Filter mounting device for vacuum cleaner

• US 20030233817A1
• Filed: 08/20/2003
• Published: 12/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Park, Sang-Jun
• Granted Patent: US 6,994,739 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 55/337
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1472 combined with security means, e.g. for preventing use, e.g. in case of absence of the bag
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1666 with filtering means
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2279/55 for cleaning appliances, e.g. suction cleaners suction cleaners comprising filters A47L9/10
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/0005 Mounting of filtering elements within casings, housings or frames B01D46/2422 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/2414 End caps including additional functions or special forms
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/88 Replacing filter elements
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 55/03 Vacuum cleaner
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 55/05 Methods of making filter

Abstract

The present invention relates to a structure for confirming as to whether a filter is mounted into a vacuum cleaner. The structure for a vacuum cleaner according to the present invention comprises a cover including a discharging port for discharging air from which foreign materials are removed, a movable member of which positions are changed depending on coupling states thereof, and a support portion for moving the movable member; and a filter including a coupling means having a plurality of protrusions coupled to the support portion of the cover, a plurality of indented portions formed between the plurality of the protrusions, and an engagement piece formed to be spaced apart from the protrusions for changing the position of the movable member. The filter is detachably mounted to the support portion. According to the present invention, unless the filter having a function of removing fine dusts from the air is coupled to the cover, the movable member hinders a dust collecting casing from being perfectly covered with the cover. That is, since the cover of the dust collecting casing is positioned higher, by a height of the movable member, than a space formed in a main body of the cleaner for allowing the dust collecting casing to be received therein, the dust collecting casing cannot be received within the main body of the cleaner.

Claims

1. A filter mounting mechanism for a vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a receiving space in the body of a vacuum cleaner, wherein the receiving space includes sidewalls and an open first end, and wherein the receiving space is configured to receive a filter element;

a cover configured to cover the first end of the receiving space, wherein the cover is mountable on the receiving space; and

an interlock mechanism mounted on one of the cover and the receiving space, wherein the interlock mechanism is configured to prevent the cover from being mounted on the receiving space if no filter is mounted in the receiving space, and wherein the interlock mechanism is configured to allow the cover to be mounted on the receiving space if a filter is mounted in the receiving space.

2. The filter mounting mechanism of claim 1, wherein the cover comprises:

a planer surface that conforms to the shape of the first end of the receiving space, and

a side edge that extends from a periphery of the planar surface at an angle relative to the planar surface, and wherein the side edge is configured to abut the sidewalls of the receiving space when the cover is mounted on the receiving space.

3. The filter mounting mechanism of claim 2, wherein the interlock mechanism is configured such that a confirmation piece of the interlock mechanism is located at a blocking position when no filter is mounted in the receiving space, and wherein the presence of the confirmation piece at the blocking position prevents the side edge of the cover from abutting the sidewalls of the receiving space.

4. The filter mounting mechanism of claim 1, wherein interlock mechanism include a confirmation piece that is movable between a blocking position and a mounting position, wherein when a filter is mounted in the receiving space, the confirmation piece is located at the mounting position, which allows the cover to be mounted on the receiving space, and wherein when no filter is mounted in the receiving space, the confirmation piece is located at the blocking position, which prevents the cover from being mounted on the receiving space.

5. The filter mounting mechanism of claim 4, wherein the interlock mechanism includes an elastic member that urges the confirmation piece toward the blocking position.

6. The filter mounting mechanism of claim 1, wherein the interlock mechanism is mounted on the cover.

7. The filter mounting mechanism of claim 6, wherein the cover also includes a filter mounting portion that is configured to allow a filter to be mounted to the cover.

8. The filter mounting mechanism of claim 7, wherein the interlock mechanism includes a confirmation piece that is movable between a blocking position and a mounting position, wherein when a filter is mounted on the cover, the confirmation piece is located at the mounting position, which allows the cover to be mounted on the receiving space, and wherein when no filter is mounted on the cover, the confirmation piece is located at the blocking position, which prevents the cover from being mounted on the receiving space.

9. The filter mounting mechanism of claim 8, wherein the interlock mechanism further comprises an elastic member that urges the confirmation piece towards the blocking position, and wherein the act of mounting a filter on the cover causes the confirmation piece to move to the mounting position against the action of the elastic member.

10. The filter mounting mechanism of claim 9, wherein the cover comprises:

a planer surface that conforms to the shape of the first end of the receiving space, and

a side edge that extends from a periphery of the planar surface at an angle relative to the planar surface, and wherein the side edge is configured to abut the sidewalls of the receiving space when the cover is mounted on the receiving space.

11. The filter mounting mechanism of claim 10, wherein when the confirmation piece of the interlock mechanism is located at the blocking position, the confirmation piece prevents the side edge of the cover from abutting the sidewalls of the receiving space.

12. The filter mounting mechanism of claim 1, wherein the cover includes a filter mount that allows a filter to be rotatively mounted to the cover.

13. The filter mechanism of claim 12, wherein the interlock mechanism includes a confirmation piece that is located at a blocking position when no filter is mounted on the cover, and wherein the act of rotatively mounting a filter on the filter mount causes the confirmation piece to move to a mounting position that allows the cover to be mounted on the receiving space.

14. The filter mechanism of claim 13, wherein the interlock mechanism further comprises an elastic member that urges the confirmation piece towards the blocking position.

15. The filter mechanism of claim 13, wherein the interlock mechanism of claim 13 includes an engagement portion configured to interact with a radially extending protrusion on a filter, and wherein the engagement portion is configured such that when a filter is rotatively mounted on the cover, the radially extending protrusion on the filter causes a movement of the interlock mechanism which causes the confirmation piece to be located at the mounting position.

16. The filter mounting mechanism of claim 12, wherein the filter mount on the cover includes a rotation prevention projection that is configured to prevent f a filter from being rotated onto the filter mount past a prescribed point.

17. A vacuum cleaner incorporating the filter mounting mechanism of claim 1.

18. A filter mounting mechanism for a vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a filter receiving space having an opening, wherein the filter receiving space is configured to receive a removable filter element;

a cover configured to cover the opening of the filter receiving space; and

blocking means for preventing the cover from being mounted on the filter receiving space if a filter is not mounted in the filter receiving space.

19. The filter mounting mechanism of claim 18, wherein the cover includes a filter mount that allows a filter element to be removably mounted to the cover, and wherein the blocking means is also mounted on the cover.

20. The filter mounting mechanism of claim 19, wherein the act of mounting a filter element on the filter mount of the cover causes a protrusion of the blocking means to retract to a mounting position that allows the cover to be mounted on the filter receiving space, and wherein when a filter is not mounted on the filter mount of the cover, the protrusion is located at a blocking position that prevents the cover from being mounted on the filter receiving space.