gyung-Hee |
October 2, 2008 |
Dust receptacle and steam vaccum cleaner
Abstract
The present invention provides a dust receptacle and a steam
vacuum cleaner using the same, wherein the dust receptacle
comprises an auxiliary filter in a dust collection bin to cause
dust to settle or be distributed evenly inside the dust collection
bin, and therefore to extend a cleaning cycle or replacement cycle
of a main filter.
Inventors: |
Haan; Gyung-Hee; (Seoul,
KR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ZUBER & TAILLIEU LLP
10866 WILSHIRE BLVD., SUITE 300
LOS ANGELES
CA
90024
US
|
Family ID: |
39410615 |
Appl. No.: |
12/080339 |
Filed: |
April 1, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/320 ; 15/350;
55/342 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F04D 25/082 20130101;
A47L 11/34 20130101; A47L 11/40 20130101; A47L 9/1409 20130101;
A47L 11/4097 20130101; A47L 9/122 20130101; F04D 29/70 20130101;
A47L 9/22 20130101; H02K 9/04 20130101; A47L 9/125 20130101; F04D
25/166 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
15/320 ; 15/350;
55/342 |
International
Class: |
A47L 9/10 20060101
A47L009/10; A47L 7/00 20060101 A47L007/00; A47L 5/28 20060101
A47L005/28 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 2, 2007 |
KR |
10-2007-0032449 |
Claims
1. A steam vacuum cleaner comprised of: a main body; a motor
assembly coupled to said main body; and a dust receptacle coupled
to said main body, wherein said dust receptacle includes a dust
collection bin having a main filter and an auxiliary filter which
are separated.
2. The steam vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the dust collection
bin includes a bin inlet having a door that is opened by force of
air being sucked into the collection bin and closed by gravity when
air is not sucked into the collection bin.
3. The steam vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary
filter has a trapezoidal shape.
4. The steam vacuum cleaner of claim 3, wherein the auxiliary
filter includes: a front face and a bottom face which are both
shut, a top face, a left lateral face and a rear face which are
both screened, and a right lateral face which is open.
5. The steam vacuum cleaner of claim 4, wherein the front face and
a bottom face of the auxiliary filter are both screened.
6. A dust receptacle for use within a steam vacuum cleaner,
comprising: a dust collection bin including a bin inlet, a bin
outlet, and a dust collecting chamber inside; a cover for
opening/closing the dust collection bin; a main filter mounted to
the bin exhaust of the dust collection bin; and an auxiliary filter
loaded in the dust collecting chamber and separated from the main
filter.
7. The dust receptacle of claim 6, wherein the bin inlet has a door
that is opened by force of air being sucked into the collection bin
and closed by gravity when air is not sucked into the collection
bin.
8. The dust receptacle of claim 6, wherein the auxiliary filter has
a trapezoidal shape.
9. The dust receptacle of claim 8, wherein the cover is provided
with a lateral pressing piece and a vertical pressing piece for
pressing and supporting the auxiliary filter in order to further
secure the auxiliary filter into place.
10. The dust receptacle of claim 8, wherein the auxiliary filter
includes: a front face and a bottom face which are both shut, a top
face, a left lateral face and a rear face which are both screened,
and a right lateral face which is open.
11. The dust receptacle of claim 10, wherein the front face and a
bottom face of the auxiliary filter are both screened.
12. A steam vacuum cleaner comprising: a base assembly having a
dust receptacle coupled to a suction nozzle; and a suction motor
coupled to said dust receptacle for sucking air in through the
suction nozzle and filtering said air through said dust receptacle;
wherein the dust receptacle is comprised of a dust collection bin
having a bin inlet, a bin outlet, and a dust collecting chamber;
and further wherein said dust collection bin includes a main filter
and a separate auxiliary filter.
13. The steam vacuum cleaner of claim 12, wherein the auxiliary
filter has a trapezoidal shape.
14. The steam vacuum cleaner of claim 13, wherein the auxiliary
filter includes: a front face and a bottom face which are both
shut, a top face, a left lateral face and a rear face which are
both screened, and a right lateral face which is open.
