Multi-cyclone dust separator

• US 7,862,637 B2
• Filed: 08/25/2008
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Gwangju Electronics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Gwangju Electronics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Park, Joung-soo, Ahn, Sung-soo, Lee, Byung-jo, Han, Jung-gyun, Kim, Tae-gwang, Kim, See-hyun
• Primary Examiner(s): Hopkins; Robert A
• Application Number:
  US12/229,537
• Publication Number:
  US 20090241491A1
• Time in Patent Office: 862 Days
• Field of Search: 553/45, 553/46, 553/49, 554/29, 554/33, 554/26, 554/57, 55D/IG.3
• US Class Current: 55/345
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1625 for series flow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1666 with filtering means
• CPC Class Codes: B04C 5/02 Construction of inlets by which the vortex flow is generated , e.g. tangential admission, the fluid flow being forced to follow a downward path by spirally wound bulkheads, or with slightly downwardly-directed tangential admissionfluid dynamics in general F15D
• CPC Class Codes: B04C 5/04 Tangential inlets
• CPC Class Codes: B04C 5/103 Bodies or members, e.g. bulkheads, guides, in the vortex chamber cores B04C5/107
• CPC Class Codes: B04C 5/185 Dust collectors
• CPC Class Codes: B04C 5/26 for series flow
• CPC Class Codes: B04C 7/00 Apparatus not provided for in group B04C1/00, B04C3/00, or B04C5/00; Multiple arrangements not provided for in one of the groups B04C1/00, B04C3/00, or B04C5/00; Combinations of apparatus covered by two or more of the groups B04C1/00, B04C3/00, or B04C5/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 55/03 Vacuum cleaner

Abstract

A multi-cyclone dust separator is provided, including a first cyclone unit that centrifugally separates dust from dust-laden air drawn into the first cyclone unit through a first air inlet, and a second cyclone unit that is formed inside the first cyclone unit, wherein the second cyclone unit includes a second cyclone body that has a second air inlet through which the air, from which the dust is separated by the first cyclone unit, enters the second cyclone body, and a guide unit that enables the air entering the second cyclone unit to be rotated.

Claims

1. A multi-cyclone dust separator, comprising:

a first cyclone unit that centrifugally separates dust from a dust-laden air stream drawn into the first cyclone unit through a first air inlet;

a second cyclone unit that is formed inside the first cyclone unit, wherein the second cyclone unit comprises;

a second cyclone body that comprises a second air inlet through which the dust-laden air stream enters the second cyclone body,

a guide unit that imparts rotation to the dust-laden air stream upon entry of the dust-laden air stream into the second cyclone unit,

an air discharge hole that is formed on a bottom surface of the second cyclone body, and

an air discharge pipe that is fixed to the second cyclone body and is connected to the air discharge hole; and

a dust blocking unit that prevents the dust separated by the first cyclone unit from entering the second cyclone unit through the second air inlet.

2. The multi-cyclone dust separator of claim 1, wherein the dust blocking unit comprises a plurality of guide vanes that are formed on the second air inlet at regular intervals.

3. The multi-cyclone dust separator of claim 1, wherein the dust blocking unit comprises a plurality of holes that are formed on the second air inlet.

4. The multi-cyclone dust separator of claim 1, wherein the air discharge hole is formed on a center of a dust separator cover, the dust separator cover being configured to open or close bottom surfaces of the first cyclone unit and the second cyclone unit.

5. The multi-cyclone dust separator of claim 4, wherein the air discharge pipe is formed lower than the dust blocking unit.

6. The multi-cyclone dust separator of claim 1, wherein the guide unit comprises:

a guide pipe that is formed inside the second air inlet; and

a plurality of guide ribs that protrude from an external surface of the guide pipe.

7. The multi-cyclone dust separator of claim 6, wherein the plurality of guide ribs are formed lower than the dust blocking unit and are slanted in a common direction.

