VACUUM CLEANER HEAD

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner head, which comprises: a rotor for suctioning foreign substances through an opening formed in the outer circumference thereof; and a drum casing having, on the bottom surface thereof, a slit in through the foreign substances are introduced, and encompassing the outside of the rotor, and which suctions the foreign substances through the entire area of the opened slit formed in the bottom surface, and concentrates, at one specific moment, suction at an open surface at which both the opening of the rotor and the slit of the drum casing meet, and thus provides greater suction force in a motor having the same capacity.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner head comprising: a rotor (110) including an opening part (111) having a spiral outer periphery and through which foreign substances are sucked; and a drum casing (120) including a hollow interior into which the rotor (110) is inserted, an open slit (121) axially formed on a bottom surface to allow foreign substances of a surface to be cleaned to be introduced, and a cover surface (127) surrounding the rotor (110), wherein the slit (121) exposes an opening surface (121a) by the opening part (111) of the rotor (110) and a blocking surface (121b) by a blocking part (113) that blocks foreign substances, so that the opening surface (121a) and the blocking surface (121b) are axially arranged simultaneously, and wherein the opening surface (121a) of the slit (121) is axially variable by the rotating rotor (110).

2. The vacuum cleaner head of claim 1, wherein the rotor (110) is formed with the opening part (111) through which foreign substances are sucked in and the blocking part (113) through which foreign substances are blocked by crossing, which are formed in an intersecting manner, so that the openings (111) are formed consecutively.

3. The vacuum cleaner head of claim 1, wherein the slit (121) of the drum casing (120) sucks in foreign substances only from the opening surface (121a).

4. The vacuum cleaner head of claim 1, wherein the drum casing (120) is formed with a discharge hole (128) on a upper part, the discharge hole (128) through which foreign substances introduced from the opening surface (121a) formed simultaneously with the opening part (111) of the above rotor (110) and a slit (121) are discharged.

5. The vacuum cleaner head of claim 1, wherein as the rotor (110) rotates, the exposed opening surface (121a) to the slit (121) moves horizontally and is perpendicular to a direction of movement of the vacuum cleaner head.

6. The vacuum cleaner head of claim 1, further comprising a roller neck (130) into which the drum casing (120) is inserted and foreign substances introduced through the opening surface (121a) in which the opening part (111) of the rotor (110) and a slit (121) are formed simultaneously are guided to an intake pipe (134) via the drum casing (120).

7. The vacuum cleaner head of claim 6, wherein the roller neck (130) includes a side passage (132) formed longer than the drum casing (120) through which foreign substances pass.

8. The vacuum cleaner head of claim 1, wherein the rotor (110) is formed with a hollow interior so that foreign substances move through the through hole (112) formed on the side.

9. The vacuum cleaner head of claim 1, wherein the blocking part (113) that blocks foreign substances in the rotor (110) is formed with a body surface (115) filled inside, and the introduced foreign substance passes through the opening surface (121a), passes between the body surfaces (115), and penetrates the opening part (111) on the opposite surface of the center.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner head according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention,

[0032] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a rotor according to the vacuum cleaner head of Embodiment 1 of the present invention in which a spiral opening is unidirectionally rotated,

[0033] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a rotor according to the vacuum cleaner head of Embodiment 1 of the present invention in which a spiral opening is symmetrically rotated,

[0034] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a slit of a drum casing according to the vacuum cleaner head of Embodiment 1 of the present invention, in which (a) is a shape in which a rotational motor is coupled to a timing belt and (b) is a shape in which a rotational motor is coupled to a gear,

[0035] FIG. 5a is a perspective view showing a rotor according to the vacuum cleaner head of Embodiment 1 of the present invention coupled to a drum casing, FIG. 5b is a bottom view showing a shape in which a rotor is coupled to a drum casing, and FIG. 5c is a bottom view showing a shape in which the rotor rotates and the opening surface moves horizontally in FIG. 5b,

[0036] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a roller neck according to the vacuum cleaner head of Embodiment 1 of the present invention,

[0037] FIG. 7 is a side view of a roller neck according to the vacuum cleaner head of Embodiment 1 of the present invention,

[0038] FIG. 8a is a perspective view of the appearance of the rotor, drum casing, and roller neck combined according to the vacuum cleaner head of Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and FIG. 8b is a perspective view of the appearance of the rotor, drum casing, roller neck, and barrier combined,

[0039] FIG. 9a is a flow chart of the automatic control method of the rotor rotation speed according to the vacuum cleaner head of Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and FIG. 9b is a flow chart of the manual control method of the rotor rotation speed,

[0040] FIG. 10 is a state view of the rotor and drum casing combined according to the vacuum cleaner head of Embodiment 1 of the present invention,

[0041] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the rotor according to the vacuum cleaner head of Embodiment 2 of the present invention,

[0042] FIG. 12 is a state in which the body surface of the blocking part of the rotor according to the vacuum cleaner head of Embodiment 2 of the present invention is formed in a square cross-section, (a) is a perspective view of a part of the body surface being cross-sectionally processed, and (b) is a front view with of a part of the body surface being the cross-section processed,

[0043] FIG. 13 is a state in which the body surface of the blocking part of the rotor according to the vacuum cleaner head of Embodiment 2 of the present invention is formed in a triangular cross-section, (a) is a perspective view of a part of the body surface being cross-sectionally processed, and (b) is a front view with of a part of the body surface being the cross-section processed,

[0044] FIG. 14 shows a drum casing according to the vacuum cleaner head of Embodiment 2 of the present invention, (a) is a perspective view showing a configuration for transmitting rotation to the rotor through a gear, and (b) is a perspective view showing a configuration for transmitting rotation to the rotor through a timing belt,

[0045] FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing suction flow in a state in which the rotor and drum casing according to the vacuum cleaner head of Embodiment 2 of the present invention are combined, and

[0046] FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing a roller neck according to the vacuum cleaner head of Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

BEST MODE FOR INVENTION

[0047] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilled in the art can easily implement it.

