Cyclone dust collecting apparatus for vacuum cleaner

Abstract

A cyclone dust-collecting apparatus comprises a first chamber fluidly communicated with a suction port, a second chamber fluidly communicated with the first chamber and a vacuum generating source, in which dirt is centrifugally separated form the air drawn in from the first chamber, and a partition having at least one penetrating hole connecting the first and the second chambers and at least one guide member disposed adjacent to the penetrating hole, the partition being formed between the first and the second chambers. Accordingly, when the air dispersed from the first chamber due to the penetrating hole and the guide member, flows into the second chamber, a speed of the swirling air in the second chamber increases. Therefore, the dust-collection efficiency of the cyclone dust collecting apparatus is improved.

Description

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority to copending Korean Patent Application No. 2003-67765, filed on Sep. 30, 2003, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is related to copending applications entitled “Filter Cleaning Device of Cyclone Vacuum Cleaner” (Korean Application No. 2003-19951, filed Sep. 9, 2003), “Cyclone-Type Dust Collecting Apparatus for Vacuum Cleaner” (Korean Application No. 2002-0077811, filed Sep. 12, 2003), and “Cyclone Type Dust Collecting Apparatus for Vacuum Cleaner” (Korean Application No. 2003-33167, filed Oct. 10, 2003), and “Cyclone Dust Collecting Device And Vacuum Cleaner Having The Same” (Korean Application No. 2003-32152, filed Apr. 27, 2004) whose disclosures are commonly owned by the same assignee as the present application and are entirely incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner, and more particularly, to a cyclone dust-collecting apparatus disposed in a vacuum cleaner that separates contaminants from the air using a centrifugal force.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Conventional vacuum cleaners clean a cleaning surface by drawing in dirt from the cleaning surface together with air and include a cleaner body that has a vacuum generating source embedded therein; a suction assembly through which the dirt-laden air is suctioned in from the cleaning surface; and a dust-collecting apparatus separating the dirt from the air. Some conventional vacuum cleaners use a semi-permanently usable cyclone dust-collecting apparatus as the dust-collecting apparatus to centrifugally separate the dirt from the drawn-in air. FIG. 1 is a view schematically showing an upright type vacuum cleaner having such a cyclone dust-collecting apparatus. Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional upright type vacuum cleaner 100 includes a cleaner body 110 and a cyclone dust-collecting apparatus 180.

The cleaner body 110 has a vacuum generating source 130 embedded therein and the dust-collecting apparatus 180 is removably mounted in a dust-collecting chamber 140 provided in the cleaner body 110. The dust-collecting chamber 140 is connected to a suction assembly 120 via a first air suction path 160. The vacuum generating source 130 is connected to the dust-collecting chamber 140 via a second air suction path 170.

The cyclone dust-collecting apparatus 180 includes an air suction inlet 183 connected to the first air suction path 160, an air discharge outlet 185 connected to the second air suction path 170, and a cyclone chamber 187 in which air drawn in through the air suction inlet 183 swirls to generate a centrifugal force separating dirt D from the air by the centrifugal force.

The efficiency of the cyclone dust-collecting apparatus 180 with the above construction in separating the dirt from the drawn-in air depends on the magnitude of the centrifugal force of the air swirling in the cyclone chamber 187, which in turn depends on a swirling speed of the air drawn in through the air suction inlet 183. In order to increase the swirling speed of the drawn air, the cyclone dust-collecting apparatus requires a vacuum generating source 130 that will generate a more powerful suction force. However, a vacuum generating source capable of generating a powerful suction force increases manufacturing costs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a cyclone dust-collecting apparatus for a vacuum cleaner which is capable of increasing the swirling speed of air drawn in and swirled in a cyclone chamber, thereby improving the dust-collection efficiency.

The foregoing object is attained by a cyclone dust-collecting apparatus, which is disposed on a suction path of a vacuum cleaner connecting a suction port through which air is drawn into a vacuum generating source that generates a suction force at the suction port, for separating dirt from air drawn in through the suction port. The cyclone dust-collecting apparatus includes a first chamber in fluid communication with the suction port, a second chamber in fluid communication with the first chamber and the vacuum generating source and in which the dirt is centrifugally separated from the air drawn in from the first chamber, and a partition having at least one aperture connecting the first and the second chambers and at least one guide member disposed adjacent to the aperture, the partition being formed between the first and second chambers. The aperture and the guide member allow the air to flow from the first chamber to the second chamber in a dispersed state.

