Vacuum cleaner

• US 7,882,592 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2006
• Issued: 02/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Yun, Chang Ho, Hyun, Kie Tak, Ha, Gun Ho, Jeong, Kyeong Seon, Kim, Jae Kyum, Lee, Sung Hwa, Hwang, Man Tae, Yang, Hae Seock, Park, Yun Hee, Kim, Jin Young, Park, Min, Kim, Il Joong, Yoo, Myung Sig, Shin, Jin Hyouk, Choo, Jong Su, Jeong, Hoi Kil, Ko, Moo Hyun, Seo, Jin Wook, Lee, Chang Hoon, Son, Young Bok
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DUNG V
• Application Number:
  US11/565,206
• Publication Number:
  US 20070143953A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,531 Days
• Field of Search: 153/53, 153/271, 153/52, 153/47, 553/37, 554/29, 553/43, 553/46, 553/49, 555/491, 55D/IG.3
• US Class Current: 15/353
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0081 Means for exhaust-air diffusion; Means for sound or vibration damping
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/108 Dust compression means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1625 for series flow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1641 for parallel flow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1683 Dust collecting chambers; Dust collecting receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1691 Mounting or coupling means for cyclonic chamber or dust receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: B30B 9/3082 with compression means other than rams performing a rectilinear movement
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 55/03 Vacuum cleaner

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner includes both a main dust separation unit and a secondary dust separation unit. One of the dust separation units is provided on a main body of the vacuum cleaner, and the other dust separation unit is provided on a removable dust collection unit that is mountable on the main body.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a main body;

a dust collection device removably mounted on the main body and configured to collect dust separated from an incoming flow of air;

a first dust separation device mounted on an upper portion of the dust collection device;

a second dust separation device mounted on the main body; and

a cover removably mounted on a top of the dust collection device and configured to open and close the first dust separation device and the dust collection device, wherein the first dust separation device includes an air intake hole, and wherein the cover includes an air discharge hole that discharges air in the first dust separation device and at least one dust inlet hole that allows dust separated in the second dust separation device to be conveyed to the dust collection device.

2. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein dust separated in the first dust separation device falls into a main dust collection chamber located in a lower portion of the dust collectiont device.

3. The vacuum cleaner of claim 2, wherein the first dust separation device comprises a cyclone dust separation device, and wherein a separation plate is mounted on the dust collection device between the first dust separation device and the main dust collection chamber.

4. The vacuum cleaner of claim 3, wherein a dust guide passage links the first dust separation device to the main dust collection chamber.

5. The vacuum cleaner of claim 4, wherein an inlet to the dust guide passage is formed on a lower portion of a sidewall of the first dust separation device.

6. The vacuum cleaner of claim 5, wherein the dust collection device is mounted on the main body such that a longitudinal axis of the dust collection device is angled relative to a vertical axis of the main body.

7. The vacuum cleaner of claim 6, wherein the dust guide passage is located on a section of the lower portion of the sidewall of the first dust separation device that is positioned higher than all other sections of the lower portion of the sidewall.

8. The vacuum cleaner of claim 2, wherein the dust collection device further comprises a secondary dust collection chamber that is configured to collect dust separated in the second dust separation device.

9. The vacuum cleaner of claim 8, wherein the secondary dust collection chamber is located on an upper portion of the dust collection device.

10. The vacuum cleaner of claim 9, wherein the secondary dust collection chamber is formed on an outer wall of the first dust separation device.

11. The vacuum cleaner of claim 8, wherein the second dust separation unit device comprises at least one cyclone type dust separation device.

12. The vacuum cleaner of claim 11, wherein a longitudinal axis of the at least one cyclone type dust separation device is angled relative to a horizontal axis of the main body such that dust separated in the at least one cyclone type dust separation device will fall into the secondary dust collection chamber.

13. The vacuum cleaner of claim 8, wherein the second dust separation device comprises a plurality of cyclones having longitudinal axes which are oriented at an angle with respect to a horizontal axis of the main body.

14. The vacuum cleaner of claim 8, wherein the at least one dust inlet hole comprises first and second dust inlet holes that are arranged on opposite sides of the air discharge hole.

15. The vacuum cleaner of claim 14, wherein the second dust separation device comprises:

a first sub-group of cyclones mounted on a first side of the main body; and

a second sub-group of cyclones mounted on a second side of the main body.

16. The vacuum cleaner of claim 15, wherein dust separated in the first sub-group of cyclones is introduced into the dust collection device via the first dust inlet hole, and wherein dust separated in the second sub-group of cyclones is introduced into the dust collection device via the second dust inlet hole.

17. The vacuum cleaner of claim 15, wherein a connection duct couples the air discharge hole of the cover to an inlet of the second dust collection device.

18. The vacuum cleaner of claim 17, wherein the connection duct passes between the first and second sub-groups of cyclones.

19. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, further comprising a cone shaped filter member coupled to the air discharge hole and that extends into the first dust separation device.

20. The vacuum cleaner of claim 19, wherein the filter member includes a plurality of holes that allows air to escape from the first dust separation device.

21. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, further comprising a connection duct that couples the air discharge hole to an inlet of the second dust separation device such that the first and second dust separation devices are arranged in series.

22. The vacuum cleaner of claim 21, wherein the second dust separation device comprises a plurality of cyclones mounted on the main body.

23. The vacuum cleaner of claim 22, wherein the inlet of the second dust separation device comprises a plurality of cyclone inlets corresponding to the respective plurality of cyclones, and wherein each cyclone inlet is configured to introduce air into the respective cyclone in a tangential direction.

24. The vacuum cleaner of claim 23, wherein the plurality of cyclone inlets comprises guide ribs.

25. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a main body;

a dust collection device removably mounted on the main body;

a first dust separation device mounted on an upper portion of the dust collection device, wherein dust separated in the first dust separation device is stored in a main dust collection chamber of the dust collection device; and

a second dust separation device mounted on the main body, wherein the second dust separation device comprises a plurality of cyclones, wherein dust separated in the second dust separation device is stored in a secondary dust collection chamber of the dust collection device, and wherein the second dust separation device is oriented at a relatively steep angle with respect to a vertical axis of the main body and the second dust separation device is spaced apart from the first dust separation device.

26. The vacuum cleaner of claim 25, wherein the main dust collection chamber is located in a lower portion of the dust collection device.

27. The vacuum cleaner of claim 26, wherein the secondary dust collection chamber is located on an upper outer side of the dust collection device.

28. The vacuum cleaner of claim 25, wherein a connection duct couples an outlet of the first dust separation device to an inlet of the second dust separation device such that the first and second dust separation devices are arranged in series.

29. The vacuum cleaner of claim 28, wherein the connection duct passes between the plurality of cyclones.

30. The vacuum cleaner of claim 28, wherein the inlet of the second dust separation device comprises a plurality of guide ribs that guides air from the connection duct into the plurality of cyclones of the second dust separation device such that the air enters the plurality of cyclones in tangential directions.

31. The vacuum cleaner of claim 25, wherein the dust collection device comprises a cover having an outlet hole that allows air to escape the first dust separation device and first and second inlet holes that allow dust separated in the plurality of cyclones of the second dust separation device to enter the secondary dust collection chamber.

32. The vacuum cleaner of claim 31, wherein the outlet hole of the cover is located between the first and second inlet holes of the cover.