Cleaning apparatus having vacuum cleaner and docking station

Abstract

A cleaning apparatus including a vacuum cleaner and a docking station is provided. The cleaning apparatus includes a vacuum cleaner including a dust collecting chamber in which foreign substances are collected, and a docking station configured to be connected to the dust collecting chamber to remove the foreign substances collected in the dust collecting chamber. The dust collecting chamber is configured to collect foreign substances through centrifugation, and configured to be docked to the docking station, and the docking station includes a suction device configured to suction the foreign substances and air in the dust collecting chamber docked to the docking station.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cleaning apparatus comprising:
 a vacuum cleaner comprising a dust collecting chamber in which foreign substances are collected; and   a docking station configured to be connected to the dust collecting chamber to remove the foreign substances collected in the dust collecting chamber,   wherein the dust collecting chamber is configured to:
 collect foreign substances through centrifugation, and 
 dock to the docking station, and 
   wherein the docking station comprises:
 a seating portion on which the dust collecting chamber is seated, 
 a suction device configured to suction the foreign substances and air in the dust collecting chamber docked to the docking station, and 
 a flow rate regulator configured to selectively change an amount of intake air flow supplied to the dust collecting chamber to change a flow rate of an inside of the dust collecting chamber in response to driving of the suction device, 
   
     
     
         2 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the flow rate regulator comprises a connecting flow path connecting the seating portion and the suction device, a flow path valve arranged on the connecting flow path and configured to open and close the connecting flow path. 
     
     
         3 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the flow path valve comprises a plate configured to selectively open and close the connecting flow path to change the flow rate of the inside of the dust collecting chamber. 
     
     
         4 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the flow rate regulator further comprises a drive motor configured to allow the flow path valve to open and close the connecting flow path. 
     
     
         5 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 4 ,
 wherein the flow rate regulator further comprises a rotating member arranged on a rotation axis of the drive motor, and   wherein the flow path valve includes a slit into which a shaft is inserted, and the slit allows the plate to reciprocate in conjunction with a revolution of the shaft inserted into the slit.   
     
     
         6 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the plate is configured to perform translational motion in conjunction with the slit, and configured to selectively open and close the connecting flow path through translational motion. 
     
     
         7 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the flow rate regulator is configured so that the amount of intake air flow supplied to the dust collecting chamber changes depending on an amount of an area that the plate opens and closes the connecting flow path. 
     
     
         8 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the docking station comprises a collector disposed between the seating portion and the suction device, and the collector collects foreign substances, which move from the dust collecting chamber by intake air flow generated by the suction device. 
     
     
         9 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the seating portion, the collector, and the suction device are sequentially disposed from an upper side to a lower side with respect to a long axis direction of the docking station. 
     
     
         10 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the collector comprises a collecting portion configured to communicate with the seating portion, removably installed in the collector and in which foreign substances introduced from the seating portion are collected. 
     
     
         11 . The cleaning apparatus of  claim 10 ,
 wherein the docking station further comprises a cover configured to open and close the collector to allow an inside of the collector to be opened to an outside, and   wherein, in response to opening of the inside of the collector, the collecting portion is separated from the inside of the collector and taken out of the collector.