Abstract:
Disclosed herein is a diffuser module, including: a cover covering an impeller connected to a rotation shaft; a housing coupled with the cover and accommodating a driving module including the rotation shaft; a diffuser directing flow of air drawn by the impeller; and a coupling member coupling the cover and the housing, wherein the cover and the housing have their respective coupling portions in a shaft direction of the rotation shaft, and wherein the diffuser has a groove portion partly corresponding to the coupling portion of the cover at its outer circumferential portion.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2013-0034392, filed on Mar. 29, 2013, entitled “Diffuser Module and Electric Blower Having the Same,” which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety into this application. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Technical Field 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to a diffuser module and an electric blower having the same. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    In general, a diffuser module for an electric blower of a vacuum cleaner includes an impeller cover covering an impeller, a diffuser, a front, and a housing accommodating a driving module. 
         [0006]    The conventional electric blower as disclosed in the Patent Document below, for example, has problems in coupling the impeller cover with the housing, in that air flow in the diffuser may be disturbed due to the reduction in size, it is difficult to align the front and the impeller cover on the same axis, it is difficult to make the blower smaller and lighter due to the coupling structure of the impeller cover and the housing, and durability and robustness are deteriorated. 
       PRIOR ART DOCUMENT 
     Patent Document  
       [0007]    (Patent Document 1) US 20080014080 A 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0008]    The present invention has been made in an effort to provide a diffuser module which does not disturb air flow in a diffuser even though a cover and a housing are coupled with each other in a shaft direction of a rotation shaft by a fixing member and may be smaller and lighter, and an electric blower having the same. 
         [0009]    Further, the present invention has been made in an effort to provide a rotation module which may be more effectively assembled and have enhanced coupling force by virtue of assembly guide parts formed in a cover, a front and a housing, and an electric blower having the same. 
         [0010]    According to a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a diffuser module, including: a cover covering an impeller connected to a rotation shaft; a housing coupled with the cover and accommodating a driving module including the rotation shaft; a diffuser directing flow of air drawn by the impeller; and a coupling member coupling the cover and the housing, wherein the cover and the housing have their respective coupling portions in a shaft direction of the rotation shaft, and wherein the diffuser has a groove portion partly corresponding to the coupling portion of the cover at its outer circumferential portion. 
         [0011]    The diffuser may include: a guide having a cylindrical shape at the outer circumferential portion; and a guide vane connected to the guide and directing the air drawn by the impeller, wherein the groove portion partly corresponding to the coupling portion of the cover is formed in the guide, and wherein the coupled portion of the cover is inserted into the groove portion. 
         [0012]    The coupling portion of the cover inserted into the groove portion of the guide may be located as a surface of an inner circumferential portion of the guide. 
         [0013]    The module may further include a front coupled with the diffuser, wherein the diffuser further includes a coupling bore and an assembly guide part for coupling with the front, and wherein the front includes a diffuser coupling groove and a diffuser assembly guide part respectively corresponding to the coupling bore and the assembly guide part of the diffuser. 
         [0014]    The front may further include a housing coupling hole and a housing assembly guide part for fixedly coupling with the housing, wherein the housing includes a front coupling groove and a front assembly guide part respectively corresponding to the housing coupling hole and the housing assembly guide part of the front. 
         [0015]    The coupling portion of the cover may be formed as a coupling groove indented in a radial direction of the rotation shaft, the coupling portion of the housing may be formed as a coupling groove extending in a shaft direction of the rotation shaft, and the coupling member may be inserted into a coupling bore of the cover and coupled with the coupling groove of the housing. 
         [0016]    The cover may further include an assembly guide part formed as a protrusion or a groove, the coupling portion of the housing further includes an assembly guide formed as a groove or a protrusion corresponding to the assembly guide part of the cover. 
         [0017]    The coupling portion of the housing may protrude in the shaft direction toward the cover and may protrude inwardly of the housing. 
         [0018]    According to a second preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an electric blower, including: an impeller having blades for drawing air from the outside; a diffuser directing flow of the air drawn by the impeller; a cover covering the impeller and the diffuser; a driving module including a rotation shaft connected to the impeller; a front coupled with the diffuser and having a bearing inserted therein for rotatably supporting the rotation shaft; a housing accommodating the driving module and coupled with the cover; and coupling members, one of which coupling the cover and the housing, and another of which coupling the diffuser and the front, wherein the cover and the housing have their respective coupling portions in a shaft direction of the rotation shaft, and wherein the diffuser has a groove portion partly corresponding to the coupling portion of the cover at its outer circumferential portion. 
