Vacuum cleaner

• US 10,517,451 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2017
• Issued: 12/31/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Seo, Jonghyun, Lee, Jinwoo
• Primary Examiner(s): Van Nguyen, Dung
• Application Number:
  US15/599,693
• Publication Number:
  US 20170332855A1
• Time in Patent Office: 956 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/362 of the horizontal type, e.g. canister or sledge type
• 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 9/0081 Means for exhaust-air diffusion; Means for sound or vibration damping
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/106 Dust removal
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/122 flat
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1608 Cyclonic chamber constructions
• 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 9/165 Construction of inlets
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1666 with filtering means
• 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 9/242 Hose or pipe couplings
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/244 for telescopic or extensible hoses or pipes
• 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 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2852 Elements for displacement of the vacuum cleaner or the accessories therefor, e.g. wheels, casters or nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/327 : for suction cleaners with hose between nozzle and casing

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner, and more particularly to a vacuum cleaner including a case detachably provided at a cleaner body to accommodate dust and of which an upper surface and a lower surface are opened; a cyclone provided inside the case to separate the dust; an upper cover configured to shield the upper surface of the case and having a suction port through which the dust is suctioned and a discharge port through which air separated from the dust is discharged; an upper locker rotatably installed at an outer surface of the case and configured to selectively restrict the upper cover; a lower cover configured to shield the lower surface of the case; and a lower locker slidably installed at the outer surface of the case and configured to selectively push and open the lower cover.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a case detachably coupled to a cleaner body and configured to receive dust, the case having an upper opening and a lower opening;

a cyclone located within the case and configured to separate the dust;

an upper cover configured to open and close the upper opening of the case, the upper cover defining a suction port through which the dust is suctioned and a discharge port through which air separated from the dust is discharged;

an upper locker rotatably coupled to an outer surface of the case and configured to selectively restrict the upper cover;

a lower cover configured to open and close the lower opening of the case; and

a lower locker slidably coupled to the outer surface of the case, the lower locker being configured to selectively push the lower cover to open the lower opening of the case,

wherein the upper cover includes a passage guide that defines passages to the suction port and to the discharge port.

2. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising an upper locker installing portion that protrudes radially outward from the outer surface of the case and supports a rotating shaft provided at both sides of the upper locker.

3. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the upper locker includes:

a spring guide that extends from a rear surface of the upper locker toward the case, the spring guide being positioned vertically below the rotating shaft; and

a locker spring that is provided at the spring guide and configured to elastically support a lower portion of the upper locker.

4. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the upper locker extends upward of an upper end of the case,

wherein the upper locker includes a hook portion at an extending end of the upper locker, the hook portion being configured to restrict the upper cover, and

wherein the upper cover includes a hook restricting portion at an outer end of the upper cover, the hook restricting portion being configured to be restricted by the hook portion.

5. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the case defines an upper groove at an inner side surface of the case, the upper groove facing toward the upper locker, and

wherein the upper cover defines an upper protrusion that is configured to insert into the upper groove.

6. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the upper cover includes a dust container handle located at an upper surface of the upper cover, the dust container handle being configured to withdraw upward from and insert downward into the upper cover, and

wherein the dust container handle includes a handle portion configured to be gripped by a user and a side extending portion extending downward from each of both ends of the handle portion, the side extending portion being configured to insert into the upper cover.

7. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the suction port and the discharge port are oriented facing each other.

8. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the lower cover includes a lower cover shaft at one side, the lower cover being configured to rotate about the lower cover shaft, and

wherein the case includes a lower cover coupling portion that is located at a lower end of the case, the lower cover coupling portion being rotatably coupled to the lower cover shaft.

9. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 8, wherein the lower cover includes a lower hook that extends upward from a position that faces toward the lower cover shaft, the lower hook being configured to cover at least a portion of the lower end of the case, and

wherein the case includes a case hooking protrusion that protrudes radially outward from the outer surface of the case, the case hooking protrusion being configured to be restricted by an upper end of the lower hook.

10. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the lower cover includes a lower gasket that is configured to provide a seal between an inner side surface of the case and the lower cover.

11. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 9, wherein the case includes:

a pair of lower locker installing portions that protrudes from a lower portion of the outer surface of the case, the pair of lower locker installing portions being positioned vertically above the lower hook based on the lower cover coupling to the case; and

a locker slot defined at each of the pair of lower locker install portions, the locker slots extending vertically and being configured to guide movement of the lower locker,

wherein the lower locker includes a locking protrusion that protrudes from both sides of an inner side surface of the lower locker, the locking protrusion being configured to insert into the locker slot and move along the locker slot.

12. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 11, wherein the lower locker includes a push part that contacts an upper surface of the lower hook of the lower cover, the push part and a lower portion of the lower locker being configured to simultaneously push the lower hook to release the lower cover from the case.

13. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 12, wherein the push part has a lower surface that is inclined with respect to the outer surface of the case, the upper surface of the lower hook being inclined in a direction corresponding to the lower surface of the push part,

wherein the push part is configured to release restriction of the lower hook from the case based on the push part moving along the inclined direction of the upper surface of the lower hook.

14. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a cleaner body having an opening at an upper portion of the cleaner body;

a dust container detachably provided at a front portion of the cleaner body;

a cover member rotatably coupled to the cleaner body and configured to open and close at least a portion of the opening of the cleaner body, the cover member being configured to accommodate an upper portion of the dust container; and

a suction hose coupled to a front surface of the cover member, the suction hose being configured to suction dust and communicate with the dust container,

wherein the dust container includes;

a case configured to receive the suctioned dust, the case having an upper opening and a lower opening,

a cyclone located within the case and configured to separate the dust,

an upper cover configured to open and close the upper opening of the case, the upper cover defining a suction port through which the dust is suctioned and a discharge port through which air separated from the dust is discharged,

an upper locker rotatably coupled to an outer surface of the case and configured to selectively restrict the upper cover,

a lower cover configured to open and close the lower opening of the case, and

a lower locker slidably coupled to the outer surface of the case, the lower locker being configured to selectively push the lower cover to open the lower opening of the case, and

wherein the upper cover includes a passage guide that defines passages to the suction port and to the discharge port.

15. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 14, wherein the cover member is configured to accommodate the upper cover of the dust container.

16. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 15, wherein the cover member includes a connector located at the front surface of the cover member and detachably connected to the suction hose, the connector being configured to communicate with the suction port of the dust container.

17. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 16, wherein the connector is configured to selectively contact the suction port based on the cover member opening and closing.

18. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 14, wherein the cleaner body includes a seating part located at a lower portion of the cleaner body, the seating part being inclined with respect to a ground and configured to support a lower surface of the dust container in an inclined orientation corresponding to the seating part.

19. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 14, wherein the cleaner body includes a seating member that is configured to contact and support a circumferential surface of the dust container, and

wherein the seating member defines a locker groove recessed from an inner surface of the seating member that faces the dust container, the locker groove being configured to receive the upper locker.