FILTERLESS AND BAGLESS VACUUM CLEANER INCORPORATING A SLING SHOT SEPARATOR

• US 20110023261A1
• Filed: 07/29/2009
• Published: 02/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation Of North America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation Of North America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Streciwilk, Eric J., Fry, Michael L., Proffitt, Donald E. II
• Application Number:
  US12/511,543
• Publication Number:
  US 20110023261A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/347
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1608 Cyclonic chamber constructions
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1625 for series flow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1641 for parallel flow

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner includes a body having a nozzle assembly including a suction inlet and a control assembly. A suction generator and a dirt collection vessel are both carried on the body. The dirt collection vessel includes a fine particle separator unit having at least one sling shot separator. Each sling shot separator includes a flow channel having an inlet, a debris discharge port and a clean air discharge port. The flow channel has a radius of curvature of between about 12 mm and about 25 mm and extends in an arc of less than 360° from the inlet to the clean air discharge outlet.

Claims

1. A vacuum cleaner, comprising:

a body including (a) a nozzle assembly including a suction inlet and (b) a control assembly;

a suction generator carried on said body; and

a dirt collection vessel carried on said body;

said dirt collection vessel including a fine particle separator unit having at least one sling shot separator, said at least one sling shot separator including a flow channel having an inlet, a debris discharge port and a clean air discharge port, said flow channel having a radius of curvature of between about 12 mm and about 25 mm and extending in an arc of less than 360°

from said inlet to said clean air discharge outlet.

2. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein said flow channel extends in an arc of less than 270°

.

3. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein said flow channel extends in an arc of about 180°

.

4. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein said flow channel has a radius of curvature of between about 12 mm and about 16 mm.

5. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein said fine particle separator unit includes between 6 and 16 sling shot separators.

6. The vacuum cleaner of claim 5, wherein said fine particle separator unit is substantially disc shaped and has an overall diameter to height ratio of between about 12 and about 1.

7. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein (a) said flow channel has a cross sectional area of between about 78 mm² and about 314 mm², (b) said inlet has a cross sectional area of between about 78 mm² and about 314 mm², (c) said debris discharge port has a cross sectional area of between about 36 mm² and about 154 mm² and (d) said clean air discharge port has a cross sectional area of between about 36 mm² and about 154 mm².

8. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein (a) said flow channel has a cross sectional area of between about 78 mm² and about 176 mm², (b) said inlet has a cross sectional area of between about 78 mm² and about 176 mm², (c) said debris discharge port has a cross sectional area of between about 36 mm² and about 85 mm² and (d) said clean air discharge port has a cross sectional area of between about 36 mm² and about 85 mm².

9. A vacuum cleaner comprising:

a body including (a) a nozzle assembly including a suction inlet and (b) a control assembly;

a suction generator carried on said body; and

a dirt collection vessel carried on said body;

said dirt collection vessel including (a) a primary separator including a cylindrical dirt cup, a tangentially directed inlet and an axially directed outlet and (b) a fine particle separator unit downstream from said primary separator, said fine particle separator unit including at least one sling shot separator, said at least one sling shot separator including a flow channel having an inlet, a debris discharge port and a clean air discharge port, said flow channel having a radius of curvature of between about 12 mm and about 25 mm and extending in an arc of less than 360°

from said inlet to said clean air discharge outlet.

10. The vacuum cleaner of claim 9, wherein said flow channel extends in an arc of less than 270°

.

11. The vacuum cleaner of claim 9, wherein said flow channel extends in an arc of about 180°

.

12. The vacuum cleaner of claim 9, wherein said flow channel has a radius of curvature of between about 12 mm and about 16 mm.

13. The vacuum cleaner of claim 9, wherein said fine particle separator unit includes between 6 and 16 sling shot separators.

14. The vacuum cleaner of claim 13, wherein said fine particle separator unit is substantially disc shaped and has an overall diameter to height ratio of between, about 12 and about 1.

15. The vacuum cleaner of claim 9, wherein (a) said flow channel has a cross sectional area of between about 78 mm² and about 314 mm², (b) said inlet has a cross sectional area of between about 78 mm² and about 314 mm², (c) said debris discharge port has a cross sectional area of between about 36 mm² and about 154 mm² and (d) said clean air discharge port has a cross sectional area of between about 36 mm² and about 154 mm².

16. The vacuum cleaner of claim 9, wherein (a) said flow channel has a cross sectional area of between about 78 mm² and about 176 mm², (b) said inlet has a cross sectional area of between about 78 mm² and about 176 mm², (c) said debris discharge port has a cross sectional area of between about 36 mm² and about 85 mm² and (d) said clean air discharge port has a cross sectional area of between about 36 mm² and about 85 mm².

17. The vacuum cleaner of claim 9 further including a second fine particle separator unit downstream from said fine particle separator unit.

18. The vacuum cleaner of claim 17, wherein said second fine particle separator unit includes at least one sling shot separator having one second flow channel having a second inlet, a second debris discharge port and a second clean air discharge port, said second flow channel extends in an arc of less than 270°

.

19. The vacuum cleaner of claim 17, wherein said second fine particle separator unit includes at least one sling shot separator having one second flow channel having a second inlet, a second debris discharge port and a second clean air discharge port, said second flow channel extends in an arc of about 180°

.

20. The vacuum cleaner of claim 18, wherein said second flow channel has a radius of curvature of between about 12 mm and about 16 mm.

21. The vacuum cleaner of claim 17, wherein said second fine particle separator unit includes between 6 and 16 sling shot separators.

22. The vacuum cleaner of claim 21, wherein said second fine particle separator unit is substantially disc shaped and has an overall diameter to height ratio of between about 12 and about 1.

23. The vacuum cleaner of claim 18, wherein (a) said second flow channel has a cross sectional area of between about 78 mm² and about 314 mm², (b) said second inlet has a cross sectional area of between about 78 mm² and about 314 mm², (c) said second debris discharge port has a cross sectional area of between about 36 mm² and about 154 mm² and (d) said second clean air discharge port has a cross sectional area of between about 36 mm² and about 154 mm².

24. The vacuum cleaner of claim 18, wherein (a) said second flow channel has a cross sectional area of between about 78 mm² and about 176 mm², (b) said second inlet has a cross sectional area of between about 78 mm² and about 176 mm², (c) said second debris discharge port has a cross sectional area of between about 36 mm² and about 85 mm² and (d) said second clean air discharge port has a cross sectional area of between about 36 mm² and about 85 mm².