U.S. patent application number 12/446891 was filed with the patent office on 2010-01-14 for vacuum cleaner.
Invention is credited to Chung-Ook Chong, Geunbae Hwang, Kie-Tak Hyun, Jong-Kyu Jang, Kyeong-Seon Jeong, Youngsoo Kim, Jinhyouk Shin.
Application Number | 20100005617 12/446891 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39344375 |
Filed Date | 2010-01-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100005617 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hyun; Kie-Tak ; et
al. |
January 14, 2010 |
VACUUM CLEANER
Abstract
The present invention discloses a vacuum cleaner which can
improve the cleaning performance by filtering off impurities from
the sucked air twice according to a cyclone method, and allow the
user to easily discharge the collected impurities. The vacuum
cleaner includes a primary cyclone unit (100), a secondary cyclone
unit (120), and a passage partition unit (131) formed between the
primary cyclone unit and the secondary cyclone unit. The sucked air
is primarily filtered in the primary cyclone unit (110), and
secondarily filtered in the secondary cyclone unit (120), thereby
improving the cleaning performance. In addition, a dust container
(140) is detachably coupled to the primary cyclone unit (110) or
the secondary cyclone unit (120). Therefore, the user can easily
remove the impurities collected in the dust container (140) by
separating the dust container (140) from the primary and secondary
cyclone units.
Inventors: |
Hyun; Kie-Tak; (Changwon-si,
KR) ; Jeong; Kyeong-Seon; (Changwon-si, KR) ;
Jang; Jong-Kyu; (Sancheon-si, KR) ; Chong;
Chung-Ook; (Daegu, KR) ; Shin; Jinhyouk;
(Busan, KR) ; Hwang; Geunbae; (Changwon-si,
KR) ; Kim; Youngsoo; (Chungwon-si, KR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BIRCH STEWART KOLASCH & BIRCH
PO BOX 747
FALLS CHURCH
VA
22040-0747
US
|
Family ID: |
39344375 |
Appl. No.: |
12/446891 |
Filed: |
February 23, 2007 |
PCT Filed: |
February 23, 2007 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/KR07/00957 |
371 Date: |
April 23, 2009 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/347 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L 9/1666 20130101;
B04C 5/26 20130101; B04C 5/28 20130101; B04C 2009/004 20130101;
A47L 9/1625 20130101; A47L 9/1641 20130101; B04C 5/13 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
15/347 |
International
Class: |
A47L 9/16 20060101
A47L009/16 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 31, 2006 |
KR |
10-2006-0106861 |
Oct 31, 2006 |
KR |
10-2006-0106862 |
Claims
1-31. (canceled)
32. A vacuum cleaner, comprising: a primary cyclone unit for
primarily separating impurities from the sucked air by primary
cyclone flow; a secondary cyclone unit for secondarily separating
impurities from the air passing through the primary cyclone unit by
secondary cyclone flow inside a plurality of secondary cyclones,
and collecting the impurities at the center portion of the primary
cyclone unit; and a first passage partition unit for guiding the
flow of the primary cyclone unit to inlets of the secondary
cyclones, respectively.
33. The vacuum cleaner of claim 32, wherein the secondary cyclones
are formed in an inclined conical shape with outlets and dust
discharge holes at both axial direction ends, the surfaces of which
contacting the first passage partition unit being horizontal.
34. The vacuum cleaner of claim 32, comprising eddy current
prevention units for partitioning the outlets of the secondary
cyclones in order to prevent an eddy current of the air discharged
through the outlets of the secondary cyclones.
35. The vacuum cleaner of claim 34, wherein the eddy current
prevention units are partition walls installed to cross the outlets
of the secondary cyclones.
36. The vacuum cleaner of claim 34, wherein the eddy current
prevention units are cylindrical members installed on the outlets
of the secondary cyclones in the axial direction.
37. The vacuum cleaner of claim 32, wherein the first passage
partition unit seals up the gap between the inlet of the primary
cyclone unit and the outlets of the secondary cyclones, and
partially covers the outside surfaces of the secondary
cyclones.
38. The vacuum cleaner of claim 32, further comprising a mesh unit
upwardly isolated from the inside bottom surface of the primary
cyclone unit at a predetermined interval.
39. The vacuum cleaner of claim 32, wherein the first passage
partition unit further comprises a region with a plurality of
through holes.
40. The vacuum cleaner of claim 37, wherein the inlets of the
secondary cyclones are adjacent to the outside surfaces of the
secondary cyclones covered by the first passage partition unit.
41. The vacuum cleaner of claim 32, wherein the inlets of the
secondary cyclones are opened in the same direction.
42. The vacuum cleaner of claim 32, further comprising a second
passage partition unit for isolating the inside flow of the primary
cyclone unit from passages from the outlets of the secondary
cyclones.
43. The vacuum cleaner of claim 42, wherein the second passage
partition unit seals up the spaces between the secondary cyclones
in order to increase the sectional area of the passages from the
outlets of the secondary cyclones.
44. The vacuum cleaner of claim 32, wherein the secondary cyclones
are formed inside the inlet of the primary cyclone unit.
45. The vacuum cleaner of claim 44, wherein the first passage
partition unit isolates the outlets of the secondary cyclones from
the inlet of the primary cyclone unit, and has its section
downwardly inclined toward the center portion.
46. The vacuum cleaner of claim 32, wherein the primary cyclone
unit comprises a primary dust container for collecting impurities,
the secondary cyclone unit comprises a secondary dust container
installed at the center portion of the primary dust container to
communicate with the outlets of the secondary cyclones, and the
first passage partition unit is integrally formed with the
secondary dust container.
47. The vacuum cleaner of claim 32, further comprising a dust
container detachably coupled to at least one of the primary cyclone
unit and the secondary cyclone unit, for collecting the impurities
separated in the primary cyclone unit or the secondary cyclone
unit.
48. The vacuum cleaner of claim 47, wherein the dust container
comprises a primary dust container for collecting the impurities
from the primary cyclone unit, and a secondary dust container
formed in the primary dust container, for collecting the impurities
from the secondary cyclone unit.
49. The vacuum cleaner of claim 47, further comprising a sealing
member installed between at least one of the primary cyclone unit
and the secondary cyclone unit and the dust container.
