Patent Publication Number: US-8528162-B2

Title: Dust collection container and vacuum cleaner having the same

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This non-provisional application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) on Patent Application No. 099224648 filed in Taiwan, R.O.C. on Dec. 20, 2010, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a container, and more particularly to a dust collection container used to store dirt in a mobile sweeper. 
     2. Related Art 
     In order to keep cleanliness and sanitation of indoor environment, people regularly arrange and clean the house, in which generally the most commonly used utensils for cleaning dirt are, for example, rags, mops, and vacuum cleaners. Generally, the vacuum cleaner is the best weapon against the dirt. The vacuum cleaner mainly has a vacuum pump (an air-extracting fan configured with a motor), a filter screen, a dust collection box, a guiding tube, and a suction head. The cleaning principle is that mainly through rotation of the air-extracting fan, a negative pressure state is formed inside the vacuum cleaner, so as to produce an inward suction, thereby sucking away the dirt attached to the surface of the floor, the carpet, the wall, the furniture, or other surfaces being not easily cleaned by directly using the rags or brooms, and further effectively avoiding a situation that the dirt flies around when the dirt on the floor is swept by using the broom. 
     The vacuum cleaner has the above advantages, but the filter screen and the dust collection portion need to be regularly cleaned to keep an interior air channel of the vacuum cleaner unobstructed, so as to maintain enough internal pressure and inward suction formed inside the vacuum cleaner. However, in recent years, in order to save manpower, the vacuum cleaner is combined with a self-propelled device to become a robot vacuum cleaner. 
     Moreover, since the gas usually flows through the shortest path during flowing, the gas is sucked to the dust collection box from a suction inlet, and is exhausted out of the vacuum cleaner after flowing through the filter screen. For example, when the dirt is sucked from the suction inlet, as the gas flows through the shortest path, the dirt is attached to the filter screen at the suction inlet when the gas passes through the filter screen at the suction inlet. As time goes by, the suction inlet of the entire dust collection box is increasingly filled up with the dirt, such that the dirt is collected at the suction inlet, so the suction inlet is blocked and other spaces cannot be effectively used. Therefore, how to effectively use remaining spaces of the filter screen and the dust collection box, and delay the time for cleaning the filter screen of the vacuum cleaner is a big problem to be solved by designers. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In view of the above problem, the present invention is a vacuum cleaner and a dust collection container, so as to solve a problem existed in the prior art that dirt is collected at a suction inlet, so the suction inlet is blocked and other spaces can not be effectively used. 
     The present invention provides a dust collection container, which is capable of being installed in a vacuum cleaner, and comprises a case body and a blocking member. The blocking member is disposed in the case body, so as to separate the case body into a dust chamber and a diversion chamber. A suction inlet corresponding to the dust chamber and an exhaust opening corresponding to the diversion chamber are disposed in the case body. A barrier piece is disposed at the blocking member opposite to the suction inlet. 
     The present invention provides a vacuum cleaner, which comprises a dust collection container and an air-extracting device. The dust collection container comprises a case body and a blocking member, in which the blocking member is disposed in the case body to separate the case body into a dust chamber and a diversion chamber. Moreover, a suction inlet corresponding to the dust chamber and an exhaust opening corresponding to the diversion chamber are disposed in the case body. A barrier piece is disposed at the blocking member opposite to the suction inlet. However, the air-extracting device has an air-extracting chamber and a power element, in which the air-extracting chamber is disposed with an air-extracting opening corresponding to the exhaust opening and a gas outlet corresponding to an outside part of the vacuum cleaner. The power element is disposed in the air-extracting chamber, and enables a gas to be sucked from the suction inlet and exhausted from the gas outlet during operation. 
     In the dust collection container and the vacuum cleaner applying the same according to the present invention, a barrier piece is disposed at a blocking member opposite to a suction inlet, so as to form a slow flow area between the barrier piece and the suction inlet. A gas forms distributaries at the position of the barrier piece, such that when being sucked into a dust chamber, dirt moves towards ambient space of the dust chamber, so as to ensure that the dirt is not blocked at the position of the suction inlet, thereby effectively using spaces of the dust chamber, and delaying the time for cleaning the dust collection container. 
     These and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment taken in conjunction with the following drawings, although variations and modifications therein may be affected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings illustrate one or more embodiments of the invention and, together with the written description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like elements of an embodiment, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1A  is a schematic three-dimensional view of an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 1B  is a schematic exploded view of  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 1C  is a schematic three-dimensional cross-sectional view of a gas channel of  FIG. 1A ; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic cross-sectional view of a flow channel of a vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic cross-sectional view of a vacuum cleaner and a schematic view of a gas flow path according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic structural view of a barrier piece according to another embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5A  is a schematic view of a shape of a barrier piece according to another embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5B  is a schematic view of another shape of the barrier piece of  FIG. 5A ; and 
         FIG. 5C  is a schematic view of still another shape of the barrier piece of  FIG. 5A . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     In a dust collection container and a vacuum cleaner applying the same according to the present invention, the vacuum cleaner may be, but is not limited to, a vehicle vacuum cleaner, a household vacuum cleaner, and a robot vacuum cleaner. In the following embodiments of the present invention, the robot vacuum cleaner is used as the embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment is for the purpose of improving an effective operation time of the robot vacuum cleaner. 
