Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Machines – With air blast or suction
Reexamination Certificate
2001-05-30
2003-02-04
Till, Terrence R. (Department: 1744)
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Machines
With air blast or suction
C285S007000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06513191
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This device relates to a vacuum cleaner, and more particularly, this device is for adjusting a length of a suction pipe of a large capacity vacuum cleaner capable of adjusting the length of the suction pipe appropriately according to need of situation.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a vacuum cleaner generates a strong suction force in a dust chamber by a driving of a motor mounted in a cleaner body. The dust chamber is connected to a suction pipe through a flexible hose, and accordingly, air and ambient contaminants are drawn into the dust chamber through the suction pipe and the flexible hose. Accordingly, the cleaning process is performed automatically. Meanwhile, when the length of the hose or the suction pipe is improper for user's desired cleaning place, i.e., when the hose or the suction pipe is shorter or longer than the user requires, then the user adjusts the length of the suction pipe excluding the hose which is not adjustable.
FIG. 1
schematically shows the construction of the conventional device for adjusting the length of the suction pipe of a vacuum cleaner, which is representatively disclosed in the EP 0 552 481 A1. The length adjusting device includes an outer pipe
12
having an extended portion
12
-
1
on which a mount portion
12
-
2
is defined, an inner pipe
11
fit in the outer pipe
12
and having locking recesses
25
formed on an outer circumference of the inner pipe
11
at a predetermined distance from each other, a guide body
15
fit between the extended portion
12
-
1
and the inner pipe
11
and having an opening
24
formed in the middle portion, and also having seating portions
15
-
1
, coil springs
22
, each of which having one end connected to one end of each seating portion
15
-
1
of the guide body
15
, an operating portion
17
to which the other end of each coil spring
22
is connected, and moved in the lengthwise direction by a recovering force of each coil spring
22
, and having a pressing portion
17
-
1
formed on a lower middle portion, and also having escaping recesses
17
-
2
defined at both sides of the pressing portion
17
-
1
, a slide
16
having a lower portion mounted on an upper surface of the operating portion
17
by fastening projections
17
-
3
in a manner of being exposed to the mount portion
12
-
2
, and a roller
7
inserted in the opening
24
, thus locked in or released from the locking recesses
25
.
When the user moves the slide
16
in the lengthwise direction of the suction pipe
10
, the roller
26
is released from the restricted state, and accordingly, the opening
24
is aligned with one of the escaping recess
17
-
2
. Then when the user moves the inner pipe
11
in the lengthwise direction, the roller
26
is separated from the locking recess
25
, and inserted in the escaping recess
17
-
2
. Accordingly, the length of the suction pipe
10
can be adjusted appropriately. Then, as the user stops exerting the force to the slide
16
, the slide
16
is returned to the middle portion of the guide body
15
by the recovering force of the coil springs
22
, and accordingly, the pressing portion
17
-
1
of the operating portion
17
re-presses the roller
26
.
In the conventional device for adjusting the length of the suction pipe, however, the operating portion
17
and the slide
16
have to be prepared separately, and then integrally assembled with each other. Further, the end of the outer pipe
12
should be extended to receive the guide body
15
. Accordingly, the manufacturing process becomes complex.
In order to solve the above-mentioned problem of the prior art, the same applicant disclosed an improved device for adjusting the length of the suction pipe of the vacuum cleaner in the Korean Patent Application No. 99-16556 (Filed May 10, 1999 and entitled: Device for adjusting suction pipe length of a vacuum cleaner). According to the Korean Patent Application No. 99-16556 as shown in
FIGS. 2A and 2B
, a sleeve
3
having a long hole
3
a
is fastened at one end of an outer pipe
2
. The long hole
3
a
is formed in the middle portion of the sleeve
3
in a circumferential direction. A pair of elastic rings
6
are disposed on the outer circumference of both ends of the sleeve
3
at a predetermined distance from each other, in a manner that certain portion of the elastic rings
6
are fixed on the outer circumference of the sleeve
3
. The long hole
3
a
of the sleeve
3
receives a locking pin
5
which is locked in one of locking recesses
1
a
that are formed on the inner pipe
1
at a predetermined distance from each other in a lengthwise direction. On the inner circumference of the sleeve
3
, guide projections
3
b
is formed for being inserted in one of guide grooves
1
b
formed on the outer circumference of the inner pipe
1
in the lengthwise direction. On the outer circumference of both ends of the sleeve
3
, annular limiting projections
3
c
are formed, respectively. On the outer circumference of the sleeve
3
, a sliding cover
4
is mounted. The sliding cover
4
has a pair of arc locking projections
4
a
formed on the inner circumference of the sliding cover
4
and positioned at the outer side of the annular rings
6
, respectively. Between the locking projections
4
a,
there are formed a pressing projection
4
b
for pressing the locking pin
5
, and a pair of escaping recesses
4
c
to which the locking pin
5
is selectively received, respectively.
Accordingly, by moving the sliding cover
4
forward or backward, one of the escaping recesses
4
c
is aligned with the locking pin
5
. Accordingly, the locking pin
5
is released from the restricted state, and the inner pipe
1
can be moved freely with respect to the outer pipe
2
. Then, by discontinuing an application of force to the sliding cover
4
, the sliding cover
4
returned to the original position by the recovering force of the elastic ring
6
, and accordingly, the locking pin
5
is inserted in one of the locking recesses I a of the inner pipe
1
. Then, pressed by the pressing projection
4
b,
the inner pipe
1
is fixed at the position.
According to the Korean Patent Application No. 99-16556, the locking pin
5
is separately prepared and inserted in only one locking recess
1
a
of the inner pipe
1
to serve its function of fixing a position. Further, since the locking pin
5
is simply inserted in the long hole
3
a
of the sleeve
3
, there is a possibility that the locking pin
5
may be separated. Further, the sleeve
3
and the sliding cover
4
, which are made of metal material, does not operate smoothly, and also causes a considerable level of friction noise.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This device has been made to overcome the above-mentioned problems of the related arts, and accordingly, it is an object to provide a device for adjusting a length of a suction pipe of a vacuum cleaner, capable of firmly positioning an inner pipe at a desired location, regardless of external shocks, or the like.
Another object is to provide a device for adjusting a length of a suction pipe of a vacuum cleaner that is smoothly operated, while minimizing the level of friction noise.
The above objects are accomplished by a present device for adjusting a length of a suction pipe of a vacuum cleaner, including a sleeve securely connected to one end of an outer pipe, and having a pair of limiting projections formed on an outer circumference of the outer pipe in a circumferential direction and axially spaced from each other by a predetermined distance, a slot defined between the pair of limiting projections in an axial direction, and a guide projection formed on the inner circumference of the sleeve for being inserted in a guide recess formed on an outer circumference of an inner pipe in an axial direction of the inner pipe; a locking plate inserted in the slot of the sleeve, and having a pair of locking projections formed on a lower surface of the locking plate and inserted in at least a pair of neighboring locking recesses which are formed on the
Kwang Dong Precision Co., Ltd.
Till Terrence R.
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