Upright vacuum cleaner having steering unit

Abstract

An upright vacuum cleaner is disclosed, the upright vacuum cleaner including a cleaner body that houses a suction motor and a dust separating unit, and includes a manipulation handle at the top thereof, a suction port assembly that is connected to a lower portion of the cleaner body; and a steering unit that is disposed between the cleaner body and the suction port assembly, and elastically supports the cleaner body to shift the center of gravity of the cleaner body to the left or right, so that the direction of the cleaner body is changed.

1 . An upright vacuum cleaner, comprising:
 a cleaner body having a manipulation handle at the top thereof;   a suction port assembly that is connected to a lower portion of the cleaner body; and   a steering unit that is disposed between the cleaner body and the suction port assembly, wherein the steering unit elastically supports the cleaner body in order to shift the center of gravity of the cleaner body to the left or right, so that the direction of the cleaner body is changed.   
   
   
       2 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the steering unit comprises:
 a support housing that is hinged to a lower portion of the cleaner body forward and backward, and a front portion of which is contacted by the suction port assembly;   first and second main wheels; and   a steering portion that is formed in such a manner that the first and second main wheels are disposed at both ends thereof, and that is elastically disposed on the support housing.   
   
   
       3 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 2 , wherein the suction port assembly is formed in such a manner that a rear portion thereof contacts the support housing about a shaft, and the center of the shaft is disposed so as to slope downward from the front portion of the cleaner body towards a rear portion of the cleaner body. 
   
   
       4 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 2 , wherein the steering portion is made of a metal or synthetic resin having elasticity, and if a user tilts the cleaner body, the steering portion is twisted, and if the user moves the cleaner body vertically, the steering portion is restored, in order to change the direction of the suction port assembly. 
   
   
       5 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 4 , wherein the steering portion is formed in such a manner that the center is fixed to the bottom of the support housing, and is bent progressively toward the rear portion. 
   
   
       6 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 4 , wherein the steering portion comprises:
 a first portion of which the center is fixed to the bottom center of the support housing, and that is disposed so as to slope downward toward at the rear of the support housing;   a second portion that extends from the rear of the first portion, and is disposed so as to slop upward toward the rear of the support housing; and   a third portion that extends from both sides of the rear of the second portion, and is rotatably connected to the first and second main wheels.   
   
   
       7 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 2 , wherein the steering portion comprises:
 a rotating portion that is rotatably connected to the bottom center of the supporting housing;   first and second main rods that are formed in such a manner that one end of each is connected to a respective side of the rotating portion, and the other end of each faces the rear of the support housing, and to which the first and second main wheels are rotatably disposed;   a fixing portion that is fixed to the bottom center of the support housing; and   first and second sub rods that are formed in such a manner that one end of each is pivotally fixed to a respective side of the fixing portion, and the other end of each is pivotally fixed to the first and second main rods, respectively.   
   
   
       8 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the steering unit comprises:
 a support housing that is hinged to the bottom of the cleaner body, and of which the suction port assembly is connected to a front portion so that the suction port assembly rotates according to the direction of the shaft;   first and second main wheels;   first and second supports that are formed in such a manner that one end of each is connected to a respective side of the support housing, and the opposite end of each comprises the first and second main wheels, respectively; and   first and second elastic member that elastically connect the first and second supports to the support housing, respectively,   and wherein one of the first and second supports is disposed so as to be closer to the cleaner body than the other of the first and second supports, and rotates at a greater angle than the other of the first and second supports.   
   
   
       9 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 8 , wherein the first and second elastic members are formed in such a manner that one end of each is hinged to the supporting housing, and the other end of each is formed as a damper hinged to the first and second supports, respectively. 
   
   
       10 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 8 , wherein the first and second elastic members are torsion springs. 
   
   
       11 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 8 , wherein the support housing comprises a support wheel on a lower central portion thereof. 
   
   
       12 . The upright vacuum cleaner of  claim 8 , wherein the support wheel tapers symmetrically toward the left and right sides.