US20100325832A1 - Vacuum cleaner having power cord storage - Google Patents
Vacuum cleaner having power cord storage Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20100325832A1 US20100325832A1 US12/770,560 US77056010A US2010325832A1 US 20100325832 A1 US20100325832 A1 US 20100325832A1 US 77056010 A US77056010 A US 77056010A US 2010325832 A1 US2010325832 A1 US 2010325832A1
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- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- vacuum cleaner
- cord
- plug
- power cord
- socket
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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Classifications
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L9/00—Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
- A47L9/0009—Storing devices ; Supports, stands or holders
- A47L9/0018—Storing devices ; Supports, stands or holders integrated in or removably mounted upon the suction cleaner for storing parts of said suction cleaner
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L5/00—Structural features of suction cleaners
- A47L5/12—Structural features of suction cleaners with power-driven air-pumps or air-compressors, e.g. driven by motor vehicle engine vacuum
- A47L5/22—Structural features of suction cleaners with power-driven air-pumps or air-compressors, e.g. driven by motor vehicle engine vacuum with rotary fans
- A47L5/28—Suction cleaners with handles and nozzles fixed on the casings, e.g. wheeled suction cleaners with steering handle
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L9/00—Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L9/00—Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
- A47L9/26—Incorporation of winding devices for electric cables
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L9/00—Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
- A47L9/28—Installation of the electric equipment, e.g. adaptation or attachment to the suction cleaner; Controlling suction cleaners by electric means
Definitions
- the following description relates to vacuum cleaners, and more particularly, to vacuum cleaners have a power cord storage mechanism.
- a vacuum cleaner may draw in air containing dust from a surface to be cleaned to separate the dust from the air and then discharge the purified air to the exterior of the vacuum cleaner.
- Vacuum cleaners may be provided with a power cord and a plug through which power is supplied to a suction motor for providing a suction force, a brush drive motor for rotating a drum brush, and various types of sensors such as a dust sensor and a pressure switch.
- the plug may be connected to an outlet mounted in a wall of a house.
- a cord reel assembly for automatically winding the power cord may be mounted in a body of the vacuum cleaner so that a user may arrange the power cord after finishing cleaning or a cord hanger may be formed at an outside of the vacuum cleaner body so that the user may manually wind the power cord around the cord hanger.
- the power cord may be automatically wound by an elastic force of a spring provided with the cord reel and disposed in the vacuum cleaner body.
- the power cord is retracted into the vacuum cleaner body until the plug connected to an end of the power cord reaches the vacuum cleaner body.
- the plug may hit the user's body when the power cord is retracted into the vacuum cleaner body which may result in the user becoming injured.
- a cord winding button of a cord reel assembly may be mounted at a lower portion of a vacuum cleaner body and then a user may press the cord winding button with their foot to operate the cord reel assembly.
- the plug may hit the user on the calf or ankle when the power cord is retracted into the vacuum cleaner body.
- a terminal portion of the plug may be exposed to the exterior of the vacuum cleaner when the power cord is completely wound around a cord reel. Therefore, the terminals of the plug may become corroded or contaminated due to contact with pollutants, dust or moisture. Accordingly, power supply to the vacuum cleaner may be interrupted or the vacuum cleaner may be exposed to risks of fire.
- a user may wind a power cord around the cord hanger and attach a plug to the power cord using a hook and loop faster such as VELCRO® band or clip.
- a hook and loop faster such as VELCRO® band or clip.
- a terminal portion of the plug may be exposed to the exterior of the vacuum cleaner and hence the contamination or oxidation of the terminal portion may occur.
- a vacuum cleaner which enables a power cord to be safely placed in a body of the vacuum cleaner by pressing a cord winding button.
- a vacuum cleaner including a vacuum cleaner body provided with a cord outlet, a power cord for extraction from or retraction into the vacuum cleaner body through the cord outlet, a plug provided at an end of the power cord, a stopper formed at a position spaced from the end of the power cord at a predetermined distance, and a socket portion provided on the vacuum cleaner body shaped to receive the plug when cleaning is finished.
- the stopper may be formed of a rubber material.
