U.S. patent application number 10/660717 was filed with the patent office on 2004-06-10 for cyclone-type dust collecting apparatus for vacuum cleaner.
This patent application is currently assigned to SAMSUNG GWANGJU ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.. Invention is credited to Lee, Byung-Jo.
Application Number | 20040107530 10/660717 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 29267965 |
Filed Date | 2004-06-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040107530 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lee, Byung-Jo |
June 10, 2004 |
Cyclone-type dust collecting apparatus for vacuum cleaner
Abstract
A cyclone type dust collecting apparatus for a vacuum cleaner
with a cyclone body comprising an air inlet port and air discharge
port, which forms a cyclone stream in air including dusts drawn in
through the air inlet port. A dust collecting receptacle is
removably connected to the cyclone body for collecting dust
separated from air by the cyclone stream. A grill assembly is
disposed at an end of the air discharge port inside the cyclone
body for preventing dust from flowing back through the air
discharge port of the cyclone body, and a fine dust filtering means
is disposed at a downstream end of the grill assembly of the
cyclone body for separating fine dusts which has not been separated
by the grill assembly.
Inventors: |
Lee, Byung-Jo;
(Gwangju-City, KR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BLANK ROME LLP
600 NEW HAMPSHIRE AVENUE, N.W.
WASHINGTON
DC
20037
US
|
Assignee: |
SAMSUNG GWANGJU ELECTRONICS CO.,
LTD.
|
Family ID: |
29267965 |
Appl. No.: |
10/660717 |
Filed: |
September 12, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/353 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L 9/1666 20130101;
A47L 9/122 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
015/353 |
International
Class: |
A47L 009/16 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 9, 2002 |
KR |
10-2002-0077811 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A cyclone type dust collecting apparatus for a vacuum cleaner,
comprising: a cyclone body comprising an air inlet port and air
discharge port, thus forming a cyclone stream in air including
dusts drawn in through the air inlet port; a dust collecting
receptacle removably connected to the cyclone body for collecting
dusts separated from air by the cyclone stream; a grill assembly
disposed at an end of the air discharge port inside the cyclone
body for preventing dusts from flowing back through the air
discharge port of the cyclone body; and a fine dust filtering means
disposed at a downstream end of the grill assembly of the cyclone
body for separating fine dusts which has not been separated by the
grill assembly.
2. The cyclone type dust collecting apparatus for a vacuum cleaner
according to claim 1, wherein the fine dust filtering means
comprises: a filter mounting portion formed on the cyclone body
including an opening portion open in a direction orthogonal with
respect to the air discharge port; and a filter assembly removably
inserted into the filter mounting portion.
3. The cyclone type dust collecting apparatus for a vacuum cleaner
according to claim 2, wherein the filter assembly comprises: a
filter case having an external shape corresponding to a shape and
structure of the filter mounting portion; and a fine dust filter
connected to the filter case.
4. The cyclone type dust collecting apparatus for a vacuum cleaner
according to claim 3, wherein a part of the filter case which comes
in contact with the opening portion of the filter mounting portion
has a packing member disposed thereon for sealing.
5. The cyclone type dust collecting apparatus for a vacuum cleaner
according to claim 3, wherein a grip portion is provided on a front
surface of the filter case for easy handling.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner, and more
particularly, to a cyclone-type dust collecting apparatus for a
vacuum cleaner disposed at an extension pipe of the vacuum cleaner
for separating and collecting foreign substances (hereinafter
called `dust`) included in the air by generating a cyclone stream
in the drawn air.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a conventional cyclone-type dust
collecting apparatus 10 for a vacuum cleaner comprises a cyclone
body 20, a dust collecting receptacle 30, and a grill assembly
40.
[0003] The cyclone body 20 comprises an air inlet pipe 21 connected
to an extension pipe 1a (See FIG. 2) of the suction port side of
the vacuum cleaner, an air discharge pipe 22 connected to an
extension pipe 1b of the vacuum cleaner body side, an air inlet
port 23 fluidly communicating with the air inlet pipe 21, and an
air discharge port 24 fluidly communicating with the air discharge
pipe 22, where the cyclone body 20 generates a cyclone stream in
the dust-laden air drawn in through the air inlet port 23.
[0004] The dust collecting receptacle 30 is removably connected to
the cyclone body 20 and collects dusts separated from air by the
cyclone stream formed by the cyclone body 20.
[0005] The grill assembly 40 is mounted at an end of the air
discharge port 24 inside the cyclone body 20 and prevents the dusts
collected in the dust collecting receptacle from flowing back
through the air discharge port 24. The grill assembly 40 comprises
a grill body 41, a plurality of paths 42 formed on the outer
circumferential surface of the grill body 41 to fluidly communicate
with the air discharge port 24, and a dust blocking member 43
disposed at an end of the grill body 41.
