Cyclonic vacuum cleaner with filter and filter sweeper

• US 20040025285A1
• Filed: 09/12/2003
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation Of North America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation Of North America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nishikori, Tamaki, Hitzelberger, J. Erik, McCormick, Michael J., Marcussen, Henry, Downey, Richard Eric
• Granted Patent: US 7,070,636 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/352
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1608 Cyclonic chamber constructions
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1666 with filtering means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1683 Dust collecting chambers; Dust collecting receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1691 Mounting or coupling means for cyclonic chamber or dust receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/19 Means for monitoring filtering operation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/20 Means for cleaning filters
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2821 Pressure, vacuum level or airflow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 55/03 Vacuum cleaner

Abstract

A bagless vacuum cleaner (10) includes a nozzle assembly (16) having a suction nozzle for picking up dirt and debris from a surface to be cleaned and a canister assembly (18) including a cavity (32). A dust collection assembly (12) is received and held in that cavity (32). The dust collection assembly (12) includes a filtering subassembly (100) and a dust container (102). The dust container (102) has an open top (104), a bottom wall (106), a first cylindrical sidewall (108), an inlet (110), and a downwardly directed outlet (112) extending through the bottom wall. An airstream conduit is provided for conveying a vacuum airstream between the suction nozzle and the inlet. A filter (124, 138) is carried on the filtering subassembly (100). A sweeper (200) rotates relative to the filtering subassembly (100) to clean dirt and debris from at least a portion of the filter (138). A suction fan (34) and suction fan drive motor (35) carried on either the nozzle assembly (16) or the canister assembly (18) generates the vacuum airstream for drawing dirt and debris through the suction nozzle, the airstream conduit and the dust container (102).

Claims

1. A bagless vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a nozzle assembly including a suction nozzle for picking up dirt and debris from a surface to be cleaned;

a canister assembly;

a dust collection assembly including a filtering subassembly and a dust container, said dust container having an open top, a bottom wall, a first cylindrical sidewall, an inlet, and a downwardly directed outlet extending through said bottom wall, said dust collection assembly being received and held on one of said nozzle assembly and said canister assembly;

an airstream conduit for conveying a vacuum airstream between said suction nozzle and said inlet;

a filter carried on said filtering subassembly;

a sweeper carried on said filtering subassembly so as to allow relative rotary movement with respect to said filtering subassembly, said sweeper cleaning dirt and debris from at least a portion of said filter; and

a suction fan and suction fan drive motor carried on one of said nozzle assembly and said canister assembly for generating said vacuum airstream.

2. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein said dust container includes a second cylindrical sidewall concentrically received within said first cylindrical sidewall so that at least a portion of said dust container is annular.

3. The vacuum cleaner of claim 2, wherein said second cylindrical sidewall defines an exhaust pathway in fluid communication with said outlet.

4. The vacuum cleaner of claim 3, wherein said filtering subassembly includes a main body and a cooperating cover defining a primary filter cavity.

5. The vacuum cleaner of claim 4, wherein said filter includes a primary filter positioned in said primary filter cavity and dividing said primary filter cavity into an intake chamber and a discharge chamber.

6. The vacuum cleaner of claim 5, wherein said primary filter is an annular corrugated material filter.

7. The vacuum cleaner of claim 5, wherein said main body includes a downwardly depending exhaust conduit providing fluid communication between said discharge chamber and said exhaust pathway leading to said outlet.

8. The vacuum cleaner of claim 7, wherein said main body includes a frustoconical wall around said intake chamber.

9. The vacuum cleaner of claim 8, wherein said filter also includes a prefilter carried on said main body, said prefilter extending concentrically around said exhaust conduit so as to form an intake channel between said prefilter and said exhaust conduit, said intake channel being in fluid communication with said intake chamber.

10. The vacuum cleaner of claim 9, wherein said prefilter is a cylindrical, open ended screen or porous material.

11. The vacuum cleaner of claim 9, further including an air current guide carried on said main body and extending between said prefilter and said second cylindrical sidewall.