Embodiment 1

[0048] FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner head according to the present invention.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 1, the vacuum cleaner head according to the present invention comprises: a rotor (110) including an opening part (111) having a spiral outer periphery and through which foreign substances are sucked; [0050] a drum casing (120) including a hollow interior into which the rotor (110) is inserted, an open slit (121) on a bottom surface to allow foreign substances of a surface to be cleaned to be introduced, and a cover surface (127) surrounding the rotor (110); and [0051] a roller neck (130) into which the drum casing (120) is inserted and foreign substances introduced through the opening surface (121a) in which the opening part (111) of the rotor (110) and a slit (121) are formed simultaneously are guided to an intake pipe (134) via the drum casing (120).

[0052] The vacuum cleaner head (100) of the present invention has a slit (121) formed openly on the bottom surface to suck foreign substances from the outside into the inside of the cleaner and a suction pipe (134) formed as a hollow tube on the upper surface or back surface to guide foreign substances sucked from the slit (121) to a dust collector.

[0053] During cleaning, the head is moved vertically back and forth by the user while in contact with the floor surface to be cleaned, and suction power generated from a motor (not shown) separated from the suction pipe (134) is transmitted to the head to suck foreign substances into the interior of the head. Foreign substances are sucked into the head by the suction force applied from the head and reach the dust collector through the connecting part along the air flow.

[0054] Depending on the environment to be cleaned and the purpose of use, the head may be equipped with various shapes. There are a wide-shaped general head for easy cleaning of large floor surfaces, a crevice head for sucking up foreign substances accumulated in the gaps between doors or furniture, and a brush head with a brush shape that scatters and sucks up accumulated dust. Although the present invention is described with an embodiment comprising a general head having a wide shape for easily cleaning a wide floor surface, it is not limited thereto and can be implemented by various modifications within the same technical concept.

[0055] The vacuum cleaner head (100) of the present invention can be detached and replaced at a connecting part that connects the head and the dust collector. Therefore, when dust accumulates and it needs to be cleaned, the head can be removed and cleaned separately, and when it becomes damaged and loses suction function, it can be replaced with another head. A general vacuum cleaner can be used for the configuration of the upper part of the suction pipe (134) including the motor, and since it is a configuration already known, a description is excluded.

[0056] FIGS. 2 and 3 are perspective views of a rotor according to the vacuum cleaner head of the present invention.

[0057] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the rotor (110) is formed as a hollow cylinder, and a through hole (112) is formed in the axial direction at both ends, an opening part (111) is formed on a certain area of the outer periphery through which the inside and the outside of the rotor can communicate, and a closed blocking part (113) is formed on a certain area. The openings (111) through which foreign substances are sucked in and the blocking parts (113) through which foreign substances are blocked are formed by crossing, and the openings (111) are formed consecutively.

[0058] Here, the through hole (112) may be formed to protrude outwardly in the axial direction as shown in FIG. 2 to be inserted into the casing hole (122) of the drum casing (120) so that it may support the through hole (112) or the through hole (112) may be formed to have a flat shape (not shown) that does not protrude outwardly or to protrude inwardly (not shown). When the through hole (112) is flat or protrudes inward, a shaft (not shown) protrudes from the drum casing (120) to be inserted into the through hole (112). The through hole (112) can be formed to protrude outwardly, protrude inwardly, or be formed flatly, and these can be easily changed by a person skilled in the art, so that the through hole (112) is illustrated and described as being formed to protrude outwardly. The present invention can include both a form in which the through hole (112) protrudes inwardly or outwardly and a form in which it does not protrude inwardly or outwardly, and the configuration for rotating the rotor (110) can be easily changed by adding a shaft to the drum casing (120) according to the change in the shape of the through hole (112) so that a description thereof is excluded.

[0059] In addition, the diameter of the through hole (112) is preferably smaller than the diameter of the hollow part of the rotor (110), but is not limited thereto and may be formed to be equal to or larger than the diameter of the hollow part.

[0060] In the present invention, the shape of the opening part (111) in FIGS. 2 and 3 is referred to as a spiral. The spiral of FIG. 2 has a unidirectional continuous opening shape throughout the rotor (110), and the spiral of FIG. 3 has a bidirectional continuous symmetrical V shape centered on the center of the rotor (110).

[0061] In an embodiment according to the present invention, the suction force generated from the motor is transmitted to the head to suck external foreign substances into the hollow interior of the rotor (110) through the open slit (121) and the opening part (111) of the rotor (110). The sucked foreign substances are discharged through the through holes (112) formed at both ends or one end of the rotor (110) and transferred to the side passage (132) formed at both ends or one end of the roller neck (130) and moved to the dust collection part (not shown) of the upper part.

[0062] The rotor (110) is positioned within the hollow interior of the drum casing (120) and is coupled to enable rotation. That is, the cover surface (127) of the drum casing (120) surrounds the blocking part (113) of the rotor (110). In order to prevent friction and rotational resistance from occurring due to contact between the blocking part (113) of the rotor (110) and the cover surface (127) of the drum casing (120), the outer diameter of the rotor (110) is formed to be smaller than the inner diameter of the drum casing (120).

[0063] Further, as shown in FIG. 10a and FIG. 10b, the cover surface (127, here, the cover surface excluding the position where the slit (121) is formed) of the drum casing (120) provides a small gap with the outer periphery of the rotor (110). In this case, the distance (a) between the inner wall surface of the slit (121) and the rotor (110) is formed to be smaller than or equal to the distance (b) between the cover surface (127) and the rotor (110).

[0064] Foreign substances on the outside of the drum casing (120) pass through the slit (121) as shown in FIGS. 10a and 10b and are sucked into the inside of the rotor (110) through the opening part (111). Since the air flow is formed to be directed toward the inside of the rotor (110), foreign substances are moved along the formed air flow.

