CLEANER

Abstract

A cleaner including a cleaner body; and a rotatable drum, the drum including a drum body including a first tapered portion having a diameter decreasing from a first end of the drum body, a second tapered portion having a diameter that decreasing from a second end of the drum body, and a collecting portion at a position where the diameter of the first and second tapered portions are smallest, and a brush member extending between the first and second ends of, and protruding outwardly from, the drum body, wherein the drum is configured so that a distance from the longitudinal axis of the drum to an end tip of the brush member is maintained across the first and second tapered portions and the collecting portion, and rotation of the drum guides intake of foreign substances into the cleaner body, and foreign substances wound about the drum toward the collecting portion.

Description

BACKGROUND

1. Field

The disclosure relates to a cleaner, and more specifically, to a cleaner including a drum.

2. Description of the Related Art

In general, a cleaner is an appliance that cleans an area to be cleaned by sweeping or scattering foreign substances, such as dust or hair present in a cleaning space and intaking the foreign substances, such as the scattered dust or hair, by a suction force.

The cleaner includes a cleaner body, a suction head connected to the cleaner body by a connection pipe and having a suction port, and a drum rotatably mounted on the suction head.

The drum includes a drum body formed of hard metal or plastic, and a brush having a predetermined length on an outer circumferential surface of the drum body.

When foreign substances, such as dust or hair, in the cleaning space are scattered by the rotation of the drum, the foreign substances, such as scattered dust or hair, are drawn into the suction port by a suction force generated inside the cleaner body, and the drawn foreign substances are moved to a dust collecting container.

As the drum rotates, foreign substances, such as hair, animal hair, and thread, among the foreign substances drawn through the suction port may be caught between a plurality of brushes and wound around the drum.

SUMMARY

Aspects of embodiments of the disclosure 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.

According to an embodiment of the disclosure, a cleaner includes a cleaner body: and a drum that is rotatable in a first direction about a longitudinal axis of the drum, the drum including a drum body including a first tapered portion having a diameter that decreases from a first end of the drum body along the longitudinal axis of the drum, a second tapered portion having a diameter that decreases from a second end of the drum body along the longitudinal axis of the drum, and a collecting portion at a position at which the diameter of the first tapered portion and the diameter of the second tapered portion are smallest, and a brush member extending between the first end of the drum body and the second end of the drum body, and protruding outwardly from the drum body. The drum is configured so that a distance from the longitudinal axis of the drum to an end tip of the brush member is maintained across the first tapered portion, the collecting portion, and the second tapered portion, and rotation of the drum guides intake of foreign substances into the cleaner body, and guides foreign substances wound about the drum toward the collecting portion.

According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the brush member may be obliquely formed between the first end of the drum body and the second end of the drum body in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the brush member may be extending from the first end of the drum body to the collecting portion in a second direction opposite to the first direction and is obliquely extending from the second end of the drum body to the collecting portion in the second direction.

According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the drum body may include a coupling portion protruding from the first tapered portion, the collecting portion, and the second tapered portion. The brush member may be couplable to the coupling portion.

According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the coupling portion may be formed to have a height that increases in a direction from the first end of the drum body toward the collecting portion, and that increases in a direction from the second end of the drum body toward the collecting portion.

According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the coupling portion may be obliquely extending from the first end of the drum body to the collecting portion in a second direction opposite to the first direction and is obliquely extending from the second end of the drum body to the collecting portion in the second direction.

According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the collecting portion may be located at a center of the drum body along the longitudinal axis of the drum, and may have a constant diameter.

According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the drum body may include a partition portion located at a longitudinal center of the drum body and protruding outwardly along a circumferential direction of the drum body. The partition portion may divide the collecting portion into a first collecting portion and a second collecting portion.

According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the first collecting portion and the second collecting portion may be formed symmetrically with respect to the partition portion, and may have a constant diameter.

According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the brush member may include a plurality of brush members. The plurality of brush members may be spaced apart from each other along a circumferential direction of the drum body.

According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the drum may include a rib protruding in a radial direction from the drum body along an outer circumferential surface of the drum body between respective brush members among the plurality of brush members.

According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the rib may be formed such that a height from the longitudinal axis of the drum to an end tip of the rib increases from the collecting portion to the first end the drum body, and from the collecting portion to the second end of the drum body.

According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the brush member may include a bristle or a blade.

According to an embodiment of the disclosure, the blade may include an elastic material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and/or other embodiments of the disclosure will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a cleaner according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a suction head of the cleaner shown in FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is an exploded view illustrating a state in which the suction head shown in FIG. 2 is disassembled.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view illustrating a suction head on which a drum is mounted according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a drum including bristles according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a view illustrating a state in which bristles are disassembled from the drum shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a view illustrating the drum of FIG. 5, when viewed in one direction.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a central portion of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9A is a view illustrating one side of the drum shown in FIG. 5, and FIG. 9B is a view taken along line X-X′ of the drum shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 10 is a view illustrating a state in which foreign substances wound around the drum move toward the center according to rotation of the drum.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating a drum provided at a central portion thereof with a partition portion for partitioning a collecting portion according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 12 is a view illustrating the drum shown in FIG. 11, when viewed in one direction.

FIG. 13 is an enlarged view illustrating a central portion of the drum of FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is a view illustrating a drum including a rib protruding in a radial direction of the drum according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 15A is a view illustrating one side of the drum shown in FIG. 14, and

FIG. 15B is a view taken along line Y-Y′ of the drum shown in FIG. 14.

FIG. 16 is a view illustrating a drum in which a brush member is provided as a blade according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 17 is a view illustrating a drum including a partition portion at a central portion of the drum of FIG. 16 that partitions a collecting portion according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The embodiments described in the present specification and the configurations shown in the drawings are only examples of preferred embodiments of the disclosure, and various modifications may be made at the time of filing of the disclosure to replace the embodiments and drawings of the present specification.

Embodiments described in the specification and configurations shown in the accompanying drawings are merely exemplary examples of the disclosure, and various modifications may replace the embodiments and the drawings of the disclosure at the time of filing of the present application.

Further, identical symbols or numbers in the drawings of the disclosure denote components or elements configured to perform substantially identical functions.

Further, terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing particular embodiments and are not intended to limit to the disclosure. The singular form is intended to include the plural form as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should be further understood that the terms “include,” “including,” “have,” and/or “having” specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

Further, it should be understood that, although the terms “first,” “second,” etc., may be used herein to describe various elements, the elements are not limited by the terms, and the terms are only used to distinguish one element from another. For example, a first element could be termed a second element, and similarly, a second element could be termed a first element without departing from the scope of the disclosure. The term “and/or” includes combinations of one or all of a plurality of associated listed items.

Further, the terms “upper-lower direction,” “lower side,” “front-rear direction,” and the like used herein are defined with respect to the drawings, but the terms may not restrict the s shape and position of the respective components.

In addition, although a stick cleaner, which is a type of a cleaner, will be described as an example for convenience of description, the configuration of the disclosure is not limited to the stick cleaner, and may be applied to other cleaners. For example, the configuration of the disclosure may be applied to a canister-type cleaner, a robot cleaner, and the like, which are types of cleaners other than stick cleaners.

Embodiments of the disclosure may provide a cleaner that is easy to maintain.

Embodiments of the disclosure may provide a cleaner that is capable of easily removing foreign substances entangled in a drum.

Embodiments of the disclosure may provide a cleaner that allows foreign substances to be moved to the center of a drum according to rotation of the drum.

Embodiments of the disclosure are not limited to the various aspects mentioned above, and other aspects not mentioned above may become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art based on the following descriptions.

A brush member 1200 or 4200 shown in FIGS. 5 to 17 are not limited to the meanings, such as a brush or a bristle for sweeping dust or garbage, and may have a meaning of brushing including sweeping, dusting, and the like. Therefore, the brush member 1200 or 4200 according to the disclosure is not limited to the form of a bristle in which a plurality of fibers are gathered, and all other forms may constitute the brush member 1200 or 4200 as long as they can sweep or dust foreign substances on a cleaning surface. For example, the brush member 1200 or 4200 may include a hard or soft fiber bristle, a cotton flannel, an elastic blade, and the like capable of sweeping a cleaning surface.