[0006] Such conventional cyclone-type dust collecting apparatus for
a vacuum cleaner structured as above has the air inlet and
discharge pipes 21, 22 fluidly communicating with the extension
pipes 1a, 1b of the vacuum cleaner as shown in FIG. 3. Accordingly,
dusts, together with air, are drawn in through the air inlet pipe
21 in an oblique direction with respect to the cyclone body 20 by a
suction force generated at a suction port E of the vacuum cleaner,
and the drawn in air flows towards the bottom of the dust
collecting receptacle 30 forming a cyclone stream. In this process,
the dusts included in air are separated from air by a centrifugal
force and collected in the dust collecting receptacle 30. Air flows
towards the cleaner body B through the paths 42 of the grill
assembly 40, air discharge port 24, and air discharge pipe 22 by
the cyclone stream reversed at the bottom of the dust collecting
receptacle 30 and rising up having a radius smaller than that of
the descending cyclone stream.
[0007] The cleaned air towards the cleaner body B is discharged
outside through a paper filter (not shown) provided in the cleaner
body B, and thus, fine dusts which are not separated by the cyclone
dust collecting apparatus is filtered by the paper filter and
collected.
[0008] Such cyclone-type dust collecting apparatus is capable of
reducing the amount of dusts collected by the paper filter as the
dusts in air drawn in through the suction port E of the cleaner is
initially separated and collected before the paper filter of the
cleaner body B filters the dusts.
[0009] However, such conventional cyclone-type dust collecting
apparatus cannot prevent fine dusts smaller than the paths 42
flowing back through the paths 42 together with the discharged air
although it can effectively separate and collect the dusts larger
than the paths 42 of the grill assembly. As a result, reversing
fine dusts are collected in the paper filter provided in the
cleaner body B and the amount of the dusts collected in the paper
filter increases. Accordingly, the life span of the paper filter is
shortened and an improvement with respect to such a problem is
required.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to
provide a cyclone type dust collecting apparatus for a vacuum
cleaner, which has a second filtering means for filtering the
minute dusts in air reversing along the air path of the grill
assembly, and thereby reducing the amount of dusts to be filtered
at the paper filter and extending the life span of the paper
filter.
[0011] In order to achieve the above object and/or other features
of the present invention, there is provided a cyclone type dust
collecting apparatus for a vacuum cleaner including a cyclone body
comprising an air inlet port and air discharge port, thus forming a
cyclone stream in air including dust drawn in through the air inlet
port. A dust collecting receptacle is removably connected to the
cyclone body for collecting dust separated from air by the cyclone
stream. A grill assembly is disposed at an end of the air discharge
port inside the cyclone body for preventing dusts from being
flowing back through the air discharge port of the cyclone body,
and a fine dust filtering means disposed at a downstream end of the
grill assembly of the cyclone body for separating fine dusts which
has not been separated by the grill assembly.
[0012] The fine dust filtering means includes a filter mounting
portion formed on the cyclone body and has an opening portion open
in a direction orthogonal with respect to the air discharge port,
and a filter assembly removably inserted into the filter mounting
portion.
[0013] The filter assembly includes a filter case having an
external shape corresponding to a shape and structure of the filter
mounting portion, and a fine dust filter connected to the filter
case.
[0014] A part of the filter case which comes in contact with the
opening portion of the filter mounting portion has a packing member
disposed thereon for sealing.
[0015] A grip portion is provided on a front surface of the filter
case for easy handling.
[0016] As the cyclone type dust collecting apparatus has relatively
large particles of dusts separated from the drawn air by the grill
assembly, and fine dusts separated secondly from air by the fine
dust filtering means disposed at a downstream end of the grill
assembly, it thus has less dust presented to the cleaner body. As a
result, the amount of dust to be filtered at the paper filter is
greatly reduced.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] The above aspects and other features of the present
invention will become more apparent by describing in detail a
preferred embodiment thereof with reference to the attached
drawings, in which:
[0018] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a general
cyclone-conventional type dust collecting apparatus for a vacuum
cleaner;
[0019] FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing FIG. 1 assembled;
[0020] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a general conventional
cyclone-type dust collecting apparatus for a vacuum cleaner mounted
to an extension pipe of a canister-type vacuum cleaner;
[0021] FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing a
cyclone-type dust collecting apparatus for a vacuum cleaner
according to an embodiment of the present invention; and
[0022] FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing FIG. 4 assembled.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0023] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in
detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. With respect to
the elements identical to those of the cyclone-type dust collecting
apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 through 3, like reference numerals will
be assigned and the detailed description thereof will be
omitted.
