Dust collector and vacuum cleaner having the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9943202-B2
Application number	US-201514642374-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2015
Priority date	Sep 30, 2014
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

A dust collector includes a first dust storing unit to collect dust firstly-separated from air by a first cyclone, a second dust storing unit to collect fine dust secondly-separated from the air by second cyclones located above the first cyclone, a lower cover part coupled to a first dust container to form a bottom surface of the first dust storing unit and the second dust storing unit, and rotatable about a hinge to simultaneously open the first and second dust storing units, such that the dust and the fine dust are simultaneously discharged, and a compression device rotatably connected to the lower cover part so as to rotate in a reciprocating manner to compress the dust collected in the first dust storing unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dust collector comprising:
a first cyclone configured to separate dust from air;
a plurality of second cyclones located above the first cyclone and configured to separate fine dust from the air;
a first dust container;
a second dust container located in the first dust container;
a first dust storing unit having a hollow cylindrical shape located between an inner circumferential surface of the first dust container and an outer circumferential surface of the second dust container, the first dust storing unit being configured to collect the dust separated by the first cyclone;
a second dust storing unit located within the second dust container and surrounded by the first dust storing unit, the second dust storing unit being configured to collect the fine dust separated from the air by the second cyclones;
a lower cover part defining a bottom surface of the first dust storing unit and the second dust storing unit;
a hinge coupling the lower cover part to the first dust container, the hinge permitting the lower cover part to simultaneously open the first dust storing unit and the second dust storing unit to discharge the dust and the fine dust; and
a compression device rotatably connected to the lower cover part, the compression device being configured to reciprocatingly rotate within the first dust storing unit to compress the dust collected in the first dust storing unit,
wherein the lower cover part comprises:
a first cover configured to open and close a discharge opening of the first dust storing unit; and
a second cover configured to open and close a discharge opening of the second dust storing unit,

wherein the second dust container is spaced apart from the first cover along a height direction of the dust collector, and the second cover protrudes from the first cover toward the second dust container to be insertable into the second dust storing unit, and
wherein the compression device comprises:
a rotation gear configured to be rotatable by an external driving force;
a first rotating portion provided at an opposite side to the rotation gear based on the first cover and connected to the rotation gear to be rotatable along with the rotation gear;
a second rotating portion coupled to a circumference of the second dust container and engaged with the first rotating portion when the discharge opening of the second dust storing unit is closed by the lower cover part to be rotatable along with the first rotating portion; and
a dust-compressive rotation plate connected to the second rotating portion and configured to be rotatable along with the second rotating portion to compress the dust collected in the first dust storing unit.

2. The dust collector of claim 1 , wherein a discharge opening of the first dust storing unit and a discharge opening of the second dust storing unit open substantially in the same direction.

3. The dust collector of claim 1 , wherein the first cover is coupled to the first dust container by the hinge, and
wherein the second cover is connected to the first cover.

4. The dust collector of claim 1 further comprising:
a coupling member configured to couple the first dust container and the first cover to each other to prevent the separation of the first cover from the first dust container until released by an external force applied to the coupling member.

5. The dust collector of claim 1 , wherein the rotation gear is coupled to the first cover and exposed externally of the dust collector,
wherein the second rotating portion is configured to be relatively rotatable with respect to the second dust container, and
wherein the dust-compressive rotation plate is configured to be rotatable along with the first rotating portion and the second rotating portion upon the rotation of the rotation gear.

6. The dust collector of claim 1 , further comprising:
a dust-compressive fixing plate fixed in an area between the inner circumferential surface of the first dust container and the outer circumferential surface of the second dust container and configured to restrict a movement of the dust compressed by the dust-compressive rotation plate.

7. The dust collector of claim 1 , wherein the second dust container includes a guide rail on an outer circumferential surface of the second dust container to guide the rotation of the second rotating portion, and
wherein the second rotating portion includes a guide protrusion engaged with the guide rail so that the second rotating portion is rotatable at the discharge opening of the second dust storing unit along the guide rail.

8. The dust collector of claim 1 , wherein the first rotating portion includes a plurality of protrusions radially located about a center of rotation of the first rotating portion,
wherein the second rotating portion includes accommodating portions located on the inner circumferential surface of the second rotating portion and configured to accommodate end portions of the protrusions therein; and
wherein the first rotating portion and the second rotating portion are engaged with each other to be simultaneously rotatable when the end portions of the protrusions are accommodated within the accommodating portions.

9. The dust collector of claim 8 , wherein the protrusions and the accommodating portions are provided with inclined surfaces corresponding to each other, such that the protrusions and the accommodating portions are engagable with each other by being slid along the inclined surfaces.

10. The dust collector of claim 1 ,
wherein the first rotating portion and a portion of the second rotating portion are rotatable in a space between the second dust container and the first cover, and
wherein the second cover is located on a rotation shaft of the first rotating portion and spaced from the first cover, the second cover being insertable into the second dust storing unit.

11. The dust collector of claim 10 , wherein the first cover includes a first sealing member having a shape corresponding to the inner circumferential surface of the first dust container to seal the discharge opening of the first dust storing unit, and
wherein the second cover includes a second sealing member having a shape corresponding to the inner circumferential surface of the second dust container to seal the discharge opening of the second dust storing unit.

12. The dust collector of claim 11 , wherein at least part of the first sealing member is inserted into the first dust storing unit when the first cover is coupled to the first dust container and pressed by the inner circumferential surface of the first dust container to thereby elastically change in shape, and
wherein at least part of the second sealing member is inserted into the second dust storing unit when the first cover is coupled to the first dust container and pressed by the inner circumferential surface of the second dust container to thereby elastically change in shape.

13. The dust collector of claim 12 , wherein the second cover is connected to the first rotating portion to be relatively rotatable with respect to the first rotating portion, and
wherein the second sealing member restricts the rotation of the second cover by a frictional force between the second sealing member and the inner circumferential surface of the second dust container.

14. The dust collector of claim 1 , wherein the compression device further comprises a fine dust-compressive rotation plate connected to the second rotating portion and configured to be rotatable along with the first rotating portion and the second rotating portion upon the rotation of the rotation gear, the fine dust-compressive

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Eo Soohan
• Pyo Joonho

Classifications

• B01D45/14

  generated by rotating vanes, discs, drums or brushes · CPC title

• A47L9/1616

  Multiple arrangement thereof · CPC title

• A47L5/12

  with power-driven air-pumps or air-compressors, e.g. driven by motor vehicle engine vacuum · CPC title

• A47L9/08

  with means adapted for blowing · CPC title

• B04C3/04

  Multiple arrangement thereof {(combined with types according to other groups, B04C7/00)} · CPC title