VACUUM CLEANER

• US 20080172824A1
• Filed: 12/27/2007
• Published: 07/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Ha, Gun Ho, Hwang, Man Tae, Yang, Hae Seock, Kim, Jin Young, Yoo, Myung Sig, Choo, Jong Su, Ko, Moo Hyun, Seo, Jin Wook, Lee, Chang Hoon, Hwang, Pil Jae, YUN, Chang Ho
• Granted Patent: US 7,958,598 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/352
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/108 Dust compression means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1691 Mounting or coupling means for cyclonic chamber or dust receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2836 characterised by the parts which are controlled
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2842 Suction motors or blowers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays

Abstract

Disclosed related to a vacuum cleaner comprising a cleaner body in which a dust collector mount part is formed; a dust collector attached and removed at the dust collector mount part, and having a dust storage part in the inside; at least one of the compressing member reducing the volume of the dust stored in the dust storage part as arranged in the dust storage part movably; a power transfer unit transferring the driving force to the compressing members from outside as connected with the compressing members; and a control unit deciding the amount of the dust stored in the dust storage unit.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a cleaner body in which a dust collector mount part is formed;

a dust collector capable of being attached and removed from the dust collector mount part, and having a dust storage part in the inside;

at least one of compressing member reducing the volume of the dust stored in the dust storage part as arranged in the dust storage part movably;

a power transfer unit transferring the driving force to the compressing member from outside as connected with the compressing member; and

a control unit deciding an amount of the dust stored in the dust storage part.

2. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 1, wherein the power transfer unit includes a driven gear coupled with the compressing member, and a driving gear transferring driving force to the driven gear as supplied to the dust collector mount part.

3. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, wherein a compressing motor generating the driving force is supplied to the cleaner body.

4. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, wherein the driven gear is joined with a rotating shaft of the compressing member at the lower part of the dust collector.

5. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, further comprising a guide element transferring the driving force to the compressing member from the driven gear smoothly.

6. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 5, wherein the guide element includes a rotating shaft of the compressing member that the horizontal section of the inner circumferential surface is not rounded, and a gear axis of the driven gear that the horizontal section of the outer circumferential surface is formed as corresponding to the rotating shaft.

7. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 6, wherein the horizontal section of the rotating shaft is polygonal.

8. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 5, wherein the guide element is a coupling member coupled at a side of the compressing member at the state that the compressing member and the driven gear are coupled.

9. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 2, further comprising a perceiving unit perceiving the location of the compressing member, and the control unit decides the amount of the dust stored in the dust storage part with the information perceived by the location perceiving unit.

10. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 9, wherein the location perceiving unit includes a micro switch supplied in the cleaner body;

and a lever contacting to the driven gear as a part of it is exposed to the dust collector mount part and compressing the contact point of the micro switch selectively.

11. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 10, wherein the driven gear includes a contact rib contacting the lever, and a groove preventing the contact between the lever and the gear as formed at the contact rib.

12. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 11, wherein the lever presses the contact point when the lever contacts the contact rib, and the lever becomes apart from the contact point when the lever is located at the groove.

13. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 11, wherein the decision for the amount of the stored dust is made by checking that the compressing member is located at the standard location, and gauging the return time of the compressing member from the standard location to the standard location back after moving as rotated in the clockwise direction or the opposite direction of the clockwise direction and returning as rotated in the clockwise direction or the opposite direction of the clockwise direction.

14. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 13, wherein the standard location is the state that the lever is located at the groove.

15. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 13, wherein the dust empty signal is displayed to outside when the returning time is a little less than the standard time.

16. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the rib protecting the lever exposed to outside is formed at the dust collector mount part, and an interference prevention groove preventing the interference with the rib is formed at the lower side of the driven gear.

17. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a cleaner body;

a dust collector mounted at the cleaner body selectively;

at least one of compressing member reducing the volume of the dust stored in the inside as arranged in the inside of the dust collector;

a driving device operating the compressing member and connected with the compressing member in accordance with the mount of the dust collector;

a first guide unit leading the mount of the dust collector as supplied to the dust collector; and

a second guide unit interacting with the first guide unit as supplied in the cleaner body.

18. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 17, wherein the first guide unit is at least one of protrusions protruded from the dust collector, and the second guide unit is an insertion groove in which the protruded unit is inserted as formed in the cleaner body.

19. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 17, wherein the first guide unit is a set groove formed at the lower side of the dust collector, and the second guide unit is a set unit inserted into the set groove as formed at the cleaner body.

20. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 17, wherein one of the guide unit is a magnetic member, and the other one is a magnetic substance operated with the magnetic member.

21. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 17, wherein the driving device includes a driven gear coupled with the compressing member;

a driving gear connected with the driven gear optionally as supplied at the cleaner body; and

a compressing motor transferring the driving force to the driving gear.

22. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 21, wherein a rib is formed at the dust collector to prevent the dust to be moved toward the driven gear, and a rib insertion groove on which the rib is inserted is formed at the dust collector mount part.

23. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 22, wherein the first guide unit is a protrusion formed at the rib, and the second guide unit is a protrusion insertion groove on which the protrusion is inserted as formed at the cleaner body.

24. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 21, wherein the driven gear is joined with the rotating shaft of the compressing member at the outer side of the dust collector, and at least a part of the driving gear is exposed to outside.

25. The vacuum cleanser according to claim 24, wherein the both sides of each of the gear teeth is rounded as for the smooth coupling of the driven gear and the driving gear.

26. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 24, wherein an inclined plane is formed at the lower side of at least of the driven gear for the smooth connection of the driven gear and the driving gear.

27. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a cleaner body;

a dust separation unit separating the dust from the air inhaled into the cleaner body;

a dust collector coupled with the cleaner body capable of removed, and having a dust storage part storing dust;

a fixed member fixed in the dust storage unit;

at least one of compressing member reducing the volume of the dust stored in the dust storage part due to the interaction with the fixed member as arranged in the dust storage part as capable of removed; and

a driving device for operating the compressing member,

wherein an outlet discharging the dust separated in the dust separation unit is formed at the lower side of the dust separation unit, and

the fixed member is supplied to a place adjacent to the outlet.

28. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 27, wherein the fixed member is located at the opposite side of the outlet with the central axis of the dust collecting body as a standard.

29. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 27, wherein a chamfer is formed at the upper side of the compressing member to prevent the interference of the dust discharged through the outlet and the compressing member at the transference course of the compressing member.

30. The vacuum cleaner according to claim 27, wherein a fixed shaft is protruded toward inside of the dust collector, and the rotating shaft of the compressing member is joined with the fixed shaft, and

an interference prevention groove is formed at the compressing member to prevent the interference while the coupling process with the fixed shaft.