KR102448087B1 - Cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner according to the present invention includes a cleaner body; and a suction unit including a nozzle unit formed to suck air including foreign substances on a floor into the inside of the cleaner body, and a brush assembly detachably mounted to the nozzle unit, wherein the brush assembly includes the nozzle unit. a frame coupled to the frame, which is opened toward the front and forms an opening positioned adjacent to the bottom surface; a brush rotating rod accommodated in the frame and having at least one end rotatably supported by the frame; and a variable shutter that is rotatably mounted on the frame and rotated by a pressing force when in contact with the bottom surface to close a part of the opening. According to this, the air suction force can be varied in response to the state of the floor surface, so that the cleaning performance can be improved.

Description

vacuum cleaner {CLEANER}

The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner that removes dust on a floor using a suction flow.

In general, a vacuum cleaner includes a vacuum cleaner configured to suck dust by rotating a fan by a driving motor and generating a suction flow. In particular, in recent years, as the application field of robots has been expanded, robot cleaners that autonomously drive within a certain space and suck dust on the floor or mop the floor are being manufactured.

A vacuum cleaner operated or autonomously operated by a user includes a brush rotating body in order to effectively suck dust on a floor surface. Specifically, the brush rotating body is operated to be rotated by a separate driving motor or the like, or is rotated by rolling friction with the floor surface. In addition, the brush rotating body is provided with a brush composed of a plurality of bristles on the outer periphery of the rotating body, and the brush sweeps dust from the bottom surface toward the suction port to induce suction of the dust.

The brush rotating body is mounted on a suction unit that sucks air. The suction unit is configured to suck dust and air into the vacuum cleaner, and generally sucks dust and air from the floor from the bottom of the suction unit to which the brush rotating body is mounted.

On the other hand, when the vacuum cleaner is placed on the floor surface, there is a spaced space between the suction unit and the floor surface, and this space becomes an air passage through which air is sucked into the bottom surface of the suction unit. In this case, as the distance between the bottom surface and the bottom surface of the suction unit is smaller, the cross-sectional area of the air passage may be smaller, and the flow rate and pressure of air sucked into the vacuum cleaner may be further increased. However, as the distance between the bottom surface and the bottom surface of the suction unit is smaller, a relatively large foreign material may not pass through, and thus cleaning performance may be deteriorated.

The optimum value of the cross-sectional area of the air passage as described above may vary depending on the condition of the floor surface. For example, when the vacuum cleaner is operated on a floor surface covered with carpet or the like, a greater air suction force than on a normal floor surface may be required.

Therefore, in order to improve cleaning performance, it is necessary to develop a structure in which the cross-sectional area of the air passage at the bottom of the suction unit can be varied according to the condition of the floor. In particular, there is a need to develop a structure in which the cross-sectional area can be accurately implemented according to the state of the floor surface without user manipulation, in order to be suitable for a robot cleaner that runs autonomously.

On the other hand, when the brush rotating body is placed on the bottom surface, a squeegee for supporting foreign substances swept by the brush rotating body may be disposed behind the brush rotating body. However, the squeegee may act as a great resistance when the vacuum cleaner is moved in the space on the floor made of carpet or the like. If the resistance is increased by the squeegee, there is a problem in that a lot of power is consumed for the user to operate the cleaner. Furthermore, the robot cleaner has a problem in that the actual driving distance may be shorter than the distance recognized by the controller or may not move at all. Accordingly, Patent Document 1 suggests a configuration in which a structure for collecting foreign substances on the bottom surface of a robot cleaner can be varied on a floor surface such as a carpet.

Considering this prior art, there is room for integrating and implementing a structure in which the squeegee is changed according to the state of the bottom surface and the cross-sectional area of the air passage through which air is introduced can be varied.

Registered Patent Publication KR10-0809737 B1 (Registered on Feb. 26, 2008)

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A first object of the present invention is to provide a cleaner capable of varying the suction force according to the state of the floor by providing a brush assembly that is rotated by contact with the floor to change the cross-sectional area of a passage through which air is sucked. .

A second object of the present invention is to provide a cleaner in which running resistance can be alleviated by providing a brush assembly in which a squeegee structure supporting foreign substances is moved upward while being rotated by contact with a floor surface to reduce a cross-sectional area of an air passage it is to do

In order to achieve the first object of the present invention, a cleaner according to the present invention includes a cleaner body; and a suction unit including a nozzle unit formed to suck air including foreign substances on a floor into the inside of the cleaner body, and a brush assembly detachably mounted to the nozzle unit, wherein the brush assembly includes the nozzle unit. a frame coupled to the frame, which is opened toward the front and forms an opening positioned adjacent to the bottom surface; a brush rotating rod accommodated in the frame and having at least one end rotatably supported by the frame; and a variable shutter that is rotatably mounted on the frame and rotated by a pressing force when in contact with the bottom surface to close a part of the opening.

