U.S. patent application number 11/890614 was filed with the patent office on 2009-02-12 for cyclonic vacuum cleaner system.
Invention is credited to Yiu-Ming Lee.
Application Number | 20090038275 11/890614 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40345207 |
Filed Date | 2009-02-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090038275 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lee; Yiu-Ming |
February 12, 2009 |
Cyclonic vacuum cleaner system
Abstract
A cyclone system for a vacuum cleaner includes an array of two
or more primary cyclone chambers, an array of two or more secondary
cyclone chambers situated downstream of the primary cyclone
chambers, and a manifold situated downstream of and communicating
with the primary cyclone chambers and upstream of and communicating
with the secondary cyclone chambers.
Inventors: |
Lee; Yiu-Ming; (Wan Chai,
CN) |
Correspondence
Address: |
ALIX YALE & RISTAS LLP
750 MAIN STREET, SUITE 1400
HARTFORD
CT
06103
US
|
Family ID: |
40345207 |
Appl. No.: |
11/890614 |
Filed: |
August 7, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
55/337 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L 9/1641 20130101;
A47L 5/28 20130101; A47L 9/1625 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
55/337 |
International
Class: |
A47L 9/16 20060101
A47L009/16 |
Claims
1. A cyclone system for a vacuum cleaner, comprising: an array of
primary cyclone chambers, an array of secondary cyclone chambers
situated downstream of the primary cyclone chambers, and a manifold
situated downstream of and communicating with the primary cyclone
chambers and upstream of and communicating with the secondary
cyclone chambers.
2. The cyclone system of claim 1, wherein the manifold communicates
with each primary cyclone chamber via an air-extraction exit tube
extending into the primary cyclone chamber.
3. The cyclone system of claim 2, wherein each exit tube comprises
an inlet through which air from the primary chamber passes en route
to the manifold and a particulate screen across the inlet.
4. The cyclone system of claim 3, wherein each primary cyclone
chamber comprises a dirty air inlet port directed tangentially into
the chamber and the exit tube extends sufficiently into the chamber
such that its inlet is not in the direct flow path of the dirty air
inlet port, but not substantially therepast, thereby leaving a
major axial portion of the primary cyclone chamber unobstructed by
the exit tube.
4. (canceled)
5. The cyclone system of claim 1, further comprising a respective
fine particulate receptacle associated with each secondary cyclone
chamber, and wherein each secondary cyclone chamber is
frusto-conically tapered inwardly toward the respective fine
particulate receptacle.
6. The cyclone system of claim 1, comprising a pair of said primary
cyclone chambers and a trio of said secondary cyclone chambers.
7. A cyclone chamber for a vacuum cleaner, comprising: a dirty air
inlet port directed tangentially into the chamber, an
air-extraction exit tube extending into the chamber and having an
inlet through which air is extracted from the chamber, the exit
tube extending sufficiently into the chamber such that its inlet is
not in the direct flow path of the dirty air inlet port, but not
substantially therepast, thereby leaving a major axial portion of
the cyclone chamber unobstructed by the exit tube.
8. The cyclone chamber of claim 7, further comprising a particulate
screen situated across the inlet of the air-extraction exit
tube.
9. A cyclone system for a vacuum cleaner, comprising: a primary
cyclone chamber for receiving dirty air and having an exit port, a
secondary cyclone chamber situated outside of and downstream of the
primary cyclone chamber and having an inlet port receiving airflow
from the exit port of the primary chamber.
10. The cyclone system of claim 9, wherein the primary and
secondary chambers are each substantially cylindrical with a major
longitudinal axis and wherein the axes of the respective chambers
are substantially co-linear.
11. The cyclone system of claim 10, wherein the primary chamber
comprises: a dirty air inlet port directed tangentially into the
chamber, an air-extraction exit tube extending into the chamber and
having an inlet through which air is extracted from the chamber,
the exit tube extending sufficiently into the chamber such that its
inlet is not in the direct flow path of the dirty air inlet port,
but not substantially therepast, thereby leaving a major axial
portion of the cyclone chamber unobstructed by the exit tube.
12. The cyclone system of claim 11, further comprising a
particulate screen situated across the inlet of the air-extraction
exit tube.