- the plug may include a plug body connected to the power cord and terminals extending from the plug body for insertion into an outlet mounted in a wall.
- the socket portion may include a socket body provided at a rear surface of the vacuum cleaner body and socket holes formed in the socket body to correspond to the terminals.
- the cord outlet may be covered by the plug body when the terminals are inserted into the socket holes.
- the cord outlet and the socket portion may be provided at the rear surface of the vacuum cleaner body.
- the cord outlet and the socket portion may be provided adjacent to one another.
- the cord outlet and the socket portion may be integrally formed with one another.
- a vacuum cleaner including a vacuum cleaner body, a power cord, a plug provided at an end of the power cord, and a socket formed on the vacuum cleaner body shaped to receive the plug when the vacuum cleaner is not in use.
- the vacuum cleaner body is configured to store the power cord when the vacuum cleaner is not in use.
- the plug may further include terminals and the socket may further include socket holes configured to receive respective terminals.
- the vacuum cleaner body may be configured to store the power cord by retracting the power cord into an interior of the vacuum cleaner body.
- the power cord may further include a stopper spaced from the end of the power cord at a predetermined distance.
- the vacuum cleaner body may be configured to store the power cord with a cord hanger positioned on an exterior of the vacuum cleaner body.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example of a vacuum cleaner.
- FIG. 2 is a view showing an example of a vacuum cleaner of FIG. 1 in which a power cord is retracted into a body of the vacuum cleaner.
- FIG. 3 is a view showing an example of the vacuum cleaner of FIG. 1 in which a plug is inserted into a socket portion.
- FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner according to another example.
- a vacuum cleaner 100 may be an upright vacuum cleaner.
- a nozzle assembly 120 is rotatably provided at a lower portion of a vacuum cleaner body 110 , and a dust-separating apparatus 130 is detachably provided at the front of the vacuum cleaner body 110 .
- the vacuum cleaner 100 includes a power cord 141 , a plug 143 , a stopper 145 and a socket portion 150 . These components are further described below.
- a cord reel assembly (not shown) for automatically winding the power cord 141 is built into the interior of the vacuum cleaner body 110 , and a cord winding button 117 connected to the cord reel assembly (not shown) is mounted on a side of the vacuum cleaner body 110 .
- the cord reel assembly (not shown) may be of the type that is generally known in the art and therefore the description thereof is omitted.
- a cord outlet 115 is formed at an edge of the rear surface of the vacuum cleaner body 110 through which the power cord 141 wound by the cord reel assembly (not shown) is extracted out of the vacuum cleaner body 110 or retracted into the vacuum cleaner body 110 .
- the cord outlet 115 and the cord winding button 117 are provided at an almost identical height.
- the cord outlet 115 is formed as a circular hole with a predetermined diameter and provided to have height h 2 from the surface to be cleaned.
- the height h 2 is shorter than 1 ⁇ 2 of the length of the vacuum cleaner body 110 , and hence, the cord winding button 117 is mounted on a lower portion of the vacuum cleaner body 110 . Accordingly, a user may press the cord winding button with their foot.
- a plug 143 is connected to an end of the power cord 141 .
- the plug 143 may be connected to an outlet (not shown) mounted in a wall.
- the plug 143 supplies commercial power to units of the vacuum cleaner 100 such as a suction motor (not shown), a brush motor (not shown) and various types of sensors (not shown), for example.
- the plug may supply power to other components of the vacuum cleaner as well.
- a stopper 145 is fixed on the power cord 141 separated by distance h 1 from the plug 143 .
- the stopper 145 may be formed as a cylindrical shape and may be composed from a rubber material. Other suitable materials may be used as well.
- the stopper 145 may be joined with the power cord 141 using heat fusion or an adhesive agent, for example. However, other methods of joining may be employed as well.
- the diameter of the stopper 145 is greater than that of the cord outlet 115 so that the size of the stopper 145 is larger than that of the cord outlet 115 .
- the distance h 1 between the stopper 145 and the plug 143 is shorter than the distance h 2 between the cord outlet 115 and the surface to be cleaned.
