UPRIGHT VACUUM WITH REDUCED NOISE

• US 20110265285A1
• Filed: 04/30/2010
• Published: 11/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Techtronic Floor Care Technology Limited (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Techtronic Floor Care Technology Limited (Techtronic Industries Company Limited)
• Inventors: Morgan, Charles J.
• Application Number:
  US12/771,363
• Publication Number:
  US 20110265285A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/412
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0081 Means for exhaust-air diffusion; Means for sound or vibration damping
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2805 Parameters or conditions being sensed
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2831 Motor parameters, e.g. motor load or speed
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2842 Suction motors or blowers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2889 Safety or protection devices or systems, e.g. for prevention of motor over-heating or for protection of the user
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 17/168 Pumps specially adapted to produce a vacuum

Abstract

According to various embodiments, a method of reducing noise generated by a vacuum is described. The method comprises providing a vacuum comprising a motor including a motor shaft adapted to operate at a rotational speed of n; attaching a centripetal fan with t number of blades attached to the motor shaft; enclosing the fan between the motor and a motor housing end bracket disposed about the shaft, the motor housing end bracket defining an air input opposite an air output; wherein the variables of speed n and the number of blades t are selected so that a blade pass frequency (BPF) of the centripetal fan is greater than about 5000 Hertz, and the BPF is calculated as BPF=n*t/60. A vacuum implementing the method is also described.

Claims

1. A method of reducing noise generated by a vacuum, the method comprising:

providing a vacuum comprising a motor including a motor shaft adapted to operate at a rotational speed of n;

attaching a centripetal fan with t number of blades attached to the motor shaft;

enclosing the fan between the motor and a motor housing end bracket disposed about the shaft, the motor housing end bracket defining an air input opposite an air output;

wherein the variables of speed n and the number of blades t are selected so that a blade pass frequency (BPF) of the centripetal fan is greater than about 5000 Hertz, and the BPF is calculated as BPF=n*t/60.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the speed n is greater than 10,000 RPM.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the total area of the centripetal fan blade area generates greater than about 20 cubic feet per minute of airflow between the air input and the air output.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the centripetal fan has 30 or more blades.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the BPF is greater than about 6000 Hertz.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the BPF is greater than about 9000 Hertz.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the BPF is outside a human ear'"'"'s irritation noise range.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the motor selectively operates at about 13000 RPM and about 18000 RPM.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the blades of the centripetal fan have a slight backward curve relative to a rotational direction of the fan.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising cooling components disposed in the vacuum base with the airflow exiting the air output.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising disposing an air exhaust in a vacuum base in the same plane as an air intake.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining the temperature of the motor;

and shutting off the motor when the temperature exceeds a predetermined temperature.

14. A vacuum comprising:

a motor including a motor shaft to operate at a rotational speed of n;

a motor housing end bracket disposed about the shaft, the motor housing end bracket defining an air input opposite an air output; and

a centripetal fan with t number of blades attached to the motor shaft and enclosed between the motor and the motor housing end bracket;

wherein the variables of speed n and the number of blades t are selected so that a blade pass frequency (BPF) of the centripetal fan is greater than about 5000 Hertz, and the BPF is calculated as BPF=n*t/60.

15. The vacuum of claim 14, wherein the speed n is greater than 10,000 RPM.

16. The vacuum of claim 14, wherein the total area of the centripetal fan blade area generates greater than about 20 cubic feet per minute of airflow between the air input and the air output.

17. The vacuum of claim 14, wherein the centripetal fan has 30 or more blades.

18. The vacuum of claim 14, wherein the BPF is greater than about 6000 Hertz.

19. The vacuum of claim 14, wherein the BPF is greater than about 9000 Hertz.

20. The vacuum of claim 14, wherein the motor selectively operates at about 13000 RPM and about 18000 RPM.

21. The vacuum of claim 14, wherein the blades of the centripetal fan have a slight backward curve relative to a rotational direction of the fan.

22. The vacuum of claim 14, further comprising:

an air exhaust disposed in a vacuum base; and

an air intake in the vacuum base in the same plane the an air exhaust.