15. The steam vacuum cleaner of claim 14, wherein the front face
and a bottom face of the auxiliary filter are both screened.
16. The steam vacuum cleaner of claim 12 further comprising: a
cover for opening/closing the dust collection bin, said cover
having a lateral pressing piece and a vertical pressing piece for
pressing and supporting the auxiliary filter in order to further
secure the auxiliary filter into place.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE(S) TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present invention claims priority of Korean patent
application number 10-2007-0032449, filed on Apr. 2, 2007, which is
incorporated by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a dust receptacle bin used
within a steam vacuum cleaner, wherein the dust receptacle bin
includes an auxiliary filter and a main filter. The two filters are
separated and use of the auxiliary filter extends a cleaning cycle
or replacement cycle of the main filter.
[0003] Korean utility model registration Nos. 20-0404402 and
20-0413652 and Korean patent application publication No.
10-2007-0027895 all disclose a steam vacuum cleaner where a dust
collection bin, a suction motor, and a steam generator are all
installed in the main body of the vacuum. Because of this, the main
body of the vacuum cleaner very large (having an undesirable height
and width), making it difficult to maneuver the vacuum in order to
clean under and/or around certain objects such as a bed or
couch.
[0004] Additionally, because the main body of this vacuum is so
bulky and large, its contact area with the floor is larger than
many conventional vacuums. The larger the contact area with the
floor, the greater the friction or contact resistance encountered
when moving the vacuum, thereby requiring a bit more force to move
(e.g., push and pull) the vacuum. Accordingly, this type of vacuum
is less user friendly, making it more difficult to clean with this
type of vacuum.
[0005] Moreover, this prior art steam vacuum cleaner is built in a
manner such that ventilation air from the suction motor is
exhausted in a rearward direction, behind the main body. As a user
pushes and pulls the vacuum to and fro, this ventilation blows away
the dust on the floor in various directions, making use of this
prior art vacuum less efficient.
[0006] Addition, this type of prior art vacuum utilizes a
conventional dust collection bin which has a single filter
installed at a suction opening of the motor. This filter becomes
clogged up over time, and the filter must be removed and emptied
and/or replaced. The size, shape and location of the dust
collection bin makes removal and replacement difficult. Further, as
the filter becomes clogged, the efficiency (suction) of the motor
is decreased, thereby reducing the efficiency of the motor.
[0007] Still another adverse effect of the related art steam vacuum
cleaner is that when in use for steam cleaning and/or vacuum
cleaning, it is highly possible that the sucked-up steam enters the
motor and causes an electrical short.
[0008] Lastly, the related art steam vacuum cleaner uses a wet
motor designed to suck air in from the front and discharge the air
to a rear side. This type of motor has a low cooling efficiency.
The cool air sucked into the motor and the warm air exhausted from
the motor are not separated, and the motor can, at times, overheat.
In order to compensate for this inefficiency, a larger motor
(having a larger intake capacity) is used in order to draw more
cool air into the system and keep the motor cool during
operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] To address deficiencies of the related art, it is,
therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a dust
receptacle for use within a steam vacuum cleaner, in which the dust
receptacle is built in a manner to make dust settle or be
distributed evenly around the entire dust collection bin, so a user
may use the dust collection bin for an extended period of time and
does not need to empty the dust collection bin too often.
[0010] In accordance with the present invention, there is provided
a dust receptacle for a steam vacuum cleaner, comprising: a dust
collection bin including a bin inlet; a bin outlet; a cover for
opening/closing the dust collection bin; a main filter mounted to
the bin exhaust of the dust collection bin; and an auxiliary filter
loaded in the dust collection bin and separated from the main
filter. More specifically, in a preferred embodiment, one side of
the auxiliary filter is supported by a divider for separating the
auxiliary and main filters. According to this configuration, dust
settles or is distributed evenly around the entire dust collection
bin, so a user may use the dust collection bin for an extended
period of time and does not need to empty the dust collection bin
too often.
