Vacuum cleaner with dirt collection vessel having a stepped sidewall

• US 20070067944A1
• Filed: 09/28/2005
• Published: 03/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation Of North America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation Of North America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Proffitt, Donald, Kitamura, Hidenori
• Application Number:
  US11/236,902
• Publication Number:
  US 20070067944A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/353
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/122 flat
• 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 9/20 Means for cleaning filters

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner is provided including a nozzle assembly with a suction inlet and a canister assembly. A suction generator and dirt collection vessel ate carried on one of the nozzle assembly and canister assembly. The dirt collection vessel includes a base wall, a stepped sidewall and a dirt collection chamber. The stepped sidewall has a first cylindrical section with a circumference C₁, and a second cylindrical section with a circumference C₂ where C₁, C₁>C₂. In addition the stepped sidewall includes a step connecting the first and second cylindrical sections where the step and first cylindrical section define an included angle A₁≦90°.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a nozzle assembly including a suction inlet;

a canister assembly;

a suction generator carried on one of said canister assembly and said nozzle assembly;

a dirt collection vessel carried on one of said canister assembly and said nozzle assembly, said dirt collection vessel including a base wall, a stepped sidewall and a dirt collection chamber;

said dirt collection vessel being characterized by (1) said stepped sidewall having a first cylindrical section with a circumference C₁ and a second cylindrical section with a circumference C₂ where C₁>

C₂ and (2) a step connecting said first cylindrical section with said second cylindrical section where said step and said first cylindrical section define an included angle A₁≦

90°

.

2. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein said step includes a channel opening toward said base wall.

3. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein said first cylindrical section, said second cylindrical section and said step define a channel opening toward said base wall.

4. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein said circumference C₁ is between about 18.8 in. and about 25.1 in.

5. The vacuum cleaner of claim 4, wherein said circumference C₂ is between about 15.7 in. and about 22.0 in.

6. The vacuum cleaner of claim 5, wherein said first cylindrical section has a height H₁ of between about 6 in. and about 7 in. and said second cylindrical section has a height H₂ of between about 5 in. and about 6 in.

7. The vacuum cleaner of claim 6, wherein said circumference C₁, and said height H₁, define a volume V₁, of between about 169.6 in.³ and about 351.9 in.³ and said circumference C₂ and said height H₂ define a volume V₂ of between about 98.2 in.³ and about 230.9 in.³.

8. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein said step has a width between said first cylindrical section and said second cylindrical section of between about 0.1 in. and about 2.5 in.

9. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, further including a support concentrically received in said first cylindrical section and projecting from said base wall.

10. The vacuum cleaner of claim 9, including a prefilter carried on said support.

11. The vacuum cleaner of claim 10, wherein said prefilter includes a third cylindrical section that carries an angled flange.

12. The vacuum cleaner of claim 11, wherein said flange and said third cylindrical section meet at a vertex V defining an included angle A₂ of between about 135 to about 165 degrees.

13. The vacuum cleaner of claim 12, wherein said vertex V is received concentrically within said second cylindrical section.

14. The vacuum cleaner of claim 13, wherein said flange includes a straight, continuous face.

15. The vacuum cleaner of claim 14, wherein an annular gap is provided between said flange and an end of said second cylindrical section, said gap having a width of between about 0.5 in. and about 2.5 in.

16. The vacuum cleaner of claim 15, further including a filter provided in said dirt collection chamber.

17. The vacuum cleaner of claim 16, wherein said filter is carried on said prefilter.

18. The vacuum cleaner of claim 17, wherein a lid including a top wall closes an end of said dirt collection vessel opposite said base wall.

19. The vacuum cleaner of claim 18, wherein said lid includes an inlet and an outlet.

20. The vacuum cleaner of claim 18, wherein said inlet is in communication with said dirt collection chamber and said outlet is in communication with an upstream side of said filter.

21. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein said nozzle assembly is pivotally connected to said canister assembly.

22. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, further including a rotary agitator carried on said nozzle assembly adjacent said suction inlet.

23. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein said canister assembly includes a control handle.