In addition, although brush fibers forming the bristle 1200 are illustrated as one body part, this is only shown for the sake of convenience of description of the bristle 1200 as a unit in which a plurality of brush fibers gather. The bristle 1200, one component of the disclosure, may be provided as shown in FIG. 6.

Hereinafter, embodiments according to the disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a cleaner according to an embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a suction head of the cleaner shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is an exploded view illustrating a state in which the suction head shown in FIG. 2 is disassembled. FIG. 4 is a bottom view illustrating a suction head on which a drum is mounted.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4, a cleaner 1 includes a cleaner body 10, a suction head 100 connected to the cleaner body 10 by a connection pipe 20, and a drum 1000 rotatably coupled to the suction head 100.

The cleaner body 10 may include a dust collector 40 detachably coupled to the cleaner body 10 and a suction motor (not shown) provided to generate a suction force. The suction motor may be disposed inside a motor housing.

The dust collector 40 may be disposed more upstream of an air flow than the suction motor to separate dust or foreign substances included in the air flowing into an inlet 43 and store the separated dust or foreign substances. The dust collector 40 may include a dust separator (not shown) configured to separate dust or foreign substances included in the air introduced through a suction port (101a in FIG. 5) of the suction head 100, and a dust collecting container (not shown) provided to store the dust or foreign substances separated by the dust separator.

The dust collector 40 may be detachably coupled to the cleaner body 10. The dust collector 40 may include a button, and the button may be formed to allow the dust collector 40 to be separated from or coupled to the cleaner body 10.

The cleaner body 10 may include a handle 11 that is gripped by a user to manipulate the cleaner. A user may hold the handle 11 and move the cleaner in a forward and backward direction.

The cleaner body 10 may include a control portion 12. The user may turn on/off the cleaner or adjust the suction strength by manipulating a power button and the like provided on the control portion 12.

The cleaner body 10 may include a battery 13. The battery 13 may be detachably coupled to the cleaner body 10. When the battery 13 is discharged, the battery 13 may be replaced with a pre-charged battery 13 so that the operation time of the cleaner may be increased. Alternatively, the battery 13 may be integrally provided with the cleaner body 10.

The cleaner body 10 may include a filter housing 15. The filter housing 15 may be provided in a substantially donut shape and may accommodate a filter (not shown) therein. The type of the filter is not limited, but as an example, a high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter may be disposed in the filter housing 15. The filter (not shown) may filter out ultrafine dust and the like that is not filtered by the dust separator of the dust collector 40. The filter housing 15 may include a plurality of holes 16 through which air passing through the filter is discharged to the outside of the cleaner.

The cleaner body 10 may include a connection pipe coupler 14. The connection pipe coupler 14 may be provided to allow the connection pipe 20 to be separated from or coupled to the cleaner body 10.

The connection pipe 20 may include a pipe having a predetermined rigidity or a flexible hose. The connection pipe 20 may transfer the suction force generated by the suction motor of the cleaner body 10 to the suction head 100 and guide air and foreign substances drawn through the suction head 100 to the cleaner body 10.

The suction head 100 may be connected to the cleaner body 10 by the connection pipe 20. The suction head 100 may be rotatably coupled to the connection pipe 20.

The suction head 100 may have the drum 1000 rotatably coupled thereto. The drum 1000 may be provided to be in contact with a surface to be cleaned and intake foreign substances, such as dust present on the surface to be cleaned into the suction head 100. Specifically, as the drum 1000 rotates, foreign substances on the surface to be cleaned may be drawn into the suction head 100 through the suction port 101a of the suction head 100. The foreign substances drawn into the suction head 100 may be forced by the suction motor of the cleaner body 10 to pass through a communication hole 101b that communicates the connection pipe 20 with the suction head 100 and then into the connection pipe 20, moving to a side of the cleaner body 10.

The suction head 100 may include a housing 102 having the suction port 101a and a suction connector 70 connecting the housing 102 and the connection pipe 20 to each other. Inside the suction head 100, disposed may be a drum 1000 rotatably provided on the suction head 1000 such that foreign substances may be effectively drawn into the housing 102 through the suction port 101a.

The housing 102 of the suction head 100 may be formed by assembling an upper housing 110, a lower housing 120, a side housing 130, and a drum detachable cover 140.

The side housing 130 may be provided while being coupled to the left side of the lower housing 120. In this case, the drum detachable cover 140 may be coupled to the right side of the drum 1000 and disposed on the right side of the lower housing 120. However, it is not limited thereto, and the left and right arrangement of the side housing 130 and the drum detachable cover 140 may be interchangeable.

The drum detachable cover 140 may be provided such that the drum body 1100 is rotatably coupled. As described above, the drum detachable cover 140 may be disposed on the right side of the lower housing 120, but it is not limited thereto.

The drum detachable cover 140 may include a fixing portion 141 and a cover switch 142 provided to allow the drum 1000 to be coupled to the housing 102. As the drum detachable cover 140 includes the fixing portion 141 and the cover switch 142, the drum 1000 may be detachably coupled to one side of the housing 102. Furthermore, the drum detachable cover 140 may also be detachably coupled to the upper housing 110 and the lower housing 120 together with the drum 1000 by the fixing portion 141 and the cover switch 142.

The fixing portion 141 may be formed to protrude from the drum detachable cover 140 toward the upper housing 110 and/or the lower housing 120. The fixing portion 141 may be provided with a fixing hook (reference numeral not denoted) and the cover switch 142 provided to press the fixing hook. The upper housing 110 may include an insertion groove 110a formed in a shape corresponding to the fixing portion 141 to allow the fixing portion 141 to be inserted thereinto. The insertion groove 110a of the upper housing 110 may be provided with a fastening groove 110b to which the fixing hook of the fixing portion 141 may be fixed.

According to the above configuration, the drum detachable cover 140 may be provided to be easily detached from the upper housing 110 and the lower housing 120, and the drum 1000 may also be provided to be easily separated from the housing 102 of the suction head 100. However, the above description of the configuration of the drum detachable cover 140 is only an example for detachably coupling the drum 1000 to the housing 102, and the configuration of the drum detachable cover 140 is not limited to the above description. For example, the drum detachable cover 140 may be detachably mounted on the upper housing 110 and the lower housing 120 in a different way. Alternatively, the drum 1000 may be separated from the housing 102 or installed to the housing 102 while the drum detachable cover 140 is coupled to the upper housing 110 and the lower housing 120.

The drum 1000 may include a bearing cap 150 and a driving cap 160 disposed at both ends of the drum 1000. Specifically, the bearing cap 150 may be disposed on one end, which is adjacent to the side housing 130, of the drum 1000, and the driving cap 160 may be disposed on the other end, which is adjacent to the drum detachable cover 140, of the drum 1000.

The bearing cap 150 may be disposed to cover one end of the drum 1000 and supported on one end of the drum 1000 and an inner circumferential surface of the drum body 1100. The bearing cap 150 may be provided to be fixed to one end of the drum body 1100 facing one side of the side housing 130. That is, the bearing cap 150 may be provided to be fixed to one end of the drum body 1100 facing the side housing 130.

The bearing cap 150 may be formed to have a cylindrical shape including a hollow so as to be inserted into the drum body 1100 and supported on the inner circumferential surface of the drum body 1100.

The driving cap 160 may be disposed to cover the other end opposite to the one end of the drum 1000 on which the bearing cap 150 is disposed, and may be supported on the other end of the drum 1000 and the inner circumferential surface of the drum body 1100.

The driving cap 160 may be fixed to one end of the drum body 1100 such that the drum body 1100 may be rotatably coupled to the drum detachable cover 140.

The drum detachable cover 140 may include a driving cap fastening member 143 provided such that the drum detachable cover 140 is connected to the driving cap 160, and the driving cap fastening member 143 may be rotatably supported by a driving cap bearing 144 provided on the drum detachable cover 140. The driving cap fastening member 143 may be disposed parallel to the rotation axis of the drum body 1100 such that the drum body 1100 may rotate with respect to the drum detachable cover 140.

The driving cap 160 may be formed to include a cylindrical shape including a hollow so as to be inserted into the drum body 1100 and supported on the inner circumferential surface of the drum body 1100.