50. The vacuum cleaner of claim 47, wherein a handle unit is formed
at the outer portion of the dust container, and the dust container
is downwardly separated from the primary cyclone unit or the
secondary cyclone unit by using the handle unit.
51. The vacuum cleaner of claim 47, further comprising a dust
separation plate installed between the primary cyclone unit and the
dust container.
52. The vacuum cleaner of claim 51, wherein the dust separation
plate comprises at least one opening unit for passing dust.
53. The vacuum cleaner of claim 51, wherein the dust separation
plate is detachably coupled to the dust container.
54. The vacuum cleaner of claim 51, wherein the dust separation
plate is detachably coupled to the primary cyclone unit or the
secondary cyclone unit.
55. A vacuum cleaner, comprising: a primary cyclone unit for
primarily separating and collecting impurities from the sucked air
by primary cyclone flow; a secondary cyclone unit for secondarily
separating and collecting impurities from the air passing through
the primary cyclone unit by secondary cyclone flow; and a dust
container detachably coupled to at least one of the primary and
secondary cyclone units, for collecting the impurities separated in
the primary and secondary cyclone units.
56. The vacuum cleaner of claim 55, wherein the dust container
comprises a primary dust container for collecting the impurities
from the primary cyclone unit, and a secondary dust container
formed in the primary dust container, for collecting the impurities
from the secondary cyclone unit.
57. The vacuum cleaner of claim 55, further comprising a sealing
member installed between at least one of the primary cyclone unit
and the secondary cyclone unit and the dust container.
58. The vacuum cleaner of claim 55, wherein a handle unit is formed
at the outer portion of the dust container, and the dust container
is downwardly separated from the primary cyclone unit or the
secondary cyclone unit by using the handle unit.
59. The vacuum cleaner of claim 55, further comprising a dust
separation plate installed between the primary cyclone unit and the
dust container.
60. The vacuum cleaner of claim 59, wherein the dust separation
plate comprises at least one opening unit for passing dust.
61. The vacuum cleaner of claim 59, wherein the dust separation
plate is detachably coupled to the dust container.
62. The vacuum cleaner of claim 59, wherein the dust separation
plate is detachably coupled to the primary cyclone unit or the
secondary cyclone unit.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner which can
filter off impurities from the sucked air twice according to a
cyclone method.
BACKGROUND ART
[0002] In general, a vacuum cleaner is an apparatus for cleaning an
indoor space, by sucking the air by a vacuum suction force and
filtering off dust from the air through various filters.
[0003] The vacuum cleaners are classified into a cylindrical floor
type, an upright type and a hand type according to uses and
movement methods. The floor type vacuum cleaner, which is intended
for home use, can efficiently remove small particles such as dust,
the upright type vacuum cleaner can clean the floor such as a
carpet, and the hand type vacuum cleaner can efficiently clean a
narrow space such as stairs and desks.
[0004] The vacuum cleaners are also classified into a filter type
and a cyclone type according to methods of filtering off impurities
such as dust and hairs from the sucked air. The filter type vacuum
cleaner filters the air including the impurities through a dust bag
made of a kind of cloth. That is, the filter type vacuum cleaner
needs the dust bag which must be periodically replaced. Meanwhile,
the cyclone type vacuum cleaner rotates and lowers the sucked air
including the impurities, so that the impurities of the sucked air
can be dropped to the bottom due to the self weight. Recently, the
cyclone type vacuum cleaner, which does not need the dust bag, has
been popularly used.
[0005] Moreover, the cyclone type vacuum cleaner filters off the
impurities twice through an inner cyclone and an outer cyclone to
improve the cleaning performance.
[0006] FIGS. 1 and 2 are a perspective view and a side-sectional
view illustrating a dust collection apparatus for a conventional
vacuum cleaner, respectively.
[0007] One example of the double cyclone for the conventional
vacuum cleaner will now be explained with reference to FIGS. 1 and
2. A conical inner cyclone 4 is installed inside a cylindrical
outer cyclone 2, a mesh 6 for filtering off impurities from the air
rising from the bottom surface of the outer cyclone 2 is installed
on the outer circumference of the inner cyclone 4, a scattering
prevention unit 6a for preventing re-scattering of the impurities
is installed at the bottom end of the mesh 6, and an extension unit
8 is installed at the lower portion of the inner cyclone 4 to
contact the inside surface of the outer cyclone 2. Therefore, an
outer dust container 9a is formed between the upper portion of the
extension unit 8 and the inside surface of the outer cyclone 2, and
an inner dust container 9b is formed between the lower portion of
the extension unit 8 and the bottom surface of the outer cyclone
2.
[0008] A pair of suction passages 2a for introducing the sucked air
are formed on the inside upper portion of the outer cyclone 2, and
a discharge passage 2b for discharging the filtered air is formed
on the top surface of the outer cyclone 2. Both side chambers 4a
are formed at the outside upper portion of the inner cyclone 4, so
that the air passing through the mesh 6 can flow into the chambers
4a.
[0009] When the suction force is generated, the sucked air
including the impurities is rotated and lowered along the inside
surface of the outer cyclone 2 through the suction passages 2a. The
impurities of the sucked air are dropped due to the self weight and
collected in the outer dust container 9a. The air primarily
filtered in the outer cyclone 2 is lifted. Even if the impurities
are re-scattered with the air, they are dropped by the scattering
prevention unit 6a.
[0010] The air passed through the outer cyclone 2 is rotated and
lowered along the inside surface of the inner cyclone 4 through the
chambers 4a. The remaining impurities of the air are dropped due to
the self weight and collected in the inner dust container 9b. The
air secondarily filtered in the inner cyclone 4 is lifted and
discharged through the discharge passage 2b.
[0011] The impurities filtered off in the outer cyclone 2 and the
inner cyclone 4 are collected in the outer dust container 9a and
the inner dust container 9b. The impurities can be removed by
separating the lower portion of the outer cyclone 2, or discharged
through the lower portion.
[0012] In the double cyclone type dust collection apparatus, the
inner cyclone 4 is installed inside the outer cyclone 2, and the
mesh 6 is installed between the outer cyclone 2 and the inner
cyclone 4. The mesh 6 is operated as a resistance to the cyclone
flow in the outer cyclone 2, thereby reducing the cleaning
performance.
