GB2451540A

GB2451540A - An upright vacuum cleaner

Info

Publication number: GB2451540A
Application number: GB0809569A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dong-Hun Yoo; Yun-Hee Park; Myoung-Sun Choung; Il-Du Jung
Original assignee: Samsung Gwangju Electronics Co Ltd
Current assignee: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
Priority date: 2007-08-02
Filing date: 2008-05-27
Publication date: 2009-02-04
Also published as: GB0809569D0; US20090031520A1

Abstract

An upright vacuum cleaner includes a sterilising unit 40. The sterilising unit includes a hot air circulating duct 44 and an air passage switch 42. The hot air circulating duct 44 is disposed between a motor chamber 13 and an air inflow part 19 of a dust separating unit 16 to guide air from the motor chamber 13 to the air inflow part 19. The air passage switch 42 is disposed where the air inflow part 19, a suction hose 30 and the hot air circulating duct 44 intersect. The air passage switch 42 is movable between a cleaning position and a sterilising position to switch the flow of air. The cleaning position being a position that blocks the flow between the air inflow part 19 and the hot air circulating duct 44 and the sterilising position being a position that blocks flow between the air inflow part 19 and the suction hose 30. The air passage switch may include a manifold and a rotary actuator.

Description

Upright Vacuum Cleaner This invention relates to a vacuum cleaner, and in particular to an upright vacuum cleaner capable of recirculating discharged air, while being heated by a suction motor, to a dust-separating unit and thus sterilising bacilli or house dust mites in the dust-separating unit.

In general an upright vacuum cleaner draws in external air by using the suction force of a suction motor, and then removes dust or dirt (hereinafter referred to as "dust") included in the drawn-in air therefrom by a filter or cyclone, so that the cleaner cleans a surface to be cleaned, such as a floor, a carpet or the like.

Such a conventional upright vacuum cleaner is usually provided with a nozzle unit directly joined to a lower end of a body assembly. The upper side of the body assembly has a dust-separating unit in which the filter or cyclone is mounted, and the lower side of the body assembly has a motor chamber in which the suction motor is mounted to generate the suction force. An air discharge opening is provided in front of the motor chamber, through which opening the drawn-in air is discharged to the outside. A suction hose, which guides the air drawn in by the nozzle unit to the dust-separating unit, is connected with the dust-separating unit through an air inflow opening fomied on the rear of the body assembly.

The upright vacuum cleaner as described above is advantageous in that, since the body assembly and the nozzle unit are integrally joined with each other, and the suction hose interconnecting the body assembly and the nozzle unit is short, it is convenient to move and store. Accordingly, upright vacuum cleaners are used in cleaning surfaces such as carpets.

However, although the upright vacuum cleaner as described above is effective in removing the dust from the surface to be cleaned, it is disadvantageous in that it does not remove bacilli or house dust mites from the surface to be cleaned.

To address the problem as described above, the present applicant has proposed an upright vacuum cleaner having a sterilising unit capable of sterilising bacilli and house dust mites in the dust-separating unit by using air heated by the suction motor. In this upright vacuum cleaner, the sterilising unit is provided with a shutter, which can be used to block external air from being drawn into the dust-separating unit through the air inflow opening, and to allow the air in the dust-separating unit to circulate in the body assembly. The shutter is made of a shutter member sliding through and along a slit formed in the vicinity of the air inflow opening to open or close the air inflow opening, and an operating lever formed on one side of the shutter member to move the shutter member.

The upright vacuum cleaner described immediately above does remove the bacilli and house dust mites from the surface to be cleaned. However, since the shutter member opens or closes the air inflow opening by sliding through the slit, the slit is closed, so that it does not leak air when the shutter member opens the air inflow opening to allow the air to be drawn into the dust-separating unit, Accordingly, this upright vacuum cleaner is disadvantageous in that it needs a troublesome operation, requiring the user to remove the suction hose from the air inflow opening when the shutter member closes the air inflow opening, and to re-insert the suction hose into the air inflow opening when the shutter member opens the air inflow opening.

An aim of the present invention is to provide an upright vacuum cleaner capable of sterilising bacilli and/or house dust mites included in air drawn into its dust-separating unit while simplifying the construction and operation of the upright vacuum cleaner.