The guide member may be inclined such that the air current forms an acute angle with respect to one side surface of the partition facing the second chamber, while flowing into the second chamber via the aperture.

Also, the guide member may extend from one side surface of the partition facing the second chamber in an inclined manner, and may have a front end disposed between the aperture and the second chamber.

Also, the aperture may be formed in a radial direction with respect to a center of the partition.

Also, the partition may be shaped in a disk, and the aperture may be formed adjacent to an edge of the partition.

Also, the one guide member may be inclined in the same direction with respect to the partition.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the cyclone dust-collecting apparatus further includes an air discharge outlet connected to the vacuum generating source, a dirt-collecting receptacle having one side end open, a first cover covering the open side end of the dirt-collecting apparatus, and a second cover separately connected to one of the first cover and the dirt-collecting receptacle to cover one side of the first cover, and the second cover being in fluid communication with the suction port. The first chamber is an inner space between the first cover and the second cover, the second chamber is an inner space between the first cover and the dirt-collecting receptacle, the partition is a part of an upper wall of the first cover enclosed by the second cover and the dirt-collecting receptacle, and the aperture penetrates through the upper wall of the first cover.

The dirt-collecting receptacle may be shaped in a cylinder having an upper end open, and the first and second covers may be sequentially connected to an upper portion of the dirt-collecting receptacle.

Also, the dirt-collecting receptacle may include an air discharge outlet in a bottom of the dirt-collecting receptacle where the dirt separated from the air is collected, and an air discharge pipe extends upwardly from the bottom of the dirt-collecting receptacle and has an upper end opened and a lower end covering the air discharge outlet to partition off the air discharge outlet from an inner space of the dirt-collecting receptacle.

Also, the dirt-collecting receptacle may include at least one first backflow prevention member protruding from the bottom of the dirt-collecting receptacle, and the side surfaces of the first backflow prevention member may be connected to the outer circumference of the air discharge pipe.

A grill member having a plurality of slits formed in a side surface of the grill member may be connected to the upper end of the air discharge pipe.

An upper end of the grill member may be separably connected to a bottom of the first cover, and a lower end of the grill member may be open and separably connected to the open upper end of the air discharge pipe when the first cover and the dirt-collecting receptacle are connected to each other.

Also, a disk-shaped second backflow prevention member may protrude from at least one of the upper end of the air discharge pipe and the lower end of the grill member.

The second cover may be shaped in a cylinder having a lower end open, and air passes through a sidewall of the second cover and flows into the first chamber along a tangential direction of the upper wall of the second cover, or passes through a sidewall of the second cover and flows into the first chamber.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above aspect and other advantages of the present invention will be more apparent by describing an exemplary embodiment of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view in section showing an example of an upright type vacuum cleaner, in which a conventional cyclone dust-collecting apparatus is mounted;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view in section showing an upright type vacuum cleaner in which a cyclone dust-collecting apparatus is mounted according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the cyclone dust-collecting apparatus illustrated in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a bottom of a first cover of the cyclone dust-collecting apparatus illustrated in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a dust-collecting receptacle of the cyclone dust-collecting apparatus illustrated in FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view showing a cyclone dust-collecting apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description of the embodiments of the present invention, like reference numerals are provided for elements having the same construction and function as the conventional vacuum cleaner with respect to FIG. 1 described above.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, a cyclone dust-collecting apparatus 300 according to a first embodiment of the present invention includes a dirt-collecting receptacle 310, a first cover 330, and a second cover 350. The dirt-collecting receptacle 310, the first cover 330 and the second cover 350 are separably connected to one another and define a first chamber 370 and a second chamber 380 there between when connected together. The cyclone dust-collecting apparatus 300 is removably mounted in a dust-collecting chamber 140 of a cleaner body 110. The sealing members S prevent air leakage between respective connecting parts, and a window W allows a user to observe the inside of the second chamber 380.

