EP1825797B1 - Method of controlling vacuum cleaner - Google Patents
Method of controlling vacuum cleaner Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP1825797B1 EP1825797B1 EP20070101391 EP07101391A EP1825797B1 EP 1825797 B1 EP1825797 B1 EP 1825797B1 EP 20070101391 EP20070101391 EP 20070101391 EP 07101391 A EP07101391 A EP 07101391A EP 1825797 B1 EP1825797 B1 EP 1825797B1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- dust
- dust collection
- pressing member
- dusts
- unit
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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Links
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 title claims description 25
- 239000000428 dust Substances 0.000 claims description 221
- 238000003825 pressing Methods 0.000 claims description 120
- 230000008569 process Effects 0.000 claims description 2
- 238000007906 compression Methods 0.000 description 27
- 238000000926 separation method Methods 0.000 description 17
- 230000006835 compression Effects 0.000 description 14
- 238000005192 partition Methods 0.000 description 5
- 230000001360 synchronised effect Effects 0.000 description 4
- 230000005540 biological transmission Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000004140 cleaning Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000008878 coupling Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000010168 coupling process Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000005859 coupling reaction Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000006866 deterioration Effects 0.000 description 2
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000002441 reversible effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000007599 discharging Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000003993 interaction Effects 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47L9/00—Details or accessories of suction cleaners, e.g. mechanical means for controlling the suction or for effecting pulsating action; Storing devices specially adapted to suction cleaners or parts thereof; Carrying-vehicles specially adapted for suction cleaners
- A47L9/10—Filters; Dust separators; Dust removal; Automatic exchange of filters
- A47L9/106—Dust removal
- A47L9/108—Dust compression means
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner control method, and more particularly, to a vacuum cleaner control method that can increase the dust collection capacity of a dust collection unit and easily discharge dusts collected.
- a vacuum cleaner is a device that can suck air containing dusts using vacuum pressure generated by a suction motor mounted in a main body and filter off the dusts in a main body.
- the vacuum cleaner is classified into a canister type and an upright type.
- the canister type vacuum cleaner includes a main body and a suction nozzle connected to the main body by a connection pipe.
- the upright type vacuum cleaner includes a main body and a suction nozzle integrally formed with the main body.
- a dust collection unit mounted in a cyclone type vacuum cleaner separates dusts from air using a cyclone principle and the air whose dusts are removed is discharged out of the main body.
- the cyclone dust collection unit includes a dust collection body, an air inlet through which the air is sucked into the dust collection body, a cyclone unit for separating dusts from the air sucked into the dust collection body, a dust storing unit for storing the separated dusts, and an air outlet through which the air whose dusts are filtered off in the cyclone unit is discharged.
- the dusts stored in a lower space of the dust collection body i.e., in the dust storing unit, rotates along an inner circumference of the dust collection body by a rotational current generated in the dust collection body during the operation of the vacuum cleaner.
- the dusts when a predetermined amount or more of dusts is collected in the dust collection unit during the operation of the vacuum cleaner, the dusts rises while rotating along an inner wall of the dust collection body and thus invades the cyclone unit formed at an upper space of the dust collection body. Therefore, the dusts that are not separated get along the discharge current to be discharged through the air outlet. This causes the deterioration of the dust collection performance.
- the dusts are settled down on the bottom of the dust collection body with the low-density state.
- the dusts accumulated in the dust collection body has a larger volume compared with the weight thereof, and thus the dust collection body must be frequently emptied in order to maintain the dust collection performance.
- the Japanese Patent JP-A-54085560 discloses a vacuum cleaner having a dust collection unit.
- the vacuum cleaner stores the dust in a collection unit and uses two compression members to reduce the volume of the dust.
- the two compression members include a fixed member and a movable member which is rotated by a manually operated manipulating member.
- the present invention is directed to a vacuum cleaner control method that substantially obviates one or more problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
- An object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum cleaner control method for increasing a dust collection capacity of a dust collection unit.
- Another object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum cleaner control method for automatically performing the compression of the dusts in the dust collection unit.
- Still another object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum cleaner control method that keep performing the dust compression operation even when the vacuum cleaner is turned off, thereby making it easy to discharge the dusts.
- the dusts stored in the dust collection unit is compressed by a pair of the pressing members and thus the volume thereof can be minimized, the dust collection capacity in the dust collection unit can be maximized.
- the compression state of the dusts in the dust collection unit can be maintained even when the operation of the vacuum cleaner is stopped, the dusts stored in the dust collection unit can be easily discharged during empting the dust collection unit.
- the user can easily know the dust collection unit empty timing.
- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a dust collection unit of a vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the dust collection unit is separated from the vacuum cleaner;
- Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a dust collection mounting portion and a dust collection unit of the vacuum cleaner of Fig. 1 , when the dust collection unit is separated from the dust collection unit mounting portion;
- Fig - 3 is a partially-cutaway perspective view of the dust collection unit
- Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion A in Fig. 3 ;
- Fig. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a coupling arrangement between a dust collection unit and a driving unit provided to compress the dusts stored in the dust collection unit;
- Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a dust separating unit and a dust collection container of the dust collection unit
- Fig. 7 is a lower perspective view or Fig. 6 ;
- Fig. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a compression process of dusts in the dust collection unit
- Figs. 9 through 13 are top plane views of the dust connection container, illustrating a dust compression process in the dust collection unit.
- Fig. 14 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a compression member when a suction motor is turned off during the dust compression process in the dust collection unit.
- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a dust collection unit of a vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the dust collection unit is separated from the vacuum cleaner.
- a vacuum cleaner includes a main body 100 in which a suction motor (not shown) for generating vacuum pressure in the vacuum cleaner is provided and a dust collection unit 200 for separating the dusts in air and storing the same.
- the vacuum cleaner includes a suction nozzle sucking the air containing the dusts and an extension pipe connecting the suction nozzle to the main body 100.
- suction nozzle and the extension pipe are well known in the art, the detailed description thereof will be omitted herein.
- a main body suction portion 110 through which the air containing the dusts are sucked is formed at a front-lower end of the main body 100.
- the dust collection unit 200 includes a dust separation portion 210 for separating the dusts from the air and a dust collection container 220 for storing the dusts separated from the dusts.
- the dust separation unit 210 includes a cyclone unit 211 that separate the dusts from the air using a cyclone theory, i.e., a centrifugal force difference. Therefore, the dusts separated by the cyclone unit 211 are stored in the dust collection container 220.
- a cyclone theory i.e., a centrifugal force difference. Therefore, the dusts separated by the cyclone unit 211 are stored in the dust collection container 220.
- the dust collection unit 200 is designed to maximize the dust collection capacity of the dusts stored therein. Therefore, the dust collection unit 200 is preferably provided with an additional unit for minimizing the volume of the dusts stored in the dust collection container 220.
- Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a dust collection mounting portion and a dust collection unit of the vacuum cleaner of Fig. 1 , when the dust collection unit is separated from the dust collection unit mounting portion,
- Fig. 3 is a partially-cutaway perspective view of the dust collection unit,
- Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion A in Fig. 3 , and
- Fig. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a coupling arrangement between a dust collection unit and a driving unit provided to compress the dusts stored in the dust collection unit;
- the dust collection unit 200 is detachably mounted on the main body 100.
- the main body 100 is provided with a dust collection unit mounting portion 130 on which the dust collection unit 200 is mounted.
- a pair of pressing members 310 and 320 are provided in the dust collection unit 200 to reduce the volume of the dusts stored in the dust collection container 220, thereby increasing the dust collection capacity.
- the pair of pressing members 310 and 320 compress the dusts by the interaction thereof and thus reduce the volume of the dusts. Therefore, the density of the dusts stored in the dust collection container 220 increases and thus the maximum dust collection capacity of the dust collection container 220 increases.
- the pair of the pressing members 310 and 320 are respectively referred as first and second pressing members 310 and 320.
- At least one of the first and second pressing members 310 and 320 is movably provided in the dust collection container 220 so that the dusts are effectively compressed by the pressing members 310 and 320.
- the first and second pressing members 310 and 320 when the first and second pressing members 310 and 320 are rotatably provided in the dust collection container 220, the first and second pressing members 310 and 320 rotate and move toward each other so that a gap between the first and second plates 310 and 320 is reduced and thus the dusts between the first and second plates 310 and 320 are compressed.
- the first pressing member 310 is rotatably provided in the dust collection container 220 and the second pressing member 320 is fixed in the dust collection container 220.
- the first pressing member 310 becomes a rotational plate and the second pressing member 310 becomes a stationary plate.
- the dust collection container 220 is provided with a dust storing portion 221 defining a space in which the dusts are stored.
- the dust storing portion 221 is formed surrounding a rotational locus of a free end 311 of the first pressing member 310.
- the second pressing member 320 may be provided between an axis of the rotational shaft 312, which is a rotational center of the first pressing member 310, and an inner circumference of the dust storing portion 221.
- the second pressing member 320 is provided on a plan connecting the axis of the rotational shaft 312 to the inner circumference of the dust storing portion 221. At this point, the second pressing member 320 shields partly or completely the space defined between the inner circumference of the dust storing portion 221 and the axis of the rotational shaft 312 so that the dusts are pushed and compressed against the first pressing member 310.
- a first end 321 of the second pressing member 320 is integrally formed on the inner circumference of the dust storing portion 221 and a second end of the second pressing member 320 is integrally formed on a fixing shaft 322 provided on a common axis with the rotational shaft 312 of the first pressing member 310.
- the second pressing member 320 is integrally formed on the inner circumference of the dust storing portion 221 or only the second end of the second pressing member is integrally formed on the fixing shaft 322. That is, the second pressing member 320 is fixed on at least one of the inner circumference of the dust storing portion 221 and the fixing shaft 322.
- the first end of the second pressing member 320 is not integrally formed on the inner circumference of the dust storing portion 221, it is preferably that the first end of the second pressing member 320 is positioned near the inner circumference of the dust storing portion 221.
- the second end of the second pressing member 320 is not integrally connected to the fixing shaft 322, it is preferable that the second end of the second pressing member 320 is positioned near the fixing shaft 322.
- the reason for positioning the second pressing member 320 is to prevent the dusts rushing in by the first pressing member 310 from leaking through a gap formed in a side direction of the second pressing member 320.
- the first and second pressing members 310 and 320 are formed of rectangular plates.
- the rotational shaft 312 of the first pressing member 310 may be provided on a common axis with the axis defining the center of the dust storing portion 221.
- the fixing shaft 322 protrudes inward from an end of the dust storing portion 221.
- the fixing shaft 322 is provided with a hollow portion extending in the axial direction.
- the rotational shaft 312 is assembled in the hollow portion. That is, a portion of the rotational shaft 312 is inserted downward into the hollow portion of the fixing shaft 322.
- the vacuum cleaner of this embodiment further includes a driving unit 400 connected to a rotational shaft 312 of the first pressing member 310 and rotating the first pressing member 310.
- the driving unit 400 includes a driving motor 430 generating driving power, and power transmission units 410 and 420 rotating the first pressing member 310 by transmitting the driving power of the driving motor 430 to the first pressing member 310.
- the power transmission units 410 and 420 include a driven gear 410 coupled to the rotational shaft 312 of the first pressing member 310 and a driving gear 420 transmitting power to the driven gear 410.
- the driving gear 420 is coupled to the rotational shaft 870 to be rotated by the driving motor 430.
- the driving gear 420 coupled to the driving motor 430 rotates.
- the rotational force of the driving motor 430 is transmitted to the driven gear 410 and thus to the first plate 310, thereby rotating the first pressing member 310.
- the driving motor 430 is provided at a lower portion of the dust collection unit mounting portion 130 and the driving gear 420 is coupled to the rotational shaft of the driving motor 430 and provided on a bottom of the dust collection unit mounting portion 130.
- a portion of the outer circumference of the driving gear 420 is exposed at the bottom of the dust collection unit mounting portion 130.
- a motor receiving portion (not shown) in which the driving motor 430 is installed is provided under the bottom of the dust collection unit mounting portion 130.
- the dust collection unit mounting portion 130 is provided at the bottom with an opening 131 through which a portion of the outer circumference of the driving gear 420 is exposed.
- the rotational shaft 312 of the first pressing member 310 is inserted downward into the hollow portion of the fixing shaft 322 and the driven gear 410 is inserted upward into the hollow portion of the fixing shaft 322, thereby being coupled to the rotational shaft 312.
- the rotational shaft 312 is provided with a stepped portion 312c supported on the upper end of the fixing shaft 322.
- the rotational shaft 312 is divided into upper and lower shafts 312a and 312b with reference to the stepped portion 312c.
- the upper shaft 312a is coupled to the first pressing member 310 and the lower shaft 312b is coupled to the driven gear 410.
- the lower shaft 312b is provided with a groove 312d in which a gear shaft of the driven gear 410 is inserted.
- the groove 312d may be formed in a variety of shapes such as circle, square and the like.
- the gear shaft of the driven gear 410 is formed in a shape corresponding to the groove 312d.
- the driven gear 410 As the driven gear 410 is exposed to an external side of the dust collection container 220, the driven gear 410 is engaged with the driving gear 420 when the dust collection unit mounting portion 130 is mounted on the dust collection unit 200.
- the driving motor 430 may be a reversible motor.
- the driving motor 430 may be a synchronous motor.
- the synchronous motor rotates clockwise and counterclockwise by itself.
- a force applied to the motor is a reference value or more when the motor rotates in a direction, the motor rotates in the other direction.
- the force applied to the motor is a torque generated as the first pressing member 310 presses the dusts.
- the rotational direction of the motor is converted.
- the reversible motor 430 is the synchronous motor is one of the sprit of the present invention.
