Patent Description:
Dust containers are well known from the state of the art. The dust container is a removable part of vacuum cleaners of different types: a cyclonic vacuum cleaners, handheld vacuum cleaners or robot vacuum cleaners. Dust container collect dust during cleaning. Dust containers have limited capacity so it's often equipped with systems for dust compression to increase the cleaning time without necessity to emptying the dust container. A dust compression systems of dust containers are also well known from the state of the art. Dust compression systems are provided to compress the dust stored inside the dust container in order to increase the time of cleaning time of the vacuum cleaner without necessity of emptying the dust container.

Patent document <CIT> discloses a device for a vacuum cleaner comprising a particle separator, which is provided with an inlet for dust laden air, an outlet for the separated particles, and an outlet for cleaned air that is connected to a vacuum source. The particle outlet is connected to a screw conveyor, which is provided with an outlet part ending in a mainly closed collecting chamber for the separated particles.

Patent document <CIT> discloses a dust collecting unit of vacuum cleaner which includes a dust collecting vessel; a pressure member; and a power generator. The dust collecting vessel prepares a dust storage. The dust storage stores collected dusts. The pressure member compresses dusts saved in the dust storage. The power generator is connected to a plurality of pressure members. The power generator offers an active force for circulation. The pressure members have respective rotary shafts. Each rotary shaft is separated to each other. The pressure members rotate to the same direction and rotate within a range less than <NUM>°. A dust collecting unit of vacuum cleaner is provided to increase a capacity of accepting dusts stored inside of a dust collector by forming only a rotary motion radius part of a pair of pressure members into a circular shape and by forming the other parts into various shapes.

The patent <CIT> discloses a dust bag of vacuum cleaner comprises a dust collection body, a cleaning member, and a dust removing part. The dust collection body has a dust storage. the cleaning member is located in the dust storage to rotate. The cleaning member contacts with the inner circumference of the dust collection body and cleans the inner circumference. One or more dust removing parts are located within the dust collection body. One or more dust removing parts is located on the movement path of the cleaning member. One or more dust removing parts remove dust using the cleaning member. Patent document <CIT> discloses a dust container of a vacuum cleaner comprising a dust collection body with a first chamber in which air and dust are separated from each other, a second chamber in which the dust separated in the first chamber is stored and a pressing member rotatably reciprocated between the first and second chambers within the dust collection body to compress the dust stored in the second chamber in one direction while moving from the first chamber to the second chamber.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a dust container of a vacuum cleaner in which the dust storage capability is increased and in which the flow of the air is more constant during cleaning time.

The object was solved by a dust container of a vacuum cleaner in which the dust container has a dust compression unit comprising a conveyor belt, a driving shaft and a pulley, wherein the conveyor belt has at least two flaps for dust distribution.

The dust container of a vacuum cleaner is a receptacle for collecting dust during cleaning process. The dust container is a removable part of the vacuum cleaner what enables emptying the dust container everywhere which is convenient for the user. The dust container of a vacuum cleaner comprises two compartments: a first compartment which is provided with an air intake and a filter, and a second compartment provided with a dirt outlet. The first compartment and the second compartment are separated by a partition wall having openings. The first compartment is an upper part of the dust container having an air intake through which the air sucked by a vacuum cleaner enters the dust container. The intake air is polluted with dust, debris, particles collected during vacuuming. The first compartment is provided with a filter. Preferably, the filter is a pleat filter. The first compartment is a temporary dust storage area. Inside the first compartment the dirty air is filtered by the filter. The second compartment is a dust storage area. The second compartment is a lower part of the dust container and is provided with a dirt outlet through which dust gets out the dust container. The first compartment and the second compartment are divided by a partition wall provided with openings. The partition wall is placed in the center area of the dust container. The partition wall divides the first compartment and the second compartment but not entirely. On both sides of the partition wall openings are provided. The openings are free spaces between the partition wall and the dust container walls.

The dust container is also provided with a compression unit for compressing the dust collected inside the dust container. The compression unit comprises a conveyor belt with flaps, a driving shaft and a pulley. The conveyor belt rotates around the driving shaft an a pulley. The driving shaft is a shaft which drives the conveyor belt. The pulley is a passive rotating shaft on which the conveyor belt rotates. The conveyor belt is made of an elastic material e.g. rubber. The conveyor belt has two flaps which can be produced as a one part element or the flaps can be made of different material than the conveyor belt and assembled together. The conveyor belt has two modes of operation. The first mode is when the vacuum cleaner is vacuuming and the conveyor belt is in position in which flaps close openings and makes the first compartment and the second compartment sealed. The second mode is when the vacuuming process is finished or when decreased air flow is detected. Then the conveyor belt rotates in order to distribute the dust from the first compartment into the second compartment through openings. During the rotation of the conveyor belt one of the flap reach the pleats of the filter in order to clean the filter and second flap compress the dust in the vicinity of the dirt outlet. The positive effect is that the vacuuming time is extended and the airflow is constant during the whole cleaning cycle.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention flaps are elastic. The positive effect is that the filter can be cleaned in efficient way and the dust is transferred by the conveyor belt from the first compartment to the second compartment in an easily and effectively.

