Vacuum cleaner

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner is provided that includes a cleaner body incorporating a suction motor, an inlet hose, and an outlet hose; a suction brush; a cyclone unit for separating dirt from air, the cyclone unit discharging the air after the dirt is separated; a dirt collection bin for collecting the separated dirt, the dirt collection bin being removably arranged below the cyclone unit; an engagement unit for allowing the dirt collection bin to be removably fitted in the cleaner body, the engagement unit having at least one engagement projection and at least one engagement groove; and a guide unit for guiding the engagement projection to be correctly engaged in the engagement groove.

1 . A vacuum cleaner comprising:
 a cleaner body;   a suction brush for suctioning dirt from a surface to be cleaned;   a cyclone unit for separating dirt from air introduced through the suction brush, the cyclone unit discharging purified air;   a dirt collection bin for collecting the separated dirt from the cyclone unit, the dirt collection bin being removably arranged below the cyclone unit;   an engagement unit for allowing the dirt collection bin to be removably fitted in a bin reception recess provided in the cleaner body, the engagement unit comprising at least one engagement projection and at least one engagement groove; and   a guide unit for guiding the engagement projection to be correctly engaged in the engagement groove when the dirt collection bin is received in the bin reception recess,   wherein the engagement unit restrains the dirt collection bin from moving forward and backward in relation to the cleaner body, and the guide unit stably restrains the dirt collection bin from rotating left and right, thereby stably fixing the dirt collection bin in the cleaner body.   
   
   
       2 . The vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the engagement groove is formed in the bin reception recess, and the engagement projection is formed on the dirt collection bin, the engagement projection being snapped in the engagement groove when the dirt collection bin is fitted in the bin reception recess. 
   
   
       3 . The vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the engagement projection and the engagement groove are mated with each other at one or both side portions of each of them where they confront with each other. 
   
   
       4 . The vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the engagement projection has protrusions vertically formed along the opposite side edges on the front face thereof, and the engagement groove has depressions, which are engaged with the protrusions, respectively, the protrusions being press-fitted in the depressions. 
   
   
       5 . The vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the guide unit comprises:
 at least one guide groove formed on the outer bottom surface of the dirt collection bin; and   at least one guide projection formed on a seating surface in the cleaner body in such a manner as to be correspondingly inserted into the at least one guide groove, the outer bottom surface of the dirt collection bin being seated on the seating surface.   
   
   
       6 . The vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the dirt collection bin further comprises one or more gripping means for use in pulling out the dirt collection bin from the bin reception recess, the gripping means being provided on a side portion of the dirt collection bin exposed to the outside in a state in which the dirt collection bin is received in the bin reception recess in the cleaner body. 
   
   
       7 . The vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a lever unit interposed between the outer bottom surface of the dirt collection bin and a seating surface in the cleaner body, on which the dirt collection bin is seated, wherein the lever unit is capable of rotating so as to lift the dirt collection bin and compressively engage the dirt collection bin with the outer bottom surface of the cyclone unit. 
   
   
       8 . The vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the engagement projection has a height that is smaller than a height, H 1 , of the engagement groove so that a vertical gap is formed when the engagement projection and the engagement groove are engaged with each other, whereby the dirt collection bin can be lifted with a horizontal posture when the lever unit is rotated. 
   
   
       9 . A vacuum cleaner comprising:
 a cleaner body having a cyclone unit and a bin reception recess below the cyclone unit;   a dirt collection bin for collecting dirt separated by the cyclone unit;   an engagement unit for removably securing the dirt collection bin in the bin reception recess, the engagement unit comprising an engagement projection and an engagement groove; and   a guide unit for guiding the engagement projection into engagement with the engagement groove when removably securing the dirt collection bin in the bin reception recess,   wherein, when the dirt collection bin is removably secured in the bin reception recess, the engagement unit restrains the dirt collection bin from moving forward and backward in relation to the cleaner body and the guide unit restrains the dirt collection bin from rotating in relation to the cleaner body.   
   
   
       10 . The vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 9 , further comprising a lever unit between the dirt collection bin and the cleaner body, the lever unit being capable of rotating so as to lift the dirt collection bin and compressively engage the dirt collection bin with an outer bottom surface of the cyclone unit. 
   
   
       11 . The vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the engagement groove is formed in the bin reception recess and the engagement projection is formed on the dirt collection bin, the engagement projection being snapped in the engagement groove when the dirt collection bin is removably secured in the bin reception recess. 
   
   
       12 . The vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the engagement projection has a height that is smaller than a height of the engagement groove so that a vertical gap is formed when the engagement projection and the engagement groove are engaged with each other, whereby the dirt collection bin can be lifted with a horizontal posture when the lever unit is rotated. 
   
   
       13 . The vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the guide unit comprises:
 at least one guide groove formed on an outer bottom surface of the dirt collection bin; and   at least one guide projection formed on the cleaner body in such a manner as to be correspondingly inserted into the at least one guide groove when removably securing the dirt collection bin in the bin reception recess.   
   
   
       14 . The vacuum cleaner as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the dirt collection bin further comprises one or more gripping devices.