[0013] In addition, the inner cyclone 4 is installed inside the
outer cyclone 2, and the extension unit 8 is installed at the lower
portion of the inner cyclone 4 to individually form the outer dust
container 9a and the inner dust container 9b. As volumes of the
dust containers 9a and 9b are limited, the impurities must be often
removed. In order to remove the impurities, the user must separate
the inner cyclone 4 from the outer cyclone 2 and turn the outer
cyclone 2 upside down. It causes inconvenience to the user.
[0014] Accordingly, in the double cyclone type dust collection
apparatus, a method of increasing the length of the outer cyclone 2
has been suggested to improve the cleaning performance by
installing the mesh 6 and increasing the volumes of the dust
containers 9a and 9b. However, as the whole length of the dust
collection apparatus increases, it cannot be easily built in the
vacuum cleaner.
[0015] FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway perspective view illustrating
another example of the dust collection apparatus for the
conventional vacuum cleaner. Another example of the double cyclone
for the conventional vacuum cleaner will now be described with
reference to FIG. 3. A cylindrical inner cyclone 12 smaller than a
cylindrical main body 11 is formed at the center portion of the
main body 11, a plurality of conical outer cyclones 14 are arranged
between the main body 11 and the inner cyclone 12 in the
circumferential direction at predetermined intervals to contact
each other, a mesh 16 is installed at the center portion of the
inner cyclone 12 to hang down, and a scattering prevention unit 18
is extended from the bottom end of the mesh 16 and downwardly
inclined so as to prevent the impurities filtered off in the inner
cyclone 12 from being lifted with the rising air current.
[0016] An inflow tube 12a for introducing the sucked air to the
inside upper portion of the inner cyclone 12 is formed to pass
through the main body 11 and the inner cyclone 12, and an outflow
tube (not shown) for discharging the air passing through the outer
cyclones 14 is formed at the upper portion of the main body 11.
Inlets (not shown) for sucking the air and dust discharge holes 14a
for discharging the impurities such as dust are formed at the upper
portions and bottom ends of the outer cyclones 14, respectively. In
addition, outlets 14b for discharging the filtered air are formed
on the top surfaces of the outer cyclones 14.
[0017] The air filtered in the inner cyclone 12 is lifted and
introduced to the upper portions of the outer cyclones 14. Here,
passages for externally discharging the air filtered in the outer
cyclones 14 are formed to communicate with each other.
[0018] An inner dust container 19a for collecting the impurities
filtered off in the inner cyclone 12 is formed on the bottom
surface of the inner cyclone 12, and an outer dust container 19b
for collecting the impurities filtered off in the outer cyclones 14
is formed on the bottom surface between the main body 11 and the
inner cyclone 12.
[0019] When the suction force is generated, the sucked air
including the impurities is rotated and lowered along the inside
surface of the inner cyclone 12 through the inflow tube 12a. The
impurities of the sucked air are dropped due to the self weight and
collected in the inner dust container 19a. The air primarily
filtered in the inner cyclone 12 is lifted.
[0020] Even if the impurities collected in the inner dust container
19a are lifted with the air rising from the bottom surface of the
inner cyclone 12, they are dropped to the inner dust container 19a
by the scattering prevention unit 18.
[0021] The air passed through the inner cyclone 12 is rotated and
lowered along the inside surfaces of the outer cyclones 14 through
the inlets of the outer cyclones 14, respectively. The remaining
impurities of the air are dropped due to the self weight through
the dust discharge holes 14a of the outer cyclones 14,
respectively, and collected in the outer dust container 19b. The
air secondarily filtered in the outer cyclones 14 is lifted and
discharged through the discharge holes 14b of the outer cyclones 14
and the outflow tube.
[0022] The impurities filtered off in the inner cyclone 12 and the
outer cyclones 14 are collected in the inner dust container 19a and
the outer dust container 19b. The impurities can be removed by
separating the lower portion of the main body 11, or discharged
through the lower portion.
[0023] In the double cyclone type dust collection apparatus, when
the sucked air passes through the inner cyclone 12, the relatively
large impurities are collected in the inner dust container 19a, and
when the air passes through the vertically installed mesh 16 and
each outer cyclone 14, the relatively small impurities are
collected in the outer dust container 19b.
[0024] Since the mesh 16 is installed inside the inner cyclone 12
smaller than the outer cyclones 14, the mesh 16 is operated as a
resistance to the cyclone flow in the inner cyclone 12, thereby
reducing the cleaning performance. The inner dust container 19a is
hidden by the outer dust container 19b, so that the user cannot
remove the impurities collected in the inner dust container 19a,
such as hairs and dust at an appropriate time. On the other hand,
the outer dust container 19b for collecting the relatively small
impurities is larger than the inner dust container 19a for
collecting the relatively large impurities, which reduces spatial
efficiency. The mesh 16, which is installed inside the inner dust
container 19a, has a small diameter. Therefore, hairs are easily
hooked on the mesh 16. The mesh 16 is also hidden by the outer dust
container 19a, so that the user cannot directly remove the hairs
from the mesh 16. Moreover, the hairs are operated as flow
resistances reducing the suction performance.
[0025] To remove the impurities, the user must carry the whole dust
collection apparatus to a refuse bin, open a bottom cover for
covering the bottom surfaces of the inner dust container 19a and
the outer dust container 19b, and discharge the impurities. That
is, it causes inconvenience to the user.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
Technical Problem
[0026] The present invention is achieved to solve the above
problems. An object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum
cleaner which can improve the cleaning performance by filtering off
impurities from the sucked air twice according to a cyclone
method.
[0027] Another object of the present invention is to provide a
vacuum cleaner which can reduce the whole length and improve the
cleaning performance, by widening a cyclone flow generation space
in a limited space.
[0028] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a
vacuum cleaner which can reduce the whole length and improve the
cleaning performance, by suppressing a flow resistance in a cyclone
flow generation space.
[0029] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a
vacuum cleaner which can allow the user to easily remove impurities
by separating only a dust container for collecting the
impurities.