In this case, the variable shutter may include: hinge parts rotatably mounted to both ends of the frame; a shutter part connected to the front of the hinge part and rotated downward by rotation of the hinge part to close a part of the opening part; and a pressing part connected to the rear of the hinge part and rotated upward by contact with the bottom surface to transmit a rotational force to the hinge part.

In order to achieve the second object of the present invention, a cleaner according to the present invention includes a cleaner body; and a suction unit including a nozzle unit formed to suck air including foreign substances on a floor into the inside of the cleaner body, and a brush assembly detachably mounted to the nozzle unit, wherein the brush assembly includes the nozzle unit. a frame coupled to the frame, which is opened toward the front and forms an opening positioned adjacent to the bottom surface; a brush rotating rod accommodated in the frame and having at least one end rotatably supported by the frame; and a variable shutter rotatably mounted on the frame and rotated by a pressing force when in contact with the bottom surface to close a part of the opening, wherein the variable shutter is and a squeegee member that is rotated to the side and extends in parallel with the brush rotating rod to limit the movement of the foreign material from the rear of the brush rotating rod.

The frame may include: a support part for rotatably supporting the hinge part; and an extension part connected to the support part and extending in parallel with the brush rotating rod to form the opening on the bottom surface.

In addition, the support part may include a detachable part that is opened toward the upper side and is formed to be elastically deformed when the hinge part slides, so that the frame and the variable shutter are detachable from each other.

The hinge portion may have a shape surrounding the brush rotating rod so as to slide on the outer circumferential surface of the brush rotating rod, so that the variable shutter rotates concentrically with the brush rotating rod, and the variable shutter is supported by the brush rotating rod and rotates.

In addition, the shutter unit and the pressing unit may be located below the rotation center of the hinge unit, so that the variable shutter and the brush rotating rod are detachable from each other.

The frame may include an opening stopper formed to protrude toward a rotation path of the shutter unit to limit rotation of the variable shutter in a direction in which the opening is opened.

In addition, the frame may include a closing stopper formed to protrude toward a rotation path of the pressing unit to limit rotation of the variable shutter in a direction to close the opening.

Rotation of the variable shutter at a preset position may be restricted by the open stopper portion and the closed stopper portion.

The pressing part may include an elastic member configured to be elastically deformed by contact with the closing stopper part and generating an elastic force in a direction separated from the closing stopper part. Accordingly, a restoring force is added in the direction in which the area of the opening is increased.

In this case, the pressing unit may include a squeegee member extending parallel to the brush rotating rod to limit the movement of the foreign material from the rear of the brush rotating rod and elastically deformed by contact with the closing stopper part. have.

The pressing part may include a mass reinforcing part formed to apply a torque for rotating the variable shutter in a direction in which the opening is opened, so that a restoring force is added in a direction to increase the area of the opening.

In this case, the pressing unit may include a squeegee member extending parallel to the brush rotating rod to limit the movement of the foreign material from the rear of the brush rotating rod and being inserted and mounted in the mass reinforcing part.

According to the present invention constituted by the solution described above, there are the following effects.

First, since the vacuum cleaner of the present invention includes a variable shutter that closes the opening by rotation by a contact force with the floor surface, air suction force can be increased in a section in which the floor surface is located relatively close to the brush assembly. Since the variable shutter changes the opening when the vacuum cleaner of the present invention is moved on the floor surface such as a carpet, the suction force can be varied without the user's recognition and separate manipulation.

Second, since the variable shutter includes a squeegee member that receives rotational force by contact with the floor surface, the squeegee member may be moved upward together with the pressing part on a floor surface such as a carpet. Accordingly, the running resistance by the squeegee member can also be reduced, so that a variable brush assembly structure to be optimized on a floor surface such as a carpet can be achieved.

In addition, since the support part of the frame includes a detachable part that is elastically deformed to removably accommodate the hinge part of the variable shutter, cleanliness and replacement of the variable shutter according to the present invention can be easily performed.

On the other hand, since the hinge portion of the variable shutter is slid on the outer circumferential surface of the brush rotating rod to rotate, the variable shutter can be rotated without adding a separate rotating shaft structure.

In addition, since the shutter portion and the pressing portion of the variable shutter are disposed on one side with respect to the rotation center of the hinge portion, the brush rotating rod and the variable shutter can be easily detached from each other, so that cleaning or replacement of parts can be easily performed.

On the other hand, the frame is formed with an opening stopper portion and a closing stopper portion formed to engage the variable shutter, so that the opening and closing areas of the opening can be accurately set.

At this time, since the pressing part includes an elastic member and an elastic force is generated by contact with the closing stopper part, the variable shutter can be quickly returned to a position in which the opening is opened when there is no pressing of the bottom surface.