The present invention provides a vacuum cleaner comprising: a body assembly having a dust-separating unit provided with an air inflow part to draw in air, and an air outflow part to discharge the air, and a motor chamber communicatable with the air outflow part and having a suction motor mounted therein; a nozzle unit connected to a lower end of the body assembly to draw in dust-laden air; a suction hose connected between the nozzle unit and the air inflow part ofthe dust-separating unit to guide the air drawn in by the nozzle unit to the air inflow part; and a sterilising unit for sterilising bacilli and/or house dust mites in the air drawn into the dust-separating unit through the nozzle unit and the suction hose; wherein the sterilising unit comprises a hot air circulating duct disposed between the motor chamber and the air inflow part of the dust-separating unit to guide air discharged through the air outflow part of the dust-separating unit from the motor chamber to the air inflow part of the dust-separating unit, and an air passage switch disposed where the air inflow part, The suction hose and the hot air circulating duct intersect, the air passage switch being movable between a cleaning position and a sterilising position to switch flow of air, the cleaning position being a position where the air passage switch blocks flow between the air inflow part and the hot air circulating duct, and the sterilising position being a position where the air passage switching part blocks flow between the air inflow part and the suction hose.

Preferably the air passage switch comprises a manifold having first, second and third connecting openings connectable respectively with the air inflow part, the suction hose and the hot air circulating duct; a valve member rotatably disposed in the manifold to be positionable in a cleaning position by closing the third connecting opening, or positionable in a sterilising position by closing the second connecting opening; and a knob connected to the valve member for rotating the valve member.

Advantageously, the manifold is made up of a cylindrical tubular element having the first, second and third connecting openings disposed at angles of 900 to one another on an circumferential surface thereof; and the yalve member comprising a cut-away sleeve having an circumferential surface, almost all the area of which is cut away with only an area capable of closing at least one of the first, second and third connecting openings remaining.

The sterilising unit may further comprise a temperature-detecting sensor for detecting the temperature of air guided to the dust-separating unit through the hot air circulating duct, and to stop drive to the suction motor when the detected temperature is above a predetermined temperature. The temperature detecting sensor may be a thermostat or a thermistor. The predetermined temperature is preferably more than 56°C and more preferably, 63-67°C.

The invention also provides a vacuum cleaner comprising: a body assembly having a dust-separating unit having an air inflow part and an air outflow part; a motor chamber cornmunjcatabje with the ar outflow part; a suction hose connected between a nozzle unit and the air inflow part to guide external air to the air inflow part; a hot air circulating duct disposed between the motor chamber and the air inflow part of the dust-separating unit; and an air passage switch disposed where the air inflow part, the suction hose, and the hot air circulating duct intersect, the air passage switch being movable between a cleaning position and a sterilising position, wherein the air passage switch blocks flow between the air inflow part and the hot air circulating duct in the cleaning position, and wherein the air passage switch blocks flow between the air inflow part and the suction hose in the sterilising position.

The invention will now be described in greater detail, by way of example, with reference to the drawings, in which; Figure 1 is a perspective view of an upright vacuum cleaner constructed according to the invention; Figure 2 is a partially exploded perspective view of the vacuum cleaner of Figure. 1; Figures 3A and 3B are side elevations showing the operation of a sterilising unit of the vacuum cleaner of Figure 1; Figures 4A and 4B are partially cut-away perspective views taken along line IV-IV of Figures 3A and 3B, respectively; Figures 5A and 5B are perspective views showing the operation of the stenlising unit of the vacuum cleaner of Figure 1; and Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the construction of a valve member of an air passage switch of the sterilising unit of Figures 5A and 5B.

Throughout the drawings, like reference numerals will be understood to refer to like parts, components and structures.

Referring to the drawings, Figures 1 and 2 show an upright vacuum cleaner 1 including a body assembly 10, a nozzle unit 20, a suction hose 30, and a sterilising unit 40.

The body assembly 10 is provided with a front body 12 and a rear body 14. The front body 12 has a dust-separating unit 16 formed at an upper part thereof. The dust-separating unit 16 has a cyclone 17 and a dust receptacle 18 detachably disposed under the cyclone. Since the cyclone 17 and the dust receptacle 18 are the same as those of conventional upright cleaners, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

An inflow pipe 19 is formed as an air inflow part on one side of a lower part of the cyclone 17 in the rear body 14. The inflow pipe 19 communicates with the nozzle unit through the suction hose 30 and an air passage switch 42 of the sterilising unit 40 to be described later, and communicates with an outlet side of a motor chamber 13 through the air passage switch 42 and a hot air circulating duct 44. An air discharge pipe 21 is formed on one side of an upper part of the cyclone 17 in the rear body 14. The discharge pipe 21 communicates with an inlet side of the motor chamber 13 through a connecting pipe 22.