[0030] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a
vacuum cleaner which can allow the user to remove impurities at an
appropriate time and easily approach and remove hairs from a
passage, by forming a dust container for collecting secondarily
filtered impurities inside a dust container for collecting
primarily filtered impurities.
Technical Solution
[0031] In order to achieve the above-described objects of the
invention, there is provided a vacuum cleaner, including: a primary
cyclone unit for primarily separating impurities from the sucked
air by primary cyclone flow; a secondary cyclone unit for
secondarily separating impurities from the air passed through the
primary cyclone unit by secondary cyclone flow inside a plurality
of secondary cyclones, and collecting the impurities at the center
portion of the primary cyclone unit; and a first passage partition
unit for guiding the flow of the primary cyclone unit to inlets of
the secondary cyclones, respectively.
[0032] The secondary cyclones are formed in an inclined conical
shape with outlets and dust discharge holes at both axial direction
ends, the surfaces of which contacting the first passage partition
unit being horizontal.
[0033] The vacuum cleaner includes vortex prevention units for
partitioning the outlets of the secondary cyclones in order to
prevent a vortex of the air discharged through the outlets of the
secondary cyclones.
[0034] The vortex prevention units are partition walls installed to
cross the outlets of the secondary cyclones.
[0035] The vortex prevention units are cylindrical members
installed on the outlets of the secondary cyclones in the axial
direction.
[0036] The first passage partition unit seals up the gap between
the inlet of the primary cyclone unit and the outlets of the
secondary cyclones, and partially covers the outside surfaces of
the secondary cyclones.
[0037] The vacuum cleaner further includes a mesh unit upwardly
isolated from the inside bottom surface of the primary cyclone unit
at a predetermined interval.
[0038] The first passage partition unit further includes a region
with a plurality of through holes.
[0039] The inlets of the secondary cyclones are adjacent to the
outside surfaces of the secondary cyclones covered by the first
passage partition unit.
[0040] The inlets of the secondary cyclones are opened in the same
direction.
[0041] The vacuum cleaner further includes a second passage
partition unit for isolating the inside flow of the primary cyclone
unit from passages from the outlets of the secondary cyclones.
[0042] The second passage partition unit seals up the spaces
between the secondary cyclones in order to increase the sectional
area of the passages from the outlets of the secondary
cyclones.
[0043] The secondary cyclones are formed inside the inlet of the
primary cyclone unit.
[0044] The first passage partition unit isolates the outlets of the
secondary cyclones from the inlet of the primary cyclone unit, and
has its section downwardly inclined toward the center portion.
[0045] The primary cyclone unit includes a primary dust container
for collecting impurities, and the secondary cyclone unit includes
a secondary dust container installed at the center portion of the
primary dust container to communicate with the dust discharge holes
of the secondary cyclones. The first passage partition unit is
integrally formed with the secondary dust container.
[0046] The vacuum cleaner further includes a dust container
detachably coupled to at least one of the primary cyclone unit and
the secondary cyclone unit, for collecting the impurities separated
in the primary cyclone unit or the secondary cyclone unit.
[0047] The dust container includes a primary dust container for
collecting the impurities from the primary cyclone unit, and a
secondary dust container formed in the primary dust container, for
collecting the impurities from the secondary cyclone unit.
[0048] The vacuum cleaner further includes a sealing member
installed between at least one of the primary cyclone unit and the
secondary cyclone unit and the dust container.
[0049] A handle unit is formed at the outer portion of the dust
container, and the dust container is downwardly separated from the
primary cyclone unit or the secondary cyclone unit by using the
handle unit.
[0050] The vacuum cleaner further includes a dust separation plate
installed between the primary and secondary cyclone units and the
dust container.
[0051] The dust separation plate includes at least one opening unit
for passing dust.
[0052] The dust separation plate is detachably coupled to the dust
container.
[0053] The dust separation plate is detachably coupled to the
primary cyclone unit or the secondary cyclone unit.
[0054] In another aspect of the present invention, there is
provided a vacuum cleaner, including: a primary cyclone unit for
primarily separating and collecting impurities from the sucked air
by primary cyclone flow; a secondary cyclone unit for secondarily
separating and collecting impurities from the air passed through
the primary cyclone unit by secondary cyclone flow; and a dust
container detachably coupled to at least one of the primary and
secondary cyclone units, for collecting the impurities separated in
the primary and secondary cyclone units.
[0055] The dust container includes a primary dust container for
collecting the impurities from the primary cyclone unit, and a
secondary dust container formed in the primary dust container, for
collecting the impurities from the secondary cyclone unit.
[0056] The vacuum cleaner further includes a sealing member
installed between at least one of the primary cyclone unit and the
secondary cyclone unit and the dust container.
[0057] A handle unit is formed at the outer portion of the dust
container, and the dust container is downwardly separated from the
primary cyclone unit or the secondary cyclone unit by using the
handle unit.
[0058] The vacuum cleaner further includes a dust separation plate
installed between the primary and secondary cyclone units and the
dust container.
[0059] The dust separation plate includes at least one opening unit
for passing dust.
[0060] The dust separation plate is detachably coupled to the dust
container.
