Air flow passage for a cyclonic separator and vacuum cleaner having same
First Claim
1. A vacuum cleaner having a source of dirty air to be treated and a housing, the vacuum cleaner comprising:
- (a) a cyclone having a bottom, a fluid inlet, a wall having an inner surface and a longitudinally extending axis; and
, (b) a fluid supply conduit extending along the length of the cyclone from the bottom to the fluid inlet, the fluid supply conduit conveying the dirty air to the fluid inlet, the fluid supply conduit communicating with the source of dirty air when the cyclonic separator is in use, the fluid inlet redirecting the dirty air to a tangential flow and the fluid inlet includes a curved portion without any 90°
elbows.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A cyclonic separation device is provided having improved pressure loss characteristics. A fluid supply conduit in flow communication with an inlet to a cyclone is located and configured to extend longitudinally through a central portion of the cyclone, whereby the sharp bending of the conduit may be reduced, thereby reducing pressure losses in the device, without unduly interfering with the cyclonic flow within the cyclone. The present invention may be adapted for use with cyclonic separation devices of all types, including single- and multi-stage cyclonic separators. The cyclonic separation device may be incorporated in a vacuum cleaner such as an upright vacuum cleaner. A three dimensional conduit which is optionally used with a cyclonic separator is provided.
83 Citations
48 Claims
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1. A vacuum cleaner having a source of dirty air to be treated and a housing, the vacuum cleaner comprising:
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(a) a cyclone having a bottom, a fluid inlet, a wall having an inner surface and a longitudinally extending axis; and
,(b) a fluid supply conduit extending along the length of the cyclone from the bottom to the fluid inlet, the fluid supply conduit conveying the dirty air to the fluid inlet, the fluid supply conduit communicating with the source of dirty air when the cyclonic separator is in use, the fluid inlet redirecting the dirty air to a tangential flow and the fluid inlet includes a curved portion without any 90°
elbows.- View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 40, 41, 42)
(a) the gradient of the space curve has at least two non-zero components which vary along the arc length of the curve (b) t1<
t<
t2(c) S(t1) is equal to S1; and
,(d) S(t2) is equal to S2.
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15. A cyclonic separator having a source of fluid to be treated, the cyclonic separator comprising:
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a cyclone having a bottom, a fluid inlet, a wall having an inner surface and a longitudinally extending axis, the fluid inlet having an upstream end and a downstream end; and
,a fluid supply conduit extending through the cyclone substantially along the axis of the cyclone from the bottom to the upstream end of the fluid inlet, the fluid supply conduit communicating with the source o;
f fluid when the cyclonic separator is in use, the fluid inlet is curved in a first direction towards the wall and is curved in a second direction to introduce the fluid tangentially to the cyclone.- View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
(a) the gradient of the space curve has at least two non-zero components which vary along the arc length of the curve (b) t1<
t<
t2(c) S(t1) is equal to S1; and
,(d) S(t2) is equal to S2.
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27. The cyclonic separator as claimed in claim 26 wherein the duct comprises an envelope formed by a radius r out from the central space curve which is itself formed about a construction cylinder having a radius R and an axis wherein the conduit the duct has a radius r where r<
- R and the space curve at S1 smoothly becomes a straight line coincident with the axis of the construction cylinder.
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28. The cyclonic separator as claimed in claim 27 wherein the space curve at S2 smoothly becomes a straight line coincident with the derivative of S(t) at point S2 with respect to the parameter t.
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29. A cyclonic separator having a source of fluid to be treated, the cyclonic separator comprising:
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(a) cyclone separation means having a longitudinally extending axis and a length;
(b) fluid supply conduit means extending substantially along the length of the cyclone separation means, the fluid supply conduit means communicating with the source of fluid when the cyclonic separator is in use; and
,(c) fluid inlet means for redirecting the fluid from a substantially axial flow for introduction tangentially to the cyclone means without any 90°
elbows.- View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A method comprising:
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(a) providing a fluid having a first element and a second element;
(b) conveying the fluid in a conduit longitudinally through a cyclone having a longitudinal axis and a longitudinally extending surface;
(c) conveying the fluid in a conduit tangentially to the longitudinally extending surface; and
,(d) introducing the fluid into the cyclone and passing the fluid through the cyclone to remove at least a portion of the first element from the fluid and obtain at least one treated stream having a reduced concentration of the first element. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39)
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43. The vacuum cleaner as claimed in clam 42 wherein the duct comprises an envelope formed by a radius r out from the central space curve which is itself formed about a construction cylinder having a radius R and an axis wherein the duct has a radius r where r<
- R and the space curve at S1 smoothly becomes a straight line coincident with the axis of the construction cylinder.
- View Dependent Claims (44)
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45. A cyclonic separator having a source of fluid to be treated, the cyclonic separator comprising a cyclone having a bottom, a fluid inlet, a cyclone wall having an inner surface and an outlet having an outlet wall, the fluid inlet having an upstream end and a downstream end, and at least a portion of the fluid inlet is nested within the outlet and extends through the wall of the outlet and the fluid inlet comprises a duct extending from point S1 to point S2 and comprises a space curve around which the duct is formed wherein the gradient of the space curve has at least two non-zero components which vary along the arc length of the curve.
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46. A method comprising:
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(a) providing a fluid having a first element and a second element;
(b) conveying the fluid to a cyclone;
(c) introducing the fluid through an inlet to the cyclone to impart a rate of change of direction in the fluid travelling there through, the inlet comprises a duct extending from point S1 to point S2 and comprises a space curve around which the duct is formed wherein the gradient of the space curve has at least two nonzero components which vary along the arc length of the curve whereby the space curve does not include a 90°
elbow; and
,(d) passing the fluid through the cyclone to remove at least a portion of the first element from the fluid and obtain at least one treated stream having a reduced concentration of the first element. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48)
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Specification