- the plug 143 comprises a plug body 146 connected to the power cord 141 and terminals 147 extending from the plug body 146 may be inserted into an outlet (not shown).
- terminals 149 there are three terminals. However, in a further example, two terminals 149 may be provided, depending on the kind of outlet provided in a particular country.
- the socket portion 150 is formed to allow the terminal portions 147 of the plug 143 to be inserted thereinto.
- the socket portion 150 comprises a socket body 151 and socket holes 155 .
- the socket body 151 is provided adjacent to the cord outlet 115 formed at the edge of the rear surface of the vacuum cleaner body 110 .
- a portion of the socket body 151 is shown in cut away.
- a front portion 151 a of the socket body 151 may be formed in the shape of a cone having a diameter smaller than that of a rear portion 151 b of the socket body 151 .
- a hole 152 having a size substantially identical to that of the cord outlet 115 , is formed at the front part 151 a and is connected to the cord outlet 115 .
- the socket portion 150 is formed as a separate member and is provided adjacent to the cord outlet 115 .
- the socket portion 150 may be integrally formed with the cord outlet 115 .
- the socket holes 155 are provided in the vicinity of an edge of the rear portion 151 b .
- one of the terminals 147 which is not inserted into a corresponding socket hole 155 , may be positioned in a space formed between the front and rear portions 151 a and 151 b of the socket body 151 , but is not exposed to the exterior of the socket body 151 .
- three socket holes may be formed in the rear portion 151 b so that the three terminals may each be inserted into corresponding socket holes.
- a user may extract the power cord 141 and then insert the plug 143 into the outlet (not shown) mounted in a wall. If power is supplied to the vacuum cleaner 100 , cleaning may commence.
- the user may separate the plug 143 from the outlet (not shown) and press the cord winding button 117 , possibly using their foot so that the power cord 114 may be retracted into the interior of the vacuum cleaner body 110 in which the cord reel assembly (not shown) is situated.
- the stopper 145 may be formed of a rubber material which may reduce the impulse between the stopper 145 and the cord outlet 115 .
- the plug 143 is less likely to strike the user, for example on the user's calf or ankle, when the power cord 141 is retracted into the interior of the vacuum cleaner body 110 .
- the stopper 145 is provided on the power cord 141 separated by distance h 1 from the plug 143 . Since the distance h 1 is shorter than the distance h 2 between the cord outlet 115 and the surface to be cleaned, the plug 143 does not come into contact with dust and other undesirable substances on the surface to be cleaned and therefore helps prevent or limit contamination or corrosion of the terminals 147 .
- the user may insert the terminal 147 of the plug 143 into the socket holes 155 of the socket portion 150 .
- Two of the three terminals 147 are inserted into the socket holes 155 and the other of the three terminals 147 is positioned in the space formed between the front and rear portions 151 a and 151 b .
- the plug body 146 covers the cord outlet 115 when viewed from the exterior of the vacuum cleaner 100 .
- the vacuum cleaner 100 may be stored in the configuration where the terminal portions 147 of the plug 143 are inserted into the socket portion 150 .
- the socket portion 150 and the cord outlet 115 are provided adjacent to one another and therefore, the plug body 146 covers the cord outlet 115 . This too helps prevent or limit the cord outlet 115 from being corroded or contaminated.
- FIG. 4 Another example of a vacuum cleaner 200 is described below, with reference to FIG. 4 .
- the vacuum cleaner 200 is not provided with a cord reel assembly.
- the configuration of a nozzle assembly 220 and a dust separating apparatus 230 is identical to that of the example described above with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 .
- the vacuum cleaner 200 of this example is provided with a cord hanger 240 around which a power cord 245 may be wound and a socket portion 260 into which a plug 243 may be inserted.
- the cord hanger 240 comprises a first cord hanger 241 and a second cord hanger 242 .
- the first and second cord hangers 241 and 242 are provided disposed in upper and lower directions on a side of a vacuum cleaner body 210 while being spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance.
- the first cord hanger 241 is disposed above the second cord hanger 242 (with reference to the orientation of FIG. 4 ).
