GB2291790A

GB2291790A - Portable vacuum cleaner

Info

Publication number: GB2291790A
Application number: GB9414319A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Maxwell Hsu
Original assignee: Airlux Electrical Co Ltd
Current assignee: Airlux Electrical Co Ltd
Priority date: 1994-07-15
Filing date: 1994-07-15
Publication date: 1996-02-07
Also published as: GB9414319D0

Abstract

A portable vacuum cleaner comprises a main cleaner body 10, the rear end of which has a removable extension handle 20 for increasing the facility and operating range. The front end of the main body can receive an attachment 30 comprising a manually operated liquid cleaner spray device 40 and a rotary brush 32 driven by a separate motor 33. Electrical connections are provided between the main body 10 and the attachment 30 to provide a supply to the motor 33. <IMAGE>

Description

PORTABLE VACUUM CLEANER The present invention relates to portable vacuum cleaners.

Conventional portable vacuum cleaners are intended mainly for cleaning small areas such as the interior of a car or a table top.

Because they have a small size and easy operation, they give good function in cleaning up the dust from some corners in small spaces which are otherwise difficult to clean.

However, the conventional portable vacuum cleaner when it is used must be directly held by hand for operation so the user must bend down or even kneel down for cleaning up low places such as carpets. If it is desired to clean high places such as windows or a ceiling, this would not be possible due to the cleaner's inadequate altitude.

Therefore the cleaner's operating range is often restricted, being not suitable for cleaning large areas and the floor, and moreover increasing the waste of the user's physical strength.

In addition, the conventional portable vacuum cleaner is designed only for cleaning up dust so it is not easy to clean up carpets or dirt not otherwise easy to clean.

This invention provides a portable vacuum cleaner, the end of said portable vacuum cleaner having a handle extending outside said cleaner body to increase the facility and operating range of said vacuum cleaner.

This invention also provides a portable vacuum cleaner comprising: a main body including power supply, dusting device, the end having a nozzle; and an attachment having a rotary brush located on the front end of said nozzle including: a casing, the end inserted in said nozzle and the other end having an opening toward the floor (or other surface to be cleaned); and a rotary brush mounted in said casing along said casing opening and with a rotary side facing said casing opening; and a motor and transmission device for driving said rotary brush in rotation.

This invention also provides a portable vacuum cleaner having a detachable extension handle.

In at least preferred embodiments, the present invention provides a portable vacuum cleaner that is strong for cleaning and effective for cleaning up the dust and dirt otherwise difficult for cleaning; a portable vacuum cleaner that has a large operating range and which is suitable for cleaning up large areas and floors; and a portable vacuum cleaner that is labour-saving for operation to increase the operation in facility.

The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, throughout which like parts are referred to by like references, and in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing the structure of the vacuum cleaner; Figure 2 is a rear view of the main body of the present vacuum cleaner; Figure 3 is a partially-perspective view of the present vacuum cleaner with the handle insertion hole and extension handle assembled; Figure 4 is an elevational view of the vacuum cleaner having a rotary brush; Figure 5 is a partially-perspective view of the first half of the present vacuum cleaner, showing the installation of various attachments; Figure 6 is a view of the attachments to the vacuum cleaner, showing the inner structure of said attachments; and Figure 7 is a side view of an embodiment of the present invention, showing another kind of attachment installed on the nozzle.

Referring to Figure 1, the present portable vacuum cleaner comprises a main body 10, an extension handle 20 mounted on the end of said main body 10, and attachments 30 attached to the front end of nozzle hood 11 in the front end of said main body 10.

Referring to Figure 2, the handle 12 of said main body 10 has an insertion hole 13 extending through the casing at the end of said main body 10, said insertion hole 13 can be provided for the insertion of the extension rod 21 of said extension handle 20, and said insertion hole also has mortise member 14, said mortise member 14 is to match a mortise hole 211 on said extension rod 21 for fixing said extension handle 20 to the end of said main body 10.

Referring to Figure 3, the end of said mortise member 14 is extending through the hole wall of said insertion hole 13 into said insertion hole 13 along the diameter of said insertion hole 13, the intermediate portion has a spring 141, an upper end of said spring 141 is tightly holding down a stopper 142 fixed to said mortise member 14, and a bottom end is holding down a rib plate 15 in said main body 10.

A puller member 16 is connected to the bottom end of said mortise member 14, the end of said puller member 16 is extending out of a hole 17 at the end of said main body 10 for the user to pull said puller member 16 and therefore to move said mortise member 14 in reciprocation vertically.

The top end of said mortise member 14 is made with a proper arc to enable said extension rod 21 directly to push said mortise member 14 into the wall of said insertion hole 13 while not to interfere with the insertion of said extension rod 21 when it is inserted in said insertion hole 13.

When the mortise hole 211 of said extension rod 21 is aligned with said mortise member 14, said mortise member 14 may be pushed by said spring 141 into said mortise hole 211 so as to fix said extension handle 20 thereto. When the user desires for removing said extension handle 20, pulling said puller member 16 may cause said mortise member 14 to disengage from said mortise hole 211 whereby said extension handle 20 can be pulled out to allow said vacuum cleaner to become a common portable vacuum cleaner.

