Vacuum cleaner with a removable cyclone array

• US 7,811,345 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2007
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• 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:
  US11/683,699
• Publication Number:
  US 20070209337A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,314 Days
• Field of Search: 553/43, 553/45, 553/37, 553/49, 554/29, 552/68, 55D/IG.3, 153/53
• US Class Current: 55/343
• 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 portable vacuum cleaner having at least first and second cleaning stages wherein the first cleaning stage has a dirt collection member and the second cleaning stage comprises a plurality of cyclones and at least one dirt collection chamber, wherein the first and second cleaning stages are emptied separately. One cleaning stage can be removably mounted from the vacuum cleaner without removing another cleaning stage.

Claims

1. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) a dirt inlet;

(b) a handle;

(c) at least a first cleaning stage and a second cleaning stage, the first cleaning stage comprising at least one dirt collection chamber and the second cleaning stage comprising a plurality of cyclones in parallel and a plurality of dirt collection chambers, wherein the first cleaning stage is openable without opening the second cleaning stage; and

,

(d) an air flow motor.

2. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first cleaning stage further comprises at least one cyclone.

3. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second cleaning stage is openable without opening the first cleaning stage.

4. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 3 wherein the first cleaning stage further comprises at least one cyclone.

5. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first cleaning stage further comprises at least one cyclone.

6. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein each cyclone of the second cleaning stage has an associated dirt collection chamber and each dirt collection chamber is associated with only one cyclone.

7. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 6 wherein the plurality of dirt collection chambers are emptied concurrently.

8. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 7 wherein the plurality of dirt collection chambers have a common bottom that is openable.

9. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second cleaning stage is removable from the first cleaning stage prior to emptying the plurality of dirt collection chambers.

10. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 9 wherein the second cleaning stage comprises a cyclonic cleaning unit that is sealed when removed from the first cleaning stage other than fluid flow passages leading to and from the cyclones.

11. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 9 wherein the second cleaning stage is moveable upwardly from the first cleaning stage without opening the first cleaning stage.

12. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second cleaning stage is removable without the first cleaning stage from the surface cleaning apparatus.

13. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 12 wherein the second 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.

14. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first and second cleaning stages are concurrently removed from the surface cleaning apparatus and the second cleaning stage is removed from the first cleaning stage prior to emptying the plurality of dirt collection chambers.

15. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 14 wherein the second cleaning stage comprises a cyclonic cleaning unit that is sealed when removed from the first cleaning stage other than fluid flow passages leading to and from the cyclones.

16. 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.

17. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second cleaning stage is positioned exterior to and does not surround the first cleaning stage.

18. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of cyclones of the second cleaning stage are positioned above the at least one cyclone.

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

20. 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.

21. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) a dirt inlet;

(b) a handle;

(c) at least a first cleaning stage and a second cleaning stage, the first cleaning stage comprising at least one dirt collection chamber and the second cleaning stage comprising a plurality of cyclones in parallel and a plurality of dirt collection chambers, wherein the second cleaning stage is openable without opening the first cleaning stage; and

,

(d) an air flow motor.

22. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 21 wherein the first cleaning stage further comprises at least one cyclone

23. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 21 wherein the first cleaning stage further comprises at least one cyclone.

24. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 21 wherein each cyclone of the second cleaning stage has an associated dirt collection chamber and each dirt collection chamber is associated with only one cyclone.

25. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 24 wherein the plurality of dirt collection chambers are emptied concurrently.

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

27. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 21 wherein the second cleaning stage is removable from the first cleaning stage prior to emptying the plurality of dirt collection chambers.

28. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 27 wherein the second cleaning stage comprises a cyclonic cleaning unit that is sealed when removed from the first cleaning stage other than fluid flow passages leading to and from the cyclones.

29. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 21 wherein the second cleaning stage is removable without the first cleaning stage from the surface cleaning apparatus.

30. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 29 wherein the second 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.

31. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 21 wherein the first and second cleaning stages are concurrently removed from the surface cleaning apparatus and the second cleaning stage is removed from the first cleaning stage prior to emptying the plurality of dirt collection chambers.

32. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 21 further comprising a door moveable to an open position wherein the first cleaning stage is removable when the door is in the open position.

33. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 21 wherein the second cleaning stage is positioned exterior to and does not surround the first cleaning stage.

34. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 21 wherein the plurality of cyclones of the second cleaning stage are positioned above the at least one cyclone.

35. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 21 wherein the dirt collection chambers are integrally formed with the cyclone chambers.

36. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 21 further comprising a plurality of plates positioned between the plurality of cyclone chambers and the plurality of dirt collection chambers.