CYCLONIC SEPARATING APPARATUS

• US 20110209447A1
• Filed: 02/18/2011
• Published: 09/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited (Beeswax Holdings UK Limited)
• Original Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited (Beeswax Holdings UK Limited)
• Inventors: Worker, David Colin, Chambers, Oliver Henry Sherston
• Granted Patent: US 8,425,642 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 55/347
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1633 Concentric cyclones
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1641 for parallel flow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1658 Construction of outlets
• CPC Class Codes: B04C 5/13 formed as a vortex finder and extending into the vortex chamber exits with bulkheads preventing reverse flow vortex B04C3/00; Discharge from vortex finder otherwise than at the top of the cyclone; Devices for controlling the overflow
• CPC Class Codes: B04C 5/28 for parallel flow

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cyclonic separating apparatus and a vortex finder plate for use in a cyclonic separating apparatus, the vortex finder plate including a support structure and a plurality of vortex finder support flaps extending from the support structure, each vortex finder support flap comprising a vortex finder. At least one of the vortex finder support flaps is connected to the support structure by a hinge.

Claims

1. A vortex finder plate for use in a cyclonic separating apparatus comprising,

a support structure, and

a plurality of vortex finder support flaps extending from the support structure, each vortex finder support flap comprising a vortex finder, and

wherein at least one of the vortex finder support flaps is connected to the support structure by a hinge.

2. The vortex finder plate of claim 1, wherein each vortex finder support flap is connected to the support structure by a hinge.

3. The vortex finder plate of claim 1, wherein said hinge is an area of reduced thickness between a vortex finder support flap and the support structure.

4. The vortex finder plate of claim 1, wherein said hinge is in the form of a scored line between a vortex finder support flap and the support structure.

5. The vortex finder plate of claim 1, wherein said at least one of the vortex finder support flaps is able to move about said hinge between a first position in which the vortex finder support flap is in the same plane as the support structure and the vortex finder is at or substantially at 90 degrees to the support structure, and a second position in which the vortex finder support flap is at an angle to the support structure and the vortex finder is angled towards a central axis of the vortex finder plate.

6. The vortex finder plate of claim 5, wherein each vortex finder support flap is connected to the support structure by a respective hinge, and can move independently about its respective hinge between the first and second positions.

7. The vortex finder plate of claim 1, further comprising an air duct.

8. The vortex finder plate of claim 7, wherein the air duct extends downwardly from the center of the support structure.

9. The vortex finder plate of claim 1, wherein the vortex finder flaps, the support structure and the hinge are integrally formed as one piece.

10. The vortex finder plate of claim 1, wherein the vortex finder flaps, the support structure, the hinge and the vortex finders are integrally formed as one piece.

11. The vortex finder plate of claim 7, wherein the vortex finder flaps, the support structure, the hinge, the vortex finders and the air duct are integrally formed as one piece.

12. The vortex finder plate of claim 1, wherein the plurality of vortex finder support flaps extends outwardly from the support structure.

13. A cyclonic separating apparatus comprising,

a plurality of cyclones arranged in parallel, each cyclone comprising an air inlet and an air outlet,

a vortex finder plate comprising a support structure and a plurality of vortex finder support flaps extending from the support structure, each vortex finder support flap supporting a downwardly extending vortex finder, the vortex finder plate being arranged such that an end of each cyclone is covered by a vortex finder support flap such that a vortex finder protrudes into each cyclone forming the air outlet of the cyclone,

wherein at least one of the vortex finder support flaps is connected to the support structure by a hinge.

14. The cyclonic separating apparatus of claim 13, wherein each vortex finder support flap is connected to the support structure by a hinge.

15. The cyclonic separating apparatus of claim 13, wherein said hinge is formed from an area of reduced thickness between a vortex finder support flap and the support structure.

16. The cyclonic separating apparatus of claim 13, wherein said hinge is in the form of a scored line between a vortex finder support flap and the support plate.

17. The cyclonic separating apparatus of claim 13, wherein a seal is arranged between the plurality of cyclones and the vortex finder plate.

18. The cyclonic separating apparatus of claim 13, wherein an exhaust manifold is positioned above the vortex finder plate such that the vortex finder plate is sandwiched between the plurality of cyclones and the exhaust manifold.

19. The cyclonic separating apparatus of claim 13, wherein the vortex finder plate is formed from a rigid material such that said at least one of the vortex finder support flaps can only flex about the hinge.

20. The cyclonic separating apparatus of claim 13, wherein the plurality of cyclones is angled towards a longitudinal axis of the cyclonic separating apparatus.

21. The cyclonic separating apparatus of claim 20, wherein each vortex finder support flap is connected to the support structure by a hinge, and the vortex finder support flaps are bent about their hinges.

22. The cyclonic separating apparatus of claim 13, wherein the plurality of cyclones is arranged around an air duct in the cyclonic separating apparatus.

23. The cyclonic separating apparatus of claim 13, wherein the plurality of vortex finder support flaps extends outwardly from the support structure.