         [0019]    The driving module may include: the rotation shaft connected to the impeller and rotating the impeller; a magnet provided on an outer circumferential surface of the rotation shaft; an armature facing the magnet and including a stator core and a coil; and a bearing rotatably supporting the rotation shaft. 
         [0020]    The diffuser may include: a guide having a cylindrical shape at the outer circumferential portion; and a guide vane connected to the guide and directing the air drawn by the impeller, wherein the groove portion partly corresponding to the coupling portion of the cover is formed in the guide, and wherein the coupled portion of the cover is inserted into the groove portion. 
         [0021]    The coupling portion of the cover inserted into the groove portion of the guide may be located as a surface of an inner circumferential portion of the guide. 
         [0022]    The diffuser may further include a coupling bore and an assembly guide part for coupling with the front, and wherein the front includes a diffuser coupling groove and a diffuser assembly guide part respectively corresponding to the coupling bore and the assembly guide part of the diffuser. 
         [0023]    The front may further include a housing coupling hole and a housing assembly guide part for fixedly coupling with the housing, wherein the housing includes a front coupling groove and a front assembly guide part respectively corresponding to the housing coupling hole and the housing assembly guide part of the front. 
         [0024]    The coupling portion of the cover may be formed as a coupling groove indented in a radial direction of the rotation shaft, the coupling portion of the housing may be formed as a coupling groove extending in a shaft direction of the rotation shaft, and the coupling member may be inserted into a coupling bore of the cover and coupled with the coupling groove of the housing. 
         [0025]    The cover may further include an assembly guide part formed as a protrusion or a groove, the coupling portion of the housing further includes an assembly guide formed as a groove or a protrusion corresponding to the assembly guide part of the cover. 
         [0026]    The coupling portion of the housing may protrude in the shaft direction toward the cover and may protrude inwardly of the housing. 
         [0027]    The housing may have a stator core coupling portion formed therein and may further include a coupling member coupled with the stator core coupling portion, wherein an upper end of the stator core is supported by the coupling member. 
         [0028]    The stator core may have a coupling protrusion portion formed thereon, and wherein the housing may further include a stator-core-insertion supporting groove at the inner circumferential surface, the coupling protrusion portion of the stator core being inserted into the stator-core-insertion supporting groove and thereby a lower end of the coupling protrusion portion is supported. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0029]    The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0030]      FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view schematically showing a diffuser module according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0031]      FIG. 2  is a plan view schematically showing a diffuser and a cover of the diffuser module shown in  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0032]      FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view schematically showing an electric blower having the diffuser module according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0033]    The objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same or similar components, and redundant descriptions thereof are omitted. Further, in the following description, the terms “first,” “second,” “one side,” “the other side” and the like are used to differentiate a certain component from other components, but the configuration of such components should not be construed to be limited by the terms. Further, in the description of the present invention, when it is determined that the detailed description of the prior art would obscure the gist of the present invention, the description thereof will be omitted. 
         [0034]    Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. 
         [0035]      FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view schematically showing a diffuser module according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and  FIG. 2  is a plan view schematically showing a diffuser and a cover of the diffuser module shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0036]    As shown, the diffuser module  100  for an electric blower includes a cover  110 , a diffuser  120 , a front  130 , and a housing  140 . 
         [0037]    The cover  110  covers an impeller (not shown) connected to a rotation shaft therein and the diffuser so that it accommodates the impeller and the diffuser  120 , and is coupled with the housing  140 . 
         [0038]    To this end, the cover  110  has a vent hole (not shown) through which air is drawn from the outside, and a coupling portion  111  extending along the rotation shaft (not shown) connected to the impeller (not shown). 
         [0039]    The coupling portion  111  servers to fixedly couple the cover  110  with the housing  140 , and has a coupling member  151  inserted therein. The coupling member  151  is coupled with the housing  140  such that the cover  110  is fixedly coupled with the housing  140 . The coupling portion  111  may be either a coupling groove indented in the radial direction of the rotation shaft or a coupling bore extending in the shaft direction. 