Furthermore, since the squeegee member included in the pressing part to support the foreign material can also perform the role of the upper elastic member, the variable shutter structure can be implemented simply.

On the other hand, since the mass reinforcing part is formed in the pressing part, restoring force can be added to the variable shutter of the present invention in the direction of opening the opening. Accordingly, when there is no pressure on the bottom surface, the variable shutter can be quickly returned to its original position.

In addition, since the mass reinforcing portion is formed to be mounted with a squeegee member supporting foreign substances, a variable shutter structure can be implemented simply.

1 is a perspective view showing an example of a cleaner according to the present invention.
Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along area A shown in Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the brush assembly shown in Fig. 2;
4 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the frame shown in FIG. 3 and a variable shutter are combined;
5 is an exploded perspective view of the frame and the variable shutter shown in FIG. 4;
6A is a cross-sectional conceptual view showing a frame and a variable shutter when the vacuum cleaner according to the present invention passes through a general floor.
6B is a cross-sectional conceptual view showing a frame and a variable shutter when the cleaner according to the present invention passes a floor made of a carpet.

Hereinafter, a cleaner according to the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

In describing the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, if it is determined that detailed descriptions of related known technologies may obscure the gist of the embodiments disclosed in the present specification, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The accompanying drawings are only for easy understanding of the embodiments disclosed in this specification, and the technical idea disclosed herein is not limited by the accompanying drawings, and all changes and equivalents included in the spirit and scope of the present invention It should be understood to include water or substitutes.

The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

1 is a perspective view showing an example of a cleaner 100 according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the area A shown in FIG. 1 . 1 and 2 , the cleaner 100 according to the present invention includes a cleaner body 110 and a suction unit 120 .

The cleaner body 110 forms the exterior of the cleaner 100 according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1 , the cleaner 100 according to the present invention may be a robot cleaner that performs a function of cleaning the floor while traveling on its own in a predetermined area. In this case, cleaning the floor includes sucking foreign substances such as dust present on the floor surface or mopping the floor.

In an embodiment of the robot cleaner, the cleaner body 110 may include a wheel unit 111 for driving, and a controller (not shown) for controlling driving of the wheel unit 111 . Also, the cleaner body 110 may include a battery (not shown) for supplying power, and the battery may be detachably mounted on the bottom of the cleaner body 110 , for example.

The suction unit 120 is connected to the cleaner body 110 and serves to suck air including dust. 1 and 2 , the suction unit 120 may be disposed to protrude from one side of the cleaner body 110 . One side from which the suction unit 120 protrudes may be the front (F) on which the cleaner of the present invention travels. In addition, the suction unit 120 may have a protruding shape in both left and right sides as shown in FIG. 1 . The suction unit 120 may include a nozzle unit 121 for sucking foreign substances together with air from the bottom side facing the ground.

The cleaner 100 according to the present invention may further include a sensing unit 130 . As shown in FIG. 1 , the sensing unit 130 may be disposed to face the front of the cleaner body 110 in which the suction unit 120 is located. Specifically, it may be disposed on the upper side of the suction unit 120, and the suction unit 120 located at the front of the cleaner 100 of the present invention may detect a feature so that it does not collide with an obstacle or the like.

Meanwhile, the dust container 140 may be detachably coupled to the cleaner body 110 . In the present embodiment, the dust container 140 may be located at the rear R, which is the other side of the cleaner body 110 , and may be formed to protrude toward the rear of the cleaner body 110 . In addition, when the dust bin 140 is mounted on the cleaner body 110 , the dust bin cover 150 may cover the dust bin 140 .

According to the connection relationship between the suction unit 120 and the dust container 140 , the air containing dust introduced through the suction unit 120 passes through the intake passage 112 inside the cleaner body 110 , and the dust container 140 . can be introduced into The dust is separated from the air while passing through the filter or cyclone of the dust container 140 , and is collected in the dust container 140 . After the separated dust is discharged from the dust container 140 , it passes through the exhaust passage inside the cleaner body 110 and finally is discharged to the outside through the exhaust port.

Meanwhile, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the brush assembly 160 according to the present invention. Hereinafter, the brush assembly 160 mounted on the suction unit 120 of the cleaner 100 according to the present invention will be described in detail.

The brush assembly 160 is in contact with the bottom surface, which is the space to be cleaned, and serves to help the foreign substances smoothly flow into the suction unit 120 . The brush assembly 160 may be coupled to the nozzle unit 121 formed on the lower surface of the suction unit 120 , and in particular, may be detachably accommodated to be managed in a clean state by a user.

The brush assembly 160 may be rotated by rolling friction with the floor according to a user's manipulation in the case of a general vacuum cleaner, and may be automatically rotated by a separate driving motor in the case of a robot cleaner. In this embodiment, an example of the robot cleaner shown in FIG. 1 will be described with respect to the brush assembly 160 .