With said extension handle 20 the user can be convenient for holding said extension handle 20 for operating said cleaner main body 10 to carry out cleaning up the floor or the low place so that the user may feel easy for using said vacuum cleaner to clean up the floor. The user may also use said extension handle 20 for elevation of said cleaner main body for cleaning up high places such as ceiling or window so that it has greatly increased the operating range of said vacuum cleaner, not only suitable for cleaning a small corner but also suitable for cleaning a large area and a big room.

The present embodiment is also characterized by an attachments 30 mounted on the front end of said cleaner main body 10. Referring to Figures 4 and 5, said attachments 30 comprises a casing 31 having an opening 311 toward the long side of the floor, and the end having a hose 312 for entry into the nozzle 19 on the front end of said cleaner main body 10; and a rotary brush 32, a rotary face of said rotary brush 32 is toward said opening 311, and its brush hairs may directly contact the floor or carpet desired for cleaning so that the user may use said rotary brush 32 for brushing off dust and dirt from the floor or carpet; upon dust and dirt brushed off by said rotary brush 32, said cleaner will suck such dust and dirt into the main body 10 of said vacuum cleaner.

The present embodiment is also characterized in that said attachments 30 may include a liquid cleaner sprayer 40 comprising a container body 41 which may contain liquid cleaner and on the top may have a push type spraying head 42. Pushing said spraying head 42 may cause liquid cleaner to be sprayed out. When the user is confronted with dirt difficult to clean attached to the floor or carpet, he can clean off the dirt easily by using said sprayer 40 for spraying liquid cleaner over the floor.

In addition, the present embodiment can be used for suction of water stains or liquid from the floor so that said attachments 30 is made with special water-proof treatment, referring to Figures 5 and 6, the interior of said attachments 31 has a proper number of partition plates 313 for separating the motor 33 of rotary brush 32 with the rotary brush 32 and duct in said casing 31 so if said vacuum cleaner has sucked in liquid it will not contact said motor 33. In addition, a circuit reception portion 34 extending backward from the lower side of said casing 31, said circuit reception portion 34 may receive said motor 34 circuit therein, and the end has a plug 35 connected with said motor 33 circuit. Said circuit reception portion 34 is located under said cleaner body 10 when said attachments 30 is inserted in said cleaner body 10, and on the corresponding position of said cleaner body 10 to the socket 18 connected with cleaner power supply for said plug 35 inserted in it to enable said motor 33 to form a circuit connection with the power supply of said cleaner body 10.

With the insulation design of said casing 30, it will enable said motor 33 not to get short circuited due to contact of liquid, and circuit reception portion 34 under said casing 31 is a special design of the present embodiment to enable said motor 33 circuit to be completely located outside said cleaner body 10 without passing through the duct of cleaner body 10 so that said motor 33 circuit will not get short circuited due to said cleaner sucking in moisture. because of this the present embodiment can be used for the floor filled with water stains right after washed without risk of electric leakage and short circuit.

When said attachment 30 is not for use, it can be unplugged from said cleaner body 10, referring to Figure 7, said nozzle 19 has other appropriate attachments 50 for the operation of cleaning in facility.

With the assembly of aforesaid members, said extension handle 20 may enable the operation of the present embodiment to become easy and to increase the range of operation. The present cleaner has attachments 30 with rotary brush and liquid sprayer 40 to make it easy for cleaning off dust and dirt difficult to clean so that cleaning effect of the present embodiment is largely promoted. Further, the insulation design and special power distribution for the present attachments can allow the present embodiment to be applicable to a wet place.

In summary, therefore, embodiments of the present invention provide a portable vacuum cleaner which is strong for cleaning, laboursaving, having a large operating range, and which is suitable for cleaning up the floor and other large areas.

Claims

1. A portable vacuum cleaner, the end of said portable vacuum cleaner having a handle extending outside said cleaner body to increase the facility and operating range of said vacuum cleaner.

2. A portable vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1 wherein the end of said portable vacuum cleaner has an insertion hole for said handle to be inserted therein; said insertion hole having a mortise member; the end of said mortise member extending into said insertion hole and the other end having a puller member for the user to pull said mortise member and having a resilience member for pushing said mortise member into said insertion hole; the portion of said handle inserted in said insertion hole corresponding to said mortise member having a hole for fitting said mortise member.

3. A portable vacuum cleaner comprising: a main body including power supply, dusting device, the end having a nozzle; and an attachment having a rotary brush located on the front end of said nozzle including: a casing, the end inserted in said nozzle and the other end having an opening toward the floor; and a rotary brush mounted in said casing along said casing opening and with a rotary side facing said casing opening; and a motor and transmission device for driving said rotary brush in rotation.

4. A portable vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 3 wherein said attachment with a rotary brush is movably mounted on the front end of said main body.

5. A portable vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4, wherein said casing provides for separating said motor from the duct of said attachment to prevent said motor from contact with liquid.

6. A portable vacuum cleaner as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 5 wherein the casing of said attachments with rotary brush extending with a reception portion located outside said cleaner body for receiving said motor circuit therein; the end of said reception portion having a socket for connection with said motor circuit; said cleaner body having a socket for the insertion of said plug and connection with the power supply of said vacuum cleaner.

7. A portable vacuum cleaner as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 6 further including a liquid cleaner sprayer comprising a container body for loading liquid cleaner and a spraying head for spraying liquid cleaner on the floor.

8. A portable vacuum cleaner substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.