RU2275163C2 - Bendable extension tube equipped with pivot joint and designed for vacuum cleaner - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: mechanical engineering.

SUBSTANCE: bendable extension tube for vacuum cleaner has body adapted for bending by manipulating through the use of button, said body defining hermetically sealed channel for passage of fluid between vacuum cleaner casing and suction brush. Bendable extension tube has first extension pipe and second extension pipe, said pipes being connected so as to be rotated in relation to one another. Retaining button is elastically positioned on first extension pipe and is adapted for restricting rotation of first and second extension pipes. Sealing cover prevents retaining button from shifting out of pivot joint which connects first and second extension pipes, and covers first and second extension pipes in hermetically sealing relation.

EFFECT: increased efficiency in bending of extension tube by simple manipulation of button to thereby significantly facilitate operation of vacuum cleaner.

14 cl, 4 dwg

Description

LINK TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to the Korean Patent Application No. 2003-72874, filed October 20, 2003 with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.

CROSS REFERENCE TO A RELATED APPLICATION

This application is related to the simultaneously considered application entitled "Bendable Nozzle for Vacuum Cleaner" (Korean Patent Application 10-2003-72873, filed October 20, 2003), which belongs to the assignee for this application and a description of which is fully incorporated into this application by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner and, more specifically, to a bendable extension pipe of a vacuum cleaner, which allows the operator manipulating the vacuum cleaner to clean small areas under furniture such as a bed, couch or chair in a convenient manner.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Typically, a vacuum cleaner sucks dust from a surface to be cleaned together with the surrounding air by using a suction force that is created by an electric motor designed to create a suction force and provided inside the cleaner body. To ensure that intake air and dust can pass into the vacuum cleaner body, a sealed fluid passage is formed that connects the vacuum cleaner body and the suction brush when it contacts the surface to be cleaned.

There are various types of channels for fluid passage. For example, a container-type vacuum cleaner may include a flexible hose connecting the vacuum cleaner body to the control handle, and an extension pipe connecting the control handle to the suction brush. As a rule, the extension pipe is made in the form of a telescopic pipe or is formed of many parts of the collection pipe to enable the length to be adjusted as necessary.

In a vacuum cleaner like the one described above, the extension pipe and the suction brush are usually at a fixed angle to each other, and as a result, it is inconvenient for the operator to clean lower places, such as places under the bed, sofa or chair. That is, the operator must bend over, hold the suction brush in contact with the surface to be cleaned, and rotate the extension pipe to clean the areas below. Even if the extension pipe and the suction brush are arranged at an adjustable angle relative to each other, there is still inconvenience, since the operator must tilt to place the suction brush under the piece of furniture.

Thus, there is still an unresolved problem in this industry that needs to be solved to eliminate the above disadvantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention was aimed at eliminating the above disadvantages and solving other problems associated with conventional designs. An object of the present invention is to provide a bendable extension pipe for a vacuum cleaner that has an improved design to enable the operator to perform a cleaning operation so that he does not need to bend or lower his body, and the extension pipe is bent by simply manipulating a few buttons .

The above features and / or other features of the present invention can be mainly obtained by creating a bendable extension pipe for a vacuum cleaner having a body bendable by manipulating a button, and the bendable extension pipe forms a sealed passage for the passage of fluid between the vacuum cleaner body and the suction brush. The bendable extension pipe includes a first extension pipe, a second extension pipe connected to the first extension pipe to be rotatable relative to it, a latch button resiliently mounted on the first extension pipe and designed to limit the rotation of the first and second extension pipes, and a sealing cover for to prevent the locking button from shifting out of the hinge connecting the first and second extension pipes, and to seal the first and second extension pipes.

According to a preferred embodiment, the locking button is formed on a supporting protruding part which protrudes from the axis of rotation of the hinge connecting the first extension pipe and the second extension pipe with the possibility of their displacement relative to each other. The lock button has at least one abutment rib protruding along its outer circumferential peripheral surface and a restrictive protrusion designed to limit the rotation of the first and second extension pipes. The supporting protruding part has at least one guide protrusion formed on its outer circumferential peripheral surface, and a sliding groove is formed in the locking button so that the specified groove coincides with the guide protrusion. When the lock button is pressed and released, the sliding groove is guided by the guide protrusion to prevent the lock button from turning. The elastic element is located between the lock button and the supporting protruding part. By pressing the lock button, the elastic element creates a restoring force acting in the direction of releasing the lock button.

The second extension pipe contains a plate made with a guide groove designed to form a movable connection with the supporting protruding part. The guide groove has one open end. The locking part is formed in a place corresponding to the restrictive protrusion, so as to selectively fix the restrictive protrusion in accordance with the displacement of the restrictive protrusion in the axial direction. The fixing part is separated from the plate with a groove and is located at a distance from it equal to or greater than the thickness of the restrictive protrusion.