[0061] The dust separation plate is detachably coupled to the
primary cyclone unit or the secondary cyclone unit.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0062] The present invention will become better understood with
reference to the accompanying drawings which are given only by way
of illustration and thus are not limitative of the present
invention, wherein:
[0063] FIGS. 1 and 2 are a perspective view and a side-sectional
view illustrating one example of a dust collection apparatus for a
conventional vacuum cleaner, respectively;
[0064] FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway perspective view illustrating
another example of the dust collection apparatus for the
conventional vacuum cleaner,
[0065] FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a dust collection
apparatus for a vacuum cleaner in accordance with a first
embodiment of the present invention;
[0066] FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the dust
collection apparatus for the vacuum cleaner in accordance with the
first embodiment of the present invention;
[0067] FIG. 6 is a side-sectional view illustrating the dust
collection apparatus for the vacuum cleaner in accordance with the
first embodiment of the present invention;
[0068] FIG. 7 is a partially cutaway perspective view illustrating
the dust collection apparatus for the vacuum cleaner in accordance
with the first embodiment of the present invention;
[0069] FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating a dust collection
apparatus for a vacuum cleaner in accordance with a second
embodiment of the present invention;
[0070] FIG. 9 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the dust
collection apparatus for the vacuum cleaner in accordance with the
second embodiment of the present invention;
[0071] FIG. 10 is a side-sectional view illustrating the dust
collection apparatus for the vacuum cleaner in accordance with the
second embodiment of the present invention;
[0072] FIG. 11 is a partially cutaway perspective view illustrating
the dust collection apparatus for the vacuum cleaner in accordance
with the second embodiment of the present invention;
[0073] FIG. 12 is a perspective view illustrating a dust collection
apparatus for a vacuum cleaner in accordance with a third
embodiment of the present invention;
[0074] FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the
dust collection apparatus for the vacuum cleaner in accordance with
the third embodiment of the present invention;
[0075] FIG. 14 is a side-sectional view illustrating the dust
collection apparatus for the vacuum cleaner in accordance with the
third embodiment of the present invention;
[0076] FIG. 15 is a partially cutaway perspective view illustrating
the dust collection apparatus for the vacuum cleaner in accordance
with the third embodiment of the present invention;
[0077] FIG. 16 is a upper view illustrating major elements of the
dust collection apparatus for the vacuum cleaner in accordance with
the third embodiment of the present invention; and
[0078] FIG. 17 is a lower view illustrating the major elements of
the dust collection apparatus for the vacuum cleaner in accordance
with the third embodiment of the present invention.
MODE FOR THE INVENTION
[0079] A vacuum cleaner in accordance with the preferred
embodiments of the present invention will now be described in
detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0080] FIGS. 4 to 7 are a perspective view, an exploded perspective
view, a side-sectional view and a partially cutaway perspective
view illustrating a dust collection apparatus for a vacuum cleaner
in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention.
[0081] In accordance with the first embodiment of the present
invention, referring to FIGS. 4 to 7, the dust collection apparatus
for the vacuum cleaner includes a primary cyclone unit 110 for
filtering off impurities of the sucked air flowing in the vertical
direction according to a cyclone method, a secondary cyclone unit
120 for filtering off impurities of the air passed through the
primary cyclone unit 110 and flowing in the horizontal direction
according to the cyclone method, first and second passage partition
units 131 and 132 installed between the primary cyclone unit 110
and the secondary cyclone unit 120, for guiding/partitioning the
flow, a mesh unit 133 for filtering off large impurities such as
hairs from the flow, and a dust container 140 detachably coupled to
the primary cyclone unit 110 or the secondary cyclone unit 120, for
collecting the impurities.
[0082] In more detail, the primary cyclone unit 110 includes an
inlet (not shown) for introducing the sucked air, and an outlet
(not shown) for discharging the filtered air. An inflow tube 111
and an outflow tube 112 for guiding the flow are connected to the
inlet and the outlet.
[0083] The inflow tube 111 is connected to a vertical cylindrical
cyclone main body 113 in the tangential direction, for generating
spiral flow, and the outflow tube 112 is connected to a cap-shaped
cyclone cover 114 for covering the cyclone main body 113.
[0084] In the secondary cyclone unit 120, a plurality of cyclone
units 121 are horizontally arranged in a circumferential direction
of a vertical cylindrical dust guide unit 122. The plurality of
cyclone units 121 and the dust guide unit 122 are disposed to
communicate with each other, and the top end of the dust guide unit
122 is blocked.
[0085] The cyclone units 121 and the upper portion of the dust
guide unit 122 are disposed inside the cyclone cover 114, and the
lower portion of the dust guide unit 122 is disposed inside the
cyclone main body 113.
[0086] Especially, the cyclone units 121 are formed in a conical
shape with their diameters reduced from the outside ends to the
inside ends in the axial direction, namely, toward the dust guide
unit 122. As the bottom surfaces of the cyclone units 121 are
horizontal, the cyclone units 121 form the inclined conical
shapes.
[0087] Inlets 121a for sucking the air are formed on the outside
end bottom surfaces of the cyclone units 121, dust discharge holes
121b for discharging impurities are formed on the inside ends of
the cyclone units 121, and outlets 121c for discharging the
filtered air are formed on the outside ends of the cyclone units
121. Here, one inlet 121a is formed on each cyclone unit 121 and
opened in the same direction.
[0088] Vortex prevention units 123 for preventing an vortex of the
air are formed on the outlets 121c of the cyclone units 121,
respectively. The vortex prevention units 123 can be formed in a
cylindrical shape with a smaller diameter than that of the outlets
121c of the cyclone units 121, and installed in the same axial
direction with the cyclone units 121, for partitioning the outlets
121c of the cyclone units 121. For easy production, the vortex
prevention units 123 can be formed as partition walls for
partitioning the outlets 121c of the cyclone units 121. In this
case, the vortex prevention units 123 can prevent the vortex of the
air.
[0089] The first passage partition unit 131 is a ring-shaped flat
plate for guiding the flow of the cyclone main body 113 to the
inlets 121a of the cyclone units 121, respectively, and sealing up
the gap between the inflow tube 111 of the primary cyclone unit 110
and the outlets 121c of the cyclone units 121.
[0090] That is, the inner circumferential end of the first passage
partition unit 131 covers the inlet formed portions 121a of the
cyclone units 121, and the outer circumferential end thereof is
interlocked with the inner circumference of the cyclone main body
113 or the cyclone cover 114 to partition the inflow tube 111 and
the outflow tube 112 of the primary cyclone unit 110.
[0091] The inner circumferential end of the first passage partition
unit 131 contacts the outside end bottom surfaces of the cyclone
units 121. The inlets 121a of the cyclone units 121 are extended
from the inner circumferential end of the first passage partition
unit 131. The air is guided by the inner circumferential end of the
first passage partition unit 131, and sucked into the inlets 121a
of the cyclone units 121.
[0092] The second passage partition unit 132 serves to isolate the
inside flow of the primary cyclone unit 110 from the flow from the
outlets 121c of the cyclone units 121.
[0093] More preferably, the second passage partition unit 132 seals
up the spaces between the cyclone units 121 so as to increase the
sectional area of the passages from the outlets 121c of the cyclone
units 121 inside the cyclone cover 114. The second passage
partition unit 132 connects each cyclone unit 121 to the dust guide
unit 122 in the circumferential direction, and also connects the
outside ends of the cyclone units 121.
