Vacuum cleaner

• US 6,859,975 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2001
• Issued: 03/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Ohta, Hiroshi, Oka, Yasuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden, Sr., Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GUIDOTTI, LAURA COLE
• Application Number:
  US10/088,165
• Publication Number:
  US 20020133901A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,303 Days
• Field of Search: 153/47, 15350-353, 153/19, 554/29, 554/591, 55D/IG.3, 553/37, 964/23, 964/17
• US Class Current: 15/347
• 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: A47L 9/1683 Dust collecting chambers; Dust collecting receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1691 Mounting or coupling means for cyclonic chamber or dust receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2889 Safety or protection devices or systems, e.g. for prevention of motor over-heating or for protection of the user
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 55/03 Vacuum cleaner

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner has a cyclone dust collector 4, arranged in a suction air passage, for separating dust by making sucked air into a whirling stream. The cyclone dust collector 4 has an inlet port 41a through which the sucked air is introduced, a dust collection chamber 41 for collecting separated dust, a lid 42 for opening and closing the dust collection chamber 41, an exhaust cylinder 44 through which the sucked air is discharged out of the dust collection chamber, and a shielding member 46 arranged below the exhaust cylinder 44. Dust is separated as a result of a whirling stream of air colliding with shielding ribs 46b and a circular portion 46a of the shielding member 46.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a nozzle unit having a nozzle,

an electric blower for sucking air,

a suction air passage provided between the nozzle unit and the electric blower, and

a cyclone dust collector, arranged in the suction air passage, for separating dust by making sucked air into a whirling stream, wherein the cyclone dust collector comprises;

a dust collection chamber for collecting dust, the dust collection chamber having an inlet port through which to introduce the sucked air,

a lid for selectively opening and closing the dust collection chamber, the lid comprising an exhaust port through which to discharge sucked air out of the dust collection chamber, and

an exhaust cylinder detachably fitted to the exhaust port of the lid,

a shielding member detachably fitted to a bottom end of the exhaust cylinder, wherein the shielding member closes off the bottom end of the exhaust cylinder so that air entering the exhaust cylinder enters the exhaust cylinder through a port located in a peripheral edge of the exhaust cylinder, and

wherein the shielding member is located above an area of the dust collecting chamber where dust is collected, and wherein the shielding member includes a plurality of elongated ribs extending downwardly from a top portion thereof for separating dust from the air in the dust collection chamber.

2. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1, further comprising exhaust cylinder detecting means for detecting that the exhaust cylinder is located in a predetermined position, wherein the electric blower is controlled according to a result of detection by the exhaust cylinder detecting means.

3. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cyclone dust collector is integrally detachable from the suction passage.

4. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 3, further comprising dust collector detecting means for detecting that the cyclone dust collector is located in a predetermined position, wherein the electric blower is controlled according to a result of detection by the dust collector detecting means.

5. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 1, wherein the elongated ribs are shaped like a flat plate and are arranged so as to extend radially from center to periphery.