[0065] An opening part (111) and a blocking part (113) are formed on the outer periphery of the rotor (110), and the shape thereof is sufficient as long as the cylindrical rotor (110) rotates and the opening part (111) and the blocking part (113) can be partially exposed between the slits (121) at any moment, and is not limited to that shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 and can be modified in various ways.

[0066] First, as shown in FIG. 2, the opening part (111) of the rotor (110) can be formed in a unidirectional spiral shape with a constant lead angle along the outer periphery of the rotor (110). A blocking part (113) is formed between the opening parts (111). The rotating rotor (110) is exposed to foreign substances at a part that comes into contact with the floor surface through the open slit (121) of the drum casing (120). At this time, the opening part (111) and the blocking part (113) must be exposed to the slit (121) at the same time. That is, if only the opening part (111) is exposed to the slit (121), the suction force is dispersed throughout the slit (121), making it difficult to generate a large suction force, so that the entire opening part (111) must not be exposed to the slit (121) at any moment. In addition, the blocking part (113) must not be exposed to the entire slit (121) at any moment so that the motor is not overloaded. The opening part (111) and the blocking part (113) must always coexist in the slit (121).

[0067] Next, as shown in FIG. 3, the opening part (111) of the rotor (110) may be formed in a spiral shape along the outer periphery of the rotor (110), but may be formed in a shape that is symmetrical in the left and right directions centered on the center of the rotor (110). Its configuration, function and coupling relationship are identical to those of the rotor having the unidirectional opening part (111) illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0068] In such a rotor (110), the opening part (111) and the blocking part (113) must be formed consecutively so that the opening part (111) and the blocking part (113) are formed simultaneously on all surfaces in the axial direction at all times in the rotating rotor (110). Accordingly, an opening part (111) is formed on the side of the blocking part (113), and a blocking part (113) is formed on the side of the opening part (111).

[0069] By the rotation of the rotor (110), the opening part (111) and the blocking part (113) are simultaneously exposed to the slit (121) of the bottom surface (floor surface), and accordingly, the suction force is blocked at the blocking part (113) and the suction force of the motor is concentrated at the opening part (111). The opening part (111) exposed to the slit (121) cannot but be smaller than the slit (121), so the suction force is concentrated on the open opening part (111) rather than distributed throughout the slit (121), and thus the suction force becomes very large with a motor of the same capacity.

[0070] The opening part (111) exposed to the slit (121) has a smaller area than the blocking part (113) to reduce the loss of suction force, which is suitable for a long battery life and low noise, but can be provided in various ways depending on the cleaning target or cleaning area.

[0071] Foreign substances (objects to be cleaned) are sucked into the hollow interior of the rotor (110) through the spirally formed opening part (111) and discharged through the through hole (112) formed at the end of the rotor (110). The through hole (112) is an extension of the hollow and is empty inside to move the sucked foreign substances. At this time, the suction power generated from the motor of the main body is transmitted through the suction pipe (134) connecting the head part and the dust collector, and the suction power transmitted to the head part acts on the opening part (111) of the rotor (110) through the through hole (112) to suck the foreign substances into the inside of the rotor (110).

[0072] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a slit of a drum casing according to the vacuum cleaner head of the present invention, in which (a) shows a shape in which a rotational motor is coupled to a timing belt and (b) shows a shape in which a rotational motor is coupled to a gear,

[0073] As shown in FIG. 4, the drum casing (120) is formed as a hollow tube inside, and a casing hole (122) supporting a through hole (112) is formed at each of both end, and a slit (121) is formed on the bottom surface to form a continuous open passage to the inner hollow of the rotor (110). On the outer periphery of the drum casing (120), a cover surface (127) is formed, which is made up of a portion excluding the slit (121). As described above, if the through hole (112) formed in the rotor (110) is formed only at one end and not at both ends, the casing hole (122) can also be formed only at one end of the drum casing (120). Further, the through hole (112) protrudes outside the casing hole (122) and can be rotated by a rotary motor (123) described later.

[0074] The drum casing (120) is formed with a hollow interior so that the rotor (110) is inserted inside and rotates. At this time, the drum casing (120) and the rotor (110) are spaced apart so that the cover surface (127) and the outer periphery of the rotor (110) have the same gap (b) as shown in FIG. 10a, or the gap between the cover surface (127) and the outer periphery of the rotor (110) may be different as shown in FIG. 10b. In the case where the gap between the cover surface (127) and the outer periphery of the rotor (110) is different, the gap between the rotors (110) is the smallest on the inner wall surface of the slit (121), and has a large gap at other locations.

[0075] The casing hole (122) must have a shape that can support the through hole (112) of the rotor (110). That is, the through hole (112) may be formed to protrude outwardly and inserted into the casing hole (122), or the through hole (112) may be formed to have a flat shape (not shown) that does not protrude outwardly or to protrude inwardly (not shown) so that the casing hole protrudes in a shaft shape and may be inserted into the through hole (112). As described above, the shape of the through hole (112) can be easily changed by a person skilled in the art, and therefore, the shape of the casing hole (122) supporting the through hole (112) can also be changed to various shapes corresponding to the shape of the through hole (112). In this embodiment, the through hole (112) is illustrated and described as having a shape that protrudes outward and is inserted into the casing hole (122).

[0076] FIG. 10a is a cross-sectional view illustrating a suction flow when a rotor and a drum casing are coupled according to a vacuum cleaner head of the present invention, and FIG. 10b is a cross-sectional view illustrating a suction flow when the rotor and the drum casing are coupled eccentrically.

[0077] As shown in FIGS. 10a and 10b, since the rotor (110) is located inside the drum casing (120), foreign substances are sucked into the opening part (111) of the rotor (110) located inside through the slit (121) on the bottom surface of the drum casing (120) located outside. That is, the cover surface (127) of the drum casing (120) surrounds the outside of the rotor (110), so that the rotor (110) cannot communicate with the outside inside the cover surface (127) except for the slit (121), and foreign substances can be sucked into the inside through the opening part (111) of the rotor (110) through the slit (121) formed on the bottom surface of the drum casing (120). Foreign substances first pass through the slit (121) of the drum casing (120) and then are sucked inside through the opening part (111) of the rotor (110).

