ES2575556T3 - Vacuum cleaner dust separation device - Google Patents

Abstract

A dust separation apparatus for a vacuum cleaner, comprising: a dust separator defining a plurality of air inlets (120); a powder outlet (130) that is less in number than the air inlets (120), the powder outlet (130) being provided for discharging separate powder from the sucked air through respective air inlets (120); and a container (20) for the powder for storing powder discharged through the powder outlet (130), where the powder separator comprises a body (111) to generate air flow from the cyclone, and a pair of sides (115 ), each constituting one of the two sides of the body (111), the sides (115) being parallel to each other, characterized in that: an outlet (116) is shaped to pass through each side (115) To discharge air from which dust has been separated in the dust separator, the dust outlet (130) extends downward from the body (111) of the dust separator, the air inlets (120) are provided with one on each side of the dust separator, and the dust outlet is located between the plurality of air inlets (120).

Description

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DESCRIPTION

Apparatus for vacuum separation of dust Field Technical

This description refers to an apparatus for separating dust from a vacuum cleaner.

Previous Technique

In general, a vacuum is an apparatus that uses suction force imparted by a suction motor installed in the main body to aspirate air that includes dust and filter the dust inside the main body.

These vacuum cleaners can be divided mainly into tank-type vacuum cleaners that have a suction nozzle that is provided independently of a main body and connected to said main body, and vertical vacuum cleaners that have a suction nozzle coupled to the main body.

A vacuum cleaner of the related technique includes a main body of the vacuum cleaner, and a dust separation apparatus installed inside the main body the vacuum cleaner to separate dust from the air. Generally the dust separation apparatus is configured to separate the dust using the principle of operation of the cyclone.

The performance of a vacuum set up in this way can be evaluated based on the range of fluctuation of its dust separation performance. Therefore, dust separation devices for vacuum cleaners have been continuously developed to provide improved dust separation performance.

Also, from a user perspective, dust separation apparatus is required for vacuum cleaners that can be easily separated from the main body of the vacuum cleaner, and which allow dust to be easily emptied.

Description of the Invention

Technical Problem

An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for dust separation of a vacuum cleaner with improved dust separation performance.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a dust separation apparatus of a vacuum cleaner having a dust container with a simplified configuration to allow a user to easily empty the dust.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for separating dust from a vacuum that allows a user to use minimal effort to handle a dust container.

Technical Solution

The above objects are achieved with the features of the claims.

Advantageous Effects

An advantage according to embodiments of the present invention is that, because a plurality of inlets are formed in a cyclone, since a plurality of cyclone air flows are formed inside the cyclone, the volume of the flow is increased of air and the loss of air flow is reduced, for improved dust separation performance.

Also, on each side of the cyclone there are shaped entrances, and in the center of the cyclone a dust outlet is formed, such that a strong air flow of the cyclone is generated in the central portion of the cyclone to allow the dust to be able to download easily.

In addition, because a dust outlet is tangentially conformed to the cyclone, the powder can be discharged in the same direction it has been rotating. In this way, not only can higher density dust be easily discharged, it can also be easily discharged from lower density powder cyclone.

Also, because a cover element is detachably coupled to the cyclone, with the cover element separated from the cyclone, a user can easily clean the interior of the cyclone and the filter element.

Moreover, because a pair of guiding elements is provided in the dust outlet, the separated dust can be prevented from moving towards the exit, and the separated dust can be easily discharged. Accordingly, the separated dust can be prevented from obstructing the outlet or the filter element, and the air flow is facilitated, such that the dust separation performance is increased.

In addition, because a dust container that stores dust is provided as a separate component of a dust separator, a user can empty the dust by separating only the dust container, thereby increasing user comfort in handling. of the dust container.

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In addition, because a dust separation structure is not provided inside the dust container,

the structure of the dust container is simplified, and the weight of the dust container is minimized, increasing

that way the comfort for the user.

