Vacuum cleaner

• US 10,588,472 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2017
• Issued: 03/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Choi, Ji Won, Lee, Byoung In, Lee, Hak Bong
• Primary Examiner(s): Muller, Bryan R
• Application Number:
  US15/857,357
• Publication Number:
  US 20180184862A1
• Time in Patent Office: 810 Days
• Field of Search: 15383, 15391
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 1/00 Brush bodies and bristles moulded as a unit
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 2200/3033 Household brush, i.e. brushes for cleaning in the house or dishes
• CPC Class Codes: A46B 3/005 Bristle carriers and bristles moulded as a unit A46B1/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/00 Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/30 with driven dust-loosening tools, e.g. rotating brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/0066 adapted for removing nail dust, hair or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0411 driven by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0444 for conveying motion by endless flexible members, e.g. belts
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0466 Rotating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0477 Rolls

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a vacuum cleaner including a brush to rotate and collect foreign materials on the floor, and a grinder to grind the foreign materials collected through the brush. Since the hair-like foreign materials wound around the brush are grinded and cut by the grinders, a cleaning cycle of the brush can be extended.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a brush configured to rotate to collect foreign materials on a floor; and

at least one grinder configured to grind the foreign materials collected by the brush,

wherein the brush comprises a plurality of drum portions each formed in a shape of a cylinder, a plurality of blades protruding from each of the plurality of drum portions, and at least one foreign material collector formed between respective drum portions and having an outward facing circumferential surface with a radially recessed portion thereon, facing a respective grinder.

2. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the brush comprises a plurality of shield ribs formed in a shape of a ring at both side ends of the plurality of drum portions.

3. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the shield ribs are integrated into the plurality of blades.

4. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein each blade of the plurality of blades comprises a pair of guide portions formed at both ends of an edge of the blade and inclined with respect to both side ends of the blade.

5. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of blades comprise a plurality of protrusions protruding from edges of each of the plurality of blades.

6. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 5, wherein the plurality of protrusions protrude from one surface of the blades corresponding to front sides in rotation direction of the brush.

7. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of protrusions has a section of a right-angled triangle, bottoms of the plurality of protrusions are connected to the one surface of the blades, and surfaces of the protrusions forming a height of the protrusions face outward in a radial direction with respect to the drum portions.

8. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the at least one foreign material collector is in a shape of a truncated cone.

9. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 8, wherein a plurality of foreign material collectors are respectively disposed between the plurality of drum portions and at both side ends of the brush.

10. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 9, wherein a portion of the at least one foreign material collector is reduced gradually toward a center portion of the brush.

11. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 8, wherein the at least one grinder comprises a grinding portion formed in a shape of a curved fan whose center portion is incised to correspond to the at least one foreign material collector, and a plurality of grinding blades protruding from the grinding portion toward the at least one foreign material collector.

12. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of grinding blades extend in directions of generating lines of the grinding portion, and are spaced from each other in a circumferential direction.

13. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 12, wherein the at least one grinder comprises a plurality of guide surfaces formed as concavely curved surfaces between the grinding blades.

14. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 11, wherein the at least one grinder comprises a pair of fixing portions respectively formed in a shape of a “

U”

at both side ends of the grinding portion.

15. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising:

a body having a suction opening in which the brush is installed, at a bottom; and

a cover member installed on the suction opening, and configured to cover the at least one foreign material collector.

16. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 15, wherein the suction opening is formed in a shape of a rectangle, and

the cover member comprises a frame portion formed in a shape of a rectangle to correspond to the suction opening, and at least one cover portion extending from the frame portion, and configured to cover a lower portion of the at least one foreign material collector.

17. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 16, wherein the at least one grinder is installed in the at least one cover portion.

18. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein:

the blades extend in a spiral shape such that areas of the blades adjacent to a side end of the brush are positioned at a different circumferential location than

areas of the blades adjacent to a center portion of the brush are located at a back area in rotation direction of the brush.

19. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a fan motor configured to generate a suction force to suction in foreign materials together with air;

a brush configured to rotate to collect the foreign materials on a floor; and

at least one grinder configured to grind the foreign materials collected by the brush,

wherein the brush comprises;

a plurality of drum portions each formed in a shape of a cylinder,

a plurality of blades protruding from each of the plurality of drum portions, and

at least one foreign material collector formed between respective drum portions and having an outward facing circumferential surface with a radially recessed portion thereon, the radially recessed portion facing a respective grinder.

20. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 19, wherein the brush comprises a plurality of shield ribs formed in a shape of a ring at both side ends of the plurality of drum portions.