Compact robot vacuum cleaner

• US 20070137153A1
• Filed: 06/20/2006
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Gwangju Electronics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Gwangju Electronics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Oh, Jang-keun, Lee, Hak-bong
• Granted Patent: US 7,749,294 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 55/385.100
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/00 Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/28 Suction cleaners with handles and nozzles fixed on the casings, e.g. wheeled suction cleaners with steering handle A47L5/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1608 Cyclonic chamber constructions
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1683 Dust collecting chambers; Dust collecting receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 15/03 Matrix

Abstract

A robot cleaner that has a dust collection unit with a cyclone part generating an ascending rotary air current from the dust-laden air being drawn in through a lower part thereof, separating the dust from the air using a centrifugal force, and discharging the dust-separated air to the lower part through a center part, and a collection part surrounding the cyclone part to receive the dust being centrifugally separated.

Claims

1. A robot cleaner, comprising of:

a dust collection unit including;

a cyclone part generating an ascending rotary air current from dust-laden air being drawn in through a lower part thereof, separating the dust from the air using a centrifugal force, and discharging the dust-separated air to the lower part through a center part thereof; and

a collection part surrounding the cyclone part and receiving the dust centrifugally separated from the air.

2. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the dust collection unit includes a discharge path for guiding the dust-separated air by the cyclone part to a discharge port.

3. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the cyclone part comprises:

an inner canister for discharging therethrough the dust-separated air to a discharge path;

an outer canister enclosing the inner canister and forming a boundary between the cyclone part and the collection part; and

a bottom wall disposed at the inner and the outer canisters to form a spiral path,

wherein the bottom wall isolates one side of a suction path and the discharge path from the spiral path, respectively.

4. The robot cleaner of claim 1, wherein the dust collection unit further comprises a cover removably connected to an upper part thereof to open and close the cyclone part and the collection part.

5. The robot cleaner of claim 4, wherein the cover comprises:

a concave portion disposed on the cover at a position corresponding to the inner canister of the cyclone part and recessed toward the inner canister, to decrease volume of an upper end portion of the inner canister for favorable discharge of the air dust-separated by the cyclone part; and

at lease one handle mounted in the concave portion to help withdrawal of the dust collection unit from the cleaner body.

6. The robot cleaner of claim 5, wherein the at least one handle is pivotably mounted to the concave portion by a fixing projection.

7. The robot cleaner of claim 4, further comprising a locking unit for releasably locking the cover to the dust collection unit.

8. The robot cleaner of claim 7, wherein the locking unit comprises:

a pivot shaft pivotably connected to one lower side of the cover;

a lever connected to one side of the pivot shaft to rotate the pivot shaft;

one or more driving hooks connected to ends of the pivot shaft and pivoting by an angle that is the same as the rotating angle of the pivot shaft;

one or more fixing hooks disposed at one side of the dust collection unit and snap-connected with the one or more driving hooks; and

a return spring exerting resilience to the pivot shaft so as to resiliently bias the one or more driving hooks toward the corresponding fixing hooks.

9. A vacuum cleaner, comprising of:

a dust collection unit including,

a cyclone part generating an ascending rotary air current from the dust-laden air being drawn in through a lower part thereof, separating the dust from the air using a centrifugal force, and discharging the dust-separated air to the lower part through a center part thereof; and

a collection part surrounding the cyclone part to receive the dust centrifugally separated from the air, and

whereby the dust collection unit is overlapped at a lower part thereof with a discharge path for guiding the air dust-separated by the dust collection unit to a discharge port.

10. The vacuum cleaner of claim 9, wherein the dust collection unit further comprises a cover removably connected to an upper part thereof to open and close the cyclone part and the collection part, and

the cover comprises:

a concave portion disposed on the cover at a position corresponding to the inner canister of the cyclone part and recessed toward the inner canister, to decrease volume of an upper end portion of the inner canister for favorable discharge of the air dust-separated by the cyclone part; and

one or more handles mounted in the concave to help withdrawal of the dust collection unit from the cleaner body.

11. The vacuum cleaner of claim 9, further comprising a locking unit for resealably locking the cover to the dust collection unit, and

wherein the locking unit comprises:

a pivot shaft pivotably connected to one lower side of the cover;

a lever connected to one side of the pivot shaft to rotate the pivot shaft;

one or more driving hooks connected by one ends thereof to a circumference of the pivot shaft and pivoting by an angle the same as a rotating angle of the pivot shaft;

one or more fixing hooks dispose at one side of the dust collection unit and snap-connected with the one or more driving hooks; and

a return spring exerting resilience to the pivot shaft so as to resiliently bias the one or more driving hooks toward the corresponding fixing hooks.

12. A robot cleaner, comprising of:

a dust collection unit including;

a cyclone means for separating dust from dust-laden air drawn into the dust collection unit, and

a collection means for collecting dust separated from the dust-laden air by the cyclone means, wherein the cyclone means is received in said collection means.

13. A robot cleaner according to claim 12, wherein the dust collection unit meets with a discharge path for guiding the dust-separated air to a discharge part.

14. A robot cleaner according to claim 12, wherein the cyclone means includes a cyclone part with inner and outer canisters, the outer canister forming a barrier between the cyclone part and the collection means.

15. A robot cleaner according to claim 12, further comprising a cover coupled to the dust collection unit, and the cover including a locking means for releasably locking the cover to the collection unit.