The brush assembly 160 of the cleaner 100 according to the present invention includes a frame 161 and a brush rotating rod 162 . The frame 161 is formed in a shape that can be inserted and mounted in the nozzle unit 121 of the suction unit 120 , and the brush rotating rod 162 is rotatably coupled to the frame 161 . When the brush assembly 160 is mounted on the nozzle unit 121 , a portion of the frame 161 and a portion of the brush rotating rod 162 may be positioned to face the bottom surface.

The brush rotating rod 162 may be formed to extend left and right to rotate toward the front (F). A brush portion 162a formed with a plurality of bristles in a predetermined pattern is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the brush rotating rod 162, and as the brush rotating rod 162 is rotated, the brush unit 162a is formed to be in contact with the bottom surface. can

In order for the suction unit 120 of the present invention to suck air containing foreign substances, a predetermined air passage through which air can be sucked must be secured when the suction unit 120 is placed on the floor. In particular, as a part of this air passage, the frame 161 forms an opening 161a adjacent to the bottom surface and opened toward the front F. As shown in FIG.

Meanwhile, the suction force of the air may be changed by the cross-sectional area of the air passage formed by the bottom surface and the bottom surface of the suction unit 120 . For example, even when a driving motor or the like generates a constant power to suck air, the smaller the cross-sectional area of the air passage is, the faster the air may be introduced into a narrow space. That is, the flow rate of the air flowing on the floor is increased, so that the force that can be sucked in the foreign substances is increased.

However, when the cross-sectional area of the air passage is small, particularly, when the height of the opening 161a in the vertical direction is low, there is a problem in that a large foreign material may not be sucked. Since the foreign material that has not passed through the opening 161a is pushed and moved by the suction unit 120 while remaining in the front F of the suction unit 120, it may contaminate the floor surface, which is a problem. In particular, in the case of a robot cleaner as shown in FIG. 1 , it may be difficult to immediately recognize and respond to a situation, which is more problematic.

According to this relationship, the area of the opening 161a may have an appropriate value according to the environment of the floor surface. In particular, when the suction unit 120 is moved on a floor surface made of a carpet or the like, the area of the opening 161a is reduced, so that it is necessary to increase the air suction force. Reflecting this, the brush assembly 160 provided in the cleaner 100 of the present invention further includes a variable shutter 163 for changing the area of the opening 161a according to the condition of the floor surface.

4 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the frame 161 and the variable shutter 163 shown in FIG. 3 are combined, and FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the frame 161 and the variable shutter 163 shown in FIG. 4 .

The variable shutter 163 is rotated by a pressing force when in contact with the bottom surface, and is operated to close a part of the opening 161a by rotation. 3 to 5 , specifically, the variable shutter 163 may include a hinge part 163a, a shutter part 163b, and a pressing part 163c.

The hinge part 163a is rotatably mounted to both ends of the frame 161 , and forms a rotation center around which the variable shutter 163 is rotated. The hinge part 163a may be mounted on the support part 161b formed on the frame 161 , and the rotation center of the variable shutter 163 may be formed to coincide with the rotation center of the brush rotation rod 162 . Specific structural features of the hinge portion 163a will be described later.

The shutter part 163b covers the opening 161a formed in the frame 161 when the hinge part 163a rotates to close a part thereof. To this end, the shutter portion 163b is formed to correspond to the shape of the following opening 161a.

The aforementioned opening 161a may be formed by the extension 161c provided in the frame 161 . The extension 161c may extend in a direction parallel to the brush rotating rod 162 . In particular, it may be positioned to be spaced apart from the upper side of the flat bottom surface at a predetermined interval to form an opening 161a open to the front F between the bottom surface and the extension part 161c.

The shutter portion 163b may be configured to gradually close the opening portion 161a from the upper side when the hinge portion 163a is rotated in the forward direction F′ by the pressing of the bottom surface. That is, the shutter unit 163b may be configured to decrease the height of the opening 161a during forward rotation F′. Here, the forward rotation (F') means the direction in which the brush rotating rod 162 is rolled toward the front (F), and the rotation in the opposite direction is defined as the reverse rotation (R').

The pressing part 163c is in contact with the bottom surface and serves to generate a pressing force for rotating the variable shutter 163 . The pressing part 163c may be connected to the rear R of the hinge part 163a, and in some cases may be formed to protrude from the bottom surface of the frame 161 toward the bottom surface. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the pressing part 163c may be extended to be connected to both side hinge parts 163a spaced apart from each other.

As a result, as shown in FIGS. 2 to 5 , the shutter part 163b and the pressing part 163c may be formed to protrude from the hinge part 163a in the radial direction of the rotation center formed by the hinge part 163a. .