Additionally, by simplifying the internal structure of the dust container, it is easy to empty the dust stored in the dust container.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views schematically showing the structure of an apparatus for separating dust from a vacuum cleaner according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a disassembled perspective view of the dust separation apparatus of Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view of Figure 1 taken along line A-A.

Figure 5 is a sectional view of Figure 1 taken along line B-B.

Figures 6 and 7 are sectional views showing air flow inside a dust separation apparatus according to the first embodiment.

Figure 8 is a schematic perspective view showing the structure of an apparatus for dust separation of a vacuum cleaner according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 9 is a sectional view of Figure 8 taken along the C-C line.

Mode for the Invention

Next, with reference to the drawings, detailed descriptions of embodiments in accordance with the present invention will be provided.

Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views schematically showing the structure of a dust separation apparatus of a vacuum cleaner according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 3 is a disassembled perspective view of the apparatus for dust separation of Figures 1 and 2.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3, an apparatus 1 for dust separation of a vacuum cleaner in accordance with the present embodiments includes a dust separation unit 10 that separates dust from the aspirated air, a dust container 20 for storing separate dust by the dust separation unit 10, a suction line 30 which grabs the air flow including dust to the dust separation unit 10, and a distribution unit 40 for distributing the air from the suction line 30 to the unit 10 of dust separation.

In detail, air drawn through a suction nozzle (not shown) flows to the suction line 30. The suction line 30 is provided inside the vacuum cleaner, and is located under the dust container 20. The suction line 30 has the distribution unit 40 connected to it.

The dust separation unit 10 separates air dust supplied from the distribution unit 40. The dust separation unit 10 uses the operating principle of the cyclone to separate dust from the air, and includes a cyclone 110 for this purpose.

The axis of the cyclone 110 extends in a horizontal direction. In this way, the air inside the cyclone 110 rotates in a vertical direction.

In the cyclone 110, a pair of inlets 120 are formed (one on each side), to aspirate air. The pair of inlets 120 may be formed in tangential directions with respect to the cyclone 110 to generate an air flow of the cyclone inside the cyclone 110. The pair of inputs 120 provide suction channels for the air entering the cyclone 110.

The pair of inputs 120 are connected to the distribution unit 40, one on each side of it. Therefore, the air flowing through the suction line 30 branches to each side of the distribution unit 40, and the branched air rises along the respective inlets 120 to be sucked into the cyclone 110.

At the center of the cyclone 110 is formed a dust outlet 130 that expels separate dust inside the cyclone 110.

Accordingly, the dust separated from the air sucked through each inlet 120 located on each side of the cyclone 110 moves towards the center of the cyclone 110. Next, the dust flowing towards the center of the cyclone passes through the outlet 130 of powder and is discharged to container 20 for dust.

In this case, the powder outlet 130 is tangentially shaped with respect to the cyclone 110 to allow easy dust discharge. In this way, the dust separated in the cyclone 110 is tangentially discharged with respect to the cyclone 110 - that is, in the same direction in which the dust has been rotating - which allows not only an easy discharge of the higher density dust, but also an easy discharge of the lowest density powder from cyclone 110.

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Because the lower density dust can be easily discharged, less lower density dust will accumulate on a filter element (which will be described later), facilitating air flow and improving dust separation performance.

Also, in the cyclone 110 air outlets 140 are formed, one on each side thereof, to discharge air from which dust has been separated in the cyclone 110. The air discharged through the air outlets 140 converges in a channel 142 of convergence and enters the main body of the vacuum cleaner (not shown).

The dust container 20 stores separate powder in the dust separation unit 10. Since the dust container 20 is installed on the main body of the vacuum cleaner, the dust container 20 communicates with the dust separation unit 10.

Specifically, when the dust container 20 is installed in the main body of the vacuum cleaner, the dust container 20 is located below the dust separation unit 10. Thus, a dust inlet 210 is formed on the upper face of the dust container 20. Also, the powder outlet 130 extends from the cyclone 110 downwards.

