Vacuum cleaner

• US 10,039,430 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2013
• Issued: 08/07/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Hyun, Kietak
• Primary Examiner(s): Koehler, Christopher M
• Assistant Examiner(s): KELLER, BRIAN D
• Application Number:
  US13/940,584
• Publication Number:
  US 20140013536A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,852 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/10 Filters in general B01D; cyclones B04C; Dust separators; Dust removal; Automatic exchange of filters for machines for cleaning floors A47L11/40
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/106 Dust removal
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/22 Mountings for motor fan assemblies

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner is provided. The vacuum cleaner may include a suction nozzle coupled to a body and adapted to move along a surface to be cleaned, a guide pipe to guide foreign substances including dust suctioned through in the suction nozzle, a separation member to separate the foreign substances including dust guided along the guide pipe from air according to a principle of cyclonic separation, a collection container to accommodate the foreign substances including dust separated in the separation member, a binder supply device connected to the guide pipe to supply a binder to the separation member, the binder being in a shape of solid granules, and a heat supply device to supply heat to the collection container. The binder may bind with the dust due to heat supplied from the heat supply device. Thus, a larger amount of foreign substances including dust may be accumulated in the collection container, and therefore, the collection container may be effectively used.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a body;

a suction nozzle provided at or on the body to suction in foreign substances including dust;

a guide pipe to guide the foreign substances including the dust suctioned in through the suction nozzle;

a separation member to separate the foreign substances including the dust guided along the guide pipe from air;

a collection container to accommodate the foreign substances including the dust separated in the separation member;

a heat supply device to supply heat to the collection container; and

a binder supply device that supplies a binder to the guide pipe, wherein the binder is melted by the heat supplied from the heat supply device to bind with the foreign substances including the dust, and wherein the heat supply device includes;

a motor accommodated in a chamber in a chamber in the body to generate a suction force and a flow in the separation member;

a guide duct connected to the separation member, wherein the guide duct penetrates the chamber and guides the air separated in the separation member such that the air exchanges heat with the motor; and

a discharge port arranged adjacent to the collection container to guide air heated by the motor such that the air is discharged from the guide duct toward an outer surface of the collection container, wherein the discharge port includes a first discharge port arranged adjacent a side surface of the collection container, the first discharge port including a duct formed between an inner surface of the collection chamber and an outer surface of the collection chamber and a plurality of elongated holes that allows the air heated by the motor to flow into the collection chamber at the side surface of the collection container, and a second discharge port arranged adjacent a lower surface of the collection container, the second discharge port including a plurality of holes formed in the lower surface of the collection chamber that allows the air heated by the motor to flow into the collection chamber at the lower surface of the collection container.

2. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the binder supply device supplies the binder before the foreign substances including the dust are introduced into the separation member, and wherein the binder is mixed with the foreign substances including the dust in the separation member.

3. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the binder supply device is connected to the guide pipe to supply the binder to the guide pipe.

4. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 3, wherein the binder supply device includes:

a binder case to accommodate the binder; and

a communication pipe that allows the binder case to communicate with the guide pipe.

5. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 4, further including:

a valve provided to open and close the communication pipe.

6. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 4, wherein the communication pipe is connected to the guide pipe at a connection point.

7. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 6, wherein the guide pipe narrows at the connection point.

8. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the heat supply device supplies the heat to at least a lower portion or a side portion of the collection container.

9. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the guide duct includes a HEPA filter to filter the air.

10. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a body;

a suction nozzle provided at or on the body to suction in foreign substances including dust;

a separation member to separate the foreign substances including the dust supplied from the suction nozzle from air;

a collection container to accommodate the foreign substances including the dust separated in the separation member;

a binder supply device to supply a binder to the separation member, the binder being in a form of solid granules; and

a heat supply device to supply heat to the collection container, wherein the binder is melted by the heat supplied from the heat supply device to bind with the foreign substances including the dust, and wherein the heat supply device includes;

a motor accommodated in a c chamber in the body to generate a suction force and a flow in the separation member;

a guide duct connected to the separation member, wherein the guide duct penetrates the chamber and guides the air separated in the separation member such that the air exchanges heat with the motor; and

a discharge port arranged adjacent to the collection container to guide air heated by the motor such that the air is discharged from the guide duct toward an outer surface of the collection container, wherein the discharge port includes a first discharge port arranged adjacent a side surface of the collection container, the first discharge port including a duct formed between an inner surface of the collection chamber and an outer surface of the collection chamber and a plurality of elongated holes that allows the air heated by the motor to flow into the collection chamber at the side surface of the collection container, and a second discharge port arranged adjacent a lower surface of the collection container, the second discharge port including a plurality of holes formed in the lower surface of the collection chamber that allows the air heated by the motor to flow into the collection chamber at the lower surface of the collection container.

11. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 10, wherein the binder supply device supplies the binder before the foreign substances including the dust are introduced into the separation member, and wherein the binder is mixed with the foreign substances including the dust in the separation member.

12. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a body;

a suction nozzle provided at or on the body to suction in foreign substances including dust;

a separation member to separate the foreign substances including the dust supplied from the suction nozzle from air according to a principle of cyclonic separation;

a collection container to accommodate the foreign substances including the dust separated in the separation member;

a binder supply device to supply a binder to the separation member, the binder being in a form of solid granules; and

a heat supply device to supply heat to the collection container, wherein the binder melts in the collection container and binds with the foreign substances including the dust to form a particle larger than a particle of the dust, wherein the heat supply device includes;

a motor accommodated in a chamber in the body to generate a suction force and a flow in the separation member;

a guide duct connected to the separation member, wherein the guide duct penetrates the chamber and guides the air separated in the separation member such that the air exchanges heat with the motor; and

a discharge port arranged adjacent to the collection container to guide air heated by the motor such that the air is discharged from the guide duct toward an outer surface of the collection container, wherein the discharge port includes a first discharge port arranged adjacent a side surface of the collection container, the first discharge port including a duct formed between an inner surface of the collection chamber and an outer surface of the collection chamber and a plurality of elongated holes that allows the air heated by the motor to flow into the collection chamber at the side surface of the collection container, and a second discharge port arranged adjacent a lower surface of the collection container, the second discharge port including a plurality of holes formed in the lower surface of the collection chamber that allows the air heated by the motor to flow into the collection chamber at the lower surface of the collection container.