Patent Publication Number: US-7717973-B2

Title: Cyclone dust-separating apparatus of vacuum cleaner

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/967,453, filed Sep. 5, 2007, in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and Korean Patent Application Nos. 10-2007-0101101, filed on Oct. 8, 2007, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 

   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The present disclosure relates to a vacuum cleaner. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a cyclone dust-separating apparatus of a vacuum cleaner, that draws in an external air and then separates dust or dirt therefrom. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   In general, a cyclone dust-separating apparatus provided in a vacuum cleaner is an apparatus that whirls air laden with dirt or dust and separates the dirt or dust therefrom. Such a cyclone dust-separating apparatus usually is provided with a cyclone unit vertically and elongately installed, a cyclone body with an air inflow part and an air outflow part formed at a side and a top thereof, and a dust bin connected to a bottom part of the cyclone unit, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,350,292. Accordingly, external air is drawn in through the side of the cyclone body and lowered while being swirled therein, and dirt or dust removed from the air is collected in the dust bin. However, the conventional cyclone dust-separating apparatus as described above requires forming the dust bin in a relatively small size because the cyclone unit has a large height. As a result, the conventional cyclone dust-separating apparatus is inconvenient to use, in that the dirt or dust collected in the dust bin should be frequently dumped. 
   In addition, Korean Patent No. 412,583 discloses a cyclone dust-separating apparatus of an upright cleaner, in which a dust bin is coupled to a bottom end of a cylindrical cyclone unit, the diameter of the dust bin being equal to that of the cylindrical cyclone unit. External air drawn into the cyclone unit through a side of the cyclone unit is whirled while lowering within an internal space of the dust bin as well as within an internal space of the cyclone unit. Accordingly, such a conventional cyclone dust-separating apparatus is disadvantageous in that because the cyclone unit is vertically arranged, the capacity of the dust bin is relatively small. Furthermore, there is a problem in that because the air whirling within the cyclone unit is lowered to the internal space of the dust bin, the dust stored within the dust bin is entrained by the swirling air and flows backward to the cyclone unit. 
   Also, the cyclone dust-separating apparatuses of U.S. Pat. No. 6,350,292 and Korean Patent No. 412,583 are advantageous in that they can be semi-permanently used without any inconvenience of frequently replacing dust bags as in the conventional general dust-collecting apparatus, but disadvantageous in that since the dust or dirt is collected and stored in the dust bin, a scattering of the dust or dirt and/or a contamination of circumference according thereto are generated when the dust or dirt collected in the dust bin is dumped. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   An aspect of the present disclosure is to address at least the above problems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantages described below. Accordingly, an aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a cyclone dust-separating apparatus having a dust bin, the volume of which is increased as compared with other cyclone dust-separating apparatuses of the same height. 
   Another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a cyclone dust-separating apparatus in which dirt or dust collected in the dust bin is prevented from flowing backward. 
   Further another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a cyclone dust-separating apparatus that prevents the dirt or dust collected in the dust bin from scattering and/or contaminating a circumference due to the scattering of the dust or dirt when the dirt or dust collected in the dust bin is dumped. 
   In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, a cyclone dust-separating apparatus includes a cyclone unit having an air inflow part and an air outflow part so as to separate dust or dirt from air, the cyclone unit being installed in such a manner that a longitudinal axis thereof is substantially horizontally arranged; a dust bin joined to a bottom end of the cyclone unit so as to collect the dust or dirt separated by the cyclone unit, the dust bin being installed in such a manner that a longitudinal axis thereof is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cyclone unit; a nonporous envelope detachably disposed in the dust bin so as to store the dust or dirt collected into the dust bin; and a pressure difference-generating passage to communicate an outlet of the air outflow part and the dust bin with each other so as to allow the nonporous envelope to come in contact with an inner surface of the dust bin by a pressure difference between the dust bin and the air outflow part. 
   The dust bin may include an air discharging passage connected with the air outflow part, so that the air discharged from the cyclone unit penetrates through the dust bin and discharges in a direction toward a bottom end of the dust bin, and the pressure difference-generating passage may include a plurality of openings formed in the dust bin so as to allow the dust bin to communicate with the air discharging passage. Here, the air discharging passage may be disposed to penetrate through a dust bin chamber of the dust bin in upward and downward directions. Particularly, the air discharging passage may be formed on one side of the dust bin chamber, so that a width of air path thereof is gradually enlarged from an upper part to a lower part thereof. 