[0094] The edges of the second passage partition unit 132 can be
smoothed to guide the flow passing through the outlets 121c of the
cyclone units 121. If the second passage partition unit 132 is
formed in a lower position than the outlets 121c of the cyclone
units 121, a flow resistance of the air discharged from the outlets
121c of the cyclone units 121 can be more reduced.
[0095] The mesh unit 133, which is a member having through holes,
is upwardly isolated from the inside bottom surface of the primary
cyclone unit 110 at a predetermined interval. The mesh unit 133
filters off impurities such as hairs from the flow rising from the
inside bottom surface of the primary cyclone unit 110.
[0096] The diameter of the mesh unit 133 is reduced from the top to
bottom end, so that the mesh unit 133 cannot be operated as a
resistance to the cyclone flow of the primary cyclone unit 110. The
top end of the mesh unit 133 contacts the inner circumferential end
of the first passage partition unit 131, and the bottom end thereof
contacts the dust guide unit 122.
[0097] The dust container 140 includes a primary dust container 141
for collecting the impurities separated in the primary cyclone unit
110, and a secondary dust container 142 installed at the center
portion of the primary dust container 141, for collecting the
impurities separated in the secondary cyclone unit 120. The primary
dust container 141 and the secondary dust container 142 can be
integrally formed.
[0098] The primary dust container 141 is formed in a container
shape and coupled to the bottom end of the cyclone main body 113,
and the secondary dust container 142 is formed in a cylindrical
shape and coupled to the bottom end of the dust guide unit 122. The
primary dust container 141 and the secondary dust container 142 can
be made of a transparent or semitransparent material to be
externally shown.
[0099] A dust separation plate 143 is provided to prevent
re-scattering of the impurities collected in the primary dust
container 141 and the secondary dust container 142. At least one
opening unit (not shown) for passing the impurities is formed on
the dust separation plate 143.
[0100] More preferably, the inner circumference of the dust
separation plate 143 is coupled to the outer circumference of the
top end of the secondary dust container 142, and the outer
circumference thereof is installed with a predetermined interval
143h from the inner circumference of the top end of the primary
dust container 141 in the radial direction. Otherwise, the inner
circumference of the dust separation plate 143 is disposed with a
predetermined interval from the outer circumference of the top end
of the secondary dust container 142 in the radial direction, and
the outer circumference thereof is coupled to the inner
circumference of the top end of the primary dust container 141.
[0101] Since the dust separation plate 143 is detachably coupled to
the dust container 140, when the dust container 140 is separated
and moved, the dust collected in the dust container 140 is not
scattered by the dust separation plate 143. However, the user must
separate the dust separation plate 143 in person.
[0102] On the other hand, the dust separation plate 143 can be
coupled to the outer circumference of the bottom end of the dust
guide unit 122 or the inner circumference of the bottom end of the
cyclone main body 113. In the case that the dust separation plate
143 is detachably coupled to the primary cyclone unit 110 or the
secondary cyclone unit 120, when the dust container 140 is
separated and moved, some impurities may be scattered.
Nevertheless, the user can directly discharge the impurities
without separating the dust separation plate 143.
[0103] A handle unit 144 which the user can hold is integrally
formed on the outer circumference of the primary dust container
141. If the primary dust container 141 and the secondary dust
container 142 are integrally formed and the bottom surfaces thereof
are downwardly opened from one side hinge end, the impurities can
be easily discharged.
[0104] The dust container 140 can be coupled to the primary cyclone
unit 110 and the secondary cyclone unit 120 at the same time.
Preferably, at least one sealing member 145 and 146 is disposed at
the coupling portions, for preventing leakage of fine dust from the
coupling portions. The large ring-shaped sealing member 145 is
interposed between the cyclone main body 113 and the primary dust
container 141, and the small ring-shaped sealing member 146 is
interposed between the dust guide unit 122 and the secondary dust
container 142.
[0105] The operation of the dust collection apparatus for the
vacuum cleaner in accordance with the first embodiment of the
present invention will now be described.
[0106] When the suction force is generated, the air sucked through
the inflow tube 111 is guided toward the inner wall of the cyclone
main body 113, and thus spirally downwardly moved. The relatively
large impurities of the cyclone flow are dropped due to the self
weight, and collected in the primary dust container 141 through the
space between the cyclone main body 113 and the dust separation
plate 143.
[0107] Even if the impurities collected in the primary dust
container 141 are re-scattered by the rising air current of the
cyclone flow in the cyclone main body 113, the impurities are
settled by the dust separation plate 143. Only the primarily
filtered air is vertically lifted and passed through the mesh unit
133. The impurities such as hairs are filtered off through the mesh
unit 133.
[0108] The air passed through the mesh unit 133 is guided to the
inlets 121a of the cyclone units 121 by the first passage partition
unit 131. The air introduced through the inlets 121a of the cyclone
units 121 are spirally moved to the center portions along the
inside surfaces of the cyclone units 121. The impurities are
collected in the dust guide unit 122 and the secondary dust
container 142 through the dust discharge holes 121b of the cyclone
units 121. The secondarily filtered air is outwardly horizontally
moved in the cyclone units 121, and discharged through the outlets
121c of the cyclone units 121.
[0109] The air discharged through the outlets 121c of the cyclone
units 121 is not mixed with the flow of the cyclone main body 113
by the second passage partition unit 132, but passed through the
space between the second passage partition unit 132 and the cyclone
cover 114 and completely externally discharged through the outflow
tube 112.
[0110] As a result, the impurities are filtered off twice according
to the cyclone method, which improves the cleaning performance. The
user can easily remove the impurities collected in the dust
container 140 by separating the dust container 140 from the primary
cyclone unit 110 and the secondary cyclone unit 120.
[0111] FIGS. 8 to 11 are a perspective view, an exploded
perspective view, a side-sectional view and a partially cutaway
perspective view illustrating a dust collection apparatus for a
vacuum cleaner in accordance with a second embodiment of the
present invention.
[0112] As illustrated in FIGS. 8 to 11, the second embodiment of
the present invention is identical to the first embodiment
described above except that an inflow tube 211 is formed in a
higher position and cyclone units 221 are disposed inside the
inflow tube 211. Therefore, a shape of a first passage partition
unit 231 is changed to isolate the air sucked through the inflow
tube 211 from the cyclone units 221.
