Cleaner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12064079-B2
Application number	US-202117239226-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 23, 2021
Priority date	Mar 31, 2016
Publication date	Aug 20, 2024
Grant date	Aug 20, 2024

Abstract

A cleaner includes: a suction motor that generates suction force; a dust separation unit that separates dust from air sucked by the suction force; a motor housing that covers the suction motor; a flow guide that surrounds an outer side of the motor housing and guides air discharged from the dust separation unit to the suction motor; and a body that forms an external appearance by surrounding the flow guide and guides air discharged from the suction motor together with the flow guide.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cleaner comprising:
a suction unit configured to suction air and dust;
a suction motor configured to generate suction force to thereby suction the air and the dust through the suction unit;
an impeller connected to the suction motor and positioned above the suction motor; and
a dust separation unit configured to separate the dust from the air suctioned through the suction unit, the dust separation unit comprising:
a first cyclone unit, wherein an axis of the suction motor extends along an axis of a cyclone flow of the first cyclone unit, and
a second cyclone unit configured to receive the air and the dust from the first cyclone unit and to separate the dust from the air received from the first cyclone unit, wherein the suction motor is positioned above an outlet of the second cyclone unit, wherein the cleaner has:
a first air passage that surrounds an outer circumference of the suction motor and is configured to guide the air discharged from the outlet of the second cyclone unit to rise and flow into the suction motor, and
a second air passage configured to discharge the air discharged from the suction motor to an outside of the cleaner through air exits, the air exits being positioned above the suction motor.

2. The cleaner of claim 1 , further comprising a pre-filter that surrounds the outer circumference of the suction motor,
wherein the first air passage surrounds an outer circumference of the pre-filter.

3. The cleaner of claim 1 ,
wherein, in a state in which the axis of the suction motor is disposed along an extension line of the axis of the cyclonic flow of the first cyclone unit, the suction motor is disposed above the outlet of the second cyclone unit and overlaps with the second cyclone unit along the extension line of the axis of the cyclonic flow of the first cyclone unit.

4. The cleaner of claim 1 ,
wherein the impeller, the suction motor, and the second cyclone unit are arranged to overlap in an up-down direction about the axis of the cyclone flow of the first cyclone unit.

5. The cleaner of claim 4 , wherein the air exits are defined above the impeller.

6. The cleaner of claim 5 , wherein the air exits surround an extension line of a rotational axis of the impeller.

7. The cleaner of claim 6 , further comprising a filter disposed in the air exits, the filter having a ring shape and surrounding the extension line of the rotation axis of the impeller.

8. A cleaner comprising:
a suction motor configured to generate suction force;
an impeller positioned at an upper portion of the suction motor;
a first cyclone unit configured to separate dust from air introduced to the cleaner by the suction force;
a second cyclone unit configured to receive the air from the first cyclone unit and to separate the dust from the air received from the first cyclone unit;
a motor housing that covers the suction motor; and
a pre-filter that surrounds an outer surface of the motor housing,
wherein the cleaner has an air passage that surrounds an outer surface of the pre-filter, the air passage being configured to supply the air discharged from the second cyclone unit toward the suction motor.

9. The cleaner of claim 8 , wherein the impeller, the suction motor, and the second cyclone unit are arranged to overlap in an up-down direction about an axis of a cyclone flow of the first cyclone unit.

10. The cleaner of claim 8 , wherein the air discharged from the second cyclone unit flows vertically upward by the air passage, and
wherein the pre-filter is configured to filter air in the air passage.

11. The cleaner of claim 8 , further comprising:
a filter unit comprising an exhaust filter configured to filter air that has passed through the suction motor, the filter unit having air exits configured to discharge the air that has passed through the exhaust filter,
wherein the pre-filter is positioned below the filter unit.

12. The cleaner of claim 11 , further comprising:
a main body that accommodates the motor housing and the pre-filter, the main body defining an opening at an upper part of the main body,
wherein the pre-filter and the filter unit are configured to be detached from the main body through the opening.

13. The cleaner of claim 12 , wherein the filter unit is configured to be coupled to the main body and to support the pre-filter accommodated in the main body.

14. The cleaner of claim 13 , wherein the pre-filter is configured to be separated from the main body based on the filter unit being separated from the main body.

15. The cleaner of claim 14 , wherein the pre-filter is configured to be exposed to an outside of the main body in a state in which the filter unit is separated from the main body.

16. The cleaner of claim 14 , wherein the pre-filter is detachable from the main body in a state in which the filter unit is separated from the main body.

17. The cleaner of claim 14 , wherein the filter unit and the pre-filter are configured to be separated from the main body in a same direction.

18. The cleaner of claim 13 , wherein the filter unit is configured to press the pre-filter downward based on the filter unit being mounted on the main body.

19. The cleaner of claim 11 , wherein the motor housing further comprises a filter support that supports a lower end of the pre-filter.

20. The cleaner of claim 11 , wherein the exhaust filter comprises a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter that is disposed above the pre-filter, and
wherein the exhaust filter has a circular shape, and an outer diameter of the exhaust filter is greater than a diameter of the pre-filter.

21. The cleaner of claim 20 , wherein the exhaust filter is disposed above the pre-filter and surrounds an extension line of a rotational axis of the impeller.

22. The cleaner of claim 11 , wherein the second cyclone unit, the suction motor, and the air exits are arranged along an extension line of an axis of a cyclone flow of the first cyclone unit.

23. The cleaner of claim 8 , wherein the pre-filter surrounds a portion of the impeller.

24. The cleaner of claim 8 , wherein the pre-filter surrounds a portion of the suction motor.

25. The cleaner of claim 8 , wherein the pre-filter surrounds an extension line of a rotational axis of the impeller.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Nam Bohyun
• Kim Namhee
• Kim Jinju
• An Hyeonjeong
• Hwang Jungbae
• Hwang Philjae
• Hwang Mantae
• SUNG Eunji
• LEE Taekgi

Classifications

• A47L9/28

  Installation of the electric equipment, e.g. adaptation or attachment to the suction cleaner; Controlling suction cleaners by electric means · CPC title

• A47L9/16

  Arrangement or disposition of cyclones or other devices with centrifugal action · CPC title

• A47L9/32

  Handles · CPC title

• A47L9/22

  Mountings for motor fan assemblies · CPC title

• A47L9/2842

  Suction motors or blowers · CPC title