[0011] In addition, a cover is provided with a pressing piece for
pressing and supporting both lateral sides of the auxiliary filter,
such that the auxiliary filter can be installed stably and
securely.
[0012] Preferably the auxiliary filter is rectangular in shape and
is built in a manner that the front and lower faces are
blocked/closed, the upper, rear and left lateral faces are formed
into screens, and the lower and right lateral faces are open (with
the right lateral side arranged facing the main filter). This
structural feature makes the dust settle or distribute evenly.
[0013] The other objectives and advantages of the invention will be
understood by the following description and will also be
appreciated by the embodiments of the invention more clearly.
Further, the objectives and advantages of the invention will
readily be seen that they can be realized by the means and its
combination specified in the claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a steam vacuum cleaner
according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of FIG. 1;
[0016] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a base assembly
having a dust collection bin being removed therefrom;
[0017] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the base assembly
having a dust collection bin being installed therein;
[0018] FIG. 5a is an exploded perspective view of a dust
receptacle;
[0019] FIG. 5b is an exploded perspective view of an auxiliary
filter;
[0020] FIG. 6 is an assembled perspective view of a dust receptacle
without a cover;
[0021] FIG. 7 is a bottom perspective view of FIG. 6 having a
bedplate being removed therefrom;
[0022] FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of a motor;
[0023] FIG. 9 is an assembled perspective view of FIG. 8;
[0024] FIG. 10 is a rear perspective view showing the interior of a
main assembly;
[0025] FIG. 11 is an exploded rear perspective view of the steam
vacuum cleaner having a water bag being detached therefrom;
[0026] FIG. 12 is an exploded rear perspective view of a manually
depressible release button for a water bag;
[0027] FIG. 13 is an assembled sectional view of FIG. 12; and
[0028] FIG. 14 is a rear perspective view of the steam vacuum
cleaner having the cover of an exhaust being opened.
DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS
[0029] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention
will be set forth in detail with reference to the accompanying
drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily carry out the
invention. Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a front perspective
view of a steam vacuum cleaner according to a preferred embodiment
of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the
steam vacuum cleaner of FIG. 1. Referring to these figures (FIGS. 1
and 2), the steam vacuum cleaner is largely constituted by a base
assembly 100, a main assembly 500, and a neck assembly 300 which is
connected between the base assembly 100 and the main assembly
500.
[0030] In a preferred embodiment, the main assembly 500 has a pipe
550 extending therefrom and to which a length-adjustable mop handle
600 is connected in a detachable manner. The mop handle 600 is
preferably comprised of a telescopic stick and a handle.
[0031] Referring still to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the base assembly 100
is comprised of a main body 110 which preferably includes a
bedplate 130 and an upper cover 150, which forms and encloses a
vacuum cleaning section installed within the main body 110.
[0032] Referring to FIG. 3, the bedplate 130 is provided with a
suction nozzle 131 located at the front of the bedplate, and a
steam ejection port 133 preferably located toward the rear of the
bedplate. In a preferred embodiment, the area around the steam
ejection port 133 on a bottom side of the bedplate 130 is formed
from a Velcro type adhesive face 135 to which a pad is attached for
cleaning (See FIG. 2). The front side of the bedplate 130 is
preferably formed of a bumper 140 made of elastic materials like
rubber or plastic, such that the main body 110 can be protected as
much as possible from breaking and cracks due to collision with a
wall or other obstacle during use for cleaning.
[0033] A dust collection bin mount groove 160 to which a dust
receptacle 200 (See FIG. 5A) may be removably mounted is formed at
the front upper side of the upper cover 150, and a motor mount
groove to which a suction motor 800 is mounted is formed at the
rear lower side of the upper cover 150.
[0034] The front face of the dust collection bin mount groove 160
has a suction duct 190 (See FIG. 7) which leads to an inlet 211 of
said dust receptable 200 when it is mounted within the dust
collection bin mount groove 160.
