Dust sensing unit for use in vacuum cleaner

• US 20080250599A1
• Filed: 09/25/2007
• Published: 10/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Discovery Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Gwangju Electronics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Han, Jung-gyun, Kim, Min-ha, Oh, Jang-keun, Cha, Seung-yong, Lee, Jin-gon
• Granted Patent: US 7,562,414 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/347
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/19 Means for monitoring filtering operation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/248 Parts, details or accessories of hoses or pipes nozzles A47L9/02
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2815 using optical detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2868 Arrangements for power supply of vacuum cleaners or the accessories thereof
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 40/00 Technologies aiming at improving the efficiency of home appliances, e.g. induction cooking or efficient technologies for refrigerators, freezers or dish washers

Abstract

A dust sensing unit for use in a vacuum cleaner, which can detect whether there is dust or dirt on a surface to be cleaned and inform a user of the detected result in cleaning, is disclosed. The dust sensing unit includes a body having an air flowing passage therein to move air laden with dust or dirt drawn in through a suction nozzle, a detecting sensor disposed on the air flowing passage to detect whether the dust or dirt is passing through the air flowing passage, a lamp part to operate according to a signal outputted from the detecting sensor, a rotating part disposed to the body to rotate by air flowing through the air flowing passage, and an electric generator rotated by the rotating part to generate an electric power.

Claims

1. A dust sensing unit for use in a vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a body having an air flowing passage therein to move air laden with dust or dirt drawn in through a suction nozzle;

a detecting sensor disposed on the air flowing passage of the body to detect whether the dust or dirt passes through the air flowing passage;

a lamp part to operate according to a signal outputted from the detecting sensor;

a rotating part disposed in the body and being configured to rotate by air moving through the air flowing passage; and

an electric generator rotated by the rotating part to generate an electric power, wherein the body is disposed between the suction nozzle and a cleaner body, and the electric generator supplies the electric power to at least one of the detecting sensor and the lamp part.

2. The dust sensing unit of claim 1, wherein the body is detachably disposed in a location selected from the group consisting of between the suction nozzle and an extended tube, between the extended tube and an operating handle, and between a suction hose and the cleaner body.

3. The dust sensing unit of claim 1, wherein the body is integrally formed with a portion selected from the group consisting of the suction nozzle, an extended tube, an operating handle, and a suction hose.

4. The dust sensing unit of claim 1, wherein the detecting sensor comprises an optical sensor having a light-emitting part and a light-receiving part.

5. The dust sensing unit of claim 1, wherein the lamp part comprises:

a first lamp to operate according to a first signal generated when the detecting sensor detects the dust or dirt; and

a second lamp to operate according to a second signal generated when the detecting sensor does not detect the dust or dirt.

6. The dust sensing unit of claim 1, wherein the rotating part comprises an impeller having a rotating axis disposed parallel to or perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the air flowing passage.

7. The dust sensing unit of claim 1, further comprising a muffler part to reduce noises generating in rotating of the rotating part.

8. The dust sensing unit of claim 7, wherein the muffler part comprises:

a plurality of resonating holes formed in the body; and

a noise-absorbing member filled in a space between a cover and the body.

9. The dust sensing unit of claim 1, further comprising a subsidiary rotation driving-passage part to draw in an external air from the outside by a suction force of the vacuum cleaner and thus to rotate the rotating part along with the air drawn in through the suction nozzle.

10. The dust sensing unit of claim 9, wherein the subsidiary rotation driving-passage part is formed to a rotating part-mounting part disposed on an outside of the body to mount the rotating part therein, and comprises an inlet to drawn in the external air, a rotating part-mounting space in which the rotating part is disposed and through which the external air moves, and an outlet in which a portion of the rotating part is disposed to project into the air flowing passage and at which the external air joins the air of the air flowing passage.

11. The dust sensing unit of claim 9, wherein the subsidiary rotation driving-passage part comprises a flowing passage guide formed in the body to install the rotating part therein, and the flowing passage guide comprises an inlet to draw in the external air, a rotating part-mounting space in which the rotating part is disposed and in which the external air moves through the rotating part, and an outlet in which a portion of the rotating part is disposed to project into the air flowing passage and at which the external air joins the air of the air flowing passage.

12. The dust sensing unit of claim 1, further comprising a rotation driving-passage part to drawn in an external air from the outside by means of a suction force of the vacuum cleaner thus to rotate the rotating part only by the external air.

13. The dust sensing unit of claim 12, wherein the rotation driving-passage part is formed to a rotating part-mounting part disposed on an outside of the body to mount the rotating part therein, and comprises a plurality of suction openings formed in an outer circumferential surface of the rotating part-mounting part to drawn in the external air, a rotating part-mounting space in which the rotating part is disposed and in which the external air moves through the rotating part, and a discharging tube part formed to a surface of the rotating part-mounting part to communicate with the air flowing passage.

14. The dust sensing unit of claim 1, further comprising a rotation driving-passage part to diverge a portion of the air moving through the air flowing passage thereform and then to guide the portion of the air to drive the rotating part.

15. The dust sensing unit of claim 14, wherein the rotation driving-passage part comprises a flowing passage guide formed in the body to install the rotating part therein, and the flowing passage guide comprises a hollow cylindrical element coaxially disposed with the body in the air flowing passage to form a predetermined annular space between the hollow cylindrical element and the body, a suction opening formed to an upstream side of the hollow cylindrical element connected with the body, to introduce the portion of the air moving through the air flowing passage into the annular space, and a discharging opening formed to a downstream side of the hollow cylindrical element connected with the body, to allow the portion of the air passing through the annular space to join the air of the air flowing passage again.

16. The dust sensing unit of claim 15, wherein the rotating part comprises a fan rotatably disposed around the hollow cylindrical element to cross the annular space and thus to be rotated by the air passing through the annular space, and the electric generator comprises a driven gear formed to engage with a driving gear formed on an outer circumferential surface of the fan.