[0113] In more detail, a primary cyclone unit 210 includes the
inflow tube 211, an outflow tube 212, a cyclone main body 213 and a
cyclone cover 214. The inflow tube 211 and the outflow tube 212 are
disposed on the cyclone cover 214.
[0114] The inflow tube 211 is connected to the cyclone cover 214 in
the tangential direction, so that the sucked air can be spirally
downwardly moved along the inner walls of the cyclone cover 214 and
the cyclone main body 213.
[0115] A secondary cyclone unit 220 includes the cyclone units 221
and a dust guide unit 222. A dust container 240 includes a primary
dust container 241, a secondary dust container 242, a dust
separation plate 243, a handle unit 244 and sealing members 245 and
246. Besides the secondary cyclone unit 220 and the dust container
240, a second passage partition unit 232 and a mesh unit 233 are
identical to those of the first embodiment, and thus are not
explained.
[0116] The first passage partition unit 231 is installed between
the inflow tube 211 and the cyclone units 221. The top end of the
first passage partition unit 231 contacts the inside top end of the
cyclone cover 214, and the bottom end thereof partially covers the
outside ends of the cyclone units 221 at the lower portion.
Accordingly, the first passage partition unit 231 has its section
downwardly inclined toward the center portion.
[0117] Here, inlets 221a of the cyclone units 221 are opened from
the bottom surfaces of the cyclone units 221 contacting the bottom
end of the first passage partition unit 231. Since the bottom end
of the first passage partition unit 231 is adjacent to the inlets
221a of the cyclone units 221, the first passage partition unit 231
guides the flow to the inlets 221a of the cyclone units 221,
respectively.
[0118] The operation of the dust collection apparatus for the
vacuum cleaner in accordance with the second embodiment of the
present invention will now be described. When the suction force is
generated, the air sucked through the inflow tube 211 generates
primary cyclone flow along the inner walls of the cyclone cover 214
and the cyclone main body 213. The impurities are separated and
collected in the primary dust container 241. Re-scattering of the
impurities is prevented by the dust separation plate 243.
[0119] While the air sucked through the inflow tube 211 generates
the cyclone flow along the cyclone cover 214 and the cyclone main
body 213, the impurities are separated from the air. As a result,
the space of primarily generating the cyclone flow is widened to
improve the cleaning performance. Only the primarily filtered air
is vertically lifted and passed through the mesh unit 233. The
impurities such as hairs are filtered off through the mesh unit
233. The air passing through the mesh unit 233 is guided to the
inlets 221a of the cyclone units 221 by the bottom end of the first
passage partition unit 231.
[0120] The impurities of the air introduced to the cyclone units
221 are secondarily separated by the cyclone flow. The impurities
are collected in the dust guide unit 222 and the secondary dust
container 242 through dust discharge holes 221b of the cyclone
units 221. The secondarily filtered air is discharged through
outlets 221c of the cyclone units 221.
[0121] The air discharged through the outlets 221c of the cyclone
units 221 is not mixed with the flow of the cyclone main body 213
by the first and second passage partition units 231 and 232, but
passed through the space between the first and second passage
partition units 231 and 232 and the cyclone cover 214 and
completely externally discharged through the outflow tube 212. The
user can easily remove the impurities collected in the dust
container 240 by separating the dust container 240 from the primary
cyclone unit 210 and the secondary cyclone unit 220.
[0122] FIGS. 12 to 15 are a perspective view, an exploded
perspective view, a side-sectional view and a partially cutaway
perspective view illustrating a dust collection apparatus for a
vacuum cleaner in accordance with a third embodiment of the present
invention. FIGS. 16 and 17 are a upper view and a lower view
illustrating the dust collection apparatus for the vacuum cleaner
in accordance with the third embodiment of the present
invention.
[0123] In accordance with the third embodiment of the present
invention, referring to FIGS. 12 to 17, the dust collection
apparatus for the vacuum cleaner includes a primary cyclone unit
310 for filtering off impurities of the sucked air flowing in the
vertical direction according to a cyclone method, a secondary
cyclone unit 320 for filtering off impurities of the air passed
through the primary cyclone unit 310 and flowing in the horizontal
direction according to the cyclone method, first and second passage
partition units 331 and 332 installed between the primary cyclone
unit 310 and the secondary cyclone unit 320, for
guiding/partitioning the flow, and a dust container 340 detachably
coupled to the primary cyclone unit 310 or the secondary cyclone
unit 320, for collecting the impurities.
[0124] In more detail, the primary cyclone unit 310 includes an
inlet (not shown) for introducing the sucked air, and an outlet
(not shown) for discharging the filtered air. An inflow tube 311
and an outflow tube 312 for guiding the flow are connected to the
inlet and the outlet.
[0125] The inflow tube 311 is connected to a vertical cylindrical
cyclone main body 313 in the tangential direction, for generating
spiral flow, and the outflow tube 312 is connected to a cap-shaped
cyclone cover 314 for covering the cyclone main body 313.
[0126] In the secondary cyclone unit 320, a plurality of cyclone
units 321 are horizontally arranged in a circumferential direction
of a vertical cylindrical dust guide unit 322. The plurality of
cyclone units 321 and the dust guide unit 322 are disposed to
communicate with each other, and the top end of the dust guide unit
322 is blocked.
[0127] The cyclone units 321 and the upper portion of the dust
guide unit 322 are disposed inside the cyclone cover 314, and the
lower portion of the dust guide unit 322 is disposed inside the
cyclone main body 313. The cyclone units 321, inlets 321a, dust
discharge holes 321b and outlets 321c of the cyclone units 321, and
vortex prevention units 323 are identical to those of the first and
second embodiments, and thus explanations thereof are omitted.
[0128] The first passage partition unit 331 is a ring-shaped flat
plate for guiding the flow of the cyclone main body 313 to the
inlets 321a of the cyclone units 321, respectively, and sealing up
the gap between the inflow tube 311 of the primary cyclone unit 310
and the outlets 321c of the cyclone units 321. Through hole are
formed at the center portion of the first passage partition unit
331.