The dirt-collecting receptacle 310 is shaped in a cylinder having an open upper end 312 and forms the lower portion of the cyclone-dust collecting apparatus 300. An air discharge outlet 311 is formed on the bottom of the dirt-collecting receptacle 310 and is connected to a vacuum generating source 130. The air discharge outlet 311 is disposed at the lower end of an air discharge pipe 313 which extends upwardly from the bottom of the dirt-collecting receptacle 310 and is partitioned off from the inside of the dirt-collecting receptacle 310. An upper end 314 of the air discharge pipe 313 is open, and when the first cover 330 is connected to upper end 312 of the dirt-collecting receptacle 310, the air discharge pipe 313 has its upper end 314 connected to the lower end of a grill member 360. The air discharge pipe 313 performs the function of the second air suction path 170 (FIG. 1) of the conventional dust-collecting apparatus so that the air discharge pipe 313 connects the inside of the dirt-collecting receptacle 310 (FIG. 5) to the vacuum generating source 130.

The second cover 350 is shaped in a cylinder having an open lower end 352. The lower end 352 of second cover 350 is separately connected to the upper end 312 of dirt-collecting receptacle 310. The first cover 330 is disposed between the dirt-collecting receptacle 310 and the second cover 350. The second cover 350 is connected to the first cover 330 or the dirt-collecting receptacle 310 depending on the way that the first cover 330 is connected to the dirt-collecting receptacle 310. For example, if the first cover 330 is shaped as a cylinder having an open lower end 334 as in this embodiment, the second cover 350 is separately connected to an upper end 336 of first cover 330. The second cover 350 has a first aperture 351 connected to a first air suction path 160. Since the first air suction path 160 is similar to that of the conventional vacuum cleaner in construction and function a detailed description of path 160 is not included.

The open lower end 334 of first cover 330 is separably connected to upper end 312 of the dirt-collecting receptacle 310. The first chamber 370 is formed between the first cover 330 and the second cover 350, and the second chamber 380 is formed between the first cover 330 and the dirt-collecting receptacle 310. The first cover 330 serves as a partition to separate the first and the second chambers 370 and 380 from each other in the cyclone dust-collecting apparatus 300. The second chamber 380 performs the same function as the conventional cyclone chamber 187 (see FIG. 1). A first side surface 331 of the first cover 330 faces the first chamber 27. A second side surface 332 of the first cover 330 faces the second chamber 380.

As seen in FIG. 4, the first cover 330 includes one or more second apertures 335 in fluid communication with the first chamber 370 and the second chamber 380, and guide members 337 corresponding to each second aperture 335. The second apertures 335 and the guide members 337 allow the air to be dispersed in a radial direction when the air flows from the first chamber 370 to the second chamber 380. Preferably, the guide members 337 guide the air from the first chamber 370 to the second chamber 380 through the second apertures 335 at an acute angle θ (FIG. 2) with respect to the second side surface 332 of the first cover 330. Each guide member 337 is shaped as a blade that extends in an inclined manner from a portion of the second side surface 332 of the first cover 330 with a distal end positioned in the second chamber 380. It is preferred that the first and the second side surfaces 331 and 332 of the first cover 330 be disposed perpendicularly to the direction of gravity that is in parallel relation to the cleaning surface. Also, it is preferred that at least one second aperture 335 and at least one guide member 337 be provided in the first cover 330.

The grill member 360 is separably disposed at the second side surface 332 of the first cover 330 and provides a secondary filter after the air is first filtered in the second chamber 380 and advances toward the vacuum generating source 130. As shown in FIG. 3, the grill member 360 is shaped as a pipe having a lower end open 362 and an upper end 364 separably connected to the second side surface 332 of the first cover 330. A side surface of the grill member 360 is provided with a plurality of slits 361 through which the air flows from the second chamber 380 to the grill member 360. The lower end 362 of the grill member 360 is connected to the open upper end 314 of the air discharge pipe 313 when the first cover 330 is mounted on the dirt-collecting receptacle 310. The grill member 360 is disposed in the second chamber 380 so that it is isolated from the first chamber 370. The grill member 370 prevents the air drawn in through first aperture 351 from directly flowing into the grill member 360 without swirling in the second chamber 380. The grill member 360 may take various formations and connection methods as necessary.

