Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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VACUUM CLEANER
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims benefit under 35 U.S.C. ~ 119(a) of Korean
Patent Application
No. 2005-24474, filed March 24, 2005, the entire contents of which are
incorporated herein by
reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner. More particularly,
the present
invention relates to a detachable-type upright vacuum cleaner in which a
cleaner body can be
separated from a frame.
2. Description of the Related Art
(0003] An upright vacuum cleaner is convenient to clean a broad floor.
However, since it is
not handy to clean cumbersome surfaces such as a narrow space, a top surface
of furniture, or a
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ceiling, improved upright vacuum cleaners to overcome such a defect have been
introduced and
disclosed in Korean Patent Registration Nos. 10-474081, 10-474083 and 10-
474087 filed by the
application of the present application. In the improved upright vacuum
cleaners, a cleaner body
can be separated from a cleaner frame so that such cumbersome surfaces can be
cleaned by
carrying only the cleaner body being separated.
[0004] In the above-registered detachable-type upright vacuum cleaners, a
rotary brush for
scattering dust on a surface being cleaned is pivotably mounted to a frame of
the upright vacuum
cleaner, and the cleaner body is removably connected to the frame. A suction
brush has a light for
user's convenience. In order to supply power for the rotary brush and the
light, the suction brush
and the cleaner body are electrically connected through a wiring device.
[0005] According to a conventional wiring device, an electrically wired pin is
mounted in the
suction brush and a socket connected with the pin is mounted with the cleaner
body, so that the
cleaner body and the suction brush are electrically connected by the pin and
the socket.
(0006] However, as the cleaner body is separated from the suction brush by a
user over and
over, durability of the wiring device can be deteriorated. In other words,
without a dedicated
structure for supporting the electric wires connected to the pin and the
socket, a load generated
during separation and mounting of the cleaner body may be operated on a
connection point
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between the electric wires of the pin and the socket, thereby breaking the
connection point.
Furthermore, when the plurality of pins and the sockets are assembled without
any dedicated
insulator, spark may be generated by short-circuit at the connection point.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] An aspect of the present invention is to solve at least the above
problems and/or
disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages described below.
Accordingly, an aspect of
the present invention is to provide a wiring device for a detachable-type
upright vacuum cleaner,
capable of preventing generation of spark by disconnection and short-circuit
in spite of frequent
separation and mounting between a cleaner body and a suction brush, and a
detachable-type
upright vacuum cleaner having the same.
[0008] In order to achieve the above-described aspects of the present
invention, there is
provided a vacuum cleaner of which a cleaner body is detachable comprising a
suction brush, a
cleaner body detachably mounted on an upper portion of the suction brush and
having a suction
fan for generating a suction force and a dust receptacle for collecting dust
therein, and first and
second cable units mounted in the suction brush and the cleaner body,
respectively. The first and
the second cable units are connected so that electricity is applied to the
suction brush when the
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vacuum cleaner is used with the cleaner body mounted on the upper portion of
the suction brush,
and disconnected so that the electricity is shut off with respect to the
suction brush when only the
cleaner body is used, being separated from the suction brush. The first cable
unit comprises a
plurality of plug pins connected with an electric wire, a pin housing having a
plurality of
connection grooves disposed at certain intervals for insertion of the plug
pins, and a plug
supporter fixing the plug pins at the rear side of the plug pins.
[0009] The plug pins are configured in a manner so that a portion mounted in
the pin housing
has a larger diameter than a portion exposed to the outside of the pin
housing.
[0010] The connection groove includes a support part, which supports a stepped
portion
formed on the outer circumference of the plug pin.
[0011] An exterior of the first cable unit, in which the plug pin, the pin
housing and the plug
supporter are assembled, is implemented by molding of polyvinyl chloride
(PVC).
[0012] The second cable unit comprises a plurality of pin sockets receiving
the plurality of
plug pins; an outlet cover supporting one ends of the pin sockets; and a pin
socket housing
supporting the other ends of the pin sockets.
[0013] The outlet cover comprises a plurality of hollow depressions for
receiving and fixing
the pin sockets.
