Vacuum cleaner

• US 9,757,001 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2015
• Issued: 09/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Hwang, Mantae, Hwang, Philjae, Jeong, Jaeheon
• Primary Examiner(s): REDDING, DAVID A
• Application Number:
  US14/814,067
• Publication Number:
  US 20160051109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: 15328, 15339, 15DIG 1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/225 Convertible suction cleaners, i.e. convertible between different types thereof, e.g. from upright suction cleaners to sledge-type suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/24 Hand-supported suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/28 Suction cleaners with handles and nozzles fixed on the casings, e.g. wheeled suction cleaners with steering handle A47L5/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2873 Docking units or charging stations for autonomous or robotic vacuum cleaners A47L2201/02
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2884 Details of arrangements of batteries or their installation

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner is provided. The vacuum cleaner includes: a cleaner main body including a nozzle assembly into which air including foreign substances is suctioned, a collecting portion that collects the suctioned foreign substances, a suction device that generates a suction force, and a battery for supplying power to the suction device; and a charging stand including support portions on which the cleaner main body is seated, and a battery charging portion for performing charging of a replacement battery.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a cleaner main body including a nozzle assembly into which particles are suctioned, and an accommodation portion;

an auxiliary cleaner removably mounted on the accommodation portion, and including

suction device that generates suction, a battery to supply power to the suction device, and a collecting portion to collect the suctioned particles; and

a charging stand including a support portion that is attached to the cleaner main body, and a battery charging portion to charge a replacement battery,

wherein the auxiliary cleaner includes a battery compartment with an opening,

the battery or the replacement battery is removably mounted on the battery compartment through the opening,

wherein the opening of the battery compartment faces the accommodation portion in a state in which the auxiliary cleaner is mounted on the accommodation portion.

2. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the support portion comprises:

a main body support portion to support the cleaner main body; and

a nozzle support portion to support the nozzle assembly,

wherein a suction portion of the nozzle assembly faces the nozzle support portion in a state in which the nozzle support portion supports the nozzle assembly.

3. The vacuum cleaner of claim 2, wherein the battery charging portion is provided at one side of the main body support portion.

4. The vacuum cleaner of claim 3, further comprising a nozzle stopper to restrict movement of the nozzle assembly, wherein the nozzle stopper is provided at the nozzle support portion.

5. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the battery is detached from the auxiliary cleaner and mounted to the battery charging portion to be charged.

6. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the battery charging portion comprises a coupling portion to couple with the battery or the replacement battery.

7. The vacuum cleaner of claim 6, wherein the battery charging portion comprises a charge indicator to indicate a charge level of the mounted battery or replacement battery.

8. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the charging stand further comprises:

a power supply terminal that is connected to a power supply to supply power to the support portion;

a main body power supply portion to charge the battery of the auxiliary cleaner; and

a battery power supply portion connected to the main body power supply portion to charge the battery or the replacement battery in the battery charging portion.

9. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the charging stand further comprises a controller to control a charging priority of the battery of the auxiliary cleaner and the battery charging portion.

10. The vacuum cleaner of claim 9, wherein, when the cleaner main body is mounted to the support portion, the controller controls the charging priority to charge the replacement battery mounted to the battery charging portion after the battery of the auxiliary cleaner is charged, and when charging of the battery of the auxiliary cleaner is finished or the cleaner main body is not mounted to the support portion, the controller controls the charging priority to perform charging of the replacement battery mounted to the battery charging portion.

11. The vacuum cleaner of claim 9, wherein the support portion further comprise terminal portions capable of being electrically connected to the cleaner main body when the cleaner main body is supported to the support portion.

12. The vacuum cleaner of claim 11, wherein the controller comprises a detection circuit to determine whether the cleaner main body is mounted to the support body, through connection of the terminal portions;

and

a charging circuit to charge the battery of the auxiliary cleaner through connection of the terminal portions.

13. The vacuum cleaner of claim 11, wherein the cleaner main body further comprises a battery circuit through which the terminal portions and the battery are electrically connected when the cleaner main body is supported by the support portion.

14. The vacuum cleaner of claim 9, wherein the controller compares a voltage of the battery charging portion with a set voltage and determines whether the battery is mounted to the battery charging portion.

15. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a cleaner main body including a nozzle assembly into which particles are suctioned, and an accommodation portion;

an auxiliary cleaner removably mounted on the accommodation portion, and including a suction device to generate suction, a first battery to supply power to the suction device, and a collecting portion to collect the suctioned particles; and

a charging stand including a support portion that is attached to the cleaner main body, and a battery charging portion to charge a second battery that is replaceable with the first battery,

wherein the auxiliary cleaner includes a battery compartment with an opening,

the first battery or the second battery is removably mounded on the battery compartment through the opening,

wherein the opening of the battery compartment faces the accommodation portion in a state in which the auxiliary cleaner is mounted on the accommodation portion.

16. The vacuum cleaner of claim 15, wherein the second battery is mounted to the auxiliary cleaner, and the first battery is separable from the auxiliary cleaner and mounted to the battery charging portion.

17. The vacuum cleaner of claim 15, wherein, when the cleaner main body is supported by the support portion when the auxiliary cleaner including the first battery is mounted to the cleaner main body, the first battery and the second battery are charged in a predetermined order when the second battery is mounted to the battery charging portion.

18. The vacuum cleaner of claim 17, wherein the second battery is charged after the first battery is first charged.