Vacuum cleaner having cyclonic separator

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner including a debris separator having a cyclonic separator including a cylindrical wall having a first end and a second end, the cylindrical wall located in within the housing, the cyclonic separator further including a dirty air inlet, a clean air outlet, an end wall at the first end of the cylindrical wall, and a debris outlet adjacent the second end of the cylindrical wall. The debris separator further includes a lid coupled to an upper end of the housing, a debris collection chamber located within the housing and in fluid communication with the debris outlet of the cyclonic separator, and a door coupled to a lower end of the housing to empty the debris collection chamber through the lower end of the housing. A portion of the cyclonic separator is removable from the housing through the lower end of the housing.

Description

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to vacuum cleaner, and more particularly to cyclonic vacuum cleaners.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment, the invention provides a vacuum cleaner including a suction nozzle and a suction source operable to generate an airflow through the vacuum cleaner from the suction nozzle through a debris separator to a clean air outlet. The debris separator operable to separate debris from the airflow and including a housing having a upper end and a lower end, a cyclonic separator including a cylindrical wall having a first end and a second end, the cylindrical wall located in within the housing, the cyclonic separator further including a dirty air inlet, a clean air outlet, an end wall at the first end of the cylindrical wall, and a debris outlet adjacent the second end of the cylindrical wall. The debris separator further includes a lid coupled to the upper end of the housing, a debris collection chamber located within the housing and in fluid communication with the debris outlet of the cyclonic separator, and a door coupled to the lower end of the housing and movable from a closed position to an open position to empty the debris collection chamber through the lower end of the housing. A portion of the cyclonic separator is removable from the housing through the lower end of the housing.

Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a debris separator of the vacuum cleaner of FIG. 1

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the debris separator of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the debris separator of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the cross-section of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is cross-sectional view of a portion of the vacuum cleaner of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the vacuum cleaner of FIG. 1 with the debris separator removed.

Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a vacuum cleaner 10 accordingly to one embodiment. The illustrated vacuum cleaner 10 includes a handle 12, a base 14, a suction source 16, and a debris separator 18. The handle 12 is pivotally coupled to the base 14 and the handle 12 extends in generally a vertical orientation or upwardly from the base 14 in a storage position, and typically movable to a tilted operable position. The base 14 includes a suction nozzle 22 and wheels 24 that facilitate movement of the base 14 along a surface being cleaned.

Referring to FIG. 6, the suction source 16 includes a fan 28 and a motor 30 that rotates the fan 28 to generate an airflow through the vacuum cleaner from the suction nozzle 22 through the debris separator 18 to a clean air exhaust 88. A suction source inlet chamber 32 is located positioned above the suction source 16. A premotor filter 34 is located in the chamber 32 to filter the airflow downstream from the debris separator 18 before traveling through the suction source 16.

Referring to FIGS. 2, 4, and 5, the debris separator 18 includes a housing 36, a cyclonic separator 38 and a debris collection chamber 76 located within the housing 36, and a lid 39. The housing 36 includes an upper end 40, a lower end 42, and an outer wall 44 that extends between the upper and lower ends 40, 42. In the illustrated embodiment, at least a portion of the outer sidewall 44 is generally cylindrical. The housing 36 further includes an inner wall 46 that extends from the lower end 42 toward the upper end 40. In the illustrated embodiment, at least a portion of the inner wall 46 does not extend all of the way to the upper end 40. In the illustrated embodiment, the lid 39 is fixed to the upper end 40 of the housing 36 so that the lid 39 is immovable relative to the housing 36 (i.e., the lid 39 cannot be removed by the user). The debris separator 18 includes a latch 47 to that removable couples the debris separator 18 to the vacuum cleaner 10.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the cyclonic separator 38 includes a cylindrical wall 45, a first end wall 48, a second end wall 50, a dirty air inlet 52, a clean air outlet 54, a clean air duct 56 and a debris outlet 58. The cylindrical wall 45 includes a first end 60 and a second end 62. The dirty air inlet 52 is adjacent the first end 60 of the wall 45. The first end wall 48 is located at the first end 60 of the wall 45 and the clean air outlet 54 extends through the first end wall 48. The second end wall 50 is located at the second end 62 of the cylindrical wall 45. As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the second end wall 50 is formed by a portion 64 of the lid 39. The debris outlet 58 is adjacent the second end 62 of the wall 45 and between an end of the wall 45 and the second end wall 50 that is formed by the portion 64 of the lid 39. In the illustrated embodiment, the wall 45 includes a notch 66 that partially defines the outlet 58. Additionally, the debris outlet 58 is located between at least a portion of an end of the inner wall 46 and the upper end 40 of the housing. Stated another way, the debris outlet 58 is located between at least a portion of an end of the inner wall 46 and the lid 39 forming the second end wall 50. The cyclonic separator 38 further includes a longitudinal axis 68 along the cylindrical wall 45 and the axis 68 is centrally located within the wall 45. The cyclonic separator 38 is orientated such that the axis 68 extends in a generally vertical orientation when the vacuum cleaner is in its storage position. The generally vertical orientation includes in various embodiments orientations that are tilted or angled but being generally more upright than laying over, i.e. being tilted less than about 45 degrees.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 7, the illustrated dirty air inlet 52 include an aperture 63 that extends through the cylindrical wall 45 and an aperture 65 that extends through the outer sidewall 44 of the housing 36. The aperture 65 is larger than the aperture 63, which exposes a portion 67 of the cylindrical wall 45 around the perimeter of the aperture 63. A conduit 84, which extends from the suction nozzle 22 to the debris separator 18, includes a seal 71 (FIG. 7) at an end of the conduit 84. When the debris separator 18 is attached to the conduit 84, the seal 71 is received in the aperture 65 and contacts the exposed portion 67 of the cylindrical wall 45. Contact between the seal 71 and the exposed portion 67 within the aperture 65 reduces the likelihood that air and debris will pass between the seal 71 and the debris separator 18 and not into the debris separator 18.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4, the debris collection chamber 76 is located between the inner wall 46 and the outer wall 44 of the housing 36 below the debris outlet 58. The debris collection chamber 76 is bounded in part by the inner wall 46 and outer walls 44 of the housing. In the illustrated embodiment, the debris collection chamber 76 is adjacent the cyclonic separator 38 in generally a side-by-side arrangement.

