Vacuum cleaner with a removable cyclone array

• US 7,749,293 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2007
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
• Original Assignee: GBD Corporation (G.B.D.)
• Inventors: Conrad, Wayne Ernest
• Primary Examiner(s): Greene; Jason M
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI, DUNG H
• Application Number:
  US11/683,569
• Publication Number:
  US 20070209338A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,216 Days
• Field of Search: 553/45, 553/37, 553/46, 55D/IG.3, 554/24, 554/26, 554/28, 554/29, 554/67, 153/53
• US Class Current: 55/345
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/28 Suction cleaners with handles and nozzles fixed on the casings, e.g. wheeled suction cleaners with steering handle A47L5/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1608 Cyclonic chamber constructions
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1625 for series flow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1641 for parallel flow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/165 Construction of inlets
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1658 Construction of outlets
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1683 Dust collecting chambers; Dust collecting receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1691 Mounting or coupling means for cyclonic chamber or dust receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/30 Arrangement of illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 45/12 by centrifugal forces centrifuges B04B; cyclones B04C
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 55/03 Vacuum cleaner

Abstract

A surface cleaning apparatus comprises a dirt inlet, a handle, at least a first cleaning stage comprising a plurality of cyclones in parallel and a plurality of dirt collection chambers that are emptied concurrently wherein the plurality of cyclones and the plurality of dirt collection chambers are removable as a unit from the surface cleaning apparatus, and an air flow motor.

Claims

1. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) a dirt inlet;

(b) a handle;

(c) at least a first cleaning stage comprising a plurality of cyclones in parallel and a plurality of dirt collection chambers positioned below the cyclone chambers, wherein the plurality of associated dirt collection chambers are emptied concurrently wherein the plurality of cyclones and the plurality of dirt collection chambers are removable as a unit from the surface cleaning apparatus;

(d) a second cyclonic cleaning stage and the first cleaning stage is removed without the second cleaning stage from the surface cleaning apparatus; and

, (e) an air flow motor.

2. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first cleaning stage comprises a cyclonic cleaning unit that is sealed when removed from the surface cleaning apparatus other than fluid flow passages leading to and from the cyclones.

3. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first cleaning stage includes at least one filter removable with the first cleaning stage.

4. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a door moveable to an open position wherein the first cleaning stage is removable when the door is in the open position.

5. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first cleaning stage is slidably removable from the surface cleaning apparatus.

6. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cyclonic cleaning unit is removably mounted to a second cleaning stage and the first cleaning stage is moveable upwardly from the first cleaning stage.

7. The surface cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first cleaning stage comprises at least 15 cyclones in parallel.

8. The surface cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first cleaning stage comprises at least one cyclone per square inch.

9. The portable appliance as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first cleaning stage comprises at least two cyclones per square inch.

10. The portable appliance as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first cleaning stage comprises at least four cyclones per square inch.

11. The surface cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the surface cleaning apparatus is selected from the group consisting of a vacuum cleaner, a sweeper and a carpet extractor.

12. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the surface cleaning apparatus further comprises a second cleaning stage and the first cleaning stage is positioned exterior to the second cleaning stage.

13. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the dirt collection chambers are integrally formed with the cyclone chambers.

14. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of plates positioned between the plurality of cyclone chambers and the plurality of dirt collection chambers.

15. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein each cyclone has an associated dirt collection chamber and each dirt collection chamber is associated with only one cyclone and all of the dirt collection chambers are emptied concurrently.

16. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 15 wherein the dirt collection chambers have a common bottom that is openable.

17. The surface cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein cyclones of the first cleaning stage are spaced apart to define a region between adjacent cyclones in which particulate matter collects.

18. The surface cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 17 wherein the region has a floor that is moveable, whereby the collection area may be emptied when the floor is moved.

19. The surface cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 18 wherein the dirt collection chambers of the first cleaning stage have a common bottom that is openable and the floor is moved when the common bottom is opened.

20. The surface cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 19 wherein the common bottom and the floor comprise a continuous member that is moveably mounted to the first cleaning stage.

21. The surface cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 19 wherein the common bottom and the floor comprise a continuous member that is pivotally mounted to the first cleaning stage.

22. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) a dirt inlet;

(b) a handle;

(c) at least a first cleaning stage comprising a plurality of cyclones in parallel and a plurality of dirt collection chambers that are emptied concurrently wherein the plurality of cyclones and the plurality of dirt collection chambers are removable as a unit from the surface cleaning apparatus;

(d) a second cyclonic cleaning stage and the first cleaning stage is removed without the second cleaning stage from the surface cleaning apparatus wherein each cyclone of the plurality of cyclones comprises a cyclone inlet; and

,

(e) a header upstream from the cyclone inlets; and

,

(f) an air flow motor.

23. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 22 wherein each cyclone has an associated dirt collection chamber and each dirt collection chamber is associated with only one cyclone and all of the dirt collection chambers are emptied concurrently.

24. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 22 wherein the dirt collection chambers have a common bottom that is openable.

25. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) a dirt inlet;

(b) a handle;

(c) at least a first cleaning stage comprising a plurality of cyclones in parallel and a plurality of dirt collection chambers that are emptied concurrently wherein the plurality of cyclones and the plurality of dirt collection chambers are removable as a unit from the surface cleaning apparatus;

(d) a second cyclonic cleaning stage and the first cleaning stage is removed without the second cleaning stage from the surface cleaning apparatus wherein each cyclone comprises a cyclone inlet wherein the cyclone inlets are spaced apart; and

,

(e) an air flow motor.

26. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 25 wherein each cyclone has an associated dirt collection chamber and each dirt collection chamber is associated with only one cyclone and all of the dirt collection chambers are emptied concurrently.

27. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 25 wherein the dirt collection chambers have a common bottom that is openable.

28. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) a dirt inlet;

(b) a handle;

(c) at least a first cleaning stage comprising a plurality of cyclones in parallel and a plurality of associated dirt collection chambers that are emptied concurrently, the first cleaning stage comprising at least two cyclones per square inch; and

,

(d) an air flow motor.

29. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) a dirt inlet;

(b) a handle;

(c) at least a first cleaning stage comprising a plurality of cyclones in parallel and a plurality of associated dirt collection chambers that are emptied concurrently, wherein cyclones of the first cleaning stage are spaced apart to define a region between adjacent cyclones in which particulate matter collects; and

,

(d) an air flow motor.

30. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 29 wherein the region has a floor that is moveable, whereby the collection area may be emptied when the floor is moved.

31. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 29 wherein the dirt collection chambers of the first cleaning stage have a common bottom that is openable and the floor is moved when the common bottom is opened.

32. The surface cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 31 wherein the common bottom and the floor comprise a continuous member that is moveably mounted to the first cleaning stage.

33. The surface cleaning apparatus as claimed in claim 31 wherein the common bottom and the floor comprise a continuous member that is pivotally mounted to the first cleaning stage.

34. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) a dirt inlet;

(b) a handle;

(c) a first cleaning stage comprising a plurality of cyclones in parallel and a plurality of dirt collection chambers that are emptied concurrently wherein the plurality of cyclones and the plurality of dirt collection chambers are removable as a unit from the surface cleaning apparatus;

(d) a second cyclonic cleaning stage and the first cleaning stage is removed without the second cleaning stage from the surface cleaning apparatus; and

,

(e) an air flow motor.