8. The multi-cyclone dust separator of claim 1, wherein the guide unit comprises:

a guide pipe that is formed inside the second air inlet; and

a plurality of guide ribs that protrude from an internal surface of the second cyclone body and are slanted in a common direction.

9. The multi-cyclone dust separator of claim 7, wherein the guide pipe has a diameter that is greater than a diameter of the air discharge pipe.

10. The multi-cyclone dust separator of claim 8, wherein the guide pipe has a diameter that is greater than a diameter of the air discharge pipe.

11. The multi-cyclone dust separator of claim 1, wherein the guide unit comprises:

a guide dome that is formed inside the second air inlet and has a hemisphere shape; and

a plurality of guide dome ribs that protrude from an external surface of the guide dome and are slanted in a common direction.

12. The multi-cyclone dust separator of claim 1, wherein the guide dome has a diameter that is greater than a diameter of the air discharge pipe.

13. The multi-cyclone dust separator of claim 4, wherein the second cyclone unit further comprises a conical guide, an upper part of the conical guide being connected to an internal surface of the second cyclone body and a lower part of the conical guide having a diameter that is less than a diameter of the second cyclone body and greater than a diameter of the air discharge pipe.

14. The multi-cyclone dust separator of claim 1, wherein the second cyclone unit comprises:

an air discharge hole that is formed on an upper part of the second cyclone body; and

an air discharge pipe that is fixed to the second cyclone body and is connected to the air discharge hole.

15. The multi-cyclone dust separator of claim 14, wherein the second cyclone unit further comprises a conical guide, an upper part of the conical guide being connected to an internal surface of the second cyclone body and a lower part of the conical guide having a diameter that is less than a diameter of the second cyclone body and greater than a diameter of the air discharge pipe.

16. A multi-cyclone dust separator, comprising:

a first cyclone unit that centrifugally separates dust from a dust-laden air stream drawn into the first cyclone unit through a first air inlet;

a second cyclone unit that is formed inside the first cyclone unit; and

a third cyclone unit that is formed inside the second cyclone unit,

wherein the second cyclone unit comprises;

a second cyclone body that comprises a second air inlet through which the dust-laden air stream enters the second cyclone body; and

a first guide unit that imparts rotation to the dust-laden air stream upon entry of the dust-laden air stream into the second cyclone unit, and

wherein the third cyclone unit comprises;

a third cyclone body that comprises a third air inlet through which the dust-laden air stream, from which the dust has been separated by the second cyclone unit, enters the third cyclone body; and

a second guide unit that imparts rotation to the dust-laden air stream upon entry of the dust-laden air stream into the third cyclone unit,

wherein the second cyclone unit is fixed to a core of the first cyclone unit, and the third cyclone unit is fixed to a core of the second cyclone unit, and

wherein the third cyclone unit comprises;

a third cyclone body that is fixed to an internal surface of the second cyclone unit using at least one first fixing rib;

an air discharge hole that is formed on a bottom surface of the third cyclone body; and

an air discharge pipe that is fixed to an internal surface of the third cyclone body using at least one second fixing rib and is connected to the air discharge hole.

17. The multi-cyclone dust separator of claim 16, further comprising:

a dust blocking unit that prevents the dust separated by the first cyclone unit from entering the second cyclone unit through the second air inlet.

18. The multi-cyclone dust separator of claim 16, wherein the first guide unit comprises:

a first guide pipe that is formed inside the second air inlet and has a diameter that is greater than the second cyclone unit; and

a plurality of first guide ribs that protrude from an external surface of the first guide pipe and are slanted in a common direction.

19. The multi-cyclone dust separator of claim 18, wherein the second guide unit comprises:

a second guide pipe that is formed inside the third air inlet and is connected at one end to the first guide pipe; and

a plurality of second guide ribs that protrude from an external surface of the second guide pipe and that are slanted in a direction that is the same common direction as the first guide ribs.

20. The multi-cyclone dust separator of claim 19, wherein the air discharge hole is formed centrally on a dust separator cover that opens or closes bottom surfaces of the first cyclone unit, the second cyclone unit, and the third cyclone unit.