Upright vacuum cleaner

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner including a sterilizing unit is provided. The sterilizing unit includes a hot air circulating duct and an air passage switching part. The hot air circulating duct is disposed between a motor chamber and an air inflow part of the dust separating unit to guide air from the motor chamber to the air inflow part of the dust separating unit. The air passage switching part is disposed at a place where the air inflow part, the suction hose and the hot air circulating duct intersect. The air passage switching part is movable between a cleaning position and a sterilizing position to switch a flow of air, the cleaning position being a position that blocks off between the air inflow part and the hot air circulating duct and the sterilizing position being a position that blocks off between the air inflow part and the suction hose.

1 . A vacuum cleaner, comprising:
 a body assembly comprising a dust separating unit having an air inflow part to draw in air and an air outflow part to discharge the air, and a motor chamber communicated with the air outflow part and having a suction motor mounted therein;   a suction brush connected to a lower end of the body assembly to draw in an external air;   a suction hose connected between the suction brush and the air inflow part of the dust separating unit to guide the external air drawn in by the suction brush to the air inflow part; and   a sterilizing unit to sterilize bacilli or house dust mites in the air drawn into the dust separating unit through the suction brush and the suction hose;   wherein the sterilizing unit comprises a hot air circulating duct disposed between the motor chamber and the air inflow part of the dust separating unit to guide air discharged through the air outflow part of the dust separating unit from the motor chamber to the air inflow part of the dust separating unit, and an air passage switching part disposed at a place where the air inflow part, the suction hose and the hot air circulating duct intersect and movable between a cleaning position and a sterilizing position to switch a flow of air, the cleaning position being a position where the air passage switching part blocks off between the air inflow part and the hot air circulating duct and the sterilizing position being a position where the air passage switching part blocks off between the air inflow part and the suction hose.   
   
   
       2 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the air passage switching part comprises:
 a manifold having first, second and third connecting openings connected with the air inflow part, the suction hose and the hot air circulating duct to communicate therewith, respectively;   a valve member rotatably disposed in the manifold to be positionable in the cleaning position of closing up the third connecting opening or the sterilizing position of closing up the second connecting opening according to an angle of rotation thereof; and   a knob connected to the valve member to rotate the valve member.   
   
   
       3 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 2 , wherein the manifold comprises a cylindrical tube element having the first, second and third connecting openings disposed in an angle of 90° to one another on a circumferential surface thereof. 
   
   
       4 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 2 , wherein the valve member comprises a cut-away sleeve having a circumferential surface, almost all area of which is cut away with only an area capable of closing up at least one of the first, second and third connecting openings remaining. 
   
   
       5 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the sterilizing unit further comprises a temperature detecting sensor to detect a temperature of air guided to the dust separating unit through the hot air circulating duct and to stop driving the suction motor when the detected temperature is above a predetermined temperature. 
   
   
       6 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 5 , wherein the temperature detecting sensor comprises one of a thermostat and a thermistor. 
   
   
       7 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 5 , wherein the predetermined temperature is more than 56° C. 
   
   
       8 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 5 , wherein the predetermined temperature is between 63° C. and 67° C. 
   
   
       9 . A vacuum cleaner, comprising:
 a body assembly comprising a dust separating unit having an air inflow part and an air outflow part;   a motor chamber communicated with the air outflow part;   a suction hose connected between a suction brush and the air inflow part to guide an external air to the air inflow part;   a hot air circulating duct disposed between the motor chamber and the air inflow part of the dust separating unit; and   an air passage switching part disposed at a place where the air inflow part, the suction hose, and the hot air circulating duct intersect, the air passage switching part being movable between a cleaning position and a sterilizing position, wherein the air passage switching part blocks off between the air inflow part and the hot air circulating duct in the cleaning position and wherein the air passage switching part blocks off between the air inflow part and the suction hose in the sterilizing position.   
   
   
       10 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 9 , wherein the air passage switching part comprises a manifold having first, second and third connecting openings connected with the air inflow part, the suction hose and the hot air circulating duct to communicate therewith, respectively. 
   
   
       11 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 10 , wherein the air passage switching part comprises:
 a valve member rotatably disposed in the manifold to be positionable in the cleaning position or the sterilizing position according to an angle of rotation thereof; and   a knob connected to the valve member to rotate the valve member.   
   
   
       12 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 9 , further comprising a temperature detecting sensor configured to detect a temperature of air in the hot air circulating duct.