Dust receptacle and vacuum cleaner having the same

• US 20090178230A1
• Filed: 05/21/2008
• Published: 07/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Gwangju Electronics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yoo, Dong-hun
• Granted Patent: US 8,191,203 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/347
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/106 Dust removal
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1683 Dust collecting chambers; Dust collecting receptacles

Abstract

A dust receptacle a receptacle body that is attached to and detached from a cleaner body is disclosed. The dust receptacle includes the bottom of which is opened; a handle, which is disposed on the receptacle body in a longitudinal direction; an exhaust cover, an end of which is hinged with a lower end of the handle, and which is used to expose a bottom of the receptacle body; and an operating lever that locks or unlocks the exhaust cover.

Claims

1. A dust receptacle that is configured to be attached to and detached from a cleaner body, the dust receptacle comprising:

a receptacle body having a bottom that is open;

a handle being disposed on the receptacle body in a longitudinal direction;

an exhaust cover having an end hinged to a lower end of the handle, the exhaust cover movable to expose the bottom of the receptacle body or to close the bottom of the receptacle body; and

an operating lever locking or unlocking the exhaust cover.

2. The dust receptacle of claim 1, wherein the operating lever comprises:

a first operating member that is slidably disposed along an inside of the handle, the first operating member having an upper end exposed above the handle to be pressed by a user; and

a second operating member that is elastically and slidably disposed on an outer bottom surface of the exhaust cover to operate in tandem with the first operating member.

3. The dust receptacle of claim 2, wherein the handle is formed in a straight or curved shape.

4. The dust receptacle of claim 3, wherein the first operating member is formed in a straight or curved shape so as to correspond to the shape of the handle.

5. The dust receptacle of claim 4, wherein the second operating member comprises a pressurized surface having a side contacting a lower end of the first operating member, wherein the side is angled toward the second operating member.

6. The dust receptacle of claim 2, wherein the second operating member comprises a side that contacts a lower end of the first operating member and another side comprising a hook, the hook being lockable to a protrusion that is opposed to the handle and protrudes from a lower end of the receptacle body.

7. The dust receptacle of claim 2, wherein the second operating member is elastically supported on the exhaust cover by a return spring, and an end of the return spring is fixed to a portion of the second operating member, and the opposite end of the return spring is supported on the protrusion that protrudes from a bottom surface of the exhaust cover, so that the second operating member is elastically supported on the first operating member.

8. The dust receptacle of claim 2, wherein the handle comprises an extension portion that is formed higher than the upper end of the first operating member.

9. The dust receptacle of claim 2, wherein the first operating member has an upper end that is disposed lower than an upper end of the handle.

10. The dust receptacle of claim 2, wherein the first operating member has an upper portion that is elastically supported on the inside of the handle.

11. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a suction port assembly that draws in dust-laden air from a surface being cleaned;

a cleaner body that is connected to the suction port assembly; and

a dust receptacle that is attached to and detached from a casing of the cleaner body,

wherein the dust receptacle comprises;

a receptacle body having a bottom that is open;

a handle being disposed on the receptacle body in a longitudinal direction;

an exhaust cover having an end hinged to a lower end of the handle, the exhaust cover being movable to expose a bottom of the receptacle body or to close the bottom of the receptacle body; and

an operating lever that locks or unlocks the exhaust cover.

12. The vacuum cleaner of claim 11, wherein the operating lever comprises:

a first operating member that is slidably disposed along an inside of the handle, the first operating member having an upper end exposed above the handle to be pressed by a user; and

a second operating member that is elastically and slidably disposed on an outer bottom surface of the exhaust cover to operate in tandem with the first operating member.

13. The vacuum cleaner of claim 12, wherein the handle is formed in a straight or curved shape.

14. The vacuum cleaner of claim 13, wherein the first operating member is formed in a straight or curved shape so as to correspond to the shape of the handle.

15. The vacuum cleaner of claim 14, wherein the second operating member comprises a pressurized surface having a side contacting a lower end of the first operating member, wherein the side is angled toward the second operating member.

16. The vacuum cleaner of claim 12, wherein the second operating member has a side that contacts a lower end of the first operating member and another side comprising a hook, the hook being lockable to a protrusion that is opposed to the handle and protrudes from a lower end of the receptacle body.

17. The vacuum cleaner of claim 12, wherein the second operating member is elastically supported on the exhaust cover by a return spring, and an end of the return spring is fixed to a portion of the second operating member, and the opposite end of the return spring is supported on the protrusion that protrudes from a bottom surface of the exhaust cover, so that the second operating member is elastically supported on the first operating member.

18. The vacuum cleaner of claim 12, wherein the handle comprises an extension portion that is formed higher than the upper end of the first operating member.

19. The vacuum cleaner of claim 11, wherein the first operating member has an upper end that is disposed lower than an upper end of the handle.

20. The vacuum cleaner of claim 12, wherein the first operating member has an upper portion that is elastically supported on the inside of the handle.