Dust collector for vacuum cleaner

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9955837-B2
Application number	US-201514642554-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 9, 2015
Priority date	Oct 7, 2014
Publication date	May 1, 2018
Grant date	May 1, 2018

Abstract

A dust collector for a vacuum cleaner disclosed herein includes a first cyclone that is configured to separate dust from air introduced from a lower portion thereof with containing foreign materials and discharge the separated dust into a first dust storing unit, a second cyclone that is configured to separate fine dust from the air, from which the dust has been separated by the first cyclone, and discharge the separated fine dust into a second dust storing unit defined in a second case, and a lower cover that is coupled to the first case by a hinge so as to define a bottom surface of the first dust storing unit, the second dust storing unit and the first cyclone upon being closed, and discharge therethrough the foreign materials collected in the first dust storing unit, the second dust storing unit and the first cyclone upon being open.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dust collector for a vacuum cleaner, the dust collector comprising:
a first case having a first dust storing unit in the first case;
a first cyclone eccentrically provided in the first case to be in contact with an inner circumferential surface of the first case, the first cyclone being configured to separate dust from air introduced into the first cyclone and discharge the separated dust into the first dust storing unit;
two second cases provided on both sides of the first cyclone and contacting an outer circumferential surface of the first cyclone and the inner circumferential surface of the first case, at least one of the second cases having a second dust storing unit therein;
a second cyclone disposed inside one of the second cases, the second cyclone being configured to separate fine dust from the air introduced into the second cyclone from the first cyclone and discharge the separated fine dust into the second dust storing unit;
a lower cover being coupled to the first case so as to open and close the first case, in response to the lower cover being open, dust collected in the first cyclone, the first and second dust storing units being externally dischargeable;
a central shaft rotatably coupled to the first cyclone;
a rotary member rotatably installed at the lower cover and disposed at a position corresponding to the central shaft so as to engage with or disengage from the central shaft according to opening and closing of the lower cover, the rotary member having a shape corresponding to a part of the central shaft to be rotated together with the central shaft; and
a compression plate coupled to the central shaft and rotating in one direction and in a reverse direction within a rotation range defined by the two second cases so as to compress the dust collected in the first dust storing unit,
wherein the first case, the first cyclone, the two second cases and the second cyclone are arranged at the same height, and are arranged to extend toward the height direction of the dust collector.

2. The dust collector of claim 1 , wherein the lower cover defines a bottom surface of the first dust storing unit, the second dust storing unit and the first cyclone when it is closed.

3. The dust collector of claim 2 , wherein an introduction opening formed through the bottom surface of the first cyclone, wherein the air is introduced into the first cyclone from a lower portion of the first cyclone through the introduction opening.

4. The dust collector of claim 1 , wherein the first dust storing unit is a space defined by the inner circumferential surface of the first case, an outer circumferential surface of one of the second cases, the outer circumferential surface of the first cyclone and an inner surface of the lower cover, such that the dust discharged from the first cyclone is collected therein.

5. The dust collector of claim 1 , wherein one of the second cases is provided in the first case, the one of the second cases being coupled to the second cyclone to accommodate a fine dust discharge opening of the second cyclone in the one of the second cases.

6. The dust collector of claim 5 , wherein the second dust storing unit is a space defined by an outer circumferential surface of the second cyclone, an inner circumferential surface of the one of the second cases and an inner surface of the lower cover, such that the fine dust discharged from the second cyclone is collected therein.

7. The dust collector of claim 5 , wherein the second cyclone comprises a plurality of second cyclones extending in parallel with one another, and
wherein the plurality of second cyclones contact at least one of the first cyclone and the first case.

8. The dust collector of claim 5 , wherein the one of the second cases is formed in a circular cylindrical or oval cylindrical shape.

9. The dust collector of claim 1 , wherein one of the second cases extends substantially in a same direction as an extending direction of the first case.

10. The dust collector of claim 1 , wherein the first cyclone comprises:
a mesh filter configured to separate the dust from the air in a filtering manner; and
a housing extending substantially in a same direction as an extending direction of the first case, so as to form an appearance of the first cyclone, and allowing the air or dust to orbit therein,
wherein an outer circumferential surface of one of the second cases is arranged to come in contact with an outer circumferential surface of the housing.

11. The dust collector of claim 10 , wherein an upper portion of the mesh filter is connected to an introduction passage of the second cyclone such that air that has passed through the mesh filter is introduced into the second cyclone.

12. The dust collector of claim 10 , wherein the mesh filter is formed in a conic shape that becomes narrower from a top of the mesh filter to a bottom of the mesh filter, such that the dust filtered by the mesh filter and stuck on the mesh filter is separated from the mesh filter when the lower cover is open.

13. The dust collector of claim 12 , wherein the mesh filter is provided in the first cyclone and extends substantially in the same direction as the extending direction of the first case.

14. The dust collector of claim 1 , wherein the second cyclone extends substantially in a same direction as an extending direction of the first cyclone.

15. The dust collector of claim 1 , wherein the first dust storing unit is a space defined by the inner circumferential surface of the first case, an outer circumferential surface of one of the second cases, the outer circumferential surface of the first cyclone and an inner surface of the lower cover, such that the dust discharged from the first cyclone is collected therein, and
wherein the second dust storing unit is a space defined by an outer circumferential surface of the second cyclone, an inner circumferential surface of the one of the second cases and an inner surface of the lower cover, such that the fine dust discharged from the second cyclone is collected therein.

16. A vacuum cleaner comprising:
a main body configured to generate a suction force;
a suction part configured to suck air containing dust; and
a dust collector configured to separate the dust from the air introduced into the suction part and discharge the separated dust, wherein the dust collector comprises:
a first case having a first dust storing unit in the first case;
a first cyclone eccentrically provided in the first case to be in contact with an inner circumferential surface of the first case, the first cyclone being configured to separate dust from air introduced into the first cyclone and discharge the separated dust into the first dust storing unit;
two second cases provided on both sides of the first cyclone and contacting an outer circumferential surface of the first cyclone and the inner circumferential surface of the first case, at least one of the second cases having a second dust storing unit therein;
a second cyclone disposed inside one of the second cases, the second cyclone being configured to separate fine dust from the air introduced into the second cyclone from the first cyclone and discharge the separated fine dust into the second dust storing unit; and
a lower cover being coupled to the first case so as to open and close the first case, in response to the lower cover being open, dust collected in the first cyclone, the first and second dust storing units being externally dischargeable;
a central shaft rotatably coupled to the first cyclone;
a rotary member rotatably installed at the lowe

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Hyun Kietak
• Lee Seungyeop
• Ahn Hyukjin

Classifications

• A47L9/108

  Dust compression means · CPC title

• A47L9/1641 Primary

  for parallel flow · CPC title

• B01D45/14

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

• A47L9/1608

  Cyclonic chamber constructions · CPC title

• B04C3/04

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