FILTRATION CHAMBER CONSTRUCTION FOR A CYCLONIC SURFACE CLEANING APPARATUS

• US 20100212104A1
• Filed: 08/28/2008
• Published: 08/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
• Original Assignee: GBD Corporation (G.B.D.)
• Inventors: Conrad, Wayne Ernest
• Granted Patent: US 8,590,102 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/347
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/24 Hand-supported suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/122 flat
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1608 Cyclonic chamber constructions
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1625 for series flow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/165 Construction of inlets
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1658 Construction of outlets
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/342 comprising at least a single wire, e.g. in the form of a winding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/3432 comprising several wires, e.g. in the form of several independent windings B29C65/3436, B29C65/344 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/3476 being metallic
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1122 Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/12441 being a single wall
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1312 Single flange to flange joints, the parts to be joined being rigid the parts to be joined being flexible B29C66/133
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/244 said joint lines being non-straight, e.g. forming non-closed contours
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/54 Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-shells, to form hollow articles, e.g. for making balls, containers; Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-cylinders, to form tubular articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73921 characterised by the materials of both parts being thermoplastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/949 characterised by specific time values or ranges
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/06 : PE, i.e. polyethylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/12 : PP, i.e. polypropylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2055/02 : ABS polymers, i.e. acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2069/00 : Use of PC, i.e. polycarbonates or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3481 : Housings or casings incorporating or embedding electric or electronic elements
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7406 : Sponges; Cleaning equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/749 : Motors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1158 : Electromagnetic radiation applied to work for delamination [e.g., microwave, uv, ir, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/17 : Three or more coplanar interfitted sections with securing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/19 : Sheets or webs edge spliced or joined
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24488 : Differential nonuniformity at margin

Abstract

A surface cleaning apparatus comprises a filtration apparatus comprising at least one cyclone and at least one filter mounted in a filter housing. The filter housing has a lower portion, such as a bottom door, that is openable and the filter is visible, and a dirt collection area upstream of the filter is emptyable, when the lower portion is opened.

Claims

1. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) a dirty air inlet;

(b) a filtration apparatus comprising at least one cyclone and at least one filter mounted in a filter housing;

(c) the filter housing having a lower portion that is openable while secured to the surface cleaning apparatus and the filter is visible when the lower portion is opened;

(d) a suction motor; and

,

(e) a clean air outlet downstream from the suction motor.

3. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an openable cyclone dirt collection chamber and the filter housing is openable independently of the cyclone dirt collection chamber.

4. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an openable cyclone dirt collection chamber and the filter housing is openable concurrently with the cyclone dirt collection chamber.

5. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the filter housing is mounted to the at least one cyclone.

6. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1—

wherein the filter housing is removably mounted to the filtration apparatus.

7. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the filter housing is positioned below the cyclone.

8. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the filter housing is positioned adjacent the cyclone.

9. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 further comprising first and second housings positioned side by side, the first housing comprising the at least one cyclone and the second housing comprising the filter housing.

10. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cyclone is openable and the filter housing is openable concurrently with the cyclone.

11. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the filter has an upstream filter surface that faces the openable lower portion and is spaced therefrom, whereby a dirt collection area is provided between the upstream filter surface and the openable lower portion.

12. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 9 wherein the first housing has a first housing bottom that is openable and the openable lower portion comprises the bottom of the second housing and wherein the first housing bottom is connected to the second housing bottom, whereby both the first housing bottom and the second housing bottom are moveable concurrently.

13. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 12 wherein the first housing further comprises a dirt collection chamber positioned around at least a portion of the cyclone, the dirt collection chamber has a moveable dirt collection chamber floor, the cyclone has a lower moveable cyclone floor, whereby both the dirt collection chamber and the cyclone are concurrently emptied when the first housing bottom and the second housing bottom are opened concurrently.

14. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 further comprises a dirt collection chamber positioned around at least a portion of the cyclone and the cyclone floor includes a vortex finder mounted thereto.

15. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 9 wherein the first housing has a first housing bottom and the second housing has a second housing bottom and the first housing bottom and the second housing bottom form part of an airflow passage from a cyclone outlet to an upstream side of the filter.

16. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a mechanical filter-cleaning member.

17. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 16 wherein the mechanical filter-cleaning member comprises a vibrator connected to the filter.

18. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 17 wherein the vibrator is actuated when the second housing bottom is opened.

19. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 16 wherein the mechanical filter-cleaning member comprises a wiper positioned on an upstream side of the filter.

20. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 19 wherein the wiper is actuated when the second housing bottom is opened.

21. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 16 wherein the mechanical filter-cleaning member is battery powered.

22. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 15 wherein at least a portion of the airflow passage is transparent.

2. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 2 wherein the filter housing is openable while the filter housing is mounted to the filtration apparatus.