- the first pressing member 31 keeps pressing the dusts for a predetermined time.
- the peak point means a case where the resistance reaches the reference value.
- the power rotating the first pressing member 310 i.e., electric power applied to the driving motor 430 is cut off for a predetermined time so that the first pressing member 310 keeps the pressing state of the dusts.
- the electric power is applied again to the driving motor 430 so that the first pressing member 31 moves.
- the cutting timing of the electric power applied to the driving motor 430 is a case where the resistance reaches the reference value. Therefore, when the driving motor is driven again, the rotational direction of the driving motor will be opposite to that in which the driving motor rotated before the power is cut off.
- the first pressing member 310 moves away from the compressed dusts so that the compressed dusts stored in the dust collection container 220 can be easily discharged.
- the first pressing member 310 is spaced apart from the second pressing member 320 by 180°.
- the spacing of the first pressing member 310 away from the compressed dusts is realized by the driving motor 430.
- the compressed dust contacts the inner circumference of the dust storing unit 221 and the second pressing member, the dust collection container 220 can be easily empted.
- an indication for allowing the user to empty the dust collection container 220 is displayed in order to prevent the deterioration of the dust collection performance and the overload of the motor.
- an indicator (not shown) is provided on the main body 100, the dust collection unit 200, or a handle (not shown).
- the indication for letting the user know the empty timing is displayed on the indicator.
- Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the dust separating unit and dust collection container of the dust collection unit and Fig. 7 is a bottom perspective view of Fig. 6 .
- the dust separation unit 210 is coupled to an upper portion of the dust collection container 220 and thus the dusts that are separated in the dust separation unit 210 are directed downward and stored in the dust collection container 220.
- the dust separation unit 210 is provided at an outer circumference with an air inlet 211a formed on a normal direction of the dust separation portion 210.
- a cover 221d is detachably provided on a top of the dust separation unit 210.
- the cover 211d is provided at a center with an air outlet 211b through which the air whose dusts are separated by the cyclone unit 211 in the separation unit 210 is discharged.
- a hollow air exhaust member 211c is coupled to the air outlet 211b and the hollow air exhaust member 211c is provided at a circumference with a plurality of through holes for exhausting the air directed from the cyclone unit 211.
- a partition plate 230 is formed at a lower portion of the dust separation unit 210.
- the partition plate 230 functions to divide the dust separation unit 210 and the dust collection unit 220.
- the partition plate 230 prevents the dusts from flying into the dust collection container 220 in a state where the dust separation unit 210 is coupled to the dust collection container 220.
- the partition plate 230 is provided with a dust discharge hole 231 for discharging the dusts from the cyclone unit 211 to the dust separation unit 210.
- the dust discharge hole 231 may be formed at an opposite side of the second pressing member 320.
- the reason for forming the dust discharge holes 231 at the opposite side of the second pressing member 320 is to maximize an amount of the dusts compressed by the opposite sides of the second pressing member 320 to maximize the dust collection capacity and to prevent the dusts from flying during the collection of the dusts.
- the dust separation unit 210 and the dust collection container 220 are respectively provided with upper and lower handles 212 and 223.
- the dust collection unit 200 is provided with a hook device so that the dust collection container 220 can be coupled to the dust separation unit 210 in a state where the dust collection container 220 is mounted on the dust separation unit 210.
- a hook receiver 241 is provided on the lower end of the dust separation unit 210 and a hook 242 hooked on the receiver 241 is formed on an upper end of the outer circumference of the dust collection container 220.
- the dust collection unit 200 may further include at least one sub-cyclone unit provided on the main body and a sub-storing unit 224 provided on the dust collection unit 200.
- the sub-storing unit 224 functions to secondarily separate the dusts contained in the air exhausted from the main cyclone 211 and the sub-storing unit 224 functions to store the dusts separated by the sub-cyclone unit.
- the sub-storing unit 224 is provided on an outer circumference of the dust collection unit 200 in a state where an upper end thereof is opened.
- the sub-storing unit 224 is provided on the outer circumference of the dust collection container 220 and a sub-dust inlet portion 213a communicating with the sub-storing unit 224 is provided on the circumference of the dust separation portion 210.
- a sub-dust inlet portion 213a selectively communicating with the dust discharge hole 141 of the sub-cyclone unit 140 is formed on an outer wall of the sub-dust inlet portion 213.
- a bottom of the sub-dust inlet portion 213a is opened to communicate with the sub-storing unit 224.
- the sub-dust inlet hole 213a is connected to the dust discharge hole 141 of the sub-cyclone unit 140.
- the dusts separated in the sub-cyclone unit are stored in the sub-storing unit 224 through the sub-dust inlet portion 213a.
- the air directed into the suction nozzle 40 is introduced into the main cyclone unit through the air inlet 211a via the main body suction unit 110.
- the air introduced into the main cyclone unit is guided in a tangential direction of the inner wall of the main cyclone unit 211 to create a spiral current. Therefore, the dusts contained in the air are separated from the air by a centrifugal difference between them.
- the dusts spirally moving downward along the inner wall of the main cyclone unit 211 are stored in the main storing unit 221 after passing through the dust discharge hole 231 of the partition plate 230.
- the air whose dusts are primarily separated by the main cyclone unit 211 is exhausted through the air outlet 211b via the air exhaust member 211c and then directed into the sub-cyclone unit.
- the dusts separated in the sub-cyclone unit are stored in the sub-storing unit 224 and the dusts separated in the sub-cyclone unit are discharged from the sub-cyclone unit. Then, the dusts are introduced into the main body 100 and discharged from the main body through the main body discharge unit 120.
- the main storing unit 221 most of the dusts introduced into the vacuum cleaner are stored in the main storing unit 221 during cleaning.
- the dusts stored in the main storing unit 221 are compressed by the first and second pressing members 310 and 320 to a minimum volume. Therefore, a large amount of dusts can be stored in the main storing unit 221.
- the indicator When a predetermined amount or more of the dusts is stored in the dust collection container 220, the indicator operates so that the user knows the fact that the dust collection container 220 must be emptied.
- the user separates the dust collection unit 200 from the main body 100 and empties the same.
- Fig. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a compression process of dusts in the dust collection unit
- Figs. 9 through 13 are top plane views of the dust connection container, illustrating a dust compression process in the dust collection unit;
- the dust separated in the cyclone unit 211 is first stored in the dust storing unit 221, in the course of which the pressing members 310 and 320 compress the dust stored in the dust storing unit 221.
- the driving gear 420 since the driving gear 420 is engaged with the driven gear 410, the driving gear 420 rotates in a same direction as the driving motor 430 and the driven gear rotates in an opposite direction to the driving motor 430. That is, the driven gear 410 and the first pressing member 310 rotate in an opposite direction to the driving motor 430.
- the first pressing member 310 rotates in a direction (a counterclockwise direction in Fig. 9 ), the first pressing member 310 presses the dusts toward the second pressing member 320, thereby compressing the dusts.