[0035] The rear side of the dust collection bin mount groove 160
has a first through hole 161 (FIG. 3) where an impeller casing (as
described in greater detail further hereinafter) of a suction motor
is arranged. The rear side of the dust collection bin mount groove
160 also includes a second through hole 163 which leads to a cold
air intake duct (as described in greater detail further
hereinafter) is arranged. Finally, the rear side of the dust
collection bin mount groove 160 includes a third through hole 165
which leads to an air exhaust duct (as described in greater detail
further hereinafter).
[0036] Preferably, the dust collection bin mount groove 160 further
has a rib 167 that functions to fasten the dust receptacle 200 to
some degree, leaving a small space between the inner circumference
face of the dust collection bin mount groove 160 and the outer
circumference face of the dust receptacle 200 when it is mounted
within the groove. This space serves as a channel for cold air to
enter from a cold air intake duct 853 through the second through
hole 163 on the rear side of the dust collection bin mount groove
160 and for hot air to flow out through the third through hole 165
and an air exhaust duct 855.
[0037] The upper cover 150 preferably has hollow hinges 310 and 320
formed at opposite sides of its rear portion. The neck assembly 300
is connected rotatably to these hinges 310 and 320, thereby
coupling the main assembly to the base assembly in a rotatable
fashion. In a preferred embodiment, air coming out of the vacuum is
exhausted through an exhaust section of the main assembly 300.
[0038] The dust receptacle 200, as depicted in FIGS. 4 through 6,
includes a dust collection bin 210 and a cover 230 for
opening/closing the dust collection bin 210. The cover 230 is
positioned at the top of the bin and prevents water or steam which
may have flown into the dust collection bin 210 from leaking out of
the bin. The front face of the dust collection bin 210 has a bin
inlet 211 which couples with the suction duct 190 of the dust
collection bin mount groove 160. The bin inlet 211 preferably has a
door 212 that is open by the force of air being sucked in and
closed by the gravity when the force disappears. The operating
mechanism of the door 212 stops dust flying away from the bin inlet
211 when the cleaner is not in use.
[0039] The rear face of the dust collection bin 210 also has a
filter mount opening 213 to accept a main filter section 250. The
filter mount opening 213 functions as a ventilation/exhaust outlet
for guiding the air having passed through the main filter section
250 towards the suction motor.
[0040] In addition, hanger pieces 215 and 216 are formed at the
front and rear faces of the dust collection bin 210. In
correspondence to thereto, safety bars 235 and 236 are formed at
the front and rear faces of the cover 230. The hanger pieces 215
and 216 are preferably positioned in a manner such that the major
axes at both sides of the center can rotate about the dust
collection bin 210. With respect to the major axis, a spring is
inserted below the major axis and a stopper is provided above the
major axis. Therefore, when the hanger piece 215 or 216 below is
pressed down, the spring is compressed for seesaw operation with an
upper portion being pushed out and the hanger piece 235 or 236 is
rendered in the lock released state. Meanwhile, when the hanger
piece 215 or 216 is released, it returns to its original position
by spring force. A stopper checks extreme rotations of the hanger
pieces 215 and 216 by the resilient force of the spring, and guides
them to go to their original positions parallel to each other.
[0041] The safety bar 235 is composed of a locking jaw 235a and a
support piece 235b. In particular, the support piece 235b is formed
into a rib. When the hanger piece 215 is locked on the locking jaw
235a, the rib shape support piece 235b makes a line contact with
the dust collection bin 210 so that one can easily engage or
disengage it without much effort. The hinge structure for the
hanger pieces 215 and 216 facilitates opening and closing of the
cover 230 of the dust collection bin 210. That is, a user simply
pushes the cover 230 down to connect it to the dust collection bin
210. Meanwhile, the user opens the cover 230 simply by pressing the
hanger piece 215 or 216 and rotating the cover 230 toward the
hanger piece 215 or 216. As the cover 230 is opened or closed
easily and smoothly, the dust collection bin does not shake when
the user opens the cover, such that dust kept in the dust
collection bin does not easily fly out of the bin. To help the user
pull out the dust receptacle 200 even more conveniently, a lift
groove 237 is formed at both sides of the cover 230. The lift
groove 237 is recessed in an L shape in size of a finger.
