VACUUM CLEANER

• US 20100229331A1
• Filed: 03/09/2010
• Published: 09/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: KANG, Sung Su
• Granted Patent: US 8,978,197 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/347
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/108 Dust compression means

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner is provided. The vacuum cleaner may include a main body, a dust separator selectively mounted on the main body, the dust separator including a dust separation device and a dust storage device having at least one compression member disposed therein, the at least one compression member being configured to be rotated to compress dust.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a main body;

a dust separator mounted on the main body, the dust separator comprising a dust separation device that separates dust in air and a dust storage device having at least one compression member disposed therein, the at least one compression member having a rotation shaft and a blade formed at an outer peripheral surface of the rotating shaft.

2. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the dust storage device comprises:

a dust compression device containing the at least one compression member; and

a dust storage tank configured to store dust separated by the dust separation device and compressed by the dust compression device.

3. The vacuum cleaner of claim 2, wherein the dust compression device is connected to a lower part of the dust separation device, and the dust storage device is connected to a lower part of the dust compression device.

4. The vacuum cleaner of claim 2, wherein the dust compression device comprises:

a compression body in which the at least one compression member is disposed, wherein the compression body has at least one dust introduction portion in an upper wall thereof, a compression surface, and at least one discharge hole at a lower portion thereof.

5. The vacuum cleaner of claim 4, wherein the blade is configured to move dust inside the compression body in a first direction when the rotatable shaft rotates in the first direction to collect the dust against the compression surface.

6. The vacuum cleaner of claim 5, wherein the at least one dust introduction portion is disposed in a position adjacent a side wall of the compression body opposite to a side wall of the body comprising the compression surface.

7. The vacuum cleaner of claim 4, wherein the dust compression device further comprises an opening and closing device configured to allow or block communication between the dust compression device and the dust storage device.

8. The vacuum cleaner of claim 7, wherein the opening and closing device comprises:

an opening and closing member; and

an operation member configured to operate the opening and closing member to allow or block communication between the dust compression device and the dust storage device.

9. The vacuum cleaner of claim 8, wherein the operation member is configured to rotate the opening and closing member to a first position, at which at least one opening in the opening and closing member aligns with the at least one discharge hole in the compression body to allow communication between the dust compression device and the dust storage device, or to a second position, at which the opening and closing member blocks the at least one discharge hole in the compression body to block communication between the dust compression device and the dust storage device.

10. The vacuum cleaner of claim 4, wherein the dust compression device further comprises a discharge guide disposed in the compression body adjacent the compression surface and the at least one discharge hole.

11. The vacuum cleaner of claim 10, wherein the at least one discharge hole comprises two discharge holes and the discharge guide is disposed between the two discharge holes and guides dust to each of the two discharge holes.

12. The vacuum cleaner of claim 2, further comprising a drive device configured to rotate the rotation shaft, wherein the drive device is provided outside of the dust compression device.

13. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the dust storage device comprises a dust storage tank containing the at least one compression member and a lower cover attached to a lower portion of the dust tank.

14. The vacuum cleaner of claim 13, wherein the dust storage tank is divided into a compression space and the storage space by a dust guide, the at least one compression member is located within the compression space.

15. The vacuum cleaner of claim 14, wherein the dust guide comprises an inclined portion and a vertical portion.

16. The vacuum cleaner of claim 13, wherein the rotation shaft extends in a substantially vertical direction in the dust storage tank.

17. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the dust storage device comprises a dust storage tank detachably mounted to the main body, the dust storage tank comprises a partitioning device that partitions the dust storage tank into a compression space, in which the at least one compression member is disposed, and a storage space.

18. The vacuum cleaner of claim 17, wherein the partitioning device is provided with a communication hole that communicates the compression space with the storage space.

19. The vacuum cleaner of claim 17, wherein the compression space is defined between an inner surface of the partitioning device and an inner peripheral surface of the dust tank and the storage space is defined between an outer surface of the partitioning device and the inner peripheral surface of the dust tank.

20. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the blade has a spiral shape.