The debris separator 18 further includes a perforated tube 70 extending from the first end wall 48 of the cyclonic separator 38 forming the clean air outlet 54. In the illustrated embodiment, the perforated tube 70 and the first end wall 48 are integrally formed as a single component. The perforated tube 70 may be perforated using holes, slots, screen, mesh, or other perforation.

In the illustrated embodiment, a housing portion 72 removable with the clean air duct 56 surrounds at least a portion of the clean air duct 56. In this embodiment, the first end wall 48, the clean air duct 56, the housing portion 72, and the perforated tube 70 are removable from the housing 36 through the lower end 42 of the housing 36 while the cylindrical wall 45 is not removable from the housing 36 through the lower end 42 of the housing 36. As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 5, latches 80, which may be integral with the end wall 48 or removable housing portion, attach the end wall 48, the duct 56, the housing portion 72, and the tube 70 to the housing 36. The latches 80 extend through apertures 82 in the housing 36 to attach the end wall 48, the duct 56 and the tube 70 to the housing 36. To remove the end wall 48, the duct 56 and the tube 70 from the housing 36, the user presses the latches 80 through the apertures 82 and slides the end wall 48, the duct 56 and the tube 70 through the open lower end 42 of the housing 36. A seal 90, which is carried on the end wall 48 in the illustrated embodiment, seals between the end wall 48 and the cylindrical wall 45.

The door 78 is located at the lower end 42 of the housing 36. In the illustrated embodiment, the door 78 is pivotally coupled to the housing 36. The door 78 can be opened to empty the debris collection chamber 76.

In operation, referring to FIG. 1, the suction source 16 generates an airflow that draws debris and the airflow through the suction nozzle 22. The airflow and entrained debris travel through the conduit 84 to the cyclonic separator 38. The airflow and debris then travel through the dirty air inlet 52 and into to the cylindrical wall 45. The airflow and debris are rotated about the longitudinal axis 68 of the separator 38, which causes the debris to separate from the airflow. The debris is discharged over the cylindrical wall 45 through the debris outlet 58 and into the debris collection chamber 76. The clean airflow then travels through the perforated tube 70 and exist the cyclonic separator through the clean air outlet 54. The clean airflow then travels through the clean air duct 56 and into the suction source inlet chamber 32. The premotor filter 34 then further filters the clean airflow and the clean airflow travels through the suction source 16. The clean airflow is then discharged to an exhaust filter 86, which further filters the clean airflow, before being discharged from the vacuum cleaner 10 through the clean air exhaust 88.

After use, the user can empty the debris collection chamber 76 by opening the door 78. If debris accumulates within the cylindrical wall 45, the user can activate the latches 80 to remove the end wall 48, the duct 56 and the tube 70 through the lower end 42 of the housing 36 to remove or empty any debris that accumulated within the wall 45 and on the wall 48.

While the debris separator was illustrated with reference to an upright vacuum cleaner, the present debris separator may be used with canister vacuums, hand-held vacuums, other types of upright vacuums, and other style vacuums. Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner comprising: a suction nozzle;a suction source operable to generate an airflow through the vacuum cleaner from the suction nozzle through a debris separator to a clean air exhaust;the debris separator operable to separate debris from the airflow, the debris separator including a housing having a upper end and a lower end,a cyclonic separator including a cylindrical wall having a first end and a second end, the cylindrical wall located in within the housing, the cyclonic separator further including a dirty air inlet, a clean air outlet, an end wall at the first end of the cylindrical wall, and a debris outlet adjacent the second end of the cylindrical wall,a lid coupled to the upper end of the housing,a debris collection chamber located within the housing and in fluid communication with the debris outlet of the cyclonic separator,a door coupled to the lower end of the housing and movable from a closed position to an open position to empty the debris collection chamber through the lower end of the housing, andwherein a portion of the cyclonic separator is removable from the housing through the lower end of the housing, wherein the portion of the cyclonic separator moves relative to the door when the door is in the closed position.

2. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the lid is fixed to the upper end of the housing such that the lid is immovable relative to the housing.

3. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the debris collection chamber is adjacent the cyclonic separator in generally a side-by-side arrangement.

4. The vacuum cleaner of claim 3, wherein the debris separator includes a latch that removably couples the debris separator to the vacuum cleaner.

5. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the end wall of the cyclonic separator is a first end wall, wherein the lid forms a second end wall of the cyclonic separator at the second end of the cylindrical wall.

6. The vacuum cleaner of claim 5, wherein the second end wall defines a portion of the debris outlet.

7. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the portion of the cyclonic separator that is removable from the housing through the lower end of the housing includes the end wall of the cyclonic separator.

8. The vacuum cleaner of claim 7, wherein the clean air outlet extends through the end wall.

9. The vacuum cleaner of claim 8, wherein the cyclonic separator includes a perforated tube located within the cylindrical wall, the perforated tube extending from the end wall of the cyclonic separator and forming the clean air outlet.

10. The vacuum cleaner of claim 9, wherein the perforated tube is removable through the lower end of the housing.

11. The vacuum cleaner of claim 7, wherein the cylindrical wall is not removable from the housing through the lower end of the housing with the end wall.

12. The vacuum cleaner of claim 11, wherein the cyclonic separator includes a seal between the end wall and the cylindrical wall.

13. The vacuum cleaner of claim 12, wherein the seal is coupled to the end wall and removable with the end wall through the lower end of the housing.

14. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the debris separator includes a clean air duct that extends from the clean air outlet to the lower end of the housing between the clean air outlet and the suction source, and wherein the clean air duct is removable from the lower end of the housing.

15. The vacuum cleaner of claim 14, wherein a housing portion removable with the clean air duct surrounds at least a portion of the clean air duct.

16. The vacuum cleaner of claim 14, wherein the debris separator includes a latch that couples the housing portion and the clean air duct to the housing.

17. The vacuum cleaner of claim 16, wherein a portion of the latch extends through an aperture in the housing to couple the housing portion and the clean air duct to the housing.

18. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the dirty air inlet is adjacent the end wall of the cyclonic separator.

19. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the cyclonic separator includes a longitudinal axis along the cylindrical wall extending in generally a vertical orientation.

20. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the housing includes an inner wall that extends from the lower end toward the upper end of the housing, wherein the debris outlet is located between the inner wall and the upper end of the housing and the debris collection chamber is bounded in part between the inner wall and outer walls of the housing.

21. The vacuum cleaner of claim 3, wherein the housing includes an inner wall that extends from the lower end toward the upper end of the housing, and the debris outlet is located between the inner wall and the lid forming the second end wall of the cyclonic separator, and the debris collection chamber is bounded in part by the inner wall and outer walls of the housing.

22. The vacuum cleaner of claim 5, wherein the housing includes an inner wall that extends from the lower end toward the upper end of the housing, and the debris outlet is located between the inner wall and the lid forming the second end wall of the cyclonic separator, and the debris collection chamber is bounded in part by the inner wall and outer walls of the housing.

23. The vacuum cleaner of claim 9, wherein the housing includes an inner wall that extends from the lower end toward the upper end of the housing, and the debris outlet is located between the inner wall and the lid forming the second end wall of the cyclonic separator, and the debris collection chamber is bounded in part by the inner wall and outer walls of the housing.

24. The vacuum cleaner of claim 15, wherein the housing includes an inner wall that extends from the lower end toward the upper end of the housing, and the debris outlet is located between the inner wall and the lid forming the second end wall of the cyclonic separator, and the debris collection chamber is bounded in part by the inner wall and outer walls of the housing.

25. The vacuum cleaner of claim 19, wherein the housing includes an inner wall that extends from the lower end toward the upper end of the housing, and the debris outlet is located between the inner wall and the lid forming the second end wall of the cyclonic separator, and the debris collection chamber is bounded in part by the inner wall and outer walls of the housing.

26. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, further comprising a conduit between the suction nozzle and the debris separator and a seal coupled to the conduit, wherein the housing of the debris separator includes an aperture adjacent the dirty air inlet of the cyclonic separator, wherein the seal extends through the aperture of the housing and contacts the cylindrical wall of the cyclonic separator to provide fluid communication between the conduit and the dirty air inlet.