Abstract:
A suction brush having a hair removal unit for a vacuum cleaner is provided. The suction brush includes a brush body having a rear end fluidly connected to a main body of the vacuum cleaner, a suction port on a lower surface of a front end, and a rotation brush inside the suction port; and a hair removal unit detachably connected to the suction port.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2007-0082372, filed on Aug. 16, 2007, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
         [0002]    Also, this application may be related to commonly-owned copending U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,296,324, filed Jul. 29, 2004, by Byung-jo Lee; 7,272,872, filed May 24, 2004, by Keon-soo Choi; 6,918,156, filed Jul. 16, 2002, by Sang-tae Joo; and commonly-owned copending U.S. application Ser. Nos. 10/851,070, filed May 24, 2004, by Jong-kook Lim et al.; 10/991,426, filed Nov. 19, 2004, by Kyoung-woong Kim; 11/362,144, filed Feb. 27, 2006, by Myung-won Lee et al.; 11/363,032, filed Feb. 28, 2006 by Hwa-gyu Song et al; 11/386,802, filed Mar. 23, 2006, by Hyun-ju Lee et al.; the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner. More particularly, the present invention relates to a single suction brush that is capable of cleaning a variety of different surfaces. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    Vacuum cleaners generally use a variety of accessory brushes to more conveniently clean different cleaning surfaces. An example of a suction brush to clean human or animal hair tangled in blankets or carpets is disclosed in U.K. Patent Registration No. GB 2,425,715. 
         [0005]    In the above-referenced conventional invention, a general suction brush and a hair removal suction brush are used separately according to the type of cleaning surface. General floors are cleaned using the general suction brush. But, in order to clean blankets or carpets, the entire general suction brush assembly must be separated from an extended tube and a hair removal suction brush must be installed and used in its place. 
         [0006]    Changing the suction brush according to the cleaning surface in such a manner is inconvenient, and because two or more suction brushes are necessary, manufacturing costs are increased. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    Accordingly, to solve at least the above problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages described below, a non-limiting object of the present invention is to provide a single suction brush for a vacuum cleaner that is able to be used for both cleaning on general floor surfaces and floor surfaces with tangled hair, the suction brush includes a brush body having a rear end fluidly connected to a main body of the vacuum cleaner, a suction port on a lower surface of a front end, and a rotation brush inside the suction port; and a hair removal unit detachably connected to the suction port. 
         [0008]    The hair removal unit includes a support frame mounted on the suction port and including a front, a back and sides with a hole disposed therebetween, the hole corresponding to the suction port; a first brush member connected to the front of the support frame and a second brush member connected to the back of the support frame; at least one hook that extends from the front of the support frame to fix the support frame at the front of the suction port; and at least one connection unit that extends from the back of the support frame to fix the support frame at the back of the suction port. 
         [0009]    The connection unit includes a front end configured to snap-engage with a connection hole formed at the back of the suction port to attach the support frame to the brush body and a lever configured to draw the front end of the connection unit out of the connection hole to separate the support frame from the brush body. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    The above and other aspects and/or 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: 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a suction brush for a vacuum cleaner according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a exploded perspective view of a suction brush for a vacuum cleaner according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a side cross-sectional view of a suction brush for a vacuum cleaner according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged cross-sectional view of part A in  FIG. 3 ; and 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  is an enlarged cross-sectional view of part B in  FIG. 3 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
       [0016]    Reference will now be made in detail to non-limiting embodiments of the present invention by way of reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts, components and structures. 
         [0017]    With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a suction brush according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a brush body  100 , a rotation brush  110 , and a hair removal unit  200 . 
         [0018]    The brush body  100  includes a drum casing unit  120  at the front that supports the rotation brush  110  so that the rotation brush  110  can be rotated, a suction port  121  under the drum casing unit  120  to draw in dust-laden air, and a connection port  130  that is connected to an extended tube (not shown) connected to a main body (not shown) of the vacuum cleaner and transfers the dust-laden air drawn in through the suction port  121  to the main body of the vacuum cleaner. 
