Filter system
First Claim
1. A vacuum cleaner comprising a low velocity chamber with a high velocity air inlet positioned near the base of said chamber, a motor, a blade driven by said motor to create a vacuum in said chamber to draw air upwardly in said chamber, an outlet for exhausting air from said chamber, said air flowing in a selected path from said air inlet, through said chamber and out said air exhaust outlet, the improvement comprising a filter at least partially supported on a support member positioned between said air inlet and said motor, said filter including a plurality of rib sections and trough portions between two adjacently positioned rib sections, said support member includes a plurality of fin sections and at least one opening positioned between two adjacent fin sections, said filter includes a flexible material that deforms to form at least one of said rib sections and at least one of said trough portions as air passes through said filter.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vacuum cleaner having a reduced velocity chamber with a high velocity air inlet, an electric motor, a rotary blade driven by the motor to create a vacuum in the chamber, an outlet for exhausting air from the chamber, which air flows in a selected path from the air inlet, through the chamber and out the air exhaust outlet and a disposable porous sheet filter layer in the chamber for removing large solid particles from the air.
103 Citations
111 Claims
- 1. A vacuum cleaner comprising a low velocity chamber with a high velocity air inlet positioned near the base of said chamber, a motor, a blade driven by said motor to create a vacuum in said chamber to draw air upwardly in said chamber, an outlet for exhausting air from said chamber, said air flowing in a selected path from said air inlet, through said chamber and out said air exhaust outlet, the improvement comprising a filter at least partially supported on a support member positioned between said air inlet and said motor, said filter including a plurality of rib sections and trough portions between two adjacently positioned rib sections, said support member includes a plurality of fin sections and at least one opening positioned between two adjacent fin sections, said filter includes a flexible material that deforms to form at least one of said rib sections and at least one of said trough portions as air passes through said filter.
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15. A method of cleaning air by use of a canister type vacuum cleaner including the steps of:
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(a) drawing air through a high velocity air inlet into a low velocity chamber;
(b) centrifuging the air in the low velocity chamber to remove solid particles;
(c) passing said air through a filter system to remove particles, said filter system including a plurality of ribs and at least one trough portion formed between two adjacent ribs;
(d) passing said filtered air through a particle and gas removing filter to remove gases and small particles, at least partially deforming said filter system on a filter support to form at least two ribs and at least one trough portion between said two ribs as said air is drawn through said filter system; and
(e) forcing said cleaned air past said motor and out an air outlet. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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- 17. A particle filter substantially conical in shape for removing a majority of particles from air passing through the filter, said filter including a particle barrier medium to mechanically and/or electrically remove at least 99% of particles two microns or larger in size from said air, said filter including a plurality of ribs positioned about an outer surface of said filter and at least one trough portion positioned at least partially between two adjacent ribs, said filter includes a flexible material that deforms to form said ribs and said trough as air passes through said filter.
- 20. A filter support adapted to support a substantially conically shaped filter, said filter support comprising a plurality of fin sections and at least one opening at least partially positioned between two adjacent fin sections, at least two of said fin sections have a front face, a rear face and two side faces extending between said front and rear face, said side faces having a maximum width that is greater than a maximum width of said front and rear face.
- 24. In a vacuum cleaner comprising a low velocity chamber with a high velocity air inlet positioned near the base of said chamber, a motor, a blade driven by said motor to create a vacuum in said chamber to draw air upwardly in said chamber, an outlet for exhausting air from said chamber, said air flowing in a selected path from said air inlet, through said chamber, through a particle filter, and out said air exhaust outlet, the improvement comprising a canister removably positioned on a base of said vacuum cleaner, said canister including said low velocity chamber and said particle filter at least partially positioned in said low velocity chamber.
- 26. A vacuum cleaner comprising a low velocity chamber with a high velocity air inlet, a motor, a blade driven by said motor to create a vacuum in said chamber, an outlet for exhausting air from said chamber, said air flowing in a selected path from said air inlet, through said chamber and out said air exhaust outlet, the improvement comprising a filter at least partially supported on a support member positioned between said air inlet and said motor, said filter including a plurality of rib sections and trough portions between two adjacently positioned rib sections, said support member includes a plurality of fin sections and at least one opening positioned between two adjacent fin sections, at least two of said fin sections have a front face, a rear face and two side faces extending between said front and rear face, said side faces having a maximum width that is greater than a maximum width of said front and rear face.
- 75. A combination of a filter and a filter support member wherein the filter is adapted to be at least partially supported on a filter support member, said filter including a plurality of rib sections and trough portions between two adjacently positioned rib sections, said filter support member includes a plurality of fin sections and at least one opening positioned between two adjacent fin sections, at least two of said fin sections have a front face, a rear face and two side faces extending between said front and rear face, said side faces having a maximum width that is greater than a maximum width of said front and rear face.
- 95. A combination of a filter and a filter support member wherein the filter is adapted to be at least partially supported on a filter support member, said filter including a plurality of rib sections and trough portions between two adjacently positioned rib sections, said filter support member includes a plurality of fin sections and at least one opening positioned between two adjacent fin sections, said support member and said filter having an at least partially conical shape, said filter includes a flexible material that deforms to form at least one of said rib sections and at least one of said trough portions as air passes through said filter.
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110. A combination of a filter and a filter support member wherein the filter is adapted to be at least partially supported on a filter support member, said filter including a plurality of rib sections and trough portions between two adjacently positioned rib sections, said filter support member includes a plurality of fin sections and at least one opening positioned between two adjacent fin sections, said support member and said filter having an at least partially conical shape, said filter adapted to remove at least about 99% of said particles greater than about 2 microns in said air.
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111. A combination of a filter and a filter support member wherein the filter is adapted to be at least partially supported on a filter support member, said filter including a plurality of rib sections and trough portions between two adjacently positioned rib sections, said filter support member includes a plurality of fin sections and at least one opening positioned between two adjacent fin sections, said support member and said filter having an at least partially conical shape, at least two of said fin sections of said filter support member have a front face, a rear face and two side faces extending between said front and rear face, said side faces having a maximum width that is greater than a maximum width of said front and rear face.
Specification