[0078] The surface where the slit (121) of the drum casing (120) is opened by the opening part (111) of the rotor (110) is called an opening surface (121a), and the surface where the slit (121) is blocked by the blocking part (113) of the rotor (110) is called a blocking surface (121b).

[0079] At this time, the cover surface (127) of the drum casing (120) is positioned very close to the outer periphery of the rotor (110), as shown in FIGS. 10a and 10b, but there is a gap between the two for rotation of the rotor (110). In this case, the distance (a) between the inner wall surface of the slit (121) and the rotor (110) is formed to be smaller than or equal to the distance (b) between the cover surface (127) and the rotor (110). Even if there is a gap between the cover surface (127) and the rotor (110), the opening part (111) of the rotor (110) is surrounded by the cover surface (127), so foreign substances cannot be sucked into the opening part (111) blocked by the cover surface (127) and can be sucked into the rotor (110) through the opening surface (121a) of the slit (121).

[0080] If foreign substances sucked into the opening part (111) of the rotor are long and not completely sucked into the opening surface (121a) within the slit (121), foreign substances pass through the cover surface (127) that is outside the slit (121) or pass through the cover surface (127) to move back to the position of the slit (121) and be sucked into the opening part (111). At this time, if the gap between the rotor (110) and the cover surface (127) is very narrow, such as the gap between the inner wall surface of the slit (121) and the rotor (FIG. 10a), foreign substances on the inner wall surface may stick across the blocking part (113) from the opening part (111) to hinder the suction of foreign substances or the rotation of the rotor (110). In this case, as shown in FIG. 10b, it is preferable that the gap (b) between the rotor (110) and the cover surface (127) be larger than the gap (a) between the inner wall surface of the slit (121) and the rotor.

[0081] The air flow in the space (b) between the cover surface (127) and the rotor (110) is directed toward the inside of the rotor (110), so foreign substances inside the rotor (110) are not discharged to the outside of the rotor (110) through the opening (111) against the air flow, but can be discharged through the through hole (112).

[0082] The cover surface (127) surrounds the opening part (111) and the blocking part (113) that constitute the outer periphery of the rotor (110), so that no suction force is generated outside the cover surface (127) in the opening part (111) blocked by the cover surface (127). Accordingly, the suction force may be strengthened because the slit (121) may be concentrated and act on the opening surface (121a) opened by the opening part (111).

[0083] In the drum casing (120), the part except for the slit (121) and the casing hole (122) is closed by the cover surface (127) so that the inside and the outside cannot communicate. The drum casing (120) is a configuration through which the suction power of the motor is transmitted, so that if it is open, the suction power is dispersed and cannot provide a large suction power.

[0084] The opening part (111) of the rotor (110) is formed along the outer periphery and is entirely open in the longitudinal direction (axial direction), so that foreign substances sucked in through the slit (121) and entering the inside of the rotor (110) are prevented from being discharged through the opening part (111) of the rotor (110) in a different direction, and in order to discharge foreign substances sucked in through the through hole (112) rather than the opening part (111), the cover surface (127) of the drum casing (120) surrounds the outer periphery of the rotor (110) and closes the part except for the slit (121). And, foreign substances are sucked in through the opening surface (121a) where the slit (121) of the drum casing (120) and the opening (111) of the rotor (110) overlap. Foreign substances are sucked into the rotor (110) through the opening surface (121a) formed in the slit (121) of the drum casing (120), and the other opening (111) of the rotor (110) is blocked by the cover surface (127) of the drum casing (120), so that they are discharged through the through hole (112) of the rotor (110) without being scattered.

[0085] Further, the suction power generated from the motor inside the vacuum cleaner body is transmitted to the head and acts on the slit (121). The drum casing (120) is blocked by the cover surface (127), the suction force can be concentrated and applied to the slit (121) to strongly suck foreign substances without any leakage of the suction force. The suction force preserved without leakage acts on the opening surface (121a) of the slit (121) and does not act on the blocking surface (121b) blocked by the blocking part (113) of the rotor (110). Therefore, by concentrating the strong suction force on a narrow area, the suction force is strengthened repeatedly, and foreign substances that are difficult to separate from the floor surface may also be sucked in with the strong suction force.

[0086] FIG. 5a shows a perspective view showing a rotor according to the vacuum cleaner head of the present invention coupled to a drum casing, FIG. 5b shows a bottom view showing a shape in which a rotor is coupled to a drum casing, and FIG. 5c show a bottom view showing a shape in which the rotor rotates and the opening surface moves horizontally in FIG. 5b,

[0087] As shown in FIGS. 5a to 5c, the rotor (110) is inserted into the drum casing (120).

[0088] The slit (121) formed on the bottom surface of the drum casing (120) is a part that comes into contact with the floor surface to be cleaned, and is opened in the direction of the entire axis length with a certain width to allow communication between the inside and the outside. In Embodiments of FIGS. 5a and 5b, the rotor (110) inserted inside has a spiral opening part (111) on its outer periphery. The rotor (110) is provided inside the drum casing (120), and therefore, a slit (121) formed on the bottom surface of the drum casing (120) forms a blocking surface (121b) partially blocked by a blocking part (113) of the rotor (110), and an opening surface (121a) in which the opening part (111) of the rotor (110) and the slit (121) of the drum casing (120) overlap each other and are open. Foreign substances are sucked in at the opening surface (121a) of the slit (121), and cannot be sucked in at the blocking surface (121b) where the slit (121) is blocked by the blocking part (113) of the rotor (110). The sucked foreign substances are discharged through the through hole (112).

[0089] As the above rotor (110) rotates inside the drum casing (120), the position of the opening surface (121a), which is the surface where the slit (121) and the opening part (111) overlap each other and open, changes. When the rotor (110) is not rotating and is stopped, the opening surface (121a) of the slit (121) is open so that the inside and the outside can communicate, and the blocking surface (121b) is blocked by the blocking part (113) of the rotor (110), but as the rotor (110) rotates, the positions of the opening surface (121a) and the blocking surface (121b) of the slit (121) move horizontally and change as shown in FIG. 5c, so that foreign substances can be sucked from the entire slit (121).