12. The vacuum cleaner of claim 11, wherein said air current guide includes a separator and at least one downwardly depending air current guide vane.

13. The vacuum cleaner of claim 6, further including a filter clicker carried on said cover, said filter clicker including a cleaning element having at least one projecting lug and an actuator for rotating said cleaning element relative to said primary filter and wherein said primary filter includes a support frame having a series of projecting tabs, said projecting lug engaging said series of projecting tabs to vibrate and clean dirt from said primary filter.

14. The vacuum cleaner of claim 12, wherein a first gap having a width W₁ is formed between said prefilter and said first cylindrical sidewall.

15. The vacuum cleaner of claim 14, wherein a second gap having a width W₂ is provided between an outer edge of said separator and said first cylindrical sidewall.

16. The vacuum cleaner of claim 15, wherein a third gap having a width W₃ is provided between said sweeper and said first cylindrical sidewall.

17. The vacuum cleaner of claim 16, wherein said inlet includes a diameter D₁ and D₁≦

W₁ and W₂≦

W₃.

18. The vacuum cleaner of claim 17, wherein W₁ is between 34-36 mm, W₂ is between 12-16 mm, W₃ is between 14-20 mm and D₁ is between 30-35 mm.

19. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein said inlet is directed tangentially with respect to said first cylindrical sidewall.

20. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein said sweeper is a structure selected from a group consisting of a wiper, a brush, a comb, bristles and any mixtures thereof.

29. The upright vacuum cleaner of claim 1 further including a back light between said dust collection assembly and said canister assembly.

21. A bagless vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a nozzle assembly;

a canister assembly pivotally mounted to said nozzle assembly;

a dust collection assembly carried by one of said nozzle assembly and said canister assembly, said dust collection assembly including a dust container and a filter;

a sweeper for sweeping across and cleaning dirt and debris from at least a portion of said filter; and

a suction fan and suction fan drive motor carried on one of said nozzle assembly and said canister assembly.

22. An upright vacuum cleaner, comprising

a nozzle assembly including a suction nozzle for picking up dirt and debris from a surface to be cleaned;

a canister assembly pivotally mounted to said nozzle assembly and including a control handle;

a bagless dust container, prefilter and primary filter for collecting dirt and debris cleaned from said surface;

a sweeper for cleaning said prefilter; and

a suction fan and beltless drive motor carried on one of said nozzle assembly and said canister assembly for generating a vacuum airstream for drawing dirt and debris through said suction nozzle into said dust container.

23. The upright vacuum cleaner of claim 22, wherein said sweeper includes a rotor and at least one depending blade.

24. The upright vacuum cleaner of claim 23, wherein said at least one blade carries a wiper.

25. The upright vacuum cleaner of claim 23, wherein said at least one blade is swept in configuration.

26. The upright vacuum cleaner of claim 25, wherein said at least one blade has a sweep angle of between 0-30°

and a radius of curvature of 35-40 mm.

27. The upright vacuum cleaner of claim 23, further including a bearing on said main body and a shoulder on said rotor for engaging said bearing.

28. The upright vacuum cleaner of claim 27, further including cooperating slots in said rotor and said bearing.

30. A bagless vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a nozzle assembly including a suction nozzle;

a canister assembly pivotally connected to said nozzle assembly;

a dust collection assembly carried on one of said nozzle assembly and said canister assembly, said dust collection assembly including a dust container having an open top, a bottom wall, a side wall, an inlet and an outlet and a filtering subassembly having a cover for closing said open top of said dust container and a filter carried on said cover;

an airstream conduit for conveying a vacuum airstream between said suction nozzle and said inlet; and

a suction fan and suction fan drive motor carried on one of said nozzle assembly and said canister assembly for generating said vacuum airstream.

31. The vacuum cleaner of claim 30 wherein said filter includes a prefilter and a primary filter.

32. The vacuum cleaner of claim 31, further including a sweeper carried on said lid so as to allow relative rotary movement with respect to said filtering subassembly, said sweeper cleaning dirt and debris from said prefilter.