VACUUM CLEANER

• US 20100212105A1
• Filed: 02/23/2010
• Published: 08/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: HA, Gun Ho, HWANG, Man Tae, MIN, Young Gum
• Granted Patent: US 8,151,409 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/347
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/108 Dust compression means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1691 Mounting or coupling means for cyclonic chamber or dust receptacles

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner is provided in which detachment of a dust collection device and compression of dust may be selectively performed. The vacuum cleaner may include a main body, a dust collection device selectively mounted on the main body, and a dust separation device selectively coupled to the dust collection device by operation of a lever assembly.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a main body;

a dust collection device selectively mounted on the main body; and

a dust separation device selectively coupled to the dust collection device by operation of a lever assembly.

2. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the lever assembly comprises:

a lever body mounted on the dust collection device;

a lever handle that extends from the lever body;

a first gear mounted on the lever body; and

a second gear mounted on the dust collection device.

3. The vacuum cleaner of claim 5, wherein gear teeth are formed on only a portion of the first gear and are configured to mate with gear teeth of the second gear.

4. The vacuum cleaner of claim 6, wherein the dust collection device comprises:

a first compression member fixed with respect to a case of the dust collection device; and

a second compression member, wherein the second compression member is movable with respect to the first compression member by operation of the lever assembly.

5. The vacuum cleaner of claim 7, wherein the second gear is attached to a rotation shaft of the second compression member.

6. The vacuum cleaner of claim 8, wherein when the lever handle is rotated from a first position to a second position, the dust container device moves upward and is coupled to the dust separation device, and when the lever handle is rotated from the second position to a third position, the gear teeth of the first gear engage with the gear teeth of the second gear to rotate the second compression member.

7. The vacuum cleaner of claim 9, wherein when the lever handle is in the third position, a protrusion is inserted in the lever handle to fix a location of the lever handle.

8. The vacuum cleaner of claim 7, further comprising a return device configured to return the second compression member to an original position.

9. The vacuum cleaner of claim 13, wherein the return device comprises a torsion spring.

11. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the operation of the lever assembly selectively couples the dust collection device to the dust separation device or operates a compression member disposed within the dust collection device.

13. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the lever assembly comprises:

a lever body mounted on the main body;

a lever handle that extends from the lever main body at one side thereof; and

a power transmission part.

14. The vacuum cleaner of claim 21, wherein the lever body is mounted on the main body via a rotational shaft.

15. The vacuum cleaner of claim 21, wherein the power transmission part extends from the lever body at a side opposite the side from which the lever handle extends.

10. The vacuum cleaner of claim 15, wherein the torsion spring is fitted on an outside of a rotation shaft of the second compression member.

16. The vacuum cleaner of claim 23, wherein the power transmission part comprises:

a plurality of gear teeth configured to mate with a gear device mounted on the dust collection device; and

a cylindrical portion at one side of the plurality of gear teeth.

17. The vacuum cleaner of claim 24, wherein when the lever handle is rotated from a first position to a second position, the dust container device moves upward and is coupled to the dust separation device, and when the lever handle is rotated from the second position to a third position, the gear teeth of the power transmission part engage with the gear teeth of the gear device to rotate the second compression member.

18. The vacuum cleaner of claim 24, wherein the gear device mounted on the dust collection device is rotatably connected to a rotational shaft of a compression member disposed in the dust collection device.

12. The vacuum cleaner of claim 18, wherein when a lever handle of the lever assembly is rotated from a first position to a second position, the dust container is coupled to the dust separation device, and when the lever handle is rotated from the second position to a third position, the lever assembly operates the compression member to compress dust within the dust collection device.

19. The vacuum cleaner of claim 27, wherein the lever body comprises:

at least one protrusion guide that protrudes from the lever body by a predetermined height to cause a relative motion between the lever body and the dust collection device when the lever body is rotated; and

at least one inner guide surface disposed at an incline at a side of the at least one protrusion guide.

20. The vacuum cleaner of claim 28, wherein the dust collection device comprises a guide part disposed on a bottom surface thereof, the guide part comprising:

a plurality of protrusions disposed at positions corresponding to position of the at least one protrusion guide and at least one guide surface; and

at least one inclined portion.