The sealing lid includes a first lid with a button hole corresponding to the size of the outer circumferential peripheral surface of the latch button, and a second lid bonded to the first lid and hermetically seals the connecting parts between the first and second extension pipes.

According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, there is provided a bendable extension pipe for a vacuum cleaner having a body that is bendable by manipulating a button, wherein the bendable extension pipe forms a sealed passage for fluid to pass between the cleaner body and the suction brush, including: a first extension pipe, having a supporting protruding part formed in the center of a cylindrical hinge, with a locking button that is pressed and released by means of an elastic element one wherein the cylindrical joint has one open end; a second extension pipe containing a plate with a groove for forming a movable connection with a supporting protruding part, a fixing part for selectively fixing the lock button; and a sealing cover for tightly closing the connecting parts between the first and second extension pipes and having an opening for the button through which the locking button protrudes outward to allow exposure to it.

Preferably, the sealing cap comprises a first cap having a button hole and a second cap fastened to the connecting parts of the first cap for tightly closing the first and second extension pipes, respectively.

Other systems, methods, features and advantages of the present invention will or will become apparent to a person skilled in the art when studying the following drawings and detailed description. It is envisaged that all such additional systems, methods, features and advantages are covered by this description, are within the scope of the present invention and are protected by the accompanying claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above features and other features of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description of some embodiments of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings. The elements in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, instead, emphasis has been placed on clearly illustrating the principles of the present invention. In addition, in the drawings, like reference numbers indicate corresponding parts and parts in several views.

Figure 1 is a drawing showing a perspective view of a bendable extension pipe in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

figure 2 is a perspective view of a bendable extension pipe with a spatial separation of elements in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

3 is a perspective view of a bendable extension pipe in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention before bending, wherein the sealing cap is removed; and

4 is a perspective view of a bendable extension pipe in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention after bending, with the sealing cap removed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Some embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a perspective view illustrating a bendable extension pipe 100 for a vacuum cleaner in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the bendable extension pipe 100 includes first and second extension pipes 110, 120 that are bent to each other by pressing and releasing the lock button 130. The sealing cap 140 prevents deterioration in suction due to leaks in the fittings, and also prevents the locking button 130 from displacing from the hinge connecting the first and second extension pipes in the axial direction.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first extension pipe 110 includes a cylindrical hinge J1 that has an opening (not shown) on the side facing the second extension pipe 120, and a “aligned” support protruding portion 111 is formed approximately at the center of the cylindrical hinge J1. with pivot axis. The latch button 130 is biasably mounted on the support protruding portion 111 for displacement by pressing and releasing, and in one example, the support protruding part 111 can be inserted into the fixation button 130, and an elastic member S is installed between them. As shown in FIG. at least one guide protrusion 111a and a sliding groove 130a are made on each of the elements - on the supporting protruding portion 111 and on the locking button 130, allowing the guiding protrusion 111a and the sliding channel to be mated and interact Applicants 130a. Accordingly, when the locking button 130 is pressed and released by the guide protrusion 111a that fits into the sliding groove 130a on the outer circumferential peripheral surface, the locking button 130 is guided in such a way that the locking button 130 rotates at the same angle of rotation of the first extension pipe 110.

A stop rib 131 is formed on the outer circumferential peripheral surface of the locking button 130 to prevent the locking button 130 from moving outward in the axial direction, and a restriction protrusion 132 is also formed on the outer circumferential peripheral surface of the locking button 130 to limit the rotation angle of the first and second extension pipes 110 and 120. At least one abutment rib 131 with a diameter greater than the diameter of the lock button 130 may be formed in the circumferential direction, as shown in FIG. 2, to prevent bias towards 130 opki fixing that protrudes from the outer side of the sealing cover 140, outwardly in the axial direction. In a preferred embodiment, the stop rib 131 may be symmetrically positioned so that it rests evenly on the seal cover 140 and does not tilt.

At least one restriction protrusion 132 can be formed in the circumferential direction, while all restriction protrusions will be made in corresponding places that do not coincide with the location of the stop rib 131. The restriction protrusion 132 can be made with a lower height compared to the opposing protruding element 131, and furthermore, the limiting protrusion 132 can be beveled from a predetermined side so that the operator can exert less force when bending the first and second extension pipes 110 and 120.

