Abstract:
A cleaner is disclosed, by which a floorcloth is attached to a correct position on a bottom of the cleaner, and by which a floorcloth can be attached to a correct position without turning a cleaner body upside down, thereby preventing a hazardous condition. The present invention includes a body configured as a cleaner head, an electric magnet provided adjacent to one side of a bottom of the body to generate a magnetic field during application of an electrical signal, and a floorcloth having a conductive body provided at a position opposing the electric magnet.

Description:
This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. P2005-0113460, filed on Nov. 25, 2005, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present invention relates to a cleaner, and more particularly, to a steam cleaner. Although the present invention is suitable for a wide range of applications, it is particularly suitable for attaching a floorcloth to a bottom of the cleaner. 
   2. Discussion of the Related Art 
   Generally, a steam cleaner mops a floor using a floorcloth attached to a bottom of a cleaner body. 
     FIG. 1  is a perspective diagram of a steam cleaner according to a related art. 
   Referring to  FIG. 1 , a steam cleaner according to a related art consists of a cleaner body  3  and a floorcloth  7  attached to a bottom of the cleaner body  3  using Velcro  5  provided on the floorcloth  7 . 
   In case of fixing the floorcloth to the related art steam cleaner using Velcro, the floorcloth is preferentially placed on a floor. The cleaner body is then pressed onto the floorcloth. 
   However, if a user fails to press the cleaner body onto the floorcloth downwardly in a vertical direction, the floorcloth may be incorrectly or inadequately attached to the cleaner body. 
   In case of fixing a floorcloth to a related art steam cleaner using a rubber ring, a steam cleaner body must be turned upside down. 
   However, in case of turning the steam cleaner upside down to attach the floorcloth, water may be spilt from the steam cleaner, creating a hazardous condition for potential accidents. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a cleaner that substantially obviates one or more problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art. 
   An object of the present invention is to provide a cleaner, by which a floorcloth is easily attached to a correct position of a bottom of the cleaner. 
   Another object of the present invention is to provide a cleaner, by which a floorcloth can be attached to a correct position without turning a cleaner body upside down, in order to prevent accidents. 
   Additional advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings. 
   To achieve these objects and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a cleaner according to the present invention includes a body configured as a cleaner head, an electric magnet provided adjacent to one side of a bottom of the body to generate a magnetic field during application of an electrical signal, and a floorcloth having a conductive body provided at a position opposing the electric magnet. 
   Preferably, the electric magnet is provided at a bottom surface of an insertion recess recessed into the bottom of the body. 
   More preferably, the cleaner further includes a guide hole provided in a side of the insertion recess and a fixing holder passing through the guide hole to fix the floorcloth to the bottom of the body by sliding along the bottom of the body to hold the conductive body. 
   More preferably, the fixing holder includes a slider passing through the guide hole to slide along the bottom of the body and a clamping member provided on a front end of the slider to fix the floorcloth to the body by holding the conductive body. 
   More preferably, the clamping member includes a pressurizing plate for pressing the conductive body. 
   More preferably, a guide recess is provided in an edge of the guide hole and a holding lug is projected from an outer circumference of the slider to match the guide recess. 
   More preferably, a loading recess is provided in a side of the insertion recess opposed to the side provided with the guide hole, such that the conductive body is pushed by the pressurizing plate into the loading recess. 
   More preferably, an elastic member is provided in the loading recess to enable the conductive body to be discharged into the insertion recess. 
   More preferably, the elastic member includes a return spring. 
   Preferably, the electric magnet extends in a length direction of the bottom of the body and wherein the conductive body is configured to have a bar shape corresponding to the electric magnet. 
   Preferably, a pair of the electric magnets are provided adjacent to opposite sides of the bottom of the body and a pair of the conductive bodies are provided on opposite ends of the floorcloth corresponding to the pair of the electric magnets, respectively. 
   More preferably, the conductive body and the floorcloth are configured to be mutually detachable. 
   A cleaner head according to the present invention includes an electric magnet provided adjacent to one side of a bottom of the cleaner head to generate a magnetic field during application of an electrical signal, and a floorcloth having a conductive body provided at a position opposing the electric magnet. 
   Preferably, the electric magnet is provided at a bottom surface of an insertion recess recessed into the bottom of the cleaner head. 
   Preferably, the cleaner head further includes a guide hole provided in a side of the insertion recess, and a fixing holder passing through the guide hole to fix the floorcloth to the bottom of the cleaner head by sliding along the bottom of the cleaner head to hold the conductive body. 
