Cleaner

• US 10,492,653 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2018
• Issued: 12/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Nam, Bohyun, Kim, Namhee, Kim, Jinju, An, Hyeonjeong, Hwang, Jungbae, Hwang, Philjae, Hwang, Mantae, Sung, Eunji, Lee, Taekgi
• Primary Examiner(s): Horton, Andrew A
• Application Number:
  US16/051,227
• Publication Number:
  US 20180333033A1
• Time in Patent Office: 490 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/22 with rotary fans
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/24 Hand-supported suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/00 Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/106 Dust removal
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/12 Dry filters
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/16 Arrangement or disposition of cyclones or other devices with centrifugal action
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1625 for series flow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1633 Concentric cyclones
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1641 for parallel flow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1675 movable, revolving or rotary
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1683 Dust collecting chambers; Dust collecting receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/22 Mountings for motor fan assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/28 Installation of the electric equipment, e.g. adaptation or attachment to the suction cleaner; Controlling suction cleaners by electric means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2842 Suction motors or blowers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2873 Docking units or charging stations for autonomous or robotic vacuum cleaners A47L2201/02
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2884 Details of arrangements of batteries or their installation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/32 Handles

Abstract

A cleaner includes: a suction motor that generates suction force; a dust separation unit that separates dust from air sucked by the suction force; a motor housing that covers the suction motor; a flow guide that surrounds an outer side of the motor housing and guides air discharged from the dust separation unit to the suction motor; and a body that forms an external appearance by surrounding the flow guide and guides air discharged from the suction motor together with the flow guide.

Claims

1. A cleaner comprising:

a suction unit configured to guide air into the cleaner;

a dust separation unit comprising;

a first cyclone unit configured to separate dust from air that is suctioned into the cleaner through the suction unit; and

a second cyclone unit configured to separate dust from air that is discharged from the first cyclone unit;

a suction motor configured to drive a rotation of a rotary impeller via an impeller shaft to generate a suction force that suctions air into the cleaner through the suction unit;

a motor housing that is configured to house the suction motor;

a cleaner body that is configured to accommodate the motor housing, and that has a first opening that provides access to an interior of the cleaner;

a pre-filter that is configured to be inserted into the cleaner body through the first opening, and that is configured to filter air that is discharged from the second cyclone unit and before the air enters the motor housing; and

an exhaust filter unit that is configured to be coupled to the cleaner body to close the first opening of the cleaner body, and that is configured to filter air that is discharged from the suction motor, wherein in a state of being coupled to the cleaner body, the exhaust filter unit is configured to apply pressure to the pre-filter and maintain the pre-filter inserted in the cleaner body.

2. The cleaner of claim 1, wherein the exhaust filter unit is configured to apply pressure to the pre-filter and maintain the pre-filter inserted in the cleaner body to create a sealing for the pre-filter that is configured to prevent air from flowing into the motor housing without first passing through the pre-filter.

3. The cleaner of claim 1, wherein the pre-filter is configured to be removable from the cleaner body, and

wherein the exhaust filter unit is configured to be separable from the cleaner body while maintaining the pre-filter inserted into the cleaner body.

4. The cleaner of claim 1, wherein, the pre-filter has a first circular cross-sectional shape with a first axis that is parallel with the impeller shaft,

wherein the exhaust filter unit has a second circular cross-sectional shape with a second axis that is parallel to the impeller shaft, and

wherein, in a state in which the exhaust filter unit is coupled to the cleaner body, the second axis of the exhaust filter unit is concentric to the first axis of the pre-filter.

5. The cleaner of claim 1, wherein the suction motor is arranged between the rotary impeller and the dust separation unit.

6. The cleaner of claim 1, wherein an outer surface of the motor housing defines an air passage that guides air from the second cyclone unit into at least one opening of the motor housing.

7. The cleaner of claim 1, wherein the pre-filter is disposed circumferentially around the rotary impeller, and is configured to filter air before the air flows into the motor housing and subsequently flows through the rotary impeller.

8. The cleaner of claim 1, wherein removing the exhaust filter unit from the cleaner exposes at least part of the pre-filter to an outside of the cleaner.

9. The cleaner of claim 1, wherein the motor housing comprises a filter support that is configured to support and maintain a position of the pre-filter.

10. The cleaner of claim 1, wherein, in a state in which the cleaner is oriented with the impeller shaft arranged longitudinally along a vertical direction, the rotary impeller is disposed above the suction motor, and the suction motor is disposed above the second cyclone unit.

11. The cleaner of claim 1, wherein the first cyclone unit is configured to generate a helical flow of air that separates the dust from the air, and

wherein an axis of the helical flow of air is arranged longitudinally along a vertical direction in a state in which the cleaner is oriented with the impeller shaft arranged longitudinally along the vertical direction.

12. The cleaner of claim 1, wherein the second cyclone unit comprises a plurality of cyclone bodies that are configured to secondarily separate dust from the air that is discharged from the first cyclone unit.

