Vacuum cleaner with removable dust collector, and methods of operating the same
First Claim
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1. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:
- a main body having a suction air stream inlet and a suction air stream outlet;
a dust separator that communicates with the main body and that separates dust and dirt from the suction air stream, wherein the dust separator includes an air inlet and an air outlet, and wherein the suction air stream inlet and the suction air stream outlet are in fluid communication with, respectively, the air inlet and the air outlet of the dust separator;
a filter located in the dust separator;
a dust container detachably mounted in the main body, that receives and retains dirt and dust separated from the suction air stream, the dust container having a bottom wall that supports compressed dust;
a first plate rotatably positioned in the dust container;
a second plate supported by the bottom wall of the dust container;
a lever provided in the dust container and configured to exert a force to drive the first plate; and
a drive mechanism comprising at least one gear coupled to the first plate and configured to transfer the force from the lever to the first plate, wherein the at least one gear is provided at a lower side of the bottom wall of the dust container, wherein the first plate comprises a rotational shaft that extends vertically with respect to the bottom wall of the dust container, the second plate having a first side, and a second side, which is offset and opposite from the first side, and wherein the compressed dust is stored on the opposite first and second of the second plate.
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Abstract
A vacuum cleaner includes a dust collector that compresses dust stored inside a dust container to minimize the volume of the dust. The dust collector would include one or more pressing plates that are used to compress the dust stored in dust collector. Various methods are used to control movements of the movable pressing plates to facilitate the compression operations. Also, various methods are used to determine when the dust collector is full and needs to be emptied.
115 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:
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a main body having a suction air stream inlet and a suction air stream outlet; a dust separator that communicates with the main body and that separates dust and dirt from the suction air stream, wherein the dust separator includes an air inlet and an air outlet, and wherein the suction air stream inlet and the suction air stream outlet are in fluid communication with, respectively, the air inlet and the air outlet of the dust separator; a filter located in the dust separator; a dust container detachably mounted in the main body, that receives and retains dirt and dust separated from the suction air stream, the dust container having a bottom wall that supports compressed dust; a first plate rotatably positioned in the dust container; a second plate supported by the bottom wall of the dust container; a lever provided in the dust container and configured to exert a force to drive the first plate; and a drive mechanism comprising at least one gear coupled to the first plate and configured to transfer the force from the lever to the first plate, wherein the at least one gear is provided at a lower side of the bottom wall of the dust container, wherein the first plate comprises a rotational shaft that extends vertically with respect to the bottom wall of the dust container, the second plate having a first side, and a second side, which is offset and opposite from the first side, and wherein the compressed dust is stored on the opposite first and second of the second plate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:
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a main body having a suction motor; a dust separator that communicates with the suction motor and that separates dust from air; a dust container detachably coupled to the dust separator, that stores dust separated from the dust separator; a first plate rotatably provided in the dust container; a second plate fixed to the dust container; and a lever mounted on the dust container and configured to rotate the first plate, wherein a rotational axis of the first plate is spaced apart from a rotational axis of the lever, wherein the first plate comprises a rotational shaft that extends vertically with respect to a bottom wall of the dust container, the second plate having a first side, and a second side, which is offset and opposite from the first side, and wherein the compressed dust is stored on the opposite first and second of the second plate. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:
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a main body including a suction motor and a mounting portion; a dust separator that communicates with the suction motor; a dust container detachably mounted to the mounting portion, the dust container having a bottom wall; a first plate provided in the dust container; a second plate supported by the bottom wall of the dust container; a drive mechanism comprising at least one gear coupled to the first plate and configured to drive the first plate; and an exhaust port configured to exhaust air separated from the dust in the dust separator, wherein at least a portion of the drive mechanism is exposed to an outside of the dust container and the main body in a state in which the dust container is mounted to the mounting portion, wherein the at least one gear is provided under the bottom wall of the dust container, wherein the first plate comprises a rotational shaft that extends vertically with respect to the bottom wall of the dust container, the second plate having a first side, and a second side, which is offset and opposite from the first side, and wherein the compressed dust is stored on the opposite first and second of the second plate. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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18. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:
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a main body having a suction air stream inlet and a suction air stream outlet; a dust separator that communicates with the main body and that separates dust and dirt from a suction air stream, wherein the dust separator includes an air inlet and an air outlet, and wherein the suction air stream inlet and the suction air stream outlet are in fluid communication with, respectively, the air inlet and the air outlet of the dust separator; a filter located in the dust separator; a dust container detachably mounted in the main body, that receives and retains dirt and dust separated from the suction air stream; first and second plates provided in the dust container, the first plate being rotatably installed within the dust container; a drive mechanism comprising at least one gear coupled to the first plate and configured to rotate the first plate, the at least one gear being provided under the dust container; a return device configured to restore the first plate to its original position; and an exhaust port configured to exhaust air separated from the dust in the dust separator, wherein the first plate comprises a rotational shaft that extends vertically with respect to a bottom wall of the dust container, the second plate having a first side, and a second side, which is offset and opposite from the first side, and wherein the compressed dust is stored on the opposite first and second of the second plate. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:
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a main body having a suction air stream inlet and a suction air stream outlet; a dust separator that communicates with the main body and that separates dust and dirt from a suction air stream, wherein the dust separator includes an air inlet and an air outlet, and wherein the suction air stream inlet and the suction air stream outlet are in fluid communication with, respectively, the air inlet and the air outlet of the dust separator; a filter located in the dust separator; a dust container detachably mounted in the main body, that receives and retains dirt and dust separated from the suction air stream, the dust container having a bottom wall that supports compressed dust; a first plate rotatably positioned in the dust container; a second plate supported by the bottom wall of the dust container; and a drive mechanism comprising at least one gear coupled to the first plate, wherein the at least one gear is provided at a lower side of the bottom wall of the dust container, wherein the first plate comprises a rotational shaft that extends vertically with respect to the bottom wall of the dust container, the second plate having a first side, and a second side, which is offset and opposite from the first side, and wherein the compressed dust is stored on the opposite first and second of the second plate.
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Specification