Patent Grant
8863353
This document relates generally to the floor care equipment field and, more particularly, to a floor cleaning apparatus including a dirt cup assembly equipped with an internal air guide system for providing more efficient airflow.
Upright and canister vacuum cleaners that utilize dirt cup assemblies to remove and collect dirt and debris entrained in an airstream are well known in the art. Many dirt cup assemblies take advantage of cyclonic airflow to provide enhanced cleaning. Many of those dirt cup assemblies M incorporate a relatively large or primary cyclone upstream from a plurality of relatively small secondary cyclones P (see
Such a dirt cup assembly M provides very good cleaning action. It should be appreciated, however, compact design is a major consideration when producing upright and canister vacuum cleaners. Accordingly, a relatively large number of components are incorporated into a relatively confined space in the dirt cup assembly M. The routing of an airstream around and through these components is complicated and there are many potential corners and pockets that create dead air space, undesired air turbulence, and airflow inefficiency. Such a pocket Q is illustrated in
In accordance with the purposes noted above, a floor cleaning apparatus is provided comprising a body including a suction inlet and an exhaust outlet. A dirt cup assembly is carried on the body. The dirt cup assembly includes a primary cyclone, a plurality of secondary cyclones and an airflow path between the primary cyclone and the plurality of secondary cyclones. In addition the floor cleaning apparatus includes a suction generator carried on the body. The suction generator moves an airstream through the suction inlet, the air flow path of the dirt cup assembly and the exhaust outlet.
The airflow path is characterized by a primary air guide including an arcuate airflow surface extending from a first end to a second end. The first end includes a first opening having a first surface area (A1). The second end includes a second opening having a second surface area (A2) where (A1>A2). Further the first end includes an edge having a series of scallops.
In one embodiment each scallop of the series of scallops extends at least partially around one secondary cyclone of the plurality of secondary cyclones. Further each edge includes a point between any two adjacent scallops of the series of scallops. Each point projects between any two adjacent secondary cyclones of the plurality of secondary cyclones. In addition the secondary cyclones are radially arrayed around the air guide. In operation the airstream flows serially from the primary cyclone through the first opening and the second opening of the air guide to the plurality of secondary cyclones.
In one possible embodiment the first surface area (A1) and the second surface area (A2) have a surface area ratio of between about 1.5 to 1 to about 7.5 to 1. In one particularly useful embodiment the first surface area (A1) and the second surface area (A2) have a surface area of about 1.87 to 1. In another particularly useful embodiment the plurality of secondary cyclones includes eight secondary cyclones and the series of scallops includes eight scallops. Each scallop of the series of scallops includes a radius of curvature of about 17.5 mm. Further each scallop of the series scallops includes a depth of about 6 mm. In addition the primary air guide has a length from the first end to the second end of about 19 mm.
The floor cleaning apparatus may comprise, for example, an upright vacuum cleaner or a canister vacuum cleaner wherein the body thereof includes a nozzle assembly and a canister assembly. The nozzle assembly includes the suction inlet and the canister assembly includes the exhaust outlet. In the upright vacuum cleaner the nozzle assembly and canister assembly are pivotally connected together.
In the following description there shown and describe several different vacuum cleaner embodiments. It should be realized, the vacuum cleaner is capable of still other different embodiments and its several details are capable of modification in various obvious aspects. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions will be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.
The accompanying drawings incorporated herein and forming a part of the specification, illustrate several aspects of the vacuum cleaner and together with the description serve to explain certain principles of the vacuum cleaner. In the drawings:
a and 7b are respective cross-sectional views of the primary air guide along lines A-A and B-B of
Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiment of the vacuum cleaner illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Reference is made to
A dirt collection vessel 20, in the form of a dirt cup assembly, is carried on the body 12. As best illustrated in
More specifically, the dirt cup assembly 20 includes an outer sidewall 26 and a bottom wall 28 defining a dirt collection chamber 30. The bottom wall 28 is connected to the sidewall 26 by means of a hinge 32. The bottom wall 28 may be swung open on the hinge 32 by releasing the latch 34 in order to empty dirt and debris from the dirt collection chamber 30 when desired.
The dirt cup assembly 20 further includes a shroud 36 including a series of airflow apertures 38. The shroud 36 is concentrically received within the sidewall 26. The shroud 36 is also concentrically received around a substantially cylindrical element 40 that defines a dirt collection chamber 42 for relatively fine dirt and debris received from the secondary cyclones 24.
As should be appreciated from reviewing
As best illustrated in
The inlets 58 tangentially direct the airstream along the smooth interior walls of the secondary cyclones 24 where the airstream swirls rapidly in a cyclonic fashion so that fine dust particles remaining in the airstream flow along the outer walls and drop downwardly into the secondary dirt collection chamber 42 through the secondary cyclone debris outlets 60 (note the action arrows E). The airstream, now free of substantially all dirt and debris passes through the clean air outlets 62 of the secondary cyclones 24 into the filter 48 and then passes through the exhaust outlet 54 thereby leaving the dirt cup assembly 20 (note action arrows F). The airstream is then drawn through a conduit into the suction generator compartment holding the suction generator 56. The airstream passes over the motor of the suction generator 56 to provide cooling before being exhausted from the vacuum cleaner via the exhaust outlet 18 after passing through a final filter (not shown).
The second or primary air guide 46 is shown in detail in
As further illustrated in
In the illustrated embodiment there are eight secondary cyclones 24 and eight scallops 78. Each scallop 78 includes a radius of curvature of about 17.5 mm and has a depth of about 6 mm. In one possible embodiment the air guide 46 has a length from the first end 70 to the second end 72 of about 19 mm.
As illustrated in drawing
The foregoing has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally and equitably entitled.
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20140137362 A1 | May 2014 | US |
