Abstract: A multi dust-collecting apparatus for a vacuum cleaner is provided. The apparatus includes a dust-collecting unit having an air guide member to separate dirt particles from drawn-in air by using a gravity and an inertia and a filter member to remove dirt particles from the discharged air. The apparatus also includes a plurality of cyclones to swirl the air discharged from the dust-collecting unit and separate minute dirt particles from the air by using a centrifugal force.

Abstract: A multi-cyclone dust collector including at least one first cyclone forcing contaminants-laden air that is entered into a lower portion of the at least one first cyclone to whirl so as to centrifugally separate contaminants from the contaminants-laden air; and at least one second cyclone being disposed around the at least one first cyclone, the at least one second cyclone forcing semi-clean air that is discharged from the at least one first cyclone and is entered into a lower portion of the at least one second cyclone to whirl so as to centrifugally separate fine contaminants from the air.

Abstract: A multi dust-collecting apparatus for a vacuum cleaner separating dirt particles from air by taking two steps. The multi dust-collecting apparatus includes a dust-collecting unit to separate dirt particles from the air by using gravity and inertia, and a plurality of cyclones to swirl the air discharged from the dust-collecting unit and separate the dirt particles from the air by using centrifugal force.

Abstract: A grille member that can be used, for example, in a cyclone dust-collecting apparatus and a vacuum cleaner comprises a body around which a rotating current is formed, and a plurality of air passages formed at the body to guide the rotating current into the body. In an embodiment, the air passages have a leading surface facing toward a flow direction of the rotating air current and a tail surface upstream from the leading surface relative to the rotating air current, such that at least one plane extending along the tail surface and a line along the flow direction of the rotating air current meet at an obtuse angle. In this way, stagnant vortices are not generated in the vicinity of the tail surfaces of the air passages, and dust and the like do not accumulate in the vicinity of the tail surfaces of the air passages when dirt is centrifugally separated from drawn-in air by the rotating current.

Abstract: A multi cyclone dust separating apparatus including a first cyclone and a second cyclone having a plurality of cyclones formed on an outer side of the first cyclone. The first cyclone includes a first cyclone chamber centrifugally separating dust from air, a chamber outer wall, a first inlet and a first outlet forming the first cyclone chamber. The second cyclone unit includes a plurality of cyclones arranged along an outer circumference of the first chamber outer wall, and having a second cyclone chamber centrifugally separating minute dusts from air drawn in from the first cyclone unit, a second chamber outer wall forming the second cyclone chamber, second inlet, and a second outlet. The second inlet of each second cyclone of the second cyclone unit is lower than the first inlet of the first cyclone unit and freely settable.

Abstract: A multi-cyclone dust collecting apparatus with improved dust collecting efficiency and suction force is provided. The multi-cyclone dust collecting apparatus includes a first and a second multi-cyclone units having a first cyclone which collects large particles of dust and a second cyclone for collecting fine particles of dust; an air inlet through which an air inlet through which dust-laden air is separated and flowed into the first and the second multi-cyclone units, respectively; and an air outlet through which air from the second cyclone of the first and the second multi-cyclone units is gathered and externally discharged. Because air is branched off once it is drawn into a single gate and dust is separated from the drawn air simultaneously in the plurality of multi-cyclone dust collecting apparatuses, reduction of flow speed in the dust-laden air from the suction brush can be prevented.

Abstract: Disclosed is a refrigerator, in which the installation and the repair and replacement of a wire harness are easily achieved. In a refrigerator, in which a main body includes an inner casing, an outer casing, and a heat insulating layer provided between the inner and outer casings, and electric and electronic components including sensors and switches are electrically connected to a printed circuit board through a wire harness, an opening is formed through one side of the main body, and a harness block in which the wire harness and a plurality of connection housings for installing the wire harness are intensively disposed is detachably installed in the opening.

Abstract: A hermetic compressor capable of insulating connectors (43), to which a plurality of lead lines (42) connected to a terminal block (41) and a plurality of stator coils (31a) used in a stator (31) are connected, without using a separate insulator, and capable of preventing defective insulation of the connectors due to vibration or friction during operation of the compressor. The hermetic compressor comprises a compression device (20) to compress a refrigerant, the stator constituting a drive device (30) to drive the compression device, the plurality of lead lines to apply electric power to the stator, the plurality of stator coils used in the stator, the plurality of connectors, one of the lead lines and one of the stator coils being connected to each connector, and an insulation member (50) having a plurality of seating recesses (52), in which the connectors are seated, respectively, and a plurality of fixing grooves (55), in which the lead lines are fixed, respectively.

Abstract: A hermetic compressor having an improved discharge valve assembly to efficiently limit deformation of a stopper caused by a reed valve while achieving efficient opening operation of the reed valve. The hermetic compressor includes a compression chamber and a discharge valve assembly.

Abstract: A steam vacuum cleaner, having a suction port assembly including a suction hole formed on a bottom surface thereof and a dust receptacle detachably attached to the suction port assembly; a pump disposed in the suction port assembly to suction dust-laden air from an object being cleaned and to transfer the dust laden air to the dust receptacle; a steam unit disposed on the suction port assembly; a floorcloth unit disposed on the suction port assembly to scrub the object using steam supplied from the steam unit; and a handle member hinged with a portion of the suction port assembly, wherein the handle member has a variable length. Floorcloth plates having a pluraity of steam passages radially formed on the bottom surface thereof may be rotatably mounted on the bottom surface of the suction port assembly.

Abstract: A cyclone dust separator for a vacuum cleaner, where a couple of cyclones are disposed parallel with each other and sequentially operated to separate and collect dust. The cyclone dust separator includes a bypass path guiding dust-laden air drawn in through a suction opening directly to a motor and having a first mesh that filters off dust included in drawn-in air; a first cyclone disposed at one side of the bypass path to separate the dust from the dust-laden air drawn in through the suction opening and discharge cleaned air to the motor; and a second cyclone disposed parallel with the first cyclone to separate the dust from the dust-laden air drawn in through the suction opening and discharge cleaned air to the motor. The dust included in the air is separated sequentially by the first mesh, the first cyclone and the second cyclone.

Abstract: A cyclone dust collecting apparatus comprises a first cyclone for centrifuging dust from drawn-in air; one or more second cyclones for separating dust from air which is passed through the first cyclone; and an electrode unit mounted to at least one of the first and the second cyclones.

Abstract: A multi-cyclone dust separator according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a first cyclone unit having a first cyclone chamber and a first dust receptacle enclosing a circumference of the first cyclone chamber; and a second cyclone unit disposed below the first cyclone unit and having a plurality of second cyclone chambers and a second dust receptacle disposed under the second cyclone chambers to collect dust.

Abstract: A motor protection apparatus for a vacuum cleaner includes: a motor chamber adapted to mount a motor; a penetration hole formed on a partition surrounding the motor chamber; a valve member configured to move between a first position closing the penetration hole and a second position at a distance from the penetration hole; and a casing adapted to be connected to an inner wall of the partition to surround the valve member and to guide movement of the valve member. A casing distance between an inner circumference of the casing and the valve member is minimized when the valve member is in the first position and maximized when the valve member is in the second position.

Abstract: A robot cleaner system and a method for the robot cleaner to return to an external recharging apparatus. The robot cleaner system has an external recharging apparatus including a charging stand having a charging terminal, and a plurality of transmission parts for sending signals having different codes and strengths; a robot cleaner including a rechargeable battery, a connection terminal for connection with the charging terminal to supply power to the rechargeable battery, a receiving part for receiving signals from the plurality of transmission parts, and a control part for controlling a movement of the robot cleaner using the signals received by the receiving part, so that the connection terminal is connected to the charging terminal.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a control method of a sensorless brushless direct current (BLDC) motor, and more particularly, a drive control method of a concentrated winding BLDC motor which prevents shutdown due to failures of detection of zero cross points (ZCPs). A reference voltage inputted to comparators is altered to set new reference points. ZCPs are detected using the new reference points to avoid uneven detection of the ZCPs. Phase commutation is corrected corresponding to the ZCPs detected using the new reference points to reduce current ripple, thereby leading to stable control of the sensorless BLDC motor. To this end, the control method adds or subtracts a preset certain value to/from a reference voltage to produce a new reference voltage, and detects ZCPs with respect to the new reference voltage to control drive of the sensorless concentrated winding BLDC motor.

Abstract: A robot cleaner includes a drive unit for driving a plurality of wheels, a camera disposed in a body for photographing an upper image extending perpendicular to a running direction, a controller for recognizing a position by using position information obtained from a recognition mark formed on a ceiling of a working area that is photographed by the camera, and controlling the drive unit by using the recognized position information to correspond to a target cleaning operation. Accordingly, since the recognition mark for the recognition of a current position of the robot cleaner is formed on a ceiling that has a few changes, the position recognition is performed with more accuracy and the traveling of the robot cleaner to the target work area and a cleaning operation is performed efficiently.

Abstract: A multi-cyclone dust separator according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises at least three dust separation units for separating dust stepwise from relatively larger size. The dust separation units comprise a first dust separation unit primarily separating dust from external air drawn in; a second dust separation unit secondarily separating dust from the air primarily dust-separated by the first dust separation unit; and a third dust separation unit thirdly separating dust from the air secondarily dust-separated by the second dust separation unit. Here, the first to third dust separation units are multi-layered in a serial manner.

Abstract: A compressor includes a sensor configured to detect a position of a piston; a sensor core configured to reciprocate within the sensor and with the piston; and a core supporting member configured to support the sensor core. The core supporting member is injection molded into the core supporting member, and the sensor core is insert molded into the core supporting member.

Abstract: A multi-cyclone apparatus is capable of separating and collecting contaminants by three stages. The multi-cyclone apparatus has a first collecting unit which separates large-sized contaminants from an air which is drawn through an air suction port, a cyclone body comprising a second cyclone which is communicated with the first collecting unit and separates middle-sized contaminants from the drawn air, and a plurality of third cyclones arranged around the second cyclone and separate small-sized contaminants from the drawn air, an air discharge port communicated with the cyclone body, through which the air is discharged after passing through the third cyclones, and a contaminant receptacle provided to a lower end of the cyclone body, and collects contaminants separated from the second and the third cyclones.