Apparatus and method for separating particles from a cyclonic fluid flow

• US 6,221,134 B1
• Filed: 07/27/1999
• Issued: 04/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
• Original Assignee: GBD Corporation (G.B.D.)
• Inventors: Conrad, Wayne Ernest, Petersen, Dave
• Primary Examiner(s): Simmons, David A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hopkins, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US09/361,124
• Time in Patent Office: 637 Days
• Field of Search: 554/24, 554/25, 554/26, 554/29, 554/33, 554/28, 554/591, 55D/IG.3, 952/71
• US Class Current: 95/271
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1608 Cyclonic chamber constructions
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/165 Construction of inlets
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1683 Dust collecting chambers; Dust collecting receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 45/16 generated by the winding course of the gas stream , the centrifugal forces being generated solely or partly by mechanical means, e.g. fixed swirl vanes
• CPC Class Codes: B04C 11/00 Accessories, e.g. safety or control devices, not otherwise provided for , e.g. regulators, valves in inlet or overflow ductingwith electrostatic precipitating arrangements B03C3/14
• CPC Class Codes: B04C 5/181 Bulkheads or central bodies in the discharge opening
• CPC Class Codes: B04C 5/187 forming an integral part of the vortex chamber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 55/03 Vacuum cleaner

Abstract

A particle separation member is provided for use with a cyclone separator. The particle separation member divides the separator into a cyclone chamber and a particle receiving chamber. The cyclone chamber and the particle receiving chamber communicating via a plurality of apertures in the particle separation member.

Claims

1. A separator for separating entrained particles from a fluid flow, the separator comprising:

a) a cyclone chamber having an outer wall and a cyclonic flow region, the cyclonic flow region having a radial width, an outer peripheral portion, a medial portion disposed interior of the peripheral portion and an inner portion disposed interior of the medial portion, the inner portion having a radial inner extent and the outer portion having a radial outer extent;

b) a fluid inlet for introducing a cyclonic fluid flow to the cyclonic flow region;

c) a fluid outlet for removing the fluid flow from the cyclonic chamber;

a particle separating member positioned in the cyclone chamber beneath at least a portion of the cyclonic flow region, the particle separating member having a continuous surface from the radial inner extent of the inner portion to the radial outer extent of the outer portion except for a plurality of apertures; and

,

d) a particle receiving chamber disposed beneath the particle separating member for receiving particles passing into the particle receiving chamber through the apertures, the particle receiving chamber having an essentially sealed bottom wherein the apertures are disposed on the particle separating member such that the medial portion of the cyclonic flow region is substantially free from said apertures and the particle separating member is configured to inhibit re-entrainment of particles from the particle receiving chamber to the cyclonic flow region.

2. The separator of claim 1 wherein the peripheral portion of the cyclonic flow region comprises one quarter of the radial width of the cyclonic flow region.

3. The separator of claim 2 wherein the medial portion of the cyclonic flow region comprises one half of the radial width of the cyclonic flow portion.

4. The separator of claim 1 wherein the particle receiving chamber comprises a sealed chamber except for the apertures.

5. The separator of claim 1 wherein the particle receiving chamber is in communication with a conduit for transporting separated particles downstream from the particle receiving chamber.

6. The separator of claim 1 further comprising:

(a) a cleaner head adapted for movement over a floor and having a fluid nozzle positionable adjacent the floor, the nozzle in fluid flow communication via a passageway with the separator fluid inlet;

(b) a handle for moving the cleaner head over the floor; and

,

(c) a casing for housing the cyclone chamber.

7. The separator of claim 6 wherein the casing is pivotally mounted to the cleaner head.

8. The separator of claim 6 wherein the passageway comprises a flexible portion that is positioned external of the cleaner head and the casing and the handle is affixed to the cleaner head.

9. The separator of claim 1 wherein the apertures are sized to inhibit elongate particles from passing therethrough, whereby elongate particles collect on top of the particle separating member.

10. The separator of claim 1 wherein the apertures are shaped to aerodynamically direct particles from the cyclonic flow region into the particle receiving chamber.

11. The separator of claim 1 wherein the apertures comprise slits having longitudinally extending upstream and downstream edges relative to the fluid flow and transversely extending sides and the edges are longer than the sides.

12. The separator of claim 11 wherein the length of the edges are substantially aligned with the radial width of the cyclone chamber.

13. The separator of claim 11 wherein the length of the edges define a longitudinally extending axis which are at an angle of up to 45°

to the radius of the cyclonic flow region.