- the first cord hanger 241 protrudes upward, and the second cord hanger 242 protrudes downward.
- a socket body 261 is connected to a rear surface of the vacuum cleaner body 210 , and socket holes 263 are formed in the socket body 261 so that terminal portions 243 a of the plug 243 may be inserted into the socket holes 263 .
- the socket portion 260 is disposed at a position higher than 1 ⁇ 2 of the length of the vacuum cleaner body 210 so as to be provided close to the first cord hanger 241 .
- the socket portion 260 When a user winds the power cord 245 around the cord hanger 240 and then inserts the plug 243 into the socket portion 260 , the socket portion 260 is positioned at an upper portion of the vacuum cleaner body 210 , so that the user can comfortably insert the plug 243 into the socket portion 260 without unnecessary bending of their waist.
- a user may untie the power cord 252 from the cord hanger 240 , and then insert the plug 243 into an outlet (not shown) mounted in a wall. If power is supplied to the vacuum cleaner 200 , cleaning may commence.
- the user may separate the plug 243 from the outlet (not shown) and then wind the power cord 245 around the first and second cord hangers 241 and 242 . Once the power cord 245 cannot be wound around the cord hanger 240 any more, the user holds the plug 243 and may insert the terminals 243 a into the socket holes 263 of the socket portion 260 .
- the plug 243 is kept in the configuration where the terminal portions 243 a of the plug 243 are inserted into the socket holes 263 and hence, the terminal portions 243 a may not be exposed to the exterior of the socket portion 260 . This helps to prevent or limit contamination or corrosion of the terminals 243 a.
- a stopper is provided on the power cord so that when pressing the cord winding button, the risk of injury to a user is reduced.
- a plug when storing a power cord, a plug may not be exposed to the exterior but kept in the configuration where the plug is inserted into a socket portion, which helps to prevent or limit corrosion of the terminals from external factors such as pollutants.
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Electric Vacuum Cleaner (AREA)
Abstract
A vacuum cleaner having a vacuum cleaner body with a cord outlet is provided. A power cord may be extracted from or retracted into the vacuum cleaner body through the cord outlet, and a plug is provided at an end of the power cord. A stopper is formed at a position spaced from the end of the power cord at a predetermined distance, and a socket portion is provided at the vacuum cleaner body so that the plug may be inserted into the socket portion when cleaning is finished.
Description
- This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2009-0056786 filed on Jun. 25, 2009, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
- 1. Field
- The following description relates to vacuum cleaners, and more particularly, to vacuum cleaners have a power cord storage mechanism.
- 2. Description of Related Art
- In general, a vacuum cleaner may draw in air containing dust from a surface to be cleaned to separate the dust from the air and then discharge the purified air to the exterior of the vacuum cleaner. Vacuum cleaners may be provided with a power cord and a plug through which power is supplied to a suction motor for providing a suction force, a brush drive motor for rotating a drum brush, and various types of sensors such as a dust sensor and a pressure switch. The plug may be connected to an outlet mounted in a wall of a house.
- In such a vacuum cleaner, a cord reel assembly for automatically winding the power cord may be mounted in a body of the vacuum cleaner so that a user may arrange the power cord after finishing cleaning or a cord hanger may be formed at an outside of the vacuum cleaner body so that the user may manually wind the power cord around the cord hanger.
- If the vacuum cleaner is provided with a cord reel assembly, or the user disconnects the plug from the outlet in the wall and presses a cord winding button of the cord reel assembly, the power cord may be automatically wound by an elastic force of a spring provided with the cord reel and disposed in the vacuum cleaner body. However, in this case, the power cord is retracted into the vacuum cleaner body until the plug connected to an end of the power cord reaches the vacuum cleaner body. Hence, the plug may hit the user's body when the power cord is retracted into the vacuum cleaner body which may result in the user becoming injured.
- In particular, in an upright vacuum cleaner, a cord winding button of a cord reel assembly may be mounted at a lower portion of a vacuum cleaner body and then a user may press the cord winding button with their foot to operate the cord reel assembly. In this case, the plug may hit the user on the calf or ankle when the power cord is retracted into the vacuum cleaner body.
