Vacuum cleaner

• US 20050198770A1
• Filed: 12/08/2004
• Published: 09/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Jung, Jae Duck, Sung, Ha Jong
• Granted Patent: US 7,669,282 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/353
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/30 with driven dust-loosening tools, e.g. rotating brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/362 of the horizontal type, e.g. canister or sledge type
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0444 for conveying motion by endless flexible members, e.g. belts
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0477 Rolls
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/127 tube- or sleeve-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1658 Construction of outlets
• 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 9/183 Spray cleaning

Abstract

Disclosed is a vacuum cleaner including a suction nozzle; a dust collecting assembly which includes a dust collecting container having a dust collecting space and an opened bottom, an inlet, a filtering device provided in the dust collecting container, and an outlet; and a cleaner body which includes a dust collecting assembly receiving recess for detachably receiving the dust collecting assembly, a polluted air outlet provided at the dust collecting assembly receiving recess and communicating with the inlet of the dust collecting assembly, a clean air inlet provided on an inner wall of the dust collecting assembly receiving recess to face the dust collecting assembly and communicating with the outlet of the dust collecting assembly, and a clean air conduit having a fan provided therein, for exhausting the clean air to the outside of the vacuum cleaner.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a suction nozzle for sucking an air containing impurities by operation of a motor;

a dust collecting assembly including;

a dust collecting container having a dust collecting space formed in a cylindrical form therein, and having an openable and closable bottom;

an inlet through which the polluted air is drawn to the inside of the dust collecting container;

a filtering device detachably provided in the dust collecting container for filtering impurities such as dust; and

an outlet through which clean air is exhausted; and

a cleaner body including;

a dust collecting assembly receiving recess for detachably receiving the dust collecting assembly;

a polluted air outlet provided at the dust collecting assembly receiving recess, communicating with the inlet of the dust collecting assembly, and discharging the polluted air sucked through the suction nozzle to the dust collecting assembly;

a clean air inlet provided on an inner wall of the dust collecting assembly receiving recess so as to face the direction of mounting the dust collecting assembly, and communicating with the outlet of the dust collecting assembly; and

a clean air conduit including a fan provided therein and rotated by the motor, wherein a first end of the clean air conduit communicating with the clean air inlet and a second end of the clean air conduit has a clean air outlet for exhausting the clean air to the outside of the vacuum cleaner.

2. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the dust collecting container comprises:

a top container formed in a cylindrical form;

a bottom lid having a first end rotatably connected to a first side of a lower end of the top container for opening and closing a bottom of the top container; and

a lid fixing device for selectively fixing the bottom lid such that the bottom lid opens or closes the bottom of the top container.

3. The vacuum cleaner of claim 2, wherein the lid fixing device comprises:

a hook member having a hook caught by a second end of the bottom lid at a first end thereof; and

a hook supporter provided at a side of the top container for supporting the hook member.

4. The vacuum cleaner of claim 3, wherein the hook member is rotatably coupled to the hook supporter and has a second end coupled to an elastic member providing a restoring force.

5. The vacuum cleaner of claim 3, wherein the bottom lid comprises a projection provided at a second end of the bottom lid and being caught by the hook of the hook member.

6. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the dust collecting container further comprises a top plate having a pass through hole perpendicularly bored so as to insert or withdraw the filtering device from an upper side of the dust collecting assembly, wherein the filtering device is coupled to the top plate.

7. The vacuum cleaner of claim 6, wherein the filtering device is coupled to the top plate by means of a projection formed at an upper end of the filtering device and a coupling lever provided on an upper surface of the top plate for fixing the projection.

8. The vacuum cleaner of claim 6, wherein the top plate is openably and closably provided at an upper part of the dust collecting container.

9. The vacuum cleaner of claim 6, wherein the filtering device comprises:

a filter formed in a cylindrical form for filtering impurities; and

a filter supporter having an upper end coupled to the top plate for supporting the filter.

10. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the dust collecting assembly is attached or detached from a front of the cleaner body.

11. The vacuum cleaner of claim 10, wherein the outlet of the dust collecting assembly discharges the clean air to a rear side of the dust collecting container, and the clean air inlet is provided on a rear inner wall of the dust collecting assembly receiving recess.

12. The vacuum cleaner of claim 2, wherein the dust collecting assembly further comprises an inner flow tube having a first end communicating with the outlet of the dust collecting assembly and a second end communicating with the filtering device, and guiding the clean air from the filtering device to the outside of the dust collecting container.

13. The vacuum cleaner of claim 12, wherein the inner flow tube of the dust collecting assembly comprises:

a first flow tube having a first end communicating with the outlet of the dust collecting assembly and a second end extended toward a center of the dust collecting container; and

a second flow tube having a first end connected to the second end of the first flow tube, and a second end extended upward to a lower end of the filtering device.

14. The vacuum cleaner of claim 13, wherein a connecting part of the first flow tube and the second flow tube is curved or inclined so as to minimize flow resistance of the clean air discharged from the dust collecting space.

15. The vacuum cleaner of claim 12, wherein the inner flow tube is incorporated integrally into the bottom lid and passes through a rim of the bottom lid.

16. The vacuum cleaner of claim 12, wherein the inner flow tube comprises a flow tube cover provided at the second end thereof so as to prevent the impurities from being flowed into the inside thereof.

17. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the dust collecting assembly further comprises a separation plate for dividing an inner space of the dust collecting container into an upper space and a lower space.

18. The vacuum cleaner of claim 17, wherein the separation plate is rotatably provided in the dust collecting container.

19. The vacuum cleaner of claim 18, wherein the separation plate comprises two semicircular plates provided in the dust collecting container so that the semicircular plates rotate in an upper direction of the dust collecting container.

20. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the inlet of the dust collecting assembly is provided in a tangential direction at a predetermined location on a side of the dust collecting container such that the polluted air drawn into the inner space of the dust collecting container spirally flows.