DUST COLLECTING APPARATUS, CLEANING APPARATUS USING SAID DUST COLLECTING APPARATUS, AND METHOD OF CONTROLLING CLEANING APPARATUS

• US 20170273529A1
• Filed: 08/24/2015
• Published: 09/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2014
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: CHUNG, Jun Sung, KIM, Joo Ho, ROH, Hee Yuel
• Application Number:
  US15/508,763
• Publication Number:
  US 20170273529A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 5/362 of the horizontal type, e.g. canister or sledge type
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/106 Dust removal
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/122 flat
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/16 Arrangement or disposition of cyclones or other devices with centrifugal action
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1608 Cyclonic chamber constructions
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1683 Dust collecting chambers; Dust collecting receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1691 Mounting or coupling means for cyclonic chamber or dust receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/19 Means for monitoring filtering operation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/24 Hoses or pipes; Hose or pipe couplings hoses or hose joints in general F16L
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/28 Installation of the electric equipment, e.g. adaptation or attachment to the suction cleaner; Controlling suction cleaners by electric means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/281 the amount or condition of incoming dirt or dust
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2831 Motor parameters, e.g. motor load or speed
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2836 characterised by the parts which are controlled
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2842 Suction motors or blowers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/325 for wheeled suction cleaners with steering handle
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/327 : for suction cleaners with hose between nozzle and casing
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/00 : Weighing apparatus or methods adapted for special purposes not provided for in the preceding groups electric measuring arrangements involving comparison with a reference value G01R17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/17 : Systems in which incident light is modified in accordance with the properties of the material investigated where the material investigated is optically excited causing a change in wavelength of the incident light G01N21/63
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/137 : characterised by the electro-optical or magneto-optical effect, e.g. field-induced phase transition, orientation effect, guest-host interaction or dynamic scattering
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 2203/02 : reflective
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/2003 : Display of colours specific for liquid crystal displays G09G3/3607

Abstract

Disclosed are related to a dust collecting apparatus, a cleaning apparatus, and a method of controlling the cleaning apparatus. The dust collecting apparatus may comprises a dust collecting space configured to collect impurities and a variable body formed to surround the dust collecting space and having one of transparency, shape and color changed by selectively transmitting or reflecting light in response to applied electric power.

Claims

1. A dust collecting apparatus comprising:

a dust collecting space configured to collect impurities; and

a variable body formed to surround the dust collecting space, wherein at least one of transparency, shape and color of the variable body is changed by selectively transmitting or reflecting light in response to applied electric power.

2. The dust collecting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to control the electric power applied to the variable body.

3. The dust collecting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the controller controls the electric power applied to the variable body in response to at least one of an amount of impurities accumulated in the dust collecting space, whether or not the impurities are inhaled into the dust collecting space, a velocity of the impurities inhaled into the dust collecting space, and an amount of the impurities inhaled into the dust collecting space.

4. The dust collecting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the variable body comprises a plurality of layers capable of reflecting light with different colors in response to the applied electric power, and, when the impurities are inhaled into the dust collecting apparatus, the controller controls the electric power to be applied to all the plurality of layers so that light passes through all the plurality of layers.

5. The dust collecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the variable body comprises a variable panel configured to transmit or reflect light in response to the applied electric power.

6. The dust collecting apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the variable panel comprises a plurality of layers capable of reflecting light with different colors in response to the applied electric power.

7. The dust collecting apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the variable body has one of the transparency, shape and color changed by applying electric power to at least one of the plurality of layers.

8. The dust collecting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a variable assembly in which the variable body is installed to be exposed in inner and outer directions.

9. The dust collecting apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the variable assembly comprises a first assembly having at least one open surface, and a second assembly having one open surface corresponding to one open surface of the first assembly and detachable/attachable from/to the first assembly.

10. The dust collecting apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the variable body is installed in at least one of the first assembly and the second assembly.

11. The dust collecting apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

a connector configured to electrically connect the first assembly and the second assembly; and

a controller configured to control electric power applied to the variable body installed in at least one of the first assembly and the second assembly.

12. The dust collecting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor comprising a weight sensing sensor configured to sense an amount of impurities in the dust collecting space.

13. The dust collecting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an internal dust collector having the dust collecting space formed at an inner side thereof and having an outer surface exhibiting light transmissivity.

14. The dust collecting apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising a variable assembly in which the variable body is installed to be exposed in inner and outer directions and which is connected so that the internal dust collector is detachable/attachable from/to an inner side thereof.

15. The dust collecting apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising a fastener configured to fasten the internal dust collector and the variable assembly to each other.

16. A cleaning apparatus comprising:

a dust collector comprising a dust collecting space configured to collect impurities and one or two or more variable body formed to surround the dust collecting space and having at least one of transparency, shape and color changed in response to applied electric power; and

a controller configured to control electric power applied to the dust collector in response to a state of the cleaning apparatus.

17-35. -35. (canceled)

36. A method of controlling a cleaning apparatus which comprises a dust collecting space configured to collect impurities and one or two or more variable body formed to surround the dust collecting space, the method comprising:

determining a state of the cleaning apparatus;

applying electric power to the variable body in response to the state of the cleaning apparatus; and

changing at least one of transparency, shape and color of the variable body in response to the applied electric power.

37. The method according to claim 36, wherein the state of the cleaning apparatus comprises at least one of an amount of impurities accumulated inside the dust collecting space, whether or not the cleaning apparatus operates, an impurity intake rate of the cleaning apparatus, an amount of the inhaled impurities in the cleaning apparatus, and the last cleaning time.

38. The method according to claim 36, wherein the variable body comprises a variable panel comprising a plurality of layers capable of reflecting light with different colors.

39. The method according to claim 38, wherein the applying of the electric power to the variable body in response to the state of the cleaning apparatus comprises:

determining whether the transparency or color is changed in response to the state of the cleaning apparatus; and

applying electric power to at least one of the plurality of layers, depending on whether the transparency or color is changed.