Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Machines – With air blast or suction
Reexamination Certificate
2002-05-01
2004-10-26
Till, Terrence R. (Department: 1744)
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Machines
With air blast or suction
C015S351000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06807707
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a vacuum cleaner, and more particularly, to an air exhaust structure for an upright-type vacuum cleaner.
2. Description of the Related Art
As shown in
FIG. 1
, a conventional upright-type vacuum cleaner comprises a suction brush
20
disposed at a lower part of a cleaner body
10
that moves over a surface to be cleaned. The cleaner body
10
comprises a dust-collection chamber
11
disposed at an upper part thereof, and a motor driving chamber
12
disposed at a lower part thereof. A dust filter (not shown) is removably disposed in the dust-collection chamber
11
, and a motor (not shown) is disposed in the motor driving chamber
12
.
In the conventional upright-type vacuum cleaner having the above structure, when the motor is driven, a strong suction force is generated by the suction brush
20
. Air, including entrained dust and dirt that existed on the surface to be cleaned, is drawn into the cleaner body
10
through the suction brush
20
by the suction force. The drawn air is discharged to the motor driving chamber
12
after passing through the dust filter disposed at the dust-collection chamber
11
of the cleaner body
10
. At this time, the dust and dirt entrained in the drawn in air is collected by the dust filter, and the rest of the drawn air is discharged to the outside through the motor driving chamber
12
.
The air discharged to the outside should be clean (not having the dust and the dirt), and should be easily discharged. For this purpose, the upright-type vacuum cleaner has an air exhaust structure
30
.
One example of the air exhaust structure of the upright-type vacuum cleaner is shown in
FIGS. 2 and 3
. The air exhaust structure of the upright-type vacuum cleaner as shown in these figures comprises: a frame
32
having a duct
31
formed at a side of the cleaner body
10
in a lengthwise direction in order to communicate with the motor driving chamber
12
; a support member
33
protruding from an inside wall of the duct
31
; a filter
34
for being embraced in the duct
31
; a filter cover
35
having a grill portion
35
a
disposed in the frame
32
, for being rotated to open, and close the duct
31
; and a removable means
40
for opening and closing the filter cover
35
.
The means
40
for opening and closing is integrally formed approximately at the center of the front end of the filter cover
35
. The means
40
for opening and closing includes a hook
41
, seen in profile in
FIG. 3
, having a protrusion
41
a
at an end, a locking hole
42
having a locking protrusion
42
a
formed at the frame
32
placed at a position corresponding to the position of the hook
41
, and an opening handle
43
disposed at a hook forming area of the filter cover
35
.
The air discharged from the motor driving chamber
12
is drawn into the duct
31
, and the air is again discharged to the outside through the filter
34
and the grill portion
35
a
of the filter cover
35
. At this time, the dust and dirt entrained in the air is filtered by the filter
34
. When the cleaner is used in a long time, the dust and dirt stuck in the filter
34
will clog the filter, thus the air is not smoothly discharged. Therefore, the filter
34
should be periodically separated for cleaning or changing. When the filter
34
is changed, a user pulls the opening handle
43
of the filter cover
35
. Then, the protrusion
41
a
of the hook
41
is released from the locking protrusion
42
a
of the locking hole
42
, and the filter cover
35
is opened. The filter
34
is separated from the duct
31
and a new filter is inserted. After the filter
34
is changed, the filter cover
35
is closed. Then, the protrusion
41
a
of the hook
41
is locked with the locking protrusion
42
a
of the locking hole
42
, and the filter cover
35
is retained in a closed position.
However, in the air exhaust structure of the above-described conventional upright-type vacuum cleaner, as the protrusion
41
a
of the hook
41
formed at the filter cover
35
retains the closing state of the filter cover
35
closed by the protrusion
41
a
is forcibly connected with the locking protrusion
42
a
of the locking hole
42
formed at the frame
32
, great force is required, when the filter cover
35
is opened and closed for changing the filter
34
, thus the opening and the closing of the filter cover
35
is difficult. In other words, when the filter cover
35
is opened, the protrusion
41
a
of the hook
41
is released from the locking protrusion
42
a
of the locking hole
42
and the filter cover
35
is opened only when a sufficient force, strong enough to overcome the self elasticity of these combined elements, is applied. In addition, when the filter cover
35
is closed, the protrusion
41
a
of the hook
41
is locked with the locking protrusion
42
a
of the locking hole
42
and the filter cover
35
is closed only when a sufficient force, which is strong enough to overcome the self elasticity of these combined elements, is applied. Accordingly, opening and closing of the filter cover
35
are difficult.
Furthermore, when the above-described filter cover
35
is opened and closed, there is a possibility that the protrusion
41
a
of the hook
41
and the locking protrusion
42
a
of the locking hole
42
can be broken as strong force is applied to the hook
41
. Moreover, connection of the protrusion
41
a
of the hook
41
and the locking protrusion
42
a
may become weakened due to the abrasion of the elements, thus there is a problem that the filter cover
35
might be opened by the pressure of the air discharged while the user is using the vacuum cleaner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an air exhaust structure for an upright-type vacuum cleaner capable of improving the convenience of a user by providing a filter cover which is not easily opened by the discharging pressure of the air, while the filter cover is easily opened and closed by the user.
The above object is accomplished by providing an air exhaust structure for an upright-type vacuum cleaner comprising: a frame having a duct formed at a side of the cleaner body, preferably in a lengthwise direction, in order to communicate with the motor driving chamber; a support member protruded from an inside wall of the duct; a filter; a filter cover having a grill portion disposed at the frame; and a removable means for opening and closing the filter cover.
The removable means preferably includes: a hook formed at a front end of the filter cover; and a locking hole having a locking protrusion disposed at the frame placed at a position corresponding to the position of the hook. In addition, the hook includes: a fixing portion extended from the filter cover; a flexible pressing portion bent in a direction approximately 180° from the fixing portion; and a pair of protrusions disposed at both sides of the flexible pressing portion and connected with the locking protrusion of the locking hole.
According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, in the air exhaust structure for the upright-type vacuum cleaner, at least one hook is disposed at a front end of the filter cover in a predetermined interval.
Moreover, a cut away portion is formed at the fixing portion and a bent portion of the flexible pressing portion in order to increase the elasticity of the flexible pressing portion.
Accordingly, the filter cover is maintained in a closed position since the protrusion of the flexible pressing portion disposed at the hook of the filter cover is flexibly engages the locking protrusion of the locking hole disposed at the frame, thus the filter cover is not opened by the discharging pressure of the air. In addition, the opening and the closing of the filter cover is easily operated, as the filter cover is opened by releasing the engagement between the protrusion of the flexible pressing portion and the locking protrusion of the locking hole, with a simple method of pressing the flexible pressing port
Jeon Hyung-il
Park Jung-seon
Yang Il-won
Ladas & Parry LLP
Samsung Gwangju Electronics Co. Ltd.
Till Terrence R.
LandOfFree
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