6A is a cross-sectional conceptual view showing the frame 161 and the variable shutter 163 when the vacuum cleaner 100 according to the present invention passes through a general floor surface, and FIG. 6B is the cleaner 100 according to the present invention. It is a cross-sectional conceptual view showing the frame 161 and the variable shutter 163 when passing through the plane. Referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B , it can be seen that the variable shutter 163 is rotated and the position of the shutter unit 163b is changed according to the state of the floor surface.

As shown in FIG. 6A , when the suction unit 120 of the cleaner 100 according to the present invention passes through a hard and flat general floor surface, the vertical distance between the extension part 161c and the floor surface is the height of the opening 161a. do. That is, the opening 161a remains fully opened.

On the other hand, the bottom surface of the carpet, etc. shown in FIG. 6B has a characteristic that elastic deformation may occur. In the robot cleaner 100 serving as an example of the cleaner 100 of the present invention, the wheel unit 111 is moved by supporting the cleaner 100 body and the suction unit 120 on the floor surface. At this time, the bottom surface portion in contact with the wheel unit 111 is elastically deformed and pressed locally. As a result, the upper surface of the carpet may be located closer to the bottom surface of the frame 161 in the case of FIG. 6B as compared to the case of the hard bottom surface of FIG. 6A . Furthermore, the bottom surface of the frame 161 may be in contact with the top surface of the carpet.

In this state of FIG. 6B , the pressing part 163c of the variable shutter 163 may be pressed against the upper surface of the carpet. And, since the pressing unit 163c is located at the rear (R) of the hinge unit 163a, when the pressing unit 163c is pressed and rotated upward, the shutter unit 163b is located at the front (F) of the hinge unit 163a. ) can be rotated downward. As the shutter unit 163b is moved downward, the opening 161a is covered by the shutter unit 163b, and as a result, the height of the opening 161a is lowered.

As described with reference to FIGS. 6A and 6B , the variable shutter 163 provided in the cleaner 100 of the present invention may close the opening 161a by rotation by a contact force with the floor. Accordingly, the air suction force may be increased in a section in which the bottom surface is located relatively close to the brush assembly 160 . Accordingly, in the present invention, cleaning of a floor surface such as a carpet requiring a strong suction force can be performed more effectively.

In addition, the variable shutter 163 is configured to change the opening 161a when the cleaner 100 of the present invention is moved on a floor surface such as a carpet. That is, the suction force can be varied without the need for a separate operation that the user recognizes and responds, which is a greater advantage in the robot cleaner 100 which is an example of the present invention.

On the other hand, the pressing part 163c of the variable shutter 163 provided according to the present invention supports the foreign material that has been swept over to the rear (R) of the brush rotating rod 162 , and the foreign material is sucked into the suction unit 120 . It may include a squeegee member (163c1) that serves to help.

Specifically, the squeegee member 163c1 may extend in parallel with the brush rotating rod 162 to limit the movement of the foreign material at the rear R of the brush rotating rod 162 . That is, like the brush rotating rod 162, it may be formed to extend to the left and right sides. In addition, the squeegee member 163c1 may be positioned to be spaced apart from the bottom surface at a predetermined distance on a conventional flat bottom surface.

As shown in FIGS. 2, 6A and 6B, the squeegee member 163c1 of the present embodiment may have a shape in which a portion thereof is erected in the vertical direction. However, the squeegee member 163c1 may be formed in the form of a thin plate that extends to the left and right sides and the front and rear, and is disposed parallel to the bottom surface.

When the squeegee member 163c1 is provided in the pressing part 163c, the height of the squeegee member 163c1 may be changed according to the rotation of the variable shutter 163 . That is, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B , the squeegee member 163c1 together with the pressing part 163c may be moved upwards on a floor surface such as a carpet. When the squeegee member 163c1 moves upward, the squeegee member 163c1 rubs against a floor surface such as a carpet, thereby limiting an increase in running resistance. That is, the position of the squeegee member 163c1 is also varied along with the variable area of the opening 161a described above, so that the suction force is increased and the running resistance is reduced, so that the brush assembly 160 is changed to be optimized for cleaning the carpet floor is implemented. can be

Meanwhile, the brush assembly 160 of the cleaner 100 according to the present invention is configured to be detachable from the suction unit 120 , so that cleaning or replacement of the brush assembly 160 itself is easy. In addition, in the brush assembly 160 of the present invention, the variable shutter 163 , the frame 161 , and the brush rotating rod 162 may be configured to be detachable, respectively, and similarly, cleaning and replacement of each component can be easily performed. do.

First, a detachable structure of the variable shutter 163 and the frame 161 will be described. As described above in conjunction with FIGS. 4 and 5 , the frame 161 includes a support portion 161b , and the variable shutter 163 includes a hinge portion 163a . And so that the hinge part 163a is detachable from the support part 161b, the support part 161b is provided with a detachable part 162b1.

