Cyclone dust collecting device and vacuum cleaner having the same

• US 7,395,579 B2
• Filed: 04/27/2004
• Issued: 07/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Gwangju Electronics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Gwangju Electronics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Oh, Jang-keun
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomas; David B
• Application Number:
  US10/832,346
• Publication Number:
  US 20040231091A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,533 Days
• Field of Search: 153/47, 153/53, 553/45, 553/37
• US Class Current: 15/347
• 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 9/122 flat
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1608 Cyclonic chamber constructions
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1666 with filtering means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1683 Dust collecting chambers; Dust collecting receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: B04C 2009/004 with internal filters, in the cyclone chamber or in the vortex finder
• CPC Class Codes: B04C 5/103 Bodies or members, e.g. bulkheads, guides, in the vortex chamber cores B04C5/107
• CPC Class Codes: B04C 5/12 Construction of the overflow ducting, e.g. diffusing or spiral exits
• CPC Class Codes: B04C 5/13 formed as a vortex finder and extending into the vortex chamber exits with bulkheads preventing reverse flow vortex B04C3/00; Discharge from vortex finder otherwise than at the top of the cyclone; Devices for controlling the overflow
• CPC Class Codes: B04C 9/00 Combinations with other devices, e.g. fans, expansion chambers, diffusors, water lockswith filters B01D50/00

Abstract

The vacuum cleaner having a suction port assembly and a dust collecting chamber includes a first air inlet path to connect the suction port assembly and the dust collecting chamber, a second air inlet path to connect a lower end of the dust collecting chamber and a vacuum generator, a cyclone dust collecting device detachably mounted in the dust collecting chamber so that an upper end is connected to the first air inlet path and a lower end is connected to the second air inlet path, and a filtering chamber integrally formed with the cyclone dust collecting device and having a filter member detachably disposed. As the second air inlet path requires less space, it is feasible to easily manufacture the vacuum cleaner and maintain the filtering chamber and the cyclone dust collecting device at a time. Therefore, maintenance of the vacuum cleaner becomes more convenient.

Claims

1. A cyclone dust collecting device for a vacuum cleaner, which is interposed between a first air inlet path connected to a suction port assembly and a second air inlet path connected to a vacuum generator of the vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a cyclone body having a first through hole connected to the first air inlet path, a second through hole formed at a lower end to be connected to the second air inlet path, and a cyclone chamber adapted to centrifugally separate contaminants from air drawn into the chamber through the first through hole and collect the contaminants therein; and

an air inlet pipe having an inlet port disposed in the cyclone chamber and an outlet port penetrating through a bottom side of the cyclone chamber in which the contaminants are stacked and connected to the second through hole,

wherein the outlet port of the air inlet pipe is formed in a shape which gradually increases in diameter toward a lower portion of the cyclone body.

2. The cyclone dust collecting device of claim 1, wherein the cyclone body further comprises a filter member interposed between the outlet port of the air inlet pipe and the second through hole to separate dust from the air which is discharged from the cyclone chamber and flows toward the second through hole.

3. The cyclone dust collecting device of claim 2, wherein the cyclone body includes a filtering chamber formed between the outlet port of the air inlet pipe and the second through hole, and the filter member is detachably disposed in the filtering chamber.

4. The cyclone dust collecting device of claim 3, wherein the outlet port of the air inlet pipe is formed in a conical shape, and defining the filtering chamber.

5. The cyclone dust collecting device of claim 4, wherein the filtering chamber is exposed and closed by a covering member disposed at the lower end of the cyclone body, and the second through hole penetrates through the covering member.

6. The cyclone dust collecting device of claim 5, wherein the filtering chamber is provided with an adhesion preventing member to prevent the filter member from blocking the second through hole due to the flow of the clean air moving to the second through hole.

7. The cyclone dust collecting device of claim 6, wherein the adhesion preventing member is integrally formed with and protruding from the covering member, and includes at least one adhesion preventing rib to support the filter member when the covering member is closed.

8. The cyclone dust collecting device of claim 1, wherein the cyclone body further comprises:

a cyclone head unit having a first through hole connected to the first inlet path; and

a dust receptacle detachably connected to the cyclone head unit and forming the cyclone chamber.

9. The cyclone dust collecting device of claim 8, wherein the dust receptacle comprises:

a first space to form the cyclone chamber when the dust receptacle and the cyclone head unit are connected to each other; and

a second space in fluid communication with the first space through the air inlet pipe, and the second space being exposed and closed by a covering member which is hinged to a lower end of the dust receptacle,

wherein the second through hole penetrates through the covering member.

10. The cyclone dust collecting device of claim 9, wherein the dust receptacle and the covering member are formed of a transparent material.

11. The cyclone dust collecting device of claim 9, wherein a latching unit is disposed at a side of each of the dust receptacle and the covering member in a complementary manner to fix the covering member when the covering member covers the lower end of the dust receptacle.

12. The cyclone dust collecting device of claim 8, a grip is formed at a side of the dust receptacle.

13. The cyclone dust collecting device of claim 8, wherein the air inlet pipe comprises:

a first tube fixed at the cyclone head unit and having an inlet port disposed at an upper portion of the cyclone chamber and a lower end which is open; and

a second tube having an upper end connected with the lower end of the first tube when the cyclone head unit and the dust receptacle are connected to each other, and a lower end penetrating through the bottom side of the cyclone chamber and being in fluid communication with the second through hole.

14. The cyclone dust collecting device of claim 1, wherein the air inlet pipe is provided with a back-flow preventing skirt disposed within the cyclone chamber.

15. The cyclone dust collecting device of claim 1, wherein the inlet port of the air inlet pipe has a grill shape.

16. The cyclone dust collecting device of claim 1, wherein the lower end of the inlet pipe serves as the bottom of the dust collecting chamber so as to collect dust in addition to functioning as an outlet port.

21. The vacuum cleaner of claim 16, wherein the cyclone body further comprises:

a cyclone head unit having the first through hole connected to the first inlet path; and

a dust receptacle detachably connected to the cyclone head unit and forming the cyclone chamber.

22. The vacuum cleaner of claim 21, wherein the dust receptacle comprises:

a first space to form the cyclone chamber when the dust receptacle and the cyclone head unit are connected to each other; and

a second space fluidly communicating with the first space through the air inlet pipe and exposed and closed by a covering member which is hinged to a lower end of the dust receptacle,

wherein the second through hole penetrates through the covering member.

17. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a suction port assembly to draw in contaminants on a surface to be cleaned;

a cleaner body having a vacuum generator connected to the suction port assembly through first and second air inlet paths with a dust collecting chamber interposed between the first and the second air inlet paths; and

a cyclone dust collecting device detachably mounted in the dust collecting chamber and connected to first and second air inlet paths, respectively, wherein the first air inlet path connects the cyclone dust collecting device with the suction port assembly, and the second air inlet path connects the vacuum generator disposed at a lower portion of the dust collecting chamber with a lower end of the cyclone dust collecting device wherein the cyclone dust collecting device comprises;

a cyclone body having a first through hole connected to the first air inlet path, a second through hole formed at a lower end of the cyclone body and connected to the second air inlet path, and a cyclone chamber adopted to centrifugally separate contaminants from air drawn in through the first through hole and collect the contaminants therein; and

an air inlet pipe having an inlet port disposed in the cyclone chamber and an outlet port penetrating through a bottom side of the cyclone chamber in which the contaminants are stacked and connected to the second through hole, and the air inlet pipe to guide the clean air discharged from the cyclone chamber to the second through hole,

wherein the outlet port of the air inlet pipe is formed in a shape which gradually increases in diameter toward a lower portion of the cyclone body.

18. The vacuum cleaner of claim 17, wherein the cyclone body further comprises a filter member interposed between the outlet port of the air inlet pipe and the second through hole to separate dust from the air discharged from the cyclone chamber flowing toward the second through hole.

19. The vacuum cleaner of claim 18, wherein the cyclone body includes a filtering chamber formed between the outlet port of the air inlet pipe and the second through hole, and the filter member is detachably disposed in the filtering chamber.

20. The vacuum cleaner of claim 19, wherein the outlet port of the air inlet pipe is formed in a conical shape, and dividing the cyclone chamber from the filtering chamber.

23. The vacuum cleaner of claim 17, wherein the lower end of the inlet pipe serves as the bottom of the dust collecting chamber so as to collect dust in addition to functioning as an outlet port.