   Preferably, the fixing holder includes a slider passing through the guide hole to slide along the bottom of the cleaner head, and a clamping member provided on a front end of the slider to fix the floorcloth to the cleaner head by holding the conductive body. 
   Preferably, the clamping member includes a pressurizing plate for pressing the conductive body. 
   Preferably, a guide recess is provided in an edge of the guide hole and wherein a holding lug is projected from an outer circumference of the slider to match the guide recess. 
   Preferably, a loading recess is provided in a side of the insertion recess opposed to the side provided with the guide hole, such that the conductive body is pushed by the pressurizing plate into the loading recess. 
   Preferably, an elastic member is provided in the loading recess to enable the conductive body to be discharged into the insertion recess. 
   It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present invention are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed. 

   
     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 application, illustrate embodiment(s) of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the invention. In the drawings: 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a steam cleaner according to a related art; 
       FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of a steam cleaner according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the steam cleaner shown in  FIG. 2  depicting contact between a conductive substance of a floorcloth and an electric magnet; 
       FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the steam cleaner shown in  FIG. 2  depicting attachment of a floorcloth; 
       FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a fixing holder of the steam cleaner shown in  FIG. 2 ; and 
       FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a conductive body of the steam cleaner shown in  FIG. 2 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts. 
     FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of a steam cleaner according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the steam cleaner shown in  FIG. 2  depicting contact between a conductive substance of a floorcloth and an electric magnet,  FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view of the steam cleaner shown in  FIG. 2  depicting attachment of a floorcloth of the cleaner shown in  FIG. 2 ,  FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a fixing holder of the steam cleaner shown in  FIG. 2 , and  FIG. 6  is a perspective view of a conductive body of the steam cleaner shown in  FIG. 2 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 2 to 5 , a cleaner according to the present invention includes a body  10  configured as a cleaner head and a steam generator  12  provided within the body  10 . 
   In particular, the steam generator  12  has an outlet  14  installed to face a bottom of the body  10 , thereby enabling steam to pass therethrough toward a floor to be cleaned. 
   An insertion recess  20  is provided adjacent to one side of the bottom of the cleaner body  10 . A conductive body  54  of a floorcloth  50  is configured to be fitted into the insertion recess  20 . Further, as shown in the Figures, insertion recesses may be provided adjacent to opposite sides of the bottom of the cleaner body  10 . 
   An electric magnet  22  is provided on a bottom of the insertion recess  20 . The electric magnet  22  generates a magnetic field to induce an attractive force with the conductive body  54 . 
   A fixing holder  30  is provided to one side of an edge of the insertion recess  20  to fix the conductive body  54  therein. The fixing holder  30  pushes the conductive body  54  in a prescribed direction to be fitted into a loading recess  40  that will be explained in the following description. 
   The fixing holder  30 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , is installed to slide along a bottom surface of the insertion recess  20  of the cleaner body  10 . The fixing holder  30  includes a slider  32  sliding along a guide hole  16  provided in the cleaner body  10  and a clamping member  34  provided to a front end of the slider  32  to hold the conductive body  54  to be fixed thereto. Preferably, the clamping member  34  includes a pressurizing plate that presses the conductive body  54 . 
   A holding lug  36  is provided on an outer circumference of the slider  32  adjacent one end thereof. The holding lug  36  is able to move inside/outside the body  10  along a guide recess  18  provided to an edge of the guide hole  16 . 
   The holding lug  36  is guided into the body  10  along the guide recess  18  of the body  10 . The slider  32  is then rotated to hold the holding lug  36  by the edge of the guide hole  16 . Thus, the holding lug  36  fixes or locks the slider  32  so as not to be withdrawn. 
   The loading recess  40  is provided on one side of the insertion recess  20  so as to be recessed in a slide progression direction of the fixing holder  30 . The conductive body  54  of the floorcloth  50  is pushed by the fixing holder  30  into the loading recess  40 . 
   An elastic member  42  is provided within the loading recess  40 . The elastic member  42  facilitates discharge of the conductive body  54  from the loading recess  40  when the fixing holder  30  is released. The elastic member  42  may be of any suitable form, such as a return spring. 
   The floorcloth  50  is attached to a bottom of the body  10 . The floorcloth  50  includes a cloth portion  52  which may be formed of any suitable material, such as wool, to wipe out particles or filth. The conductive body  54  may be formed of any suitable material, such as a metal based material, and may be provided to both ends of the cloth part  52 . 
