Upright vacuum cleaner

• US 7,757,344 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2005
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Jae Kyum, Min, Young Gun
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson; Lee D
• Application Number:
  US11/245,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20070079473A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,747 Days
• Field of Search: 153/53, 153/51, 153/47, 153/277
• US Class Current: 15/353
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/34 with height adjustment of nozzles or dust-loosening tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/122 flat
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1625 for series flow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1641 for parallel flow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/165 Construction of inlets
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1658 Construction of outlets
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1666 with filtering means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1683 Dust collecting chambers; Dust collecting receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/325 for wheeled suction cleaners with steering handle

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner is provided that includes a cleaner body, a multi cyclonic (including a primary cyclone and at least one secondary cyclone), a suction source having a suction source inlet and a suction source outlet, a main filter assembly including a main filter element, a discharge member having an opened upper end coupled to a peripheral edge of a primary airflow outlet and a closed lower end, and a guide rib provided at the primary cyclone for guiding the airflow in a direction tangential to an inner peripheral wall surface of the primary cyclone.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a cleaner body;

a multi cyclonic chamber being in fluid communication with the cleaner body, the multi cyclonic chamber comprising;

a primary cyclone having a primary airflow inlet and a primary airflow outlet for separating contaminants from an airflow, and

at least one secondary cyclone for separating contaminants in the airflow discharged from the primary cyclone;

a suction source having a suction source inlet and a suction source outlet, the suction source operative to generate and maintain the airflow flowing from the suction source inlet to the suction source outlet, the suction source being located in the cleaner body below the multi cyclonic chamber;

a main filter assembly including a main filter element having a selectively permeable material, the main filter assembly located in the cleaner body for filtering contaminants from the airflow that passes through the cyclonic chamber;

a discharge member having an opened upper end and a closed lower end, the opened upper end is coupled separably to a peripheral edge of the primary airflow outlet; and

a guide rib provided at the primary cyclone for guiding the airflow in a direction tangential to an inner peripheral wall surface of the primary cyclone, wherein the guide rib is inclined to one side of the primary airflow inlet according to a shape of the discharge member to prevent the air entering the primary air flow inlet from being directly introduced into the discharge member, wherein said airflow is further directed into said secondary cyclone which allows said airflow to enter said discharge member from the top of said discharge member.

2. The vacuum cleaner as set forth in claim 1, wherein the discharge member has a substantially conical structure.

3. The vacuum cleaner as set forth in claim 1, wherein the secondary cyclone is disposed around the primary cyclone.

4. The vacuum cleaner as set forth in claim 3, further comprising a dust collecting container including a primary dust storing part for storing contaminants separated in the primary cyclone, and a secondary dust storing part for storing contaminants separated in the secondary cyclone.

5. The vacuum cleaner as set forth in claim 4, wherein the primary dust storing part is airtightly separated from the secondary dust storing part.

6. The vacuum cleaner as set forth in claim 4, further comprising a bottom panel covering an open end of the dust collecting container.

7. The vacuum cleaner as set forth in claim 1, further comprising an auxiliary filter assembly provided downstream from the main filter assembly.

8. An upright vacuum cleaner comprising:

a nozzle section including a suction opening and an agitator;

a cleaner body hingedly mounted on the nozzle section;

a height adjustment device mounted in the nozzle section for adjusting a height of the agitator in the nozzle section;

a handle extending upward from the cleaner body for maneuvering the vacuum cleaner;

a multi cyclonic chamber being in fluid communication with the suction opening, the multi cyclonic chamber comprising;

a primary cyclone for separating contaminants from an airflow, and

at least one secondary cyclone for separating contaminants in the airflow discharged from the primary cyclone;

a suction source having an suction source inlet in fluid communication with the secondary cyclone and an suction source outlet in fluid communication with the atmosphere;

a main filter assembly including a main filter element, the main filter assembly is located on an upper part of the secondary cyclone;

an opening defined in a top cover coupled to the multi cyclonic chamber, the airflow flowing out of the multi cyclonic chamber through the opening; and

a guide rib provided at the primary cyclone for guiding the airflow in a direction tangential to an inner peripheral wall surface of the primary cyclone, wherein the guide rib is inclined to one side of a primary airflow inlet of the primary cyclone according to a shape of a discharge member to prevent the air entering the primary air flow inlet from being directly introduced into the discharge member, wherein said airflow is further directed into said secondary cyclone which allows said airflow to enter said discharge member from the top of said discharge member.