The motor chamber 13 is formed under the front body 12 and the rear body 14 when they are joined together. A suction motor 15 is mounted in the motor chamber 13, the suction motor generating, in use, a suction force. An air discharge opening (not shown) is formed on a front surface of the front body 12, the air discharge opening discharging air discharged from the outlet side of the motor chamber 13.

The nozzle unit 20 is pivotably joined to a lower side of the body assembly 10. The suction hose 30 guides external air drawn in by the nozzle unit 20 to the air passage switch 42 connected to the inflow pipe 19 of the cyclone 17 in the rear body 14.

An upper end of the suction hose 30 is detachably joined to a manifold 46 of the air passage switch 42 by a connecting socket 47. The manifold 46 is provided with first, second and third connecting openings 46A, 46B and 46C. The connecting socket 47 is formed at the second connecting opening 46b of the manifold 46. A lower end of the suction hose 30 is also detachably joined to a connecting tube 26, which is installed on an upper side of the nozzle unit 20 to communicate with the nozzle unit. Accordingly, as occasion demands, a user can separate the lower end of the suction hose 30 from the connecting tube 26, and join various accessories (not shown) (o the lower end of the Suction hose.

The sterilismg unit 40, which sterilises bacilli and house dust mites included in air drawn into the dust-separating unit 16 through the nozzle unit 20 and the suction hose by using the heat of the suction motor 15, is installed in the rear body 14 of the body assembly 10. The sterilising unit 40 is provided with a hot air circulating duct 44 and the air passage switch 42.

The hot air circulating duct 44 is installed between the inflow pipe 19 of the cyclone 17 of the dust-separating unit 16 and the outlet side of the motor chamber 13 communicating with the air discharge opening of the front body 12, and guides the air discharged through the outflow pipe 21 of the cyclone to the inflow pipe from the outlet side of the motor chamber in a sterilising mode of the vacuum cleaner 1.

The air passage switch 42 is installed where the inflow pipe 19, the suction hose 30, and the hot air circulating duct 44 intersect one another. The air passage switch 42 is movable to locate between a cleaning position (see Figures 3A, 4A, and SA) and a sterilising position (see Figures 3B. 4B, and SB), so that it switches the flow of air. As illustrated in Figure 4A, the cleaning position is a position where the air passage switch 42 blocks flow between the inflow pipe 19 and the hot air circulating duct 44, and communicates the inflow pipe with the suction hose 30; and, as illustrated in Figure 4B, the sterilising position is a position where the air passage switch 42 blocks flow between the inflow pipe 19 and the suction hose 30, and communicates the inflow pipe with the hot air circulating duct 44.

As illustrated in Figures 5A to 6, the air passage switch 42 is constituted by the manifold 46, a valve member 48, and a knob 49. The first, second and third connecting openings 46a, 46b, and 46c, of the manifold 46 communicate with, and are joined to, the inflow pipe 19, the suction hose 30 and the hot air circulating duct 44, respectively.

Here, preferably, but not necessarily, the manifold 46 is formed of a cylindrical tubular element having the first, the second and the third connecting openings 46a, 46b and 46c disposed at angles of 90° to one another on an circumferential surface thereof. The valve member 48 is rotatable to the cleaning position (see Figures 3A, 4A and 5A) where it closes the third connecting opening 46c of the manifold 46, and opens the first and the second connecting openings 46a and 46b. The valve member 48 is also rotatable to the sterilising position (see Figures 3B, 4B and 5B) where it closes the second connecting opening 46b and opens the first and the third connecting openings 46a and 46c. As illustrated in Figure 6, preferably, but not necessarily, the valve member 48 is formed by a cut-away sleeve having an circumferential surface, almost all the area of which is cut away with only an area capable of closing at least one of the first, the second and the third connecting openings 46a, 46b and 46c of the manifold 46 remaining. The knob 49, which rotates the valve member 48, is integrally formed with the valve member 48.

Accordingly, as illustrated in Figures 3A, 4A and 5A, to operate the vacuum cleaner I in a general cleaning modei the user rotates the valve member 48 to the cleaning position using the knob 49. Accordingly, the valve member 48 closes the third connecting opening 46c of the manifold 46 and opens the first and the second connecting openings 46a and 46c, so that it blocks flow between the inflow pipe 19 and the hot air circulating duct 44, and communicates flow between the inflow pipe and the suction hose 30. To the contrary, as illustrated in Figures 3B, 4B and SB, to operate the vacuum cleaner 1 in a sterilising mode, the user operates the valve member 48 to the sterilising position using the knob 49. Accordingly, the valve member 48 closes the second connecting opening 46b, and opens the first and the third connecting openings 46a and 46c, so that flow between the inflow pipe 19 and the suction hose 30 is prevented, and flow between the inflow pipe 19 and the hot air circulating duct 44 is permitted.

