Upright type vacuum cleaner having a cyclone type dust collector

• US 6,502,278 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2001
• Issued: 01/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Oh, Jang-Keun, Park, Kyu-Chang
• Primary Examiner(s): MOORE, CHRISTOPHER K
• Application Number:
  US09/813,603
• Publication Number:
  US 20010054213A1
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• Field of Search: 153/52, 153/53, 554/29, 554/591
• US Class Current: 15/353
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1633 Concentric cyclones

Abstract

An upright type vacuum cleaner includes a cyclone type dust collector to collect contaminants from the air that is drawn in through a suction brush. The cyclone type dust collector includes a cover, first and second cyclone receptacles, and a lower door. The first cyclone receptacle separates by centrifugal force and collects large particle contaminants. The second cyclone receptacle, disposed in the first cyclone receptacle, separates and collects minute dust and includes a grill having a plurality of fine holes, through which air from the first cyclone receptacle flows into the second cyclone receptacle. The lower door provides access to the contaminants collected in the first and second cyclone receptacles. A reverse flow prevention section is also provided to prevent a reverse flow of contaminants from the lower door.

Claims

1. An upright type vacuum cleaner comprising:

a body having a dust chamber and a motor driving chamber;

a suction brush connected to the body;

cyclone type dust collecting means removably disposed in the dust chamber, for separating and collecting contaminants from air that is drawn in through the suction brush, the cyclone type dust collecting means comprising;

a cover having a first air inlet connected to a suction hose, the suction hose being connected to the suction brush and the dust chamber, the cover also having an air outlet connected to an exhaust hose, the exhaust hose being connected to the dust chamber and the motor driving chamber;

a first cyclone receptacle connected to the cover, the first cyclone receptacle inducing the air into a vortex to separate by centrifugal force and collect larger particle contaminants from the air;

a second cyclone receptacle disposed in the first cyclone receptacle, the second cyclone receptacle being connected to the cover and having a grill, the grill having a plurality of fine holes through which air from a bottom of the first cyclone receptacle flows, the second cyclone receptacle further including a second air inlet for guiding the air from the fine holes of the grill into a vortex;

a lower door removably mounted on an open lower end of the first cyclone receptacle, the lower door permitting disposal of contaminants from the first and second cyclone receptacles; and

reverse flow preventing means for preventing a reverse flow of contaminants from the lower door.

2. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the reverse flow preventing means further comprises an annular main rib protruding from an inner circumference of the first cyclone receptacle.

3. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the reverse flow preventing means further comprises an annular main rib protruding from an inner circumference of the first cyclone receptacle, and a reverse flow prevention pipe protruding from a lower center of the second cyclone receptacle, the reverse flow prevention pipe having an annular sub-rib protruding from an outer circumference of the reverse flow prevention pipe for preventing a reverse flow of contaminants.

4. The vacuum cleaner either of claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the main rib is downwardly inclined toward the lower door.

5. The vacuum cleaner of claim 3, wherein the sub-rib integrally extends from an upper end of the reverse flow prevention pipe in a radial direction, the sub-rib downwardly inclined toward the lower door.

6. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the grill comprises a plurality of fine holes formed along an outer circumference of the second cyclone receptacle, each fine hole being formed at a predetermined distance from adjacent fine holes.

7. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, further comprising:

a hinge shaft for pivotally connecting a side of the lower door to a lower side of the first cyclone receptacle; and

locking and unlocking means for locking and unlocking another side of the lower door to and from the first cyclone receptacle.

8. The vacuum cleaner of claim 7, wherein the locking and unlocking means comprises:

a lower door having a locking groove;

a locking rod movably disposed in the first cyclone receptacle to engage and disengage with the locking groove;

a first pressing member for biasing the locking rod toward the locking groove; and

an unlocking unit for retracting the locking rod from the locking groove, the unlocking unit overcoming a force of the first pressing member.

