Patent Publication Number: US-7213297-B2

Title: Vacuum cleaner having suction/exhaustion switch

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner, and more particularly, to a vacuum cleaner for removing dust or foreign materials by using a suction force of a suction motor installed in a body. 
   2. Description of the Conventional Art 
     FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing an upright type vacuum cleaner in accordance with the conventional art. 
   As shown, the conventional upright type vacuum cleaner is provided with a body  1  vertically arranged, a handle  1   a  formed at an upper portion of the body  1 , and a suction head  2  formed at a lower portion of the body  1  for sucking dust or foreign materials. 
   A suction hose  3  is connected between the suction head  2  and the body  1 , and a suction motor (not shown) is installed in the body  1 . 
   Dust and foreign materials sucked into the suction head  2  by a suction force generated by the suction motor pass through the suction hose  3  thus to be sucked into the body  1 , and then are filtered by a filter  4  installed in the body  1 . 
   An outlet  5  for exhausting air which has been sucked into the body  1  and then filtered is formed at a lateral surface of the body  1 . 
   In the conventional upright type vacuum cleaner, dust or foreign materials are sucked into the suction head  2  by a suction force generated from the suction motor, and pass through the filter  4  thus to be filtered in the body  1 . The filtered air is exhausted to outside of the body  1  through the outlet  5 . 
   However, in the conventional upright type vacuum cleaner, a cleaning is performed only with a suction force, so that dust or foreign materials in a narrow position such as a window frame or a indoor corner can not be easily removed. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum cleaner capable of easily removing dust or foreign materials in a narrow position such as a window frame or an indoor corner by using an exhaustion force of a part of exhaustion air exhausted to an outlet. 
   To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, there is provided a vacuum cleaner comprising: a body having a suction motor for generating a suction force, a filter for filtering dust sucked by the suction motor, and an outlet for exhausting air which has been filtered by the filter; a suction head installed at one side of the body for sucking dust; and a suction/exhaustion switching means installed between the body and the suction head for selectively using an exhaustion force of a part of exhaustion air exhausted through the outlet or a suction force of the suction motor. 
   The suction/exhaustion switching means comprises: a channel switching valve assembly installed at a lateral surface of the body; a head side suction hose for connecting the channel switching valve assembly and the suction head; a body side suction hose for connecting the body and the channel switching valve assembly; and a suction/exhaustion hose for exhausting a part of exhaustion air exhausted to the outlet to outside of the body or for sucking dust by the channel switching valve assembly. 
   The channel switching valve assembly comprises: a coupling portion protruding at a lateral surface of the body and provided with a subsidiary outlet formed at a bottom surface thereof for exhausting a part of exhaustion air exhausted through the outlet; a valve case detachably coupled to the coupling portion, provided with a connection hole connected to the subsidiary outlet at a bottom surface thereof, and provided with a head side connection pipe connected to a head side suction hose, a body side connection pipe connected to the body side suction hose, and a suction/exhaustion side connection pipe connected to the suction/exhaustion hose at an outer circumferential surface thereof with a constant interval; a rotation valve rotatably installed in the valve case, provided with a horizontal channel formed at one side thereof for selectively connecting the head side connection pipe and the body side connection pipe or the head side connection pipe and the suction!exhaustion side connection pipe, and provided with a vertical channel formed at another side thereof for connecting the subsidiary outlet, the connection hole, and the exhaustion side connection pipe; and a cover coupled to the valve case. 
   The coupling portion is provided with a bolt hole for coupling the valve case by a bolt, and a flange having a bolt hole is formed at an outer circumferential surface of the valve case. 
   The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. 
     In the drawings: 
       FIG. 1  is a longitudinal section view showing an upright type vacuum cleaner in accordance with the conventional art; 
       FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing a vacuum cleaner according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a disassembled perspective view showing a channel switching valve assembly according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 4  is a plane view showing a valve case according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 5  is a plane view showing a rotation valve according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 6  is a sectional view taken along line A—A of  FIG. 5 ; 
       FIG. 7  is a plane view showing a cover according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 8  is a plane view showing a state that a body side suction hose and a head side suction hose are connected to each other and exhaustion gas inside of an outlet is partially exhausted to a suction/exhaustion hose; and 
       FIG. 9  is a plane view showing a state that the body side suction hose is connected to the suction/exhaustion hose and thereby dust is sucked through the suction/exhaustion hose. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. 
