Patent Publication Number: US-2010115727-A1

Title: Dust-collecting apparatus and cleaner having the same

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) of a Korean Patent Application No. 10-2008-0110434, filed on Nov. 7, 2008, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field 
     The following description relates to a dust-collecting apparatus, and more particularly, to a cyclone dust-collecting apparatus and a cleaner having the cyclone dust-collecting apparatus. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Cleaners may generally include dust-collecting apparatuses to separate dust from air which is drawn in along with the dust. Conventionally, filters have become widely used as dust-collecting apparatuses. However, since dust-collecting performance of filters is reduced as the use time of the cleaners increases, users need to regularly replace the filters. This may be inconvenient to the users. 
     Dust-collecting apparatuses to which a cyclone method may be applied are being developed, and may be referred to as ‘cyclone dust-collecting apparatuses.’ In the cyclone method, dust is separated from dust-laden air using a centrifugal force generated by making air whirl inside the dust-collecting apparatuses. Such cyclone dust-collecting apparatuses may be used semi-permanently, and thus the need to regularly replace filters is reduced or eliminated. 
     If relatively large and heavy dust particles flow in a cyclone dust-collecting apparatus, these large dust particles often block passages formed in the cyclone dust-collecting apparatus, and thus the cyclone dust-collecting apparatus may not be fully operable. This problem may occasionally occur in a passage with a smaller dimension than other passages formed in the cyclone dust-collecting apparatus. Since passages are formed in the cyclone dust-collecting apparatus, it is difficult for users to check whether or not passages are blocked, without disassembling the cyclone dust-collecting apparatus. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one general aspect, there is provided a cyclone dust-collecting apparatus which may include a cyclone chamber configured to separate dust from air which is drawn in along with the dust, a dust receptacle configured to store the dust separated by the cyclone chamber, a transparent case configured to surround the cyclone chamber and the dust receptacle, and a colored guide unit configured to form a spiral passage so that a whirling air current is formed in the cyclone chamber. 
     The colored guide unit may include a discharge pipe configured to allow air, from which the dust is separated by the cyclone chamber, to be discharged, and a spiral blade configured to be disposed on an outer circumference of the discharge pipe to form the spiral passage. 
     The colored guide unit may further include a connection portion configured to be in contact with the transparent case so that the colored guide unit is stably fixed to the transparent case. 
     The discharge pipe and the spiral blade may protrude further than the connection portion. 
     The spiral passage may be rotated at an angle more than 360° and less than 720°. 
     The cyclone chamber may be disposed horizontally above the dust receptacle. 
     The cyclone dust-collecting apparatus may further include a second cyclone chamber arranged side by side to the cyclone chamber. 
     A dust discharge portion may be formed on a first side of the cyclone chamber, and the colored guide unit may be connected to a second side of the cyclone chamber. 
     A bottom plate may be configured to be openably/closably connected to a lower side of the transparent case. 
     An inlet may be configured to allow dust-laden air drawn in from outside to flow into the cyclone dust-collecting apparatus, and a connection passage may be configured to connect the inlet to the colored guide unit. 
     In another aspect, there is provided a cleaner which may include a suction brush configured to draw in air along with dust from a surface being cleaned, a cyclone dust-collecting apparatus configured to separate dust from the air drawn in through the suction brush, and a main body to which the cyclone dust-collecting apparatus is mounted, The cyclone dust-collecting apparatus may include a cyclone chamber configured to separate dust from air which is drawn in along with the dust, a dust receptacle configured to store the dust separated by the cyclone chamber, a transparent case configured to surround the cyclone chamber and the dust receptacle, and a colored guide unit configured to form a spiral passage so that a whirling air current may be formed in the cyclone chamber. 
     In another aspect, a cyclone dust-collecting apparatus is provided which may include a transparent case, a cyclone chamber, a dust receptacle, and a colored guide unit. The colored guide unit may be positioned within the transparent case and the transparent case may enclose the cyclone chamber and the dust receptacle. The dust receptacle may be in communication with the cyclone chamber. 
     The cyclone chamber may be bounded by the transparent case and the colored guide unit. 
     The cyclone dust-collecting apparatus may be configured to be removably attachable to a main body of a cleaner. 