Accordingly, the dust separated in the cyclone 110 moves down along the powder outlet 130, and the separated powder can easily enter the dust container 20.

At the bottom of the dust container 20 a lid element 220 for discharging dust stored inside is coupled. The lid element 220 may be coupled with the pivoting allowed to the dust container 20, and may be removably coupled thereto. The coupling method of the cover element 220 in the present embodiment is not restricted to any particular method.

In this manner, the dust container 20 is provided to the dust separation unit 10 as a separate component, and is configured so that it can be selectively communicated with the dust separation unit 10. Accordingly, a user can separate only the dust container 20 from the main body of the vacuum cleaner to empty out the dust stored in the dust container 20.

Because a dust separation structure is not provided inside the dust container 20, the structure of the dust container 20 is simplified and the weight of the dust container 20 can be minimized.

By minimizing the weight of the dust container 20, a user can easily transport and handle the dust container 20, and because the internal structure of the dust container 20 is simple, the dust can be easily emptied outside, and a user can easily clean the inside of the dust container 20.

Next, a more specific description of an apparatus for dust separation will be provided.

Figure 4 is a sectional view of Figure 1 taken along line A-A, and Figure 5 is a sectional view of Figure 1 taken along line B-B.

Referring to Figures 4 and 5, the cyclone 110 includes a body 111 for generating air flow from the cyclone, and a pair of sides 115, each of which constitutes one of the two sides of the body 111. The sides 115 are placed parallel to each other.

On each side of the body 111 an inlet 120 is formed respectively. Each inlet 120 is tangentially shaped with respect to the cyclone 110. In this way, the air drawn through each inlet 120 forms one of two air flows of the cyclone inside of the cyclone 110. The air flows of the cyclone circulate along the inner surface of the body 111.

In this way, when a pair of cyclone air flows are generated inside a single space, the volume of air flow increases, the loss of air flow is reduced, and separation benefits can be improved.

Likewise, when a pair of cyclone air flows are generated inside a single space, the cyclone can be made smaller than if a single cyclone air flow is generated within a single space.

In this case, even if the cyclone 110 is smaller, the centrifugal force generated at the inputs 120 is greater than in the related technique, thereby improving the dust separation performance.

Also, when a pair of cyclone air flows are generated in a single space, the same level of dust separation performance can be achieved as in a structure in which the air passes through a plurality of air separation units. powder. Thus, no additional dust separation units are needed to separate dust from discharged air from the dust separation unit. However, in the present embodiment additional powder separation units can be provided.

Also, when a pair of cyclone air flows is generated, one being generated on each side of the cyclone 110, and the cyclone air flows flow towards the center, the cyclone air flow in the center increases. Therefore, a stronger cyclone air flow is generated in the center of the cyclone 110 than at the sides of the inlets 120.

Thus, when the pair of cyclone air flows converge in the center of the cyclone 110, the force of the air flow is greater than in the case where a single air flow of the cyclone is generated in a single space, increasing that way the dust separation performance.

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The dust that moves towards the center of the cyclone 110 can be discharged through the dust outlet 130 to the dust container 20 by means of the strong air flow of the cyclone, such that the dust discharge performance can be increase.

By means of static electricity, hair and other impurities can be easily adhered to the entrance or to the interior of the outlet 130 of dust. However, because in the present embodiment, a strong air flow of the cyclone, hair or other impurities is generated at the outlet 130 of dust does not adhere to the outlet 130 of dust, and can easily be discharged to the container 20 for the dust

On each side 115 and through it an outlet 116 is formed to discharge air from which dust has been separated in the cyclone 110.

Also, at each outlet 116 a filter element 150 is coupled to filter the discharged air. In detail, the filter element 150 is configured with a cylindrical fixing element 152 fixed inside the cyclone 110, and a conical filter 154 extends from the fixing element 152 to filter air. Also, a plurality of holes 156 are formed in the filter 154 for air to pass through them.