[0042] A main filter section 250 is mounted to the filter mount
opening 213 of the dust collection bin 210. The main filter section
250 is composed of a main filter 251 and a filter support frame 253
to support the main filter 251. The main filter 251 filters the air
having passed through the dust collection bin 210 into the motor
assembly 800. The main filter 251 is preferably comprised of a
fabric and adhered onto the filter support frame 253.
[0043] The dust collection bin 210 preferably further includes an
auxiliary filter 260. The auxiliary filter 260 is preferably formed
in a trapezoidal shape having a gradually increasing surface area
from left to right, so that air flow may not be bottlenecked and
suction/exhaust efficiencies may be improved. Hence, a mixture of
coarse dust and fine dust accumulated in the dust collection bin
210 settles or is distributed evenly around the auxiliary filter
260, so the user does not need to empty the dust collection bin 210
too often. In particular, the fact that the accumulation of dust in
the main filter 215 is discouraged as much as possible lightens the
burden of emptying the dust receptacle frequently.
[0044] Referring to FIG. 5a, the auxiliary filter 260 has a
trapezoidal and/or rectangular shape, in which front face 261 and
bottom face 263 are shut; top face 265, left lateral face 266 and
rear face 268 are all screened; and, right lateral face 267 is
open. The front face 261 and the bottom face 263 are arranged at an
upper portion of the bin inlet 211 to be faced with each other. In
this way, incoming dust, particularly coarse dust, can be led to
and accumulated in areas other than the front face 261 and the
bottom face 263. The right lateral face 267 is disposed to face the
main filter section 250. The top face 265 and the rear face 268 are
configured in a detachable manner, as depicted in FIG. 5b. To be
more specific, detachable projections 265a and 268a formed at the
top screen 265 and the rear screen 268 are detachably inserted into
grooves 265b and 268b formed at the frame of the auxiliary filter
260. These are conveniently used for assembly or cleaning.
[0045] In a preferred embodiment, the front face 261, the bottom
face 263, and the left lateral face 266 of the auxiliary filter 260
can be made as separable individual elements, and the front face
261 and the bottom face 263 can take a screen structure as
well.
[0046] The auxiliary filter 260 is supported by a separator 270 and
a support 273, the separator 270 isolating a mount chamber 255 to
which the main filter section 260 is mounted from a dust collecting
chamber 213. The separator 270 preferably has a receiving groove
271 to receive a lower portion of the front face 261 of the
auxiliary filter therein.
[0047] An insertion protrusion 274 is formed at the upper end of
the support 273 to be inserted into an insertion opening 279 formed
at the left hand side of the auxiliary filter 260 for support.
[0048] To prevent the auxiliary filter 260 from being separated
upwardly, a pressing piece 257 to press a right lateral top face
269 of the auxiliary filter 260, and an insertion groove 277 to
press the insertion opening 279 being engaged with the insertion
protrusion 274 are formed at an inner face of the cover 230.
[0049] Referring next to FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, the motor assembly 800
is constituted by a motor 810, an impeller casing 830, and a
motor-cooling casing 850. The motor 810 is composed of a motor
drive unit 811 provided with a cooling fan, and an impeller 813 to
receive power from the motor drive unit 811. The motor 810 is
mounted to the motor mount groove 180, as depicted in FIG. 7. The
impeller 813 has a structure to suck air in the rotation axis
direction and exhaust the air in the circumference direction, and
it protects the motor drive unit 811 from moisture intrusion. The
impeller casing 830 is composed of a circumferential case 831
designed to surround and enclose the impeller 813. The impeller
casing further includes a suction case 833 through which air is
drawn by the impeller 813. The suction case 833 is preferably
coupled to the first through hole 161 of the duct collection bin
mount groove 160 when the motor assembly is coupled to the main
body of the vacuum.
