Patent ID: 7950104

Claim:
A vacuum cleaner comprising: a cleaner body; a dust-separating apparatus to be fixed to the cleaner body, the dust-separating apparatus having a dust outlet; a shutter unit formed on the dust-separating apparatus to selectively open and close the dust outlet; and a dust receptacle to be detachably attached to a lower portion of the dust-separating apparatus, wherein the dust receptacle opens the shutter unit when the dust receptacle is attached to the dust-separating apparatus, and closes the shutter unit when the dust receptacle is detached from the dust-separating apparatus, and wherein the shutter unit comprises: a shutter plate to open the dust outlet, a link plate having one end hinged with the shutter plate and an opposite end slidably connected to a sliding slot formed on a lower surface of the dust-separating apparatus; a blocking part on an upper side of the dust receptacle, the blocking part pushing on the link plate to open the shutter plate by rotating the link plate when the dust receptacle is attached to the dust-separating apparatus; and an elastic member to elastically support the link plate, and to close the shutter plate by rotating the link plate when the dust receptacle is detached from the dust-separating apparatus such that the blocking part does not push on the link plate.