Accordingly, air from which dust has been separated in the cyclone 110 passes through the plurality of holes 156 and is discharged from the cyclone 110 through the outlets 116.

In this case, the fixing element 152 has no through holes formed therein, so that the air drawn through the inlet 120 is not immediately discharged, but can circulate uniformly inside the cyclone 110.

That is, by means of the fixing elements 152, the circulation of aspirated air can be guided to generate a uniform cyclone air flow inside the cyclone 110, thereby increasing the dust separation performance.

A length (L1) between the pair of filter elements 150 provided inside the cyclone can be made greater than a width (L2) of the powder outlet 130.

In detail, the cyclone air flows generated within the cyclone 110 converge in the center of said cyclone 110, as described above, and the dust separated from the air by means of the cyclone air flow is discharged through the outlet 130 dust

In this case, when the length (L1) between the pair of filter elements 150 is made to be smaller than the width (L2) of the dust outlet 130, impurities such as hair and tissue paper are not discharged through the Dust outlet 130, and can be adhered to the filter element 150 or get stuck inside the holes 156. In this case, the air cannot easily pass through the filter element 150, causing a reduction in the suction force.

Accordingly, in the present embodiments, the length (L1) between the pair of filter elements 150 is made greater than the width (L2) of the powder outlet 130, so that impurities such as hair and tissue paper are can be completely discharged through dust outlet 130.

As described above in the present embodiment, air is drawn through the plurality of inlets 120 into the cyclone 110, and through the plurality of outlets 116 air is discharged from the cyclone 110 from which dust has been separated into the Cyclone 110.

In this way, air that is sucked into the cyclone 110 through the respective inlets 120 is discharged through the respective outlets 116, to allow easy air discharge.

When air is easily discharged from the cyclone 110 in this way, the suction force actually increases, and the flow of air from the cyclone inside the cyclone 110 is performed uniformly.

Also, even when dust accumulates in said filter element in such a way that air cannot flow easily, air can be discharged through the other filter element, thereby preventing a sudden loss of air suction force.

Inside the cyclone 110, a pair of grids 170 are formed to prevent the dust separated through the cyclone air flow from moving towards the outlets 116.

In detail, the guiding elements 170 are formed along the inner peripheries of the cyclones 110 in unbroken curvatures. The guiding elements 170 extend in predetermined lengths from the inner peripheries of the cyclones 110 towards the axes of the cyclones.

Also, the guiding elements 170 extend from the inner peripheries of the cyclones 110 to the dust outlet 130. That is, the guiding elements 170 have a cross section that is shaped with a predetermined slope. Accordingly, one end 171 of each of the guiding elements 170 has a larger diameter than the other end 172 thereof. Specifically, the guiding elements 170 are shaped so that they have diameters that gradually decrease from the outlets 116 to the outflow 130.

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In this case, the air flow of the cyclone generated at the inlet 120 moves towards the outlet 130 of dust along the inner periphery of the cyclone 110. When the diameters of the guiding elements 170 become progressively smaller towards the dust outlet 130, the cyclone air flows are guided by interior inclined surfaces 173 of the guiding elements 170 so that they flow easily to the dust outlet 130.

On the other hand, when the cyclone air flows move towards the other ends 172 of the guiding elements 170, the cyclone air flows flow between outer inclined surfaces 174 of the guiding elements 170 and the inner periphery of the cyclone 110, and they are prevented from flowing to exits 116.

When it is thus prevented, by means of the guiding elements 170, that the cyclone air flows flow to the outlet 116, the separated dust is prevented from moving to the outlets 116. Therefore, the separated dust circulates between each guiding element 170, and can be completely discharged through the powder outlet 130.

When the separated dust is prevented from moving towards the outlets 116, the holes 156 of the filter element 150 can be prevented from being clogged by the separated dust (especially by larger impurities such as tissue paper) and, thus, a reduction in air suction power can be prevented.