Operation

As seen in FIG. 2, as the vacuum generating source 130 disposed in the cleaner body 110 is driven, the air is drawn in through a suction port (not shown) formed in the bottom of a suction assembly 120.

Air flows into the first chamber 370 via the first air suction path 160 and the first aperture 351, sequentially. The first aperture 351 is formed in a side surface of the second cover 350 to allow the air to swirl in the first chamber 370. Also, in order for the air drawn in through the first aperture 351 to be guided in a tangential direction of the inner circumference of the second cover 350, an air suction pipe 353 (see FIG. 3) connecting the first aperture 351 and the first suction path 160 is disposed in a parallel relation to a tangential direction of the inner circumference of the first cover 330.

Air swirling in the first chamber 370 flows into the second chamber 380 through the second apertures 335. The speed of air current increases as the air passes through the second apertures 335. The air flowing into the second chamber 380 after passing through the second apertures 335 is guided by the guide members 337, forming an acute angle with respect to the second side surface 332 of the first cover 330 so that the swirling air in the second chamber 380 is faster than in the first chamber 370. In order to increase the speed of the swirling air, the second apertures 335 extend in a radial direction on an upper surface of the first cover 330 with a uniform interval there between, and are preferably disposed adjacent to the connecting portion of the first cover 330 that connects to the second cover 350. Also, it is preferred that the guide members 337 are inclined downwardly along a direction of the air current in the first chamber 370.

Air drawn into the second chamber 380 swirls downward along an inner wall of the dirt-collecting receptacle 310. The dirt D is separated from the air due to gravity and also a centrifugal force generated by the swirling air, and falls down onto the bottom of the dirt-collecting receptacle 310. The clean air is then discharged to the vacuum generating source 130 through the grill member 360, the air discharge pipe 313 and the air discharge outlet 311, sequentially. Preferably, a plurality of first backflow prevention members 317, each protruding from the bottom of the dirt-collecting receptacle 310, are disposed along an outer circumference of the air discharge pipe 313 to facilitate the dirt separation. It is preferred that a disk-shaped second backflow prevention member 367 is disposed under the grill member 360. The second backflow prevention member 367 prevents the air from ascending from the bottom of the dirt-collecting receptacle 310 toward the slits 361 of the grill member 360, preventing dirt from being discharged through the grill member 360 together with the air.

Embodiments of FIG. 6

FIG. 6 shows a cyclone dust-collecting apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. A cyclone dust-collecting apparatus 300 according to the second embodiment has a first aperture 351′ penetrating through an upper wall of a second cover 350′. In this case, the air may not sufficiently swirl in a first chamber 370, and the dust-collection efficiency of the cyclone dust-collecting apparatus 300 may not be achieved as much as that of the cyclone dust-collecting apparatus 200 of the first embodiment. However, as the drawn air flows from the first chamber 370 to a second chamber 380, the air swirls at a sufficient speed to separate the dirt D from the air due to second apertures 335 and guide members 337 thereby increasing the dust-collection efficiency of the cyclone dust-collecting apparatus 300.

Although the dirt-collecting receptacle 310 is disposed at a lower portion of dust-collecting apparatus 300 in gravitational direction, receptacle 310 can be provided in other locations of apparatus 300. The present invention can be applied in any cyclone dust-collecting apparatus if the cyclone dust collecting apparatus includes the first chamber into which air is drawn, the second chamber into which the dirt is centrifugally separated from the air, and the partition separating the first and the second chambers from each other and having the second apertures and the guide members.

As described above, due to the second apertures 335 and the guide members 337 formed on the partition 331, 332 which partitions the first and second chambers 370 and 380 from each other, the swirling speed of the air in the second chamber 380 can be increased independently from the performance of the vacuum generating source 130. Accordingly, the dust-collection efficiency of cyclone dust-collecting apparatus 300 is improved.

Since the dust-collection efficiency is guaranteed by the second apertures 335 and the guide members 337, various modifications are possible in designing the construction of the cyclone dust-collecting apparatus 300 related to the air suction pipe 353 and the cleaner body 110.

Also, according to the present invention, it is possible that the first aperture 351 through which the air is drawn in, and the grill member 360 through which the air is discharged from the second chamber 380 passes, are disposed in different spaces and are independently from each other. Accordingly, since the air drawn in through the first aperture 351 is prevented from directly flowing into the grill member 360 without swirling in the dirt-collecting receptacle 310, the dust-collection efficiency of the cyclone dust-collecting apparatus 300 can be improved.