   Also, the cyclone dust-separating apparatus may further include a filter unit joined to the bottom end of the dust bin so as to filter dust or dirt included in the air discharged through the air discharging passage from the cyclone unit. Here, preferably, but not necessarily, the filter unit includes a filter cover joined to the bottom end of the dust bin to form a filter chamber in a predetermined volume, and a filter member disposed in the filter chamber. In this case, the filter member may include a pleated cylindrical filter, an upper part of which is blocked. 
   In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, the dust bin may include an outer tub, and an inner tub disposed in a spaced-apart relation to the outer tub so as to form an air flowing space between the outer tub and the inner tub, the inner tube at an upper part thereof being joined with the outer tub, and the pressure difference-generating passage may include a subsidiary passage disposed between the air outflow part of the cyclone unit and the outer tub so as to communicate between the air outflow part and the air flowing space, and a plurality of openings formed in the inner tub of the dust bin so as to allow the inner tub of the dust bin to communicate with the subsidiary passage through the air flowing space. 
   In accordance with further another aspect of the present disclosure, the cyclone dust-separating apparatus may further include an air discharging passage connected with the air outflow part, so that the air discharged from the cyclone unit is flowed in a direction toward a bottom end of the dust bin along an outside of the dust bin and then discharged, and the pressure difference-generating passage may include a plurality of openings formed in the dust bin so as to allow the dust bin to communicate with the air discharging passage. 
   A close up-switching part may be disposed to the pressure difference-generating passage so as to close up the plurality of openings when the nonporous envelope is not used. The close up-switching part may include a rotating plate rotatably disposed to the dust bin and having a plurality of homologous openings corresponding to the plurality of openings, and a knob formed on the rotating plate so as to rotate the rotating plate. 
   Also, the cyclone dust-separating apparatus may further include a filter unit joined to the bottom end of the dust bin so as to filter dust or dirt included in the air discharged through the air discharging passage from the cyclone unit. Here, preferably, but not necessarily, the filter unit includes a filter cover joined to the bottom end of the dust bin to form a filter chamber in a predetermined volume, and a filter member disposed in the filter chamber. In this case, the filter member may include a porous filter fixed on a filter mount of the filter cover. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above and other objects, features, and advantages of certain exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view exemplifying a cyclone dust-separating apparatus of a vacuum cleaner; 
       FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of the cyclone dust-separating apparatus taken along line II-II of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a side elevation exemplifying a cyclone dust-separating apparatus of a vacuum cleaner; 
       FIG. 4  is a perspective view exemplifying only a cyclone unit of the cyclone dust-separating apparatus illustrated in  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a partially cut-away and exploded perspective view of the cyclone unit of the cyclone dust-separating apparatus illustrated in  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIG. 6  is a cross-sectional view of the cyclone dust-separating apparatus taken along line VI-VI of  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view of the cyclone dust-separating apparatus taken along line VII-VII of  FIG. 3 ; 
       FIG. 8  is a side elevation exemplifying a cyclone dust-separating apparatus of a vacuum cleaner; 
       FIG. 9  is an exploded perspective view of the cyclone dust-separating apparatus illustrated in  FIG. 8 ; 
       FIGS. 10A and 10B  are cross-sectional views of the cyclone dust-separating apparatus taken along line X-X of  FIG. 8 ; and 
       FIGS. 11A and 11B  are cross-sectional views exemplifying an operation of a close up-switching part of the cyclone dust-separating apparatus illustrated in  FIG. 8 . 
   

   Throughout the drawings, the same reference numerals will be understood to refer to the same elements, features, and structures. 
   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
   Hereinafter, certain exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawing figures. 
     FIGS. 1 and 2  are a perspective view and a cross-sectional view schematically exemplifying a cyclone dust-separating apparatus of a vacuum cleaner. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the cyclone dust-separating apparatus  100  includes a cyclone unit  110 , a dust bin  150 , a nonporous envelope  175 , a pressure difference-generating passage  177  and a filter unit  190 . 
   The cyclone unit  110  is provided with a cyclone body  120 , a guide unit  111  detachably disposed on a side surface of the cyclone body  120 , a filter  116 , an outflow pipe  172 , and an inflow pipe  130 . 