In another embodiment of the invention the length of each flap is equal. The flaps are provided to facilitate the transfer of the dust from the first compartment to the second compartment and to close the first opening and the second opening during the cleaning mode of the vacuum cleaner and also to clean the filter. The positive effect is that each flap easily reach the filter, the second opening is sealed during the cleaning mode and the first opening is also sealed by the flap and the dust is compressed very well at the same time.

In another embodiment of the invention the partition wall has a first opening and a second opening and the diameter of the first opening is smaller than the length of the flap. The first opening and the second opening are the gaps between the partition wall and the walls of the dust container. The first opening is placed in the vicinity of the air intake. The second opening is placed opposite of the first opening. The size of the first opening is smaller than the size of the second opening and the size of the second opening fits the size of the flap. The positive effect of the fact that the size of the second opening is equal the length of the flap is that the dust is easy transferred between the first compartment and the second compartment. The positive effect of the fact that the size of the first opening is smaller than the length of the flap is that the flap compress the dust efficiently before passing through the first opening.

The object of the present invention is solved also by a vacuum cleaner comprising a dust container as described above.

The present invention provides a dust container in which the dust storage capability was increased thanks to the dust compression unit. The present invention provides a vacuum cleaner in which the cleaning time without necessity of emptying the dust container was also increased and in which the air flow during the whole cleaning process is constant.

The construction of the invention, however, together with additional objects and corresponding advantages will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments and in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In cooperation with attached drawing, the technical contents and detailed description of the present invention are described thereinafter according to a preferable embodiment being not used to limit its executing scope. Any equivalent variation and modification made according to appended claims is all covered by the claimed by the present invention.

In the following description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention, similar identical reference numbers designate identical of comparable components.

<FIG> shows a dust container <NUM> of a vacuum cleaner. The dust container <NUM> comprises a first compartment <NUM> with an air intake <NUM> and a filter <NUM>. An air intake <NUM> is a place where a tube of the vacuum cleaner (not shown on the figure) is connected through which the dirty air is transferred into the first compartment <NUM> of the dust container <NUM>. The dust container <NUM> comprises a second compartment <NUM> having a dirt outlet <NUM>. The first compartment <NUM> is separated from the second compartment <NUM> by a partition wall <NUM>. The partition wall <NUM> divides the dust container <NUM> partially. On both sides of the partition wall <NUM>, free spaces are provided, namely the first opening <NUM> and the second opening <NUM>. The second opening <NUM> is provided to enable transferring the dust from the first compartment <NUM> into the second compartment <NUM>. The first opening <NUM> is provided to enable passing the flap <NUM> through. The dust container <NUM> has a dust compression unit comprising a conveyor belt <NUM> which rotates on the driving shaft <NUM> and a pulley <NUM>. The conveyor belt <NUM> has two flaps <NUM>. Flaps <NUM> are positioned on the conveyor belt <NUM> on the opposite sides of the conveyor belt <NUM>. Flaps <NUM> and the conveyor belt <NUM> are made as one part element which is responsible for transferring dust and dust compression.

<FIG> shows a dust container <NUM> in a second mode. The second mode is when the vacuum cleaner are in state after finishing vacuuming or in a state when a decreased air flow inside the dust container <NUM> is detected. In the second mode, the conveyor belt <NUM> rotates thanks to the driving shaft <NUM> and the pulley <NUM>. During rotation of the conveyor belt <NUM> flaps <NUM> changes their position to transfer the dust from the first compartment <NUM> into the second compartment <NUM>. The dust enters the first compartment <NUM> through the air intake <NUM>. During the rotation of the conveyor belt <NUM> one of the flap <NUM> cleans the filter <NUM>, the other flap <NUM> pushes the dust toward the dirt outlet <NUM> in order to press it against the wall of the dirt outlet <NUM>. On one side of the partition wall <NUM> a first opening <NUM> is provided. On the opposite side of the partition wall <NUM> a second opening <NUM> is provided. In the first mode, flaps <NUM> are in position in which seal the first opening <NUM> and the second opening <NUM>. In the second mode, flaps <NUM> pass through the first opening <NUM> and the second opening <NUM>, transferring the dust from the first compartment <NUM> into the second compartment <NUM> of the dust container <NUM>. The first opening <NUM> is an area between the partition wall <NUM> and the wall of the dust container <NUM>. The first opening <NUM> is placed in a vicinity of the dirt outlet <NUM>. The second opening <NUM> is an area between the partition wall <NUM> and the wall of the dust container <NUM> on the opposite side of the dirt outlet <NUM>. The size of the first opening <NUM> is smaller than the size of the flap <NUM> to provide the dust compression effect. The flap <NUM> press the dust collected in the second compartment <NUM> against the wall of the dirt outlet <NUM> and next passes through the first opening <NUM>.

Claim 1:
A dust container (<NUM>) of a vacuum cleaner comprising a first compartment (<NUM>) provided with an air intake (<NUM>) and a filter (<NUM>), a second compartment (<NUM>) provided with a dirt outlet (<NUM>), wherein the first compartment (<NUM>) and the second compartment (<NUM>) are separated by a partition wall (<NUM>) provided with openings characterized in that the dust container (<NUM>) has a dust compression unit comprising a conveyor belt (<NUM>), a driving shaft (<NUM>) and a pulley (<NUM>), wherein the conveyor belt (<NUM>) has at least two flaps (<NUM>) for dust distribution.