[0090] The blocking part (113) formed on the outer periphery of the rotor (110) closes a part of the slit (121), so the suction force generated from the motor and transmitted to the head acts on the opening surface (121a) of the slit (121) opened by the opening (111). Therefore, the suction force is not distributed over the entire area of the opening part (111) or the entire area of the slit (121), but is concentrated on the opening surface (121a), so the suction pressure is very large.

[0091] The enhanced suction force acts only on the opening surface (121a) of the slit (121). The vacuum cleaner head of the present invention has a limited suction area compared to the entire area of the slit (121), but by rotating the rotor (110) to rapidly horizontally move and vary the position of the opening surface (121a), an enhanced suction force can be applied to the entire area of the slit (121).

[0092] As the rotor (110) rotates, the opening surface (121a) of the slit (121) moves horizontally as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 5c. The blocking surface (121b) is blocked by the blocking part (113) and the opening surface (121a) is opened by the opening part (111), and as the rotor (110) rotates, the positions of the opening surface (121a) and the blocking surface (121b) change and move in which the direction is horizontal. The opening surface (121a) of the slit (121) moves horizontally, so the entire area of the slit (121) can be opened.

[0093] In this way, the opening surface (121a) of the slit (121) is opened only at some positions at a time, but the slit (121) is opened entirely as the rotor (110) rotates quickly.

[0094] By concentrating the suction force on the opening surface (121a) rather than applying it to the entire area of the slit (121), sufficient force is generated to suck up heavy foreign substances that are difficult to suck up with conventional suction force or foreign substances that are stickily attached to the floor surface with a motor of the same capacity. Even if the slit is at the position of the blocking surface (121b) blocked by the blocking part (113), the position of the opening surface (121a) is rapidly changed in the horizontal direction so that the position of the blocking surface (121b) is within the opening surface (121a), allowing foreign substances to be sucked in.

[0095] As shown in FIG. 1, the vacuum cleaner head (100) moves vertically back and forth on the floor surface to be cleaned, and the opening surface (121a) of the slit (121) moves horizontally left and right in the width direction (axial direction) of the slit (121). Therefore, the moving direction of the vacuum cleaner head (100) and the moving direction of the opening surface (121a) of the slit (121) are orthogonal. While cleaning, the vacuum cleaner head (100) is even twisted left and right and moves forward, the direction of movement of the opening surface (121a) also changes correspondingly, so that it can always be orthogonal.

[0096] When the rotor (110) rotates at a sufficiently fast speed compared to the moving speed of the head during cleaning, the time for the entire area of the slit (121) to open and close becomes shorter, so that cleaning may be performed in the same manner as if the entire slit (121) were open. Accordingly, the cleaning efficiency is improved by preventing foreign substances distributed on the floor surface from being sucked in due to the closure of the slit (121) and opening the blocking surface (121b) and sucking in foreign substances as the rotor (110) rotates.

[0097] When a certain amount of power is supplied to the motor to generate suction force, the vacuum cleaner head according to the present invention amplifies the suction force to suck up foreign substances more effectively. Accordingly, while improving the suction efficiency, the power supplied to the motor can be reduced, which in turn reduces the weight of the battery that supplies the power, or extends the operating time of the vacuum cleaner. Further, in the case of a cordless vacuum cleaner, the user feels fatigue and discomfort when cleaning for a long time due to the weight of the heavy battery, but the vacuum cleaner head of the present invention can reduce the weight of the battery, so the user can clean more conveniently.

[0098] The motor of a conventional vacuum cleaner is located on the top or back of the dust collector. As cleaning progresses, if foreign substances accumulate in the dust collector beyond a certain level, the foreign substances will accumulate in the filter that filters dust from the suction air, blocking the motor's suction holes. Therefore, the suction power of the vacuum cleaner is weakened, thereby lowering the cleaning efficiency.

[0099] Battery-powered robot vacuum cleaners need to pass through narrow gaps to clean, so it is difficult to increase their size beyond a certain level. The batteries installed in robot vacuum cleaners are also limited, so their suction power and usage time are limited. The vacuum cleaner head of the present invention may also be applied to a robot cleaner. A robot vacuum cleaner equipped with a head of the present invention can generate greater suction power and increase operating time even with limited battery capacity. It can overcome the shortcomings of robot vacuum cleaners, such as low suction power and short usage time, and improve cleaning efficiency.

[0100] A rotary motor (123) for driving a rotor (110) can be mounted on the drum casing (120). The rotary motor (123) may be mounted on the outside of the drum casing (120) as shown in FIGS. 4a and 4b, or may be mounted on the inside of the drum casing. The through hole (112) of the rotor (110) is inserted into the casing hole (122) of the drum casing (120) and protrudes to the outside. The rotational power of the rotary motor (123) can be transmitted by a power transmission means such as a timing belt (124) or a gear (126), and the rotational axis of the rotary motor (123) and the through hole (112) of the rotor (110) are coupled by the timing belt (124) or the gear (126). Therefore, the rotor (110) can be driven by transmitting the rotational power of the rotary motor (123) to the through hole (112). If the through hole (112) protrudes inward or has a flat shape, a shaft is additionally provided in the drum casing (120), inserted into the through hole, and the shaft is rotated to rotate the rotor. This is a simple change according to the shape of the through hole (112), so a detailed description is excluded.

[0101] Foreign substances are discharged through the through hole (112) of the rotor (110). The timing belt (124) or gear (126) is exposed to foreign substances, so a guard (125) may be installed to prevent the timing belt (124) or gear (126) from being caught or damaged by foreign substances. The guard (125) is formed to surround the outer surface of the timing belt (124) or gear (126) and can be connected to the end of the drum casing (120). In addition, foreign substances can be prevented from getting caught inside the timing belt (124) or gear (126) by the barrier (140) described later.

