Complex type cleaner

• US 7,703,172 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2005
• Issued: 04/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Chung, Choon Myun, Jung, Young Gyu, Lee, Yong Woo, Rew, Ho Seon, Nam, Hyeun Sik
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomas; David B
• Application Number:
  US11/029,383
• Publication Number:
  US 20060085942A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,937 Days
• Field of Search: 15320-322, 153/28, 153/31, 153/53
• US Class Current: 15/320
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/34 Machines for treating carpets in position by liquid, foam, or vapour, e.g. by steam
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4044 Vacuuming or pick-up tools; Squeegees
• 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 5/30 with driven dust-loosening tools, e.g. rotating brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/32 with means for connecting a hose hose couplings for suction cleaners A47L9/24

Abstract

A cleaner includes: a body provided with a dust collecting container for storing dust; a fan motor installed at the body and generating a suction force; a vacuum cleaning head disposed at a lower side of the body, for sucking dust when vacuum cleaning; and a water cleaning head mounted at the vacuum cleaning head, and provided with a suction head through which contaminated water is sucked when water cleaning and a water collecting container for storing contaminated water sucked through the suction head. As a suction nozzle for sucking contaminated water and a water collecting container for storing the contaminated water sucked through the suction nozzle are integrally formed and installed at a suction head, a cleaner capable of reducing the number of parts and a production cost, and employing a small capacity fan motor is provided.

Claims

1. A cleaner, comprising:

a body provided with a dust collecting container for storing dust;

a fan motor installed at the body and generating a suction force;

a vacuum cleaning head disposed at a lower side of the body, wherein the vacuum cleaning head sucks in dust in a vacuum cleaning mode;

a wet cleaning head mounted at the vacuum cleaning head, wherein the wet cleaning head includes;

a wet suction head that sucks in contaminated fluid in a wet cleaning mode; and

a fluid collecting container that receives and stores contaminated fluid sucked in through the wet suction head, wherein the fluid collecting container is mounted at an upper surface of the vacuum cleaning head, and the wet suction head is integrally formed with an upper surface of the fluid collecting container so as to communicate with an interior of the fluid collecting container; and

a brush installed in the vacuum cleaning head, wherein the brush sweeps up dust from a region to be cleaned during the vacuum cleaning mode and rubs the region to be cleaned in the wet cleaning mode.

2. The cleaner of claim 1, further comprising:

a dust suction opening provided at a lower surface of the vacuum cleaning head, wherein dust is sucked into the vacuum cleaning head through the dust suction opening; and

a suction hose connected to the vacuum cleaning head to as to guide the dust sucked in through the dust suction opening to the dust collecting container.

3. The cleaner of claim 2 wherein the wet suction head comprises:

a nozzle portion disposed at a front of the dust suction opening, wherein contaminated fluid is sucked in through the nozzle portion; and

a guide passage portion in communication with the nozzle portion wherein the guide passage portion guides contaminated fluid sucked in through the nozzle portion to an inlet of the fluid collecting container.

4. The cleaner of claim 3, wherein an inlet into the nozzle portion is configured so as to easily suck fluid from a surface of the region to be cleaned.

5. The cleaner of claim 1, further comprising:

a cleaning fluid spray unit that sprays cleaning fluid onto the region to be cleaned in the wet cleaning mode.

6. The cleaner of claim 5, wherein the cleaning fluid spray unit comprises:

a tank mounted at a rear side of the body, wherein the tank receives and stores uncontaminated cleaning fluid for use in the wet cleaning mode;

a supply line connected to the tank so as to supply uncontaminated cleaning fluid to the region to be cleaned;

a pump installed at the supply line so as to pump uncontaminated cleaning fluid from the tank; and

a spray nozzle installed at an end of the supply line so as to spray uncontaminated cleaning fluid pumped by the pump onto the region to be cleaned.

7. The cleaner of claim 1, further comprising:

a wet suction opening in communication with the wet suction head such that contaminated fluid flows into the wet suction head through the wet suction opening; and

an air discharge opening provided at an upper surface of the fluid collecting container, wherein air inside the fluid collecting container is discharged through the air discharge opening when contaminated fluid is sucked in through the wet suction opening.

8. The cleaner of claim 7, wherein the air discharge opening is connected to the fan motor and a suction hose connected between the vacuum cleaning head and the dust collecting container.

9. The cleaner of claim 7, further comprising a float;

provided in the fluid collecting container, wherein the float is raised by a buoyant force of contaminated fluid in the fluid collecting container and closes the air discharge opening so as to prevent contaminated fluid flowing into the fluid collecting container;

from being discharged through the air discharge opening.

10. The cleaner of claim 7, further comprising a blocking plate provided in the fluid collecting container, wherein the blocking plate prevents contaminated fluid flowing into the fluid collecting container from flowing into the air discharge opening until the contaminated fluid reaches a predetermined level in the fluid collecting container.

11. The cleaner of claim 1, further comprising a filter provided within the dust collecting container.

12. The cleaner of claim 1, wherein dust is deposited into the dust collecting container by the vacuum cleaning head in the vacuum cleaning mode, and air, sucked in by the wet suction head together with contaminated fluid, flows into the dust collecting container and is discharged in the wet cleaning mode.

13. The cleaner of claim 1, wherein the fan motor is configured to draw air into the dust collecting container in both the vacuum cleaning mode and the wet cleaning mode.

14. The cleaner of claim 1, further comprising a suction hose, wherein one end of the suction hose is selectively connectable to the vacuum head in the vacuum cleaning mode and to an air discharge opening of the wet cleaning head in the wet cleaning mode.

15. The cleaner of claim 1, wherein the fluid collecting container is positioned between the vacuum cleaning head and the wet suction head.

16. The cleaner of claim 1, wherein the wet cleaning head includes a tank that receives and stores uncontaminated cleaning fluid, wherein the tank is independent from the fluid collecting container that receives and stores contaminated fluid.

17. The cleaner of claim 1, wherein the wet cleaning head;

includes a spray device provided adjacent to the wet suction head, wherein the spray device sprays cleaning fluid onto a surface of the region to be cleaned.