Abstract:
A steam cleaning device with a built-in storage for a power cord, brushes and conversion connectors can change steam output devices by switching a first conversion connector with a second conversion connector to achieve multiple function with the same device. The device further has a winding box and a brush compartment to store the power cord and various types of brushes in one body to save storage space.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to a steam cleaning device with a built-in storage for power cord and brushes and conversion connectors, and particularly to a steam cleaning device for generating high temperature steam to perform heavy duty cleaning function.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    In a growing number of households these days, steam cleaning devices that generate high temperature steam to dissolve greasy dirt have replaced chemical detergents to clean and remove stubborn greasy dirt and filthy stains accumulating on smoke exhaust fans, gas stoves, bathtubs or the likes. However most steam cleaning devices now available on the market can provide only single function. There are still many problems remained to be overcome, notably:  
           [0003]    1.When using the steam cleaning device to generate high temperature steam to dissolve dirt, different types of dirt require different type of brushes. At present, most steam cleaning devices have included brush sets as accessories. And separate brush containers are provided to hold these brushes. After consumers bought the steam cleaning devices, the devices and the brush containers are often stored separately at home. As heavy duty cleaning chores that require steam cleaning devices and brushes are not being done frequently, not daily or even weekly, it could happen that the brush containers are stored at different locations from where the steam cleaning devices are stored. It is not uncommon that users often have to spend a lot of time and take a lot of troubles to search and gather all these cleaning gears together. It is an annoyance to many consumers. Moreover, the brush containers need extra storage space, and could become a trouble to many people.  
           [0004]    2.The high temperature steam products, besides steam cleaning devices for performing cleaning function, also include platform steam irons or vertical type steam irons for removing wrinkles and creases from clothes. From users&#39; standpoints, all these steam products generally adopt same or similar principle and provide similar functions. To purchase these products individually not only cost a lot of money, it also creates a lot of storing problems in the houses.  
           [0005]    3.Exposed power cords often create untidy living environments. Moreover, power cords exposed outside for a long period of time often gather dusts and dirt, and the outer skin of power cords is prone to damage by incidental impact or cutting, and results in naked conductive wire. It could cause electric shock and hurt people, thus has safety concerns.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    Therefore the primary object of the invention is to resolve aforesaid disadvantages. The invention mainly aims at providing a steam cleaning device with a built-in storage for power cord and brushes and conversion connectors. The cleaning device of the invention includes a first conversion connector and a second conversion connector that can be easily switched to change a steam out device to a steam iron or other devices of similar functions to achieve one-body-multiple-function effect. And through the design of a winding box and a brush compartment, various types of brushes and the power cord that are most bulky and difficult to manage can be housed neatly in one body to form a multifunctional device to save space.  
           [0007]    The foregoing, as well as additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily apparent from the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]    [0008]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a first conversion connector and a second conversion connector of the invention.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a heater of the invention.  
         [0011]    [0011]FIGS. 4A and 4B are schematic views of the first and second conversion connectors of invention, showing coupling conditions.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 5 is a schematic view of another embodiment of the invention.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the invention, with the brush compartment detached.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 7 is a schematic view of the invention, with the brush compartment opened.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 8 is a schematic view of the invention, showing a winding box.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIGS. 9A through 9D are schematic views of the invention, showing power cord winding conditions. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0017]    Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, and  3 , the steam cleaning device  10  of the invention includes a heating device  11  for vaporizing water to steam. The heating device  11  includes a water tank  111 , a pump  112  for pumping water in the water tank  111  and a heater  113  for receiving water and heating the water to become steam (at present heating methods for the steam cleaning device  10  generally can be grouped to boiler type and heating pipe type. The invention adopts the heating pipe type. These heating methods are known in the art and form no part of the invention, thus their details are omitted here). The heating device  11  extends to form a first duct  12  as a steam passage. The steam cleaning device  10  has a first conversion connector  13  which includes a first steam unit  131  coupling with the first duct  12  and a first power supply unit  132  connecting to a power supply  16  of the steam cleaning device  10 . The steam cleaning device  10  connects to a steam output device  2   a  through a second duct  21 . The second duct  21  has one end engaged with a second conversion connector  22  which may be coupled with the first conversion connector  13 . The second conversion connector  22  has a second steam unit  221  to couple with the first steam unit  131  and a second power supply unit  222  to couple with the first power supply unit  132 .  
         [0018]    Referring to FIGS. 4A and 4B, when users want the function of cleaning or ironing clothes, a desired steam output device  2   a  or  2   b  may be selected. To make connection to a selected steam output device, couple the second conversion connector  22  with the first conversion connector  13 . The second conversion connector  22  consists of two half casings  223  with a pushbutton  224  located thereon. Below the pushbutton  224 , there is an elastic element  225 . The pushbutton  224  has a lower section extending upwards to form a latch section  226 . When the pushbutton  224  is depressed, the elastic element  225  is compressed and the latch section  226  is moved downwards. The second power supply unit  222  and the second steam unit  221  of the second conversion connector  22  may be matched and coupled respectively with the first power supply unit  132  and the first steam unit  131  of the first conversion connector  13 . When the second conversion connector  22  and the first conversion connector  13  are fully coupled, the latch section  226  of the second conversion connector  22  is pushed by the restoring force of the elastic element  225  and moved up to its original location to latch on a latch slot  133  formed on the first conversion connector  13  and corresponding to the latch section  226 .  