The bearing cap 150 may be provided with a cap fixing protrusion 152 on the outer circumferential surface thereof. The cap fixing protrusion 152 may be provided in plural. Each of the plurality of cap fixing protrusions 152 may be spaced apart from each other on the outer circumferential surface of the bearing cap 150 at a predetermined interval.

Similarly, the driving cap 160 may also be provided with a cap fixing protrusion 162 on the outer circumferential surface thereof. The cap fixing protrusion 162 may be provided in plural. Each of the plurality of cap fixing protrusions 162 may be spaced apart from each other on the outer circumferential surface of the driving cap 160 at a predetermined interval.

The inner circumferential surface of the drum body 1100 may include cap fixing grooves 1140 corresponding to the cap fixing protrusion 152 of the bearing cap 150 and the cap fixing protrusion 162 of the driving cap 160. The cap fixing grooves 1140 may be formed at both ends of the drum body 1100 in which the bearing cap 150 and the driving cap 160 are disposed. Each of the cap fixing protrusions 152 and 162 may be inserted into a corresponding one of the cap fixing grooves 1140, and each of the bearing cap 150 and the driving cap 160 may be fixed to the inner circumferential surface of the drum body 1100.

However, the above description of the drum 1000 including the bearing cap 150 and the driving cap 160 is only an example in which the drum 1000 is rotatably coupled to the suction head 100, and the configuration of the drum 1000 is not limited thereto. The bearing cap 150 and the driving cap 160 may be coupled to the drum body 1100 differently from the above description, or the drum 1000 may not include the bearing cap 150 or the driving cap 160. For example, the drum 1000 may include a separate shaft member (not shown) disposed along the rotation shaft of the drum body 1100 inside the drum body 1100. In this case, when the shaft member is provided to rotatably support the drum body 1100 by being connected to a power portion 170, the drum 1000 may be rotatably coupled to the suction head 100.

The suction head 100 may include the power portion 170. The power portion 170 may include a motor 171 located inside the housing 110 and generating power. The power portion 170 may include a motor bearing 173 positioned on one side of the drum 1000 and coupled to a rotation shaft. The power portion 170 may include a pulley 172 having one side coupled to the motor bearing 173 and the other side coupled to a rotating shaft of the motor 171 to transmit power of the motor 171 to the drum 1000.

As a result, when the motor 171 generates power and the rotating shaft of the motor 171 rotates, the pulley 172 moves, and due to the movement of the pulley 172, the motor bearing 173 rotates. The motor bearing 173 may be coupled to the bearing cap 150 of the drum body 1100. As the motor bearing 173 rotates, the bearing cap 150 may be rotated, and the drum body 1100 coupled to the bearing cap 150 may also be rotated. The brush member 1200 or 4200 protruded from or coupled to the drum body 1100 may also be rotated together with the drum body 1100, removing foreign substances from the surface to be cleaned.

In the above description, the cleaner 1 equipped with the suction head 100, such as a stick cleaner, has been described, but the drum 1000 according to the disclosure may be mounted on a cleaner 1 without a suction head 100, such as a robot cleaner.

The robot cleaner may include a cleaner body capable of moving on a surface to be cleaned and a suction port that intakes foreign substances, such as dust, from the surface to be cleaned. The suction port may be provided on a bottom surface of the cleaner body. The drum 1000 may be positioned at the suction port. As in the cleaner 1 described above, the drum 1000 may be rotatably provided on the side of the suction port.

Hereinafter, the configuration and function of the drum 1000 will be described in detail.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a drum including bristles according to one embodiment. FIG. 6 is a view illustrating a state in which bristles are disassembled from the drum shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a view illustrating the drum of FIG. 5, when viewed in one direction. FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a central portion of FIG. 7. FIG. 9A is a view illustrating one side of the drum shown in FIG. 5, and FIG. 9B is a view taken along line X-X′ of the drum shown in FIG. 5. FIG. 10 is a view illustrating a state in which foreign substances wound around the drum move toward the center according to rotation of the drum.

Referring to FIGS. 5 to 10, the drum 1000 may include the drum body 1100 and the brush member 1200 or 4200 protruding from the drum body 1100. The brush member 1200 or 4200 may be provided in at least one unit thereof. The brush member 1200 or 4200 may be provided in a plurality thereof.

The brush member 1200 or 4200 may include a first brush member 1200a or 4200a and a second brush member 1200b or 4200b. The first brush member 1200a or 4200a may be spaced from the second brush member 1200b or 4200b along the circumferential direction of the drum body 1100. The first brush member 1200a or 4200a may protrude in a direction opposite to a direction in which the second brush member 1200b or 4200b protrudes. That is, the first brush member 1200a or 4200a and the second brush member 1200b or 4200b may be positioned at an angle of 180 degrees with respect to each other. In the drawings, the brush member is illustrated as two brush members 1200 protruding in the opposite directions and two brush member 4200 protruding in the opposite directions, but it is not limited thereto, and the brush member may be formed as one or three or more brush members. In addition, even when the brush member 1200 or 4200 is formed as three or more brush members 1200 or 4200, the brush members 1200 or 4200 may be arranged within a specific angle rather than being spaced apart from each other at an angle of 120 degrees.

The brush member 1200 or 4200 may include a bristle 1200. The bristle 1200 may be formed by gathering a plurality of fibers having a predetermined rigidity. The bristle 1200 may be substantially a bloom or brush. The bristle 1200 may be formed of a nylon material. The bristle 1200 may scatter foreign substances by hitting or sweeping the surface to be cleaned.

The bristle 1200 may be provided in at least one unit thereof. The bristle 1200 may be provided in a plurality of units thereof. The bristle 1200 may include a first bristle 1200a and a second bristle 1200b. The first bristle 1200a may be spaced from the second bristle 1200b along the circumferential direction of the drum body 1100. The first bristle 1200a and the second bristle 1200b may be positioned at an interval of 180 degrees with respect to each other. That is, the first bristle 1200a may protrude in a direction opposite to a direction in which the second bristle 1200b protrudes. In the drawings, the bristle 1200 is illustrated only as having the first bristle 1200a and the second bristle 1200b, but the bristle may be formed as one or three or more bristles as needed.

The drum body 1100 may be provided to be rotatable by a power portion (170 in FIG. 3). As the drum body 1100 rotates, the drum 1000 may be rotated and foreign substances on the surface to be cleaned may be drawn into the suction head 100.

The drum body 1100 may receive driving force from a driving source, such as the power portion 170 such that the drum 1000 may rotate with respect to the suction head 100. The drum body 1100 may be provided to be rotatable with respect to the surface to be cleaned as the bearing cap 150 coupled to one side of the drum body 1100 rotates. The drum 1000 may rotate in a first direction R, that is, in a clockwise direction R when the drum 1000 is viewed from a side of the side housing (130 in FIG. 3) and the bearing cap (150 in FIG. 3).

At least a part of the drum body 1100 may be formed in a cylindrical shape. Since the drum body 1100 is a rotating body, the drum body 1100 may be formed symmetrically about an axis A. Both the bearing cap 150 coupled to one side of the drum body 1100 and the driving cap 160 coupled to the other side may be positioned on the axis A.

The drum body 1100 may be formed in a cylindrical shape having a hollow. The hollow of the drum body 1100 may be formed to extend along the lengthwise direction of the drum body 1100, and in other words, may be formed to extend along the lengthwise direction of the drum 1000. That is, the drum body 1100 may have a pipe shape. In this case, the brush body 1100 may be provided with a reduced weight and material cost, and may have a partition portion (2100 in FIG. 11) to be described below. However, the shape of the drum body 1100 is not limited thereto, and the drum body 1100 may have a solid bar shape without an empty space inside. As shown in the drawing, the drum body 1100 may be hollow in a part of the drum body 1100. As described above, while reducing the material cost, the rotation speed may be adjusted by securing a certain level of mass.

