CYCLONIC SURFACE CLEANING APPARATUS WITH EXTERNALLY POSITIONED DIRT CHAMBER

• US 20100299866A1
• Filed: 08/28/2008
• Published: 12/02/2010
• 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 9,027,201 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/353
• 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 a cyclone and an openable dirt collection chamber in communication with the cyclone dirt outlet. The dirt collection chamber has an openable end portion that comprises a wall that is intersected by the longitudinally extending axis, and when the end portion is in an open position, the cyclone chamber has an absence of any member having a larger diameter than the vortex finder whereby the dirt collection chamber and the cyclone are concurrently emptyable when the dirt collection chamber is opened.

Claims

1. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) a dirty air inlet;

(b) a filtration apparatus comprising a cyclone downstream from the dirty air inlet, the cyclone having a cyclone chamber, a vortex finder, a dirt outlet, an openable portion and a longitudinally extending axis;

(c) an openable dirt collection chamber in communication with the dirt outlet, the dirt collection chamber having an openable end portion that comprises a wall that is intersected by the longitudinally extending axis, and the end portion of the dirt collection chamber is openable concurrently with the openable portion of the cyclone;

(d) a suction motor; and

,

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

2. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the end portion is pivotally openable.

3. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the end portion comprises a dirt collection surface.

4. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the end portion is at an end of the dirt collection chamber distal to the dirt outlet.

5. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the end portion further comprises the vortex finder.

6. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the end portion faces the dirt outlet.

8. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the openable portion of the cyclone comprises a cyclone dirt collection surface, the dirt collection chamber has a moveable dirt collection chamber surface, and the dirt collection chamber surface is moveable concurrently with the cyclone dirt collection surface.

9. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the end portion comprises a dirt collection surface, the cyclone has a moveable cyclone dirt collection surface, the moveable cyclone dirt collection surface is a floor of the cyclone and the dirt collection surface is a floor of the dirt collection chamber.

10. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 9 wherein the dirt collection surface and the cyclone dirt collection surface comprise a pivoting bottom of the filtration apparatus.

11. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 9 wherein the vortex finder is mounted to the cyclone floor.

12. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the vortex finder has an upstream end in the cyclone chamber and an absence of any filtration member in covering relationship thereto.

13. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the dirt collection chamber is positioned around at least a portion of the cyclone.

14. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 13 wherein the dirt collection chamber surrounds the cyclone.

15. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the filtration apparatus comprises a plurality of cyclonic cleaning stages and the cyclone comprises a portion of one such stage.

16. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cyclone comprises a first cyclonic cleaning stage and the filtration apparatus comprises a second cyclonic cleaning stage comprising a plurality of cyclones in parallel.

17. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cyclone is inverted and the dirt outlet is in an upper portion of the cyclone.

18. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cyclone has an air inlet at one end of the cyclone and the dirt outlet is provided in a sidewall of the cyclone spaced from the air inlet, the cyclone has an cyclone dirt collection surface that is openable concurrently with the end portion.

7. (canceled)

19. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) a dirty air inlet;

(b) a filtration apparatus comprising a cyclone downstream from the dirty air inlet, the cyclone having a cyclone chamber, a vortex finder, a dirt outlet, and a longitudinally extending axis;

(c) an openable dirt collection chamber positioned around at least a portion of the cyclone chamber and in communication with the dirt outlet, the dirt collection chamber having an openable end portion, and when the end portion is in an open position the dirt collection chamber and the cyclone are concurrently emptyable;

(d) a suction motor; and

,

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

20. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 19 wherein the dirt collection chamber surrounds the cyclone.

21. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) a dirty air inlet;

(b) a filtration apparatus comprising an inverted cyclone downstream from the dirty air inlet, the cyclone having a cyclone chamber, a vortex finder, a dirt outlet in an upper portion of the cyclone, an openable portion and a longitudinally extending axis;

(c) an openable dirt collection chamber in communication with the dirt outlet, the dirt collection chamber having an openable end portion that comprises a wall that is intersected by the longitudinally extending axis, and the dirt collection chamber and the cyclone are concurrently emptyable when the dirt collection chamber is opened;

(d) a suction motor; and

,

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

22. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) a dirty air inlet;

(b) a filtration apparatus comprising a cyclone downstream from the dirty air inlet, the cyclone having a cyclone chamber, a vortex finder, a dirt outlet, an openable portion that includes the vortex finder and a longitudinally extending axis whereby the vortex finder is removed when the openable portion is opened;

(c) an openable dirt collection chamber in communication with the dirt outlet, the dirt collection chamber having an openable end portion that comprises a wall that is intersected by the longitudinally extending axis, and;

(d) a suction motor; and

,

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

23. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 22 wherein the end portion of the dirt collection chamber is openable concurrently with the openable portion of the cyclone.