         [0019]    Referring to FIG. 1, the steam output device  2   a  may be a steam gun, and the electric connection of the first and second power supply units  132  and  222  may serve to start or cutoff control signals for the heating device  11 . Through a control button  23  located on the steam output device  2   a , steam flow may be controlled to eject continuously or intermittently, or stopped. By connecting the first and second power supply units  132  and  222  to the power supply  16  of the steam cleaning device  10 , the heating device  11  may be controlled to heat water to become steam. Through the first and second ducts  12  and  21 , and the first and second steam units  131  and  221 , steam may be ejected through an outlet of the steam output device  2   a  to perform cleaning function for selected objects. Hence the steam output device  2   a  enables the steam cleaning device  10  to maintain existing built-in functions.  
         [0020]    Referring to FIG. 5, the steam output device  2   b  is a steam iron. In such a circumstance, electric connection of the first and second power supply units  132  and  222 , in addition to starting or cutting off control signals for the heating device  11 , also provides electric power supply for preheating the iron soleplate  24 . When the first and second conversion connectors  13  and  22  are coupled, the steam output unit  2   b  obtains electric power from the power supply  16  of the steam cleaning device  10  through the first and second power supply units  132  and  222 , and the soleplate  24  starts to heat. Steam output and ejection from the steam output device  2   b  also is controlled by the control button  23  and may have continuous, intermittent, or stop selections. Thus through the first and second ducts  12  and  21 , and the first and second steam units  131  and  221 , steam may be ejected through an outlet of the steam output device  2   b  to perform ironing function for clothes. Hence the steam output device  2   b  may provide steam iron functions.  
         [0021]    Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7, the steam cleaning device  10  also has a housing chamber  15  for storing brushes  40   a  and  40   b . In the housing chamber  15 , there is a brush compartment  30  which has a retaining section  33  extending from one side thereof to prevent the brushes  40   a  and  40   b  from dropping out. In order to facilitate users operation and retrieval of brushes, the brush compartment  30  is adopted a hatch type design. The housing chamber  15  also has an anchoring section  151 , and the brush compartment  30  has a latch section  31  corresponding to and matching the anchoring section  151  to form a cavity and a stub shaft  57  in a pivotal engaging relationship. Thereby the brush compartment  30  may be pivotally turned about the anchoring section  151  with the latch section  31  functioning as a fulcrum so that the housing chamber  15  may be turned like a hatch door in of the steam cleaning device  10 . In the brush compartment  30 , there are a plurality of holding zones  32   a  and  32   b  for holding various types of brushes  40   a  and  40   b . In order to facilitate coupling of the brushes, the front tip of the steam gun is fastened to a hexagonal sleeve  141 , and the brushes  40   a  and  40   b  have respectively a hexagonal trough  42  formed in the bottom section thereof to couple with the hexagonal sleeve  141 . When users want to use the steam cleaning device  10  to perform heavy duty cleaning jobs and a brush  40   a  or  40   b  must be coupled to use in high temperature steam to dissolve and remove dirt simultaneously, the brush may be directly and handily retrieved from the brush compartment  30  by depressing an elastic plastic snap latch  34  formed on the brush compartment  30  to open thereof. The brush compartment  30  may be turned about the latch section  31  and anchoring section  151  and opened as previously discussed. As shown in the drawings, in the brush compartment  30 , the bristle side  41  of the brushes  40   a  and  40   b  is facing upwards. Users can easily identify and take the desired one. When usage is finished, the brushes  40   a  and  40   b  may be placed back in the brush compartment  30  and stored without the concern of losing, therefore provide most convenient operation.  
         [0022]    Referring to FIG. 8, the steam cleaning device  10  of the invention further has a winding box  50  fixedly attaching to the exterior thereof. The winding box  50  includes a winch  51  which has a winding elastic element  52  made of a coil spring located therein. The winding elastic element  52  connects to a power cord  53  linking to the external power supply  16  for providing power required by the steam cleaning device  10 . The winding box  50  further has a harness mechanism  54  to rein turning of the winch  51 . The harness mechanism  54  includes a displacement element  55  which has a pintle  551  located in a middle section thereof. The displacement element  55  has one end formed a displacement slot  552  to couple with a roller  56  to press against the winch  51 , and another end forming a strut  57 . The strut  57  connects to a control bar  58  which has a top end extending through the steam cleaning device  10  to couple with a pushbutton  59 .  
         [0023]    Referring to FIG. 9A, when an user wants to pull out the power cord  53  to plug into the external power supply  16 , pulls the power cord  53  outwards, the roller  56  is pushed by the turning winch  51  to move in the displacement slot  552  to a position without harnessing the winch  51 . The power cord  53  may be pulled out freely, and the winding elastic element  52  is compressed to store elastic force (as shown in FIG. 9B). When the user has pulled out enough length of power cord  53  and stops the pulling force, the roller  56  returns to its original position and presses and reins the winch  51  from turning (as shown in FIG. 9C). When the user completes usage of the steam cleaning device  10 , presses the pushbutton  59 , the control bar  58  is moved to press the strut  57  inwards, and the displacement element  55  rocks about the pintle  551  (as shown in FIG. 9D), the displacement slot  552  and the roller  56  are moved away from the winch  51 , hence the elastic force previously stored in the winding elastic element  52  is released to turn the winch  51  in the reverse direction to wind and store the power cord  53 .