- the first pressing member 310 keeps rotating until the resistance reaches the reference value.
- the resistance is compared with the reference value (S120).
- the electric power applied to the driving motor 430 is cut off so as to stop the dust compression operation of the first pressing member 310 (S130).
- the first pressing member 310 keeps a state compressing the dusts for a predetermined time at the stopped position.
- the driving motor 430 is driven again and the first pressing member 310 rotates in an opposite direction (S140).
- the rotational direction of the first pressing member 310 is converted to rotate clockwise as shown in Fig. 10 .
- the first pressing member 310 When the first pressing member 310 rotates clockwise, the first pressing member 310 presses the dust toward the other surface of the second pressing member 320, thereby compressing the dust.
- the electric power applied to the driving motor 430 is cut off so as to stop the dust compression operation of the first pressing member 310 (S160).
- the first pressing member 310 keeps a state compressing the dust for a predetermined time at the stopped position.
- the driving motor 430 is driven again and the first pressing member 310 rotates in an opposite direction.
- Fig. 14 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling the pressing member when the suction motor is turned of during the dust compression process in the dust collection unit.
- the pressing member 310 keeps moving toward the second pressing member 320, in the course of which it is determined if the resistance applied to the first pressing member 310 reaches a reference value. When it is determined that the resistance is equal to or greater than the reference value, the first pressing member 310 stops moving (S230).
- the stopping of the first pressing member 310 is realized by cutting off the electric power applied to the driving motor 430.
- the first pressing member 310 is not immediately stopped but stopped after it moves toward the second pressing member 320 until the resistance reaches the reference value.
- the dust compression operation of the first and second pressing members 310 and 320 is kept.
- the stopping of the suction motor means the stopping of the vacuum cleaner.
- the dust collection unit 200 can be easily empted.
- the compression operation by the movement of the first pressing member 310 can be easily performed during the next cleaning operation even when the dust collection unit 200 is not emptied.
- the dust compression operation is kept.
- the compression process by the pressing members 310 and 320 may not be realized during the operation of the vacuum cleaner but realized when the suction motor is turned off.
- the first pressing member 310 that is capable of rotating maintains the stopped state.
- the first pressing member 310 moves toward one side of the second pressing member 320 and then stops.
- the first pressing member 310 moves to a first surface of the second pressing member 320 and further moves again to a second surface of the second pressing member 320, it may stop.
- an additional first pressing member that can rotate together with the first pressing member 310 may be further provided.
- the pressing members move toward the opposite surfaces of the second pressing member 320 and then stops, as a result of which the dust compression operation can be simultaneously realized at the both surfaces of the second pressing member 320.
- the present invention is applied to the canister type vacuum cleaner by way of example, the present invention can be also applied to an upright type vacuum cleaner as well as a robot vacuum cleaner.
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Description
- The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner control method, and more particularly, to a vacuum cleaner control method that can increase the dust collection capacity of a dust collection unit and easily discharge dusts collected.
- Generally, a vacuum cleaner is a device that can suck air containing dusts using vacuum pressure generated by a suction motor mounted in a main body and filter off the dusts in a main body.
- The vacuum cleaner is classified into a canister type and an upright type. The canister type vacuum cleaner includes a main body and a suction nozzle connected to the main body by a connection pipe. The upright type vacuum cleaner includes a main body and a suction nozzle integrally formed with the main body.
- Meanwhile, a dust collection unit mounted in a cyclone type vacuum cleaner separates dusts from air using a cyclone principle and the air whose dusts are removed is discharged out of the main body.
- The cyclone dust collection unit includes a dust collection body, an air inlet through which the air is sucked into the dust collection body, a cyclone unit for separating dusts from the air sucked into the dust collection body, a dust storing unit for storing the separated dusts, and an air outlet through which the air whose dusts are filtered off in the cyclone unit is discharged.
- Meanwhile, the dusts stored in a lower space of the dust collection body, i.e., in the dust storing unit, rotates along an inner circumference of the dust collection body by a rotational current generated in the dust collection body during the operation of the vacuum cleaner.
- Furthermore, when the vacuum cleaner is turned off, the dusts are settled down in a low-density state.
- Therefore, in the conventional dust collection unit, when a predetermined amount or more of dusts is collected in the dust collection unit during the operation of the vacuum cleaner, the dusts rises while rotating along an inner wall of the dust collection body and thus invades the cyclone unit formed at an upper space of the dust collection body. Therefore, the dusts that are not separated get along the discharge current to be discharged through the air outlet. This causes the deterioration of the dust collection performance.
- When the vacuum cleaner is turned off, the dusts are settled down on the bottom of the dust collection body with the low-density state. In this case, the dusts accumulated in the dust collection body has a larger volume compared with the weight thereof, and thus the dust collection body must be frequently emptied in order to maintain the dust collection performance.
- Accordingly, in order to improve the convenience in use of the vacuum cleaner, an effort to maximize the dust collection capacity of the dusts and improve the dust collection performance has been endeavored.
- The Japanese Patent
JP-A-54085560 - Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a vacuum cleaner control method that substantially obviates one or more problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
- An object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum cleaner control method for increasing a dust collection capacity of a dust collection unit.
- Another object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum cleaner control method for automatically performing the compression of the dusts in the dust collection unit.
- Still another object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum cleaner control method that keep performing the dust compression operation even when the vacuum cleaner is turned off, thereby making it easy to discharge the dusts.
- Additional advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
- To achieve these objects and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, there is provided a method of controlling a vacuum cleaner having a dust collection unit in which dusts are stored, the method including features of claim 1.
- According to the above-described present invention, since the dusts stored in the dust collection unit is compressed by a pair of the pressing members and thus the volume thereof can be minimized, the dust collection capacity in the dust collection unit can be maximized.
- In addition, since the dust collection capacity is maximized, there is no need for the user to frequently empty the dust collection unit.
- Since the compression state of the dusts in the dust collection unit can be maintained even when the operation of the vacuum cleaner is stopped, the dusts stored in the dust collection unit can be easily discharged during empting the dust collection unit.
- Since the dust discharge request is displayed when the predetermined amount or more of the dusts are collected in the dust collection unit, the user can easily know the dust collection unit empty timing.
- It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present invention are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.
- The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this application, illustrate embodiment(s) of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principle of the invention. In the drawings:
-
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a dust collection unit of a vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the dust collection unit is separated from the vacuum cleaner; -
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a dust collection mounting portion and a dust collection unit of the vacuum cleaner ofFig. 1 , when the dust collection unit is separated from the dust collection unit mounting portion; - Fig - 3 is a partially-cutaway perspective view of the dust collection unit;
-
Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion A inFig. 3 ; -
Fig. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a coupling arrangement between a dust collection unit and a driving unit provided to compress the dusts stored in the dust collection unit; -
Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a dust separating unit and a dust collection container of the dust collection unit; -
Fig. 7 is a lower perspective view orFig. 6 ; -
Fig. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a compression process of dusts in the dust collection unit; -
Figs. 9 through 13 are top plane views of the dust connection container, illustrating a dust compression process in the dust collection unit; and -
Fig. 14 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling a compression member when a suction motor is turned off during the dust compression process in the dust collection unit. - Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.