   The cyclone body  120  has an outer body  122  and an inner body  124 . The inner body  124  is formed in a laid cylinder shape arranged in such a manner that its longitudinal axis X extends substantially in the horizontal direction, as explained in the cyclone body  124 , and the outer body  122  is formed in a stand-up cylinder shape arranged in such a manner that its longitudinal axis Y extends substantially in the vertical direction. 
   The guide unit  111  is mounted in a mounting opening  112  formed on one side surface of the outer body  122  of the cyclone body  120 . The guide unit  111  has a knob  112  and a guide pipe  114 . A handle  113  is projected from a center of the knob  212  so as to be capable of being gripped by a user. The guide pipe  114  is connected to a side of the knob  112  and installed to project into the inside of the inner body  124  of the cyclone body  120 . 
   The filter  116  is removably mounted on an end of the outflow pipe  172 , and air drawn in into the inside of the cyclone body  120  is discharged to the outside via the outflow pipe  172  after separating dirt or dust therefrom through the filter  116 . In the present embodiment, the filter  116  is formed of a grill member with a plurality of through-holes. In the cyclone unit  110 , the guide pipe  114  and the outflow pipe  172  are substantially horizontally arranged. 
   As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the outflow pipe  172  is formed in an inverted L-shape. On one end of the outflow pipe  172  is installed the filter  116 , and to the other end of the outflow pipe  172  is connected an air discharging passage  161  formed in the dust bin  150 . Accordingly, after whirling within a cyclone chamber  133 , air passes through the filter  116  and discharges through the air discharging passage  161  of the dust bin  150  via the outflow pipe  172 . 
   The air discharging passage  161  is formed to penetrate through the dust collecting chamber  153  of the dust bin  150  in upward and downward directions at a side of the dust collecting chamber  153 , and is connected with the outflow pipe  172 , so that the air discharged from the outflow pipe  172  of the cyclone unit  110  penetrates through the dust bin  150  and discharges in a direction toward a bottom end of the dust bin  150 . Here, the air discharging passage  161  may be formed, so that a width of air path thereof is gradually enlarged from an upper part to a lower part thereof. The air discharging passage  161  can be formed in a pipe shape, that is, substantially round in cross-section, but is not limited thereto. A top end of the air discharging passage  161  joined with the outflow pipe  172  has the same inner diameter as that of the outflow pipe  172 . The outflow pipe  172  is configured, so that its lower part has an inner diameter gradually enlarged to become larger than that of its upper part, thereby allowing its bottom end to have the largest passage width. Accordingly, the more the air gets near to the bottom end of outflow pipe  172 , the more the flow speed of the air is reduced. 
   The inflow pipe  130  through which external air is flowed in penetrates through the outer body  122  of the cyclone body  120  and is connected to the inner body  124 . 
   The dust bin  150  has a very large volume as compared with that of the cyclone unit  110  and is vertically arranged, so that a Y-axis is a longitudinal axis thereof and thus the longitudinal axis thereof is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis X of the cyclone unit  110 . 
   The dust bin  50  is divided into the dust collecting chamber  153  and the air discharging passage  161  by a partition  163 . A bottom surface  155  of the dust bin  150  is formed to bulge toward the dust collecting chamber  153  and the air discharging passage  161 . 
   The nonporous envelope  175 , which stores the dust or dirt collected into the dust bin  150 , is detachably disposed in the dust collecting chamber  153  of the dust bin  150 . That is, the nonporous envelope  175  is disposed, so that a top part thereof is interposed between the dust bin  150  and the cyclone body  120  when the dust bin  150  is coupled with the cyclone body  120  by a known cam lifting unit (not illustrated), which is installed under the dust-separating apparatus  100  to lift and lower the dust bin  150 . Preferably, but not necessarily, the nonporous envelope  175  is made of vinyl. 
   The pressure difference-generating passage  177  communicates the dust collecting chamber  153  with a filter chamber  196  of the filter unit  190  and the air discharging passage  161  connected with the outflow pipe  172  so as to allow the nonporous envelope  175  to come in contact with an inner surface of the dust collecting chamber  153  of the dust bin  150  by a pressure difference between the dust collecting chamber  153  and the filter chamber  196 /the air discharging passage  161 . For this, the pressure difference-generating passage  177  is provided with a plurality of openings  178 . The plurality of openings  178  is formed in the bottom surface  155  of the dust bin  155 , so that the dust collecting chamber  153  is directly communicated with the filter chamber  196 /the air discharging passage  161 . The plurality of openings  178  may be formed in the partition  163 , instead of or in addition to the bottom surface  155 . 
