Suction port assembly of vacuum cleaner

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner operable on upright mode and canister mode is provided. The vacuum cleaner includes a suction port assembly comprising a suction port and a suction passage to draw in dust-laden air, a cleaner body housing a dust separating unit and a motor connected with the dust separating unit, an operating handle assembly in fluid communication with the cleaner body through a hose and in fluid communication with an extension pipe, and a carrying handle assembly sliding along the cleaner body to increase in length. If the vacuum cleaner is in the upright mode, the extension pipe is in fluid communication with the suction port assembly, is used as a passage for air to pass toward the cleaner body, and supports the cleaner body, while if the vacuum cleaner is in the canister mode, the extension pipe is separated from the cleaner body.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 60 / 964,676, filed on Aug. 14, 2007 in the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Korean Patent Application No. 2007-0093884, filed on Sep. 14, 2007 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, and Korean Patent Application No. 2007-0077662, filed on Aug. 2, 2007 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire disclosure of each of which is hereby incorporated by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present disclosure relates to a vacuum cleaner, and more particularly, to a vacuum cleaner capable of drawing in dust-laden air from a surface being cleaned using a suction force generated by a motor driven inside the cleaner body, filtering the dust from the drawn air, and discharging clean air to the outside of the cleaner body.[0004]2. Description of the Related Art[0005]Vacuum cleaners can be broadly classified in...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0021]Accordingly, a convertible vacuum cleaner which has a simple structure can be provided, in which when operating in upright mode, an extension pipe supports the cleaner body and thereby obviating a need for a separate frame to support the cleaner body, and in which the same air passage is used between the suction port assembly and the cleaner body both in upright and canister modes, thereby obviating a need for a separate fluid passage conversion.

[0022]Furthermore, simple and fast conversion between upright and canister modes is achieved by engaging the extension pipe to the suction port assembly or disengaging the extension pipe from the suction port assembly.

[0023]Furthermore, an extendable and retractable operating handle assembly is provided, and the operating handle assembly is extended while the vacuum cleaner is in operation, and retracted while the vacuum cleaner is stowed away. As a result, the vacuum cleaner can be reduced in overall height and so it is enabled to stow the vacuum cleaner without having much concern about space limit.

Problems solved by technology

However, such a convertible vacuum cleaner has some drawbacks.

The requirement for a separate fluid path converting structure causes the structure to become more complex.

Furthermore, a user experiences inconvenience when he uses a canister mode because he has to separate the extension pipe from the cleaner body and re-connect it to the suction port of the cleaner body.

Another drawback is that a vacuum cleaner is generally made to be usable by someone of adult height, which hinders the user's freedom in storing the cleaner.

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