[0024] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the cyclone-type dust collecting
apparatus 10 for a vacuum cleaner according to one embodiment of
the present invention comprises a cyclone body 20, a dust
collecting receptacle 30, a grill assembly 40 and a fine dust
filtering means 50.
[0025] The cyclone body 20 comprises an air inlet pipe 21 connected
to an extension pipe 1a (See FIG. 5) of the suction port side of
the vacuum cleaner, an air discharge pipe 22 connected to an
extension pipe 1b of the vacuum cleaner body side, an air inlet
port 23 fluidly communicating with the air inlet pipe 21, and an
air discharge port 24 fluidly communicating with the air discharge
pipe 22, where the cyclone body 20 generates a cyclone stream in
the dust laden air drawn in through the air inlet port 23.
[0026] The dust collecting receptacle 30 is removably connected to
the cyclone body 20 and collects dusts separated from air by the
cyclone stream formed by the cyclone body 20.
[0027] The grill assembly 40 is mounted at an end of the air
discharge port 24 inside the cyclone body 20 and prevents the dusts
collected in the dust collecting receptacle from flowing back
through the air discharge port 24. Such grill assembly 40 comprises
a grill body 41, a plurality of paths 42 formed on the outer
circumferential surface of the grill body 41 to fluidly communicate
with the air discharge port 24, and a dust blocking member 43
disposed at an end of the grill body 41.
[0028] The fine dust filtering means 50 separates the fine dust
flowing back through the paths 42 of the grill assembly 40 without
prior separation by the grill assembly 40, and comprises a filter
mounting portion 60 and a filter assembly 70.
[0029] The filter mounting portion 60 is disposed at one side of
the cyclone body 20, and has an opening portion 60a open in the
direction orthogonal with respect to the air discharge port 24.
[0030] The filter assembly 70 is removably inserted into the filter
mounting portion 60, and separates fine dust included in the
discharged air through the air discharge port 24. The filter
assembly 70 comprises a filter case 71 and a fine dust filter
72.
[0031] The filter case 71 has an external shape corresponding to
the shape and structure of the filter mounting portion 60, and the
fine dust filter 72 is fixed to the filter case 71. It is
preferable that the fine dust filter 72 is made of a porous
material such as sponge. In addition, it is preferable that a part
of the filter case 71 which comes in contact with the opening
portion 60a of the filter mounting portion 60 has a packing member
71a disposed thereon for sealing. The reference numeral 71b in FIG.
4 is a grip portion enabling easy handling of the filter assembly
70.
[0032] The cyclone-type dust collecting apparatus for a vacuum
cleaner structured as above according to the present embodiment has
air inlet pipe 21 and air discharge pipe 22 fluidly communicating
with the extension pipes 1a, 1b of the vacuum cleaner as shown in
FIGS. 3 and 5. Accordingly, dusts, together with air, are drawn in
through the air inlet pipe 21 in an oblique direction with respect
to the cyclone body 20 by a suction force generated at a suction
port E of the vacuum cleaner, and the drawn air flows towards the
bottom of the dust collecting receptacle 30 forming a cyclone
stream. In this process, the dusts included in air is separated
from air by a centrifugal force and collected in the dust
collecting receptacle 30.
[0033] Air, from which dusts are initially separated by the above
operation, flows towards the cleaner body B through the paths 42 of
the grill assembly 40, the fine dust filtering means 50 and air
discharge pipe 22, is disposed at the air discharge port 24, and by
the cyclone stream is reversed at the bottom of the dust collecting
receptacle 30, and thus rising up with a radius smaller than that
of the descending cyclone stream.
[0034] The fine dusts still remaining in the discharged air after
the grill assembly 40 are separated secondly by the fine dust
filtering means 50 of the filter assembly 70. Air cleaned at the
above two stages is discharged towards the cleaner body B.
[0035] Air discharged towards the cleaner body B is finally
discharged outside via a paper filter provided in the cleaner body
B.
[0036] As described above, the cyclone-type dust collecting
apparatus for a vacuum cleaner according to the present invention
has relatively large particles of dusts separated from the drawn
air by the grill assembly and fine dusts secondly separated from
the air by the fine dust filtering means, and thus has the amount
of dusts presented to the cleaner body significantly reduced.
[0037] According to the present invention as described above, fine
dust filtering operation by the fine dust filtering means
significantly reduces the amount of dusts flowing towards the
cleaner body and therefore extends the life span of a paper
filter.
[0038] Accordingly, the number of paper filters changed may be
reduced and the life span of a paper filter can be extended thereby
reducing the maintenance costs.
[0039] Although a few preferred embodiments of the present
invention have been illustrated and described, it will be
understood by those skilled in the art that the present invention
should not be limited to the described preferred embodiments, but
various changes and modifications can be made within the spirit and
scope of the present invention as defined by the appended
claims.
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