The second extension pipe 120 includes a cylindrical hinge receiving part J2, which has a shape corresponding to the shape and complementary to the cylindrical hinge J2 of the first extension pipe 110 to form a pivot joint therebetween. The cylindrical hinge receiving part J2 includes a groove plate 121 that has a guide groove 121a to form a movable connection with the support protruding part 111 near the center of the second extension pipe 120, and a locking part 122 that selectively contacts the restriction protrusion 132 to limit rotation respectively, the first and second extension pipes 110, 120.

The groove plate 121 is a circular plate. The grooved plate 121 has a diameter equal to the diameter of the cylindrical hinge J1, so that the inner circumferential peripheral surface of the portion J2 for receiving the cylindrical hinge comes into close contact with the outer circumferential peripheral surface of the cylindrical hinge J1. The guide groove 121a has a width that corresponds to the diameter of the support protruding part 111, so that the center of the support protruding part 111 can coincide with the center part of the plate 121 with the groove. The closed end of the first extension pipe 110 may be in the form of a circular arc, as shown in FIG. 2, to enable rotation of the first extension pipe 110 on the supporting protruding portion 111.

The locking portion 122 restricts the rotation of the first and second extension pipes 110 and 120 by selectively contacting the restrictive protrusion 132. In a preferred embodiment, the locking portion 122 may be formed at a predetermined distance from the groove plate 121, and the specified predetermined distance will be greater than the thickness of the restrictive protrusion 132. When the operator presses the lock button 130, the restriction protrusion 132 is displaced in the axial direction, out of contact with the locking part 122 and the offset tsya to a position in which the restriction projection 132 can pass through the space between the fixing portion 122 and the plate 121 with the groove.

The sealing cap 140 prevents deterioration in suction that could occur between the cylindrical hinge J1 and the receiving portion J2 of the cylindrical hinge and between the first and second extension pipes 110 and 120. In a preferred embodiment, the sealing cap 140 may have first and second covers 141, 142 for preventing the locking button 130 from shifting outward in the axial direction. The first lid 141 has a button hole 141a through which the latch button 130 protrudes outward to allow exposure. The button hole 141a has a size that corresponds to the outer circumferential peripheral surface of the lock button 130. In a preferred embodiment, the button hole 141a may have a size that is equal to or greater than the size of the outer circumference of the fixation button 130 and smaller than the size of the outer circumference of the fixation button 130 together with the stop rib 131, so that the stop rib 131 is supposed to rest on the inner peripheral surface the first cover 141 to prevent the locking button 130 from shifting outward in the axial direction.

The operation of a bendable extension pipe for a vacuum cleaner according to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

Figure 3 shows the first and second extension pipes 110, 120 connected to each other at an angle equal to 0 °. For convenience of explanation, FIG. 3 does not show the sealing cap 140. During normal operation, that is, when the places such as the floor are cleaned with a vacuum cleaner, the first and second extension pipes 110, 120 are connected to each other at an angle equal to 0 °. In this position, the restriction protrusion 132 is in contact with one end 122a of the fixing part 122 to prevent the first and second extension pipes 110, 120 from bending in the direction 'A' of FIG. 3, and the stop rib 131 is in contact with the other end 122b of the fixing part 122 to support and preventing bending of the first and second extension pipes 110, 120 in the direction 'B' of FIG. 3.

When the operator wants to clean places such as the places under the bed or sofa, the operator presses the lock button 130, and accordingly, the restriction protrusion 132 is displaced from the fixation part 122 to a position where the restriction protrusion 132 can pass through the space between the fixation part 122 and the plate 121 with a groove. When the operator bends the first or second extension pipe 110 or 120 by pressing the lock button 130, the restriction protrusion 132 enters the inner circumferential space defined between the locking part 122 and the groove plate 121, and in this position it can be rotated.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the first and second extension pipes 110 and 120 are bent relative to each other at an angle of approximately 45 °, at which it is most convenient for the operator to clean from the underside of the piece of furniture. When the first and second extension pipes 110, 120 are at an angle of 0 ° relative to the center of the locking button 130, and if the imaginary line connecting the end 122a of the fixing portion 122 is at an angle of 45 ° relative to the first and second extension pipes 110, 120 , an imaginary line is connected to the other end 122b of the fixing portion 122 at an internal angle of 45 °.

When the restriction protrusion 132 is rotated 45 °, the beveled inclined end slides along the locking portion 122 and causes the locking button 130 to move in the release direction, in which the restoring force acting from the side of the elastic member S. acts. As a result, the locking button 130 returns to its original position, that is, in the position in which it was before the operator pressed the lock button 130 to bend the bendable extension pipe 100. The operator manipulates the extension pipe 100 in the opposite direction row to return the first and second extension pipes 110, 120 to a position in which they are connected to each other at an angle of 0 °, to perform a normal cleaning operation. Accordingly, when the operator extends the extension pipe 100 by pressing the lock button 130, the restoring force exerted by the elastic member S returns the lock button 130 to its original position.