   Hereinafter, a vacuum cleaner according to the present invention will be explained. 
   As shown, the vacuum cleaner according to the present invention comprises: a body  101  having a suction motor (not shown) for generating a suction force, a filter  101   a  for filtering dust sucked by the suction motor, and an outlet  101   b  for exhausting air which has been filtered by the filter  101   a ; a suction head  102  installed at a lower portion of the body  101  for sucking dust; and a suction/exhaustion switching means  200  installed between the body  101  and the suction head  102 . 
   The suction/exhaustion switching means  200  comprises: a channel switching valve assembly  210  installed at a lateral surface of the body  101 ; a head side suction hose  220  for connecting the channel switching valve assembly  210  and the suction head  102 ; a body side suction hose  230  for connecting the body  101  and the channel switching valve assembly  210 ; and a suction/exhaustion hose  240  for exhausting a part of exhaustion air exhausted to the outlet  101   b  to outside of the body  101  or for sucking dust by the channel switching valve assembly  210 , selectively. 
   The channel switching valve assembly  210  comprises: a coupling portion  211  protruding at a lateral surface of the body  101  and provided with a subsidiary outlet  211   a  formed at a bottom surface thereof for exhausting a part of exhaustion air exhausted through the outlet  101   b ; a valve case  212  detachably coupled to the coupling portion  211 , provided with a connection hole  212   a  connected to the subsidiary outlet  211   a  at a bottom surface thereof, and sequentially provided with a head side connection pipe  212   b  connected to the head side suction hose  220 , a body side connection pipe  212   c  connected to the body side suction hose  230 , and a suction/exhaustion side connection pipe  212   d  connected to the suction/exhaustion hose  240  at an outer circumferential surface thereof with a constant interval; a rotation valve  213  rotatably installed in the valve case  212 , provided with a horizontal channel  213   a  formed at one side thereof for selectively connecting the head side connection pipe  212   b  and the body side connection pipe  212   c  or the head side connection pipe  212   b  and the suction/exhaustion side connection pipe  212   d , and provided with a vertical channel  213   b  formed at another side thereof for connecting the subsidiary outlet  211   a , the connection hole  212   a , and the exhaustion side connection pipe  212   d ; and a cover  214  coupled to the valve case  212 . 
   It is preferable that the coupling portion  211  is integrally formed at a lateral surface of the body  101 , and the subsidiary outlet  211   a  formed at a bottom surface of the coupling portion  211  exhausts a part of exhaustion air which is just before being exhausted to the outlet  101   b  to the suction/exhaustion hose  240 . 
   The valve case  212  is formed of a cylindrical shape, and the connection hole  212   a  formed at the bottom surface of the valve case  212  connects the subsidiary outlet  211   a  and the suction/exhaustion side connection pipe  212   d.    
   The head side connection pipe  212   b , the body side connection pipe  212   c , and the suction/exhaustion side connection pipe  212   d  installed at the outer circumferential surface of the valve case  212  are arranged at a position corresponding to approximately 120° from a center of the valve case  212 . 
   A bolt hole H for coupling the valve case  212  to the coupling portion  211  by a bolt B is formed at the coupling portion  211 , and a flange  212   e  having a bolt hole H is formed at an outer circumferential surface of the valve case  212 . 
   One side of the head side suction hose  220  is connected to the suction head  102 , and another side thereof is connected to the head side connection pipe  212   b . One side of the body side suction hose  230  is connected to the body  101 , and another side thereof is connected to the body side connection pipe  212   c  of the valve case  212 . One side of the suction/exhaustion hose  240  is connected to the suction/exhaustion side connection pipe  212   d  of the valve case  212 , and another side thereof is provided with a nozzle  241 . 
   The rotation valve  213  of a cylindrical shape is rotatably installed in the valve case  212 , and both ends of the horizontal channel  213   a  of the rotation valve  213  are arranged at a position corresponding to approximately 120° from a center of the rotation valve  213  like the head side connection pipe  212   b , the body side connection pipe  212   c , and the suction/exhaustion side connection pipe  212   d.    
   The vertical channel  213   b  of the rotation valve  213  is formed accordingly as a bottom surface and a lateral surface of the rotation valve  213  are cut. 
   A handle  213   c  of a straight type is formed at a surface of the rotation valve  213 , and stoppers  214   a  corresponding to the handle  213   c  are formed to face each other at an inner circumferential surface of the cover  214  of a ring shape. 