4 and 5 , the detachable portion 162b1 may be formed in any one of the support portions 161b positioned to be spaced apart from each other in the left and right directions. The detachable part 162b1 forms a space that is opened upward, and the hinge part 163a slides to pass in the vertical direction. The detachable portion 162b1 may be in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the hinge portion 163a at the front (F) and the rear (R), respectively. In this case, the front and rear spacing of the detachable portion 162b1 is formed to be smaller than the diameter of the hinge portion 163a, however, the detachable portion 162b1 may be elastically deformed when the hinge portion 163a passes. That is, the hinge part 163a is detachable from the support part 161b by elastic deformation of the detachable part 162b1.

On the other hand, when the hinge part 163a is coupled to the support part 161b and the vacuum cleaner 100 of the present invention is operated, the frame 161 is inserted and mounted in the nozzle part 121 of the suction unit 120, and a detachable part ( Since elastic deformation of 162b1 may be limited, separation of the frame 161 and the variable shutter 163 may be prevented.

Due to the configuration of the detachable portion 162b1 as described above, the frame 161 and the variable shutter 163 included in the brush assembly 160 of the present invention can be detached by a user's manipulation, and each component can be easily managed. will do

Next, a detachable structure between the variable shutter 163 and the brush rotating rod 162 will be described. In the present embodiment, the hinge portion 163a of the variable shutter 163 may be formed to surround a portion of the outer peripheral surface of the brush rotating rod 162 . In addition, the hinge portion 163a and the outer peripheral surface of the brush rotating rod 162 may be in contact with each other to be slidable.

As a result, the outer circumferential surface of the hinge portion 163a may be rotatably supported by the support portion 161b as described above, and the inner circumferential surface of the hinge portion 163a may be rotatably supported by the outer circumferential surface of the brush rotating rod 162 .

At this time, the shutter portion 163b and the pressing portion 163c connecting the hinge portions 163a spaced apart from each other in the variable shutter 163 are one side relative to the rotation center at which the hinge portion 163a is rotated, For example, it may be located below the center of rotation.

Since the variable shutter 163 may be formed of plastic having a predetermined elastic modulus, the hinges 163a forming both side ends of the variable shutter 163 may be opened by a user's pressure. At this time, the pressing part 163c and the shutter part 163b are located below the rotation center of the hinge part 163a so that the hinge part 163a can be spread apart from each other in an upward direction, and the brush rotating rod ( 162 may be inserted into the variable shutter 163 from the upper side. The variable shutter 163 and the brush rotating rod 162 can be easily managed by the detachable structure as described above.

In addition, when the hinge portion 163a of the variable shutter 163 is slid on the outer circumferential surface of the brush rotary rod 162 to rotate, there is no need to add a separate rotary shaft structure for the rotation of the variable shutter 163 . Therefore, there is an advantage that the complexity of the structure can be minimized as the variable shutter 163 is added.

In the above, the structure and function of the variable shutter 163 and the characteristics of the detachable configuration of the variable shutter 163 and the frame 161 have been described. Hereinafter, the opening stopper portion 161d and the closing stopper portion 161e, which function to be supported between the correct positions when the variable shutter 163 is rotated, will be described.

First, referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B , the frame 161 mounted on the brush assembly 160 of the present invention may further include an open stopper part 161d. The opening stopper part 161d is formed to restrict the reverse rotation R' among the directions described above, that is, rotation of the variable shutter 163 in a direction in which the opening 161a is opened.

In the present embodiment, the opening stopper portion 161d may be formed to engage the shutter portion 163b. For example, it may be formed to protrude from at least a portion of the rear surface of the extension portion 161c constituting the frame 161 . The opening stopper part 161d may support the shutter part 163b from being rotated upward further at a preset position, and accordingly, the hinge part 163a and the pressing part 163c connected to the shutter part 163b also It is no longer reversely rotated (R') at the preset position.

Since the opening stopper 161d is provided, the cross-sectional area of the opening 161a in the general bottom section shown in FIG. 6A may be maintained at a preset value. In addition, when the squeegee member 163c1 is further provided in the pressing part 163c, the squeegee member 163c1 may be restricted from being further rotated downward from the preset position. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the squeegee member 163c1 from being rubbed against the floor surface to increase running resistance or to prevent the squeegee member 163c1 from being worn.

In the present embodiment, the opening stopper portion 161d is formed on the frame 161, but in some cases, it is formed on the nozzle portion 121 of the rotation unit to rotate the shutter portion 163b when the brush assembly 160 is mounted. may be limited.