The drum 1000, as a rotating body that rotates about the axis A in the lengthwise direction, may have a substantially cylindrical shape, but it is not limited thereto. The drum 1000 may be provided as a polygonal column close to a cylindrical shape. For example, the drum 1000 may have a hexagonal cross section which is cut in a direction perpendicular to the axis A. Alternatively, the cross section of the drum 1000 may be oval. When the drum 1000 is provided as a polygonal column, since the brush member 1200 or 4200 or a coupling portion 1130 may be provided on a flat surface, manufacturing may be facilitated. In addition, since the shape may become similar to the cylindrical shape shown in the drawing in proportion to an increasing number of facets of the cross section of the drum 1000, the shape may be changed as needed.

The drum body 1100 may include tapered portions 1110 having a diameter that decreases from both ends in the direction of the axis A toward the center, and a collecting portion 1120 located between the tapered portions 1110. The tapered portion 1110 may be provided in a substantially truncated cone shape. The collecting portion 1120 may be formed in a cylindrical shape having the same diameter as the diameter of a portion of the tapered portion 1110 adjacent to the center. That is, the collecting portion 1120 may be provided to have a constant diameter. However, it is not limited thereto, and the collecting portion 1120 may be formed in a substantially V-shape at a position in which the tapered portions 1110 on both sides meet. In other words, the collecting portion 1120 may have a circular shape rather than a cylindrical shape including a section having a constant diameter. In another expression, the collecting portion 1120 may not have a length formed along the lengthwise direction of the drum 1000.

As described above, even when the cross section of the drum body 1100 is formed as an ellipse or polygon rather than a circle, the tapered portion 1110 may be formed to have a cross section that decreases toward the collecting portion 1120.

The tapered portion 1110 may include a first tapered portion 1111 located on one side of the drum body 1100 and a second tapered portion 1112 located on the other side of the drum body 1100. The first tapered portion 1111 and the second tapered portion 1112 may be provided symmetrically with each other. The collecting portion 1120 may be located between the first tapered portion 1111 and the second tapered portion 1112. The first tapered portion 1111 and the collecting portion 1120 may be continuously formed without a step therebetween, and the second tapered portion 1112 and the collecting portion 1120 may also be continuously formed without a step therebetween. However, it is not limited thereto, and the collecting portion 1120 may be formed to be stepped with the first tapered portion 1111 and the second tapered portion 1112. The collecting portion 1120 has been described as being provided as one collecting portion between the tapered portions 1110 located on both sides thereof, but it is not limited thereto.

The tapered portion 1110, due to the diameter decreasing toward the center, that is, toward the collecting portion 1120, may be formed in a substantially hourglass shape. In the tapered portion 1110, long foreign substances, such as hair, wound on a high-speed rotating body such as the drum 1000 tend to be drawn into a part having a small diameter, such as the collecting portion 1120 as being nearing the collecting portion 1120.

In the drawing, the diameter of the tapered portion 1110 is illustrated as decreasing in a straight line, but the outer circumferential surface of the tapered portion 1110 of the drum body 1100 may be formed as a curved surface.

That is, the tapered portion 1110 may be provided such that the rate, at which the diameter decreases, increases as being directed toward the collecting portion 1120. In this case, when the drum 1000 is viewed in a direction perpendicular to the axis A of the drum 1000, the upper part of the tapered portion 1110 may form a substantially U-shaped surface, and the lower part of the tapered portion 1110 may form a substantially inverted U-shaped surface.

Conversely, the tapered portion 1110 may be provided such that the rate, at which the diameter decreases, gradually decreases as being directed toward the collecting portion 1120. In this case, when the drum 1000 is viewed in a direction perpendicular to the axis A of the drum 1000, the tapered portion 1110 may have a substantially U-shape leaned toward the side.

As described above, even when the tapered portion 1110 is provided in a different shape, the distance from the axis A of the drum 1000 to the end tip of the brush member 1200 or 4200 may be maintained constant.

As the drum body 1100 has a shape in which the diameter decreases as being directed toward the center with the above described configuration, foreign substances caught on the drum 1000 may be guided to the central portion. When the drum 1000 has a cylindrical shape with a constant diameter, foreign substances rotates in place, but in the case of the drum 1000 having a diameter decreasing as being directed toward the center, the foreign substances may be moved to the center by the rotational force of the drum 1000, the slope of the drum body 1100, and the suction force directed to the communication hole 101b located to correspond to the center.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, the collecting portion 1120 of the drum body 1100 may have a cylindrical shape with a substantially constant diameter. The collecting portion 1120 may be formed as a substantially bent portion without have a length in the direction of the axis A of the drum 1000 as described above, but may be formed in a cylindrical shape having a predetermined length. Foreign substances caught in the bristle 1200 located in the tapered portion 1110 may be guided toward the collecting portion 1120. In order for the collecting portion 1120 to serve as a space for accommodating foreign substances, the collecting portion 1120 may have a predetermined length in the lengthwise direction of the drum 1000. When foreign substances are excessively concentrated in the collecting portion 1120, the foreign substances may block the communication hole 101b, and thus the flow rate of intake air may be reduced, leading to decrease in the suction force. However, when the length of the collecting portion 1120 is excessively long, the length of the tapered portion 1110 is shortened, and moving the foreign substances to the collecting portion 1120 may become less meaningful.

The collecting portion 1120 may be located in the center of the drum body 1100 in the direction of the axis A of the drum 1000. In order to guide movement of foreign substances caught in the bristles 1200 to the collecting portion 1120, a force acting in the direction of the collecting portion 1120 may be required.

A suction force generating device (not shown) located inside the cleaner body 10 may generate a suction force to intake air and foreign substances on the surface to be cleaned, and the air and foreign substances may pass through the suction port 101a of the suction head 100 and then flow into the communicate hole 101b, in which the communication hole 101b may be formed in the center of the suction head 100.

Therefore, for the suction force acting in a direction of the collecting portion 1120, the drum 1000 is mounted in the center of the suction head 100, that is, approximately in the center of the suction head 100, and thus the collecting portion 1120 may also be located in the center of the drum body 1100. In other words, since the collecting portion 1120 is located in the center of the drum body 1100 along the direction of the axis A of the drum 1000, the suction force may effectively act and easily guide the movement of foreign substances caught in the bristles 1200.

The drum body 1100 may be formed of a metal material or a plastic material. The drum body 1100 may be rotatable with respect to the suction head 100, and may include various materials capable of supporting the bristle 1200.

The drum 1000 may include a bristle 1200 provided to sweep foreign substances from the surface to be cleaned. The bristle 1200 may include a broom or brush having a plurality of fibers. The bristle 1200 may include a hard fiber material. The bristles 1200 may include a silicon material. However, it is not limited thereto, and the bristle 1200 may include a material having a plurality of hairs, such as a weak fiber, cotton flannel and the like. The bristle 1200 may protrude from the drum body 1100. The bristle 1200 may protrude in the radial direction of the drum body 1100.

The bristle 1200 may be provided to be rotatable together with the drum body 1100 with respect to the suction head 100. The bristle 1200 rotates around the axis A to hit the surface to be cleaned to scatter foreign substances, and allow the foreign substances to be drawn into the suction head 100 through the suction port 101a. The bristle 1200 may be fixed in a manner coupled to the coupling portion 1130 to be described below, but it is not limited thereto, and the bristle 1200 may be directly protruded from and fixed to the drum body 1100.

Referring to FIG. 6, a bristle 1200 may include a brush band 1210 and a plurality of brush fibers 1220 coupled to the brush band 1210. The brush band 1210 and the plurality of brush fibers 1220 may form the bristle 1200 as a unit in cooperation with each other. The bristle 1200 may be manufactured by bonding or coupling the plurality of brush fibers 1220 to the brush band 1210.

The drum body 1100 may include the coupling portion 1130 that extends along the lengthwise direction of the drum body 1100 and protrudes from the outer circumferential surface of the drum body 1100 such that the bristle 1200 is coupled to the drum body 1100. The coupling portion 1130 may be provided in at least one unit thereof. The coupling portion 1130 may be provided in a plurality of units thereof. The coupling portion 1130 may include a first coupling portion 1131 coupled to the first brush member 1200a or 4200a and a second coupling portion 1132 coupled to the second brush member 1200b or 4200b. The first coupling portion 1131 and the second coupling portion 1132 may be spaced apart from each other along the circumferential direction of the drum body 1100. In the drawing, the first coupling portion 1131 and the second coupling portion 1132 are shown to be positioned in the opposite directions, that is, at an interval of 180 degrees, but it is not limited thereto. For example, the first coupling portion 1131 and the second coupling portion 1132 may be arranged within a certain angle, or may be provided in one or three or more.