- In other vacuum cleaners, a terminal portion of the plug may be exposed to the exterior of the vacuum cleaner when the power cord is completely wound around a cord reel. Therefore, the terminals of the plug may become corroded or contaminated due to contact with pollutants, dust or moisture. Accordingly, power supply to the vacuum cleaner may be interrupted or the vacuum cleaner may be exposed to risks of fire.
- Moreover, in vacuum cleaners provided with a cord hanger, after finishing cleaning, a user may wind a power cord around the cord hanger and attach a plug to the power cord using a hook and loop faster such as VELCRO® band or clip. However, in this case too, a terminal portion of the plug may be exposed to the exterior of the vacuum cleaner and hence the contamination or oxidation of the terminal portion may occur.
- Accordingly, it may be desirable to provide a vacuum cleaner which enables a power cord to be safely placed in a body of the vacuum cleaner by pressing a cord winding button.
- It may further be desirable to provide a vacuum cleaner having an improved structure in which a plug can be retained so that a terminal portion of the plug, connected to an end of a power cord, may be less subject to corrosion.
- In one general aspect, there is provided a vacuum cleaner including a vacuum cleaner body provided with a cord outlet, a power cord for extraction from or retraction into the vacuum cleaner body through the cord outlet, a plug provided at an end of the power cord, a stopper formed at a position spaced from the end of the power cord at a predetermined distance, and a socket portion provided on the vacuum cleaner body shaped to receive the plug when cleaning is finished.
- The stopper may be formed of a rubber material.
- The plug may include a plug body connected to the power cord and terminals extending from the plug body for insertion into an outlet mounted in a wall. The socket portion may include a socket body provided at a rear surface of the vacuum cleaner body and socket holes formed in the socket body to correspond to the terminals. The cord outlet may be covered by the plug body when the terminals are inserted into the socket holes.
- The cord outlet and the socket portion may be provided at the rear surface of the vacuum cleaner body.
- The cord outlet and the socket portion may be provided adjacent to one another.
- The cord outlet and the socket portion may be integrally formed with one another.
- In another aspect, there is provided a vacuum cleaner including a vacuum cleaner body, a power cord, a plug provided at an end of the power cord, and a socket formed on the vacuum cleaner body shaped to receive the plug when the vacuum cleaner is not in use. The vacuum cleaner body is configured to store the power cord when the vacuum cleaner is not in use.
- The plug may further include terminals and the socket may further include socket holes configured to receive respective terminals.
- The vacuum cleaner body may be configured to store the power cord by retracting the power cord into an interior of the vacuum cleaner body.
- The power cord may further include a stopper spaced from the end of the power cord at a predetermined distance.
- The vacuum cleaner body may be configured to store the power cord with a cord hanger positioned on an exterior of the vacuum cleaner body.
- Other features and aspects will be apparent from the following detailed description, the drawings and the claims.
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an example of a vacuum cleaner. -
FIG. 2 is a view showing an example of a vacuum cleaner ofFIG. 1 in which a power cord is retracted into a body of the vacuum cleaner. -
FIG. 3 is a view showing an example of the vacuum cleaner ofFIG. 1 in which a plug is inserted into a socket portion. -
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner according to another example. - Throughout the drawings and detailed description, unless otherwise described, the same drawing reference numerals will be understood to refer to the same elements, features, and structures. The relative size and depiction of these elements may be exaggerated for clarity, illustration, and convenience.
- The following detailed description is provided to assist the reader in gaining a comprehensive understanding of the methods, apparatuses, and/or systems described herein. Accordingly, various changes, modifications, and equivalents of the systems, apparatuses, and/or methods described herein will be suggested to those of ordinary skill in the art. The progression of processing steps and/or operations described is an example; however, the sequence of steps and/or operations is not limited to that set forth herein and may be changed as is known in the art, with the exception of steps and/or operations necessarily occurring in a certain order. Also, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions may be omitted for increased clarity and conciseness.