14. The separator of claim 1 wherein the apertures have an radial outer end and a radial inner end and the radial outer end is positioned adjacent the outer wall of the cyclone chamber.

15. The separator of claim 1 wherein the apertures have an upstream edge and downstream edge, relative to the fluid flow and the thickness of the particle separating member is reduced adjacent the upstream edge of the apertures.

16. The separator of claim 15 wherein the particle separating member has an upper surface and a lower surface and the upper surface is angled towards the particle receiving chamber adjacent the upstream edge and the lower surface is angled away from the aperture adjacent the downstream edge.

17. The separator of claim 1 wherein the particle separating member is disposed substantially perpendicularly to a longitudinal axis of the cyclonic flow region.

18. The separator of claim 1 wherein the particle separating member is disposed at an angle to a longitudinal axis of the cyclonic flow region.

19. The separator of claim 1 wherein the particle separating member is convex or concave.

20. The separator of claim 1 wherein the particle separating member extends under all of the cyclonic flow region to define a bottom surface of the cyclonic flow region.

21. The separator of claim 1 wherein the particle separating member extends essentially under only the outer peripheral portion.

22. The separator of claim 1 wherein the apertures are positioned essentially only beneath the peripheral portion of the cyclonic flow region.

23. The separator of claim 1 wherein the apertures are positioned essentially only beneath the inner portion of the cyclonic flow region.

24. The separator of claim 1 wherein the apertures are positioned beneath only the peripheral and inner portions of the cyclonic flow region.

25. The separator of claim 1 wherein the apertures are distributed regularly around the particle separating member.

26. The separator of claim 1 wherein the fluid contacts only a portion of the particle separating member and the apertures are positioned only in said portion.

27. A separator for separating entrained particles from a fluid flow, the separator comprising:

a) a cyclone chamber for containing a cyclonic flow in a cyclonic flow region, the cyclonic flow region having a radial width, an outer peripheral portion, a medial portion disposed interior of the peripheral portion and an inner portion disposed interior of the medial portion;

b) means for introducing a fluid flow to the cyclone flow region for cyclonic rotation therein;

c) means for removing the fluid flow from the cyclone chamber;

d) particle receiving means disposed beneath the cyclone flow region for receiving particles separated from the fluid flow;

e) separation means for essentially isolating the particle receiving means from the cyclone chamber except for transporting means associated with the separation means for connecting the particle receiving means in flow communication with the cyclonic flow region such that, in operation, particles pass through the transporting means to the particle receiving means.

28. The separator of claim 27 wherein the particle receiving means comprises a sealed chamber except for the transporting means and the separator further comprises emptying means for emptying the particle receiving means, wherein said transporting means are positioned outside the medial portion of the cyclonic flow region.

29. The separator of claim 27 further comprising means for connecting the particle receiving means in flow communication with a conduit for transporting separated particles downstream from the particle receiving means.

30. The separator of claim 27 further comprising aerodynamic means associated with the transporting means for directing particles from the cyclonic flow region into the particle receiving means.

31. The separator of claim 27 wherein the particle separating means extends under all of the cyclonic flow region to define a bottom surface of the cyclonic flow region.

32. The separator of claim 27 wherein the transporting means are positioned beneath only one or both of the peripheral and inner portions of the cyclonic flow region.

33. The separator of claim 27 wherein the transporting means are distributed regularly around the separating means.

34. The separator of claim 27 wherein the fluid contacts only a portion of the separating means and the transporting means are positioned only in said portion.

35. The separator of claim 27 wherein the transporting means comprise openings in the separation means.

36. A method of separating entrained particles from a fluid flow, the method comprising the steps of:

a) introducing a fluid to flow cyclonically in a chamber having a cyclonic flow region, the cyclonic flow region having a radial width, an outer peripheral portion, a medial portion disposed interior of the peripheral portion and an inner portion disposed interior of the medial portion;

b) removing particles from the fluid flow in the cyclone chamber via passages provided beneath one or both of the peripheral and inner portions into an area beneath the passages without any substantial re-entrainment of separated material from the area to the cyclonic flow region and essentially terminating cyclonic flow in the area beneath the passages; and

,

c) removing the fluid flow from the chamber.

37. The method of claim 36 further comprising the steps of storing the particles removed from the fluid flow and inverting the chamber to remove the separated particles.

38. The method of claim 36 further comprising the step of transporting separated particles downstream from the chamber.

39. The method of claim 36 wherein the separator comprises a dirt separation mechanism for a vacuum cleaner and the method further comprises passing a cleaning head over a surface to clean the surface.

40. The method of claim 36 further comprising directing particles to pass into the passages.