CYCLONIC SEPARATION APPARATUS

• US 20130091661A1
• Filed: 10/10/2012
• Published: 04/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Black & Decker Incorporated (Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Kevin
• Granted Patent: US 9,005,325 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/353
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/24 Hand-supported suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1608 Cyclonic chamber constructions
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1625 for series flow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1633 Concentric cyclones
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1641 for parallel flow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/165 Construction of inlets
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1666 with filtering means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1683 Dust collecting chambers; Dust collecting receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2884 Details of arrangements of batteries or their installation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 55/03 Vacuum cleaner

Abstract

A cyclonic separation apparatus for a vacuum cleaner, the cyclonic separation apparatus comprising: a first cyclonic separating unit comprising a hollow cylindrical dirt container with a central axis and an air inlet port arranged tangentially through a side of the dirt container; a second cyclonic separating unit comprising at least one cyclone with an axial inlet port, an axial outlet port and a discharge nozzle and a substantially cylindrical intermediate wall surrounding the inlet port of the at least one cyclone, wherein the cyclonic separation apparatus comprises at least one protruding lip arranged to impede return of separated material from said longitudinal end of the dirt container and wherein the at least one lip protrudes radially inwardly from an inner surface of the dirt container or protrudes radially outwardly from the intermediate wall.

Claims

1. A cyclonic separation apparatus for a vacuum cleaner, the cyclonic separation apparatus comprising:

a first cyclonic separating unit comprising a hollow substantially cylindrical dirt container with a longitudinal central axis and an air inlet port arranged tangentially through a side of the dirt container;

a second cyclonic separating unit comprising at least one cyclone with an axial inlet port, an axial outlet port and a discharge nozzle and;

a substantially cylindrical intermediate wall arranged within the dirt container, wherein the intermediate wall surrounds the inlet port of the at least one cyclone;

wherein the second cyclonic separating unit is located within the dirt container, wherein the second cyclonic separating unit receives air flow downstream from the first cyclonic separating unit, and wherein the first and second cyclonic separating units are arranged to deposit material separated from air flow at the longitudinal end of the dirt container;

wherein the cyclonic separation apparatus comprises at least one protruding lip arranged to impede return of separated material from said longitudinal end of the dirt container and wherein the at least one lip protrudes radially inwardly from an inner surface of the dirt container or protrudes radially outwardly from the intermediate wall.

2. A cyclonic separation apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one lip is annular.

3. A cyclonic separation apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least one lip comprises a lip protruding radially inwardly from an inner surface of the dirt container and a lip protruding radially outwardly from the intermediate wall.

4. A cyclonic separation apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the lip on the dirt container and the lip on the intermediate wall are axially off-set by at least five percent of the longitudinal length of the dirt container.

5. A cyclonic separation apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the lip on the dirt container and the lip on the intermediate wall coverage at a width restriction (X,Y) in the first cyclonic separating unit and wherein the width restriction tapers generally towards the longitudinal end of the dirt container.

6. A cyclonic separation apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein the width restriction (X,Y) reduces a radial width between the dirt container and the intermediate wall by at least 15 percent.

7. A cyclonic separation apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the intermediate wall comprises an air permeable wall arranged as an air flow outlet from the first cyclonic separating unit to the air flow inlet port of the or each cyclone, wherein the air permeable wall is located on an opposite side of the intermediate wall protruding lip to said longitudinal end of the dirt container.

8. A cyclonic separation apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cyclonic separation apparatus comprises a funnel arranged to collect material separated by the second cyclonic separating unit, wherein the funnel has a conical wall tapered towards said longitudinal end of the dirt container to deposit material separated by the cyclones in a part of the dirt container isolated by the funnel from air flow in the first cyclonic separating unit.

9. A cyclonic separation apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the intermediate wall comprises an air permeable hollow cylindrical skirt circumscribing substantially the widest diameter of the conical wall.

10. A cyclonic separation apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one cyclone comprises:

a cyclone body divided into a hollow generally cylindrical portion and a hollow generally frustro-conical portion depending from the cylindrical portion;

a vortex finder arranged inside the cyclone body;

the discharge nozzle arranged at a longitudinal end of the frustro-conical portion;

the air inlet port arranged tangentially through a side of the cylindrical portion; and

the air outlet port through the vortex finder and the opposite end of the cylindrical portion.

11. A vacuum cleaner comprising a motor coupled to a fan for generating air flow, and a cyclonic separation apparatus, the cyclonic separation apparatus comprising:

a first cyclonic separating unit comprising a hollow substantially cylindrical dirt container with a longitudinal central axis and an air inlet port arranged tangentially through a side of the dirt container;

a second cyclonic separating unit comprising at least one cyclone with an axial inlet port, an axial outlet port and a discharge nozzle and;

a substantially cylindrical intermediate wall arranged within the dirt container, wherein the intermediate wall surrounds the inlet port of the at least one cyclone;

wherein the second cyclonic separating unit is located within the dirt container, wherein the second cyclonic separating unit receives air flow downstream from the first cyclonic separating unit, and wherein the first and second cyclonic separating units are arranged to deposit material separated from air flow at the longitudinal end of the dirt container;

wherein the cyclonic separation apparatus comprises at least one protruding lip arranged to impede return of separated material from said longitudinal end of the dirt container and wherein the at least one lip protrudes radially inwardly from an inner surface of the dirt container or protrudes radially outwardly from the intermediate wall; and

wherein the cyclonic separation apparatus is located in a path of the air flow generated by the fan wherein the at least one cyclone comprises a generally circular array of cyclones arranged about the central axis and wherein the motor is nested in the circular array of cyclones.

14. A vacuum cleaner as claimed in claim 11, wherein the motor is battery-powered.

15. The vacuum cleaner of claim 11, wherein the at least one cyclone comprises:

a cyclone body divided into a hollow generally cylindrical portion and a hollow generally frustro-conical portion depending from the cylindrical portion;

a vortex finder arranged inside the cyclone body;

the discharge nozzle arranged at a longitudinal end of the frustro-conical portion;

the air inlet port arranged tangentially through a side of the cylindrical portion; and

the air outlet port through the vortex finder and the opposite end of the cylindrical portion.

12. (canceled)

13. (canceled)