Next, referring to FIGS. 6A and 6B , the frame 161 mounted on the brush assembly 160 of the present invention may further include a closing stopper part 161e. The closing stopper part 161e is formed to restrict forward rotation F' among the directions described above, that is, rotation of the variable shutter 163 in a direction for closing the opening 161a.

In the present embodiment, the closing stopper part 161e may be formed so that the pressing part 163c is caught. The support portions 161b positioned at both ends of the frame 161 may be connected to each other by the extension portions 161c in the front F, and may be connected to each other by the connection portions 161f in the rear R. At this time, the closing stopper part 161e is formed to protrude from the connection part 161f, so that the pressing part 163c may be stopped without further forward rotation F' from the preset position. When the pressing part 163c is no longer rotated upward, the hinge part 163a and the shutter part 163b connected to the pressing part 163c are also stopped, and the shutter part 163b is formed of the opening 161a. It will no longer move downwards in a partially closed state.

Since the closing stopper part 161e is provided, as shown in FIG. 6B , the opening 161a in the area of the carpet floor can be accurately maintained in a partially closed state. At this time, the pressing part 163c may be continuously pressed from the lower side by the carpet bottom surface, and may be held in a stopped state by being caught from the upper side by the closing stopper part 161e.

In addition, like the open stopper portion 161d, the closing stopper portion 161e is not necessarily formed on the frame 161 . The closing stopper part 161e may be formed, for example, in the mounting part 121a formed to correspond to the connection part 161f on the rear (R) side of the nozzle part 121 .

As a result, the opening and closing stopper portion 161e can accurately vary the open and closed regions of the opening 161a in the state shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, respectively, and furthermore, the squeegee member 163c1 of the pressing portion 163c. to be placed in the correct position.

Meanwhile, the pressing part 163c caught by the closing stopper part 161e may include an elastic member 163c2 in direct contact with the closing stopper part 161e. The elastic member 163c2 serves to impart a restoring force that rotates in a direction in which the cross-sectional area of the opening 161a increases, that is, the variable shutter 163 is rotated in the reverse direction (R′).

The elastic member 163c2 may be elastically deformed by being pressed by contact with the closing stopper part 161e. The elastic member 163c2 may be made of a rubber material or the like, and may have a hollow cylinder shape as shown in FIGS. 2, 6A and 6B . The elastic member 163c2 may be mounted so that a portion of the outer circumferential surface is in contact with the receiving portion 163c3 formed in the pressing portion 163c.

The remaining part of the elastic member 163c2 may be pressed by the closing stopper part 161e when the pressing part 163c is rotated upward to generate an elastic force. The generated elastic force acts to rotate the pressing part 163c downward. And when the pressing force by the bottom surface disappears, the pressing part 163c may be rapidly moved downward by this elastic force.

Since the reverse rotation (R') of the variable shutter 163 according to the present invention is performed by pressing the bottom surface, an immediate operation can be achieved. Here, when the elastic member 163c2 is added, the operation of the variable shutter 163 forward rotation (F') from the state of FIG. 6B to the state of FIG. 6A can be quickly performed. Accordingly, the reliability of the operation of the variable shutter 163 of the present invention may be improved by the elastic member 163c2.

Meanwhile, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B , the elastic member 163c2 may be integrally formed with the squeegee member 163c1 . In addition, the elastic member 163c2 and the squeegee member 163c1 integrally formed may be mounted on the receiving part 163c3 of the pressing part 163c.

To this end, the receiving portion 163c3 may be formed in a concave-convex shape having a concave portion 163c3 ′ and a convex portion 163c3″. The elastic member 163c2 may be accommodated in the concave portion 163c3' of the receiving portion 163c3 so that the upper side thereof is exposed, and may be disposed to be in contact with the closing stopper portion 161e. In addition, the squeegee member 163c1 may be connected to the elastic member 163c2 so as to surround the convex portion 163c3″ of the receiving portion 163c3, and protrude downward to catch foreign substances on the bottom surface.

As in the present embodiment, when the elastic member 163c2 and the squeegee member 163c1 are integrally formed, the structure of the variable shutter 163 of the present invention having various functions can be implemented more simply. In addition, the elastic member 163c2 and the squeegee member 163c1 may be made of the same material as rubber or the like, and manufacturing and assembly easiness may be improved.

Meanwhile, a mass reinforcing part may be further provided in the pressing part 163c of the variable shutter 163 of the present invention to help reverse rotation R' of the variable shutter 163 like the elastic member 163c2 described above. . The mass reinforcing part is configured to further strengthen the torque at which the variable shutter 163 is restored from the state of FIG. 6B to the state of FIG. 6A.

The mass reinforcing part may be formed at a position spaced apart from the rear (R) of the hinge part 163a in the radial direction of the rotation center formed by the hinge part 163a. For example, the mass reinforcing part may be formed in the pressing part 163c. The mass reinforcing portion may be formed of a material having a relatively high density so that a predetermined mass is further added, or may be formed to have a greater thickness than other portions of the variable shutter 163 .