   Accordingly, when the air is drawn in by a suction motor (not illustrated) of the vacuum cleaner, a pressure difference is generated between the dust collecting chamber  153  and the filter chamber  196 /the air discharging passage  161  because the dust collecting chamber  153  is in fluid communication with the filter chamber  196  and the air discharging passage  161  through the plurality of openings  178 . At this time, the filter chamber  196  and the air discharging passage  161  have a pressure lower than that of the dust collecting chamber  153 . As a result, the nonporous envelope  175  is adhered closely to the inner surface of the dust collecting chamber  153 . 
   The filter unit  190  is joined to a bottom end of the dust bin  150 , and includes a filter cover  194  and a filter member  193 . The filter cover  194  is detachably locked and fixed to the bottom end of the dust bin  150  and forms the filter chamber  196  of predetermined volume therein. In addition, the filter cover  194  at a bottom surface thereof is formed an opening  160  through which the air past the filter member  193  is discharged. The opening  160  is connected directly or indirectly with the suction motor of the vacuum cleaner. 
   The filter chamber  193 , as a pleated cylindrical filter, the upper part of which is blocked and the lower part of which is opened, is vertically installed in the filter mount  195  of the filter chamber  196 . 
   As described above, the cyclone dust-separating apparatus  100  is configured so that the inner body  124  of the cyclone body  120  is formed to have the longitudinal axis X horizontally arranged and the dust bin  150  is formed to have the longitudinal axis Y vertically arranged. Accordingly, a size of the dust bin  150  can be increased as compared with other cyclone dust-separating apparatuses of the same height. Thus, the cyclone dust-separating apparatus according to the first exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure can increase the capacity of the dust bin  150 , thereby improving the convenience in use. 
   Further, since the air whirls on the horizontally arranged longitudinal axis X within the cyclone unit  110 , the dust or dirt stored in the nonporous envelope  175  of the dust collecting chamber  153  vertically arranged scarcely flows backward to the cyclone unit  110  again. 
   Furthermore, to empty the dust bin  150  of the dust or dirt collected therein, only the nonporous envelope  175  is separated from the dust bin  150  and dumped. Accordingly, a scattering of the dust or dirt and/or a contamination of circumference according to that is prevented. 
   Also, the air discharging passage  161  discharging the air from the cyclone chamber  133  is configured to pass through the dust bin  150 , thereby reducing the piping loss of the discharged air. 
   Now, an operation of the cyclone dust-separating apparatus  100  will be explained in detail with reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 . 
   First, if the suction motor of the vacuum cleaner is operated, external air is drawn into the cyclone chamber  133  through the inflow pipe  130 . The dawn-in air drops dust or dirt into the dust collecting chamber  153  of the dust bin  150  joined to the bottom end of the cyclone chamber  133  through a dirt discharge port  121  while whirling as indicated by arrows A in  FIG. 2 . 
   With a suction force, the air from which the dust or dirt is removed as described above passes through the filter  116 , and bends its flow from a horizontal direction to a vertical-and-down direction while passing through the outflow pipe  172 . While the air passes through the air discharging passage  161  formed on the side of the dust bin  150 , the flow speed of the air is slowed down. When the air reaches the filter chamber  196 , the flow speed of the air goes down abruptly. 
   At this time, since the dust collecting chamber  153  of the dust bin  150  is communicated with the air discharging passage  161  through the plurality of openings  178 , a pressure difference is generated between the dust collecting chamber  153  and the filter chamber  196 /the air discharging passage  161 . As a result, the nonporous envelope  175  is adhered closely to the inner surface of the dust collecting chamber  153 . 
   The air flowed into the filter chamber  196  passes in a slow speed through the filter member  193  disposed in the filter chamber  196 , and thus fine dust remained in the air is collected by the filter member  193 . And then, the fine dust-removed air is discharged to the outside of the cyclone dust-separating apparatus  100  through the opening  160  formed in the filter cover  194 . 
   When the nonporous envelope  175  of the dust bin  150  is filled with the dust or dirt by the operation of the dust-separating apparatus  10  as described above, the dust bin  150  is separated from the cyclone body  120  of the cyclone unit  110  by the cam lifting unit. And then, to empty the dust bin  150  of the dust or dirt collected therein, a user need only separate nonporous envelope  175  from the dust bin  150  and dump the dust or dirt. Thus, the dust bin  150  can be simply emptied. 