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Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a dust collection unit of a vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the dust collection unit is separated from the vacuum cleaner. - Referring to
Fig. 1 , a vacuum cleaner includes amain body 100 in which a suction motor (not shown) for generating vacuum pressure in the vacuum cleaner is provided and adust collection unit 200 for separating the dusts in air and storing the same. - Although not shown in
Fig. 1 , the vacuum cleaner includes a suction nozzle sucking the air containing the dusts and an extension pipe connecting the suction nozzle to themain body 100. - In this embodiment, the suction nozzle and the extension pipe are well known in the art, the detailed description thereof will be omitted herein.
- A main
body suction portion 110 through which the air containing the dusts are sucked is formed at a front-lower end of themain body 100. - A main
body discharge portion 120 through which the air whose dusts are separated is formed at a side of the main body. Thedust collection unit 200 includes adust separation portion 210 for separating the dusts from the air and adust collection container 220 for storing the dusts separated from the dusts. - Here, the
dust separation unit 210 includes acyclone unit 211 that separate the dusts from the air using a cyclone theory, i.e., a centrifugal force difference. Therefore, the dusts separated by thecyclone unit 211 are stored in thedust collection container 220. - Meanwhile, it is preferable that the
dust collection unit 200 is designed to maximize the dust collection capacity of the dusts stored therein. Therefore, thedust collection unit 200 is preferably provided with an additional unit for minimizing the volume of the dusts stored in thedust collection container 220. - The following will describe the dust collection unit that is maximized in the dust collection capacity according to the present invention with reference to
Figs. 2 and5 . -
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a dust collection mounting portion and a dust collection unit of the vacuum cleaner ofFig. 1 , when the dust collection unit is separated from the dust collection unit mounting portion,Fig. 3 is a partially-cutaway perspective view of the dust collection unit,Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion A inFig. 3 , andFig. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a coupling arrangement between a dust collection unit and a driving unit provided to compress the dusts stored in the dust collection unit; - Referring to
Figs. 2 and5 , thedust collection unit 200 is detachably mounted on themain body 100. - The
main body 100 is provided with a dust collectionunit mounting portion 130 on which thedust collection unit 200 is mounted. - A pair of pressing
members dust collection unit 200 to reduce the volume of the dusts stored in thedust collection container 220, thereby increasing the dust collection capacity. - Here, the pair of pressing
members dust collection container 220 increases and thus the maximum dust collection capacity of thedust collection container 220 increases. - For descriptive convenience, the pair of the
pressing members pressing members - In this embodiment, at least one of the first and second
pressing members dust collection container 220 so that the dusts are effectively compressed by thepressing members - That is, when the first and second
pressing members dust collection container 220, the first and secondpressing members second plates second plates - In this embodiment, the first pressing
member 310 is rotatably provided in thedust collection container 220 and the second pressingmember 320 is fixed in thedust collection container 220. - Accordingly, the first pressing
member 310 becomes a rotational plate and the second pressingmember 310 becomes a stationary plate. - Meanwhile, the
dust collection container 220 is provided with adust storing portion 221 defining a space in which the dusts are stored. Thedust storing portion 221 is formed surrounding a rotational locus of afree end 311 of the first pressingmember 310. - That is, the second pressing
member 320 may be provided between an axis of therotational shaft 312, which is a rotational center of the first pressingmember 310, and an inner circumference of thedust storing portion 221. - That is, the second pressing
member 320 is provided on a plan connecting the axis of therotational shaft 312 to the inner circumference of thedust storing portion 221. At this point, the second pressingmember 320 shields partly or completely the space defined between the inner circumference of thedust storing portion 221 and the axis of therotational shaft 312 so that the dusts are pushed and compressed against the first pressingmember 310. - A
first end 321 of the second pressingmember 320 is integrally formed on the inner circumference of thedust storing portion 221 and a second end of the second pressingmember 320 is integrally formed on a fixingshaft 322 provided on a common axis with therotational shaft 312 of the first pressingmember 310. - Alternatively, only the first end of the second pressing
member 320 is integrally formed on the inner circumference of thedust storing portion 221 or only the second end of the second pressing member is integrally formed on the fixingshaft 322. That is, the second pressingmember 320 is fixed on at least one of the inner circumference of thedust storing portion 221 and the fixingshaft 322. - However, even when the first end of the second pressing
member 320 is not integrally formed on the inner circumference of thedust storing portion 221, it is preferably that the first end of the second pressingmember 320 is positioned near the inner circumference of thedust storing portion 221. - Furthermore, even when the second end of the second pressing
member 320 is not integrally connected to the fixingshaft 322, it is preferable that the second end of the second pressingmember 320 is positioned near the fixingshaft 322. - The reason for positioning the second pressing
member 320 is to prevent the dusts rushing in by the first pressingmember 310 from leaking through a gap formed in a side direction of the second pressingmember 320. - The first and second
pressing members rotational shaft 312 of the first pressingmember 310 may be provided on a common axis with the axis defining the center of thedust storing portion 221. - Meanwhile, the fixing
shaft 322 protrudes inward from an end of thedust storing portion 221. The fixingshaft 322 is provided with a hollow portion extending in the axial direction. Therotational shaft 312 is assembled in the hollow portion. That is, a portion of therotational shaft 312 is inserted downward into the hollow portion of the fixingshaft 322. - With the above-described structure, the vacuum cleaner of this embodiment further includes a
driving unit 400 connected to arotational shaft 312 of the first pressingmember 310 and rotating the first pressingmember 310. - The following will describe the
dust collection unit 200 and thedriving unit 400 with reference toFigs. 4 and5 . - The driving
unit 400 includes a drivingmotor 430 generating driving power, andpower transmission units member 310 by transmitting the driving power of the drivingmotor 430 to the first pressingmember 310. - That is, the
power transmission units gear 410 coupled to therotational shaft 312 of the first pressingmember 310 and adriving gear 420 transmitting power to the drivengear 410. - The
driving gear 420 is coupled to the rotational shaft 870 to be rotated by the drivingmotor 430. - Therefore, when the driving
motor 430 rotates, thedriving gear 420 coupled to the drivingmotor 430 rotates. The rotational force of the drivingmotor 430 is transmitted to the drivengear 410 and thus to thefirst plate 310, thereby rotating the first pressingmember 310. - Meanwhile, the driving
motor 430 is provided at a lower portion of the dust collectionunit mounting portion 130 and thedriving gear 420 is coupled to the rotational shaft of the drivingmotor 430 and provided on a bottom of the dust collectionunit mounting portion 130. - A portion of the outer circumference of the
driving gear 420 is exposed at the bottom of the dust collectionunit mounting portion 130. - Therefore, it is preferable that a motor receiving portion (not shown) in which the driving
motor 430 is installed is provided under the bottom of the dust collectionunit mounting portion 130. The dust collectionunit mounting portion 130 is provided at the bottom with anopening 131 through which a portion of the outer circumference of thedriving gear 420 is exposed. - Meanwhile, the