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[0014] Three plug pins and three pin sockets are provided to supply power for
different
objects, respectively.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES
[0015] The above aspect and other features of the present invention will
become more
apparent by describing in detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference
to the attached
drawing figures, wherein;
[0016] FIG 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner according to an
embodiment of the
present invention;
[0017] FIG 2 is a view extractingly showing a frame of the vacuum cleaner
according to an
embodiment of the present invention;
[0018] FICA 3 is a perspective view of a lower surface of a cleaner body,
according to an
embodiment of the present invention;
[0019] FIG 4 is a perspective view of first and second cable units according
to an
embodiment of the present invention;
[0020] FIG. 5 is an exploded, perspective view showing an inner structure of
the first cable
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unit, according to an embodiment of the present invention; and
[0021] FIG 6 is an exploded, perspective view showing an inner structure of
the second cable
unit, according to an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
[0022] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described
in detail with
reference to the accompanying drawing figures.
[0023] The matters defined in the description such as a detailed construction
and elements are
nothing but the ones provided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of
the invention. Thus,
it is apparent that the present invention can be carried out without those
defined matters. Also,
well-known functions or constructions are not described in detail since they
would obscure the
invention in unnecessary detail.
[0024] FIG 1 is a perspective view of an upright vacuum cleaner according to
an embodiment
of the present invention.
[0025] As shown in the drawing, the upright vacuum cleaner comprises a frame
10, a suction
brush 20, a cleaner body 30 and a seating guide 40.
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[0026] The frame 10 constructs an exterior skeleton of the upright vacuum
cleaner and has a
handle 13 for a user to grip at an upper part thereof. The cleaner body 30 is
connected detachably
in the center portion of the frame 10.
[0027] The suction brush 20 is pivotably mounted at a lower portion of the
frame 10. The
suction brush 20 comprises a rotary brush 23 for separating and scattering
dust on a surface
being cleaned by beating the surface and a light 25 used when cleaning a dark
place.
[0028] The seating guide 40 is disposed between the suction brush 20 and the
cleaner body 30
so as to prevent escape of the cleaner body 30 from the frame 10. As shown in
FICx 2, the seating
guide 40 comprises a first socket 41, a first communication path 42, and a
supporting projection
43. The first socket 41 is equipped with a first cable unit 110 for supplying
power to the rotary
brush 23 and the light 25 mounted in the suction brush 20, as shown in FIG 1.
[0029] The communication path 42 guides dust-laden air, which is drawn in
through the
suction brush 20 into the cleaner body 30. The supporting projection 43
supports the lower
portion of the cleaner body 30 so as to prevent the cleaner body 30 from
escaping from its
position on the frame 10.
[0030] The cleaner body 30 detachably mounted with respect to the frame 10,
includes therein
a vacuum fan (not shown) generating a negative pressure and a dust receptacle.
As shown in FIG.
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3, the cleaner body 30 comprises a second socket 31 having a corresponding
form to the first
socket 41 and assembled with the first socket 41, a second communication path
32 connected
with the first communication path 42, and a supporting groove 33 receiving the
supporting
projection 43. A second cable unit 120 is mounted at the second socket 31 in
connection with a
power supply unit. The second cable unit 120 is connected and disconnected
with respect to the
first cable unit 110 according to separation and mounting of the cleaner body
30.
(0031] In the above-structured vacuum cleaner, when the vacuum cleaner is used
with the
cleaner body 30 mounted at an upper portion of the suction brush 20, the
suction brush 20 is
applied with electricity by connection of the first and the second cable units
110 and 120. When
only the cleaner body 30 is used, as separated from the suction brush 20, is
used, the suction
brush 20 is cut off with the power supply by disconnection between the first
and the second cable
units 110 and 120.
[0032] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the first cable unit 110 comprises a first
terminal 111, a
plug 112 and an electric wire W 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the first cable unit
110 is mounted in the
first socket formed in the seating guide 40.
[0033] The first terminal 111 is connected with a driving motor (not shown)
transmitting the
power to the rotary brush 23 and with the light 25. Also, the first terminal
111 is connected with
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the plug 112 through the electric wire W 1.
[0034] The exterior of the plug 112 is implemented by molding of polyvinyl
chloride (PVC).
The plug 112, as shown in FIG 5, comprises therein a plug pin 113 connected
with the electric
wire W1, a pin housing 114, and a plug supporter 115. The plug pin 113 is made
of an
electrically conductive material.
[0035] A plurality of the plug pins 113 may be provided. In FIG 5, three plug
pins 113 are
provided according to an embodiment of the present invention. The three plug
pins are divided
into a pin for supplying power to the driving motor which operates the rotary
brush 23, a pin for
supplying power to the light 25, and a ground pin. As shown in FIG 5, the plug
pin 113 is
formed stepwise in the diameter in a manner that a first portion 113a mounted
in the pin housing
114 has a larger diameter than a second portion 113b projected to the outside
of the pin housing
114.