[0050] The impeller casing 830 is coupled to the motor cooling
casing 850, thereby forming a housing for encasing the entire
motor. The motor-cooling casing has an exhaust port 835 through
which the air down in by the impeller is exhausted. Because the
exhaust port 835 stands at right angles to the circumference
direction, the air being exhausted through the exhaust port 835
travels in a longitudinal direction of the motor drive unit 811,
consequently improving cooling efficiency. The improvement in
cooling efficiency opens up the possibility of using a motor 810
having a relatively small capacity. That is, a small size, light
weighted, and low noise motor can be advantageously used for the
cleaner.
[0051] The motor-cooling casing 850 also preferably has, in its
circumference face, a cold air intake duct 853 (which is connected
to the second through hole 163 of the duct collection bin mount
groove 160 when the motor assembly is coupled to the main body of
the vacuum), and an air exhaust duct 855 (which is connected to the
third through hole 165 of the duct collection bin mount groove 160
when the motor assembly is coupled to the main body of the vacuum).
When the cooling fan 815 of the motor drive unit 810 starts
operating, cold air in the main body 110 is sucked into the cold
air intake duct 853. This cold sucked air flows toward the cooling
fan 815, taking away heat being produced. The heated air collides
with the walls of the dust collecting bin 210 of the bin mount
groove 160 in its way out through the air exhaust duct 855. This
cooling flow of the motor drive unit 810 makes it possible to carry
out the high efficiency suction at a given capacity even if a
smaller size motor 810 is used. Moreover, since the hot air is
exhausted after colliding with the walls of the dust collecting bin
210, less floor dust is scattered and the noise is reduced to lower
levels.
[0052] Preferably, a flow separation packing 860 is further
provided between the air intake duct 853 and the air exhaust duct
855 such that when cold air enters the motor casing 850, it is led
into the motor drive unit 810, and then hot air flows out of the
unit, along the outer circumference face of the motor drive unit
810, where it is exhausted through the air exhaust duct 855. In
this way, the incoming air and the exhausted air do not meet each
other, and the cooling efficiency is therefore enhanced even more.
In a preferred embodiment, the motor cooling casing 850 is made of
a transparent material as shown in FIG. 9 such that one can see
assembly condition of the flow separation packing 860 with the
naked eye.
[0053] Mount pieces 837 and 857 to be mounted to the motor mount
groove 180 are formed at the suction case 833 and the motor cooling
casing 850, respectively. The motor cooling casing 850 also have a
cord withdrawal hole 856 from which a cord used for supplying power
to the motor is extended.
[0054] Referring next to FIG. 10, the neck assembly 300 is formed
into a fork shape. The neck assembly 300 can be divided into a
front neck case 330 and a rear neck case 340. Lower ends of both
neck cases are connected by hinges 310 and 320, and upper ends
thereof are connected to front and rear mount cases 510 and 520,
respectively.
[0055] The neck cases 330 and 340, together form an empty
cylindrical case which serves as a guide passage in order to guide
exhausted air from the motor to an exhaust section 700 (to be
described) of the main assembly 500. Each of the neck cases 330 and
340 includes a wire for connecting a printed circuit board (PCB),
which may be mounted in the main assembly 500 and/or the motor
assembly 800. Each of the neck cases 330 and 340 further includes a
tube for connecting a heater 575 and a steam ejection port 133.
[0056] A front mount case 510 has a partition 529 for dividing the
space into an area with the PCB and an area with a steam generator
570, such that the exhausted air may not flow towards the PCB.
Also, as shown in FIG. 10, the front neck case 330 is united with
the front mount case 510 of the main assembly, while the rear neck
case 340 is separated from the rear mount case 520. Therefore, the
rear mount case 520 is first assembled to the front mount case 510,
and the rear neck case 340 is assembled to the front neck case 330
next.
[0057] In a preferred embodiment, an outer lateral face of the
lower end of the rear mount case 520 has a step height, while an
inner lateral face of the upper end of the rear neck case 340 has a
step height. Thus, these two cases are assembled to each other by
bringing them in touch with each other. Based on this assembly
structure, the rear neck case 340 and the rear mount case 520 can
be detached separately. As such, if the PCB or the steam generator
570 needs to be repaired, only the rear mount case 520 can be
disassembled, improving after-sale service quality.