rotational shaft 312 of the first pressingmember 310 is inserted downward into the hollow portion of the fixingshaft 322 and the drivengear 410 is inserted upward into the hollow portion of the fixingshaft 322, thereby being coupled to therotational shaft 312. - The
rotational shaft 312 is provided with a steppedportion 312c supported on the upper end of the fixingshaft 322. Therotational shaft 312 is divided into upper andlower shafts portion 312c. Theupper shaft 312a is coupled to the first pressingmember 310 and thelower shaft 312b is coupled to the drivengear 410. - Here, in order to allow the
lower shaft 312b to be coupled to the drivengear 410, thelower shaft 312b is provided with agroove 312d in which a gear shaft of the drivengear 410 is inserted. - Here, the
groove 312d may be formed in a variety of shapes such as circle, square and the like. The gear shaft of the drivengear 410 is formed in a shape corresponding to thegroove 312d. - Therefore, when the driven
gear 410 is coupled to therotational shaft 312, the drivengear 410 is exposed out of thedust collection container 220. - As the driven
gear 410 is exposed to an external side of thedust collection container 220, the drivengear 410 is engaged with thedriving gear 420 when the dust collectionunit mounting portion 130 is mounted on thedust collection unit 200. - Meanwhile, the driving
motor 430 may be a reversible motor. - That is, the driving
motor 430 may be a synchronous motor. The synchronous motor rotates clockwise and counterclockwise by itself. When a force applied to the motor is a reference value or more when the motor rotates in a direction, the motor rotates in the other direction. - At this point, the force applied to the motor is a torque generated as the first pressing
member 310 presses the dusts. When the resistance reaches a reference value, the rotational direction of the motor is converted. - Since the synchronous motor is well known in the art, the detailed description thereof will be omitted herein. The feature that the
reversible motor 430 is the synchronous motor is one of the sprit of the present invention). - When the first pressing
member 310 reaches a peak point where it cannot rotate by the compressed dusts, it is preferable that the first pressing member 31 keeps pressing the dusts for a predetermined time. - Here, the peak point means a case where the resistance reaches the reference value.
- When the resistance reaches the reference value, the power rotating the first pressing
member 310, i.e., electric power applied to the drivingmotor 430 is cut off for a predetermined time so that the first pressingmember 310 keeps the pressing state of the dusts. When the predetermined time passes, the electric power is applied again to the drivingmotor 430 so that the first pressing member 31 moves. - At this point, the cutting timing of the electric power applied to the driving
motor 430 is a case where the resistance reaches the reference value. Therefore, when the driving motor is driven again, the rotational direction of the driving motor will be opposite to that in which the driving motor rotated before the power is cut off. - Meanwhile, it is preferable that the first pressing
member 310 moves away from the compressed dusts so that the compressed dusts stored in thedust collection container 220 can be easily discharged. - At this point, the first pressing
member 310 is spaced apart from the second pressingmember 320 by 180°. Here, the spacing of the first pressingmember 310 away from the compressed dusts is realized by the drivingmotor 430. - Accordingly, in the
dust storing portion 221, the compressed dust contacts the inner circumference of thedust storing unit 221 and the second pressing member, thedust collection container 220 can be easily empted. - When a predetermined amount or more of the dusts are collected in the
dust collection container 220, an indication for allowing the user to empty thedust collection container 220 is displayed in order to prevent the deterioration of the dust collection performance and the overload of the motor. - To realize this, an indicator (not shown) is provided on the
main body 100, thedust collection unit 200, or a handle (not shown). When the predetermined amount or more of the dusts are collected in thedust collection container 220 and thus the rotational range of the first pressingmember 310 becomes a predetermined angle or less, the indication for letting the user know the empty timing is displayed on the indicator. -
Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the dust separating unit and dust collection container of the dust collection unit andFig. 7 is a bottom perspective view ofFig. 6 . - Referring to
Figs. 6 and7 , thedust separation unit 210 is coupled to an upper portion of thedust collection container 220 and thus the dusts that are separated in thedust separation unit 210 are directed downward and stored in thedust collection container 220. - The
dust separation unit 210 is provided at an outer circumference with anair inlet 211a formed on a normal direction of thedust separation portion 210. A cover 221d is detachably provided on a top of thedust separation unit 210. - The
cover 211d is provided at a center with anair outlet 211b through which the air whose dusts are separated by thecyclone unit 211 in theseparation unit 210 is discharged. - A hollow
air exhaust member 211c is coupled to theair outlet 211b and the hollowair exhaust member 211c is provided at a circumference with a plurality of through holes for exhausting the air directed from thecyclone unit 211. - A
partition plate 230 is formed at a lower portion of thedust separation unit 210. Thepartition plate 230 functions to divide thedust separation unit 210 and thedust collection unit 220. Thepartition plate 230 prevents the dusts from flying into thedust collection container 220 in a state where thedust separation unit 210 is coupled to thedust collection container 220. - The
partition plate 230 is provided with adust discharge hole 231 for discharging the dusts from thecyclone unit 211 to thedust separation unit 210. - At this point, the
dust discharge hole 231 may be formed at an opposite side of the second pressingmember 320. - The reason for forming the dust discharge holes 231 at the opposite side of the second pressing
member 320 is to maximize an amount of the dusts compressed by the opposite sides of the second pressingmember 320 to maximize the dust collection capacity and to prevent the dusts from flying during the collection of the dusts. - As described above, the
dust separation unit 210 and thedust collection container 220 are respectively provided with upper andlower handles - The
dust collection unit 200 is provided with a hook device so that thedust collection container 220 can be coupled to thedust separation unit 210 in a state where thedust collection container 220 is mounted on thedust separation unit 210. - That is, a
hook receiver 241 is provided on the lower end of thedust separation unit 210 and ahook 242 hooked on thereceiver 241 is formed on an upper end of the outer circumference of thedust collection container 220. - Meanwhile, when the
cyclone unit 211 is referred as a main cyclone unit and thedust storing unit 221 is referred as a main storing unit, thedust collection unit 200 may further include at least one sub-cyclone unit provided on the main body and asub-storing unit 224 provided on thedust collection unit 200. - Here, the
sub-storing unit 224 functions to secondarily separate the dusts contained in the air exhausted from themain cyclone 211 and thesub-storing unit 224 functions to store the dusts separated by the sub-cyclone unit. - The
sub-storing unit 224 is provided on an outer circumference of thedust collection unit 200 in a state where an upper end thereof is opened. - In this embodiment, the
sub-storing unit 224 is provided on the outer circumference of thedust collection container 220 and asub-dust inlet portion 213a communicating with thesub-storing unit 224 is provided on the circumference of thedust separation portion 210. - Here, a
sub-dust inlet portion 213a selectively communicating with thedust discharge hole 141 of thesub-cyclone unit 140 is formed on an outer wall of thesub-dust inlet portion 213. A bottom of thesub-dust inlet portion 213a is opened to communicate with thesub-storing unit 224. - Accordingly, when the
main cyclone unit 211 is mounted on themain body 100, thesub-dust inlet hole 213a is connected to thedust discharge hole 141 of thesub-cyclone unit 140. - Therefore, the dusts separated in the sub-cyclone unit are stored in the
sub-storing unit 224 through thesub-dust inlet portion 213a. - The following will describe the operation of the vacuum cleaner of the embodiment.
