Cleaner station with cover opening unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12478234-B2
Application number	US-202118013035-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 2, 2021
Priority date	Jul 9, 2020
Publication date	Nov 25, 2025
Grant date	Nov 25, 2025

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a cleaner station including: a housing; a dust collecting motor configured to generate a suction force for sucking dust in a dust bin of a cleaner; a dust collecting part disposed at an upper side in a gravitational direction of the dust collecting motor; a coupling part including a coupling surface to which the cleaner is coupled; and a cover opening unit disposed on the coupling part and configured to open a discharge cover of the dust bin, such that the cover opening unit may automatically open the discharge cover of the dust bin without a user's effort.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A cleaner station comprising:
a housing; a dust collecting motor accommodated in the housing and configured to generate a suction force for sucking dust in a dust bin of a cleaner; a dust collecting part accommodated in the housing and configured to capture the dust in the dust bin; a coupling part disposed in the housing and comprising a coupling surface to which the cleaner is coupled; and a cover opening unit disposed on the coupling part and configured to open a discharge cover of the dust bin, wherein the cover opening unit comprises:
a push protrusion configured to move rectilinearly when the cleaner is coupled;
a cover opening motor configured to provide power for moving the push protrusion; and
a cover opening gear coupled to the cover opening motor and configured to move rectilinearly the push protrusion using the power from the cover opening motor.

2 . The cleaner station of claim 1 , wherein the cover opening gear comprises:
an opening driving gear coupled to a shaft of the cover opening motor and configured to transmit the power from the cover opening motor; and an opening driven gear engaging with the opening driving gear, coupled to the push protrusion, and configured to move the push protrusion.

3 . The cleaner station of claim 2 , wherein the opening driven gear comprises a gear portion provided in the form of a rack gear so as to engage with the opening driving gear.

4 . The cleaner station of claim 1 , wherein the cover opening unit further comprises a support plate extending from the coupling surface to support the dust bin.

5 . The cleaner station of claim 4 , wherein the coupling surface comprises a dust passage hole provided in the form of a hole corresponding to a shape of the dust bin so that the dust in the dust bin is introduced into the dust collecting part, and
wherein the support plate protrudes from the coupling surface to block a part of the dust passage hole.

6 . The cleaner station of claim 1 , wherein the cover opening unit further comprises a support protrusion provided on the coupling surface so as to be rectilinearly and reciprocally movable and configured to support the dust bin.

7 . The cleaner station of claim 6 , wherein the cover opening unit further comprises a support protrusion conveying gear engaging with the cover opening gear and configured to move the support protrusion using the power from the cover opening motor.

8 . The cleaner station of claim 7 , wherein, the coupling surface comprises a dust passage hole provided in the form of a hole corresponding to a shape of the dust bin so that the dust in the dust bin is introduced into the dust collecting part, and
wherein the support protrusion rectilinearly reciprocates to open or close a part of the dust passage hole in conjunction with a movement of the support protrusion conveying gear.

9 . The cleaner station of claim 7 , wherein the cover opening unit further comprises a support protrusion conveying link configured to link the support protrusion and the support protrusion conveying gear.

10 . The cleaner station of claim 7 , wherein the cover opening unit further comprises a support plate conveying block disposed on an upper surface of the support protrusion conveying gear and comprising an inclined surface for guiding a rectilinear movement of the support plate.

11 . The cleaner station of claim 7 , wherein the cover opening unit further comprises a return spring configured to provide a restoring force to the support protrusion when the support protrusion rectilinearly moves.

12 . The cleaner station of claim 2 , wherein the cover opening unit further comprises a gear box disposed at a lower side in a gravitational direction of the coupling part and configured to accommodate the cover opening gear therein.

13 . The cleaner station of claim 12 , wherein the push protrusion comprises:
a protrusion portion provided in the form of a protrusion so as to press a coupling lever of the dust bin; and a gear coupling block accommodated in the gear box and configured to rectilinearly reciprocate in the gear box by a movement of the cover opening gear.

14 . The cleaner station of claim 13 , wherein the push protrusion further comprises a protrusion support plate configured to support the protrusion portion and move along an upper surface of the gear box.

15 . The cleaner station of claim 14 , wherein the push protrusion further comprises a connecting portion configured to connect the protrusion support plate and the gear coupling block and having a smaller width than the protrusion support plate and the gear coupling block.

16 . The cleaner station of claim 12 , wherein the cover opening unit further comprises a cover opening detecting part disposed in the gear box and configured to detect a position of the push protrusion, and
wherein the opening driven gear comprises a contact protrusion provided to be rectilinearly movable by a rotation of the opening driving gear and disposed to come into contact with the cover opening detecting part.

17 . The cleaner station of claim 12 , wherein the gear box comprises a guide rail configured to support the opening driven gear and guide a movement of the opening driven gear.

18 . The cleaner station of claim 12 , wherein the gear box further comprises a protrusion through hole provided in the form of a hole that is penetrated by the push protrusion.

19 . The cleaner station of claim 8 , further comprising:
a door unit configured to open or close the dust passage hole; and a control unit configured to control the coupling part, the door unit, and the cover opening unit, wherein the control unit operates the cover opening motor when the dust passage hole is opened.

20 . The cleaner station of claim 1 , further comprising:
a control unit configured to control the cover opening unit, wherein the cover opening unit comprises a cover opening detecting part disposed in a gear box and configured to detect whether the push protrusion is positioned at an initial position, and wherein the control unit ends an operation of the cover opening motor when the control unit receives, from the cover opening detecting part, a signal indicating that the push protrusion is returned to the initial position after the cover opening motor is operated.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Lee Dongjae
• Jeong Jeonghoon
• Yang Ingyu

Classifications

• A47L9/1683

  Dust collecting chambers; Dust collecting receptacles · CPC title

• A47L9/0063 Primary

  External storing devices; Stands, casings or the like for the storage of suction cleaners · CPC title

• A47L9/2884

  Details of arrangements of batteries or their installation · CPC title

• A47L2201/024

  Emptying dust or waste liquid containers · CPC title

• A47L2201/022

  Recharging of batteries · CPC title