   Both ends of the stopper  214   a  are arranged at a position corresponding to approximately 120° from a center of the cover  214 . 
   Accordingly, when a user rotates the handle  213   c  clockwise or counterclockwise, an end of the handle  213   c  is in contact with an end of the stopper  214   a . At this time, since a rotation angle of the rotation valve  213  is limited to approximately 120°, the horizontal channel  213   a  can selectively connect the head side connection pipe  212   b  and the body side connection pipe  212   c  or the head side connection pipe  212   b  and the suction/exhaustion side connection pipe  212   d.    
   The bolt holes H are formed at the valve case  212  and the cover  214  in order to couple the cover  214  to the valve case  212 . 
   In the vacuum cleaner according to the present invention, when a cleaning is performed by using the suction head  102 , as shown in  FIG. 8 , the handle  213   c  of the rotation valve  213  is rotated counterclockwise. According to this, both ends of the handle  213   c  are in contact with the stopper  214   a  and thereby a rotation of the handle  213   c  is limited. At this time, both ends of the horizontal channel  213   a  are connected to the head side connection pipe  212   b  and the body side connection pipe  212   c , respectively. 
   At the same time, the subsidiary outlet  211   a  (Refer to  FIG. 3 ), the connection hole  212   a , and the vertical channel  213   b  are connected to one another. 
   Under said state, as shown in  FIG. 2 , the suction motor is operated to suck dust or foreign materials into the suction head  102  by a suction force of the suction motor. The sucked dust or foreign materials pass through the head side suction hose  220 , the horizontal channel  213   a , and the body side suction hose is  230  thus to be sucked into the body  101 . 
   The dust or foreign materials sucked into the body  101  pass through the filter  101   a  to be filtered, and air which has been filtered by the filter  101   a  is exhausted to outside of the body  101  through the outlet  101   b.    
   A part of air exhausted through the outlet  101   b  is exhausted to the subsidiary outlet  211   a , and the air which has been exhausted to the subsidiary outlet  211   a  passes through the connection hole  212   a  and the vertical channel  213   b  thus to be exhausted through the nozzle  241  of the suction/exhaustion hose  240 . 
   Dust or foreign materials which exist at a window frame or an indoor corner are blown by using an exhaustion pressure of exhaustion air exhausted through the nozzle  241 , and then the dust or foreign materials are sucked and removed through the suction head  102  like the aforementioned operation. 
   Meanwhile, in case that the suction head  102  can not be used due to a high position to be cleaned or an obstacle, the suction/exhaustion hose  240  is used to perform a cleaning, which will be explained with reference to  FIG. 9 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 9 , when the handle  213   c  of the rotation valve  213  is rotated clockwise, both ends of the handle  213   c  are in contact with the stopper  214   a  and thereby a rotation of the handle  213   c  is limited. At this time, both ends of the horizontal channel  213   a  are connected to the body side connection pipe  212   c  and the suction/exhaustion side connection pipe  212   d , respectively. At the same time, the subsidiary outlet  211   a  and the connection hole  212   a  are shielded by the rotation valve  213 . 
   Under said state, when the suction motor is operated, dust or foreign materials are sucked through the suction/exhaustion hose  240  by a suction force of the suction motor. The sucked dust or foreign materials pass through the horizontal channel  213   a  and the body side suction hose  230  thus to be sucked into the body  101 . 
   The dust or foreign materials sucked into the body  101  pass through the filter  101   a  to be filtered, and air which has been filtered is exhausted to outside of the body  101  through the outlet  101   b . Therefore, a space where the suction head  102  can not be moved, can be cleaned by the suction/exhaustion hose  240 . 
   As aforementioned, according to the present invention, the channel switching valve assembly is controlled thus to use a suction force generated from the suction motor and use an exhaustion force of a part of exhaustion air exhausted to the subsidiary outlet, thereby easily cleaning dust or foreign materials in a narrow position such as a window frame or an indoor corner. 
   As the present invention may be embodied in several forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, it should also be understood that the above-described embodiments are not limited by any of the details of the foregoing description, unless otherwise specified, but rather should be construed broadly within its spirit and scope as defined in the appended claims, and therefore all changes and modifications that fall within the metes and bounds of the claims, or equivalence of such metes and bounds are therefore intended to be embraced by the appended claims.