Due to the mass reinforcing part, the variable shutter 163 can quickly increase the height of the opening 161a to suit a general bottom surface. Furthermore, when the squeegee member 163c1 is included in the pressing part 163c, it is possible to prevent the squeegee member 163c1 from being shaken or pushed up by foreign substances to a certain level.

In addition, for convenience in manufacturing the variable shutter 163 provided in the present invention, the mass reinforcing part may be the receiving part 163c3 . In other words, the mass reinforcing part is formed to accommodate the squeegee member 163c1 or the elastic member 163c2 , and thus may serve as the accommodating part 163c3 described above. In this case, the elastic member 163c2, the squeegee member 163c1 and the mass reinforcing part described above may be integrally implemented as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B. Accordingly, various functions of the pressing unit 163c or the variable shutter 163 described above can be achieved by a simple structure.

What has been described above is only an embodiment for implementing the cleaner 100 according to the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and does not depart from the gist of the present invention as claimed in the claims below. Anyone with ordinary knowledge in the field to which the invention pertains within will say that the technical idea of the present invention exists to the extent that various modifications can be made.

100: vacuum cleaner 110: cleaner body
111: wheel unit 112: suction flow path
120: suction unit 121: nozzle unit
121a: mounting portion 130: sensing unit
140: dust bin 150: dust bin cover
160: brush assembly 161: frame
161a: opening 161b: support part
161b1: detachable part 161c: extension part
161d: open stopper portion 161e: close stopper portion
161f: connecting portion 162: brush rotating rod
162a: brush part 163: variable shutter
163a: hinge portion 163b: shutter portion
163c: pressing part 163c1: squeegee member
163c2: elastic member 163c3: receiving part
163c3': concave part 163c3": convex part

Claims (13)

cleaner body; and
A suction unit including a nozzle unit formed to suck air including foreign substances on a floor into the inside of the cleaner body, and a brush assembly detachably mounted to the nozzle unit,
The brush assembly,
a frame coupled to the nozzle unit, opening toward the front and forming an opening positioned adjacent to the bottom surface;
a brush rotating rod accommodated in the frame and having at least one end rotatably supported by the frame; and
and a variable shutter rotatably mounted to the frame about a rotation axis of the rotating rod,
The variable shutter is
a shutter unit disposed in front with respect to the axis of rotation of the rotating rod; and
It includes a pressing part disposed at the rear with respect to the rotation axis of the rotating rod,
The shutter unit and the pressing unit,
A cleaner for opening and closing at least a portion of the opening by being formed to rotate up and down relative to the rotation axis of the rotating rod in accordance with the pressing force received from the bottom surface of the pressing unit.
According to claim 1,
The variable shutter may further include hinges rotatably mounted to both ends of the frame.
3. The method of claim 2,
The shutter part is connected to the front of the hinge part and rotates downward by rotation of the hinge part to close a part of the opening part.
3. The method of claim 2,
The pressing part is connected to the rear of the hinge part, and is rotated upward by contact with the bottom surface to transmit a rotational force to the hinge part.
3. The method of claim 2,
The frame is
a support part for rotatably supporting the hinge part; and
and an extension part connected to the support part and extending in parallel with the brush rotating rod to form the opening on the bottom surface,
The support unit may include a detachable unit that is opened toward an upper side and is formed to be elastically deformed when the hinge unit slides.
3. The method of claim 2,
The hinge portion is a cleaner, characterized in that surrounding the brush rotating rod so as to slide on the outer peripheral surface of the brush rotating rod. According to claim 1,
The shutter part and the pressing part are located below the rotation axis of the rotary rod.
According to claim 1,
The frame may include an opening stopper part protruding toward a rotation path of the shutter part to restrict rotation of the variable shutter in a direction in which the opening part is opened.
According to claim 1,
The frame may include a closing stopper portion protruding toward a rotation path of the pressing portion to restrict rotation of the variable shutter in a direction to close the opening.
10. The method of claim 9,
and the pressing unit includes an elastic member configured to be elastically deformed by contact with the closing stopper unit, thereby generating an elastic force in a direction separated from the closing stopper unit. 10. The method of claim 9,
The pressing unit includes a squeegee member extending in parallel with the brush rotating rod to restrict movement of the foreign material from the rear of the brush rotating rod and elastically deformed by contact with the closing stopper part. According to claim 1,
and the pressing part includes a mass reinforcing part formed to apply a torque for rotating the variable shutter in a direction in which the opening is opened.
13. The method of claim 12,
The pressing unit includes a squeegee member extending in parallel with the brush rotating rod to limit the movement of the foreign material from the rear of the brush rotating rod and being inserted and mounted in the mass reinforcing portion.

Images