         [0040]    Further, the cover  110  may have an assembly guide part for holding the position at the time of being coupled with the housing  140 . The assembly guide part may be a protrusion or a groove, and a corresponding groove or a protrusion corresponding to the assembly guide part of the cover  110  may be formed in the housing  140 .  FIG. 1  shows a preferred embodiment in which an assembly guide protrusion  112  is formed in the cover  110 , and an assembly guide groove  142  is formed in the housing  140 . 
         [0041]    With this configuration, in fixedly coupling the cover  110  with the housing  140 , firstly the cover  110  and the housing  140  are coupled with each other and held at the position by the assembly guides of the cover  110  and the housing  140 , and then the cover  110  and the housing  140  are coupled with each other by the coupling member  151 , such that the assembly process can be performed more easily without defects or errors. 
         [0042]    Next, the diffuser  120  includes a guide  121 , a guide vane  122 , and a coupling part. 
         [0043]    Further, the guide  121  is formed at the outer circumferential portion of the diffuser in a cylindrical shape, and the guide vane  122  is connected to the guide so as to direct the air drawn by the impeller. 
         [0044]    Further, the coupling part is provided for coupling the diffuser  120  with the front  130 , and includes a coupling bore  124  and an assembly guide part  125 . The coupling bore  124  is provided for inserting a coupling member  152  thereinto so as to fasten the front  130 . The coupling member  152  may be a screw member. The assembly guide part  125  serves to set positions that the diffuser  120  and the front  130  are held, and temporarily hold the diffuser  120  and the front  130 , at the time of coupling the diffuser  120  with the front  130 . The assembly guide part  125  and may be a protrusion or a groove, and  FIG. 1  shows the preferred embodiment in which the assembly guide part  125  is a protrusion. 
         [0045]    Accordingly, the diffuser  120  and the front  130  are being firstly held by the assembly guide part, and then the diffuser  120  and the front  130  are secondly coupled with each other by the coupling member  152 , such that the assembly process can be performed more easily without defects or errors. 
         [0046]    In addition, at the guide  121  of the diffuser  120 , a groove portion  123  corresponding to the coupling portion  111 , i.e., the coupling portion of the cover  110  is formed. The groove portion  123  is formed so as not to disturb the air flow in the diffuser  120  when the coupling portion  111  of the cover is inserted into the groove portion  123  of the diffuser, in a such manner that the coupling portion  111  passes through the groove portion  123  in a radial direction of the rotation shaft so that it does not go into the diffuser  120 , i.e., the inner side of the guide  121 . That is, the coupling portion  111  is supported by the groove portion  123  so that it does not extend inwardly of the diffuser, and the coupling portion  111  is located as a surface of the inner circumferential surface of the guide  121 . 
         [0047]    With this configuration, the groove portion  123  of the diffuser  120  serves as a coupling guide for inserting the coupling portion  111  of the cover  110  without disturbing the air flow in the diffuser  120  when the cover  110  is coupled with the housing  140  by the coupling portion  111 , such that the module may become smaller and lighter. 
         [0048]    Next, the front  130  has a diffuser coupling groove  131  and a diffuser assembly guide groove for fixedly coupling the diffuser  120  with itself, and has a housing coupling hole  133  and a housing assembly guide part  134  for fixedly coupling the housing  140  with itself. 
         [0049]    As described above, the diffuser coupling groove  131  and the diffuser assembly guide groove  132  correspond to the coupling bore  124  and the assembly guide part  125 , respectively. 
         [0050]    In the case in which the coupling member  152  is a screw member, the diffuser coupling groove  131  is a mating screw receiving groove. 
         [0051]    The housing coupling hole  133  serves to couple the front  130  with the housing  140  by the coupling member  153 , and the housing assembly guide part  134  serves to determine and temporarily fix the front  130  to the housing and may be a protrusion or a groove.  FIG. 1  shows the preferred embodiment in which the housing assembly guide part  125  is a protrusion. 
         [0052]    Next, the housing  140  accommodates a driving module (not shown) for rotating the impeller and is coupled with the cover  100 . To this end, the housing  140  has a size and a shape conforming to the cover  110 . 