- Referring to
FIGS. 1 to 3 , avacuum cleaner 100 may be an upright vacuum cleaner. Anozzle assembly 120 is rotatably provided at a lower portion of avacuum cleaner body 110, and a dust-separatingapparatus 130 is detachably provided at the front of thevacuum cleaner body 110. Thevacuum cleaner 100 includes apower cord 141, aplug 143, astopper 145 and asocket portion 150. These components are further described below. - A cord reel assembly (not shown) for automatically winding the
power cord 141 is built into the interior of thevacuum cleaner body 110, and acord winding button 117 connected to the cord reel assembly (not shown) is mounted on a side of thevacuum cleaner body 110. The cord reel assembly (not shown) may be of the type that is generally known in the art and therefore the description thereof is omitted. Acord outlet 115 is formed at an edge of the rear surface of thevacuum cleaner body 110 through which thepower cord 141 wound by the cord reel assembly (not shown) is extracted out of thevacuum cleaner body 110 or retracted into thevacuum cleaner body 110. - In this example, the
cord outlet 115 and thecord winding button 117 are provided at an almost identical height. Thecord outlet 115 is formed as a circular hole with a predetermined diameter and provided to have height h2 from the surface to be cleaned. The height h2 is shorter than ½ of the length of thevacuum cleaner body 110, and hence, thecord winding button 117 is mounted on a lower portion of thevacuum cleaner body 110. Accordingly, a user may press the cord winding button with their foot. Aplug 143 is connected to an end of thepower cord 141. Theplug 143 may be connected to an outlet (not shown) mounted in a wall. Thus, theplug 143 supplies commercial power to units of thevacuum cleaner 100 such as a suction motor (not shown), a brush motor (not shown) and various types of sensors (not shown), for example. The plug may supply power to other components of the vacuum cleaner as well. - A
stopper 145 is fixed on thepower cord 141 separated by distance h1 from theplug 143. Thestopper 145 may be formed as a cylindrical shape and may be composed from a rubber material. Other suitable materials may be used as well. Thestopper 145 may be joined with thepower cord 141 using heat fusion or an adhesive agent, for example. However, other methods of joining may be employed as well. - The diameter of the
stopper 145 is greater than that of thecord outlet 115 so that the size of thestopper 145 is larger than that of thecord outlet 115. The distance h1 between thestopper 145 and theplug 143 is shorter than the distance h2 between thecord outlet 115 and the surface to be cleaned. - The
plug 143 comprises aplug body 146 connected to thepower cord 141 andterminals 147 extending from theplug body 146 may be inserted into an outlet (not shown). - In this example, there are three terminals. However, in a further example, two terminals 149 may be provided, depending on the kind of outlet provided in a particular country.
- The
socket portion 150 is formed to allow theterminal portions 147 of theplug 143 to be inserted thereinto. Thesocket portion 150 comprises asocket body 151 and socket holes 155. - The
socket body 151 is provided adjacent to thecord outlet 115 formed at the edge of the rear surface of thevacuum cleaner body 110. InFIG. 1 , a portion of thesocket body 151 is shown in cut away. Afront portion 151 a of thesocket body 151 may be formed in the shape of a cone having a diameter smaller than that of arear portion 151 b of thesocket body 151. Ahole 152, having a size substantially identical to that of thecord outlet 115, is formed at thefront part 151 a and is connected to thecord outlet 115. As described above, thesocket portion 150 is formed as a separate member and is provided adjacent to thecord outlet 115. However, in another example, thesocket portion 150 may be integrally formed with thecord outlet 115. - The socket holes 155 are provided in the vicinity of an edge of the
rear portion 151 b. In theplug 143, there are threeterminals 147 and twosocket holes 155 are provided. Thus, one of theterminals 147, which is not inserted into a correspondingsocket hole 155, may be positioned in a space formed between the front andrear portions socket body 151, but is not exposed to the exterior of thesocket body 151. In another example, three socket holes may be formed in therear portion 151 b so that the three terminals may each be inserted into corresponding socket holes. - In operation, a user may extract the
power cord 141 and then insert theplug 143 into the outlet (not shown) mounted in a wall. If power is supplied to thevacuum cleaner 100, cleaning may commence. - Thereafter, if the cleaning is finished, the user may separate the
plug 143 from the outlet (not shown) and press thecord winding button 117, possibly using their foot so that the power cord 114 may be retracted into the interior of thevacuum cleaner body 110 in which the cord reel assembly (not shown) is situated. - If the