[0102] The rotor (110) according to the present invention receives driving force from a rotary motor (123) and rotates. The present invention can achieve the effects of the present invention when the rotation speed of the rotor (110) rotated by the rotary motor (123) is operated so that it is much faster than the movement speed of the cleaner head moved by the user.

[0103] FIG. 9a shows a flow chart of the automatic control method of the rotor rotation speed according to the vacuum cleaner head of the present invention, and FIG. 9b shows a flow chart of the manual control method of the rotor rotation speed,

[0104] The rotation speed control of the rotor (110) can be either an automatic control method that detects the movement speed of the cleaner head and automatically determines the rotation speed of the rotor (110) to achieve optimal suction power, or a manual control method in which the user directly determines the speed.

[0105] In the automatic control method, as shown in FIG. 9a, the moving speed of the cleaner head, i.e., the speed (which may include the direction) at which the user moves the cleaner head, is detected. At this time, sensors that have already been developed, such as infrared, laser, or acceleration sensors, are used. A sensor (not shown) is attached to one side of the cleaner head, and a controller (not shown) that receives speed information of the cleaner head from the sensor appropriately increases or decreases the rotation speed of the rotary motor (123) so as to provide sufficient suction power. At this time, the actual speed of the rotor (110) may be detected, and the rotation speed of the rotary motor (123) may be reflected in the control.

[0106] The manual control method, as shown in FIG. 9b, has a switch that controls the rotation speed of the rotary motor (123) using voltage, current, or pulses, and when the switch is selected by the user, the rotary motor (123) is driven at the selected rotation speed. Switches include all types that allow the user to directly determine the speed, such as a button type that directly presses the step, a touch type that changes the speed depending on the number of presses, and a slide type that moves the position.

[0107] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a roller neck according to a vacuum cleaner head of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a side view of a roller neck according to a vacuum cleaner head of the present invention.

[0108] As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the roller neck (130) has a circular fixing part (135) formed at both ends to support the drum casing (120), and the exposure part (136) between the fixing parts (135) at both ends is empty so that the drum casing (120) can be exposed to the outside. The drum casing (120) inserted inside is exposed by the exposure part (136), and the slit (121) on the bottom surface of the drum casing (120) is exposed to the outside. A hollow cylindrical suction tube (134) is formed at the top thereof to guide foreign substances to a dust collector.

[0109] A partition wall (131) is formed inside the roller neck (130) to separate the top and bottom spaces. A drum casing (120) is positioned in the open bottom space in combination with a roller neck (130), and a space formed at the top separated from the space where the drum casing (120) is provided by a partition wall (131) is formed as a upper passage (133) through which foreign substances are guided to a suction pipe (134).

[0110] Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the roller neck (130) may be combined with side walls (150) on both sides to seal the side passage (132).

[0111] FIG. 8a shows a perspective view of the appearance of the rotor, drum casing, and roller neck combined according to the vacuum cleaner head of the present invention, and FIG. 8b shows a perspective view of the appearance of the rotor, drum casing, roller neck, and barrier combined,

[0112] As shown in FIG. 8a, the width of the roller neck (130) has a length that extends a certain distance from both ends of the drum casing (120). The roller neck (130) forms space at both ends as the length increases. A part of the formed space is formed as the fixing part for supporting the drum casing (120), and a part is formed as the side passage (132) for guiding foreign substances discharged from the through hole (112) to the upper passage (133).

[0113] As shown in FIG. 8b, a barrier (140) is provided to prevent foreign substances discharged through the through hole (112) from being caught between the timing belt (124) or gear (126) after foreign substances are sucked into the rotor (110) through the opening surface (121a). Foreign substances discharged from the through hole (112) of the rotor (110) are not drawn into the inner surface of the timing belt (124) or gear (126) by the barrier (140), but are moved to the upper passage (133) through the side passage (132) formed at both ends of the roller neck (130). That is, the side passage (132) is formed by the fixing part of the roller neck (130), the barrier (140), and the side wall (150) to guide foreign substances to the upper passage (133).

[0114] The upper passage (133) is formed by the inner surface of the roller neck (130) and the partition wall (131), and receives foreign substances from the side passage (132) and guides them to the suction pipe (134) formed in the center thereof.

[0115] A vacuum cleaner head according to the present invention is described with an embodiment.

[0116] When power is supplied to the motor and it starts running, the fan mounted on the motor generates a blowing force that blows air outside the vacuum cleaner. The blowing force is converted into suction force inside the vacuum cleaner. The suction power generated from the motor is transmitted to the head through the connecting part, and in the head, it acts sequentially on the suction pipe (134), the upper passage (133), the side passage (132), the through hole (112), the inside of the rotor (110), and the opening surface (121a) of the slit (121). Foreign substances are sucked in through the opening surface (121a).

[0117] The foreign substances are first sucked through the slit (121) formed on the bottom surface of the drum casing (120), but are sucked in through the opening surface (121a) that overlaps with the opening (111) of the rotor (110). In the blocking surface (121b) where the slit (121) is closed by the blocking part (113) of the rotor (110), suction is not possible. Therefore, the rotary motor (123) mounted on the drum casing (120) rotates the rotor (110), thereby changing the position of the opening surface (121a) of the slit (121) and opening it for the entire area. The position of the opening surface (121a) moves horizontally along the slit (121). Foreign substances located on the blocking surface (121b) of the slit (121) can also be sucked in as the slit (121) opens as the rotor (110) rotates. The foreign substances sucked in and inside the rotor (110) are discharged through the through hole (112). At this time, the through hole (112) may be formed at one end or both ends according to various embodiments. Foreign substances discharged through the through hole (112) are sucked into the upper passage (133) through the side passage (132) and guided to the dust collector by the suction pipe (134) formed in the center of the upper passage (133).

Embodiment 2

[0118] Hereinafter, the head of a vacuum cleaner according to the present invention is described in detail. The configuration described in Embodiment 1 is excluded for detailed description in Embodiment 2.