     Other features and aspects will be apparent from the following detailed description, the drawings, and the claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an exemplary cleaner. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of an exemplary cyclone dust-collecting apparatus shown in  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is an exploded, perspective view of the exemplary cyclone dust-collecting apparatus shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a partial cut-away view of the exemplary cyclone dust-collecting apparatus shown in  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the exemplary cyclone dust-collecting apparatus shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
    
     Throughout the drawings and the detailed description, unless otherwise described, the same drawing reference numerals will be understood to refer to the same elements, features, and structures. The relative size and depiction of these elements may be exaggerated for clarity, illustration, and convenience. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following detailed description is provided to assist the reader in gaining a comprehensive understanding of the methods, apparatuses, and/or systems described herein. Accordingly, various changes, modifications, and equivalents of the systems, apparatuses and/or methods described herein will be suggested to the those of ordinary skill in the art. Also, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions may be omitted for increased clarity and conciseness. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary cleaner  10 . The cleaner  10  includes a suction brush  100 , a main body  200 , and a cyclone dust-collecting apparatus  300 . The cleaner  10  may be a canister type cleaner in which the suction brush  100  is detached from the main body  200 , for example, as illustrated in  FIG. 1 . However, the cleaner  10  is not limited to this type. Accordingly, the following disclosure may be equally applicable to an upright type cleaner in which the suction brush  100  may be formed integrally with the main body  200 , for example. 
     The suction brush  100  may draw in air containing dust, dirt and so on (also referred to as dust-laden air) from a surface being cleaned. The dust-laden air drawn in through the suction brush  100  may be transferred to the main body  200  through a brush pipe  101  and a suction hose  102 . 
     The main body  200  may include a motor (not shown), which may be disposed therein and is capable of generating a suction force. Additionally, the main body  200  may include a pair of wheels  201  to facilitate movement of the main body  200 . 
     The cyclone dust-collecting apparatus  300  may separate dust from the dust-laden air drawn in through the suction brush  100 , and may be detachably mounted to the main body  200 . The cyclone dust-collecting apparatus  300  may include a handle  301  with which a user may attach or detach the cyclone dust-collecting apparatus  300  to or from the main body  200 . To use the cleaner  10 , a user may connect the cyclone dust-collecting apparatus  300  to the main body  200 . If a large amount of dust is collected in the cyclone dust-collecting apparatus  300 , the user may separate the cyclone dust-collecting apparatus  300  from the main body  200  and remove the dust from the cyclone dust-collecting apparatus  300 . 
     The dust-laden air passing through the suction hose  102  may flow in the cyclone dust-collecting apparatus  300  through a flow passage (not shown) formed inside the main body  200 . Air from which dust is separated by the cyclone dust-collecting apparatus  300  may be discharged outside the main body  200 , and the dust separated from the dust-laden air may be collected in a dust receptacle  350  (see  FIG. 4 ) of the cyclone dust-collecting apparatus  300 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , the exemplary cyclone dust-collecting apparatus  300  may include an inlet  310 , a connection passage  320 , a colored guide unit  330 , a cyclone chamber  340 , the dust receptacle  350 , a transparent case  360  and a bottom plate  370 . 
     The inlet  310  enables the dust-laden air drawn in through the suction brush  100  to flow into the cyclone dust-collecting apparatus  300 . Referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the inlet  310  may be formed on a bottom surface of the cyclone dust-collecting apparatus  300 , that is, on the bottom plate  370 , but there is no limitation thereto. Accordingly, the inlet  310  may be formed at any position other than the bottom plate  370 . 
     The connection passage  320  may connect the inlet  310  to the colored guide unit  330 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , for example. The dust-laden air flowing into the cyclone dust-collecting apparatus  300  may enter the colored guide unit  330  through an opening  331  of the colored guide unit  330  along the connection passage  320 . Additionally, two cyclone chambers  340  and two openings  331  may be formed on the colored guide unit  330 , as shown in  FIG. 5 , for example. The dust-laden air flowing into the cyclone dust-collecting apparatus  300  may be divided, and may then flow into the two cyclone chambers  340 , respectively. 
     The colored guide unit  330  may form a spiral passage as shown in  FIGS. 3 to 5 , for example, to allow air to whirl in the cyclone chamber  340 . In other words, a whirling air current may be formed within the cyclone chamber  340  in a direction indicated by an arrow  332  shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , for example. 
     The colored guide unit  330  may be made of colored materials. The transparent case  360  enclosing the cyclone chamber  340  may be made of transparent materials, so that a user may observe the colored guide unit  330  within the transparent case  360 , thereby increasing visibility. Additionally, the user may monitor air and dust flowing along the spiral passage formed by the colored guide unit  330 . 
     The colored guide unit  330  may include a pair of spiral blades  335 , a pair of discharge pipes  336  and a connection portion  337 . 
     The pair of spiral blades  335  may form a spiral passage as shown in  FIGS. 3 to 5 , for example. The pair of spiral blades  335  may be formed on outer circumferences of the pair of discharge pipes  336 . Dust-laden air may flow along the spiral passage, and thus a whirling air current may be formed in the cyclone chamber  340 . In this example, the spiral passage may desirably be rotated at an angle more than 360° and less than 720°. 
