Vacuum cleaner

• US 8,012,250 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2009
• Issued: 09/06/2011
• 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: Kwon, Hyuk-Min, Ha, Gun Ho, Yun, Chang Ho, Hyun, Kie Tak, Jeong, Kyeong Seon, Son, Young Bok, 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Hopkins; Robert A
• Application Number:
  US12/407,964
• Publication Number:
  US 20090241286A1
• Time in Patent Office: 900 Days
• Field of Search: 964/17, 964/23, 554/29, 554/591, 55D/IG.3
• US Class Current: 96/417
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/365 of the vertical type, e.g. tank or bucket type
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/108 Dust compression means
• 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: Y10S 55/03 Vacuum cleaner

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner is disclosed. The vacuum cleaner may include a cleaner body, in which a suction motor is provided; a dust collector selectively attached to the cleaner body, in which a dust container is formed; at least one pressing element that presses dust stored in the dust container; and a drive device that drives the at least one pressing element.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a cleaner body, in which a suction motor is provided;

a dust collector selectively attached to the cleaner body, in which a dust container is formed;

at least one pressing element that presses dust stored in the dust container;

a compression motor that drives the at least one pressing element;

an installation sensor provided in a dust collector mounting element that detects whether the dust collector is mounted on the cleaner body;

a signal display that displays whether the dust collector is mounted on the cleaner body; and

a controller that controls operation of the signal display depending on whether the dust collector is mounted on the cleaner body.

2. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the installation sensor is disposed below the dust collector when the dust collector is mounted on the dust collector mounting element.

3. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising:

a power transmission device that transmits power of the compression motor to the at least one pressing element, wherein the power transmission device includes a driving gear connected to the compression motor and a driven gear connected to the at least one pressing element.

4. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 3, wherein the driven gear includes a magnetic element, and the installation sensor detects magnetism of the magnetic element.

5. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the installation sensor includes a terminal which is pressed when mounting the dust collector onto the cleaner body, and a microswitch connected to the terminal.

6. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein a dust collector uninstallation signal is displayed on the signal display when the suction motor is activated in a state in which the dust collector is not mounted on the cleaner body.

7. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, further comprising:

a position sensor that detects a position of the at least one pressing element, wherein the controller determines an amount of dust in the dust container with reference to the position detected by the position sensor.

8. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 7, further comprising:

a power transmission device that transmits power of the compression motor to the at least one pressing element, wherein the power transmission device includes a driving gear connected to the compression motor, and a driven gear connected to the at least one pressing element.

9. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 8, wherein the driven gear is provided with a magnetic element, and the position sensor detects magnetism of the magnetic element.

10. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 7, wherein a dust empty signal is displayed on the signal display when an amount of dust stored in the dust container is greater than a reference amount.

11. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein when the suction motor is activated in a state in which the dust collector is not mounted on the cleaner body, the compression motor is not operated.

12. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a cleaner body, in which a dust collector mounting element is formed;

a dust collector detachably attached to the dust collector mounting element, in which a dust container is formed;

at least one pressing element movably provided in the dust container to press dust stored in the dust container;

a magnetic element that moves with the at least one pressing element when the at least one pressing element moves;

a magnetic sensor that detects a magnetism of the magnetic element; and

a controller that determines an amount of dust stored in the dust container based on the magnetism detected by the magnetic sensor.

13. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 12, further comprising:

a power transmission device that transmits a driving force from outside of the cleaner body to the at least one pressing element, wherein the magnetic element is provided in the power transmission device, and the magnetic sensor is provided in the dust collector mounting element.

14. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 13, wherein the power transmission device is a gear, and the magnetic sensor is disposed within a range of an imaginary circle along which the magnetic element rotates as the gear rotates.

15. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 12, wherein the controller determines the amount of dust by checking whether the at least one pressing element is disposed at a reference position, and measuring a turnaround time of the at least one pressing element, which is a time it takes the at least one pressing element to return to the reference position when rotated in a counter-clockwise or clockwise direction, after the at least one pressing element is rotated from the reference position in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction.

16. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 15, wherein the reference position is a position at which the magnetic sensor detects magnetism of the magnetic element.

17. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 15, further comprising:

a signal display that displays a dust empty signal when a determined amount of dust is greater than a reference amount.

18. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a cleaner body, in which a dust collector mounting element is formed;

a dust collector detachably attached to the dust collector mounting element, in which a dust container is formed;

at least one pressing element provided in the dust container that presses dust stored in the dust container;

an installation sensor provided in the dust collector mounting element that detects whether the dust collector is mounted on the cleaner body; and

a position sensor provided in the dust collector mounting element that detect a position of the at least one pressing element.

19. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 18, further comprising:

a compression motor that generates power; and

a power transmission device that transmits the power of the compression motor to the at least one pressing element.

20. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 19, wherein a magnetic element is provided in the power transmission device, and the installation sensor and the position sensor detect magnetism of the magnetic element.

21. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 20, further comprising:

a controller that determines an amount of dust stored in the dust collector based on the position of the at least one pressing element detected by the position sensor.