[0129] That is, a partition unit 331a which does not have the
through holes is formed on the circumference of the first passage
partition unit 331, and a through hole unit 331b having the through
holes is formed at the center portion of the first passage
partition unit 331.
[0130] Here, the partition unit 331a is interlocked with the inner
circumference of the cyclone main body 313 or the cyclone cover 314
to partition the inflow tube 311 and the outflow tube 312 of the
primary cyclone unit 310. In addition, the partition unit 331a
covers the inlets 321a formed at the lower portion of the cyclone
units 321. Part of the partition unit 331a guides the air passing
through the cyclone main body 313 to the inlets 312a of the cyclone
units 321.
[0131] The through hole unit 331b covers the inlet non-formed
portions of the cyclone units 321 at the lower portion. The dust
guide unit 322 passes through the center portion of the through
hole unit 331b. The through hole unit 331b filters off impurities
such as hairs from the flow rising from the inside bottom surface
of the primary cyclone unit 310.
[0132] The partition unit 331a and the through hole unit 331b are
integrally formed and horizontally installed at the lower portions
of the cyclone units 321, thereby remarkably reducing the
installation space in the primary cyclone unit 310. This structure
is not operated as a resistance to the cyclone flow, thereby
improving the cleaning performance.
[0133] The second passage partition unit 332 serves to isolate the
inside flow of the primary cyclone unit 310 from the flow from the
outlets 321c of the cyclone units 321. The second passage partition
unit 332 is identical to that of the first and second embodiments,
and thus explanations thereof are omitted.
[0134] The dust container 340 includes a primary dust container 341
for collecting impurities from the primary cyclone unit 310, a
secondary dust container 342 for collecting impurities from the
secondary cyclone unit 320, a dust separation plate 343 for
preventing re-scattering of the impurities, and at least one
sealing member 345 and 346 disposed at the coupling portions, for
preventing leakage of fine dust from the coupling portions. These
elements are also identical to those of the first and second
embodiments, and thus detailed explanations thereof are
omitted.
[0135] The operation of the dust collection apparatus for the
vacuum cleaner in accordance with the third embodiment of the
present invention will now be described.
[0136] When the suction force is generated, the air sucked through
the inflow tube 311 is guided toward the inner wall of the cyclone
main body 313, and thus spirally downwardly moved. The relatively
large impurities of the cyclone flow are dropped due to the self
weight, and collected in the primary dust container 341 through the
space between the cyclone main body 313 and the dust separation
plate 343.
[0137] Even if the impurities collected in the primary dust
container 341 are re-scattered by the rising air current of the
cyclone flow in the cyclone main body 313, the impurities are
settled by the dust separation plate 343. Only the primarily
filtered air is vertically lifted and passed through the through
hole unit 331b of the first passage partition unit 331. The
impurities such as hairs are filtered off through the through hole
unit 331b of the first passage partition unit 331.
[0138] The through hole unit 331b is formed in the first passage
partition unit 331 to occupy a small area in the primary cyclone
unit 310, thereby suppressing the flow resistance in the primary
cyclone unit 310 and improving the cleaning performance.
[0139] The air passed through the through hole unit 331b of the
first passage partition unit 331 is guided to the inlets 321a of
the cyclone units 321 by the partition unit 331a of the first
passage partition unit 331. The air introduced through the inlets
321a of the cyclone units 321 is spirally moved to the center
portions along the inside surfaces of the cyclone units 321. The
impurities are collected in the dust guide unit 322 and the
secondary dust container 342 through the dust discharge holes 321b
of the cyclone units 321. The secondarily filtered air is outwardly
horizontally moved in the cyclone units 321, and discharged through
the outlets 321c of the cyclone units 321.
[0140] The air discharged through the outlets 321c of the cyclone
units 321 is not mixed with the flow of the cyclone main body 313
by the second passage partition unit 332, but passed through the
space between the second passage partition unit 332 and the cyclone
cover 314 and completely externally discharged through the outflow
tube 312.
[0141] As a result, the impurities are filtered off twice according
to the cyclone method, which improves the cleaning performance. The
user can easily remove the impurities collected in the dust
container 340 by separating the dust container 340 from the primary
cyclone unit 310 and the secondary cyclone unit 320.
[0142] As discussed earlier, in accordance with the present
invention, the sucked air is primarily filtered in the primary
cyclone unit, and secondarily filtered in the secondary cyclone
unit. That is, the impurities are filtered off twice according to
the cyclone method, thereby improving the cleaning performance.
[0143] The primary cyclone flow of the sucked air is generated in
the cyclone cover and the cyclone main body, by forming the inflow
tube in the higher position and changing the shape of the passage
partition unit. Accordingly, the cyclone flow generation space is
widened in the limited space, thereby reducing the length of the
product and improving the cleaning performance.
[0144] In addition, the flat plate shaped passage partition unit
consisting of the partition unit and the through hole unit is
installed between the primary cyclone unit and the secondary
cyclone unit, for filtering off the impurities such as hairs. Since
the special mesh unit is not needed, the size of the product can be
reduced by omitting the installation space of the mesh unit, or the
cleaning performance can be improved by lowering the flow
resistance in the installation space of the mesh unit.
[0145] As the dust container for collecting the impurities is
detachably installed at the lower portion of the primary cyclone
unit or the secondary cyclone unit, the user can discharge the
impurities simply by separating the dust container. That is, the
user can easily remove the impurities.
[0146] Furthermore, the dust container for collecting the
secondarily-filtered impurities is disposed in the dust container
for collecting the primarily filtered impurities. Thus, the dust
container for collecting the relatively large impurities is larger
than the dust container for collecting fine dust, thereby
efficiently using the space. Moreover, the dust container for
collecting the relatively large impurities is externally shown, so
that the user can discharge the impurities at an appropriate time.
The mesh unit is installed inside the primary cyclone unit
connected to the dust container installed at the relatively outer
portion. Accordingly, the user can separate the dust container and
easily remove hairs hooked on the mesh unit from the lower
portion.
[0147] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention
have been described, it is understood that the present invention
should not be limited to these preferred embodiments but various
changes and modifications can be made by one skilled in the art
within the spirit and scope of the present invention as hereinafter
claimed.
* * * * *