       FIG. 1A  is a schematic three-dimensional view of an embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 1B  is a schematic exploded view of  FIG. 1A , and  FIG. 1C  is a schematic three-dimensional cross-sectional view of a gas channel of  FIG. 1A . Referring to  FIG. 1A , a vacuum cleaner  600  according to the present invention comprises a dust collection container  100  and a air-extracting device  400 . 
     The dust collection container  100  has a function of filtering impurities, for example, dust and hair, and may be applicable to any vacuum cleaner  600 , which may be, but is not limited to, the robot vacuum cleaner of this embodiment. The dust collection container  100  comprises a case body  200  and a blocking member  300 . The case body  200  has a shell body  210  and a lid body  220 , and the lid body is covered on the shell body  210  to form an inner space of the case body  200 . However, the blocking member  300  is placed in the inner space of the case body  200 , and separates the inner space into a dust chamber  230  and a diversion chamber  240 . Moreover, a suction inlet  231  corresponding to the dust chamber  230  and an exhaust opening  241  corresponding to the diversion chamber  240  are disposed in the case body  200 . An example is given to illustrate a sequence according to which the gas flows through internal elements of the vacuum cleaner  600 , when the gas is sucked into the vacuum cleaner  600 . For example, a negative pressure state is formed inside the vacuum cleaner  600 , so as to produce an inward suction, thereby sucking away dirt attached to a surface of the floor, the carpet, the wall, the furniture, or other surfaces being not easily cleaned by directly using rags or brooms. When being sucked into the vacuum cleaner  600  from the suction inlet  231 , the dirt flows through the dust chamber  230 , the blocking member  300 , and the diversion chamber  240  in sequence, and then is exhausted out of the case body  200  from the exhaust opening  241 . Moreover, a plurality of wheels  500  is disposed at a bottom of the shell body  210 , therefore, when the vacuum cleaner  600  slides on the floor, a friction force between the vacuum cleaner  600  and the floor may be reduced, so as to further enhance motility of the vacuum cleaner  600 . 
     Furthermore, the suction inlet  231  further comprises a sealing member  232  being a soft sheet, in which one side edge of the sealing member  232  is fixed on the shell body  210 . When the air-extracting device  400  operates, a negative pressure is produced inside the vacuum cleaner  600 . The negative pressure results in that the gas is sucked from the suction inlet  231 , and then the sealing member  232  is pushed open inwards, such that the suction inlet is in an open state. When the vacuum cleaner is turned off, as the negative pressure disappears, the sealing member  232  is not pushed open by the gas flowing from the suction inlet  231 . Therefore, the suction inlet  231  is in a sealed state, so as to maintain the dirt in the dust chamber  230 . 
     Furthermore, in order to strengthen sucking away the dirt and other impurities attached to the floor, the carpet, the wall, or the furniture, a cleaning brush  510  is installed at the suction inlet  231  of the vacuum cleaner. The cleaning brush  510  may remove the dirt for facilitating sucking the dirt by the vacuum cleaner  600 . 
     The blocking member  300  has a frame  310  and a filter screen  320 , in which the frame  310  is mesh shaped, such that the filter screen  320  can be attached to the frame  310  and the filter screen  320  presents a mesh shaped filtering area. When the gas flows through the filtering area of the filter screen, the filter screen  320  filters the dirt in the gas. 
     It should be noted that, a barrier piece  330  is disposed at the blocking member  300  opposite to the suction inlet  231 . When flowing through the filter screen  320 , the gas is blocked by the barrier piece  330  and a flow velocity becomes slow, so as to form a slow flow area  250  between the barrier piece  330  and the suction inlet  231 . The ambience of the filter screen  320  is not blocked by the barrier piece  330 , such that the gas maintains a normal flow velocity. Therefore, the gas passes through the filter screen  320  from ambient areas of the barrier piece  330 , so as to form distributaries. Therefore, the dirt is not attached to the filter screen  320  at the suction inlet  231  in a concentrated manner, but is attached to other areas of the filter screen  320  in a dispersed manner or slides into the dust chamber  230  along an ambient inner wall. In this way, through the barrier piece  330 , the dirt is not accumulated at the suction inlet  231 , and the spaces except for the suction inlet  231  in the dust chamber  230  are effectively used. 