To prevent internal parts of the vacuum cleaner 1 from being overheated and deteriorating, the sterilising unit 40 further includes a temperature-detecting sensor 45 (see Figure 1), which detects the temperature of the air guided to the cyclone 17 of the dust-separating unit 16 via the hot air circulating duct 44, and stops drive of the suction motor 15 when the detected temperature is above a predetermined temperature. The temperature-detecting sensor 45 is disposed on one side of the inside of the hot air circulating duct 44, and is connected to the suction motor 15 of the motor chamber 13 by an electric wire. The temperature-detecting sensor 45, however, can be installed in different place, such as in the inflow pipe 19 or in the cyclone 17, instead of being disposed in the hot air circulating duct 44. The temperature-detecting sensor 45 is a thennostat or a thermistor, which can stop the drive of the suction motor 15 when the detected temperature is above the predetermined temperature. At this time, preferably, but not necessarily, the predetermined temperature is more than 5 6°C, and preferably, 63-67°C.

Hereinafter, operation of the upright vacuum cleaner 1 will now be described in detail with reference to Figures 1 to 6.

Firstly, if the user wants to carry out a general cleaning mode, the valve member 48 is rotated to the cleaning position by using the knob 49. As a result, the valve member 48 blocks flow between the inflow pipe 19 and the hot air circulating duct 44, and permits flow between the inflow pipe and the suction hose 30, as explained above with reference to Figures 3A, 4A and 5A.

In this state, the user activates the suction motor 15 via an operating switch (not shown).

As a result, external air along with dust is drawn into the nozzle unit 20 from a surface to be cleaned. The dust-laden air then flows into the cyclone 17 of the dust-separating unit 16 through the suction hose 30, the air passage switch 42, and the inflow pipe 19.

The air then passes through the cyclone 17, and is discharged to the air discharge opening of the front body 12 via the discharge pipe 21, the connecting pipe 22, and the suction motor 15 of the motor chamber 13. When the air passes through the cyclone 17, the dust is separated from the air by a centrifugal force, and is collected into stored in the dust receptacle 18.

After the cleaning operation is completed as described above, if the user wants to carry out a sterilising mode, the valve member 48 is rotated to the sterilising position by using the knob 49. As a result, the valve member 48 blocks flow between the inflow pipe 19 and the suction hose 30, and permits flow between the inflow pipe and the hot air circulating duct 44, as explained above with reference to Figures 3B, 4B and SB.

In this state, the user activates the suction motor 15. As a result, the air in the cyclone 17 of the dust-separating unit 16 is drawn into the motor chamber 13 by the suction motor 15. However, since the valve member 48 blocks flow between the inflow pipe 19 and the suction hose 30, no external air is drawn into the cyclone 17 of the dust-separating unit 16. Accordingly, a negative pressure, stibstantially lower than the atmospheric pressure outside the air discharge opening of the front body 12, is applied in the cyclone 17 of the dust-separating unit 16. As a result, almost none of the air flowing into the suction motor 15 of the motor chamber 13 is discharged to the outside through the discharge opening of the front body 12, but is recirculated to the cyclone 17 of the dust- separating unit 16 through the hot air circulating duct 44. While the air in the dust-separating unit 16 is continuously recirculated in the body assembly 10 as described above, the circulating air is heated by heat generated the suction motor 15. As the air is heated to reach a temperature of approximately 56 °C, bacilli and house dust mites included in the air or the dust collected in the dust receptacle 18 are sterilised. When the sterilising operation is continued for approximately 3-4 minutes, the temperature of the air increases beyond the predetermined temperature (of more than 56°C or preferably 63-67°C), sensed by the temperature-detecting sensor 45. Accordingly, the temperature-detecting sensor 45 stops drive of the suction motor 15 to complete the sterilising operation.

As will be apparent from the foregoing description, the upright vacuum cleaner I has the air passage switch 42, which is switched between the cleaning position blocking flow between the air inflow pipe 19 of the dust-separating unit 16 and the hot air circulating duct 44, and the sterilising position blocking flow between the air inflow pipe and the suction hose 30. Accordingly, if the air passage switch 42 is rotated to the sterilising position by the user, the air discharged through the air discharge part of the dust-separating unit 16 is recirculated to the dust-separating unit via the hot air circulating duct 44 due to the suction force of the suction motor 15, so that it is heated by the heat generated by the suction motor. As a result, the bacilli and the house dust mites included in the air or the dust in the dust-separating unit 16 are sterilised.