When using a bendable extension pipe 100, similar to that described above when considering a number of embodiments of the present invention, operator comfort is improved since the operator does not need to bend or lower his body to clean the area under a piece of furniture such as a bed and sofa, and only performing simple button manipulations.

The embodiment and advantages described above are merely exemplary, and should not be construed as options and advantages limiting the present invention. The idea of the present invention can be easily applied to other types of devices. In addition, the description of the embodiments of the present invention is intended to illustrate and not to limit the scope of the claims, and many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Claims (14)

1. A bendable extension pipe for a vacuum cleaner having a body bendable by manipulating a button, the bendable extension pipe forms a sealed passage for passage of fluid between the cleaner body and the suction brush, and includes a first extension pipe, a second extension pipe connected to the first extension pipe the pipe can be rotated relative to it, the locking button, elastically mounted on the first extension pipe and designed to limit the rotation of the first and second lengthen lnyh pipes, and a sealing cap to prevent displacement of the locking button of the hinge connecting the first and second extension pipes and to seal the first and second extension pipes. 2. The bendable extension pipe according to claim 1, in which the lock button is mounted on the supporting protruding part, which protrudes from the axis of rotation of the hinge connecting the first extension pipe and the second extension pipe with the possibility of their movement relative to each other. 3. The bendable extension pipe according to claim 2, in which the lock button has at least one abutment rib protruding along the outer circumferential peripheral surface, and a restrictive protrusion configured to limit the rotation of the first and second extension pipes. 4. The bendable extension pipe according to claim 2, in which the supporting protruding part has at least one guide protrusion formed on its outer circumferential peripheral surface, and a sliding groove formed in the locking button so that said groove corresponds to the guide protrusion, and when the lock button is pressed and released, the sliding groove is guided by a guide protrusion to prevent the lock button from turning. 5. The bendable extension pipe according to claim 4, in which the elastic element is located between the lock button and the supporting protruding part so that when you click on the lock button, the elastic element creates a restoring force acting in the direction of releasing the lock button. 6. The bendable extension pipe according to claim 3, in which the second extension pipe comprises a plate with a guide groove forming a movable connection with the supporting protruding part, the guide groove having one open end and a fixing part formed in the place corresponding to the restrictive protrusion, in order to selectively fix the bounding protrusion in accordance with the displacement of the bounding protrusion in the axial direction. 7. Bendable extension pipe according to claim 6, in which the fixing part is located at a distance from the plate with a groove equal to or greater than the thickness of the restrictive protrusion. 8. The bendable extension pipe according to claim 1, wherein the sealing cover comprises a first cover with a button hole corresponding to the size of the outer circumferential peripheral surface of the fixation button, and a second cover fastened to the first cover and hermetically closing the connecting parts between the first and second extension pipes. 9. A bendable extension pipe for a vacuum cleaner having a body bendable by manipulating a button, the bendable extension pipe forms a sealed passage for fluid to pass between the cleaner body and the suction brush, and includes a first extension pipe having a supporting protruding portion formed in the center a cylindrical hinge, with a locking button, which is pressed and released by means of an elastic element, wherein the cylindrical hinge has one open end, a second extension pipe, a holding plate with a groove for forming a movable connection with the supporting protruding part, and a fixing part for selectively fixing the lock button, and a sealing cover for tightly closing the connecting parts between the first and second extension pipes and having a button hole through which the lock button protrudes outward to allow exposure to it. 10. The bendable extension pipe according to claim 9, in which the lock button has at least one abutment rib protruding along its outer circumferential peripheral surface, and a restrictive protrusion designed to limit the rotation of the first and second extension pipes. 11. The bendable extension pipe according to claim 9, in which the supporting protruding portion has at least one guide protrusion formed on the outer circumferential peripheral surface, and a sliding groove corresponding to the guide protrusion is formed in the locking button, so that when pressed and released the lock button, the sliding groove is guided by a guide protrusion to prevent the lock button from turning. 12. The bendable extension pipe according to claim 9, in which the second extension pipe comprises a plate with a guide groove for forming a connection with the supporting protruding part, and a fixing part formed in a place corresponding to the restrictive protrusion, in order to selectively fix the restrictive protrusion in accordance with the displacement of the limiting protrusion in the axial direction. 13. Bendable extension pipe according to item 12, in which the fixing part is located at a distance from the plate with a groove equal to or greater than the thickness of the restrictive protrusion. 14. Bendable extension pipe according to claim 9, in which the sealing cover contains a first cover having a hole for the button, and a second cover fastened to the connecting parts of the first cover, for hermetically closing the first and second extension pipes, respectively.

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