CLEANING APPARATUS AND DUST COLLECTING METHOD USING THE SAME

• US 20100313912A1
• Filed: 05/25/2010
• Published: 12/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Gwangju Electronics Co., Ltd. (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: KIM, Myeong Ho, LEE, Hak Bong, KIM, Kyoung Woun, HAN, Jung Gyun, MOON, Joo Sung
• Granted Patent: US 8,505,158 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/21
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/33 having means for storing dirt
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4094 Accessories to be used in combination with conventional vacuum-cleaning devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/00 Robotic cleaning machines, i.e. with automatic control of the travelling movement or the cleaning operation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 7/02 with driven tools for special purposes with floor-polishing tools A47L11/20
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0477 Rolls
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0488 Combinations or arrangements of several tools, e.g. edge cleaning tools

Abstract

A cleaning apparatus and a dust collecting method using the same are provided. The cleaning apparatus includes a body, a brush unit rotatably provided at the body, a dust collecting unit to store contaminants, such as dust, swept by the brush unit, and a blowing unit to suction contaminants, such as dust, scattered by the brush unit and to move the suctioned contaminants to the dust collecting unit.

Claims

1. A cleaning apparatus comprising:

a body;

a brush unit rotatably provided at a central region of the body;

a blowing unit provided in a front region of the body to provide suction force; and

a dust collecting unit provided in a rear region of the body to store dust,

wherein the dust collecting unit includes a first inlet provided on a first dust path created by the brush unit, and a second inlet provided on a second dust path created by the blowing unit.

2. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first inlet and the second inlet are arranged adjacent to each other, and the second inlet is positioned higher than a rotation center of the brush unit.

3. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first inlet and the second inlet are arranged to face the brush unit.

4. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the dust collecting unit includes a guide member arranged between the first inlet and the second inlet and configured to extend toward the brush unit.

5. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the guide member is installed in a longitudinal direction of the brush unit and has a plate shape.

6. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the guide member is installed in a longitudinal direction of the brush unit and has a comb shape.

7. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the guide member is tilted by a predetermined angle with respect to a vertical axis direction thereof.

8. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the dust collecting unit includes a brush cleaning member protruding from the second inlet and having a predetermined portion to interfere with the brush unit.

9. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the brush cleaning member is installed in a longitudinal direction of the brush unit and has a comb shape.

10. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the brush cleaning member is tilted by a predetermined angle with respect to a vertical axis direction thereof.

11. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the dust collecting unit further includes a first storage space provided on the first dust path, a second storage space provided on the second dust path, and a partition to separate the first storage space and the second storage space from each other.

12. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 11, wherein:

the dust collecting unit further includes a cover arranged above the first storage space and the second storage space; and

the cover includes a communication hole to communicate the second storage space and the blowing unit with each other.

13. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the cover further includes a filter member installed at the communication hole.

14. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 11, wherein:

the dust collecting unit further includes a cover arranged above the first storage space and the second storage space; and

the cover includes a connection channel having a first connection hole communicating with the first storage space and a second connection hole communicating with the second storage space.

15. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the first storage space is larger than the second storage space and the first connection hole corresponding to the first storage space is larger than the second connection hole corresponding to the second storage space.

16. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the dust collecting unit further includes an opening/closing member to open or close the first inlet and an elastic member to elastically support the opening/closing member.

17. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the opening/closing member opens the first inlet when the dust collecting unit is mounted into the body and closes the first inlet when the dust collecting unit is separated from the body.

18. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the blowing unit further includes a suction port provided on the second dust path; and

the first inlet and the suction port are arranged at opposite sides of the brush unit.

19. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the dust collecting unit includes a discharge port; and

air introduced into the dust collecting unit by the blowing unit is discharged out of the body through the discharge port.

20. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the dust collecting unit includes a filter member installed at the discharge port.

21. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the blowing unit guides contaminants, such as dust, scattered by the brush unit, into the dust collecting unit.

22. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the blowing unit includes a suction path communicating with the brush unit, an exhaust path communicating with the dust collecting unit, and a fan arranged between the suction path and the exhaust path.

23. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 22, wherein a flow direction of the suction path is opposite to a flow direction of the exhaust path.

24. A dust collecting method of a cleaning apparatus, the method comprising:

sweeping dust with a brush unit installed at a central region of a body;

suctioning dust with a blowing unit installed in a front region of the body; and

collecting the dust with a dust collecting unit that is installed in a rear region of the body so as to be connected to both the brush unit and the blowing unit.

25. The dust collecting method according to claim 24, wherein:

the brush unit creates a first dust path upon the sweeping of dust, and the blowing unit creates a second dust path upon the suctioning of dust; and

the first dust path extends rearward of the body from the brush unit, and the second dust path first extends forward of the body toward the blowing unit and then, extends rearward of the body from the blowing unit.

26. The dust collecting method according to claim 24, further comprising discharging the dust collected in the dust collecting unit after separating the dust collecting unit.

27. The dust collecting method according to claim 24, further comprising discharging the dust collected in the dust collecting unit in a mounted state of the dust collecting unit.