9. The upright vacuum cleaner as set forth in claim 8, wherein the height adjustment device comprises:

a height adjustment knob being rotatably mounted in the nozzle section;

a sliding member to move up and down according to an operation of the height adjustment knob, the sliding member supporting a hinge shaft prolonged from both end portions of the agitator; and

an operation rod for transmitting an operating force by the height adjustment knob to the sliding member,

wherein the agitator to descend or ascend when the sliding member descends or ascends based on rotation of the height adjustment knob.

10. The upright vacuum cleaner as set forth in claim 9, wherein the height adjustment device further comprises an elastic member interposed between a lower surface of the sliding member and a bottom of the nozzle section.

11. The upright vacuum cleaner as set forth in claim 8, wherein the handle includes an extending rod extended from the cleaner body and a telescopic release lever for controlling the extending rod.

12. The upright vacuum cleaner as set forth in claim 8, wherein the main filter assembly covers the opening.

13. The upright vacuum cleaner as set forth in claim 8, further comprising a conduit for fluidically connecting the opening to the primary airflow inlet of the primary cyclone.

14. The upright vacuum cleaner as set forth in claim 8, further comprising a final filter assembly connected in fluid communication with the suction source and adapted for filtering the airflow exhausted by the suction source prior to the airflow being dispersed into the atmosphere, wherein the final filter assembly comprises a high efficiency particulate arrest (HEPA) filter medium and a filter support member supporting the filter medium.

15. The upright vacuum cleaner as set forth in claim 8, wherein the primary airflow inlet is horizontally oriented and arranged so that the airflow entering the primary cyclone through the primary airflow inlet moves cyclonically within the primary cyclone.

16. The upright vacuum cleaner as set forth in claim 8, wherein the discharge member has an opened upper end and a closed lower end, and the opened upper end is coupled to a peripheral edge of a primary airflow outlet of the discharge member.

17. An upright vacuum cleaner comprising:

a nozzle section including an agitator brush;

a cleaner body hingedly connected to the nozzle section;

a suction source mounted in one of the nozzle section and the cleaner body;

a dust collector positioned in the cleaner body, the dust collector comprising;

a primary cyclone having a cylindrical shape, and

at least one secondary cyclone having a cone shape and being integrated with the primary cyclone for separating contaminants from an airflow;

a bottom panel covering an open end of the dust collector;

a main filter assembly located in the dust collector for filtering dust and dirt from the airflow discharged from the secondary cyclone;

a body release pedal for an inclined operative position of the cleaner body, the body release pedal being pivotably mounted on a mounting portion provided at the nozzle section; and

a guide rib provided at the primary cyclone for guiding the airflow in a direction tangential to an inner peripheral wall surface of the primary cyclone,

wherein the guide rib is inclined to one side of a primary airflow inlet of the primary cyclone according to a shape of a discharge member to prevent the air entering the primary air flow inlet from being directly introduced into a discharge member, wherein said airflow is further directed into said secondary cyclone which allows said airflow to enter said discharge member from the top of said discharge member.

18. The upright vacuum cleaner as set forth in claim 17, wherein the secondary cyclone is disposed around the primary cyclone.

19. The upright vacuum cleaner as set forth in claim 17, wherein secondary cyclones are partitioned from each other by side walls of the secondary cyclone.

20. The upright vacuum cleaner as set forth in claim 17, wherein the dust collector further comprises a dust collecting container including a primary dust storing part and a secondary dust storing part being airtightly separated from each other.