Vacuum cleaner having apparatus for giving off fragrant odor

• US 7,774,897 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2007
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Gwangju Electronics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Gwangju Electronics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Oh, Jang-Keun, Cha, Seung-Yong
• Primary Examiner(s): Redding; David A
• Application Number:
  US11/974,273
• Publication Number:
  US 20090260178A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,040 Days
• Field of Search: 153/272, 153/39, 962/22, 422/124, 239 55- 57, 239/60, 261/30, 261/35, 261/DIG.65, 261/DIG.88
• US Class Current: 15/327.2
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/04 for using the exhaust air for other purposes, e.g. for distribution of chemicals in a room, for sterilisation of the air spraying or atomising in general B05

Abstract

The vacuum cleaner that includes a fragrant odor generating apparatus is provided. The fragrant odor generating apparatus is mounted to a discharge port of a grill member housed in a main cleaner body, to discharge an air freshener to an air being discharged through the discharge port after air containing dust is drawn in from a surface being cleaned and dust is separated from the drawn-in air. The fragrant odor generating apparatus includes a housing comprising a first air passing hole in fluid communication with the discharge port, and a second air passing hole in fluid communication with outside, an outer cover member pivotably mounted to the housing to selectively open and close the second air passing hole, and the air freshener containing a fragrant agent.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a fragrant odor generating apparatus mounted to a discharge port of a grill member housed in a main cleaner body, to discharge an air freshener to an air being discharged through the discharge port after air containing dust is drawn in from a surface being cleaned and dust is separated from the drawn-in air, the fragrant odor generating apparatus comprising,

a housing comprising a first air passing hole in fluid communication with the discharge port, and a second air passing hole in fluid communication with outside,

an outer cover member pivotably mounted to the housing to selectively open and close the second air passing hole, and

the air freshener containing a fragrant agent, and mounted inside the housing,

wherein if the vacuum cleaner is driven and air is discharged through the discharge port, the discharged air past through the discharge port and the first air passing hole pushes the outer cover member to a direction of opening the second air passing hole, so that the discharged air containing the fragrant agent is passed through the second air passing hole and discharged to outside, and

if the vacuum cleaner is not driven and air is not discharged through the discharge port, the outer cover member is moved to a direction of closing the second air passing hole by its own weight.

2. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the fragrant odor generating apparatus further comprises an inner cover member pivotably mounted on the housing to selectively open and close the first air passing hole, so that if the vacuum cleaner is driven and air is discharged through the discharge port, the discharged air causes the inner cover member to pivot to a direction of opening the first air passing hole, and

if the vacuum cleaner is not driven and air is not discharged through the discharge port, the inner cover member is moved by its own weight to a direction of closing the first air passing hole.

3. The vacuum cleaner of claim 2, further comprising a first elastic member to elastically bias the inner cover member to a direction of closing the first air passing hole, and a second elastic member to elastically bias the outer cover member to a direction of closing the second air passing hole,

and wherein the inner cover member and the outer cover member are pivoted by the force of the air discharged through the discharge port, to open the first and second air passing holes,

and if the vacuum cleaner stops operation and air is not discharged through the discharge port any more, the inner cover member and the outer cover member are pivoted by the first and second elastic members to a direction of closing the first and second air passing holes.

4. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a main housing body having one side open, the air freshener removably mounted therein, and a plurality of engagement holes formed therein;

and

a housing cover having a plurality of engagement projections corresponding to the plurality of engagement holes, the housing cover being engaged by interlocking of the plurality of engagement projections and the plurality of engagement holes to cover the open side of the main housing body.

5. The vacuum cleaner of claim 4, wherein the outer cover member is mounted to an upper surface of the main housing body.

6. The vacuum cleaner of claim 4, wherein the outer cover member is mounted to a side surface of the main housing body.

7. The vacuum cleaner of claim 4, wherein the outer cover member is mounted to the housing cover.

8. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises:

a main housing body having one side open, and the air freshener removably mounted inside the main housing body; and

a housing cover pivotably mounted to the main housing body, to selectively open and close the open side of the main housing body.

9. The vacuum cleaner of claim 8, wherein the outer cover member is mounted to an upper surface of the main housing body.

10. The vacuum cleaner of claim 8, wherein the outer cover member is mounted to a side surface of the main housing body.

11. The vacuum cleaner of claim 8, wherein the outer cover member is mounted to the housing cover.

12. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a main cleaner body being configured to draw air containing dust from a surface being cleaned, to separate dust from the drawn air, and to discharge clean air through a discharge port;

a housing having a first air passing hole, an inside area, and a second air passing hole, the first air passing hole being in fluid communication with the discharge port and the inside area, the second air passing hole being in fluid communication with the inside area and an area outside the main cleaner body;

an air freshener removably mounted in the inside area of the housing; and

an outer cover member pivotably mounted to the housing to selectively open the second air passing hole when the clean air is discharged through the discharge port and selectively close the second air passing hole when the clean air is not discharged through the discharge port, wherein the outer cover member selectively closes the second air passing hole by its own weight when the clean air is not discharged through the discharge port.

13. The vacuum cleaner of claim 12, further comprising an outer elastic member configured to selectively close the outer cover member when the clean air is not discharged through the discharge port, the outer elastic member being selectively opened by the force of the clean air when the clean air is discharged through the discharge port.

14. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a main cleaner body being configured to draw air containing dust from a surface being cleaned, to separate dust from the drawn air, and to discharge clean air through a discharge port;

a housing having a first air passing hole, an inside area, and a second air passing hole, the first air passing hole being in fluid communication with the discharge port and the inside area, the second air passing hole being in fluid communication with the inside area and an area outside the main cleaner body;

an air freshener removably mounted in the inside area of the housing;

an outer cover member pivotably mounted to the housing to selectively open the second air passing hole when the clean air is discharged through the discharge port and selectively close the second air passing hole when the clean air is not discharged through the discharge port; and

an inner cover member pivotably mounted to the housing to selectively open the first air passing hole when the clean air is discharged through the discharge port and selectively close the first air passing hole when the clean air is not discharged through the discharge port.

15. The vacuum cleaner of claim 14, wherein the inner cover member selectively closes the first air passing hole by its own weight when the clean air is not discharged through the discharge port.

16. The vacuum cleaner of claim 14, further comprising an inner elastic member configured to selectively close the inner cover member when the clean air is not discharged through the discharge port, the inner elastic member being selectively opened by the force of the clean air when the clean air is discharged through the discharge port.