In addition, because the diameter of the flow crane 170 decreases progressively towards the dust outlet 130, the force of the cyclone air flows converging at the dust outlet 130 can be increased, allowing the dust to be easily discharged. separated.

In this way, each guiding element 170 of the present embodiment can guide the cyclone air flows to flow uniformly from the outlets 116 to the outlet 130 of dust, and allows the cyclone air flow to circulate between the respective guiding elements 170 when the cyclone air flows have moved to the dust outlet 130.

In this case, to allow an easy discharge of dust flowing along the outer inclined surface 174 of each guide element 170, the one end 172 of each guide element 170 may be located within the width of the outlet 130 of dust That is, at least a portion of the powder outlet 130 is located between the guiding elements 170.

When the one end 172 of each guiding element 170, as described above, is located within the width of the dust outlet 130, the existing dust on the outer inclined surfaces 174 of each guiding element 170 is not discharged to through the dust outlet 130, and it can be prevented from circulating continuously along the guiding elements 170.

An opening 112 is formed in the body 111 of the cyclone 110 to allow the filter element 150 to be replaced and cleaned. The opening 112 is opened and closed by means of a lid element 160. A sealing element 114 is provided in the coupling area of the opening 112 and the cover element 160.

In this case, the inner surface of the cover element 160 can be shaped to have the same curvature as the inner periphery of the body 111 when the cover element 160 is coupled to the body 111. In this way, changes in the Cyclone air flow inside the cyclone 110 due to the cover element 160, and the cyclone air flow can be maintained uniformly.

Also, because the cover element 160 is detachably coupled to the cyclone 110, a user can disassemble the cover element 160 to be able to easily replace the filter elements 150 and to be able to easily clean the interior of the cyclone 110 and the elements 150 filter

Inside the dust container 20 is defined a compartment 202 for the dust for storing dust, and a dust inlet 210 is defined on the top of the dust container 20. Also, to seal the contact area between the dust inlet 210 and the dust outlet 130, a sealing element 212 is provided in the dust inlet 210. In this case, the sealing element 212 can also be provided at the powder outlet 130.

Next, the operation of the apparatus for dust separation will be described.

Figures 6 and 7 are sectional views showing the air flow inside a dust separation apparatus according to the first embodiment, where Figure 6 is a sectional view of Figure 1 taken along the line AA showing the air flow, and Figure 7 is a sectional view of Figure 1 taken along the line BB showing the air flow.

Referring to Figures 6 and 7, when the vacuum generates suction force, air that includes dust flows along the suction line 30. The air flowing through the suction line 30 flows to the distribution unit 40 and is distributed to each inlet 120 by the distribution unit 40. Next, the air that includes dust passes through each inlet 120 and is sucked in tangential directions on each side of the cyclone 110.

The aspirated air rotates along the inner surface of the cyclone 110 to move along the guiding elements 170 and converge in the center of the cyclone 110, and during this process, air and dust are subjected to different centrifugal forces due to to their weight differences, so that separation occurs between them.

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The separated powder (represented by the broken lines) is discharged from the center of the cyclone 110 through the dust outlet 130, and the discharged dust flows through the dust outlets 130 and into the dust container 20.

Instead, air (represented by the continuous lines) from which dust has been separated is filtered by the filter elements 150, and then passes through the outlets 116 and is discharged from the cyclone 110. The discharged air flows through of the respective air outlets 140, converges on the convergence channel 142, and enters the main body of the vacuum cleaner.

Figure 8 is a schematic perspective view showing the structure of a dust separation apparatus of a vacuum cleaner according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 9 is a sectional view of Figure 8 taken as follows. along the CC line.

The present embodiment is identical to the first embodiment in all other aspects except that it is characterized by differences in the forms of the cyclone and the dust outlet. Therefore, only description of the characterization parts of the present embodiment will be provided.