cord winding button 117 is pressed, thepower cord 141 is automatically retracted into the interior of thevacuum cleaner body 110, and the displacement of thepower cord 141 is stopped when thestopper 145 abuts thecord outlet 115, as shown inFIG. 2 , for example. Thestopper 145 may be formed of a rubber material which may reduce the impulse between thestopper 145 and thecord outlet 115. - As described above, when the
power cord 141 is situated in the interior of thevacuum cleaner body 110, the predetermined length h1 of thepower cord 141 is left outside due to thestopper 145. Therefore, theplug 143 is less likely to strike the user, for example on the user's calf or ankle, when thepower cord 141 is retracted into the interior of thevacuum cleaner body 110. - The
stopper 145 is provided on thepower cord 141 separated by distance h1 from theplug 143. Since the distance h1 is shorter than the distance h2 between thecord outlet 115 and the surface to be cleaned, theplug 143 does not come into contact with dust and other undesirable substances on the surface to be cleaned and therefore helps prevent or limit contamination or corrosion of theterminals 147. - Thereafter, as shown in
FIG. 3 , the user may insert theterminal 147 of theplug 143 into the socket holes 155 of thesocket portion 150. Two of the threeterminals 147 are inserted into the socket holes 155 and the other of the threeterminals 147 is positioned in the space formed between the front andrear portions plug body 146 covers thecord outlet 115 when viewed from the exterior of thevacuum cleaner 100. - As described above, the
vacuum cleaner 100 may be stored in the configuration where theterminal portions 147 of theplug 143 are inserted into thesocket portion 150. Thus, it is possible to help prevent or limit contamination or corrosion of theterminal portions 147. Furthermore, thesocket portion 150 and thecord outlet 115 are provided adjacent to one another and therefore, theplug body 146 covers thecord outlet 115. This too helps prevent or limit thecord outlet 115 from being corroded or contaminated. - Another example of a
vacuum cleaner 200 is described below, with reference toFIG. 4 . - The
vacuum cleaner 200 is not provided with a cord reel assembly. The configuration of anozzle assembly 220 and adust separating apparatus 230 is identical to that of the example described above with reference toFIGS. 1 to 3 . - The
vacuum cleaner 200 of this example is provided with acord hanger 240 around which apower cord 245 may be wound and asocket portion 260 into which aplug 243 may be inserted. - The
cord hanger 240 comprises afirst cord hanger 241 and asecond cord hanger 242. The first andsecond cord hangers vacuum cleaner body 210 while being spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance. Thefirst cord hanger 241 is disposed above the second cord hanger 242 (with reference to the orientation ofFIG. 4 ). Thefirst cord hanger 241 protrudes upward, and thesecond cord hanger 242 protrudes downward. - In the
socket portion 260, asocket body 261 is connected to a rear surface of thevacuum cleaner body 210, andsocket holes 263 are formed in thesocket body 261 so thatterminal portions 243 a of theplug 243 may be inserted into the socket holes 263. Preferably, thesocket portion 260 is disposed at a position higher than ½ of the length of thevacuum cleaner body 210 so as to be provided close to thefirst cord hanger 241. When a user winds thepower cord 245 around thecord hanger 240 and then inserts theplug 243 into thesocket portion 260, thesocket portion 260 is positioned at an upper portion of thevacuum cleaner body 210, so that the user can comfortably insert theplug 243 into thesocket portion 260 without unnecessary bending of their waist. - In operation, a user may untie the power cord 252 from the
cord hanger 240, and then insert theplug 243 into an outlet (not shown) mounted in a wall. If power is supplied to thevacuum cleaner 200, cleaning may commence. - Thereafter, if the cleaning is finished, the user may separate the
plug 243 from the outlet (not shown) and then wind thepower cord 245 around the first andsecond cord hangers power cord 245 cannot be wound around thecord hanger 240 any more, the user holds theplug 243 and may insert theterminals 243 a into the socket holes 263 of thesocket portion 260. - As such, in the
vacuum cleaner 200, theplug 243 is kept in the configuration where theterminal portions 243 a of theplug 243 are inserted into the socket holes 263 and hence, theterminal portions 243 a may not be exposed to the exterior of thesocket portion 260. This helps to prevent or limit contamination or corrosion of theterminals 243 a. - As described above, a stopper is provided on the power cord so that when pressing the cord winding button, the risk of injury to a user is reduced.
