Cyclone dust collecting apparatus for vacuum cleaner

• US 7,678,166 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2006
• Issued: 03/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Gwangju Electronics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Han, Jung-gyun, Oh, Jang-keun, Yoo, Dong-hun
• Primary Examiner(s): Greene; Jason M
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI, DUNG H
• Application Number:
  US11/494,211
• Publication Number:
  US 20070199284A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,328 Days
• Field of Search: 553/37, 553/45, 553/46, 554/26, 554/18, 554/593, 554/594, 553/48, 554/53, 153/53, 153/52, 952/68
• US Class Current: 55/345
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1633 Concentric cyclones
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/165 Construction of inlets
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1666 with filtering means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1683 Dust collecting chambers; Dust collecting receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 45/12 by centrifugal forces centrifuges B04B; cyclones B04C
• 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: B04C 2009/004 with internal filters, in the cyclone chamber or in the vortex finder
• CPC Class Codes: B04C 5/04 Tangential inlets
• CPC Class Codes: B04C 5/14 Construction of the underflow ducting; Apex constructions; Discharge arrangements ; discharge through sidewall provided with a few slits or perforations provided with a great number of slits or perforations B04C5/10
• CPC Class Codes: B04C 5/26 for series flow

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a cyclone dust collecting apparatus for a vacuum cleaner having a high fine dust collecting efficiency. The cyclone dust collecting apparatus includes a first cyclone having an air suction hole through which dust-laden air is drawn-in, the first cyclone forcing the dust-laden air to downwardly whirl in a space under the air suction hole so as to centrifugally separate dust from the dust-laden air; a second cyclone disposed inside the first cyclone, the second cyclone forcing semi-clean air entering from the first cyclone to downwardly whirl so as to centrifugally separate fine dust from the semi-clean air; and an air guiding member forcing the semi-clean air discharged from the first cyclone to directly enter the second cyclone and, the air guiding member having a plurality of guiding blades radially disposed in at least one circular shape based on a vertical axis of the second cyclone.

Claims

1. A cyclone dust collecting apparatus for a vacuum cleaner comprising:

a first cyclone having an air suction hole through which dust-laden air is drawn-in, the first cyclone forcing the dust-laden air to form a first downwardly whirling air current in a space under the air suction hole so as to centrifugally separate dust from the dust-laden air;

a second cyclone disposed inside the first cyclone, the second cyclone forcing semi-clean air entering from the first cyclone to form a second downwardly whirling air current so as to centrifugally separate fine dust from the semi-clean air; and

an air guiding member forcing the semi-clean air discharged from the first cyclone to directly enter the second cyclone and, the air guiding member having a plurality of guiding blades radially disposed in at least one circular shape based on a vertical axis of the second cyclone,

wherein the plurality of guiding blades forms a plurality of slots to simultaneously function as an air discharging opening of the first cyclone and an air entering opening of the second cyclone,

wherein the plurality of guiding blades are disposed about a base, wherein the base comprises an inclined surface that assists in forming the first downwardly whirling air current.

2. The cyclone dust collecting apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an air suction pipe being downwardly inclined at an upper side of the first cyclone in a substantially tangential direction to the first cyclone body.

3. The cyclone dust collecting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of guiding blades comprises four guiding blades disposed by regular angular intervals based on the vertical axis.

4. The cyclone dust collecting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of guiding blades is inclined in a direction identical with or in a direction opposite to the direction of the first whirling air current.

5. The cyclone dust collecting apparatus of claim 1, further comprising;

an air discharging pipe disposed at a center of a top end of the second cyclone, the air-discharging pipe extending to the same level as a bottom end of the air guiding member, or to a lower level than the bottom end of the air guiding member;

wherein the air discharging pipe discharges cleaned air from the second cyclone in a direction opposite to the gravity direction.

6. The cyclone dust collecting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the air guiding member is disposed below the air suction hole.

7. The cyclone dust collecting apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a dust collecting receptacle detachably disposed under the first and second cyclones so as to collect dust discharged from the first and second cyclones.

8. The cyclone dust collecting apparatus of claim 7, wherein the dust collecting receptacle comprises:

a first dust collecting chamber collecting dust separated from the first cyclone; and

a second dust collecting chamber collecting fine dust separated from the second cyclone.

9. The cyclone dust collecting apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a sealing member disposed at a bottom end of the second cyclone, the sealing member sealing the second dust collecting chamber from fluid communication with the first dust collecting chamber.

10. The cyclone dust collecting apparatus of claim 9, wherein the sealing member is rolled up by the dust collecting receptacle so as to seal the second dust collecting chamber.

11. The cyclone dust collecting apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a backflow preventing member disposed at the second cyclone, the backflow preventing member preventing dust collected in the first dust collecting chamber from flowing back into the first cyclone;

wherein the backflow preventing member is made of an elastic material.

12. The cyclone dust collecting apparatus of claim 8, further comprising:

a dust cap disposed at a bottom end of the second cyclone, the dust cap preventing fine dust collected in the second dust collecting chamber from flowing back into the second cyclone.