SURFACE TREATING APPLIANCE

• US 20120272474A1
• Filed: 11/11/2010
• Published: 11/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited (Beeswax Holdings UK Limited)
• Original Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited (Beeswax Holdings UK Limited)
• Inventors: Follows, Thomas James Dunning, Courtney, Stephen Benjamin, Gammack, Peter David
• Granted Patent: US 9,521,937 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/347
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1641 for parallel flow

Abstract

A surface treating appliance includes cyclonic separating apparatus having a plurality of cyclones arranged in parallel and a dust collector arranged to receive dust from each of the plurality of cyclones. Each cyclone has a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet. The plurality of cyclones is divided into at least a first set of cyclones and a second set of cyclones. The fluid inlets of the first set of cyclones are located in a first plane and the fluid inlets of the second set of cyclones are located in a second plane spaced from the first plane. This enables the separating apparatus to have a compact appearance.

Claims

1. A surface treating appliance comprising a first cyclonic separating unit and, downstream from the first cyclonic separating unit, a second cyclonic separating unit comprising a plurality of cyclones arranged in parallel about an axis and a dust collector arranged to receive dust from each of the plurality of cyclones, each cyclone comprising a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet, the plurality of cyclones being divided into at least a first set of cyclones and a second set of cyclones, the fluid inlets of the first set of cyclones being arranged in a first group and the fluid inlets of the second set of cyclones being arranged in a second group spaced along said axis from the first group.

2. The appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first group of fluid inlets is generally arranged in a first annular arrangement, and the second group of fluid inlets is generally arranged in a second annular arrangement spaced along said axis from the first annular arrangement.

3. The appliance as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of the annular arrangements is substantially orthogonal to said axis.

4. The appliance as claimed in claim 2, wherein the annular arrangements are of substantially the same size.

5. The appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein, within each set, the fluid inlets are substantially co-planar.

6. The appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein, within each set, the cyclones are substantially equidistant from said axis.

7. The appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein, within each set, the cyclones are substantially equidistantly spaced about said axis.

8. The appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first cyclonic separating unit at least partially surrounds the dust collector.

10. The appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second cyclonic separating unit is substantially co-axial with the first cyclonic separating unit.

11. The appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein each cyclone has a longitudinal axis, and wherein the longitudinal axes of the cyclones of the first set of cyclones approach one another and the longitudinal axes of the cyclones of the second set of cyclones approach one another.

12. The appliance as claimed in claim 11, wherein the longitudinal axes of the cyclones intersect the longitudinal axis of the first cyclonic separating unit.

13. The appliance as claimed in claim 12, wherein the angle at which the longitudinal axes of the first set of the cyclones intersect the longitudinal axis of the first cyclonic separating unit is substantially the same as the angle at which the longitudinal axes of the second set of the cyclones intersect the longitudinal axis of the first cyclonic separating unit.

15. The appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first set of cyclones extends about part of the second set of cyclones.

16. The appliance as claimed in claim 1, comprising a plurality of conduits for conveying fluid from the first cyclonic separating unit to the second cyclonic separating unit, the appliance having a shroud forming an outlet from the first cyclonic separating unit, the shroud comprising a wall having a multiplicity of through-holes, and wherein each conduit comprises an inlet located behind the wall of the shroud.

18. The appliance as claimed in claim 1, comprising a manifold for conveying fluid from the first cyclonic separating unit to the second cyclonic separating unit.

22. The appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein each cyclone of the second set of cyclones is located immediately above a respective cyclone of the first set of cyclones.

23. The appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second set of cyclones is angularly offset about the longitudinal axis of the first cyclonic separating unit relative to the first set of cyclones.

24. The appliance as claimed in claim 23, wherein each cyclone of the second set of cyclones is located angularly between, and spaced along the axis from, an adjacent pair of cyclones of the first set of cyclones.

25. The appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first cyclonic separating unit and the second cyclonic separating unit form part of a separating apparatus removably mounted on a main body of the appliance.

26. The appliance as claimed in claim 1, comprising a vacuum cleaning appliance.

9. (canceled)

14. (canceled)

17. (canceled)

19-21. -21. (canceled)

27. (canceled)