     FIGS. 3 through 7  are a side elevation, a perspective view and cross-sectional views exemplifying a cyclone dust-separating apparatus of a vacuum cleaner according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. 
   As illustrated in  FIGS. 3 through 7 , the cyclone dust-separating apparatus  200  includes a cyclone unit  210 , a dust bin  250 , a nonporous envelope  275 , and a pressure difference-generating passage  277 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , the cyclone unit  210  includes a cyclone body  224 , a guide unit  211 , a filter  216 , an outflow pipe  218  and an inflow pipe  230 . In addition, the cyclone unit  210  horizontally extends, so that air is horizontally drawn thereinto and horizontally discharged therefrom. That is, the cyclone unit  210  is arranged in such a manner that its longitudinal axis X extends substantially in the horizontal direction, as illustrated in  FIG. 5 . 
   The cyclone body  224  is made up of opposite side walls  224   a , each of which is formed in a triangular shape with a rounded top apex, and a body part  224   b  interconnecting the side walls  224   a . One side wall  224   a  is provided with a mounting opening  224   c , in which the guide unit  211  is mounted, and the other side wall  224   a  is provided with the outflow pipe  218 , which extends into the inside of the cyclone body  224  and through which clean air can be discharged. Because the outflow pipe  218  extends parallel to the X-axis in the horizontal direction, an air outlet  226  (see  FIG. 6 ) through which the air is discharged is also formed in the horizontal direction. In addition, an inflow pipe  230 , through which external air is drawn in, is projected from the body part  224   b . The cyclone body  224  has an extended part  234  extended around a lower end thereof to form an elongated groove  236  into which a top end of the dust bin  250  can be inserted. A sealing member (not shown) is inserted into the elongated groove  236  so as to seal a gap between the dust bin  250  and the cyclone body  224 . A dirt discharge port  220  is formed at a side of the cyclone body  224 , so that internal spaces of the cyclone body  224  and the dust bin  250  are communicated with each other and thus dirt or dust separated from the air drops into the dust bin  250 . The dirt discharge port  220  is formed in the circumferential direction of the body part  224   b  of the cyclone body  224  below a guide pipe  214 . 
   The guide unit  211  is mounted in the mounting opening  224   c  formed through one of the side walls  224   a  of the cyclone body  224 . The guide unit  211  has a knob  212  and a guide pipe  214 , wherein three locking holes  212   a  are formed in the knob  212  in the circumferential direction of the knob  212  and a handle  213  is projected from the center of the knob  212  so as to be capable of being gripped by a user. Locking projections  224   d  projecting from the side wall  224   a  of the cyclone body  224  are inserted into the locking holes  212   a , respectively, so that the guide unit  211  is fixed to the cyclone body  224 . The guide pipe  214  is connected to a side of the knob  212  and extends into the inside of the cyclone body  224 . The guide unit  211  can be mounted in or removed from the cyclone body  224  merely by rotating the handle  213  of the knob  212 . 
   The filter  216  is removably mounted on an end of the outflow pipe  218 , and air drawn in into the inside of the cyclone body  224  is discharged to the outside via the filter  216  and the outflow pipe  218  after separating dirt or dust therefrom. In the present embodiment, the filter  216  is formed of a grill member with a plurality of through-holes. In the cyclone unit  210 , the guide pipe  214  and the outflow pipe  218  are substantially horizontally arranged. 
   As illustrated in  FIGS. 4 and 6 , the inflow pipe  230 , as an air inflow part, is provided on the cyclone body  224  in the same direction as that of the outflow pipe  218  and is projected from a side of the body part of the cyclone body  224  in such a manner that an air inlet  228  through which air is drawn in is formed in the horizontal direction. As illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the inflow pipe  230  is formed in an inverted L-shape. 
   Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 7 , the dust bin  250  has a very large volume as compared with that of the cyclone unit  210  and is vertically arranged, so that axis Y is a longitudinal axis thereof and thus the longitudinal axis thereof is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cyclone unit  210 . The dust bin  250  has an outer tub  251 , and an inner tub  253  disposed in a spaced-apart relation to the outer tub  251  so as to form an air flowing space  256  between the outer tub  251  and the inner tub  253 . The inner tube  253  at an upper part thereof is joined with the outer tub  251 . In addition, the dust bin  250  is removably coupled to a bottom end of the cyclone unit  210  and has a handle  252  at a side thereof, so that a user grips the dust bin  250  thus to mount or remove it. Also, the dust bin  250  at a top end thereof is inserted into the elongated groove  236  formed on the bottom end of the cyclone body  224 . 