9. The vacuum cleaner of claim 8, wherein the unlocking unit comprises:

an unlocking button disposed on a side of the first cyclone receptacle;

a second pressing member for biasing the unlocking button outwardly;

a wire having a first end and a second end, the first end being connected to the locking rod; and

a pivot member having a first end and a second end, the first end of the pivot member being connected to the second end of the wire, the second end of the pivot member being connected to the unlocking button, the pivot member and the wire disengaging the locking rod from the locking groove when the unlocking button is depressed.

10. The vacuum cleaner either of claim 8 or claim 9, wherein the locking and unlocking means is disposed in a handle on an outer circumference of the first cyclone receptacle.

11. An upright type vacuum cleaner comprising:

a body having a dust chamber and a motor driving chamber;

a suction brush connected to the vacuum cleaner body and interconnected to the dust chamber through a connecting tube;

cyclone type dust collecting means removably disposed in the dust chamber for separating and collecting foreign substances from air that is drawn in through the suction brush, the cyclone type dust collecting means comprising;

a substantially cylindrical first cyclone receptacle having open upper and lower ends;

a second cyclone receptacle concentrically disposed within the first cyclone receptacle with a predetermined space therebetween, the second cyclone receptacle having open upper and lower ends;

a cover for covering the upper ends of the first and second cyclone receptacles;

a base for covering the lower ends of the first and second cyclone receptacles; and

an air exhaust pipe for interconnecting the second cyclone receptacle to the motor driving chamber.

12. The vacuum cleaner of claim 11, wherein the cyclone type dust collector further comprises an annular reverse flow prevention rib protruding from an inner circumference of the first cyclone receptacle toward a center axis at a predetermined sloping angle.

13. The vacuum cleaner of claim 12, wherein the reverse flow prevention rib is downwardly inclined toward the base.

14. The vacuum cleaner of claim 11, wherein the cover comprises:

a tube provided along the inner circumference of the dust chamber, the tube being interconnected with a connecting channel, the connecting channel being connected to the dust chamber;

an inflow pipe radially extending a predetermined length along a ceiling and an inner circumference of the cover, the inflow pipe being interconnected with the tube; and

a suction pipe protruding a predetermined depth from a center of the ceiling of the cover, the suction pipe being interconnected with the exhaust pipe.

15. The vacuum cleaner of claim 14, wherein the suction pipe has a funnel-like shape, in which a free end of the suction pipe extends radially from the suction pipe, gradually increasing a diameter of the suction pipe.

16. The vacuum cleaner of claim 11, wherein the second cyclone receptacle is substantially cylindrical shape and has a plane upper side, a tapered side gradually decreasing in a diameter of the cylinder, and a bottom side for covering one end of the cyclone receptacle, the plane upper side having a dual structure formed of an outer body having a plurality of fine holes uniformly formed therein, and an inner body disposed within the outer body at a predetermined distance from the outer body, the bottom side having a guiding tube extending a predetermined distance from the center of the second cyclone receptacle.

17. The vacuum cleaner of claim 16, further comprising an air outlet formed in an upper end of the inner body of the second cyclone receptacle, the air outlet having an opening partially overlapping an opening of the inflow pipe of the cover.

18. The vacuum cleaner of claim 17, further comprising a guide tube radially extending in a diagonal direction for inducing air from the air outlet into a vortex.

19. The vacuum cleaner of claim 11, wherein the exhaust pipe comprises a first exhaust sub-pipe formed on the outer surface of the cover, a second exhaust sub-pipe formed on an outer surface of the first cyclone receptacle, and a third exhaust sub-pipe formed on an outer surface of the base, the first, second and third exhaust sub-pipes being interconnected with each other.

20. The vacuum cleaner of claim 19, the second exhaust sub-pipe is spaced from the first cyclone receptacle to form a handle.

21. The vacuum cleaner of claim 11, wherein the base is removably connected to the first cyclone receptacle.