Vacuum cleaner

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner includes a suction head including a cover and a bottom plate provided with a suction hole through which air is sucked from a surface to be cleaned and rotatably combined with the cover. The bottom plate is rotated in one direction relative to the cover when the suction head moves forward, and is rotated in the other direction relative to the cover when the suction head moves backward. Further, the vacuum cleaner includes a brush base including brushes and movable upward and backward between the cover and the bottom plate. The brush base includes indicating parts exposed to the outside of the cover and forming at least a portion of the external appearance of the suction head.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A vacuum cleaner comprising:
 a main body;   a fan motor provided within the main body and generating suction force;   a dust collector provided within the main body and collecting dust;   an extension pipe extended from the main body; and   a suction head comprising a cover combined with the extension pipe, and a bottom plate provided with a suction hole through which air is sucked from a surface to be cleaned and rotatably combined with the cover,   wherein the bottom plate is rotated in a first direction relative to the cover when the suction head moves forward, and is rotated in a second direction opposite the first direction relative to the cover when the suction head moves backward.   
     
     
         2 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 1 , wherein the first direction is the counterclockwise direction and the second direction is the clockwise direction, as seen from a direction in which the front end of the suction head is located at the left and the rear end of the suction head is located at the right. 
     
     
         3 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 a rotary shaft is formed on one of the cover and the bottom plate; and   a rotary shaft receiving part in which the rotary shaft is accommodated so as to be freely rotatable is formed on the other of the cover and the bottom plate.   
     
     
         4 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 1 , wherein the bottom plate is rotated in the first direction relative to the cover by friction with the surface to be cleaned, when the suction head moves forward. 
     
     
         5 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 1 , wherein the bottom plate is rotated in the second direction relative to the cover by reaction force of the surface to be cleaned applied to the front end of the bottom plate or the weight of the bottom plate when the suction head moves backward. 
     
     
         6 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 1 , wherein the suction hole comprises a suction space in which air flows, and a diaphragm part protruding toward the cover to form the suction space. 
     
     
         7 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 6 , wherein:
 the diaphragm part comprises a sealing part closely adhered to an inlet of a suction duct to guide the sucked air to the inside of the suction duct; and   the sealing part includes a curved part curved so as to be closely adhered to the inlet of the suction duct during rotation of the bottom plate.   
     
     
         8 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 6 , wherein stopper protrusions interfering with the cover to limit the rotating range of the bottom plate are formed on the diaphragm part. 
     
     
         9 . A vacuum cleaner comprising:
 a main body;   a fan motor provided within the main body and generating suction force;   a dust collector provided within the main body and collecting dust;   an extension pipe extended from the main body; and   a suction head comprising a cover combined with the extension pipe, a bottom plate provided with a suction hole through which air is sucked from a surface to be cleaned and combined with the cover, and a brush base comprising brushes and movable upward and downward between the cover and the bottom plate,   wherein the brush base comprises indicating parts exposed to the outside of the cover and forming at least a portion of the external appearance of the suction head.   
     
     
         10 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 9 , wherein the indicating parts are formed at corners of the brush base. 
     
     
         11 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 9 , wherein the cover comprises slots in which the indicating parts are accommodated. 
     
     
         12 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 11 , wherein the indicating parts are movable upward and downward in the slots. 
     
     
         13 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 9 , wherein the suction head is switched to one of a first mode in which the brush base moves upward toward the cover so that the bottom plate is closely adhered to the surface to be cleaned, and a second mode in which the brush base moves downward toward the bottom plate so that the brushes are closely adhered to the surface to be cleaned. 
     
     
         14 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 13 , wherein a height difference between the indicating parts and the cover is not generated in the first mode, and a height difference between the indicating parts and the cover is generated in the second mode. 
     
     
         15 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 9 , further comprising a lever member rotatably provided to move the brush base upward and downward, the lever member comprising pressing protrusions pressing the brush base and an operating member to rotate the lever member. 
     
     
         16 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 9 , further comprising elastic members elastically supporting the brush base. 
     
     
         17 . A vacuum cleaner comprising:
 a main body;   a fan motor provided within the main body and generating suction force;   a dust collector provided within the main body and collecting dust;   an extension pipe extended from the main body; and   a suction head comprising a cover combined with the extension pipe, a bottom plate provided with a suction hole through which air is sucked from a surface to be cleaned and rotatably combined with the cover, and a brush base comprising brushes and indicating parts exposed to the outside of the cover and forming at least a portion of the external appearance of the suction head and movable upward and downward between the cover and the bottom plate,   wherein the suction head is switched to one of a first mode in which the brush base moves maximally upward closest to the cover so that the bottom plate is closely adhered to the surface to be cleaned, and a second mode in which the brush base moves maximally downward closest to the bottom plate so that the brushes are closely adhered to the surface to be cleaned, and   wherein the bottom plate is rotated in a first direction relative to the cover when the suction head moves forward, and is rotated in a second direction opposite the first direction relative to the cover when the suction head moves backward, in the first mode.   
     
     
         18 . A suction head for a vacuum cleaner comprising:
 a cover combined with the extension pipe;   a bottom plate provided with a suction hole through which air is sucked from a surface to be cleaned and combined with the cover; and   a brush base comprising brushes and movable upward and downward between the cover and the bottom plate,   wherein the bottom plate is rotated in a first direction relative to the cover when the suction head moves forward, and is rotated in a second direction opposite the first direction relative to the cover when the suction head moves backward.   
     
     
         19 . The suction head according to  claim 18 , wherein the brush base comprises indicating parts exposed to the outside of the cover and forming at least a portion of the external appearance of the suction head. 
     
     
         20 . The suction head according to  claim 18 , wherein the suction head is switched to one of a first mode in which the brush base moves upward toward the cover so that the bottom plate is closely adhered to the surface to be cleaned, and a second mode in which the brush base moves downward toward the bottom plate so that the brushes are closely adhered to the surface to be cleaned. 
     
     
         21 . The suction head according to  claim 18 , further comprising a lever member rotatably provided to move the brush base upward and downward, the lever member comprising pressing protrusions pressing the brush base and an operating member to rotate the lever member. 
     
     
         22 . The vacuum cleaner according to  claim 18 , wherein the bottom plate is rotated in a first direction relative to the cover by friction with the surface to be cleaned, when the suction head moves forward, and
 wherein the bottom plate is rotated in a second direction relative to the cover by reaction force of the surface to be cleaned applied to the front end of the bottom plate or the weight of the bottom plate when the suction head moves backward.