   The nonporous envelope  275 , which stores the dust or dirt collected into the dust bin  250 , is detachably disposed in the inner tub  253  of the dust bin  250 . That is, the nonporous envelope  275  is disposed, so that a top part thereof is interposed between the dust bin  250  and the cyclone body  224  when the dust bin  250  is assembled with the cyclone body  224 , like the nonporous envelope  175  of  FIG. 2 . Preferably, but not necessarily, the nonporous envelope  275  is made of vinyl. 
   As illustrated in  FIG. 7 , the pressure difference-generating passage  277  is in communication with the dust bin  250  with the outflow pipe  218  so as to allow the nonporous envelope  275  to come in contact with an inner surface of the inner tub  253  of the dust bin  250  by a pressure difference between the outflow pipe  218  and the dust bin  250 . For this, the pressure difference-generating passage  277  is provided with a subsidiary passage  276  and a plurality of openings  278 . The subsidiary passage  276  is disposed to connect between the outflow pipe  218  of the cyclone unit  210  and the outer tub  251  so as to communicate between the outflow pipe  218  and the air flowing space  256 . The subsidiary passage  276  is made up of a first connecting pipe  281  connected with the outflow pipe  218  and a second connecting pipe  282  connected to the outer tub  251 . The first and the second connecting pipes  281  and  282  are detachably coupled to each other. The plurality of openings  278  is formed in the inner tub  253  of the dust bin  250 , so that the inner tub  253  of the dust bin  250  is in direct communication with the subsidiary passage  276  through the air flowing space  256 . 
   Accordingly, when air is drawn in by a suction source (not illustrated), a pressure difference is generated between the inner tub  253  and the subsidiary passage  276  because the inner tub  253  is communicated with the subsidiary passage  276  through the plurality of openings  278 . As a result, the nonporous envelope  275  installed in the inner tub  253  of the dust bin  250  is adhered closely to the inner surface of the inner tub  253 . 
   Hereinafter, an operation of the cyclone dust-separating apparatus  200  will be described in detail with reference to  FIGS. 6 and 7 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 6 and 7 , external air is drawn in through the air inlet  228  of the inflow pipe  230  projecting from the side of the cyclone body  224 , as indicated by arrow C in  FIG. 6 . 
   The air flows along the inflow pipe  230  and a bent air flow passage  229  within the cyclone body  224  and moves toward the guide pipe  214  while whirling around the outflow pipe  218 , as indicated by arrows A in  FIG. 6 . The guide pipe  214  serves to prevent the air from being dispersed from the center of rotation. Dust or dirt  254  suspended in the air drops to the dust bin  250  through the dirt discharge port  220  as indicated by arrow D. 
     FIG. 7  illustrates the dust or dirt  254  dropping to the dust bin  250 . Although dust or dirt  254 , which is heavier than the air, thereby being subjected to higher centrifugal force, drops to the dust bin  250 , the air is turned toward the filter  216  by a suction force transferred through the outflow pipe  218  and dust or dirt  254 , which has not yet removed from the air, is separated from the air while the air is passing through the filter  216 . And then, the air is discharged toward the vacuum motor of the vacuum cleaner through the outflow pipe  218  and the air outlet  226 . 
   At this time, because the whirling air stream formed in the cyclone chamber  222  is not transferred to the dust bin  250 , the dust or dirt  254  dropped into the dust bin  250  through the dirt discharge port  220  substantially does not flow backward to the cyclone unit  210 . 
   In addition, because the cyclone unit  210  is arranged horizontally as illustrated in  FIG. 7 , it is possible to reduce the entire height of the cyclone dust-separating apparatus  200 . Accordingly, if the cyclone dust-separating apparatus is configured in the same height as the conventional cyclone dust-separating apparatus with the vertical cyclone unit, the volume of the dust bin  250  can be substantially increased as compared to that of the conventional one, whereby a period for emptying the dust bin  250  can be greatly increased. 
   If the user wants to dump the dust or dirt collected in the dust bin  250 , she or he grips the handle  252  provided on the dust bin  250  and removes the dust bin  250  from the cyclone unit  210 . And then, to empty the dust bin  250  of the dust or dirt collected therein, the nonporous envelope  275  is separated from the dust bin  250  and dumped. 