[0119] The vacuum cleaner head according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention comprises a rotor (110) including an opening (111) having a spiral outer periphery and through which foreign substances are sucked; and [0120] a drum casing (120) including a hollow interior into which the rotor (110) is inserted, an open slit (121) on a bottom surface to allow foreign substances of a surface to be cleaned to be introduced, and a cover surface (127) surrounding the rotor (110), [0121] The vacuum cleaner head (100) according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention is also to, like Example 1, reduce the suction area through which foreign substances are sucked to enhance suction power and vary the suction area to enable suction of foreign substances from all areas, while simplifying airflow due to suction power in the head to improve cleaning efficiency through suction.

[0122] To achieve the purpose of the present invention, a rotor (110) having an opening part (111) formed therein is provided and inserted into a drum casing (120) having a slit (121) formed on the bottom surface.

[0123] The suction force generated from the motor is concentrated in the opening surface (121a), which is the area where the opening (111) and the slit (121) overlap, so that foreign substances are sucked in with strong force, and as the rotor (110) rotates, the opening surface (121a) changes inside the slit (121), and the enhanced suction force acts on the entire surface of the slit (121) to clean a wide area with strong suction force.

[0124] Unlike Embodiment 1, where foreign substances introduced through the opening surface (121a) passes through both ends of the rotor (110) and moves to the dust collector, the foreign substances pass through the opening part (111) of the rotor (110) and moves to the upper surface of the drum casing (120) (the opposite surface of the slit (121)). To this end, the rotor (110) is closed at both ends, so that foreign substances that is introduced through the opening surface (121a) of the slit (121) and the opening part (111) of the rotor (110) are discharged again through the opening part (111) of the rotor (110), the foreign substances enter and exit the inside and outside of the rotor (110), and the foreign substances discharged through the opening part (111) of the rotor (110) move upwards of the drum casing (120) surrounding the rotor (110) and are discharged through the discharge hole (128) formed on the upper surface and moved to a dust collector (not shown).

[0125] Here, the discharge hole (128) may be a circular, oval or polygonal hole, and can be formed as one or more separate holes on the upper surface of the drum casing (120) or may be formed as a continuous surface.

[0126] Foreign substances present on the surface to be cleaned are sucked in through the opening surface (121a), which is the part where the slit (121) and the opening (111) overlap, by the suction power of the motor (not shown). Foreign substances that are introduced into the rotor (110) flow along the suction force and then are discharged through the discharge hole (128) formed in the drum casing (120) and are moved to the dust collector.

[0127] Accordingly, foreign substances are introduced into the opening part (111) on the lower surface of the rotor (110) and are discharged through the opening part (111) located on the upper surface opposite to the introduced opening part (111), i.e., they pass through the rotor (110).

[0128] The flow path of the foreign substance in Embodiment 2 is smaller than that in Embodiment 1 to improve the suction time and suction efficiency.

[0129] As shown in FIGS. 11 to 13, the rotor (110) according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention is configured to have a small open area of a slit (121) formed in a drum casing (120), so that suction force is concentrated on the opening surface (121a), and is formed as a cylindrical body and is arranged in a horizontal direction.

[0130] The two ends of the rotor (110) are formed so that the rotation axis protrudes but the ends are closed, and an opening part (111) through which foreign substances enter and exit and a blocking part (113) that prevents foreign substances from entering and exiting are formed in the body. The opening part (111) and the blocking part (113) forming the body of the rotor (110) may be hollow inside as in FIG. 11, or may be extended to the inside of the body surface (115) with the inside of the blocking part (113) filled, so that only the opening part (111) is open as in FIGS. 12 to 13.

[0131] Foreign substances present on the surface to be cleaned are introduced into the rotor (110) through the opening part (111) and discharged to the outside, and are prevented from entering or exiting through the blocking part (113).

[0132] The opening (111) and the blocking part (113), which are the body of the rotor (110), may be formed consecutively and may be provided in a spiral shape with a constant lead angle. The opening part (111) and the blocking part (113) of the rotor (110) are presented in a spiral shape, but if the cylindrical rotor (110) rotates and the opening part (111) and the blocking part (113) are partially exposed between the slits (121) at any moment and their positions change due to the rotation, even if it is non-spiral in some sections, it is included in the spirit of the present invention.

[0133] In Embodiment 2, the opening (111) of the rotor (110) is configured to suck foreign substances into the inside and discharge them to the outside at the same time. The blocking part (113) is configured to close a portion of the area of the slit (121), thereby reducing the area of the slit (121) and concentrating the suction force generated from the motor (not shown) on the opening surface (121a).

[0134] The blocking part (113) of the rotor (110) according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention can extend into the interior of the rotor (110) and fill the center. In this shape, the opening part (111) is a hollow surface (114) that continues to the inside, and the blocking part (113) is a body surface (115) that is filled to the inside, so that foreign substances that is introduced into the inside of the rotor (110) through the opening part (111) move to the hollow surface (114) with the body surface (115) of the blocking part (113) as the boundary, thereby minimizing the flow path and preventing them from being trapped inside the rotor (110). At this time, the body surface (115) may not be completely filled up to the center of the rotor (110) but may be provided by forming a boundary surface from the edge of the hollow surface (114) to the body surface (115), including a state where the center is partially excluded. In the present invention, the body surface (115) is filled to the inside of the rotor (110) and includes such a shape.

[0135] When the body surface (115) is formed so that the blocking part (113) fills the inside of the rotor (110), the cross-section of the body surface (115) can be formed as a square as shown in FIG. 12 or as a triangle or semicircle (not shown) as shown in FIG. 13. The cross-section of the blocking part (113) is not limited thereto, and if it is configured to form a flow path in which foreign substances are introduced into an opening part (111) on one side, penetrate through a hollow surface (114) between body surfaces (115), and are discharged again through the opening part (111), it is included in the concept of the present invention.