13. The cleaner of claim 1, further comprising:

a handle that is configured to be held by a user to operate the cleaner using only one hand; and

a battery housing that is arranged at a base of the handle and that is configured to house a removable battery for powering the cleaner.

14. The cleaner of claim 1, further comprising a dust container that is disposed under the motor in a state in which the cleaner is oriented with the impeller shaft arranged longitudinally along a vertical direction, and is configured to store dust that is separated by the dust separation unit.

15. The cleaner of claim 14, wherein the dust container has a second opening that provides access to an interior of the dust container in a second direction to release dust from the dust container, with the second direction being opposite to a first direction in which the first opening of the cleaner body provides access to the interior of the cleaner body.

16. A cleaner comprising:

a suction unit configured to guide air into the cleaner;

a dust separation unit comprising;

a first cyclone unit configured to separate dust from air that is suctioned into the cleaner through the suction unit; and

a second cyclone unit configured to separate dust from air that is discharged from the first cyclone unit;

a suction motor configured to drive a rotation of a rotary impeller via an impeller shaft to generate a suction force that suctions air into the cleaner through the suction unit;

a motor housing that is configured to house the suction motor;

a cleaner body that is configured to accommodate the motor housing, and that has a first opening that provides access to an interior of the cleaner;

a filter system that is configured to be detachably coupled to the cleaner body at the first opening of the cleaner body, the filter system comprising;

a first filter that is configured to filter air that is discharged from the second cyclone unit and before the air enters the motor housing and subsequently flows through the rotary impeller; and

a second filter that is configured to filter air that has flowed through the first filter, the rotary impeller, and the suction motor, and that is discharged from the motor housing before the air exits the cleaner body,

wherein in a state in which the filter system is coupled to the cleaner body and the cleaner is oriented with the impeller shaft arranged longitudinally along a vertical direction, the second filter is disposed above the first filter and applies pressure in a downward direction that maintains the first filter inserted in the cleaner body.

17. The cleaner of claim 16, wherein the second filter is configured to apply pressure to the first filter and maintain the first filter inserted in the cleaner body to create a sealing for the first filter that is configured to prevent air from flowing into the motor housing without first passing through the first filter.

18. The cleaner of claim 17, wherein the first filter is configured to be removable from the cleaner body, and

wherein the second filter is configured to be separable from the cleaner body while maintaining the first filter inserted into the cleaner body.

19. The cleaner of claim 16, wherein, the first filter has a first circular cross-sectional shape with a first axis that is parallel with the impeller shaft,

wherein the second filter has a second circular cross-sectional shape with a second axis that is parallel to the impeller shaft, and

is coupled to the cleaner body, the second axis of the second filter is concentric to the first axis of the first filter.

20. The cleaner of claim 16, wherein the suction motor is arranged between the rotary impeller and the dust separation unit.

21. The cleaner of claim 16, wherein an outer surface of the motor housing defines an air passage that guides air from the second cyclone unit into at least one opening of the motor housing.

22. The cleaner of claim 16, wherein the first filter is disposed circumferentially around the rotary impeller, and is configured to filter air before the air flows into the motor housing and subsequently flows through the rotary impeller.

23. The cleaner of claim 16, wherein removing the second filter from the cleaner exposes at least part of the first filter to an outside of the cleaner.

24. The cleaner of claim 16, wherein the motor housing comprises a filter support that is configured to support and maintain a position of the first filter.

25. The cleaner of claim 16, wherein, in a state in which the cleaner is oriented with the impeller shaft arranged longitudinally along the vertical direction, the rotary impeller is disposed above the suction motor, and the suction motor is disposed above the second cyclone unit.

26. The cleaner of claim 16, wherein the first cyclone unit is configured to generate a helical flow of air that separates the dust from the air, and

wherein an axis of the helical flow of air is arranged longitudinally along the vertical direction in the state in which the cleaner is oriented with the impeller shaft arranged longitudinally along the vertical direction.

27. The cleaner of claim 16, wherein the second cyclone unit comprises a plurality of cyclone bodies that are configured to secondarily separate dust from the air that is discharged from the first cyclone unit.

28. The cleaner of claim 16, further comprising:

a handle that is configured to be held by a user to operate the cleaner using only one hand; and

a battery housing that is arranged at a base of the handle and that is configured to house a removable battery for powering the cleaner.

29. The cleaner of claim 16, further comprising a dust container that is disposed under the motor in a state in which the cleaner is oriented with the impeller shaft arranged longitudinally along the vertical direction, and is configured to store dust that is separated by the dust separation unit.

30. The cleaner of claim 29, wherein the dust container has a second opening that provides access to an interior of the dust container in a second direction to release dust from the dust container, with the second direction being opposite to a first direction in which the first opening of the cleaner body provides access to the interior of the cleaner body.