[0058] The main assembly 500 is composed of housings (i.e. a front
mount case 510 and a rear mount case 520), and the steam generator
570 loaded at the housings. The front mount case 510 is provided
with the steam generator. The steam generator 570 is composed of a
water bag 571, a pump for pumping water in the water bag 571, and a
heater 575 for heating the pumped water and generating steam. An
instantaneous-heating type water heater is used for the heater 575.
The water bag 571 is detachably installed at a mount space 522 that
is formed at the outer face of the rear mount case 520.
[0059] In a preferred embodiment, a fastening projection 571a that
receives an elastic force towards the surface is formed at the
upper face of the water bag 571, and a water discharge port 571b is
formed at the lower face thereof. The fastening projection 571a
receives the elastic force from springs built into the case 571 of
the water bag 571, which project upward, toward the surface. When
the water bag 571 is placed at the mount space 522, the fastening
projection 571b is inserted into a fastening opening 910, and a
water inlet port 571b is connected to a (male) nipple 523. The male
nipple 523 is insertedly coupled into a female nipple 513 connected
to a pump 573. Therefore, when the front mount case 510 and the
rear mount case 520 are connected, the female nipple 513 and the
male nipple 523 are automatically connected. This feature
represents improvements in assembly and connectability.
[0060] Additionally, the rear face of the water bag 571 has an
insertion groove 571 into which an insertion projection 521 formed
at the mount space 522 is inserted, thereby ensuring a firm, stable
installment.
[0061] Detaching the water bag 571 is made possible by a detachable
member 900 installed at the rear mount case 520. Referring to FIG.
12 and FIG. 13, the detachable member 900 is constituted by a dome
shaped button 930 enclosing the outer and inner sides of a guide
920 that is protrusively formed at the rear mount case 520, a
pushing piece 940 for pushing the fastening projection 571a of the
water bag 571, a separation prevention piece 950 for preventing the
separation of the pushing piece 940, and a spring 960 interposed
between the separation prevention piece 950 and the pushing piece
940.
[0062] The dome shaped button 930 is disposed at an upper through
hole 970 formed at an upper frame 525 of the rear mount case 520,
and the pushing piece 940 is disposed at a lower through hole 910
formed at a lower frame 526 of the rear mount case 520. Thus, a
space 527 where the separation prevention piece 950 is held is
created between the upper frame 525 and the lower frame 526. This
upper-lower frame structure creates the space 527 for the
detachable member 900 at the inner face of the rear mount case 520,
and the water mount space 522 at the outer face the rear mount case
520. This is desirable from the perspective of saving the mount
space for the water bag 571 and the detachable member 900.
[0063] The dome type button 930 is composed of a body 931, a
horizontally extended portion 933 extending in a horizontal
direction from the body 931, and a vertically extended portion 935
extending in a vertical direction from a free end of the
horizontally extended portion 933. A groove 937 between the
horizontally extended portion 933 and the vertically extended
portion 935 encloses the outside and inside of a guide 920 which is
protruded upwardly from the upper frame 525. This structure
protects the housings 510 and 510 from water invasion via a through
hole 970, and effectively prevents a possible accident of electric
shock received by a person who conducts an electric shock test by
spraying water thereto. The separation prevention piece 950 is
prevented from being separated upwardly as its upper end is blocked
by the upper frame 525.
[0064] Preferably, the button 930, the pushing piece 940, and the
separation prevention piece 950 are coupled together by means of
piece 901. In order to prevent water invasion into the piece 901
area, a packing 903 is inserted into a center hollow portion of the
button 930.
[0065] To see how the detachable member 900 works, the water bag
571 being installed makes the fastening projection 571a to be
inserted into the through hole 910. In this state, when the button
930 is pressed, it descends along the guide 920 and pushes the
fastening projection 571a with the pushing piece 940. Here, the
portion of the fastening projection 571a pushed by the pushing
piece 940 is tilted. Thus, when the fastening projection 571a is
pushed by this tiled portion, the water bag 571 comes out
automatically at user's convenience. As such, the fastening
projection 571a escapes from the through hole 910, and the water
bag 571 is easily detached by pulling.
