Filter cleaner and air-processing apparatus including filter cleaner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12134058-B2
Application number	US-202217742706-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2022
Priority date	May 24, 2021
Publication date	Nov 5, 2024
Grant date	Nov 5, 2024

Abstract

A filter cleaner and an air-processing apparatus including a filter cleaner are provided. The filter cleaner may include a housing that forms an external appearance and having a suction hole formed in a first side thereof and a discharge hole formed in a second side thereof, a moving gear rotatably disposed in the housing and configured to move the housing, a gear motor configured to rotate the moving gear, a dust container disposed so as to be introduced into or withdrawn out of the housing and configured to store foreign substances introduced thereinto through the suction hole and to accommodate an agitator rotatably disposed therein, an agitator gear disposed inside of the housing to rotate the agitator, an agitator motor disposed inside of the housing to operate the agitator gear, and a suctioner disposed inside of the housing to induce air to flow into the dust container through the suction hole.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A filter cleaner, comprising:
a housing that forms an external appearance of the filter cleaner, the housing having a suction hole formed in one side thereof;
a moving gear rotatably disposed in the housing and configured to move the housing;
a gear motor configured to rotate the moving gear;
a dust container disposed so as to be introduced into or withdrawn out of the housing, the dust container being configured to store foreign substances introduced thereinto through the suction hole;
an agitator gear disposed inside of the housing to rotate the agitator;
an agitator motor disposed inside of the housing to operate the agitator gear; and
a suctioner disposed inside of the housing to induce air to flow into the dust container through the suction hole,
wherein the dust container is configured to be inserted into or withdrawn from the housing in a direction in which a rotational axis of the agitator extends,
when the dust container is mounted in the housing, the agitator gear is connected to the agitator.

2. The filter cleaner according to claim 1 , wherein the dust container comprises a dust container housing having formed therein a storage space in which foreign substances removed from a filter are stored and an agitator space in which the agitator is disposed, wherein the dust container housing includes an agitator hole formed therein to allow the agitator space to communicate with an outside, and wherein, when the dust container is mounted in the housing, the agitator hole is located at a position corresponding to the suction hole.

3. The filter cleaner according to claim 2 , wherein the dust container housing includes a flow hole formed therein to allow the storage space to communicate with the outside of the dust container housing, wherein the dust container comprises a dust container filter disposed in the storage space to remove foreign substances from air flowing through the flow hole, and wherein, when the dust container is mounted in the housing, the suctioner communicates with the flow hole.

4. The filter cleaner according to claim 3 , wherein the dust container filter comprises:
a first filter disposed on one side of the flow hole in the dust container housing;
a second filter disposed so as to be spaced apart from the first filter; and
a mounting body configured to fix positions of the first filter and the second filter disposed inside of the dust container housing.

5. The filter cleaner according to claim 4 , wherein the mounting body comprises:
a lower plate disposed at a lower side of the storage space;
an upper plate disposed so as to be spaced upwards apart from the lower plate; and
a connection plate configured to connect the lower plate and the upper plate and to support the second filter disposed on the one side thereof.

6. The filter cleaner according to claim 5 , wherein the second filter has a mesh shape, and is integrally formed with the connection plate.

7. The filter cleaner according to claim 5 , wherein the connection plate on which the second filter is disposed is inclined relative to the first filter.

8. The filter cleaner according to claim 5 , wherein the first filter is fixedly disposed between the lower plate and the upper plate.

9. The filter cleaner according to claim 2 , wherein the dust container comprises an inner partition configured to isolate the storage space and the agitator space from each other inside of the dust container housing, and wherein the inner partition has an inner hole formed therein to allow the storage space and the agitator space to communicate with each other.

10. The filter cleaner according to claim 9 , wherein a duster is disposed in the agitator space so as to be in contact with an end portion of the agitator.

11. The filter cleaner according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an agitator connection shaft configured to transmit a rotational force of the agitator gear to the agitator, wherein the agitator gear is fixedly disposed on a circumference of the agitator connection shaft so as to rotate together with the agitator connection shaft.

12. The filter cleaner according to claim 11 , wherein the agitator has a connection recess formed therein to allow the agitator connection shaft to be inserted thereinto, and wherein, when the dust container is mounted in the housing, the agitator connection shaft is inserted into the connection recess.

13. The filter cleaner according to claim 12 , wherein the agitator connection shaft has an end portion connected to the agitator, an end portion of the agitator connection shaft having an elliptical-shaped or polygonal-shaped section, and wherein the connection recess has a shape corresponding to the end portion of the agitator.

14. The filter cleaner according to claim 12 , wherein the dust container comprises a dust container guide configured to displace the dust container disposed in the housing, and wherein the dust container guide includes a connection hole formed therein to allow the agitator connection shaft to pass therethrough.

15. The filter cleaner according to claim 14 , wherein the dust container guide comprises:
a guide plate disposed above the dust container; and
a guide gear that extends upwards from the guide plate, the guide gear meshing with a dust container gear, and wherein a magnet is disposed on the guide plate to fix the dust container.

16. The filter cleaner according to claim 15 , wherein the dust container guide comprises mounting guides to guide the dust container to move to a correct position on the guide plate when the dust container moves upwards, and wherein the mounting guides are bent and extend downwards from a front end and a rear end of the guide plate.

17. The filter cleaner according to claim 15 , further comprising:
a partition wall disposed inside of the housing and configured to partition an inner space in the housing, wherein the dust container guide is movably disposed on the partition wall.

18. The filter cleaner according to claim 17 , wherein the partition wall comprises a horizontal partition configured to partition the inner space in the housing in an upward-downward direction, wherein the dust container gear is disposed above the horizontal partition to move the dust container guide, and wherein the dust container guide is movably disposed below the horizontal partition.

19. The filter cleaner according to claim 18 , wherein the agitator gear is connected to the agitator motor above the horizontal partition, wherein the horizontal partition has a shaft hole formed therein to allow the agitator connection shaft to pass therethrough, and wherein, when the dust container is mounted in the housing, the shaft hole and the connection hole are located so as to be aligned with each other.

20. An air-processing apparatus, comprising:
a case having therein an outlet formed so as to be open in a downward direction and an inlet formed so as to be open in a direction perpendicular to the outlet;
a filter disposed in the inlet;
a guide rail disposed above the inlet; and
a filter cleaner configured to move along the guide rail to remove foreign substances from the filter, wherein the filter cleaner comprises:
a housing that forms an external appearance of the filter cleaner, the housing having a suction hole formed in one side thereof;
a moving gear rotatably disposed in the housing and configured to move the housing;
a gear motor configured to rotate the moving gear;
a dust container disposed so as to be introduced into or withdr

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Hyon Chinsoo
• Bae Sehwan

Classifications

• F24F8/10

  by separation, e.g. by filtering · CPC title

• Y02A50/2351

  Atmospheric particulate matter [PM], e.g. carbon smoke microparticles, smog, aerosol particles, dust · CPC title

• F24F1/0073 Primary

  characterised by the mounting or arrangement of filters · CPC title

• B01D46/48

  Removing dust other than cleaning filters {, e.g. by using collecting trays} · CPC title

• F24F8/90 Primary

  Cleaning of purification apparatus · CPC title