13. An upright vacuum cleaner comprising the cyclone system of
claim 10 and in which the secondary chamber is situated above the
primary chamber.
14. The cyclone system of claim 1, wherein the secondary chambers
each comprise an air-extraction exit tube extending into the
secondary chamber and via which air is drawn from the secondary
chamber.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to vacuum cleaners. More
particularly, although not exclusively, the invention relates to
"bagless" vacuum cleaners having cyclonic filtering chambers.
[0002] Cyclonic chamber vacuum cleaners are known. Some such vacuum
cleaners employ both a primary cyclonic chamber for removing large
particulate material from an air stream, and a secondary cyclonic
chamber housed within the primary chamber for separating smaller
particulate material from the air stream after passing through the
primary chamber.
[0003] Some cyclone vacuum cleaners comprise a long exit tube
extending into the cyclonic chamber and around which a cyclonic
flow is induced.
[0004] Such known cyclonic vacuum cleaners have limited
particulate-removal efficiency and indeed the location of a
secondary chamber within a primary chamber, or the extension of an
elongated exit tube into the cyclonic chamber diminishes desirable
natural vortex which might otherwise be induced in the chamber.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0005] It is an object of the present invention to overcome or
substantially ameliorate at least one of the above disadvantages
and/or more generally to provide an improved sequential cyclonic
vacuum cleaner.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
[0006] There is disclosed herein a cyclone system for a vacuum
cleaner, comprising: [0007] an array of primary cyclone chambers,
[0008] an array of secondary cyclone chambers situated downstream
of the primary cyclone chambers, and [0009] a manifold situated
downstream of and communicating with the primary cyclone chambers
and upstream of and communicating with the secondary cyclone
chambers.
[0010] Preferably, the manifold communicates with each primary
cyclone chamber via an air-extraction exit tube extending into the
primary cyclone chamber.
[0011] Preferably, each exit tube comprises an inlet through which
air from the primary chamber passes en route to the manifold and a
particulate screen across the inlet.
[0012] Preferably, each primary cyclone chamber comprises a dirty
air inlet port directed tangentially into the chamber and the exit
tube extends sufficiently into the chamber such that its inlet is
not in the direct flow path of the dirty air inlet port, but not
substantially therepast, thereby leaving a major axial portion of
the primary cyclone chamber unobstructed by the exit tube.
[0013] Preferably, the secondary chambers each comprise an
air-extraction exit tube extending into the secondary chamber and
via which air is drawn from the secondary chamber.
[0014] Preferably, the cyclone system further comprises a
respective fine particulate receptacle associated-with each
secondary cyclone chamber, and wherein each secondary cyclone
chamber is frusto-conically tapered inwardly toward the respective
fine particulate receptacle.
[0015] Preferably, the cyclone system further comprises a pair of
said primary cyclone chambers and a trio of said secondary cyclone
chambers.
[0016] There is further disclosed herein a cyclone chamber for a
vacuum cleaner, comprising: [0017] a dirty air inlet port directed
tangentially into the chamber, [0018] an air-extraction exit tube
extending into the cyclone chamber and having an inlet through
which air is extracted from the chamber, the exit tube extending
sufficiently into the chamber such that its inlet is not in the
direct flow path of the dirty air inlet port, but not substantially
therepast, thereby leaving a major axial portion of the cyclone
chamber unobstructed by the exit tube.
[0019] Preferably, the cyclone chamber further comprises a
particulate screen situated across the inlet of the air-extraction
exit tube.
[0020] There is further disclosed herein a cyclone system for a
vacuum cleaner, comprising: [0021] a primary cyclone chamber for
receiving dirty air and having an exit port, [0022] a secondary
cyclone chamber situated outside of and downstream of the primary
cyclone chamber and having an inlet port receiving airflow from the
exit port of the primary chamber.
[0023] Preferably, the primary and secondary chambers are each
substantially cylindrical with a major longitudinal axis and
wherein the axes of the respective chambers are substantially
co-linear.