         [0019]    The drum casing unit  120  includes first and second holding holes  123   a  and  123   b  formed at the front of the suction port  121 , wherein the front end of first and second hooks  221  and  223  are inserted, and first and second connection holes  125   a  and  125   b  formed at the back of the suction port  121 , to snap-engage hanging units  231   a  and  233   a  of first and second connection units  231  and  233 . 
         [0020]    The drum casing unit  120  further includes a rib support  128   a  that extends in the front and back of the suction port  121 , and a rotation brush support  128   b  that rotatably supports the rotation brush  110 . Elevated parts  126   a ,  126   b ,  126   c  and  126   d  extend between the two sides of the drum casing unit  120 , the rib support  128   a , and the rotation brush support  128   b.    
         [0021]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , the hair removal unit  200  is snap-engaged with the suction port  121  of the drum casing unit  120  in order to be removably connected to the suction port  121 . The hair removal unit includes first and second brush members  241  and  243  disposed at the front and back of the suction port  121  respectively so human or animal hair tangled in blankets or carpets can be easily removed. The hair removal unit  200  further includes a support frame  210 , first and second hooks  221  and  223 , first and second connection units  231  and  233 , and first and second brush members  241  and  243 , each of which is described in more detail below. 
         [0022]    The support frame  210  is tetragonal in shape so as to correspond with the suction port  121 , and has a hole  211  in the center to enable fluid communication between the suction port  121  and a surface to be cleaned. First and second ribs  213   a  and  213   b  are formed at certain intervals to extend from the front to the back of the hole  211 . The first and second ribs  213   a  and  213   b  prevent a part of a blanket or carpet from being sucked through the hole  211  into the suction port  121  so that manipulation of the brush body  100  on the blanket or carpet is enhanced. Holding grooves  214   a ,  214   b ,  214   c  and  214   d  extend between the two sides of the support frame  210  and the first and second ribs  213   a  and  213   b.    
         [0023]    Holding grooves  214   a  and  214   b  are formed on both sides of the support frame  210  to receive the elevated parts  126   a  and  126   b  respectively on both sides of the suction port  121 . Accordingly, when the brush body  100  is moved forward and backward during cleaning and the first and second brush members  241  and  243  are in contact with the floor, the interface between the matching uneven surfaces of the holding grooves  214   a  and  214   b  of the support frame  210  and the elevated parts  126   a  and  126   b  respectively of the suction port  121  firmly fixes the support frame  210  to the drum casing unit  120  so that the support frame  210  is not displaced from the suction port  121  by frictional forces generated between the first and second brush members  241  and  243  and the floor being cleaned. 
         [0024]    To more firmly fix the support frame  210  to the drum casing unit  120 , elevated parts  126   c  and  126   d  are disposed on the rib support  128   a  and the rotation brush support  128   b  respectively, and the first and second ribs  213   a  and  213   b  have corresponding holding grooves  214   c  and  214   d  respectively to receive the elevated parts  126   c  and  126   d  respectively. The interface between the matching uneven surfaces of the holding grooves  214   c  and  214   d  of the rib support  128   a  and the rotation brush support  128   b  respectively and the elevated parts  126   a  and  126   b  of the suction port  121  fix the support frame  210  to the drum casing unit  120  in the same manner discussed above. 
         [0025]    The first and second hooks  221  and  223  protrude from the front of the support frame  210  at certain intervals to fix the front of the support frame  210  to the front of the drum casing unit  120 . The front ends  221   a  and  223   a  of the first and second hooks  221  and  223  respectively are inserted into the first and second holding holes  123   a  and  123   b  respectively of the drum casing unit  120 . 
         [0026]    The first and second connection units  231  and  233  protrude from the back of the support frame  210  at certain intervals to fix the back of the support frame  210  to the drum casing unit  120 . The first and second hanging units  231   a  and  233   a  are disposed on the first and second connection units  231  and  233  respectively so as to be snap-engaged with the first and second connection holes  125   a  and  125   b  respectively of the drum casing unit  120 . The first and second connection units  231  and  233  also have lever protrusions  231   b  and  233   b  respectively to separate the first and second hanging units  231   a  and  233   a  from the first and second connection holes  125   a  and  125   b  respectively when the hair removal unit  200  is separated from the drum casing unit  120 . 