   The conductive body  54  is positioned so as to oppose the insertion recess  20 . Preferably, the conductive body  54  is positioned so as to oppose the electric magnet  22 . The conductive body  54  adheres closely to the electric magnet  22  by the magnetic field generated from the electric magnet  22  when an electrical signal is applied. Thus, the floorcloth  50  is able to be fixed to the bottom of the body  10 . 
   Preferably, the conductive body  54  and the cloth part  52  are configured to be detachable from each other. 
   Referring to  FIG. 6 , the conductive body  54  is divided into an upper part and a lower part. The upper and lower parts are coupled to each other by a hinge  56  so as to be opened/closed. In assembling the floorcloth  50 , the cloth part  52  is inserted in the open conductive body  54 . The conductive body  54  is then closed to fix the cloth part  52  to the conductive body  54 . If the cloth part  52  needs to be detached for washing or the like, the conductive body  54  is opened to separate the cloth part  52  from the conductive body  54 . 
   To increase a fixing power of the cloth part  52  to the conductive body  54 , a multitude of projections or teeth  58  are provided to portions of the conductive body  54  for fixing the cloth part  52  thereto. Optionally, a fixing device (not shown in the drawing) can be further provided to enable the conductive body  54  to maintain its closed state by selectively inhibiting the opened state of the conductive body  54 . 
   Operations of the above-configured cleaner according to the present invention are explained in detail as follows. 
   First of all, a process for attaching the floorcloth  50  to the cleaner body  10  is explained. 
   In particular, a user places the floorcloth  50  under the cleaner body  10 . 
   Once the floorcloth  50  is located under the body  10 , the user activates the cleaner body  10  to apply an electrical signal to the electric magnet  22 . In this case, even if the floorcloth  50 , and more particularly, the conductive body  54  is not correctly positioned under the electric magnet  22 , the conductive body  54  can be easily guided to the insertion recess  20  by the magnetic force of the electric magnet  22 . 
   After the conductive body  54  has been inserted in the insertion recess  20 , the user makes the fixing holder  30  slide in a direction of the loading recess  40  to have the holding lug  36  pass through the guide recess  18  of the guide hole  16 . Once the holding lug  36  passes through the guide recess  18 , the slider  32  is rotated clockwise or counterclockwise. 
   As the slider  32  is rotated, the holding lug  36  is disengaged from the guide recess  18  to be held by the edge of the guide hole  16 . So, the fixing holder  30 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , is able to maintain pressure on the conductive body  54 . 
   A process for separating the floorcloth  50  from the cleaner body  10  is explained as follows. 
   The slider  32  of the fixing holder  30  is rotated to align the holding recess  36  with the guide recess  18 . 
   Once the holding lug  36  is aligned with the guide recess  18 , the elastic recovery of the elastic member  42  pushes the fixing holder  30  from the loading recess  40  outwardly. As the fixing holder  30  is pushed away, the conductive body  54  of the floorcloth  50  is pushed outwardly as well. 
   In this case, since no electrical signal is applied to the electric magnet  22 , the conductive body  54  is discharged downwardly along the insertion recess  20 . So, the floorcloth  50  is able to be completely separated from the body  10 . 
   In case that the cloth part  52  needs to be washed due to dirt or contamination, the conductive body  54  is opened to disengage the cloth part  52  from the conductive body  54 . The cloth part  52  is then washed or replaced by a new one, so that a clean cloth part  52  is combined with the conductive body  54 . 
   Hence, the floorcloth  50  can be easily washed. Further, the floorcloth  50  provided with a cleaner when purchase can be replaced by a home-used cloth or the like. 
   It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made to the embodiments of the present invention. For instance, the insertion recess  20  can be configured to extend in a length direction along the bottom of the body  10 . The electric magnet  22  may also extend in the insertion recess  20  in the length direction. Further, the conductive body  54  may be configured to have a bar shape in the length direction corresponding to the electric magnet  22 . 
   Accordingly, the present invention provides at least the following effects or advantages. 
   First of all, since a floorcloth of a steam cleaner is attached using an electric magnet, a user&#39;s convenience is enhanced by facilitating loading of the floorcloth in a correct position. 
   Secondly, it is unnecessary for a user to check a bottom surface of a cleaner during attachment of a floorcloth to the cleaner. Thus, the present invention is able to prevent hazardous conditions or accidents due to hot water spilled from the cleaner or the like. 
   Finally, the enhanced convenience of floorcloth loading and the accident prevention increase customer&#39;s desire for purchasing the cleaner. 
   It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventions. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and variations of the invention.