Dirt container for cyclonic vacuum cleaner

• US 20040010885A1
• Filed: 07/09/2003
• Published: 01/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation Of North America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation Of North America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hitzelberger, J. Erik, Hafling, Danielle M., Mudd, Amy N.
• Granted Patent: US 7,152,275 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/352
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/28 Suction cleaners with handles and nozzles fixed on the casings, e.g. wheeled suction cleaners with steering handle A47L5/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/165 Construction of inlets
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1666 with filtering means

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner has a housing including a nozzle assembly and a canister assembly. A dirt container is connected to the housing. The dirt container includes a collection chamber and a combined handle and inlet flow passageway. An airstream conduit conveys a vacuum airstream from the nozzle to the inlet flow passageway. A fan and motor assembly generates the vacuum airstream.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a housing including a nozzle assembly and a canister assembly;

a dirt container connected to said housing, said dirt container including a collection chamber and a combined handle and inlet flow passageway;

an airstream conduit for conveying a vacuum airstream from said nozzle assembly to said inlet flow passageway; and

a fan and motor assembly for generating said vacuum airstream and drawing dirt and debris through said airstream conduit and said inlet flow passageway into said collection chamber.

2. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein said dirt container is connected to said canister assembly.

3. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein said inlet flow passageway includes a delivery port in communication with said collection chamber.

4. The vacuum cleaner of claim 3, wherein said collection chamber is substantially cylindrical in shape and said delivery port is oriented substantially tangentially with respect to said collection chamber.

5. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein said dirt container includes a filter and a discharge outlet.

6. The vacuum cleaner of claim 5, wherein said dirt container further includes a prefilter extending at least partially across said collection chamber between said filter and a floor of said dirt container.

7. The vacuum cleaner of claim 6, wherein said prefilter includes at least one airflow passageway in a face of said prefilter between an inner edge and an outer edge thereof.

8. A dirt container for a vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a housing including a dirt collection chamber; and

a combined handle and inlet flow passageway.

9. The dirt container of claim 8, wherein said dirt collection chamber is substantially cylindrical in shape.

10. The dirt container of claim 9, wherein said inlet flow passageway includes a delivery port oriented substantially tangentially and in fluid communication with said dirt collection chamber.

11. The dirt container of claim 8, wherein said dirt container further includes a prefilter extending at least partially across said collection chamber.

12. The dirt container of claim 11, wherein said prefilter includes at least one airflow passageway in a face of said prefilter between an inner edge and an outer edge thereof.

13. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a housing including a nozzle assembly and a canister assembly;

a dirt container connected to said housing, said dirt container including a collection chamber holding a filter and a prefilter;

an airstream conduit for conveying a vacuum airstream from said nozzle assembly to said dirt container; and

a fan and motor assembly for generating said vacuum airstream and drawing dirt and debris through said airstream conduit into said collection chamber;

said vacuum cleaner being characterized by at least one airflow passageway in a face of said prefilter between an inner edge and an outer edge thereof.

14. A dirt container for a vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a housing including a dirt collection chamber;

a filter in said dirt collection chamber;

a prefilter in said dirt collection chamber between said filter and a floor of said dirt collection chamber, said prefilter including at least one airflow passageway in a face of said prefilter between an inner edge and an outer edge thereof.