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Vacuum cleaning apparatus

  • US 5,160,356 A
  • Filed: 05/15/1991
  • Issued: 11/03/1992
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/19/1980
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A cleaning apparatus which consists essentially of:

  • (1) a circular cross-sectioned cyclone with a longitudinal axis comprising an air inlet at an upper end thereof, an interior dirt rotational wall of frusto-conical shape for receiving an airflow from the air inlet and maintaining its velocity to a cone opening smaller in diameter than the upper end of the cyclone, an outer wall and a cyclone air outlet communicating with the interior of the cyclone adjacent to the upper end of the cyclone; and

    (b) a closed dirt receiving and collecting chamber connected to a portion of the outer wall of the cyclone wherein a cylindrical member, as a first portion of the receiving chamber is provided between the outer wall of the cyclone and a second portion of the receiving chamber, with a flexible seal positioned between the outer wall of the cyclone and the cylindrical member wherein the second portion of the receiving chamber provides a second, inverted cyclone around the axis having a frusto-conical shape increasing in diameter away from the cone opening and the cyclone with a minimum diameter of the second portion of the receiving chamber furthest from the cone opening of 3 times the diameter of the cone opening so that the airflow in the cyclone is in airflow communication with the receiving chamber through the cone opening for depositing dirt in the second portion of the receiving chamber by setting up a swirling, cyclonic flow of air in the second inverted cyclone of the second portion of the receiving chamber for retaining the separated dirt in the second portion of the receiving chamber by centrifugal forces before the cleaned airflow exits the receiving chamber through the cone opening and exits the cyclone through the cyclone air outlet, and wherein a bottom of the receiving chamber is provided where the separated dirt collects in the receiving chamber wherein an airflow is generated in the apparatus by a means for generating the airflow, the air passes sequentially through the air inlet, the cyclone, the receiving chamber including the second, inverted cyclone, the cone opening and the cyclone air outlet, the airflow rotating around the interior wall of the cyclone and the second cyclone of the receiving chamber and depositing the dirt in the receiving chamber and wherein the flexible seal allows the cyclone to be separated from the receiving chamber for dirt removal and then resealing.

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