[0024] There is further disclosed herein an upright vacuum cleaner
comprising the above disclosed cyclone system and in which the
secondary chamber is situated above the primary chamber.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0025] Preferred forms of the present invention will now be
described by way of example with reference to the accompanying
drawings, wherein:
[0026] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan illustration of a multi-chamber
cyclone system,
[0027] FIG. 2 is a schematic elevation of a dual cyclone chamber
system, and
[0028] FIG. 3 is a schematic elevation of an upright vacuum cleaner
incorporating a dual cyclone chamber system.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0029] In FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings there is depicted
schematically a cyclone system 9 for a vacuum cleaner. The system 9
includes a pair of primary cyclone chambers 11a and 11b and a
common manifold 13 connecting the primary chambers to a trio of
secondary cyclone chambers 14a, 14b and 14c.
[0030] Each primary cyclone chamber 11 is substantially cylindrical
in form and comprises an inlet port 12 at the top end which extends
tangentially therefrom. Each inlet port 12 would be connected via
appropriate manifolding and suction ducting to a vacuum cleaning
head or suction hose for example. The tangential transition of the
dirty air inlet port 12 to the cylindrical chamber induces a
cyclonic flow within the chamber. The chamber 11 includes at its
bottom a large particulate receptacle area 17.
[0031] Whilst FIG. 2 depicts a second system 10 incorporating only
single primary cyclone chamber 11 and single secondary cyclone
chamber 14, the details shown in the figure can apply equally to
the embodiment of FIG. 1. In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 2, the
manifold 13 is replaced by a single connecting tube 21 between the
cyclones.
[0032] The manifold 13 (or connecting tube 21) receives airflow
from the/each primary chamber 11 via a short exit tube 19 which
extends down into the respective primary chamber 11 only a short
distance. This distance is sufficient to clear the vertical space
requirement of the inlet port 12 so that particulate material
entering the primary chamber 11 via inlet port 12 is not drawn in
directly by the exit tube. However, the exit tube 19 does not
extend significantly further into the primary chamber 11 where it
would otherwise adversely affect the natural vortex of airflow
within the chamber. A particulate screen 16 is fitted over the exit
tube 19 as an additional barrier to the direct ingress of large
particulate material to the exit tube.
[0033] In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the manifold 13 feeds into
three individual secondary cyclone chambers 14a, 14b and 14c. In
the embodiment of FIG. 2, of course there is only a single
secondary cyclone 14. The-or each secondary cyclone chamber (as the
case ma be) 14 also includes an exit tube 20 of similar design to
exit tube(s) 19, but typically without a particulate screen. The
air flow from 13 or 21 feeds tangentially into the/each secondary
cyclone chamber 14 in much the same way as does the dirty airflow
into inlet port 12 of the primary chamber(s).
[0034] The or each secondary cyclone chamber 14 at some point
tapers conically toward a fine particulate receptacle 18 situated
therebelow. Each exit tube 15 would be connected via appropriate
manifolding and ducting to a motor-driven suction pump.
[0035] FIG. 3 depicts an upright vacuum cleaner 30 in which the
dual chamber system of FIG. 2 is incorporated. The upright vacuum
cleaner 30 typically includes a handle 25, a cleaning head 23 and a
suction pump 22 connected via ducting 24 to the exit tube 20 of the
secondary cyclone 14. Air from the suction pump 22 is exhausted as
shown by the large arrow. In the example of FIG. 3, the primary and
secondary cyclones 11 and 14 are mounted substantially coaxially.
Moreover, the respective longitudinal axes of the cylindrical
cyclone chambers are co-linear as indicated by common axis A in the
figure. The smaller secondary cyclone is positioned above the
larger primary cyclone. As seen in the figure, a single connecting
tube 21 extends upwardly from exit tube 19 to the inlet port 15 of
the secondary cyclone chamber 14.
[0036] In use, the motor-driven suction pump 22 would be activated
to induce suction at the exit tube 15 of the or each secondary
cyclone chamber 14. As clean air is extracted from the secondary
chamber(s) 14, suction is induced in the manifold 13 (or connecting
tube 21) and fine particle-laden air is drawn thereinto from the
primary chamber(s) 11. Similarly, as fine particle-laden air is
extracted from the primary chamber(s) 11, suction is induced at the
inlet port(s) 12.
[0037] It should be appreciated that modifications and alterations
obvious to those skilled in the art are not to be considered as
beyond the scope of the present invention. For example, particulate
screens could be added to the exit tube(s) 20 to stop very fine
particulate material, and any number of primary and secondary
cyclone chambers can be attached to a single manifold.
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