[0036] The pin housing 114 is made of a nonconductor and comprises a
connection groove
114a, a via-hole 114b formed in the connection groove 114a, and a support part
114c. Being
respectively received in the connection grooves 114a, the plug pins 113 are
insulated from one
another. The plug pin 113 being inserted in the connection groove 114a is
passed through the via-
hole 114b and exposed to the outside of the plug 112 by one end thereof. The
support part 114c
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supports a stepped portion 113c defined by the first and second portions 113a,
113b of the plug
pin 113 so as to prevent escape of the plug pin 113 from the plug 112 through
the via-hole 114b.
To this end, the via-hole 114b preferably has a smaller inner diameter than
the largest diameter of
the plug pin 113.
[0037] The plug supporter 115 fixes the plug pins 113 being seated on the
connection grooves
114a and comprises plug pin supporting projections 115a formed to correspond
to the plug pins
113 and fit into the connection grooves 114a.
[0038] Since the plug pins 113 inserted in the connection grooves 114a are
fixed between the
support parts 114c and the plug pin supporting projections 115a, the plug pins
113 do not move
during separation and connection of the plug 112. Accordingly, no load is
applied to a connection
point between the electric wire W 1 and the plug pin 113 when connecting and
separating the
plug 112. After assembling sequentially the plug pins 113, the pin housings
114 and the plug
supporters 115, the exterior of the assembly is overmolded so that the plug
pins 113 and the
electric wires W are more stably fixed. Accordingly, disconnection and short-
circuit can be
prevented.
[0039] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the second cable unit 120 comprises a second
terminal 121,
an outlet 122 and an electric wire W2. As shown in FIG 3, the second cable
unit 120 is mounted
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in the second socket 31 formed in the cleaner body 30.
[0040] The second terminal 121 is connected with the power supply unit (not
shown) formed
in the cleaner body 30 to supply the power to the second cable unit 120.
[0041] The exterior of the outlet 122 is implemented by molding of polyvinyl
chloride (PVC).
The outlet 122 comprises therein a pin socket 123, a pin socket housing 124,
and an outlet cover
125. The pin socket 123 is connected with the electric wire W2.
[0042] The pin socket 123 is formed as a pipe having an inner diameter
corresponding to a
diameter of the second portion 113b of plug pin 113 so as to receive the plug
pin 113 therein.
Also, the pin socket 123 is in connection with the electric wire W2 to be
supplied with power.
[0043] The pin socket housing 124 supports the respective pin sockets 123 and
determines
locations for mounting the pin sockets 123. For this, the respective pin
sockets 123 are engaged
with seating grooves 124a formed at the pin socket housing 124.
[0044] The outlet cover 125 comprises hollow depressions 125a for respectively
receiving the
pin sockets 123 being engaged with the pin socket housing 124, thereby
insulating the pin
sockets 123 from one another. As shown in FIG 6, one end 127 of the hollow
depression 125a,
in which the electric wire W2 is inserted, has a smaller diameter than an
outer diameter of the pin
socket 123 so that the pin sockets 123 are more stably fixed.
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[0045] As described above, in the second cable unit 120, when the pin sockets
123 connected
with the electric wire W2 are fixed between the pin socket housing 124 and the
outlet cover 125,
the pin sockets 123 do not move even during separation and mounting of the
plug pins 113 with
respect to the pin sockets 123. Therefore, no load is applied to a connection
point between the
pin socket 123 and the electric wire W2 when mounting and separating the plug
pins 113. After
assembling sequentially the pin sockets 123, the pin socket housing 124 and
the outlet cover 125,
the exterior of the assembly is overmolded so that the plug pins 113 and the
electric wires W are
more stably fixed. Accordingly, disconnection and short-circuit can be
prevented.
[0046] As can be appreciated from the description of an embodiment of the
present invention,
the plurality of plug pins 113 of the first cable unit 110 and the plurality
of pin sockets 123 of the
second cable unit 120 are connected with the electric wire W2, as being
insulated from each
other by the inner structure thereof, and the connection points are not
exposed to the outside by
covering the inner structure with the PVC molding. As a result, the load
generated by frequent
separation and mounting of the cleaner body 30 is not operated on the
connection points between
the electric wire W 1 and the plug pins 113 and between the electric wire W2
and the pin sockets
123, thereby solving worry of disconnection and short-circuit at the
connection points.
[0047] While the invention has been shown and described with reference to
certain
embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that
various changes in
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form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and
scope of the
invention as defined by the appended claims.
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