Since the brush member 1200 or 4200 is detachably coupled to the coupling portion 1130, even when the brush member 1200 or 4200 is formed as an elastic blade as well as a hard fiber bristle, the brush member 1200 or 4200 may be coupled and used as needed. In addition, since the bristle 1200 is coupled to the coupling portion 1130, even when long foreign substances, such as hair, are caught between a plurality of fibers of the bristle 1200, the foreign substances may be prevented from being completely in close contact with the drum body 1100 due to the height of the coupling portion 1130.

Therefore, when the user desires to remove the foreign substances wound around the bristle 1200, the foreign substances may be easily removed in a case of having a gap between the tapered portion 1110 and the collecting portion 1120 formed by the coupling portion 1130 than in a case when foreign substances are completely in close contact with the drum body 1100.

The coupling portion 1130 may protrude from the tapered portion 1110 and the collecting portion 1120 of the drum body 1100. The coupling portion 1130 may be obliquely formed in a second direction R′ opposite to the first direction R while extending from both ends in the direction of the axis A of the drum body 1100 toward the collecting portion 1120. That is, when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the axis A of the drum 1000, the coupling portion 1130 may be provided to form a substantially V-shape.

In the case of the bristle 1200 directly protruded from the drum body 1100, even when the bristle 1200 coupled to the coupling portion 1130 is formed in a straight line rather than a substantially V-shape, the bristle 1200 may be coupled to match the shape of the coupling portion 1130, easily forming a V shape.

The coupling portion 1130 may include a coupling portion slot 1130a into which the bristle 1200 may be mounted. The coupling portion slot 1130a may be provided to allow the brush band 1210 to be slidably coupled. The coupling portion slot 1130a may be formed inside the coupling portion 1130 by cutting at least a part of the coupling portion 1130. The height of the coupling portion 1130 may be increased as being directed toward the collecting portion 1120 from the both ends in the axial direction A of the drum 1000.

Due to the characteristics of the drum 1000, which is a high-speed rotating body, the coupling strength between the drum body 1100 and the brush member 1200 or 4200 may be important in terms of durability of the drum 1000. When the brush member 1200 or 4200 is coupled to the coupling portion slot 1130a in a sliding fit form, strength and durability may be improved compared to when attaching with an adhesive or the like, leading to an increase in the life of the product.

As described above, since the height of the coupling portion 1130 increases in the direction toward the collecting portion 1120, even when the height of the bristle 1200 coupled to the coupling portion 1130 is constant, the distance from the axis A of the drum 1000 to the end tip of the bristle 1200 may be maintained constant across the tapered portion 1110 and the collecting portion 1120. Since a process for separately adjusting the length of the bristle 1200 is not required, the production efficiency of the bristle 1200 and manufacturing efficiency of the drum 1000 may be increased.

The bristles 1200 may extend along the lengthwise direction of the drum body 1100. The bristles 1200 may extend from one end to the other end of the drum body 1100. The bristle 1200 may be provided to cover at least a part of the drum body 1100 in the lengthwise direction. The bristle 1200 may be exposed to the surface to be cleaned through the suction port 101a of the suction head 100. Since the bristle 1200 extends along the lengthwise direction of the drum body 1100, the contact area of the bristle 1200 with the surface to be cleaned may be caused to become approximately similar to the area of the suction port 101a, and a cleaning area of an area passed by the suction head 100 may be increased, leading to an increase in the cleaning efficiency.

Referring to FIG. 10, the bristle 1200 may be positioned to maintain a constant distance 1 from the axis A of the drum 1000. The bristle 1200 may be provided to be in contact with the surface to be cleaned at a uniform length such that foreign substances on the surface to be cleaned may be uniformly scattered and drawn. Since this also applied even to a case when the drum body 1100 is not provided in a cylindrical shape having a constant diameter, the bristle 1200 may be maintained constant across the tapered portion 1110, which has a diameter decreasing as being directed toward the center, and the collecting portion 1120, which has a relatively small diameter. Therefore, the bristle 1200 protruding from the tapered portion 1110 may be provided with a length that increases as being directed toward the collecting portion 1120, and the bristle 1200 protruding from the collecting portion 1120 may be provided with a constant length corresponding to the highest fiber of the bristle 1200 protruding from the tapered portion 1110.

In other words, the height of the bristle 1200 protruding from the drum body 1100 may increase as being directed toward the collecting portion 1120 of the drum body 1100 along the direction of the axis A of the drum 1000. As the length of the bristle 1200 increases in a direction from the tapered portion 1110 toward the collecting portion 1120, the distance from the axis A of the drum 1000 to the end tip of the bristle 1200 may be maintained constant.

The bristle 1200 may be obliquely formed in the second direction R′ opposite to the first direction R while extending from both ends of the drum body 1100 in the direction of the axis A toward the center. That is, the bristle 1200 may be obliquely formed in the second direction R′ while extending from both ends of the drum body 1100 in the direction of the axis A toward the collecting portion 1120. In other words, when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the axis A of the drum 1000, the bristle 1200 may be extended to have a substantially V-shape, and may be bilaterally symmetrical.

With such a shape, when the drum 1000 rotates, the brush member 1200 may guide the flow of air and foreign substances introduced from the suction port 101a toward the center of the drum 1000.

Each of the bristles 1200 may be formed to integrally extend from one end of the drum 1000 toward the other end. As described above, even when the bristle 1200 is arranged to have a ‘V’ shape as a whole, the bristle 1200 may be integrally formed without being separated with respect to the center of the drum 1000. However, it is not limited thereto, and the bristle 1200 may be manufactured by individually manufacturing both sides of the bristle 1200 with respect to the central portion of the drum brush 1000 and then connecting the both sides.

The bristle 1200 may be provided in a plurality of units thereof. The plurality of bristles 1200 may be positioned such that single units of bristle 1200 extending from one end to the other end of the drum body 1100 are spaced apart from each other along the circumferential direction of the drum body 1100. By disposing the plurality of bristles 1200, the effect of scattering and drawing foreign substances on the surface to be cleaned may be improved. In the drawing, the bristle 1200 may be illustrated as two bristles 1200 positioned in the opposite directions, but it is not limited thereto, and the bristle 1200 may be provided as more than two bristles.

Hereinafter, a process of moving foreign substances caught in the bristle 1200 to the collecting portion 1120 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10.

Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, a drum 1000 may be mounted inside the suction head 100. The cleaner 1 may draw in air and foreign substances through the suction port 101a of the suction head 100. When the cleaner 1 is used in a cleaning environment in which foreign substances are strongly attached to the cleaning surface, such as a carpet, a brush material having low rigidity may have less efficiency in cleaning. This is because a brush material having low rigidity does not exert an influence great enough to disturb foreign substances in between the cleaning surface. In this case, when the bristle 1200 including a high rigidity bristle is used, sufficient cleaning efficiency may be obtained.

However, in the case of the bristle 1200 formed of a high rigidity bristle material, once a long foreign substance, such as hair, is wound around the bristle 1200, it may be difficult to escape. Therefore, even with a force exerted by the drum body 1100 in an hourglass shape to move foreign substances to the collecting portion 1120, it may not be easy to move the foreign substances to the collecting portion 1120.

Referring to FIGS. 9A and 9B, FIG. 9A is a view illustrating the drum 1000 shown in FIG. 5 when viewed in a direction D, and FIG. 9B is a view illustrating the drum 1000 of FIG. 5 when taken along line X-X′. The bristle 1200 may be obliquely formed in the second direction R′ opposite to the first direction R while extending toward the radial outer side of the drum body 1100. The bristle 1200 may be obliquely formed in the second direction R′ opposite to the first direction R. The bristle 1200 may extend while forming an angle θ with the drum body 1100 at an acute angle in the second direction R′.

