Cleaner station and cleaner system comprising the same

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a cleaner station and a cleaner system including the same. The cleaner system includes a surrounding cleaning device which is disposed in the passage, is driven by the suction force of the dust collection motor, and cleans a surrounding area of the housing. Since the surrounding cleaning device can clean the surrounding area of the housing, the cleaner station is able to conveniently clean dust accumulating around the cleaner station even without separately operating the cleaner coupled to the cleaner station, and the cleaner system includes the cleaner station.

1 - 11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . A cleaner station comprising:
 a housing that defines an external appearance of the cleaner station and is configured to couple to a cleaner;   a dust collector disposed within the housing and configured to collect dust from a dust bin of the cleaner;   a passage disposed within the housing and configured to guide the dust, the passage having (i) a first end in fluid communication with the dust bin and (ii) a second end in fluid communication with the dust collector;   a dust collection motor disposed at a downstream portion of the passage and configured to provide a suction force to the passage; and   a surrounding cleaning device connected to the passage and configured to be driven by the suction force of the dust collection motor, the surrounding cleaning device being configured to clean a surrounding area of the housing.   
     
     
         13 . The cleaner station of  claim 12 , wherein the surrounding cleaning device comprises a cleaning hose, the cleaning hose comprising:
 an elastic portion having a wrinkled surface; and   a support having (i) a first end coupled to the passage and (ii) a second end coupled to the elastic portion.   
     
     
         14 . The cleaner station of  claim 13 , wherein a hardness of the support is greater than a hardness of the elastic portion. 
     
     
         15 . The cleaner station of  claim 13 , wherein the surrounding cleaning device further comprises a cleaning nozzle coupled to an end of the elastic portion and configured to suction dust from the surrounding area of the housing. 
     
     
         16 . The cleaner station of  claim 15 , wherein the support and the cleaning nozzle are arranged opposite to each other along the elastic portion. 
     
     
         17 . The cleaner station of  claim 12 , wherein the passage is disposed above the dust collector, and the dust collection motor is disposed below the dust collector. 
     
     
         18 . The cleaner station of  claim 12 , wherein the passage is configured to guide the dust in a direction from the dust bin to the dust collector, and
 wherein the downstream portion of the passage is disposed closer to the dust collector than to the dust bin.   
     
     
         19 . The cleaner station of  claim 12 , wherein the surrounding cleaning device comprises a cleaning hose configured to be stored inside the housing and to extend to an outside of the housing. 
     
     
         20 . The cleaner station of  claim 19 , wherein the housing comprises an outer wall that defines a communication hole at a position corresponding to the cleaning hose, and
 wherein the cleaning hose is configured to extend to the outside of the housing through the communication hole.   
     
     
         21 . The cleaner station of  claim 20 , further comprising a surrounding cleaning device cover that is disposed at the housing and configured to open and close the communication hole, the surrounding cleaning device cover being configured to rotate relative to the outer wall of the housing. 
     
     
         22 . The cleaner station of  claim 19 , wherein the cleaning hose comprises:
 an elastic portion having a wrinkled surface; and   a plurality of supports that are disposed at ends of the elastic portion, respectively.   
     
     
         23 . The cleaner station of  claim 22 , wherein the plurality of supports comprise:
 an upper support disposed at an upper end of the elastic portion and coupled to the passage and to the elastic portion; and   a lower support spaced apart from the elastic portion and disposed below a lower end of the elastic portion,   wherein the surrounding cleaning device further comprises a cleaning nozzle coupled to the lower end of the elastic portion, and   wherein the lower support is configured to support the cleaning nozzle.   
     
     
         24 . A cleaner system comprising:
 a cleaner station; and   a cleaner configured to couple to the cleaner station,   wherein the cleaner comprises:
 a main body configured to be coupled to the cleaner station, 
 a suction portion that is coupled to the main body and defines a suction passage configured to receive air, 
 a dust separator comprising at least one cyclone configured to separate dust from the air, and 
 a dust bin configured to store the dust separated through the dust separator, wherein the cleaner station comprises: 
 a dust collector configured to collect the dust from the dust bin, 
 a dust collection motor configured to generate a suction force for suctioning the dust from the dust bin into the dust collector, and 
 a housing that accommodates the dust collector and the dust collection motor therein along in a longitudinal direction of the housing, 
   wherein a longitudinal axis of the dust bin and a longitudinal axis of the cleaner station intersect each other in a state in which the main body of the cleaner is coupled to the cleaner station, and   wherein the cleaner station further comprises:
 a passage disposed within the housing and configured to guide the dust from the dust bin, the passage having (i) a first end in fluid communication with the dust bin and (ii) a second end in fluid communication with the dust collector, and 
 a surrounding cleaning device connected to the passage and configured to be driven by the suction force of the dust collection motor, the surrounding cleaning device being configured to clean a surrounding area of the housing. 
   
     
     
         25 . The cleaner system of  claim 24 , wherein the surrounding cleaning device comprises: a cleaning hose, the cleaning hose comprising:
 an elastic portion having a wrinkled surface; and   a support having (i) a first end coupled to the passage and (ii) a second end coupled to the elastic portion.   
     
     
         26 . The cleaner system of  claim 25 , wherein a hardness of the support is greater than a hardness of the elastic portion. 
     
     
         27 . The cleaner system of  claim 25 , wherein the surrounding cleaning device further comprises a cleaning nozzle coupled to an end of the elastic portion and configured to suction dust from the surrounding area of the housing. 
     
     
         28 . The cleaner system of  claim 24 , wherein the passage is disposed above the dust collector, and the dust collection motor is disposed below the dust collector. 
     
     
         29 . The cleaner system of  claim 24 , wherein the surrounding cleaning device comprises a cleaning hose configured to be stored inside the housing and to extend to an outside of the housing. 
     
     
         30 . The cleaner system of  claim 29 , wherein the housing comprises an outer wall that defines a communication hole at a position corresponding to the cleaning hose, and
 wherein the cleaning hose is configured to extend to the outside of the housing through the communication hole.   
     
     
         31 . The cleaner station of  claim 30 , further comprising a surrounding cleaning device cover that is disposed at the housing and configured to open and close the communication hole, the surrounding cleaning device cover being configured to rotate relative to the outer wall of the housing.