As described above, the upright vacuum cleaner I not only has the air passage switch 42 with a simplified construction, so that the user can hand rotate it, but also it does not need a troublesome operation as with the conventional vacuum cleaner which requires the user should remove the suction hose from the air inflow opening when the shutter member closes the air inflow opening, and insert and join the suction hose to the air inflow opening when the shutter member opens the air inflow opening.

Although an exemplary embodiment of the present invention has been shown and described, present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiment. It will be understood that various modifications and changes can be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

Claims

Claims I. A vacuum cleaner comprising: a body assembly having a dust-separating unit provided with an air inflow part to draw in air, and an air outflow part to discharge the air, and a motor chamber communicatable with the air outflow part and having a suction motor mounted therein; a nozzle unit connected to a lower end of the body assembly to draw in dust-laden air; a suction hose connected between the nozzle unit and the air inflow part of the dust-separating unit to guide the air drawn in by the nozzle unit to the air inflow part; and a sterilising unit for sterilising bacilli and/or house dust mites in the air drawn into the dust-separating unit through the nozzle unit and the suction hose; wherein the sterilising unit comprises a hot air circulating duct disposed between the motor chamber and the air inflow part of the dust-separating unit to guide air discharged through the air outflow part of the dust-separating unit from the motor chamber to the air inflow part of the dust-separating unit, and an air passage switch disposed where the air inflow part, the suction hose and the hot air circulating duct intersect, the air passage switch being movable between a cleaning position and a sterilising position to switch flow of air, the cleaning position being a position where the air passage switch blocks flow between the air inflow part and the hot air circulating duct, and the sterilising position being a position where the air passage switching part blocks flow between the air inflow part and the suction hose.
2. A vacuum cleaner as claimed claim I, wherein the air passage switch comprises; a manifold having first, second and third connecting openings connectable respectively to the air inflow part, the suction hose and the hot air circulating duct; a valve member rotatably disposed in the manifold to be positionable in the cleaning position by closing the third connecting opening, or to be positionable in the sterilising position by closing the second connecting opening; and a knob connected to the valve member for rotating the valve member.
3. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 2, wherein the manifold comprises a cylindrical tubular element having the first, second and third connecting openings disposed at angles of 90° to one another on a circumferential surface thereof.
4. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the valve member comprises a cut-away sleeve having a circumferential surface, almost all the area of which is cut away with only an area capable of closing at least one of the first, second and third connecting openings remaining.
5. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in any one of claims I to 4, wherein the sterilising unit further comprises a temperature-detecting sensor for detecting the temperature of air guided to the dust-separating unit through the hot air circulating duct, and to stop drive to the suction motor when the detected temperature is above a predetermined temperature.
6. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 5, wherein the temperature-detecting sensor is a thermostat or a thermistor.
7. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 5 or claim 6, wherein the predetermined temperature is more than 56°C.
8. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 7, wherein the predetermined temperature is between 63°C and 67°C.
9. A vacuum cleaner comprising: a body assembly having a dust-separating unit having an air inflow part and an air outflow part; a motor chamber communicatable with the air outflow part; a suction hose connected between a nozzle unit and the air inflow part to guide external air to the air inflow part; a hot air circulating duct disposed between the motor chamber and the air inflow part of the dust-separating unit; and an air passage switch disposed where the air inflow part, the suction hose, and the hot air circulating duct intersect, the air passage switch being movable between a cleaning position and a sterilising position, wherein the air passage switch blocks flow between the air inflow part and the hot air circulating duct in the cleaning position, and wherein the air passage switch blocks flow between the air inflow part and the suction hose in the sterilising position.
10. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 9, wherein the air passage switch comprises a manifold having first, second and third connecting openings connected with the air inflow part, the suction hose and the hot air circulating duct to communicate therewith, respectively.
ii. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 10, wherein the air passage switch comprises: a valve member rotatably disposed in the manifold to be positionable in the cleaning position or the sterilising position; and a knob connected to the valve member for rotating the valve member.
12. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in any one of claims.9 to 11, further comprising a temperature-detecting sensor configured to detect the temperature of air in the hot air circulating duct.
13. A vacuum cleaner substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to, and as illustrated by, the drawings.