     Furthermore, the air-extracting device  400  is configured on the dust collection container  100 , so as to form a power source of the vacuum cleaner  600 . The air-extracting device  400  has an air-extracting chamber  410  and a power element  420 . The power element  420  is configured in the air-extracting chamber  410 , such that the air-extracting chamber  410  has an air-extracting opening  411  corresponding to the exhaust opening  241 , and then the pumped gas is exhausted out of the vacuum cleaner  600  through a gas outlet  412  corresponding to an external space of the vacuum cleaner  600 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the barrier piece  330  is specially illustrated in the following.  FIG. 2  is a schematic cross-sectional view of a flow channel of the vacuum cleaner  600 , and  FIG. 3  is a schematic cross-sectional view of the vacuum cleaner  600  and a schematic view of a gas flow path. 
     When the barrier piece  330  is disposed on a frame  310 , the gas meets an obstruction after entering from a suction inlet  231 , therefore, the gas flow path passes by the barrier piece  330  to form a filtering area (such as path a) leading to ambience of the barrier piece  330 , such that the gas stores the dirt to the spaces except for the suction inlet  231  in the dust chamber  230  through the path a. As the dirt is accumulated at the areas except for the suction inlet  231 , the suction inlet  231  is not blocked by the dirt. It should be noted that as the barrier piece  330  is configured at the suction inlet  231  in the vacuum cleaner  600 , the flow velocity of the gas becomes slow as the gas meets obstruction when passing through the slow flow area  250 . However, the gas looks for another path with a faster flow velocity, so the gas flows to areas (such as path a) except for the suction inlet  231 , and the dirt is guided to the areas except for the suction inlet  231 , and directly falls into the areas except for the suction inlet  231 . Therefore, the dirt is not stored at the suction inlet  231 , and other spaces of the dust chamber  230  may be effectively used to store the dust. 
     Furthermore, when the dust collection container  100  matches various vacuum cleaners  600 , as other spaces of the dust chamber  230  may be effectively used to store the dust, the operation time of the vacuum cleaner  600  can be prolonged. 
     It should be noted that, in this embodiment, the vacuum cleaner  600  refers to a robot vacuum cleaner having an automatic cleaning function, therefore, cleaning times of the dust collection container  100  are reduced, and a working efficiency of the robot vacuum cleaner is relatively increased. Moreover, when no one cleans the dust collection container  100 , the operation time of the robot vacuum cleaner may also be prolonged. 
     Furthermore, referring to  FIG. 4 , it is a schematic structural view of the barrier piece  330  according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown. In order to enable the barrier piece  330  configured in the vacuum cleaner to match designs of various suction inlets  231  in various vacuum cleaners  600 , the barrier piece  330  may have different shapes according to the shapes of various suction inlets  231  in various vacuum cleaners  600 . Moreover, in order to not replace the entire block member  300  but only to replace the barrier piece  330  when the dust collection container  100  matches the different vacuum cleaners  600 , the barrier piece  330  further comprises a plurality of hook portions  331  which hooks the barrier piece  330  on a frame  310 . In other words, the barrier pieces  330  with various shapes are selected to be configured on the frame  310  according to the shapes of various suction inlets  231 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 5A to 5C ,  FIG. 5A  is a schematic view of a shape of the barrier piece  330  according to another embodiment of the present invention,  FIG. 5B  is a schematic view of another shape of the barrier piece  330  of  FIG. 5A , and  FIG. 5C  is a schematic view of still another shape of the barrier piece  330  of  FIG. 5A . In  FIG. 5B , in order to enable the gas to be smoother when passing through the barrier piece  330 , the shape of the barrier piece  330  may be designed to be a streamline shape. In  FIG. 5C , in order to enable the vacuum cleaner  600  to have a stronger suction than that of the original design when the gas passes through the barrier piece  330 , a plurality of openings is opened on the barrier piece  330 . The present invention is not limited to the shapes shown from  FIGS. 5A to 5C , and persons skilled in the art may design the shape of the barrier piece  330  corresponding to the shape of the suction inlet  231  according to practical requirements. 
     In the dust collection container  100  and the vacuum cleaner  600  applying the same according to the present invention, the barrier piece  330  is configured on the frame  310  at the suction inlet  231 , so as to form the slow flow area  250  between the barrier piece  330  and the suction inlet  231 , thereby reducing the probability that the dirt is attached to the filter screen  320 , and more effectively guiding the dirt to the spaces except for the suction inlet  231  in the dust chamber  230  to avoid the dirt from blocking the suction inlet  231 . When the dust collection container  100  is applied to the vacuum cleaner  600 , the operation time of the vacuum cleaner  600  may be prolonged. 
     Furthermore, the barrier piece  330  has the hook portions  331 , such that when the shape of the suction inlet  231  of the vacuum cleaner  600  is changed, the barrier piece  330  is changed corresponding to the shapes of various suction inlets  231 , and the entire blocking member  300  needs not to be changed. The manufacturers only need to produce the barrier pieces  330  satisfying the shapes of various suction inlets  231 . In order to match the shape of the new suction inlet, only the new barrier piece  330  is snapped with the blocking member  300 , so as to reduce a cost of producing the separation part  300 .