OVAL FILTER CAGE AND VACUUM CLEANER

• US 20080127449A1
• Filed: 01/26/2007
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emerson Electric Company
• Original Assignee: Emerson Electric Company
• Inventors: Hollis, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 7,971,314 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/353
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/365 of the vertical type, e.g. tank or bucket type
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/18 Liquid filters

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a filter cage having an improved flow path suitable even for restricted flow regions of a float container in the cage. The filter cage departs from generally accepted structural considerations and provides flow paths to one or more sides of the cage outside the restricted flow regions of the float container, but within the cross-sectional area of the cage structure. In one exemplary embodiment, the cage is oval-shaped with a cross-sectional area defined by a major and minor axis. A restricted flow region, such as the float container, encompasses a cross-sectional area corresponding in size to a cross-sectional area defined by the minor axis of the oval-shaped cage. The remaining portion of the cage cross-sectional areas provides one or more flow paths outward from the float container in the direction of the major axis of the cage.

Claims

1. A cage for a wet and dry vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a plurality of rings surrounding a longitudinal axis, the rings having a first cross-sectional dimension and a second cross-sectional dimension measured at a right angle to the first cross-sectional dimension, the first and second cross-sectional dimensions defining an inside cross-sectional area;

one or more longitudinal supports coupled to the plurality of rings to form a plurality of open spaces between the rings and supports; and

a closed float container coupled to the rings, supports, or a combination thereof, the closed float container having an open top and defining an outside float container cross-sectional area, the outside float container cross-sectional area being smaller than the inside cross-sectional area to allow a first flow path between the inside surfaces of the rings and the outside surface of the closed float container.

2. The cage of claim 1, wherein the rings are oval-shaped.

3. The cage of claim 1, wherein the first cross-sectional dimension has a different dimension in length than the second cross-sectional dimension.

4. The cage of claim 3, wherein the first flow path comprises a first partial flow path between the float container and the rings on a first side of the cage and a second partial flow path between the float container and the rings on a second side of the cage distal from the first side.

5. The cage of claim 3, wherein the first flow path is symmetrically disposed between the float container and a first side of the rings and the float container and a second side of the rings distal from the first side.

6. The cage of claim 1, wherein a periphery of the float container is circular and the first cross-sectional dimension of the rings is shorter than the second cross-sectional dimension.

7. The cage of claim 6, wherein the first cross-sectional dimension is shorter than the second cross-sectional dimension and wherein the periphery of the float container is adjacent the rings at the first cross-sectional dimension.

8. The cage of claim 1, further comprising a second flow path through one or more open spaces between the rings and the longitudinal supports, the second flow path being open to an air flow zone of the cage having a greater cross-sectional area than the first flow path.

9. The cage of claim 1, wherein the cage comprises an open top and a closed bottom, the cage defining an overall first length, and the float container defining a second length shorter than the first length, the float container being coupled to the bottom of the cage.

10. A system for vacuuming materials, comprising:

a vacuum cleaner; and

the cage of claim 1.

11. A system for vacuuming materials, comprising:

a wet and dry vacuum cleaner; and

a cage to support a filter, the cage coupled to the vacuum cleaner and comprising;

a plurality of oval-shaped rings surrounding a longitudinal axis, the rings having a first cross-sectional dimension shorter than a second cross-sectional dimension measured at a right angle to the first cross-sectional dimension, the first and second cross-sectional dimensions defining an inside cross-sectional area;

one or more longitudinal supports coupled to the plurality of rings to form a plurality of open spaces between the rings and supports; and

a circular closed float container coupled to the rings, supports, or a combination thereof, the closed float container having an open top and defining an outside float container cross-sectional area, wherein the coupling of the float container defines a first partial flow path between the float container and the rings on a first side of the cage and a second partial flow path between the float container and the rings on a second side of the cage distal from the first side.

12. The cage of claim 11, wherein the first flow path is symmetrically disposed between the float container and a first side of the rings and the float container and a second side of the rings distal from the first side.

13. The cage of claim 11, further comprising a second flow path through one or more open spaces between the rings and the longitudinal supports, the second flow path being open to an air flow zone of the cage having a small cross-sectional area than the closed float container.

14. The cage of claim 11, wherein the cage comprises an open top and a closed bottom, the cage defining an overall first length, and the float container defining a second length shorter than the first length, the float container being coupled to the bottom of the cage.