Vacuum cleaner with dust collecting device

• US 7,325,274 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2004
• Issued: 02/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Jeong, Hoi-Kil
• Primary Examiner(s): Snider; Theresa T.
• Application Number:
  US10/878,032
• Publication Number:
  US 20050005392A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,316 Days
• Field of Search: 153/272, 153/52, 153/53, 554/29, 55D/IG.3
• US Class Current: 15/352
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1691 Mounting or coupling means for cyclonic chamber or dust receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 55/03 Vacuum cleaner

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner is disclosed. The vacuum cleaner includes a main body including a suction device therein and a depressed portion opened to its upper portion, a dust collecting device seated into the depressed portion of the main body and collecting dust in a cyclonic fashion, and a catching member provided in the dust collecting device, wherein catching steps are provided on at least both ends of the catching member and caught into an inner wall of the depressed portion. The depressed portion is formed with guide inclination surfaces and catching grooves at positions corresponding to the catching steps of the catching member, respectively. The dust collecting device comprises a dust tank in which foreign materials are collected, wherein the dust tank is provided with an inlet and an ejection port to communicate with the passage formed in the main body and a cover assembly mounted onto an upper end of the dust tank to open and close an inside of the dust tank, and the catching member is seated into the cover assembly. With such structure, it is possible to easily detach and mount the dust collecting device from and into the depressed portion of the main body, respectively, and the dust collecting device can be securely mounted.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a suction part configured to suck in air containing foreign materials;

a main body provided with a passage through which the air sucked through the suction part flows, the main body being formed with a depressed portion at least an upper portion of which is open and which is in communication with the passage;

a suction force device provided in the main body, the suction force device providing a suction force for sucking the air;

a dust collecting device seated into the depressed portion, the dust collecting device forming a portion of the passage and collecting the foreign materials; and

a catching member provided in the dust collecting device, catching steps being provided on at least both ends of the catching member, the catching steps being caught into an inner wall of the depressed portion with an elastic force, wherein the dust collecting device moves from the upper portion to a lower portion of the main body, and then is mounted into the depressed portion and wherein the dust collection device comprises;

a dust tank in which the foreign materials are collected, the dust tank being provided with an inlet and an ejection port to communicate with the passage formed in the main body; and

a cover assembly mounted onto an upper end of the dust tank to open and close an inside of the dust tank, the catching member being seated into the cover assembly.

2. The vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the depressed portion is formed with guide inclination surfaces and catching grooves at positions corresponding to the catching steps of the catching member, respectively.

3. The vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cover assembly comprises:

a cover frame including a handle;

a sealing member provided on a lower surface of the cover frame to be installed in close contact with the upper end of the dust tank; and

the catching member including a grip portion seated into the handle, elastic deformable portions each of which has the catching step provided at both ends of the catching member, the elastic deformable portions projecting through between the cover frame and the sealing member to a lower portion of the cover assembly to expose the catching steps.

4. The vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 3, wherein the catching member is supported by an elastic member in a direction in which the catching steps are projected outside of the cover assembly.

5. The vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 3, wherein each of the catching steps comprises an elastic sliding surface formed with an inclined surface in a direction away from an outer peripheral surface of the dust tank, and a mounting sliding surface connected to the elastic sliding surface and formed with an inclined surface in a direction opposite to the elastic sliding surface.

6. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a suction part including a suction port configured to suck in air containing foreign materials;

a main body including a suction device therein, the suction device providing a suction force for sucking the air, the main body being provided with a passage through which an airflow formed by the suction device flows, the main body being formed with a depressed portion at least an upper portion of which is open;

a dust collecting device including a dust tank, an inside of which is in communication with the passage, and a cover assembly detachably mounted to an upper end of the dust tank to shield the inside of the dust tank, the dust collecting device being seated into the depressed portion from the upper portion and performing a dust collecting operation; and

a catching member provided in the cover assembly, catching steps being provided on at least both ends of the catching member, respectively, the catching steps being caught into an inner wall of the depressed portion.

7. The vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 6, wherein the depressed portion having a mouth opened toward the upper portion of the main body, and guide inclination surfaces and catching grooves at positions corresponding to the catching steps of the catching member, respectively.

8. The vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 6, wherein the cover assembly comprises:

a cover frame including a handle;

a sealing member including a handle coupling portion connected to the handle, the handle coupling portion having an open slot through which a portion of the catching member is exposed, the sealing member being provided on a lower portion of the cover frame to be in close contact with the upper end of the dust tank; and

an elastic member supporting the catching member with an elastic force so that the portion of the catching member is exposed through the open slot.

9. The vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 8, wherein the catching member comprises:

a grip portion seated into the handle of the cover frame and the handle coupling portion of the sealing member, a portion of the grip portion being exposed through the open slot; and

elastic deformable portions formed to be extended at a right angle at both ends of the grip portion, respectively, wherein the catching step is formed at a front end of each of the elastic deformable portions.

10. The vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 9, wherein each of the catching steps comprises an elastic sliding surface formed with an inclined surface in a direction away from an outer peripheral surface of the dust tank, and a mounting sliding surface connected to the elastic sliding surface and formed with an inclined surface in a direction opposite to the elastic sliding surface.

11. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a suction part provided at a front end of an extension tube and configured to suck air containing foreign materials;

a main body connected to the suction part through a suction hose and the extension tube, the main body being provided with a passage through which the air sucked through the suction part flows, the main body being formed with a depressed portion at least an upper portion of which is open and which is in communication with the passage;

a suction device provided in the main body, the suction device providing a suction force for sucking the air;

a dust collecting device seated into the depressed portion from the upper portion to a lower portion, the dust collecting device forming a portion of the passage and collecting the foreign materials; and

a catching member provided in the dust collecting device, catching steps being provided on at least both ends of the catching member, the catching steps being caught into catching grooves adjacent to guide inclination surfaces formed on an inner wall of the depressed portion with an elastic force, respectively.

12. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a suction part provided at a front end of an extension tube and configured to suck air containing foreign materials;

a main body connected to the suction part through a suction hose and the extension tube, the main body being provided with a passage through which the air sucked through the suction part flows, the main body being formed with a depressed portion at least an upper portion of which is open and which is in communication with the passage;

a suction device provided in the main body, the suction device providing a suction force for sucking the air;

a dust collecting device seated into the depressed portion from the upper portion to a lower portion, the dust collecting device forming a portion of the passage and collecting the foreign materials; and

a catching member provided in the dust collecting device, catching steps being provided on at least both ends of the catching member, the catching steps being caught into catching grooves adjacent to guide inclination surfaces formed on an inner wall of the depressed portion with an elastic force, respectively, wherein the dust collecting device, comprises;

a dust tank in which the foreign materials are collected, the dust tank being provided with an inlet and an ejection port to communicate with the passage formed in the main body; and

a cover assembly mounted onto an upper end of the dust tank to open and close an inside of the dust tank, the catching member being seated into the cover assembly.

13. The vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 12, wherein the catching member is supported by an elastic member in a direction in which the catching steps project outside of the cover assembly, and wherein each of the catching steps comprises an elastic sliding surface formed with an inclined surface in a direction away from an outer peripheral surface of the dust tank, and a mounting sliding surface connected to the elastic sliding surface and formed with an inclined surface in a direction opposite to the elastic sliding surface.

14. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a suction part including a suction port configured to suck in air containing foreign materials;

a main body, the suction part being pivotably hinge connected to a side of the main body, the main body including therein a passage through which an airflow sucked through the suction part flows, the main body being formed with a depressed portion at least an upper portion of which is open;

a suction device provided in the suction part or the main body, the suction device providing a suction force that sucks the air;

a dust collecting device seated into the depressed portion from the upper portion to a lower portion, the dust collecting device forming a portion of the passage and collecting the foreign materials; and

a catching member provided in the dust collecting device, catching steps being provided on at least both ends of the catching member, the catching steps being caught into catching grooves adjacent to guide inclination surfaces formed on an inner wall of the depressed portion with an elastic force, respectively.

15. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a suction part including a suction port configured to suck in air containing foreign materials;

a main body, the suction part being pivotably hinge connected to a side of the main body, the main body including therein a passage through which an airflow sucked through the suction part flows, the main body being formed with a depressed portion at least an upper portion of which is open;

a suction device provided in the suction part or the main body, the suction device providing a suction force that sucks the air;

a dust collecting device seated into the depressed portion from the upper portion to a lower portion, the dust collecting device forming a portion of the passage and collecting the foreign materials; and

a catching member provided in the dust collecting device, catching steps being provided on at least both ends of the catching member, the catching steps being caught into catching grooves adjacent to guide inclination surfaces formed on an inner wall of the depressed portion with an elastic force, respectively, wherein the dust collecting device, comprises;

a dust tank in which the foreign materials are collected, the dust tank being provided with an inlet and an ejection port to communicate with the passage formed in the main body; and

a cover assembly mounted onto an upper end of the dust tank to open and close an inside of the dust tank, the catching member being seated into the cover assembly.

16. The vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 15, wherein the catching member is supported by an elastic member in a direction in which the catching steps project toward an outside of the cover assembly, and wherein each of the catching steps comprises an elastic sliding surface formed with an inclined surface in a direction away from an outer peripheral surface of the dust tank, and a mounting sliding surface connected to the elastic sliding surface and formed with an inclined surface in a direction opposite to the elastic sliding surface.

17. The vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 15, wherein the depressed portion is open toward an upper direction of the main body, and at the same time, is partially open toward a front surface of the main body.

18. The vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 15, wherein a handle is provided opposite to the suction part.

19. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a suction part including a suction port that sucks in air containing foreign materials;

a main body, the suction part being pivotably hinge connected to a side of the main body, the main body including therein a passage through which an airflow sucked through the suction part flows, the main body being formed with a depressed portion at least an upper portion of which is open;

a suction device provided in the suction part or the main body, the suction device providing a suction force for sucking the air;

a dust collecting device seated into the depressed portion, the dust collecting device forming a portion of the passage and collecting the foreign materials, wherein the dust collecting device comprises;

a dust tank in which the foreign materials are collected, the dust tank being provided with an inlet and an ejection port to communicate with the passage formed in the main body; and

a cover assembly mounted onto an upper end of the dust tank to open and close an inside of the dust tank; and

a catching member provided in the dust collecting device, the catching member being seated into the cover assembly and being released by a user pressing down on the cover assembly.