- Furthermore, when storing a power cord, a plug may not be exposed to the exterior but kept in the configuration where the plug is inserted into a socket portion, which helps to prevent or limit corrosion of the terminals from external factors such as pollutants.
- A number of examples have been described above. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made. For example, suitable results may be achieved if the described techniques are performed in a different order and/or if components in a described system, architecture, device, apparatus or circuit are combined in a different manner and/or replaced or supplemented by other components or their equivalents. Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope of the following claims.
Claims (6)
1. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:
a vacuum cleaner body comprising a cord outlet;
a power cord configured for extraction from and retraction into the vacuum cleaner body through the cord outlet;
a plug located at an end of the power cord;
a stopper formed at a position spaced from the end of the power cord at a predetermined distance; and
a socket portion located on the vacuum cleaner body shaped to receive the plug when cleaning is finished.
2. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the stopper comprises a rubber material.
3. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the plug comprises:
a plug body connected to the power cord; and
terminals extending from the plug body configured for insertion into an outlet mounted in a wall,
wherein the socket portion comprises:
a socket body located at a rear surface of the vacuum cleaner body, and
socket holes formed in the socket body, the socket holes corresponding to the terminals, and
wherein the cord outlet is covered by the plug body when the terminals are inserted into the socket holes.
4. A vacuum cleaner as claimed claim 1 , wherein the cord outlet and the socket portion are located at the rear surface of the vacuum cleaner body.
5. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the cord outlet and the socket portion are located adjacent to one another.
6. A vacuum cleaner as claimed claim 1 , wherein the cord outlet and the socket portion are integrally formed with one another.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
KR1020090056786A KR101618265B1 (en) | 2009-06-25 | 2009-06-25 | A vacuum cleaner |
KR10-2009-0056786 | 2009-06-25 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20100325832A1 true US20100325832A1 (en) | 2010-12-30 |
Family
ID=42136484
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US12/770,560 Abandoned US20100325832A1 (en) | 2009-06-25 | 2010-04-29 | Vacuum cleaner having power cord storage |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US20100325832A1 (en) |
KR (1) | KR101618265B1 (en) |
GB (1) | GB2471352B (en) |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US11013387B2 (en) * | 2018-05-31 | 2021-05-25 | Techtronic Floor Care Technology Limited | Vacuum cleaner |
US11197592B2 (en) | 2018-07-19 | 2021-12-14 | Techtronic Floor Care Technology Limited | Vacuum cleaner |
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US11013387B2 (en) * | 2018-05-31 | 2021-05-25 | Techtronic Floor Care Technology Limited | Vacuum cleaner |
US20210274991A1 (en) * | 2018-05-31 | 2021-09-09 | Techtronic Floor Care Technology Limited | Vacuum cleaner |
US11197592B2 (en) | 2018-07-19 | 2021-12-14 | Techtronic Floor Care Technology Limited | Vacuum cleaner |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
KR101618265B1 (en) | 2016-05-04 |
GB201003623D0 (en) | 2010-04-21 |
KR20100138316A (en) | 2010-12-31 |
GB2471352A (en) | 2010-12-29 |
GB2471352B (en) | 2011-05-11 |
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Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: SAMSUNG GWANGJU ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., KOREA, REPU Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:YOO, DONG-HUN;YUN, MIN-LO;REEL/FRAME:024313/0386 Effective date: 20100427 |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., KOREA, REPUBLIC OF Free format text: MERGER;ASSIGNOR:SAMSUNG GWANGJU ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.;REEL/FRAME:026462/0561 Effective date: 20100104 |
|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |