Abstract: A cyclone dust collector of a vacuum cleaner includes a lower cyclone body for initially separating dust entrained in air drawn in through an air suction port, an upper cyclone body for separating fine dust entrained in the air that has been initially filtered in the lower cyclone body, and a central air path for guiding the air which is filtered in the upper cyclone body along a center axis line, and discharging the air through an air discharge port in the lower cyclone body. The capability of the vacuum cleaner can be improved by circulating the drawn in air having the entrained dust in the lower and upper cyclone bodies, and separately and sequentially collecting the dust at least partially based on the particle size thereof.

Abstract: A locking unit of a brush assembly for use with a vacuum cleaner has a release preventing member so that if the brush assembly accidentally falls, the release preventing member conveniently keeps upper and lower housings of the assembly assembled. The brush assembly includes the upper and lower housings. A connector is secured in one of the upper and lower housings and is adapted to direct air in the upper and lower housings towards a suction force generator of the vacuum cleaner. A locking unit rotates on the connector to open and sealingly close the upper and the lower housings. The release preventing member is formed between the connector and the locking unit to prevent release of the locking unit.

Abstract: Disclosed is a cyclone separating apparatus and a vacuum cleaner having the same. The cyclone separating apparatus includes a first cyclone for separating dust-ladened air, a plurality of second cyclones for separating fine dust particles via a second separation of dust using centrifugal force from air which was previously separated at the first cyclone, and an inlet-outlet cover installed on the upper part of the first cyclone and the second cyclones. The inlet-outlet cover allows fluid-communication between the first cyclone and the second cyclones, and discharge of dust-removed air from the second cyclone. Because the plurality of cyclones separates dust utilizing a compact structure, suction force deterioration is prevented and dust-collecting efficiency is increased.

Abstract: A cyclone dust collector and a vacuum cleaner having the same. The cyclone dust collector has a cyclone body shaped to have a relatively wider upper portion and a relatively narrower lower portion and also has a suction port and a discharge port, a grill member connected to the discharge port, a dust receptacle connected to the cyclone body, and a blocking member for partially blocking the grill member. Air drawn in through the suction port moves in an increasingly wider radial path as it travels upwardly to the discharge port, increasing the centrifugal force on suspended particles as they travel toward the discharge port. The shape of the cyclone body prevents turbulent flow from being generated. Dust is prevented by the blocking member from attaching to the grill member before being centrifuged, performance of the grill member is enhanced.

Abstract: A dust collecting apparatus for use in a vacuum cleaner provides improved suction cleaning efficiency. The dust collecting apparatus includes a main body comprising a suction port through which a dust-laden air is drawn, and a first and a second discharge ports through which filtered air is discharged. A filter unit disposed between the suction port and the first discharge port, filters out dusts from the air. A parallel cyclone unit, disposed between the suction port and the second discharge port, removes dusts from the air by centrifugal force. The first discharge port is larger in sectional area than the second discharge port, and therefore, the filter unit has higher dust removal rate than the cyclone unit in the initial stage of the operation. Accordingly, the dust collecting apparatus can provide greater initial suction cleaning efficiency than a dust collecting apparatus having only the cyclone unit.

Abstract: Disclosed is a handle assembly of a vacuum cleaner, comprising a handle pipe having an inlet and an outlet fluidly connected to a suction port assembly and a cleaner body, respectively, a handle formed on the handle pipe to grip for a cleaning work, and a cyclone dust collector protruded at one side of the handle pipe to centrifugally separate dust from an external air flowed in through the inlet of the handle pipe, and discharge a clean air to the outlet of the handle pipe. Accordingly, the cyclone dust collector can be used even in a state that an auxiliary suction tool is connected to the handle assembly.

Abstract: A hermetic compressor comprising a discharge valve, and a stopper for restricting an opening degree of the discharge valve. The discharge valve includes a body portion configured to cover a discharge port formed at a valve plate, and a first protrusion extending from the body portion. The stopper includes an inclined portion for supporting the body portion, and a second protrusion extending a support portion thereof. In this case, a distance between the first and second protrusions is shorter than a distance between the inclined portion and body portion. With such first and second protrusions, an opening operation of the discharge valve is gradually achieved.

Abstract: An upright-type vacuum cleaner having an improved, foldable handle structure to reduce the amount of storage space required when the cleaner is not in use. The upright vacuum cleaner is provided with a handle that is hinged at a pivot point to enable the handle to rotate relative to the cleaner body. A locking unit locks and releases the handle in at least one user-desired position.

Abstract: A frame unit provided in a compressor and a method of manufacturing the frame unit with improved productivity. The frame unit is secured between a cylinder block and a stator of the compressor and is adapted to rotatably support a rotary shaft press fitted in a rotor located inside the stator.

Abstract: A suction port assembly of a vacuum cleaner is connected with a cleaner body by an extended flow passage and draws in air and dust from a surface being cleaned when the cleaner is in operation. The suction port assembly includes a suction head having a suction hole formed at a bottom surface opposite to the surface being cleaned. A first connection member extends from one side of the suction head. A second connection member rotatably connects at one end to an exit end of the first connection member and rotates about a first axis to move upwardly and downwardly with respect to the suction head, and at the other end is connected with the extended flow passage. A third connection member engages the second connection member with one end rotatable about a second axis substantially perpendicular to the first axis, and the other end disengageably connected to the extended flow passage.

Abstract: A cord-reel assembly comprises a cord-reel body rotatably installed in the electronic device, a brake member capable of selectively contacting with the cord-reel body, so that the brake member selectively restrains the rotation of the cord-reel body, a manipulation lever having a coupling part connected to the brake member, wherein the coupling part is moved between a first position at which the brake member is contacted with the cord-reel body by the manipulation of the manipulation lever by a user and a second position at which the brake member is spaced from the cord-reel body, a elastic member for elastically biasing the manipulation lever so that the coupling part is moved to the first position, and a damper unit for interfering with the movement of the coupling part in such a way that the returning velocity of the coupling part is delayed when the coupling part is returned from the second position to the first position by the elastic member.

Abstract: A cyclone dust-collecting apparatus comprises a cyclone body having a first cyclone part and a second cyclone part comprising a plurality of cones, a cover unit connected with the upper portion of the cyclone body for guiding air movement between the first cyclone part and the second cyclone part, and a contaminant receptacle connected with the lower portion of the cyclone body for collecting contaminants separated from the first and second cyclone parts.

Abstract: Disclosed is a locking unit to fix a removable cyclone dust collector in a receiving portion of a main body of a vacuum cleaner. The locking unit comprises a locking recess formed at one side of a contact surface of the cyclone dust collector and the receiving portion. A lock element ascends and descends between a locking position and an unlocking position with respect to the locking recess and passes through a hole which is formed at another side of the contact surface of the cyclone dust collector and the receiving portion. An operating member selectively moves the lock element to the locking position and the unlocking position.

Abstract: A cyclone dust collecting apparatus for a vacuum cleaner comprises a cyclone body having a first cyclone and a second cyclone, an air inlet and an air outlet connected to the cyclone body, and a dust receptacle connected to the cyclone body. The dust receptacle includes a receptacle body and a partition member. The partition member is mounted on an inner circumference of the dust receptacle, and divides the inside of the dust receptacle into an upper and a lower dust collecting chambers. The lower dust collecting chamber is formed larger than the upper dust collecting chamber.

Abstract: An accessory assembly for a vacuum cleaner comprises: an accessory body; a crevice attachment and an upholstery attachment, both formed integrally with the accessory body; and a dusting attachment disposed on the accessory body, the dusting attachment being slidably deployable to extend beyond the crevice attachment. Convenient cleaning can be achieved by selectively using the dusting attachment during the cleaning of a groove or narrow gap and deployment from one accessory attachment to another is easily accomplished without interruption of the cleaning process. The accessory assembly may be conveniently stored and used on an extension tube of the vacuum cleaner.

Abstract: A robot cleaner for simultaneously and selectively performing automatic floor cleaning and automatic floor disinfection. The robot cleaner includes a body traveling automatically on a surface to be cleaned, a driving unit for driving a plurality of wheels provided under the body, and obstacle detecting sensors positioned to a front of the body for detecting an obstacle located ahead of a traveling direction. The robot cleaner also includes memory for storing position information of the obstacle detected by the obstacle detecting sensor, a dust vacuuming and collecting section installed to the body for vacuuming dust on a floor, and a disinfecting section installed under a bottom portion of the body for disinfecting the floor. The robot cleaner also includes a control section for controlling the driving unit to traverse the robot cleaner along a given traveling path, and also control the dust vacuuming and collecting section and the disinfecting section.

Abstract: Disclosed is a height adjusting apparatus for a suction brush of an upright vacuum cleaner, by which a user can facilely adjust a gap between the suction brush and a cleaning surface. The apparatus comprises a suction brush body; a height adjusting knob rotatably disposed at a seating portion formed in the suction brush body, and having a cam curve portion formed at a part of an end of the height adjusting knob inserted into the suction brush body, the cam curve portion having a height difference between a starting point and an end point thereof and a plurality of recessed grooves formed between the starting point and the end point; a height adjusting shaft integrally formed with a rod member which is contacted with the cam curve portion and lifted up and down according to a rotational direction of the height adjusting knob; and a brush front wheel rotatably coupled to the height adjusting shaft.

Abstract: A method of compensating a gyro sensor of a robot cleaner is provided. The method includes changing to a compensation mode if a robot cleaner travels greater than a compensation reference, and compensating an output value of the gyro sensor by use of an upper camera.

Abstract: A hermetic compressor capable of appropriately injecting oil from an eccentric unit of a rotating shaft in accordance with amounts required by respective regions. The hermetic compressor comprises a compression chamber in which a refrigerant is compressed, a piston to compress the refrigerant in the compression chamber, a rotating shaft to provide a drive force to advance or retreat the piston in the compression chamber, the rotating shaft having an oil path formed therein, a hollow eccentric unit to eccentrically rotate as the rotating shaft rotates, a bushing coupled to the eccentric unit and having a closed surface to close an opening of the eccentric unit, and an oil injection port formed at the bushing to determine an injection direction and injection degree of oil injected along an inner peripheral surface of the eccentric unit.

Abstract: A hermetic compressor capable of preventing malfunction due to impurities trapped between contact portions of a crankshaft and a crankshaft supporting frame when the crankshaft rotates in a hollow portion of the frame. The hermetic compressor comprises the frame having the hollow portion, the crankshaft rotatably inserted in the hollow portion, a balance weight provided at one end of the crankshaft, and a thrust portion formed at the frame to support the crankshaft. An impurities discharge passage is formed at an outer circumferential surface of the crankshaft that comes into frictional contact with the thrust portion of the frame to guide impurities, mixed with the oil, out of the crankshaft. Correspondingly, a plurality of discharge guiding grooves is formed at the thrust portion of the frame to guide the oil and the impurities, having passed through the impurities discharge passage of the crankshaft, out of the thrust portion.