Vacuum cleaner

• US 10,314,455 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2017
• Issued: 06/11/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Son, Jungkyu, Nam, Bohyun, Park, Jaeyong, Bae, Sehwan, Seo, Jonghyun, Lee, Jinwoo
• Primary Examiner(s): Redding, David
• Application Number:
  US15/445,456
• Publication Number:
  US 20170245717A1
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• Field of Search: 15DIG 1, 15DIG 8, 15347
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/362 of the horizontal type, e.g. canister or sledge type
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1683 Dust collecting chambers; Dust collecting receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/22 Mountings for motor fan assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/242 Hose or pipe couplings
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2826 the condition of the floor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2884 Details of arrangements of batteries or their installation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2894 Details related to signal transmission in suction cleaners

Abstract

Provided is a vacuum cleaner including a cleaner body; a suction hose connected to the cleaner body and configured to suction dust; a moving wheel installed at the cleaner body; a main motor provided inside the cleaner body and configured to generate a suction force for suctioning the dust; a base frame provided inside the cleaner body and configured to form a space partitioned from the main motor; a battery unit provided inside the base frame and configured to supply electric power; a rear opening formed at a rear surface of the cleaner body and opened for entering the battery unit; a rear cover configured to open and close the rear opening; and a battery guide formed at both side surfaces of the base frame to extend toward the rear opening and configured to guide entering and withdrawing of the battery unit.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a cleaner body;

a suction hose that is connected to the cleaner body and configured to suction dust;

a moving wheel that is provided to the cleaner body;

a main motor that is located in the cleaner body and configured to generate a suction force;

a base frame that defines a space in the cleaner body that is partitioned from the main motor;

a battery unit that is located in the space defined by the base frame and configured to supply electric power;

a filter unit that is located inside of the space defined by the base frame and that is configured to purify air discharging from the main motor;

a rear opening that is defined at a rear surface of the cleaner body and that is configured to receive the battery unit and the filter unit;

a filter guide that is located at both side surfaces of the base frame, that extends toward the rear opening, and that is configured to guide insertion and withdrawal of the filter unit;

a rear cover that is configured to open and close the rear opening and that is configured to expose the battery unit and the filter unit through the rear opening based on the rear cover being opened; and

a battery guide that is located at an inner side surface of the base frame, that extends toward the rear opening, and that is configured to guide the battery unit.

2. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the battery guide protrudes from the inner side surface of the base frame and is configured to slidably couple to a battery groove that is located at a side surface of the battery unit.

3. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the battery guide includes a battery restricting portion that is located at an end of the battery guide and that restricts a movement of the battery unit based on the battery unit being completely inserted.

4. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 3, wherein the battery restricting portion includes:

a first elastic portion that is defined via a slit at a side surface of the base frame and that is configured to provide an elastic force to the battery unit; and

a first restricting protrusion that protrudes from an end of the first elastic portion and is configured to be inserted into a battery restricting groove located at a side surface of the battery unit.

5. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 4, wherein the base frame defines a side hole at an inner surface of the base frame, the side hole facing the battery restricting portion and being configured to receive a battery restricting member, and

wherein the battery restricting member is configured to restrict a movement of the battery unit based on being inserted into the battery restricting groove of the battery unit.

6. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 5, wherein the battery restricting member is injection-molded with a material different from that of the battery restricting portion.

7. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 6, wherein the battery restricting member includes:

a restricting member flange that has a shape that corresponds to and fits in the side hole;

a second elastic portion that is defined via a slit in the battery restricting member and that is configured to provide an elastic force to the battery unit; and

a second restricting protrusion that protrudes from the second elastic portion and that is configured to be inserted into the battery restricting groove of the battery unit.

8. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, comprising a battery terminal that is located at the base frame and that is configured to be electrically connected to the battery unit based on the battery unit being completely inserted along the battery guide.

9. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 8, wherein the cleaner body defines a terminal installing portion in the form of an opening at a lower surface of the cleaner body, the terminal installing portion being configure to expose a power supply terminal for charging the battery unit therethrough based on the battery unit being completely inserted along the battery guide.

18. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein a lateral width of the battery unit is larger than a vertical height of the battery unit, and an upper surface and a lower surface of the battery unit are oriented parallel to a bottom surface of the cleaner body.

19. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 18, wherein the battery unit is located at a rear lower part of the cleaner body.

10. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a cleaner body;

a suction hose that is connected to the cleaner body and configured to suction dust;

a moving wheel that is provided to the cleaner body;

a main motor that is located in the cleaner body and configured to generate a suction force;

a base frame that defines a space in the cleaner body that is partitioned from the main motor;

a battery unit that is located in the base frame and configured to supply electric power;

a rear opening that is defined at a rear surface of the cleaner body and configured to receive the battery unit;

a rear cover that is configured to open and close the rear opening; and

a battery guide that is located at an inner side surface of the base frame, that extends toward the rear opening, and that is configured to guide the battery unit,

wherein the main motor is located vertically above the base frame, and the base frame defines a frame hole at an upper surface of the base frame, the frame hole being configured to communicate air discharged from the main motor to a space that accommodates the battery unit.

11. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 10, wherein the cleaner body includes a filter unit that is configured to purify the air passing through the frame hole.

12. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 11, wherein the base frame includes a filter guide that is located at the inner side surface and that is configured to couple to the filter unit.

13. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 12, wherein the filter unit includes a filter groove that is located at a side surface of the filter unit and that is configured to slidably couple to the filter guide to thereby allow the filter unit to be slidingly inserted and withdrawn through the rear opening.

14. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 11, wherein the battery unit comprises:

a rechargeable secondary cell; and

a battery case that defines an exterior of the battery unit and is configured to receive the rechargeable secondary cell.

15. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 14, wherein the battery case defines battery grilles at an upper surface and at a rear surface of the battery case, the battery grilles being configured to receive air through the upper surface to cool the rechargeable secondary cell and to discharge the air through the rear surface.

16. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 15, wherein the battery case includes an outlet port that is located at a rear cover of the battery case and that is configured to further discharge the air that has been discharged from the battery grille at the rear surface of the battery case.

17. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 15, wherein the battery case includes a battery handle at the rear surface to insert and withdraw the battery unit through the rear opening.

20. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a cleaner body;

a suction hose that is connected to the cleaner body and configured to suction dust;

a moving wheel that is provided to the cleaner body;

a main motor that is located in the cleaner body and configured to generate a suction force;

a base frame that defines a space in the cleaner body that is partitioned from the main motor;

a battery unit that is located in the base frame and configured to supply electric power;

a rear opening that is defined at a rear surface of the cleaner body and configured to receive the battery unit;

a rear cover that is configured to open and close the rear opening; and

a battery guide that is located at an inner side surface of the base frame, that extends toward the rear opening, and that is configured to guide the battery unit,

wherein a lateral width of the battery unit is larger than a vertical height of the battery unit, and the base frame defines a frame hole that is configured to communicate air discharged from the main motor to an upper surface of the battery unit.