     The pair of discharge pipes  336  may allow air from which dust is separated to be discharged from the cyclone chamber  340 . This process is further described below. 
     When the colored guide unit  330  is assembled with the transparent case  360 , the connection portion  337  may come into contact with the transparent case  360 . In other words, the connection portion  337  may have a shape corresponding to a colored guide unit mounting portion  361  which is formed in the transparent case  360 . Accordingly, the colored guide unit  330  may be stably fixed to the transparent case  360 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , for example, a screw hole  338  may be formed on the colored guide unit  330 , and accordingly a screw may be fitted in the screw hole  338  so that the colored guide unit  330  may be coupled to the transparent case  360 . 
     The pair of spiral blades  335  and pair of discharge pipes  336  may protrude further than the connection portion  337 . In this example, a user can also monitor air and dust whirling in a region where the pair of spiral blades  335  and pair of discharge pipes  336  protrude further than the connection portion  337  through the transparent case  360 . If relatively large and heavy dust particles flow in the cyclone dust-collecting apparatus  300 , these large dust particles may block passages formed in the cyclone dust-collecting apparatus  300 . This may occur in a passage with a smaller dimension than other passages of the cyclone dust-collecting apparatus  300 . For example, this may occur in the spiral passage which is formed by the pair of spiral blades  335 . However, it is possible to check whether or not the spiral passage with a small dimension formed by the pair of spiral blades  335  is blocked, through the transparent case  360 . 
     The cyclone chamber  340  may separate dust from dust-laden air using a centrifugal force. When a whirling air current is formed in the direction indicated by the arrow  332  shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , for example, dust which is greater in weight than air may be moved by the centrifugal force in a radial direction from a central axis  341  of the cyclone chamber  340 , and may then be discharged through a dust discharge port  342 . Air from which the dust is separated may be discharged outside the main body  200  through the pair of discharge pipes  336  in a direction indicated by an arrow  343 , and may then be discharged via a passage (not shown). 
     The cyclone chamber  340  may include a guide pipe  344  disposed on a first side thereof. The guide pipe  344  may guide the whirling air current formed in the cyclone chamber  340 . As the whirling air current moves from right to left as shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , for example, the whirling intensity of the air may gradually decrease. In this situation, the guide pipe  344  may function to increase the whirling intensity of the air. 
     The cyclone chamber  340  may be disposed horizontally above the dust receptacle  350 . As described above, a user may monitor the operating status of the cyclone chamber  340  through the transparent case  360  enclosing the cyclone chamber  340 . 
     The cyclone chamber  340  may be cylindrical in shape, but it is not limited thereto. Accordingly, the shape of the cyclone chamber  340  may have various shapes other than the cylindrical shape, for example a cone shape. 
     Additionally, two cyclone chambers  340  may be provided, as shown in  FIG. 5 , for example. However, the number of cyclone chambers  340  is not limited to this number. Accordingly, the number and the arrangement of cyclone chambers  340  may be changed according to the implementations. 
     Furthermore, the dust discharge port  342  may be formed on the first side of the cyclone chamber  340  as shown in  FIG. 4 , for example, and the colored guide unit  330  may be connected to a second side of the cyclone chamber  340 . However, the position of the dust discharge port  342  and the connection position of the colored guide unit  330  may be changed according to the arrangement of the cyclone chamber  340 . 
     The dust receptacle  350  may store dust separated by the cyclone chamber  340 . The dust separated by the cyclone chamber  340  may flow into the dust receptacle  350  through the dust discharge port  342 . 
     The transparent case  360  may surround the cyclone chamber  340  and the dust receptacle  350 , and may be made of transparent materials. Thus, it is possible for a user to monitor the operating status of the cyclone chamber  340  and the colored guide unit  330 , and to check an amount of dust stored in the dust receptacle  350 . 
     The bottom plate  370  may be openably/closably connected to a lower side of the transparent case  360 . For example, a hinge axis  371  may be used to connect the bottom plate  370  to the transparent case  360 . In this situation, a plate fixing unit  372  disposed on the lower side of the transparent case  360  may fix the bottom plate  370  to the transparent case  360 . 
     Since the transparent case  360  may be made of transparent materials, a user can check the amount of dust contained in the dust receptacle  350 , as described above. If the dust receptacle  350  is full of dust, a user may separate the cyclone dust-collecting apparatus  300  from the main body  200 , open the bottom plate  370 , and remove the dust from the dust receptacle  350 . 
     A number of exemplary embodiments have been described above. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made. For example, suitable results may be achieved if the described techniques are performed in a different order and/or if components in a described system or apparatus are combined in a different manner and/or replaced or supplemented by other components or their equivalents. Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope of the following claims.