         [0027]    In order for the first and second connection units  231  and  233  to be elastically connected to the support frame  120 , the support frame  120  and the first and second connection units  231  and  233  may be made of elastic material such as synthetic rubber or plastic. 
         [0028]    In addition to fixing the support frame  210  to the drum casing unit  120 , the interface of the first and second hooks  221  and  223  and first and second connection units  231  and  233  of the support frame  210  inserted into the first and second holding holes  123   a ,  123   b ,  125   a  and  125   b  respectively of the drum casing unit  120  also supplements the interface between the matching uneven surfaces of the holding grooves  214   a  and  214   b  of the support frame  210  and the elevated parts  126   a  and  126   b  respectively of the suction port  121 . This interface supplements the interface between the matching uneven surfaces of the holding grooves  214   a  and  214   b  of the support frame  210  and the elevated parts  126   a  and  126   b  respectively of the suction port  121  by further fixing the support frame  210  to the drum casing unit  120  so that the support frame  210  is not displaced from the suction port  121  by forces generated in a direction inclined to the forward and backward movement during cleaning, such as a force perpendicular to the forward and backward movement. 
         [0029]    In this exemplary embodiment, the support frame  210  is described as having a pair of the first second hooks  221  and  223  and a pair of first and second connection units  231  and  233 , but the present invention is not limited thereto. The number of first and second hooks  221  and  223  and first and second connection units  231  and  233  may vary. 
         [0030]    The first and second brush members  241  and  243  may be detachably connected at the front and the back of the support frame  210  and may be made of a material having a certain solidity that will not damage blankets or carpets during cleaning. 
         [0031]    The operation of the suction brush according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention is described with reference to  FIGS. 3 to 5 . 
         [0032]    As shown in  FIG. 4 , when the support frame  210  of the hair removal unit  200  is connected to the suction port  121  as shown in  FIG. 2 , the front ends  221   a  and  223   a  of the first and second hooks  221  and  223  are inserted into and fixed to the first and second holding holes  123   a  and  123   b  of the drum casing unit  120 . In this configuration, when the back of the support frame  210  is connected to the back of the drum casing unit  120  by compressing the back of the support frame  210  using a certain force, the hanging units  231   a  and  233   a  of the first and second connection units  231  and  233  are snap-engaged with the first and second connection holes  125   a  and  125   b  respectively as shown in  FIG. 5 . 
         [0033]    When the hair removal unit  200  is separated from the brush body  100 , the lever protrusions  231   b  and  233   b  are drawn out of the first and second connection holes  125   a  and  125   b  respectively by elastically pulling the lever protrusions  231   b  and  233   b  of the first and second connection units  231  and  233  respectively in the reverse direction to that in which the brush body  100  was pushed into place. In this configuration, the front ends  221   a  and  223   a  of the first and second hooks  221  and  223  arc unhooked from the first and second holding holes  123   a  and  123   b  respectively so that the hair removal unit  200  can be easily and conveniently separated from the brush body  100 . 
         [0034]    As described in the above exemplary embodiment, the user can easily and conveniently mount and remove the hair removal unit  200  on the brush body  100 . The lever protrusions  231   b  and  233   b  enable the user to mount and remove the hair removal unit  200  on the brush body  100  without contacting the first and second brush members  241  and  243 , thereby avoiding fouling the user with dirt and debris collected thereon. The user may, for example, take each lever protrusion  231   b  and  233   b  between their thumb and forefinger to mount or remove the hair removal unit  200  on the brush body  100 . 
         [0035]    As can be appreciated from the above description, when a surface such as a blanket or carpet containing tangled human or animal hair is cleaned, the user can easily connect and use the hair removal unit with the suction brush. And, for general floors, the user can easily separate the hair removal unit from the suction brush without removing the entire suction brush, thereby enhancing user convenience. 
         [0036]    Accordingly, the present invention provides a hair removal unit  200  that is mounted on a brush body  100  by snap engagement, so a single suction brush can clean a variety of floor surfaces without need for a separate suction brush. This reduces manufacturing costs, improves user convenience, and reduces fouling of the user. 
         [0037]    While the embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to certain embodiments thereof, 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.