When the bristle 1200 is formed of a hard fiber material, long foreign substances, such as hair, are easily caught in the bristle. Since a bristle formed of hard fiber material has a great rigidity, there may be difficulty in remove foreign substances caught in between the bristles. Since the bristle 1200 is obliquely formed in the second direction R′ opposite to the first direction R, which is the rotation direction of the drum 1000, the bristle 1200 may, during rotation of the drum 1000, come into contact with the surface to be cleaned from the end tip first. In addition, during rotation of the drum 1000, the bristle 1200 may come in contact with the surface to be cleaned as if sweeping the surface, and the spacing between fibers constituting the bristle 1200 may widen.

When the bristle 1200 is obliquely formed in the same direction as the rotation direction R of the drum 1000, the bristle 1200 may come in contact with the surface to be cleaned as if stamping, and each fiber of the bristle 1200 may be bent opposite to the case described above, which makes it difficult for the foreign substances to escape.

In this case, as the end tip of the bristle 1200 formed of hard fiber material comes in contact with the surface to be cleaned first, the bristle may be bent in the opposite direction of the rotation direction of the drum 1000, and the foreign substances caught in between the hard fibers of the bristle 1200 may relatively easily escape. The escaping foreign substances may be easily moved toward the collecting portion 1120 located at the center of the drum body 1100 due to the shape and the rotational force of the drum body 1100 and the suction force acting in the vicinity of the collecting portion 1120.

In addition, in the case in which the bristle 1200 is obliquely formed in the second direction R′ while extending from both ends of the drum body 1100 in the direction of the axis A toward the collecting portion 1120, the bristle 1200 positioned at the both ends in the direction of the axis A may come in contact with the surface to be cleaned first. In other words, the bristle 1200 on the tapered portion 1110 may come in contact with the surface to be cleaned first, and the bristle 1200 on the collecting portion 1120 may come in contact with the surface to be cleaned later.

Therefore, since the bristle 1200 on the relatively outer side may bend in the direction opposite to the rotational direction first, and the bristle 1200 on the relatively inner side maintain the original state, the spacing between hard fibers may widen. The hard fibers in a widening state make it easier for foreign substance caught between the bristles to escape. The escaping foreign substances may be easily moved toward the collecting portion 1120 located at the center of the drum body 1100 due to the shape and rotational force of the drum body 1100 and the suction force acting in the vicinity of the collecting portion 1120.

With such a configuration, as shown in FIG. 10, foreign substances wound around the bristle 1200 protruding from the tapered portion 1110 may more easily move to the collecting portion 1120.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the disclosure are described. The same reference numerals are assigned to components identical to those of the embodiment shown above, and detailed descriptions may be omitted.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating a drum provided at a central portion thereof with the partition portion for partitioning a collecting portion according to an embodiment. FIG. 12 is a view illustrating the drum shown in FIG. 11, when viewed in one direction. FIG. 13 is an enlarged view illustrating a central portion of the drum of FIG. 12.

Referring to FIGS. 11 to 13, when a collecting portion 2120 is formed as two or more collecting portions 2120, the collecting portions 2120 may be formed symmetrically with respect to the center. Even when the collecting portion 2120 is formed as two or more collecting portions, it is desirable to be located close to the communication hole 101b. When the collecting portion 2120 is provided as two or more collecting portions 2120, a section in which the diameter increases in a direction from the collecting portion 2120 toward the center of the drum body 1100 may be provided. That is, the drum formed to decrease in the diameter from the tapered portions 1111 and 1112 toward the collecting portion 1120 may increase again from the collecting portion 2120 toward the center of the drum body 1100. When the drum body 1100 is viewed from a direction perpendicular to the axis A of the drum 1000, it may have a substantially W-shape.

As described above, a drum 2000 may include a partition portion 2100 formed in the collecting portion 2120 of the drum body 2100. The partition portion 2100 may be formed at the center of the drum body 1100 in the direction of the axis A of the drum 2000 along the circumferential direction. The partition portion 2100 may have a substantially triangular shape. However, it is not limited thereto, and the partition portion 2100 may have a substantially quadrangular or semicircular shape, or may be formed as a rib.

The partition portion 2100 may divide the collecting portion 2120 into a first collecting portion 2121 and a second collecting portion 2122. That is, the collecting portion 2120 may include the first collecting portion 2121 and the second collecting portion 2122. The first collecting portion 2121 may collect foreign substances moving from the first tapered portion 1111. Similarly, the second collecting portion 2122 may collect foreign substances moving from the second tapered portion 1112.

The first collecting portion 2121 and the second collecting portion 2122 may be formed symmetrically such that the same suction force is applied. Since the first collecting portion 2121 and the second collecting portion 2122 are formed symmetrically, the suction force directed to the communication hole 101b may equally act on the first collecting portion 2121 and the second collecting portion 2122. The first collecting portion 2121 and the second collecting portion 2122 may be located close to the communication hole 101b such that the foreign substances are effectively collected.

As shown in the drawings, at least a part of the first collecting portion 2121 and the second collecting portion 2122 may include a section having a constant diameter along the lengthwise direction of the drum 2000. However, the disclosure is not limited thereto, and each of the first collecting portion 2121 and the second collecting portion 2122 may be formed in a substantially V shape. In this case, the partition portion 2100 may have a width corresponding to the length of the drum 2000 of the collecting portion 2120 in the lengthwise direction.

Since the collecting portion 2120 is divided into the first collecting portion 2121 and the second collecting portion 2122, a section in which movement of foreign substances is stagnant may be reduced. Foreign substances are likely to move to a place having a small diameter in a high-speed rotating body, such as the drum 2000 according to the disclosure. Therefore, once foreign substances have passed through the tapered portions 1111 and 1112 and entered the collecting portion 2120 having a constant diameter, the foreign substances are placed in a section having a constant diameter, and thus a force that induces movement toward the center of the drum 2000 decreases.

Therefore, due to a difficulty reaching the center of the drum 2000, foreign substances are collected in the first collecting portion 2121 and the second collecting portion 2122, which are portions, adjacent to the tapered portions 1111 and 1112, of the collecting portion 2120. In addition, the partition portion 2100 may cause the flow path of air from the suction port 101a moving through the communication hole 101b to be further narrowed, which leads to an increase in the suction force, and thus an increase in the force exerted to move foreign substances to the first collecting portion 2121 and the second collecting portion 2122 of the drum 2000.

FIG. 14 is a view illustrating a drum including a rib protruding in a radial direction of the drum according to one embodiment. FIG. 15A is a view illustrating one side of the drum shown in FIG. 14, and FIG. 15B is a view taken along line Y-Y′ of the drum shown in FIG. 14.

Referring to FIGS. 14 and 15, the drum body 1100 may include a rib 1300 formed between the plurality of bristles 1200 while protruding from the outer circumferential surface of the drum body in the radial direction of the drum body 1100. The rib 1300 may extend from one end to the other end of the drum body 1100 in the direction of the axis A of the drum 1000. In the drawing, the rib 1300 is illustrated as extending in a straight line, but it is not limited thereto and the rib 1300 may extend in a shape corresponding to the coupling portion 1130 described above. For example, the rib 1300 may be formed in a substantially V shape. The rib 1300 may be formed of the same material as the drum body 1100. For example, the rib 1300 may be injection molded from plastic.

Referring to FIGS. 15A and 15B, the rib 1300 may be formed to have a height from the axis A to the end tip of the rib 1300 that increases as being directed from the collecting portion 1120 of the drum body 1100 toward the both ends in the direction of the axis A of the drum 1000. In FIG. 15A illustrating one side of the drum 1000, the protruding length of the rib 1300 may be formed longer than that in FIG. 15B illustrating a cross-section taken along line Y-Y′ passing through the collecting portion 1120 of the drum 1000. That is, the rib 1300 protruding from the tapered portion 1110 of the drum body 1100 may protrude at a height greater than that of the rib 1300 protruding from the collecting portion 1120. In other words, the rib 1300 may be formed to correspond to the outer circumferential shape of the drum body 1100.

The rib 1300 may include a tapered rib 1310 protruding from the tapered portion 1100 and a collecting rib 1320 protruding from the collecting portion 1120. The height, that is, the protruding length of the tapered rib 1310, may decrease in a direction toward the collecting rib 1320 along the direction of the axis A of a drum 3000. As the drum 3000 rotates at high speed, the tapered rib 1310 may perform a function similar to that of a cylindrical shape. In other words, the tapered rib 1310 may guide foreign substances wound around the drum 3000 to the collecting rib 1320, similar to the above-described tapered portion 1110.

