Cleaning apparatus
DCFirst Claim
1. In a cleaning apparatus including an outer container comprising a bottom and a sidewall extending to and meeting the bottom, the sidewall having an interior surface, a dirty air inlet at an upper portion of the outer container spaced from the bottom which is oriented for supplying dirt laden air into the container tangentially to the interior surface of the outer container which has a circular cross-section and an air outlet from the container at the upper portion of the container;
- a circular cross-sectioned cyclone having a longitudinal axis and mounted inside the container, the cyclone comprising a cyclone air inlet at an upper end having a first diameter of the cyclone in air communication with the air outlet of the container, an interior dirt rotational surface of frusto-conical shape for receiving an air flow from the air inlet and for maintaining its velocity to a cone opening smaller in diameter than the diameter of the upper end of the cyclone, the air inlet being oriented for supplying air tangentially to the surface, an outer surface of frusto-conical shape, and a cyclone air outlet communicating with the interior of the cyclone adjacent the upper end of the cyclone;
a dirt receiving and collecting chamber extending from the cone opening; and
means for generating an air flow which passes sequentially through the dirty air inlet, the container, the cyclone air inlet, the cyclone, the receiving chamber and the cyclone air outlet, the air flow rotating around the frusto-conical interior surface of the cyclone and depositing the dirt in the receiving chamber the improvement which comprises;
(a) shroud means which provides an extension of the air outlet from the container mounted around the outer surface of the cyclone, the shroud means having a circular cross-section around the longitudinal axis of the cyclone and extending from the air outlet towards the bottom of the container; and
(b) collar means moveably mounted on the shroud means around the outer surface of the cyclone so as to be moveable parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cyclone into the shroud means when the air flow is generated and out of the shroud means when the air flow is stopped to thereby prevent dirt from being entrapped in the air outlet.
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Litigations
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Accused Products
Abstract
An improved cleaning apparatus 10 is described wherein a shroud 21 with a moveable collar 22 is provided on the outside surface 12b of a cyclone 12 in an air outlet 13d from a container 11 leading to the cyclone 12 to dislodge accumulated dirt in the air outlet when a fan 18 drawing air through the apparatus is stopped. The apparatus preferably has a disc 20 which prevents long strands, such as hair, in the dirt from clogging the air outlet 13d from the container 11. The apparatus is preferably in the form of a vacuum cleaner.
116 Citations
18 Claims
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1. In a cleaning apparatus including an outer container comprising a bottom and a sidewall extending to and meeting the bottom, the sidewall having an interior surface, a dirty air inlet at an upper portion of the outer container spaced from the bottom which is oriented for supplying dirt laden air into the container tangentially to the interior surface of the outer container which has a circular cross-section and an air outlet from the container at the upper portion of the container;
- a circular cross-sectioned cyclone having a longitudinal axis and mounted inside the container, the cyclone comprising a cyclone air inlet at an upper end having a first diameter of the cyclone in air communication with the air outlet of the container, an interior dirt rotational surface of frusto-conical shape for receiving an air flow from the air inlet and for maintaining its velocity to a cone opening smaller in diameter than the diameter of the upper end of the cyclone, the air inlet being oriented for supplying air tangentially to the surface, an outer surface of frusto-conical shape, and a cyclone air outlet communicating with the interior of the cyclone adjacent the upper end of the cyclone;
a dirt receiving and collecting chamber extending from the cone opening; and
means for generating an air flow which passes sequentially through the dirty air inlet, the container, the cyclone air inlet, the cyclone, the receiving chamber and the cyclone air outlet, the air flow rotating around the frusto-conical interior surface of the cyclone and depositing the dirt in the receiving chamber the improvement which comprises;(a) shroud means which provides an extension of the air outlet from the container mounted around the outer surface of the cyclone, the shroud means having a circular cross-section around the longitudinal axis of the cyclone and extending from the air outlet towards the bottom of the container; and (b) collar means moveably mounted on the shroud means around the outer surface of the cyclone so as to be moveable parallel to the longitudinal axis of the cyclone into the shroud means when the air flow is generated and out of the shroud means when the air flow is stopped to thereby prevent dirt from being entrapped in the air outlet. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
- a circular cross-sectioned cyclone having a longitudinal axis and mounted inside the container, the cyclone comprising a cyclone air inlet at an upper end having a first diameter of the cyclone in air communication with the air outlet of the container, an interior dirt rotational surface of frusto-conical shape for receiving an air flow from the air inlet and for maintaining its velocity to a cone opening smaller in diameter than the diameter of the upper end of the cyclone, the air inlet being oriented for supplying air tangentially to the surface, an outer surface of frusto-conical shape, and a cyclone air outlet communicating with the interior of the cyclone adjacent the upper end of the cyclone;
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15. In a cleaning apparatus including an outer container comprising a bottom and a sidewall extending to and meeting the bottom, the sidewall having an interior surface, a dirty air inlet at an upper portion of the outer container spaced from the bottom which is oriented for supplying dirt laden air into the container tangentially to the interior surface of the outer container which has a circular cross-section and an air outlet from the container at the upper portion of the container;
- a circular cross-sectioned cyclone having a longitudinal axis and mounted inside the container, the cyclone comprising a cyclone air inlet at an upper end having a first diameter of the cyclone in air communication with the air outlet of the container, an interior dirt rotational surface of frusto-conical shape for receiving an air flow from the air inlet and for maintaining its velocity to a cone opening smaller in diameter than the diameter of the upper end of the cyclone, the air inlet being oriented for supplying air tangentially to the surface, an outer surface of frusto-conical shape, and a cyclone air outlet communicating with the interior of the cyclone adjacent the upper end of the cyclone;
a dirt receiving and collecting chamber extending from the cone opening; and
means for generating an air flow which passes sequentially through the dirty air inlet, the container, the cyclone air inlet, the cyclone, the receiving chamber and the cyclone air outlet, the air flow rotating around the frusto-conical interior surface of the cyclone and depositing the dirt in the receiving chamber the improvement which comprises;a disc means provided on the outside of the cyclone intermediate the receiving chamber and the air outlet of the container and around to the longitudinal axis of the cyclone with a space between the interior surface of the container and the disc means for passage of air wherein the disc means retards long strands in the dirt from clogging the air outlet and retains the strands in the container. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
- a circular cross-sectioned cyclone having a longitudinal axis and mounted inside the container, the cyclone comprising a cyclone air inlet at an upper end having a first diameter of the cyclone in air communication with the air outlet of the container, an interior dirt rotational surface of frusto-conical shape for receiving an air flow from the air inlet and for maintaining its velocity to a cone opening smaller in diameter than the diameter of the upper end of the cyclone, the air inlet being oriented for supplying air tangentially to the surface, an outer surface of frusto-conical shape, and a cyclone air outlet communicating with the interior of the cyclone adjacent the upper end of the cyclone;
Specification