[0066] Referring to FIG. 10, FIG. 11, and FIG. 14, the exhaust
section 700 is composed of an exhaust groove 730 formed at the rear
mount case 520, a filter 720 mounted to the exhaust groove 730, and
a filter cover 710 for closing/opening the exhaust groove 730.
Since the exhaust groove 730 is formed in communication with the
front mount case 510, it is preferable to be formed into a net
shape frame to be able to prevent the separation of the filter 720.
The filter 720 is preferably a HEPA filter to be able to filter
fine dust and discharge exhausted gas to outside after sucking in
the exhausted gas once. In this way, air discharge rate is reduced,
noise is reduced to lower levels, and floor dust is not scattered
by the discharged air flow. In particular, since the exhaust
section 700 is disposed at the main assembly 500, being away from
the floor, it hardly causes the floor dust to fly around.
[0067] The filter cover 710 is composed of a cover plate 711
provided with an exhaust hole 712, a detachable projection 713
formed at the upper and lower faces of the cover plate 711, and an
operation unit 715 for operating the detachable projection 713. The
detachable projection 713 is inserted into a groove 714 formed at
the upper and lower inner circumference faces of the exhaust groove
730.
[0068] The operation unit 715 is composed of a switch used to pull
the detachable projection 713 and recess it toward the cover plate
711, and a spring that is bounced out toward the surface by the
detachable projection 713 when the switch is released. The
operation unit 715 has similar functions to the detachable member
900 of the water bag 571.
[0069] While the dust receptacle for a steam vacuum cleaner of the
present invention has been described with respect to the specific
embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that
various changes and modifications may be made without departing
from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the
following claims. For instance, although the steam vacuum cleaner
according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is
configured in three parts: a base assembly, a neck assembly, and it
may comprise only two parts: a base assembly and a mop handle
assembly. Here, the mop handle assembly includes a mopstick with
one end being rotatably supported to the base assembly. Further, a
steam generator 570 may be provided on the mopstick, and a dust
collecting channel may be formed outside or inside the
mopstick.
[0070] As explained explicitly so far, the steam vacuum cleaner of
the present invention has the following advantages. First, a dust
receptacle for a steam vacuum cleaner includes: a dust collection
bin including a bin inlet, a bin outlet, and a dust collecting
chamber inside; a cover for opening/closing the dust collection
bin; a main filter mounted to the bin exhaust of the dust
collection bin; and an auxiliary filter loaded in the dust
collecting chamber. Under this configuration, dust settles or is
distributed evenly around the entire dust collection bin, so a user
may use the dust collection bin for an extended period of time and
does not need to empty the dust collection bin too often.
[0071] Additionally, one side of the auxiliary filter is supported
by a divider for dividing the main filter from the dust collecting
chamber, and the other side of the auxiliary filter is supported by
a support installed at the dust collecting bin. Therefore, since
the dust collecting chamber is installed separately from the main
filter mount chamber, the cleaning cycle of the main filter can be
extended and the support reduces space occupied by the auxiliary
filter in the dust collecting chamber, resulting in an increase in
the dust collection efficiency. Further, the cover is provided with
a pressing piece for pressing and supporting both lateral sides of
the auxiliary filter, such that the auxiliary filter can be
installed stably and securely.
[0072] Finally, the auxiliary filter is built in a manner that the
front and lower faces are blocked, the upper, rear and left lateral
faces are formed into screens, the lower face is arranged at least
above the bin inlet, and the right lateral side is arranged facing
the main filter. With this configuration, a mixture of dust enters
through the bin inlet below the lower face of the auxiliary filter,
and coarse dust settles first in areas other than the right lateral
face and the lower face of the auxiliary filter and then in the
lower area of the auxiliary filter. As dust is distributed evenly
around the dust collection bin in this manner, a user can
conveniently use the dust collection bin for an extended period of
time without having to empty it so often.
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