Vacuum cleaner

• US 20030028994A1
• Filed: 08/08/2002
• Published: 02/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Kitamura, Hidenori, Nagaoka, Hirokazu, Ishikawa, Seiji, Tsuzaki, Yasunori, Yamamura, Koji, Kajikawa, Saburo, Onda, Masakazu, Nomachi, Tetsuharu, Okushima, Masashi
• Granted Patent: US 7,047,593 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/353
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/108 Dust compression means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/165 Construction of inlets
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1658 Construction of outlets
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 55/03 Vacuum cleaner

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner includes a main body having an electric blower for generating a suction air flow, a dirt collecting case for centrifugally separating and collecting dirt, and a compression assembly for compressing dirt collected in the dirt collecting case to reduce a volume thereof. The dirt collecting case has a separation chamber for centrifugally separating dirt from the dirt containing air and a dirt collecting chamber in communication with the separation chamber for accumulating the dirt separated by the separation chamber. The compression assembly has a first air intake member provided in the separation chamber and communicating with the electric blower, a second air intake member provided in the dirt collecting chamber and communicating with the electric blower, a shielding plate for selectively opening the first and the second air intake member and an actuator for driving the shielding plate.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a main body having an electric blower for generating a suction air flow;

a dirt collecting case for centrifugally separating dirt, the dirt collecting case being installed at an intake side of the electric blower and communicating with a suction head which draws dirt containing air into the vacuum cleaner; and

means, provided in the dirt collecting case, for compressing dirt to reduce a volume thereof.

2. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the dirt collecting case includes:

a separation chamber for centrifugally separating dirt from the dirt containing air;

a first air intake member provided in the separation chamber and communicating with the electric blower;

a dirt collecting chamber in communication with the separation chamber for accumulating the dirt separated by the separation chamber; and

a second air intake member provided in the dirt collecting chamber and communicating with the electric blower.

3. The vacuum cleaner of claim 2, further comprising means for selectively opening a first and a second air suction passage, the first air intake member being in communication with the electric blower through the first air suction passage, and the second air intake member being in communication with the electric blower through the second air suction passage.

4. The vacuum cleaner of claim 3, wherein said means for selectively opening the air suction passages includes a shielding plate for selectively blocking a first opening portion constituting the first air suction passage and a second opening portion constituting the second air suction passage, and an actuator for driving the shielding plate.

5. The vacuum cleaner of claim 4, wherein the first air suction passage is closed during a predetermined time period when starting the vacuum cleaner.

6. The vacuum cleaner of claim 4, wherein the first air suction passage is closed for a predetermined time period when stopping the vacuum cleaner.

7. The vacuum cleaner of claim 5, wherein the electric blower is operated at a maximum operation power level for a predetermined period of time when the first air suction passage is closed.

8. The vacuum cleaner of claim 6, wherein the electric blower is operated at a maximum operation power level for a predetermined period of time when the first air suction passage is closed.

9. The vacuum cleaner of claim 4, wherein the electric blower is operated at a power level lower than a maximum operation power level while the shielding plate is driven.

10. The vacuum cleaner of claim 4, wherein the actuator is a motor and the shielding plate is driven for a preset time.

11. The vacuum cleaner of claim 4, wherein opening and closing the first opening portion is achieved by rotating the shielding plate in a first and a second direction, the first direction being opposite to the second direction.

12. The vacuum cleaner of claim 9, wherein opening and closing the first opening portion is achieved by rotating the shielding plate in a first and a second direction, the first direction being opposite to the second direction.

13. The vacuum cleaner of claim 4, wherein the actuator is a solenoid.