Cyclone Construction for a Surface Cleaning Apparatus

• US 20110219574A1
• Filed: 03/12/2010
• Published: 09/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
• Original Assignee: GBD Corporation (G.B.D.)
• Inventors: Conrad, Wayne Ernest
• Granted Patent: US 8,640,304 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/347
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1683 Dust collecting chambers; Dust collecting receptacles

Abstract

The surface cleaning apparatus includes a cyclone positioned in am air flow passage. The cyclone has a cyclone air inlet and a cyclone air outlet, a dirt outlet spaced from the cyclone air inlet, a cyclone chamber wall and a longitudinal axis. The surface cleaning apparatus also includes a dirt collection chamber in communication with the dirt outlet. The dirt collection chamber has an openable wall mounted to the surface cleaning apparatus by a hinge and a centrally positioned longitudinal axis, the openable wall has a centre and a hinge side. The surface cleaning apparatus also includes a plate positioned at an interface of the dirt collection chamber and the cyclone. The plate is moveably mounted to the openable wall. The surface cleaning apparatus also includes a biasing member biasing the plate towards the hinge side of the openable wall a suction motor positioned in the air flow passage.

Claims

1. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) an air flow passage extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet;

(b) a cyclone positioned in the air flow passage and having a cyclone air inlet and a cyclone air outlet at one end of a cyclone chamber, a dirt outlet spaced from the cyclone air inlet, a cyclone chamber wall and a centrally positioned longitudinal axis;

(c) a dirt collection chamber in communication with the dirt outlet and having an openable wall mounted to the surface cleaning apparatus by a hinge and a centrally positioned longitudinal axis, the openable wall having a centre and a hinge side;

(d) a plate positioned at an interface of the dirt collection chamber and the cyclone and moveably mounted to the openable wall;

(e) a biasing member biasing the plate towards the hinge side of the openable wall; and

,

(f) a suction motor positioned in the air flow passage.

2. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plate is mounted to the openable wall at a position off centre from the centrally positioned longitudinal axis of the cyclone.

3. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plate is mounted to the openable wall spaced from the centre of the openable wall and towards the hinge side.

4. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a support member extending between the openable wall and the plate, and the support member extends at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the cyclone.

5. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the dirt outlet comprises a gap between the plate and the cyclone chamber wall.

6. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the dirt collection chamber has a longitudinally extending wall and the plate has a perimeter that is spaced from at least a portion of the longitudinally extending wall by a distance and the distance varies.

7. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an abutment member provided in the dirt collection chamber on the hinge side, the abutment member positioned to interact with at least one of the plate and a moveable plate mount and move the plate in a direction counter the a force exerted by the biasing member as the openable wall is closed.

8. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 7 wherein the dirt collection chamber has a longitudinally extending wall, a portion of which on the hinge side comprises the abutment member, and the plate has a perimeter that is spaced from a portion of the longitudinally extending wall and abuts the portion of the longitudinally extending wall that comprises the abutment member when the openable wall is closed.

9. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the abutment member comprises a rib provided on the longitudinally extending wall of the dirt collection chamber.

10. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the axis of the dirt collection chamber is spaced apart from the longitudinal axis of the cyclone chamber.

11. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) an air flow passage extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet;

(b) a cyclone positioned in the air flow passage and having a cyclone air inlet at an inlet end of the cyclone, a cyclone air outlet, a dirt outlet spaced from the cyclone air inlet at a dirt outlet end of the cyclone and a cyclone chamber wall;

(c) a dirt collection chamber in communication with the dirt outlet and having an openable wall;

(d) a plate positioned at the dirt outlet end of the cyclone and moveably mounted to the openable wall; and

,

(e) a suction motor positioned in the air flow passage.

12. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a biasing member biasing the plate towards a sidewall of the dirt collection chamber.

13. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 12 further comprising an abutment member positioned in the dirt collection chamber and engageable with at least one of the plate and a plate mount whereby, when the openable wall is closed, the abutment member positions the plate at a preset position.

14. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 13 wherein the dirt collection chamber has a longitudinally extending wall and the plate has a perimeter that is spaced from a portion of the longitudinally extending wall by a distance and the distance varies.

15. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 14 wherein a portion of the longitudinally extending wall comprises the abutment member and the plate abuts the abutment member when the openable wall is closed.

16. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 11 wherein the openable wall is moveably mounted to the surface cleaning apparatus, the openable wall has a centre and a hinge side, and the plate is mounted to the openable wall spaced from the centre and towards the hinge side.

17. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a plate mount provided on the openable wall and the plate mount is positioned spaced from a centrally positioned longitudinal axis of the cyclone.

18. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 11 wherein each of the dirt collection chamber and the cyclone has a centrally positioned longitudinal axis and the axes are spaced apart.

19. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a support member extending between the openable wall and the plate and the support member extends at an angle to a longitudinal axis of the cyclone.

20. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 11 wherein the dirt outlet comprises a gap between the plate and the cyclone chamber wall.

21. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 11 wherein the cyclone air outlet is at the inlet end of the cyclone.

22. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) an air flow passage extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet;

(b) a cyclone positioned in the air flow passage and having a cyclone air outlet at one end of a cyclone chamber, a dirt outlet spaced from the cyclone air outlet and a cyclone chamber wall;

(c) a dirt collection chamber in communication with the dirt outlet;

(d) a suction motor positioned in the air flow passage downstream from the cyclone; and

,

(e) the air flow passage comprising a portion extending from the cyclone air outlet to the suction motor wherein the portion comprises a conduit that extends through the dirt collection chamber.

23. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 22 wherein the dirt collection chamber extends under the end of the cyclone having the air outlet.

24. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 22 wherein the conduit is an extension of the vortex finder.

25. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 22 wherein a cyclone air inlet is positioned at the same end of the cyclone as the cyclone air outlet.

26. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 22 wherein the dirt collection chamber is external to the cyclone.

27. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 26 wherein the dirt collection chamber surrounds a portion of the cyclone.

28. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 22 wherein the dirt collection chamber has an openable end wall.

29. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 28 wherein the openable end wall has the conduit provided thereon and the conduit is removed from the dirt collection chamber when the openable end wall is opened.

30. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 29 further comprising an openable seal between the conduit and the cyclone.

31. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 28 wherein conduit is mounted to the cyclone and extends from the cyclone to the openable end wall.

32. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 31 further comprising an openable seal between the conduit and the openable end wall.

33. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 31 wherein the openable seal is in a plane at an angle to the direction of air flow through the conduit.

34. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 22 wherein the dirt collection chamber has two opposed openable end walls.