Multi-cyclone dust separating apparatus

Claim 2

A multi-cyclone dust separating apparatus comprising: a main cyclone comprising one or more cyclones; a sub cyclone comprising one or more cyclones, the sub cyclone being arranged around a part of the main cyclone and being arranged in parallel relation to the main cyclone; and a dust collecting casing provided to enclose the main and the sub cyclones, the dust collecting casing collecting dust as the dust is separated from air in the main and the sub cyclones, the dust collecting casing having at least a first part enclosing the main cyclone, wherein the first part is formed in a half-circular shape.

Claim 3

The multi-cyclone dust separating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the dust collecting casing has at least a second part enclosing the sub cyclone, the second part being formed in a square shape with one side open.

Claim 4

The multi-cyclone dust separating apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first part comprises a first half-circular wall enclosing the main cyclone, the second part comprises a pair of second walls enclosing the sub cyclone and connecting to opposite ends of the first half-circular wall, and the second part comprises a third wall connecting the pair of second walls to one another.

Claim 5

The multi-cyclone dust separating apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the first half-circular wall is formed of a transparent material.

Claim 6

The multi-cyclone dust separating apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the first, the second and the third walls are formed integrally with each other.

Claim 7

The multi-cyclone dust separating apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the sub cyclone comprises a plurality of cyclone cones of different sizes.

Claim 8

The multi-cyclone dust separating apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of cyclone cones are arranged along an inner circumference of the second and the third walls in a row.

Claim 9

The multi-cyclone dust separating apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of cyclone cones comprise one or more first cyclone cones and one or more second cyclone cones, the one or more second cyclone cones being smaller in size than the one or more first cyclone cones.

Claim 10

The multi-cyclone dust separating apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the one or more first and second cyclone cones are each formed in a conical configuration having a narrower diameter toward an upper end, and wherein the one or more first cyclone cones have a height that is the same as the main cyclone.

Claim 11

The multi-cyclone dust separating apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the main cyclone comprises a main air inlet at a lower end through which an external air is drawn, and a main air outlet at a lower end through which the air of the main cyclone is discharged.

Claim 12

The multi-cyclone dust separating apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the main air inlet and the main air outlet are formed on the same plane.

Claim 13

The multi-cyclone dust separating apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the one or more first and second cyclone cones comprise first and second cone inlets at lower ends, through which the air discharged out of the main air outlet is branched off and drawn, with the first and the second cone inlets being formed such that entrance gates thereof are on the same plane.

Claim 14

The multi-cyclone dust separating apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the main air outlet of the main cyclone and the first and the second cone inlets of the first and the second cyclone cones are formed on the same plane.

Claim 15

The multi-cyclone dust separating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the dust collecting casing comprises a partition for dividing the dust collecting chamber into a main chamber to collect the separated dust of the main cyclone, and a sub chamber to collect the separated dust of the sub cyclone.

Claim 16

The multi-cyclone dust separating apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising an upper cover for detachably connecting to an upper end of the dust collecting casing.

Claim 17

The multi-cyclone dust separating apparatus of claim 15 , wherein, upon mounting to the upper end of the dust collecting casing, the upper cover forms a dust outlet in cooperation with an upper end of the main cyclone, and the upper cover comprising: a backflow preventive member for preventing the dust of the main dust collecting chamber from flowing back into the main cyclone, and a sealing member connecting to an upper end of the partition and isolating the main dust collecting chamber from the sub dust collecting chamber.

Claim 18

The multi-cyclone dust separating apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising a lower cover unit coupled to a lower end of the dust collecting casing to guide the air of the main cyclone into the sub cyclone, the lower cover unit comprising: an air inlet port for drawing in external air into the main cyclone, and an air outlet port for discharging the air of the sub cyclone to the outside.

Claim 19

A multi-cyclone dust separating apparatus comprising: a main cyclone for drawing in external air and separating dust from the drawn air using centrifugal force, the main cyclone comprising one or more cyclones; and a sub cyclone for drawing in air discharged from the main cyclone and separating minute dust using centrifugal force, the sub cyclone comprising a plurality of cyclones, at least one of the plurality of cyclones of the sub cyclone has a different size from others of the plurality of cyclones of the sub cyclone, wherein said one or more cyclones of the main cyclone are formed in substantially cylindrical configuration, and said plurality of cyclones of the sub cyclone are formed in a substantially conical configuration.

Claim 20

A multi-cyclone dust separating apparatus comprising: a main cyclone for drawing in external air and separating dust from the drawn air using centrifugal force, the main cyclone comprising one or more cyclones; and a sub cyclone for drawing in air discharged from the main cyclone and separating minute dust using centrifugal force, the sub cyclone comprising a plurality of cyclones, at least one of the plurality of cyclones of the sub cyclone has a different size from others of the plurality of cyclones of the sub cyclone, wherein said one or more cyclones of the main cyclone are formed in substantially cylindrical configuration, and said plurality of cyclones of the sub cyclone are formed in a substantially conical configuration.

Claim 21

A multi-cyclone dust separating apparatus comprising: a main cyclone for drawing in external air and separating dust from the drawn air using centrifugal force, the main cyclone comprising one or more cyclones; and a sub cyclone for drawing in air discharged from the main cyclone and separating minute dust using centrifugal force, the sub cyclone comprising a plurality of cyclones, at least one of the plurality of cyclones of the sub cyclone has a different size from others of the plurality of cyclones of the sub cyclone, wherein said one or more cyclones of the main cyclone and said plurality of cyclones of the sub cyclone draw in the air through a lower part, discharge dust of the air through an upper part, and then discharge the dust-removed air through the lower part.

Claim 22

A multi-cyclone dust separating apparatus comprising: a main cyclone for drawing in external air and separating dust from the drawn air using centrifugal force, the main cyclone comprising one or more cyclones; and a sub cyclone for drawing in air discharged from the main cyclone and separating minute dust using centrifugal force, the sub cyclone comprising a plurality of cyclones, at least one of the plurality of cyclones of the sub cyclone has a different size from others of the plurality of cyclones of the sub cyclone, wherein said one or more cyclones of the main cyclone and said plurality of cyclones of the sub cyclone draw in the air through a lower part, discharge dust of the air through an upper part, and then discharge the dust-removed air through the lower part.

Claim 23

The multi-cyclone dust separating apparatus of claim 19 , wherein at least one of the plurality of cyclones of the sub cyclone has an uppermost end of smaller diameter than an uppermost ends of the others.

Claim 24

The multi-cyclone dust separating apparatus of claim 19 , wherein at least one of the plurality of cyclones of the sub cyclone is shorter than the others.

Claim 25

The multi-cyclone dust separating apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the main cyclone and the sub cyclone are arranged in parallel.