         [0053]    More specifically, the housing  140  has a coupling portion facing the cover, in which a cover coupling groove  141 , a cover assembly guide groove  142 , a front coupling groove  143 , and a front assembly guide groove  144  are formed. 
         [0054]    The cover coupling groove  141  corresponds to the coupling portion  111  formed in the cover and extends in the shaft direction. The cover coupling groove  141  is a screw receiving groove if the coupling member  151  is a screw member. 
         [0055]    The cover assembly guide groove  142  serves to guide a coupling location at the time of coupling the cover with the housing  140 , and corresponds to the assembly guide protrusion  112  of the cover  110 . 
         [0056]    Alternatively, as described above, a cover assembly guide protrusion may be formed in the housing instead of the cover assembly guide groove, and an assembly guide groove corresponding to the cover assembly guide protrusion may be formed in the cover. 
         [0057]    The front coupling groove  143  is formed so that it corresponds to the housing coupling bore  133  formed in the front  130 . In the case in which the coupling member  153  coupling the front  130  with the housing  140  is a screw member, the front coupling groove  143  may be a screw receiving groove. 
         [0058]    Further, the front assembly guide groove  144  corresponds to an assembly guide part  134  formed in the front  130  described above, and serves to guide a coupling location at the timing of coupling the front  130  with the housing  140 . 
         [0059]    In addition, the housing of the diffuser module  100  according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention is optimally designed for fixedly coupling with a stator core. 
         [0060]    Specifically, a coupling portion of the housing  140  may protrude in the shaft direction. The stator core  160  is inserted into an area other than the coupling portion, which does not protrude, and its upper portion may be fixedly supported by the coupling member  153 . 
         [0061]    Moreover, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the coupling portion of the housing  140  may protrude inwardly in a direction perpendicular to the shaft. Here, the coupling portion of the housing  140  protrudes inwardly with respect to a space which is not interfered at the time of coupling the stator core, and accordingly obtains a thickness to form the cover coupling groove  141 , the cover assembly guide groove  142 , the front coupling groove  143 , and the front assembly guide groove  144 . 
         [0062]    Additionally, the housing  140  may further include a stator core coupling portion  145  for fixing the stator core. The stator core coupling portion  145  may be a screw receiving groove if a coupling member for fixing the stator core  160  to the housing is a screw member  154 . 
         [0063]    Further, the housing  140  may further include a stator-core-insertion supporting groove  146  which a part of the stator core  160  is inserted into and supports the lower end of the part of the stator core  160 . 
         [0064]    The stator-core-insertion supporting groove  146  extends in the shaft direction from an upper end of the inner diameter portion of the housing. Further, the stator core  160  has a coupling protruding portion  161  corresponding to the stator-core-insertion supporting groove  146 . 
         [0065]    Accordingly, the lower end of the stator core  160  coupled with the housing  140  is supported by the stator-core-insertion supporting groove  146  of the housing, its movement in the circumferential direction is limited, and its upper end is fixedly supported by the coupling member  154 . 
         [0066]    With this configuration, even though the cover  110  and the housing  140  are coupled with each other in the shaft direction by the fixing member, in the diffuser module  100  according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the coupling portion  111  of the cover is inserted into the grooves  123  of the diffuser  120  so that the groove portion serves as a coupling guide, and the coupling portion is supported by the groove portion so that it does not extend inwardly of the diffuser. Accordingly, the air flow is not disturbed, and the module may become smaller and lighter. 
         [0067]    Additionally, by configuring the outer circumferential surface of the cover  110  of the cover  110  and the outer peripheral surface  120  of the housing as one surface, the module may not only become smaller and lighter but also have enhanced assembly strength and durability. Further, as shown in  FIG. 1 , the coupling portion of the housing protrudes inwardly toward the space in which the stator core is accommodated, such that the design for optimizing space usage may be achieved and thus the module may become smaller. 
         [0068]    Further, in the diffuser module  100  according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cover  110 , the diffuser  120 , the front  130  and the housing  140  has the respective assembly guide portions so that more efficient assembly process is achieved and the coupling force is enhanced. 