   In addition, if the user wants to clean the filter  216  of the cyclone unit  210  or the inside of the cyclone chamber  222 , she or he removes the filter  216  from the outflow pipe  218  so as to clean the filter  216  or cleans the cyclone chamber  222  through the mounting opening  224   c  formed on the cyclone body  224 , after removing the guide unit  211  from the cyclone body  24 . 
     FIGS. 8 through 10B  are a side elevation, an exploded perspective view, and cross-sectional views exemplifying a cyclone dust-separating apparatus  300 . 
   Referring to  FIGS. 8 through 10B , the cyclone dust-separating apparatus  300  includes a cyclone unit  110 , a dust bin  350 , a nonporous envelope  175 , a pressure difference-generating passage  377 , and a filter unit  390 . Because constructions of the cyclone unit  10  and the nonporous envelope  175  are the same as those of the cyclone dust-separating apparatus  100  as described above with reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a detailed description thereof will be omitted for clarity and conciseness. 
   Unlike the dust bin  150  of the cyclone dust-separating apparatus  100 , the dust bin  350  is formed in a cylindrical shape outside an outer circumferential surface of an air discharging passage  361 . 
   As illustrated in  FIGS. 9 and 11A , the air discharging passage  361  is disposed between the outflow pipe  172  and the filter unit  390 , so that air discharged from the outflow pipe  172  of the cyclone unit  110  is flowed into a filter chamber  396  of the filter unit  390  on a bottom part of the dust bin  350  while moving along an outside of the dust bin  350  and discharged from the filter chamber  396 . The air discharging passage  361  is made up of first, second and third ducts  362 ,  363  and  364  respectively. The first duct  362  is installed to surround the outer tub  122  on a side of an outer circumferential surface of the outer tub  122  of the cyclone body  120 , and guides the air discharged from the outflow pipe  172  to the second duct  363 . The second duct  363  at an upper part thereof is connected to the first duct  362  and extended to a lower part of the dust bin  350  along a side of an outer circumferential surface of the dust bin  350 . The second duct  363  guides the air discharged from the first duct  362  to the third duct  364  formed to the filter unit  390 . The third duct  364  is formed on a side of an outer circumferential surface of the filter unit  390 , and guides the air discharged from the third duct  364  into the filter chamber  396  of the filter unit  390 . 
   As illustrated in  FIG. 11A , the pressure difference-generating passage  377  is made up of a plurality of openings  378  formed in a cross-shaped arrangement on a bottom surface  355  of the dust bin  350 , so that the dust collecting chamber  353  of the dust bin  350  is directly communicated with the air discharging passage  361  and the filter chamber  396 . 
   To close up the plurality of opens  378  when the nonporous envelope  175  is not used, a close up-switching part  380  is installed on the bottom surface  355  of the dust bin  350  in which the plurality of openings  378  of the pressure difference-generating passage  377  is formed. As illustrated in  FIGS. 9 through 11A , the close up-switching part  380  is made up of a rotating plate  381  and a switching knob  385 . The rotating plate  381  is rotatably disposed on the bottom surface  355  of the dust bin  350 , and has a plurality of homologous openings  386  formed in a cross-shaped arrangement to correspond to the plurality of openings  378 . To rotatably support the rotating plate  381  on the bottom surface  355  of the dust bin  350 , a center supporting axis (not illustrated) of the rotating plate  381  is connected to a supporting part  379  while penetrating through the bottom surface  355 . Also, preferably, but not necessarily, the rotating plate  381  is formed in almost the same size as the bottom surface  355 . The switching knob  385 , which rotates the rotating plate  381 , is formed in the center of an upper surface of the rotating plate  381 . 
   Accordingly, if the nonporous envelope  175  is used, as illustrated in  FIGS. 10A and 11A , a user rotates the rotating plate  381  by using the switching knob  385 , so that the homologous openings  386  are aligned with the openings  378 . As a result, the dust collecting chamber  353  of the dust bin  350  is brought into fluid communication with the air discharging passage  361  and the filter chamber  396  through the openings  378 . Thus, when air is drawn into the cyclone dust-separating apparatus  300  by a suction motor (not illustrated) of the vacuum cleaner, a pressure difference is generated between the dust collecting chamber  353  and the filter chamber  396 /the air discharging passage  361 . At this time, the filter chamber  196  and the air discharging passage  361  have a pressure lower than that of the dust collecting chamber  353 . As a result, the nonporous envelope  175  is adhered closely to an inner surface of the dust collecting chamber  353  and an upper surface of the rotating plate  381 . 