Referring to Figures 8 and 9, a dust separator 60 according to the present embodiment includes a cyclone 610 that progressively increases in diameter from each end to the center 611.

Also, a pair of guiding elements 640 are formed at the 630 dust outlet. The guiding elements 640 are symmetrically shaped around the center of the dust outlet 630.

Because the cyclone 610 is shaped in this way so that it has a progressively increasing diameter towards the center, a pair of cyclone air flows generated on each side of the cyclone 610 can easily converge in the center.

Also, because the diameter in the center of the cyclone 610 is greater than at either end, the air flow velocity of the cyclone in the center of the cyclone 610 is reduced, thereby reducing the generation of whirlpools in the center of cyclone 610.

Furthermore, because the pair of guiding elements 640 is symmetrically provided on both sides of the dust outlet 630, the cyclone air flows can be moved between the respective guiding elements 640, thereby facilitating the convergence of the cyclone air flows to the center 611.

Similarly, when the cyclone air flows converge easily in the center of the cyclone 610, the powder can be easily discharged through the dust outlet 630.

Because the cyclone 610 increases in diameter towards the center, the dust outlet 630 is also greater than that of the first embodiment. In this case, the upper 632 and lower 634 of the dust outlet 630 can be shaped to form an angle corresponding to the inclined angle of the cyclone 610.

When the dust outlet 630 is enlarged in this way, the dust discharge performance increases to also increase the suction power.

Also, when the diameter at the center of the cyclone 610 is larger than the diameters at both ends thereof, the center of the cyclone 610 can be configured to be mounted on the top of the dust container 70. Accordingly, the dust container 70 may have a mounting recess 701 shaped to mount the central part of the cyclone 610 inside.

The spirit and scope of the present invention are not limited to the embodiments of this document, and may provide other embodiments such as those described below.

First, the dust container 20 can be placed under the cyclone 110 while it is installed on the main body of the vacuum cleaner or, alternatively, the dust container 20 can be placed in front of the cyclone 110. In these cases , the dust inlet of the dust container 20 may be defined on one side of the dust container 20, or it may be located at the top of the dust container 20.

Also, when the dust inlet is defined on one side of the dust container 20, a cover element for discharging dust can be provided at the top and bottom of the dust container.

As in the first embodiment, the dust inlet can be formed on one side of the dust container, and the cover element can be provided on the bottom of the dust container; or alternatively, the cover element can be provided in the upper part of the dust container, and the dust inlet can be formed in the cover element. In the latter case, the structure of the dust container itself can be simplified.

In addition, a compression apparatus for compressing dust stored inside the dust container can also be provided. Said compression apparatus can be provided inside the dust container, it can include at least one compression element capable of moving inside the dust container, and it can be provided with a driving apparatus for moving the dust element. compression and provided outside the dust container - on the main body of the vacuum cleaner, for example.

Claims (3)

1. A dust separation apparatus for a vacuum cleaner, comprising: a dust separator defining a plurality of air inlets (120); a dust outlet (130) that is lower in number than the air inlets (120), the dust outlet (130) being provided for discharging dust separated from the air sucked through respective air inlets (120); Y a dust container (20) for storing dust discharged through the dust outlet (130), where the dust separator comprises a body (111) to generate air flow from the cyclone, and a pair of sides (115), each of which constitutes one of the two sides of the body (111), the sides (115) being facing each other in parallel, 10 characterized in that: an outlet (116) is shaped to pass through each side (115) to discharge air from which dust has been separated in the dust separator, the dust outlet (130) extends downwardly from the body (111) of the dust separator, the air inlets (120) are provided with one of each side of the dust separator, and the dust outlet is located between the plurality of air inlets (120). 2. The dust separation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the powder outlet (130) is uniquely provided. 3. The dust separation apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a guiding element (170) provided inside the dust separator, to guide the discharge of the separated powder. The powder separation apparatus according to claim 3, in which the guiding element (170) It is shaped along an inner penimeter of the dust separator.