The tapered rib 1310 may include a first tapered rib 1311 protruding from the first tapered portion 1111 and a second tapered rib 1312 protruding from the second tapered portion 1112. The first tapered rib 1311 and the second tapered rib 1312 may be symmetrically formed around the collecting rib 1320.

The collecting rib 1320 may be formed between the first tapered rib 1311 and the second tapered rib 1312. The collecting rib 1320 may be formed to have a predetermined length. The height, that is, a protruding length, of the collecting rib 1320 may be formed at a constant level. As shown in the drawing, the collecting rib 1320 may be continuously formed without a step from the first tapered rib 1311 and the second tapered rib 1312. However, it is not limited thereto, and the collecting rib 1320 may be formed with a protruding length smaller than the minimum protruding length of the first tapered rib 1311 and the second tapered rib 1312.

The collecting rib 1320 may include a collecting groove (not shown) formed by cutting a part of the collecting rib 1320. The collecting groove (not shown) may be formed such that the protruding length decreases toward the center. That is, the collecting groove (not shown) may have a substantially V-shape. However, it is not limited thereto, and the collecting groove may have a substantially U-shape.

The collecting groove (not shown) may be formed in at least one unit. When the collecting groove (not shown) is formed in plural, the collecting grooves may be located close to the communication hole 101b. In addition, the collecting groove (not shown) may be formed symmetrically with respect to the center.

Referring to FIG. 15A, foreign substances may be caught on the upper side of the tapered rib 1311 while being caught between the bristles 1200a and 1200b. As the foreign substances are caught on the upper side of the tapered rib 1311 protruding from the tapered portion 1111, there may be a gap formed between the foreign substances and at least a part of the tapered portion 1111. As the foreign substances do not come into contact with all of the circumferential area of the tapered portion 1111, the foreign substances may be subject to less frictional force and thus more easily move to the collecting portion 1120. In addition, foreign substances may be caught on the bristles 1200 at a relatively shallow depth due to the tapered rib 1311 formed on the tapered portion 1111. As the bristle 1200 is caught more deeply, it is difficult for foreign substances caught in the bristle 1200 to escape due to the rigidity of the bristle 1200, but foreign substances caught relatively shallowly may relatively easily escape when the bristle 1200 is deformed.

Similarly, referring to FIG. 15B, foreign substances may be caught on the upper side of the collecting rib 1320 while being caught between the bristles 1200a and 1200b. As the foreign substances are caught on the upper side of the collecting rib 1320 protruding from the collecting portion 1120, thereby may be a gap formed between the foreign substances and at least a part of the collecting portion 1120.

The user may relatively easily remove foreign substances that have not moved from the tapered portion 1111 to the collecting portion 1120. In addition, the user may cut or pull the foreign substances moved to the collecting portion 1120 through the gap between the collecting portion 1120 and the foreign substances, and thus the foreign substances may be relatively easily removed.

The rib 1300 may be formed at a height lower than that of the bristle 1200. The rib 1300 may be formed to have a length shorter than that of the bristle 1200 in the radial direction of the drum body 1100. Specifically, the rib 1300 may be formed such that the length in a radial direction of the drum body 1100 is shorter than that of the bristle 1200.

However, this does not mean that all the bristles 1200 protrude more than the rib 1300 in the radial direction of the drum body 1100. For example, the rib 1300 protruding from the tapered portion 1110 of the drum body 1100 may be formed to have a greater distance from the axis A of the drum 1000 compared to the distance of the bristle 1200 protruding from the collecting portion 1120, but the above description of the lengths of the rib 1300 and the bristle 1200 corresponds to when comparing the lengths of the rib 1300 and the bristle 1200 formed at the same position in the lengthwise direction of the drum body 1100.

That is, when comparing the rib 1300 and the bristle 1200 formed at the same position in the lengthwise direction of the drum body 1100, the rib 1300 may be formed to protrude less than the bristle 1200 in the radius direction of the drum body 1100.

With such a configuration, when the drum brush 1000 comes into contact with the surface to be cleaned, the bristle 1200 may come into contact with the surface to be cleaned before the rib 1300, which prevents damage to the rib 1300 or the surface to be cleaned due to collision between the rib 1300 and the surface to be cleaned. However, in order for the rib 1300 to perform its function, it may be desirable that the rib 1300 has at least a similar length as the bristle 1200 even when the rib 1300 has a shorter length than the bristle 1200. However, the length relationship between the rib 1300 and the bristle 1200 is not limited thereto.

In addition, with the slope of the rib 1300 added to the slope of the tapered portion 1110 of the drum body 1100, the slope of the tapered portion 1110 may become even steeper, that is, the effect of reducing the diameter may further increase, and movement of foreign substances may be further facilitated.

In addition, when the rib 1300 is formed on the drum body 1100 in a cylindrical shape having a constant diameter, the effect of having a shape in which the diameter decreases in a direction toward the center, such as in a tapered portion 1110, may be provided. That is, even when the drum body 1100 does not have a substantially hourglass shape, the rib 1300 may provide an appearance similar to a drum body 1100 including a tapered portion 1110 in which the diameter decreases, and may guide foreign substances to the center. The rib 1300 protruding from the drum body 1100 is only an example for describing the concept of the disclosure, and the rib 1300 may be formed in other ways, such as attaching to the drum body 1100.

FIG. 16 is a view illustrating a drum in which a brush member is provided as a blade according to an embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 16, a drum 4000 may include the brush member 4200 provided as a blade 4200 rather than a bristle 1200. The blade 4200 may be provided in plural. The blade 4200 may include a first blade 4200a and a second blade 4200b. The first blade 4200a and the second blade 4200b may protrude from the drum body 1100. The first blade 4200a and the second blade 4200b may be spaced apart from each other along the circumferential direction of the drum body 1100. As shown in the drawing, the first blade 4200a and the second blade 4200b may be positioned at an angle of 180 degrees between each other. However, the blade 4200 is not limited thereto and may be provided as one blade or three or more blades. Even when three or more blades 4200 are provided, the blades 4200 may not always be positioned at regular intervals, and may be arranged only within a certain angle in the circumferential direction of the drum body 1100.

The blade 4200 may include an elastic material. The blade 4200 may have a predetermined rigidity. For example, the blade 4200 may include a rubber material. The blade 4200 may strike enough to scatter foreign substances in a cleaning environment, such as carpets, in which foreign substances are strongly attached to the cleaning surface. Therefore, the blade 4200 needs to have capability of elastic recovery even with repeated strikes, while having enough rigidity to strongly hit the cleaning surface.

Due to the characteristics of the drum 4000, which is a high-speed rotating body, the blade 4200 formed of a rigid body without elasticity may be at a risk of damage due to strong and very frequent impacts with the cleaning surface. Therefore, the blade 4200 may be formed of a material that may be elastically deformed even when repeatedly hitting the surface to be cleaned.

The blade 4200 may have stronger rigidity than the bristle 1200, but since the blade 420 is not formed by gathering a plurality of fibers, long foreign substances, such as hair, may be less frequently wound around the blade 420. However, the blade 4200 may include an elastic material, such as rubber. Therefore, during rotation of the blade 4200 including rubber, long foreign substances, such as hair, may not easily move. In addition, when foreign substances are difficult to move, the foreign substances may easily get tangled together, making it more difficult to move, and the cleaning efficiency may decrease due to the suction port 101a being blocked, or in severe cases, a malfunction may occur.

Similar to the bristle 1200, the blade 4200 may be coupled to the coupling portion 1130 provided on the drum body 1100.

As described above, even when the brush member 1200 or 4200 is provided as a blade 4200 rather than a bristle 1200, it is required to facilitate the movement of foreign substances.

Thus, the blade 4200 may be configured similarly to the above-described bristle 1200. The blade 4200 may be positioned such that the end tip maintains a constant distance from the axis A of the drum 4000. The blade 4200 may be configured to contact the surface to be cleaned at a uniform length, to uniformly scatter and intake foreign substances from the surface to be cleaned.