- First, when power is applied to the vacuum cleaner and the air containing the dusts is sucked into the suction nozzle by the vacuum pressure generated by the suction motor.
- The air directed into the suction nozzle 40 is introduced into the main cyclone unit through the
air inlet 211a via the mainbody suction unit 110. The air introduced into the main cyclone unit is guided in a tangential direction of the inner wall of themain cyclone unit 211 to create a spiral current. Therefore, the dusts contained in the air are separated from the air by a centrifugal difference between them. - The dusts spirally moving downward along the inner wall of the
main cyclone unit 211 are stored in themain storing unit 221 after passing through thedust discharge hole 231 of thepartition plate 230. - The air whose dusts are primarily separated by the
main cyclone unit 211 is exhausted through theair outlet 211b via theair exhaust member 211c and then directed into the sub-cyclone unit. - Accordingly, the dusts separated in the sub-cyclone unit are stored in the
sub-storing unit 224 and the dusts separated in the sub-cyclone unit are discharged from the sub-cyclone unit. Then, the dusts are introduced into themain body 100 and discharged from the main body through the mainbody discharge unit 120. - Meanwhile, most of the dusts introduced into the vacuum cleaner are stored in the
main storing unit 221 during cleaning. The dusts stored in themain storing unit 221 are compressed by the first and secondpressing members main storing unit 221. - When a predetermined amount or more of the dusts is stored in the
dust collection container 220, the indicator operates so that the user knows the fact that thedust collection container 220 must be emptied. - Then, the user separates the
dust collection unit 200 from themain body 100 and empties the same. - The following will describe a compression process of dusts stored in the
dust collection container 220 during the operation of the vacuum cleaner. -
Fig. 8 is a flowchart illustrating a compression process of dusts in the dust collection unit, andFigs. 9 through 13 are top plane views of the dust connection container, illustrating a dust compression process in the dust collection unit; - The dust separated in the
cyclone unit 211 is first stored in thedust storing unit 221, in the course of which thepressing members dust storing unit 221. - When the driving
motor 430 rotates in a direction, the rotational power of the drivingmotor 430 is transmitted to the drivengear 410 to rotate the drivengear 410. By the rotation of the drivengear 410, therotational shaft 312 and the first pressingmember 310 rotate in a direction (S110). - At this point, since the
driving gear 420 is engaged with the drivengear 410, thedriving gear 420 rotates in a same direction as the drivingmotor 430 and the driven gear rotates in an opposite direction to the drivingmotor 430. That is, the drivengear 410 and the first pressingmember 310 rotate in an opposite direction to the drivingmotor 430. - As described above, when the first pressing
member 310 rotates in a direction (a counterclockwise direction inFig. 9 ), the first pressingmember 310 presses the dusts toward the second pressingmember 320, thereby compressing the dusts. The firstpressing member 310 keeps rotating until the resistance reaches the reference value. - That is, the resistance is compared with the reference value (S120). When it is determined that the resistance value is equal to or greater than the reference value, the electric power applied to the driving
motor 430 is cut off so as to stop the dust compression operation of the first pressing member 310 (S130). - Then, the first pressing
member 310 keeps a state compressing the dusts for a predetermined time at the stopped position. When a predetermined time passes, the drivingmotor 430 is driven again and the first pressingmember 310 rotates in an opposite direction (S140). - Here, since the first pressing
member 310 stops moving in a state where the resistance reaches the reference value, the rotational direction of the first pressingmember 310 is converted to rotate clockwise as shown inFig. 10 . - When the first pressing
member 310 rotates clockwise, the first pressingmember 310 presses the dust toward the other surface of the second pressingmember 320, thereby compressing the dust. - Then, it is determined if the resistance applied to the first pressing
member 310 reaches the reference value (S150). - When it is determined that the resistance value is equal to or greater than the reference value, the electric power applied to the driving
motor 430 is cut off so as to stop the dust compression operation of the first pressing member 310 (S160). - The first
pressing member 310 keeps a state compressing the dust for a predetermined time at the stopped position. When a predetermined time passes, the drivingmotor 430 is driven again and the first pressingmember 310 rotates in an opposite direction. - The above-described compression process is continuously repeated during the operation of the vacuum cleaner.
- During the above-described compression process, it is determined if a rotational range θ is equal to or less than a reference value θp (S170).
- When it is determined that a rotational range θ is equal to or less than a reference value θp, an empty request indication is noticed (S180).
- When the vacuum cleaner is turned of, the dust compression process is finished.
-
Fig. 14 is a flowchart illustrating a method of controlling the pressing member when the suction motor is turned of during the dust compression process in the dust collection unit. - Referring to
Fig. 14 , when the vacuum cleaner is turned on, the dust is separated from the air and stored in thedust storing unit 221. In addition, a process for compressing the dust stored in thedust storing unit 221 by thepressing members - Then, it is determined if the vacuum cleaner is turned off (S200). When the suction motor is turned off, the first pressing
member 310 moves toward a side of the second pressingmember 320. - That is, the pressing
member 310 keeps moving toward the second pressingmember 320, in the course of which it is determined if the resistance applied to the first pressingmember 310 reaches a reference value. When it is determined that the resistance is equal to or greater than the reference value, the first pressingmember 310 stops moving (S230). - Here, the stopping of the first pressing
member 310 is realized by cutting off the electric power applied to the drivingmotor 430. - That is, when the suction motor is turned off, the first pressing
member 310 is not immediately stopped but stopped after it moves toward the second pressingmember 320 until the resistance reaches the reference value. - As the first pressing
member 310 is shopped after it presses the dust toward the second pressingmember 320 until the resistance reaches the reference value, the dust compression operation of the first and secondpressing members - As the dust compression operation of the first and second
pressing members dust collection unit 200 can be easily empted. - In addition, as the dust compression operation of the first and second
pressing members member 310 can be easily performed during the next cleaning operation even when thedust collection unit 200 is not emptied. - As described above, even after the suction motor is turned of after the dust compression process is performed by the
pressing members pressing members - That is, when the vacuum cleaner operates, the first pressing
member 310 that is capable of rotating maintains the stopped state. When the vacuum cleaner stops operating, the first pressingmember 310 moves toward one side of the second pressingmember 320 and then stops. At this point, in order to effectively compress the dust, after the first pressingmember 310 moves to a first surface of the second pressingmember 320 and further moves again to a second surface of the second pressingmember 320, it may stop. - In addition, an additional first pressing member that can rotate together with the first pressing
member 310 may be further provided. In this case, when the suction motor stops operating, the pressing members move toward the opposite surfaces of the second pressingmember 320 and then stops, as a result of which the dust compression operation can be simultaneously realized at the both surfaces of the second pressingmember 320. - Although the present invention is applied to the canister type vacuum cleaner by way of example, the present invention can be also applied to an upright type vacuum cleaner as well as a robot vacuum cleaner.
