Upright vacuum cleaner with cyclonic air flow
DCFirst Claim
1. A vacuum cleaner comprising:
- a housing defining a cyclonic airflow chamber for separating contaminants from a suction airstream, said housing further comprising an inlet for said cyclonic airflow chamber and an outlet for said cyclonic airflow chamber;
a dirt container selectively mounted in said housing for receiving and retaining dirt and dust separated from said suction airstream;
a nozzle base including a main suction opening, said main suction opening being fluidically connected with said cyclonic airflow chamber inlet;
an airstream suction source having an inlet disposed adjacent said cyclonic airflow chamber outlet and a suction source exhaust outlet spaced from said cyclonic airflow chamber, said suction source selectively establishing and maintaining an approximately linear suction airstream from said outlet of said cyclonic airflow chamber to said inlet of said airstream suction source; and
,a main filter assembly positioned between said cyclonic airflow chamber and said suction source for filtering contaminants from said suction airstream.
3 Assignments
Litigations
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An upright vacuum cleaner (A) includes an upright housing section (B) and a nozzle section (C). A cyclonic airflow dirt and dust separating chamber (54) is defined in said upright housing section. A suction source (E) pulls air and entrained dirt, dust, and other contaminants through a main suction opening (26) formed in the underside (24) of the nozzle and into the cyclonic airflow chamber (54). The cyclonic airflow chamber causes the suction airstream to travel in a cyclonic path such that the entrained contaminants are separated therefrom and deposited into a dirt container (52) that defines the chamber (54). A main filter element (K) filters residual contaminants from the suction airstream between the chamber and the suction source. The main filter element is preferably made from high-density polyethylene porous filter media. A final filter assembly (F) filters the suction airstream discharged by the suction source to ensure that the air discharged into the atmosphere is contaminant free, including those contaminants introduced into the airstream by the suction source itself.
226 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A vacuum cleaner comprising:
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a housing defining a cyclonic airflow chamber for separating contaminants from a suction airstream, said housing further comprising an inlet for said cyclonic airflow chamber and an outlet for said cyclonic airflow chamber; a dirt container selectively mounted in said housing for receiving and retaining dirt and dust separated from said suction airstream; a nozzle base including a main suction opening, said main suction opening being fluidically connected with said cyclonic airflow chamber inlet; an airstream suction source having an inlet disposed adjacent said cyclonic airflow chamber outlet and a suction source exhaust outlet spaced from said cyclonic airflow chamber, said suction source selectively establishing and maintaining an approximately linear suction airstream from said outlet of said cyclonic airflow chamber to said inlet of said airstream suction source; and
,a main filter assembly positioned between said cyclonic airflow chamber and said suction source for filtering contaminants from said suction airstream. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. An upright vacuum cleaner comprising:
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an upright housing section including a handle; a nozzle base section hingedly interconnected with the upright housing section, said nozzle base section including a main suction opening formed in an underside thereof; a cyclonic airflow chamber defined in said upright housing section for separating dust and dirt from a suction airstream, said cyclonic airflow chamber including an air inlet and air outlet; a suction source located in one of said upright housing section and said nozzle base section and having a suction airflow inlet in fluid communication with said cyclonic chamber outlet and a suction airflow outlet; a main filter assembly located between said cyclonic airflow chamber and said suction source for filtering residual dust and dirt from a suction airstream as it flows through said cyclonic airflow dust and dirt separating chamber; and
,wherein an inlet of said suction source is colinear with said cyclonic chamber outlet. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A vacuum cleaner comprising:
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a nozzle section; a housing section connected to said nozzle section and in fluid communication with said nozzle section; a dirt cup selectively mounted in said housing section; a cyclonic airflow chamber located in said dirt cup for separating dirt and dust from a suction airstream flowing into said housing section between an inlet located adjacent a first end of said housing section and an outlet located adjacent a second end of said housing section; a filter assembly located in said dirt cup, said filter assembly comprising; a filter rack, and a first filter element mounted on said filter rack. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification