Dust collection apparatus for vacuum cleaner

• US 7,597,730 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2006
• Issued: 10/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2005
• 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: Yoo, Dong-hun, Choung, Myoung-sun, You, Jae-sun
• Primary Examiner(s): Hopkins; Robert A
• Application Number:
  US11/367,946
• Publication Number:
  US 20070011998A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,313 Days
• Field of Search: 553/37, 554/24, 554/29, 554/56, 554/591, 55D/IG.3
• US Class Current: 55/337
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1666 with filtering means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1683 Dust collecting chambers; Dust collecting receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 55/03 Vacuum cleaner

Abstract

A dust collecting apparatus for a vacuum cleaner including a cyclone body provided with a cyclone chamber and a contaminant collecting chamber formed therein, a cyclone case provided in the cyclone body having the cyclone chamber and the contaminant collecting chamber separated from each other; an air inflow tube penetrating an outer wall of the cyclone body such that a suction passage at an outside of the cyclone body is fluidly communicated with a lower end of the cyclone chamber; and an air outlet tube penetrating sequentially a bottom of the cyclone case and a bottom the cyclone body to guide the air discharged from the cyclone chamber to a discharge passage placed at an outside of the cyclone body, wherein the contaminant collecting chamber is connected to the cyclone chamber through a contaminant discharge port formed at a side surface of upper end of the cyclone chamber.

Claims

1. A dust collecting apparatus for a vacuum cleaner comprising

a cyclone body provided with a cyclone chamber and a contaminant collecting chamber formed therein, the cyclone chamber being a space in which air entering from the exterior of the cyclone body ascends in a whirling manner and contaminants are separated from the air by a centrifugal force generated by the air, and the contaminant collecting chamber being a space in which the contaminants separated from the air are accumulated;

a cyclone case provided in the cyclone body and disposed at an upper side of the contaminant collecting chamber, the cyclone case having the cyclone chamber and the contaminant collecting chamber separated from each other;

an air inflow tube penetrating an outer wall of the cyclone body such that a suction passage at an outside of the cyclone body is fluidly communicated with a lower end of the cyclone chamber; and

an air outlet tube penetrating sequentially a bottom of the cyclone case and a bottom the cyclone body to guide the air discharged from the cyclone chamber to a discharge passage placed at an outside of the cyclone body,

wherein the contaminant collecting chamber is connected to the cyclone chamber through a contaminant discharge port formed at a side surface of an upper end of the cyclone chamber,

wherein the cyclone body comprises

an upper case surrounding the cyclone case with a certain gap and having an opened lower end;

a contaminant collecting receptacle being combined detachably with a lower end of the upper case and having the contaminant collecting chamber formed therein;

a support body provided at a combining portion of the upper case and the contaminant collecting receptacle; and

at least one supporting rib connecting the support body and the cyclone case to support the cyclone case on an upper side of the contaminant collecting receptacle,

wherein the contaminants discharged through the contaminant discharge port fall due to their own weight, are passed sequentially between the cyclone case and the upper case and between the at least one supporting rib and are then collected in the contaminant collecting chamber.

2. The dust collecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the air inflow tube has one side fixed to the cyclone body to support the cyclone case.

3. The dust collecting apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein the cyclone body comprises an upper case in which the cyclone case is provided, and a contaminant collecting receptacle having the contaminant collecting chamber formed therein, the contaminant collecting chamber being detachably combined with an opened lower end of the upper case, and

wherein the air inflow tube is passed between the upper case and the contaminant collecting receptacle.

4. The dust collecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the air outlet tube is provided with an air discharge port formed at an upper end thereof for allowing the air discharged from the cyclone chamber to enter therein, a portion of the upper end of the air outlet tube being protruded to an inside of the cyclone chamber to dispose the air discharge port between the bottom surface of the cyclone case and the contaminant discharge port.

5. The dust collecting apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the air outlet tube comprises a first air outlet tube portion extending upward from a first portion of the bottom surface of the cyclone body and a second air outlet tube portion extending upward from a second portion of the bottom surface of the cyclone case and connected with an upper end of the first air outlet tube portion, the air outlet tube supporting the cyclone case when the first and second air outlet tube portions are connected with each other.

6. The dust collecting apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the air outlet tube is formed such that an inner diameter is gradually increased toward the bottom of the cyclone body.

7. The dust collecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support body, the air inflow tube, the at least one supporting rib and the cyclone case are formed integrally with each other.

8. The dust collecting apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the support body is formed into a ring shape and is disposed between the upper case and the contaminant collecting receptacle, the at least one supporting rib being provided radially about the cyclone case.

9. The dust collecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a portion of the support body is protruded to an inside of the cyclone body, and the support body and the at least one supporting rib prevent the contaminant in the contaminant collecting chamber from flowing to the upper case when the cyclone body is inclined.

10. The dust collecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an upper end of the cyclone case and an upper sidewall of the cyclone body are spaced apart from each other at a certain distance to form the contaminant discharge port.

11. The dust collecting apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a grill member covering the contaminant discharge port for filtering the air drawn in the contaminant discharge port.

12. The dust collecting apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the cyclone body comprises a backflow preventing protrusion being protruded downward from the upper sidewall for preventing the contaminant in the contaminant collecting chamber from re-entering to an inside of the cyclone chamber.

13. The dust collecting apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the backflow preventing protrusion is formed into a cylindrical shape and has an opened lower end disposed at an upper side of the cyclone case, and the backflow preventing protrusion has an inner diameter larger than that of the cyclone case.

14. The dust collecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cyclone body has

a lower cover comprising a penetrating hole for communicating the outlet of the air outlet tube with the discharge passage, and being mounted to a lower end of the cyclone body for opening and closing the lower end;

and

a filter member provided detachably between the lower cover and the outlet of the air outlet tube.

15. The dust collecting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cyclone case comprises a spirally shaped guide member for guiding the air drawn in through the air inflow tube to make the air ascend and whirl in the cyclone chamber.