Similar to the bristle 1200 described above, the blade 4200 may be obliquely formed in the direction R′ opposite to the rotation direction R of the drum 4000. When the blade 4200 is obliquely positioned in the same direction as the rotation direction R of the drum 4000, the blade 4200 may be bent in the direction opposite to the rotation direction R of the drum 4000. Since the drum 4000 rotates at high speed, the blade 4200 may be easily damaged, and the motor 171 of the suction head 100 may also be damaged. As described above, since the drum 4000 fails to rotate normally, the attached foreign substances may be difficult to move toward the collecting portion 1120.

In addition, when the blades 4200 is oblique in the second direction R′ while extending from both ends of the drum body 1100 in the direction of the axis A toward the collecting portion 1120, the blade 4200 on the both ends in the direction of the axis A may contact the surface to be cleaned first. In other words, the blade 4200 at the position of the tapered portion 1110 may contact the surface to be cleaned first, and at the position of the collecting portion 1120 later.

In the case of the blade 4200 formed of elastic material, since the blade 4200 on the outer side is deformed first and on the inner side maintains its original state, the same local deformation as described above in the bristle 1200 may occur. Accordingly, foreign substances attached to the drum 4000 including the blade 4200 may relatively easily move to the collecting portion 1120.

FIG. 17 is a view illustrating a drum including a partition portion at a central portion of the drum of FIG. 16 that partitions a collecting portion according to an embodiment

Referring to FIG. 17, a drum 5000 may include a blade 4200 protruding from the drum body 1100 and the partition portion 2100 formed in a collecting portion 1120 of the drum body 1100.

Since the movement of foreign substances is easier in the case of including the blade 4200 than in the case of including the above-described bristle 1200, a larger amount of foreign substances may be transported from the tapered portion 1110. Accordingly, in the case of the drum 5000 including the blade 4200, the partition portion 2100 may be provided.

As described above, the partition portion 2100 may efficiently form a space for accommodating foreign substances. Due to the partition portion 2100, the flow of air from the suction port 101a moving through the communication hole 101b is narrowed, leading to an increase in the suction force, and also an increase in the force exerted to move foreign substances toward the first collecting portion 2121 and the second collecting portion 2122 of the drum 2000.

Since the movement of foreign substances is easier in the case of the drum 5000 including the blade 4200, a larger amount of foreign substances are transported from the tapered portions 1111 and 1112. Accordingly, in this case, the drum 5000 including the blade 4200 may further include the partition portion 2100, making it more effective.

Embodiments of the disclosure may provide a cleaner including a cleaner body having a dust collecting container configured to collect foreign substances, and a drum disposed at an inlet to guide intake of foreign substances and rotatably provided in a first direction R.

The drum may include a drum body including a collecting portion having a cylindrical shape with a constant diameter and a tapered portion having a diameter that may decrease as being directed from one end of an axis of the drum toward the collecting portion. The drum may include a brush member protruding from the drum body and configured to scatter foreign substances around the inlet. The brush member may be positioned such that a distance from the axis of the drum to an end tip of the brush member is maintained along the direction of the axis of the drum. The brush member may be obliquely formed in a second direction opposite to the first direction while extending in a radially outer direction of the drum body.

The brush member may be provided in a plurality of units thereof. The plurality of brush members may be spaced apart from each other along a circumferential direction of the drum body.

The drum body may further include a coupling portion protruding from an outer circumferential surface of the drum body to allow the brush member to be coupled thereto, the coupling portion having a height that increases from both ends of the axis of the drum toward the collecting portion.

The drum body may further include a partition portion located in the center of the drum body with respect to the direction of the axis A of the drum and protruding along the circumferential direction of the drum body, the partition portion being configured to divide the collecting portion into a first collecting portion and a second collecting portion.

The first collecting portion and the second collecting portion may be provided symmetrically with respect to the partition portion and have a constant diameter.

Embodiments of the disclosure may provide a cleaner including a cleaner body having a dust collecting container configured to collect foreign substances, and a drum disposed at an inlet to guide intake of foreign substances and rotatably provided in a first direction R. The drum may include a collecting portion formed to allow foreign substances to be collected therein, a tapered portion having a cross section that may decrease as being directed from both ends of an axis of the drum toward the collecting portion, and a coupling portion protruding from the collecting portion and the tapered portion and having a height that may increases as being directed from one end of the drum toward the collecting portion.

The drum may include at least one brush member obliquely formed in a second direction opposite to the first direction while extending from the both ends of the axis of the drum body toward the collecting portion and protruding in a radial direction of the drum body, the brush member being coupled to the coupling portion such that a distance from the axis of the drum to an end tip of the brush member may be maintained across the collecting portion and the tapered portion.

The brush member may be inclined in a second direction opposite to the first direction toward the end tip of the brush member.

As is apparent from the above, according to an aspect of the disclosure, the cleaner can provide ease of maintaining.

According to an aspect of the disclosure, the cleaner can easily remove foreign substances entangled in a drum.

According to an aspect of the disclosure, the cleaner can allow foreign substances to be moved to the center of a drum according to rotation of the drum.

The effects of the present disclosure are not limited to those described above, and other effects that are not described above will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the above detailed description.

While the disclosure has been shown and described with reference to various embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A cleaner comprising:

a cleaner body; and

a drum that is rotatable in a first direction about a longitudinal axis of the drum, the drum including: a drum body including: a first tapered portion having a diameter that decreases from a first end of the drum body along the longitudinal axis of the drum, a second tapered portion having a diameter that decreases from a second end of the drum body along the longitudinal axis of the drum, and a collecting portion at a position at which the diameter of the first tapered portion and the diameter of the second tapered portion are smallest, and a brush member extending between the first end of the drum body and the second end of the drum body, and protruding outwardly from the drum body,

wherein the drum is configured so that: a distance from the longitudinal axis of the drum to an end tip of the brush member is maintained across the first tapered portion, the collecting portion, and the second tapered portion, and rotation of the drum guides intake of foreign substances into the cleaner body, and guides foreign substances wound about the drum toward the collecting portion.

2. The cleaner of claim 1, wherein

the brush member is obliquely formed between the first end of the drum body and the second end of the drum body in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

3. The cleaner of claim 1, wherein

the brush member is obliquely extending from the first end of the drum body to the collecting portion in a second direction opposite to the first direction and is obliquely extending from the second end of the drum body to the collecting portion in the second direction.

4. The cleaner of claim 1, wherein

the drum body includes: a coupling portion protruding from the first tapered portion, the collecting portion, and the second tapered portion, and

the brush member is couplable to the coupling portion.

5. The cleaner of claim 4, wherein

the coupling portion is formed to have a height that increases in a direction from the first end of the drum body toward the collecting portion, and that increases in a direction from the second end of the drum body toward the collecting portion.

6. The cleaner of claim 4, wherein

the coupling portion is obliquely extending from the first end of the drum body to the collecting portion in a second direction opposite to the first direction and is obliquely extending from the second end of the drum body to the collecting portion in the second direction.

7. The cleaner of claim 1, wherein

the collecting portion is located at a center of the drum body along the longitudinal axis of the drum, and has a constant diameter.

8. The cleaner of claim 7, wherein

the drum body includes: a partition portion located at a longitudinal center of the drum body and protruding outwardly along a circumferential direction of the drum body, and

the partition portion divides the collecting portion into a first collecting portion and a second collecting portion.

9. The cleaner of claim 8, wherein

the first collecting portion and the second collecting portion are formed symmetrically with respect to the partition portion, and have a constant diameter.

10. The cleaner of claim 1, wherein

the brush member includes: a plurality of brush members, and

the plurality of brush members are spaced apart from each other along a circumferential direction of the drum body.

11. The cleaner of claim 10, wherein

the drum includes:

a rib protruding in a radial direction from the drum body along an outer circumferential surface of the drum body between respective brush members among the plurality of brush members.

12. The cleaner of claim 11, wherein

the rib is formed such that a height from the longitudinal axis of the drum to an end tip of the rib increases from the collecting portion to the first end the drum body, and from the collecting portion to the second end of the drum body.

13. The cleaner of claim 1, wherein

the brush member includes a bristle or a blade.

14. The cleaner of claim 13, wherein

the blade includes an elastic material.