[0136] In the case of long foreign substances such as hair, they are not caught by being suspended inside the rotor (110) but are guided to the shortest distance to the opening (111) through which they are discharged by the body surface (115) inside the blocking section (113) and discharged, so the body surface (115) of the blocking section (113) provides smooth suction and discharge performance of foreign substances. Further, the body surface (115) of the blocking part (113) prevents foreign substances from being trapped inside the rotor (110), thereby reducing noise generated by the trapped foreign substances while rotating.

[0137] As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the drum casing (120) according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention is configured to accommodate a rotor (110) therein, and is formed as a hollow tube with casing holes (122) formed at both ends to support both ends of the rotor (110).

[0138] The casing hole (122) has a shape corresponding to the shape of both ends of the rotor (110) to support both ends of the rotor (110), and the protruding ends of the rotor (110) are inserted therein.

[0139] FIG. 14(a) shows a configuration in which a rotary motor (123) rotates a rotor (110) through a gear (126), and FIG. 14(b) shows a configuration in which a rotary motor (123) rotates a rotor through a timing belt (124). This has been explained in Embodiment 1, a detailed description is excluded.

[0140] A discharge hole (128) is formed on the upper surface of the drum casing (120). Foreign substances that enter the interior through the slit (121) are discharged through the discharge hole (128) and moved to the dust collector.

[0141] The shape of the discharge hole (128) may be formed to be long in the axial direction of the drum casing (120), but is not limited thereto, and it is sufficient if foreign substances can be discharged to the outside of the drum casing (120).

[0142] The outer periphery, excluding the slit (121) and the discharge hole (128), is formed as a cover surface (127) that surrounds the rotor (110). The cover surface (127) is configured to block the entry of foreign substances from the surface of the drum casing (120) except for the slit (121) and the discharge hole (128).

[0143] The outer periphery of the rotor (110) is surrounded by the cover surface (127) to apply suction force to the slit (121), thereby sucking foreign substances into the interior at the overlapping portion of the slit (121) and the opening part (111).

[0144] Referring to FIG. 15, when the rotor (110) is inserted into the drum casing (120), the slit (121) that comes into contact with the surface to be cleaned simultaneously exposes the opening part (111) and the blocking part (113) of the rotor (110) to the outside. The suction pressure generated from the motor is transmitted to the inside of the drum casing (120) and the rotor (110) through the discharge hole (128), and an air flow is formed from the outside to the inside of the vacuum cleaner head (100).

[0145] The slit (121) is opened only by the opening part (111) of the rotor (110) and closed at the blocking part (113), so that the suction pressure of the motor does not act on the blocking surface (121b) but only on the opening surface (121a). The suction force does not act on the entire area of the slit (121) but is concentrated on the opening surface (121a), thereby strengthening the suction force.

[0146] Foreign substances that are introduced into the interior of the rotor (110) through the opening surface (121a) are lifted to the upper part of the vacuum cleaner head (100) along with the air flow according to the suction force, and are discharged through the opening part (111) and the discharge hole (128). Foreign substances discharged through the discharge hole (128) move to the dust collector.

[0147] As the rotor (110) rotates inside the drum casing (120), the opening part (111) and the blocking part (113) also rotate together, so that the positions of the opening part (111) and the blocking part (113) exposed through the slit (121) change.

[0148] At some point, a part of the slit (121) becomes an opening surface (121a) to suck in foreign substances, and as the rotor (110) rotates, the position that was the opening surface (121a) changes to a blocking surface (121b), and a part of the slit (121) that was the blocking surface (121b) changes to an opening surface (121a) to suck in foreign substances.

[0149] As the opening surface (121a) changes along the slit (121), foreign substances can be sucked from the entire surface of the slit (121).

[0150] As shown in FIG. 16, the roller neck (130) according to Embodiment 2 is configured to support a drum casing (120), and a fixing part (135) into which the drum casing (120) is inserted is formed at both ends, and the exposure part (136) between the fixing parts (135) is empty so that the drum casing (120) can be exposed to the outside. The exposure part (136) allows the slit (121) of the drum casing (120) to come into contact with the surface to be cleaned.

[0151] A suction pipe (134) is formed on the upper part of the roller neck (130) to guide foreign substances that have escaped the rotor (110) and drum casing (120) to move to the dust collector.

[0152] The roller neck (130) according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention is configured to support the drum casing (120) and form an outer shape thereof. However, in Embodiment 2, the roller neck (130) is a configuration that can be optionally adopted, and its structure and shape are sufficiently modified so that the drum casing (120) is formed into an outer shape and the discharge hole (128) is formed as a tube to be guided to a dust collector, thus the drum casing (120) can perform the function of the roller neck (130).

[0153] The operation of the vacuum cleaner head (100) according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention is described.

[0154] When power is supplied to the motor and it is operated, the motor generates suction pressure, and it moves sequentially through the opening surface (121a), the inside of the rotor (110), the discharge hole (128), and the suction pipe (134) to the dust collector.

[0155] Foreign substances present on the surface to be cleaned pass through the slit (121), but cannot be sucked through the blocking surface (121b) blocked by the blocking part (113), and are introduced into the rotor (110) through the opening surface (121a), which is the area where the opening part (111) and the slit (121) overlap. Foreign substances that have entered the rotor (110) pass through the hollow surface (114) between the body surfaces (115), move through the opening (111) to the space between the rotor and the drum casing (120), and then pass through the discharge hole (128) to be guided to the suction pipe (134) and moved to the dust collector.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0156] 100: vacuum cleaner head [0157] 110: rotor [0158] 111: opening part, 112: through hole, 113: blocking part, 114: hollow surface, 115: body surface [0159] 120: drum casing [0160] 121: slit, 121a: opening surface, 121b: blocking surface [0161] 122: casing hole, 123: rotary motor [0162] 124: timing belt, 125: guard, 126: gear, 128: discharge hole [0163] 130: roller neck [0164] 131: partition wall, 132: side passage, 133: upper passage [0165] 134: suction pipe, 135: fixing part, 136: exposure part [0166] 150: side wall