The foregoing embodiments and advantages are merely exemplary and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention. The description of the present invention is intended to be illustrative, and does not limit the scope of the claims. Many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A cyclone dust-collecting apparatus, which is disposed on a suction path of a vacuum cleaner connecting a suction port through which air is drawn into a vacuum generating source generating a suction force at the suction port for separating dirt from the air drawn in through the suction port, the cyclone dust-collecting apparatus comprising: a first chamber in fluid communication with the suction port; a second chamber in fluid communication with the first chamber and the vacuum generating source, the second chamber being adapted to centrifugally separate dirt from the air drawn into the first chamber; and a partition having at least one aperture connecting the first and second chambers and at least one guide member disposed adjacent to the aperture, the partition being formed between the first and the second chambers, wherein at least one aperture and the at least one guide member dispersing the air flowing from the first chamber to the second chamber.

2. The cyclone dust-collecting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one guide member is inclined such that the air current forms an acute angle with respect to a side surface of the partition facing the second chamber, while flowing into the second chamber via the aperture.

3. The cyclone dust-collecting apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one guide member extends from the side surface of the partition facing the second chamber in an inclined manner, and has a distal end disposed in the second chamber.

4. The cyclone dust-collecting apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least one aperture is formed in a radial direction with respect to a center of the partition.

5. The cyclone dust-collecting apparatus of claim 4, wherein the partition is shaped as a disk, and the at least one aperture is formed adjacent to an edge of the partition.

6. The cyclone dust-collecting apparatus of claim 3, further comprising: a dirt-collecting receptacle having an air discharge outlet connected to the vacuum generating source and having an open end; a first cover covering the open end of the dirt-collecting apparatus; and a second cover separately connected to one of the first cover and the dirt-collecting receptacle to cover one side of the first cover, with the second cover being in fluid communication with the suction port; wherein the first chamber is an inner space between the first cover and the second cover, the second chamber is an inner space between the first cover and the dirt-collecting receptacle, the partition is a part of an upper wall of the first cover enclosed by the second cover and the dirt-collecting receptacle, and the aperture is disposed in the upper wall of the first cover.

7. The cyclone dust-collecting apparatus of claim 6, wherein the dirt-collecting receptacle is shaped as a cylinder having an upper end open, and the first and second covers are sequentially connected to an upper portion of the dirt-collecting receptacle.

8. The cyclone dust-collecting apparatus of claim 7, wherein the dirt-collecting receptacle comprises: the air discharge outlet penetrating through a bottom of the dirt-collecting receptacle in which the dirt separated from the air is collected; and an air discharge pipe upwardly protruding from the bottom of the dirt-collecting receptacle, and having an open upper end and a lower end covering the air discharge outlet to partition off the air discharge outlet from an inner space of the dirt-collecting receptacle.

9. The cyclone dust-collecting apparatus of claim 8, wherein the dirt-collecting receptacle includes at least one first backflow prevention member protruding from the bottom of the dirt-collecting receptacle.

10. The cyclone dust-collecting apparatus of claim 8, wherein a grill member having a plurality of slits formed in a side surface thereof is connected to the upper end of the air discharge pipe.

11. The cyclone dust-collecting apparatus of claim 10, wherein an upper end of the grill member is separably connected to a bottom of the first cover, and a lower end of the grill member is open and separably connected to the open upper end of the air discharge pipe when the first cover and the dirt-collecting receptacle are connected to each other.

12. The cyclone dust-collecting apparatus of claim 11, wherein a disk-shaped second backflow prevention member protrudes from at least one of the upper end of the air discharge pipe and the lower end of the grill member.

13. The cyclone dust-collecting apparatus of claim 6, wherein the second cover is shaped in a cylinder having an open lower end, and the air passes through a sidewall of the second cover and flows into the first chamber in a tangential direction with respect to the sidewall of the second cover.

14. The cyclone dust-collecting apparatus of claim 6, wherein the second cover is shaped in a cylinder having an open lower end open, and the air passes through an upper wall of the second cover and flows into the first chamber.