US-12622554-B2 - Vacuum cleaner

US12622554B2US 12622554 B2US12622554 B2US 12622554B2US-12622554-B2

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner is provided. The vacuum cleaner includes a cleaner body generating a suction force, and a suction unit comprising a suction chamber opened to suck foreign materials by the suction force. The suction unit includes a brush drum partially protruding toward an outside of the suction chamber within the suction chamber and provided rotatably, and a blade provided to collect foreign materials as extended along an extending direction of the brush drum while being spaced apart leaving a gap from the brush drum inside the suction chamber, and including a transformable portion to be transformed to widen the gap.

Inventors

Jiwon Choi
Byoungin LEE

Assignees

SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20230504
Priority Date: 20201109

Claims (13)

1 . A vacuum cleaner comprising: a cleaner body generating a suction force; and a suction unit comprising a suction chamber having an opening configured to suck foreign materials by the suction force, wherein the suction unit comprises: a brush drum partially protruding toward an outside of the suction chamber within the suction chamber and provided rotatably, and a blade provided to collect foreign materials as extended along an extending direction of the brush drum while being spaced apart leaving a gap from the brush drum inside the suction chamber, and comprising a flexible portion configured to flex to widen the gap, wherein the suction unit comprises a brush cover provided to cover a portion of the opening of the suction chamber, wherein the brush cover comprises a blade supporter supporting the blade to be extended parallel to a lengthwise direction of the brush drum while being spaced apart from the brush drum, wherein the blade supporter is fixed directly to at least one portion of a surface of the blade facing the brush drum, wherein the blade supporter is positioned between the at least one portion of the surface of the blade facing the brush drum and the brush drum, and wherein the blade supporter comprises a forward edge positioned on the at least one portion of the surface of the blade facing the drum, with the forward edge defining a plurality of alternating recessed and protruding portions provided along a lengthwise direction of the blade.
2 . The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the blade comprises an elastically flexible material.
3 . The vacuum cleaner of claim 2 , wherein the brush drum partially protrudes through the brush cover.
4 . The vacuum cleaner of claim 2 , wherein the blade comprises: a collector facing toward a cleaning surface to collect foreign materials; and a fixed portion being connected to the collector and formed at an angle thereto, and supported on the brush cover.
5 . The vacuum cleaner of claim 2 , wherein the suction unit comprises a blade cover fixed to the blade supporter with the blade therebetween.
6 . The vacuum cleaner of claim 4 , wherein the blade comprises a bending connector provided between the collector and the fixed portion and spacing the collector from the blade cover.
7 . The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein each of the recessed portions of the plurality of alternating recessed and protruding portions has a wider width than each of the protruding portions of the plurality of alternating recessed and protruding portions.
8 . The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein each of the protruding portions of the plurality of alternating recessed and protruding portions tapers inward away from each of the respective adjacent recessed portions of the plurality of alternating recessed and protruding portions.
9 . The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the brush cover comprises a front supporter with the opening is between the front supporter and the blade supporter, and wherein the front supporter comprises: a plurality of protrusions spaced apart from each other in a lengthwise direction and protruding downwards, and a plurality of passages provided between the plurality of protrusions and allowing foreign materials to be introduced.
10 . The vacuum cleaner of claim 9 , wherein a total number of protruding portions of the plurality of alternating recessed and protruding portions is equal to the number of protrusions.
11 . The vacuum cleaner of claim 9 , wherein each recessed portion of the plurality of alternating recessed and protruding portions is provided at a position corresponding to a passage of the plurality of passages.
12 . The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the flexible portion of the blade comprises a portion exposed adjacent to each of the recessed portions of the plurality of alternating recessed and protruding portions.
13 . The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 , wherein the blade comprises a fastening protrusion disposed at each end of the blade.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) This application is a continuation application, claiming priority under § 365(c), of an International application No. PCT/KR2021/012835, filed on Sep. 17, 2021, which is based on and claims the benefit of a Korean patent application number 10-2020-0148762, filed on Nov. 9, 2020, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. BACKGROUND 1. Field The disclosure relates to a vacuum cleaner. More particularly, the disclosure relates to a vacuum cleaner including an improved blade for collecting foreign materials. 2. Description of Related Art A vacuum cleaner is provided with a suction unit including a brush drum to clean a carpet or the like floor to which foreign materials are deeply attached. The brush drum strikes a target while rotating, thereby separating the foreign materials attached to the carpet or floor from the carpet or floor. The vacuum cleaner sucks such separated foreign materials through the suction unit. In this way, the brush drum is useful when sucking the foreign materials by taking a suction port of the vacuum cleaner to a cleaning surface. The vacuum cleaner includes a brush drum that rotates, and a blade that pushes dust on the cleaning surface. In the case of sucking general dust of fine particles, there is no problem. However, in the case of sucking hard and big foreign materials, problems arise. When a gap between the brush drum and the blade is wide, a suction force is too weak to suck such hard and big foreign materials. On the other hand, when the gap is narrowed to make the suction force strong, such foreign materials fail to pass through the gap and get stuck or are forcibly sucked stopping the operation of the brush drum or damaging the brush drum or blade. The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the disclosure. SUMMARY Aspects of the disclosure are to address at least the above-mentioned problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages described below. Accordingly, an aspect of the disclosure is to provide a vacuum cleaner having improved suction power and capable of sucking big foreign materials. Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the presented embodiments. In accordance with an aspect of the disclosure, a vacuum cleaner is provided. The vacuum cleaner includes a cleaner body generating a suction force, and a suction unit comprising a suction chamber opened to suck foreign materials by the suction force. The suction unit includes a brush drum partially protruding toward an outside of the suction chamber within the suction chamber and provided rotatably, and a blade provided to collect foreign materials as extended along an extending direction of the brush drum while being spaced apart leaving a gap from the brush drum inside the suction chamber, and including a transformable portion to be transformed to widen the gap. The blade includes an elastically transformable material. The suction unit includes a brush cover provided to cover an opening of the suction chamber, and including an opening through which the brush drum partially protrudes. The brush cover includes a blade supporter supporting the blade to be extended along a lengthwise direction of the brush drum while being spaced apart from the brush drum. The blade includes a collector facing toward a cleaning surface to collect foreign materials, and a fixed portion integrally bent from the collector and supported on the brush cover. The suction unit includes a blade cover fixed to the blade supporter with the blade therebetween. The blade includes a bending connector provided between the collector and the fixed portion and spacing the collector from the blade cover. The blade supporter includes a plurality of concave-convex portions provided along a lengthwise direction. The concave-convex portion has an arc shape. The concave portion may have a wider width than the convex portion. The convex portion may have a lower portion wider than an upper portion thereof. The brush cover includes a front supporter with the opening therebetween, and the front supporter includes a plurality of protrusions spaced apart from each other in a lengthwise direction and protruding downwards, and a plurality of passages provided between the plurality of protrusions and allowing foreign materials to be introduced. The number of convex portions is equal to the number of protrusions. The concave portion may be provided at a position corresponding to the passage. A transformable portion of the blade includes a portion exposed through the concave portion. The blade cove