DUAL-PURPOSE VACUUM CLEANER

• US 20130269148A1
• Filed: 04/11/2013
• Published: 10/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Egenpower Inc.
• Original Assignee: Egenpower Inc.
• Inventors: CHIU, Ting-Yin, LI, Gary
• Granted Patent: US 9,173,531 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/329
• 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 5/225 Convertible suction cleaners, i.e. convertible between different types thereof, e.g. from upright suction cleaners to sledge-type suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/24 Hand-supported suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/00 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
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/24 Hoses or pipes; Hose or pipe couplings hoses or hose joints in general F16L
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2868 Arrangements for power supply of vacuum cleaners or the accessories thereof

Abstract

A dual-purpose vacuum cleaner includes a self-walking carriage including three or more wheels, an accommodation chamber providing at least one bearing face, a roller brush, a dust guide, a passageway connected to the accommodation chamber and a plurality of first contacts disposed in the accommodation chamber, a hand-held vacuum cleaner detachably accommodated in the accommodation chamber and including at least one abutment face, a handle, a dust suction entrance attached to the passageway and a plurality of second contacts respectively physically kept in contact with the first contacts, and a cover covered on the self-walking carriage to conceal the hand-held vacuum cleaner in the self-walking carriage.

Claims

1. A dual-purpose vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a self-walking carriage comprising at least three wheels pivotally mounted at a bottom side thereof and rotatable on the floor, a top-opened accommodation chamber defining therein at least one bearing face, a roller brush rotatably mounted at the bottom side of said self-walking carriage and disposed at a front side relative to said accommodation chamber, a dust guide located at the bottom side of said self-walking carriage and disposed at a rear side relative to said roller brush, said dust guide having a front side thereof disposed in contact with the floor and a rear side thereof backwardly upwardly extended from said front side, a passageway having one end thereof connected to the rear side of said dust guide and an opposite end thereof connected to said top-opened accommodation chamber, and a plurality of first contacts disposed in said top-opened accommodation chamber;

a first power source, a first controller and a first driver mounted in said self-walking carriage, said first controller being electrically connected to said first power source and said first contacts, said first driver being electrically connected to said first controller and coupled with at least one wheel of said at least three wheels and controllable by said first controller to rotate said at least one wheel of said at least three wheels forward or backward;

a hand-held vacuum cleaner detachably accommodated in said top-opened accommodation chamber, said hand-held vacuum cleaner comprising at least one abutment face for abutting against said at least one bearing face of said self-walking carriage, a handle, a dust suction entrance located at a front side thereof and attachable to said passageway, and a plurality of second contacts for physically contacting said first contacts respectively;

a second power source, a second controller and a second driver mounted in said hand-held vacuum cleaner, said second controller being electrically connected to said second power source and said second contacts, said second driver being electrically connected to said second controller and selectively controllable by said first controller or said second controller to start a vacuum cleaning function; and

a cover detachably covered on said self-walking carriage to conceal said hand-held vacuum cleaner in said self-walking carriage.

2. The self-walking/hand-held dual-purpose vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein said cover is opaque.

3. The self-walking/hand-held dual-purpose vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the number of said at least one bearing face in said top-opened accommodation chamber is 2, and the two said bearing faces are respectively disposed in opposite front and rear sides in said top-opened accommodation chamber;

the number of said at least one abutment face of said hand-held vacuum cleaner is 2, and the two said abutment faces are respectively disposed at opposing front and rear sides of said hand-held vacuum cleaner.

4. The self-walking/hand-held dual-purpose vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 3, wherein said passageway has one end thereof extended to the bearing face at the front side in said top-opened accommodation chamber;

said dust suction entrance of said hand-held vacuum cleaner is located at the abutment face at the front side of said hand-held vacuum cleaner.

5. The self-walking/hand-held dual-purpose vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 3, wherein said first contacts are disposed at the bearing face at the rear side in said top-opened accommodation chamber;

said second contacts are disposed at the abutment face at the rear side of said hand-held vacuum cleaner.

6. The self-walking/hand-held dual-purpose vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first contacts are retractable spring-loaded pins that contract when compressed and have an appropriate elastic restoring force.

7. The self-walking/hand-held dual-purpose vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first driver and said second driver are motors.

8. The self-walking/hand-held dual-purpose vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a third driver electrically connected to said first controller and controllable by said first controller to rotate said roller brush.

9. The self-walking/hand-held dual-purpose vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein said self-walking carriage has a car-shaped configuration.