         [0069]      FIG. 3  shows an electric blower including the diffuser module according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the electric blower  200  is configured to include a cover  210 , a diffuser  220 , a front  230 , a housing  240 , a driving module  250 , an impeller  260  and a coupling member  271 , 272 , 273 . 
         [0070]    Specifically, the impeller  260  is connected to the driving module  250  so as to draw air from the outside, and has blades  261  for air flow. 
         [0071]    The diffuser  220  directs the air drawn by the impeller  260  and is positioned facing the impeller  260 . 
         [0072]    The cover  210  covers the impeller  260  and the diffuser  220 , and is coupled with the housing  240 . 
         [0073]    The housing  240  accommodates a driving module  250  including a rotation shaft  251  connected to the impeller  260  for driving the impeller  260 , and has a cylindrical shape. 
         [0074]    The cover  210 , the diffuser  220 , the front  230  and the housing  250  of the electric blower  200  shown in  FIG. 3  are identical to the cover, the diffuser, the front and the housing of the diffuser module shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , respectively, and, therefore, descriptions on the redundant elements will be omitted. 
         [0075]    As shown, a coupling bore  211  is formed in the cover  210 , and a cover coupling groove  241  corresponding to the coupling bore  211  is formed in the housing  220 . A coupling member  271  is inserted into the coupling hole  211  of the cover  210 , and the coupling member  272  is fastened to the cover coupling groove  211  of the housing  220 , such that the cover  210  and the housing  220  are coupled with each other. 
         [0076]    The diffuser  220  includes a coupling bore  221  and an assembly guide part  222  to for being coupled with the front  230 . 
         [0077]    Further, a bearing  255  of the driving module  250  is inserted into the front  230 , and a diffuser coupling groove  231  and a diffuser assembly guide groove  232  are formed for coupling the front  230  with the diffuser. The diffuser  220  is coupled with the front  230  by inserting the assembly guide part  222  formed in the front into the diffuser assembly guide groove  232  formed in the front  230 , and by coupling the coupling member  272  with the diffuser coupling groove  231  of the front through the coupling hole  221  of the diffuser. 
         [0078]    The driving module  250  is connected to the impeller  260  so as to rotate the impeller  260 , and includes a rotation shaft  251 , a magnet  252 , an armature  254 , and the bearing  255 . 
         [0079]    Specifically, the rotation shaft  251  is connected to the impeller  260  so that the impeller rotates with the rotation shaft  251 , and thereby air is drawn from the outside by the rotation of the impeller. 
         [0080]    Further, the magnet  252  generates the electromagnetic force for driving the rotation shaft along with the armature  254 , and is coupled on the outer peripheral surface of the rotation shaft  251 . 
         [0081]    Further, the armature  254  includes a stator core and a coil, and is coupled with the housing  240  facing the magnet  252 . 
         [0082]    Moreover, as shown in  FIG. 1 , the stator core of the armature is inserted into the housing, and the upper end of the stator core is fixedly supported by the coupling member  273 . 
         [0083]    Further, the bearing  255  rotatably supports the rotation shaft  251 , and includes a upper bearing and a lower bearing, respectively coupled with one side and the other side, i.e., the upper side and lower side of the rotation shaft  251 . The upper bearing is inserted into the front  230 . 
         [0084]    The driving module  250  of the electric blower  200  may further include a magnet holder  253  accommodating the magnet  252 . 
         [0085]    With this configuration, the electric blower  200  having the cover module according to the present invention may become smaller and lighter even though the cover  210  and the housing  240  are coupled with each other by the fixing member  271  in the shaft direction, without disturbing the air flow in the diffuser  120 . 
         [0086]    As set forth above, according to the present invention, there can be provided a diffuser module which does not disturb air flow in a diffuser even though a cover and a housing are coupled with each other in a shaft direction of a rotation shaft by a fixing member and may be smaller and lighter, and an electric blower having the same. Further, by virtue of assembly guide parts formed in a cover, a front and a housing, there can be provided a rotation module which may be more effectively assembled and have enhanced coupling force, and an electric blower having the same. 
         [0087]    Although the embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, it will be appreciated that the present invention is not limited thereto, and those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. 
         [0088]    Accordingly, any and all modifications, variations or equivalent arrangements should be considered to be within the scope of the invention, and the detailed scope of the invention will be disclosed by the accompanying claims.