VACUUM CLEANER

• US 20170319033A1
• Filed: 05/01/2017
• Published: 11/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: HYUN, Kietak, KO, Jungmin, EO, Soohan, LEE, Sangchul
• Granted Patent: US 10,398,272 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/362 of the horizontal type, e.g. canister or sledge type
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/108 Dust compression means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/127 tube- or sleeve-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1608 Cyclonic chamber constructions
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1625 for series flow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1633 Concentric cyclones
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1641 for parallel flow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1683 Dust collecting chambers; Dust collecting receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/20 Means for cleaning filters
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 45/12 by centrifugal forces centrifuges B04B; cyclones B04C
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 45/14 generated by rotating vanes, discs, drums or brushes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 45/16 generated by the winding course of the gas stream , the centrifugal forces being generated solely or partly by mechanical means, e.g. fixed swirl vanes
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/0056 with rotational movement
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/681 by scrapers, brushes or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 50/20 Combinations of devices covered by groups B01D45/00 and B01D46/00

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner, including a cleaner body; and a dust collector provided in the cleaner body, wherein the dust collector includes a first cyclone provided within an outer case to filter foreign matter and dust from air introduced into the dust collector; a second cyclone accommodated within the first cyclone to separate fine dust from the air introduced into the first cyclone; and a screw surrounding part of the first cyclone, and configured to be rotatable in at least one direction with respect to the first cyclone, wherein the screw includes a pillar that spans a height of the mesh filter; and a scraper provided on an inner surface of the pillar facing an outer surface of the mesh filter, and configured to sweep off dust and foreign matter accumulated on the mesh filter during the rotation of the screw.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a cleaner body; and

a dust collector provided in the cleaner body, wherein the dust collector includes;

a first cyclone provided by an inner case including a mesh filter and an outer case to filter first foreign matter from air introduced into the dust collector;

a second cyclone having a plurality of hollow bodies in the inner case to separate second foreign matter from the air filtered from the first cyclone; and

a rotatable shell surrounding part of the first cyclone, and configured to be rotatable in at least one direction with respect to the first cyclone to form a first storage chamber, wherein the rotatable shell includes;

a pillar that spans a height of the mesh filter; and

a scraper provided on an inner surface of the pillar facing an outer surface of the mesh filter, and configured to sweep off dust and foreign matter accumulated on the mesh filter during the rotation of the screw.

2. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the scraper contacts the mesh filter.

3. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the scraper is a brush.

4. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the scraper is formed of an elastic material, and is integrally coupled to the pillar formed of a synthetic resin material by double injection molding.

5. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the scraper is formed of the same synthetic resin material as that of the pillar and is integrally formed with the pillar by injection molding.

6. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein a plurality of pillars are spaced apart at preset intervals along an outer circumference of the mesh filter.

7. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the rotatable shell further includes:

a lower frame connected to a lower end of the pillar and surrounding a lower end of the first cyclone; and

an upper frame connected to an upper end of the pillar and surrounding an upper end of the first cyclone.

8. The vacuum cleaner of claim 7, wherein a skirt extends downward and outward from the lower frame to prevent the scattering of dust collected in a dust storage section at a lower portion of the rotatable shell.

9. The vacuum cleaner of claim 7, wherein the lower frame includes a vane extending in a spiral shape along a flow direction of air introduced into the outer case to induce an inflow of dust and foreign matter filtered by the first cyclone.

10. The vacuum cleaner of claim 9, wherein a rib inclined in a direction opposite to the vane protrudes from an inner circumferential surface of the outer case facing the vane.

11. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the dust collector further includes a compactor configured to be rotatable in first and second directions in a dust storage chamber to compact first foreign matter collected into the dust storage chamber formed below the rotatable shell so as to reduce a volume thereof, and

the rotatable shell is coupled to the compactor to rotate along with the compactor.

12. The vacuum cleaner of claim 11, wherein the rotatable shell and the compactor respectively include a first cuff and a second cuff, each configured with a plurality of ribs extended in respective radial directions at preset intervals.

13. The vacuum cleaner of claim 12, wherein the first cuff surrounds the second cuff.

14. The vacuum cleaner of claim 13, wherein the first cuff is located above the second cuff.

15. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein a discharge port of the second cyclone passes through a bottom surface of the first cyclone, and

the inner case accommodating the discharge port is provided at a lower portion of the first cyclone to form a second storage chamber to collect second foreign matter discharged through the discharge port.

16. The vacuum cleaner of claim 15, wherein the dust collector further includes:

a lower cover hinge-coupled to the outer case to form a bottom surface of the first storage chamber and the second storage chamber provided at an outside and an inside of the inner case, respectively, and configured to open the first storage chamber and the second storage chamber at the same time when rotated with respect to the outer case by a hinge.

17. The vacuum cleaner of claim 16, wherein the compactor includes a shaft surrounding the inner case and configured to be rotatable with respect to the inner case, and a blade extending from a lower portion of the compactor, and

wherein the lower cover includes a gearing having a first gear configured to receive a driving force from a drive motor provided in the cleaner body, and engaged with a fastening groove provided on an inner circumferential surface of shaft to rotate the shaft;

and

a seal cap mounted on the first gear, and arranged to cover a lower opening of the inner case when the gearing is engaged with the fastening groove.

18. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a cleaner body; and

a dust collector provided in the cleaner body, wherein the dust collector includes;

a first cyclone provided by an inner case and an outer case configured to separate first foreign matter from air introduced into the dust collector, and provided with a housing on which a plurality of openings are formed along an outer circumference thereof and a mesh filter mounted on the housing to cover the openings;

a second cyclone having a plurality of hollow bodies in the inner case configured to separate second foreign matter from air filtered from the first cyclone; and

a rotatable shell configured to be rotatable in at least one direction with respect to the first cyclone, and including a scraper configured to move along an outer circumference of the first cyclone while being in contact with the mesh filter during the rotation.

19. The vacuum cleaner of claim 18, wherein the dust collector further includes a compactor configured to be rotatable in first and second directions in a first storage chamber to compact first foreign matter collected into the first storage chamber formed below the rotatable shell so as to reduce a volume thereof, and

the rotatable shell is coupled to the compactor to rotate along with the compactor.

20. The vacuum cleaner of claim 19, wherein at least one of the rotatable shell and the compactor includes a cuff extending from the compactor and including a plurality of ribs extending radially at preset intervals between the cuff and the compactor.