- It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers the modifications and variations of this invention provided they come within the scope of the appended claims.
Claims (11)
- A method of controlling a vacuum cleaner having a dust collection unit (200) in which dust is stored, the method comprising:storing the dust in the dust collection unit (200) using an operation of a suction motor; andcompressing the dust stored in the dust collection unit (200) using at least one movable pressing member (310) to reduce a volume of the dust, wherein the compressing of the dust includes:moving, by means of a driving motor (430), the movable pressing member (310) to a first surface of a stationary member (320) fixed in the dust collection unit (200),determining if a resistance applied to the movable pressing member (310) is equal to or greater than a reference value,wherein, when the resistance is equal or greater than the reference value, the movable pressing member (310) is stopped for a predetermined time, and then the movable pressing member (310) is moved, by means of the driving motor (430), in an opposite direction, andwherein the process of compressing the dust is repeated during the operation of the vacuum cleaner.
- The method of claim 1, wherein the compressing of the dust further includes moving the movable pressing member (310), which is moved to the first surface, to a second surface of the stationary member (320).
- The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the compressing of the dust includes determining if a moving range of the movable pressing member (310) is equal to or less than a reference value.
- The method of claim 3, further comprising, when the moving range is less than the reference value, letting a user know the fact.
- The method of any one of the claims 1 to 4, further comprising, after the suction motor stops operating, stopping the movable pressing member (310) after moving the movable pressing member (310) to one side of the stationary member (320) fixed in the dust collection unit.
- The method of claim 5, wherein the movable pressing member is a rotational member (310) and rotates in the dust collection unit (200).
- The method of claim 6, wherein the rotational member (310) moves toward the first surface of the stationary member (320) when the suction motor stops operating.
- The method of claim 7, wherein the first surface of the stationary member (320) faces a rotating direction of the rotational member (310).
- The method of claim 8, wherein, after the rotational member (310) moves toward the first surface of the stationary member (320), the rotational member (310) moves toward a second surface of the stationary member (320) and stops.
- The method of claim 6, further comprising an additional rotational member, wherein, when the suction motor stops operating, one of the rotational members stops after moving toward a first surface of the stationary member (320) and the other of the rotational members stops after moving toward a second surface of the stationary member (320).
- The method of claim 10, wherein, during the operation of the suction motor, the dusts stored in the dust collection unit is compressed by the pressing members.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
KR1020060018120A KR100871485B1 (en) | 2006-02-24 | 2006-02-24 | Method For Operating Dust Compressing Type of Dust Collector |
KR1020060045415A KR100895145B1 (en) | 2006-05-20 | 2006-05-20 | Control method of vaccum cleaner |
Publications (3)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
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EP1825797A2 EP1825797A2 (en) | 2007-08-29 |
EP1825797A3 EP1825797A3 (en) | 2012-04-11 |
EP1825797B1 true EP1825797B1 (en) | 2013-10-23 |
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EP20070101391 Active EP1825797B1 (en) | 2006-02-24 | 2007-01-30 | Method of controlling vacuum cleaner |
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EP (1) | EP1825797B1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP2007222613A (en) |
AU (1) | AU2007200407B2 (en) |
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WO2009011478A1 (en) * | 2007-07-16 | 2009-01-22 | Lg Electronics Inc. | Vacuum cleaner |
KR100941429B1 (en) * | 2008-02-19 | 2010-02-11 | 엘지전자 주식회사 | Vacuum cleaner |
WO2010005139A1 (en) * | 2008-07-08 | 2010-01-14 | Lg Electronics Inc. | Vacuum cleaner |
EP2422672B1 (en) | 2009-08-24 | 2015-10-21 | LG Electronics Inc. | Vacuum cleaner |
EP2497403B1 (en) * | 2009-11-04 | 2017-01-04 | LG Electronics Inc. | Vacuum cleaner |
CN102100507A (en) * | 2009-12-18 | 2011-06-22 | 乐金电子(天津)电器有限公司 | Novel dust collector dust collection barrel with manual compression structure |
Family Cites Families (14)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JPS5351663A (en) * | 1976-10-20 | 1978-05-11 | Sanyo Electric Co Ltd | Vacuum cleaner |
JPS5485560A (en) * | 1977-12-20 | 1979-07-07 | Tokyo Electric Co Ltd | Electric cleaner |
JPS6028377Y2 (en) * | 1978-01-31 | 1985-08-28 | 東芝テック株式会社 | Vacuum cleaner dust collection detection device |
JPS54114366U (en) * | 1978-01-31 | 1979-08-11 | ||
JPS54114358U (en) * | 1978-01-31 | 1979-08-11 | ||
JPS54119272U (en) * | 1978-02-10 | 1979-08-21 | ||
JPS54161751A (en) * | 1978-06-09 | 1979-12-21 | Sanyo Electric Co Ltd | Electric vacuum cleaner |
JPS5822684Y2 (en) * | 1978-11-20 | 1983-05-14 | 三洋電機株式会社 | vacuum cleaner |
JP3004538B2 (en) * | 1994-06-17 | 2000-01-31 | シャープ株式会社 | Electric vacuum cleaner |
JP2002360474A (en) * | 2001-06-05 | 2002-12-17 | Toshiba Tec Corp | Dust collecting device, and electric vacuum cleaner |
JP3699679B2 (en) * | 2001-12-28 | 2005-09-28 | 松下電器産業株式会社 | Vacuum cleaner |
JP3899458B2 (en) * | 2002-01-07 | 2007-03-28 | 三菱電機株式会社 | Electric vacuum cleaner |
JP2005034213A (en) * | 2003-07-16 | 2005-02-10 | Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd | Electric vacuum cleaner |
CN100512740C (en) * | 2004-04-07 | 2009-07-15 | 东芝泰格株式会社 | Vacuum cleaner |
-
2007
- 2007-01-30 JP JP2007019770A patent/JP2007222613A/en active Pending
- 2007-01-30 EP EP20070101391 patent/EP1825797B1/en active Active
- 2007-01-31 AU AU2007200407A patent/AU2007200407B2/en active Active
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EP1825797A3 (en) | 2012-04-11 |
JP2007222613A (en) | 2007-09-06 |
EP1825797A2 (en) | 2007-08-29 |
AU2007200407B2 (en) | 2009-06-18 |
AU2007200407A1 (en) | 2007-09-13 |
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