   To the contrary, if the nonporous envelope  175  is not used, as illustrated in  FIGS. 10B and 11B , the user rotates the rotating plate  381  by an angle of approximately 45° from a position illustrated in  FIGS. 10A and 11A  by using the switching knob  385 , so that the homologous openings  386  is not aligned with the openings  378 . Accordingly, the dust collecting chamber  353  of the dust bin  350  is not communicated with the air discharging passage  361  and the filter chamber  396 , but isolated therefrom, as in the general cyclone dust-separating apparatus. 
   To filter dust or dirt included in the air discharged from the cyclone unit  110 , the filter unit  390  is joined to a bottom end of the dust bin  350 . 
   The filter unit  390  includes a filter cover  394  and a filter member  392 . The filter cover  394  is detachably coupled to the bottom end of the dust bin  350  and forms a filter chamber  396  of predetermined volume therein. The filter cover  394  at a side thereof has a third duct  363  of the air discharging passage  361 , which is connected to a lower part of the second duct  363  to draw in air from a second duct  363 . In addition, the filter cover  394  at a bottom surface thereof is formed an opening  360  through which the air past the filter member  392  is discharged. The opening  360  is connected directly or indirectly with the suction motor of the vacuum cleaner. The filter member  392  may be formed of a porous filter, such as a sponge or the like, fixed in a filter mount  394  of the filter cover  394 . 
   An operation of the cyclone dust-separating apparatus  300  constructed as described above is the same as that of the cyclone dust-separating apparatus  100  explained with reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , except that the air discharged from the outflow pipe  172  of the cyclone unit  110  is drawn into the filter chamber  396  through the air discharging passage  361  installed on the side of the outer circumferential surface of the dust bin  350  and when the nonporous envelope  175  is not used, the cyclone dust-separating apparatus  300  is operated as in the general cyclone dust-separating apparatus to which the nonporous envelope  175  is not applied by closing up the openings  378  of the pressure difference-generating passage  377 , as illustrated in  FIGS. 10B and 11B . Accordingly, a detailed description on the operation of the cyclone dust-separating apparatus  300  will be omitted for clarity and conciseness. 
   As apparent from the foregoing description, according to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, the cyclone dust-separating apparatus is configured, so that the cyclone unit is installed to have the longitudinal axis horizontally arranged and the height of the dust bin is increased. Accordingly, the cyclone dust-separating apparatus according to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure can increase the capacity of the dust bin, thereby improving the convenience in use. 
   Further, the cyclone dust-separating apparatus according to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure has the horizontal cyclone unit and the vertical dust bin. Accordingly, because the air stream whirling in the cyclone unit is not spread to the inside of the dust bin, the dust or dirt stored in the dust bin is prevented from flowing backward to the cyclone unit again. 
   Furthermore, the cyclone dust-separating apparatus according to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is configured so that for a user to empty the dust bin of the dust or dirt collected therein, only the nonporous envelope is separated from the dust bin and dumped. Accordingly, the scattering of the dust or dirt and/or the contamination of circumference according thereto are prevented. 
   Further, the cyclone dust-separating apparatus according to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is configured, so that the guide unit is removably mounted on the cyclone body. Accordingly, the cyclone dust-separating apparatus according to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure has a cyclone unit with a conveniently-cleanable filter and inside. 
   Moreover, the cyclone dust-separating apparatus according to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is configured so that the guide pipe extends into the cyclone unit from the guide unit by a predetermined length. Accordingly, the cyclone dust-separating apparatus according to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure allows the whirling air stream formed in the cyclone chamber to retain the rotating force without being dispersed. 
   In addition, the cyclone dust-separating apparatus according to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is configured so that the air discharging passage discharging the air from the cyclone unit passes through the dust bin, thereby reducing the piping loss of the discharged air. 
   Also, the cyclone dust-separating apparatus according to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is configured, so that the cyclone unit first separates the dust or dirt from the air and the filter unit filters the fine dust laden in the air once again, thereby improving the dust-separating efficiency. 
   Although representative embodiments of the present disclosure have been shown and described in order to exemplify the principle of the present disclosure, the present disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiments. It will be understood that various modifications and changes can be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Therefore, it shall be considered that such modifications, changes and equivalents thereof are all included within the scope of the present disclosure.