Cyclonic separation apparatus

• US 7,955,405 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2007
• Issued: 06/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hoover Limited (Haier Group Company)
• Original Assignee: Hoover Limited (Haier Group Company)
• Inventors: Smith, David Benjamin
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith; Duane
• Assistant Examiner(s): TURNER, SONJI LUCAS
• Application Number:
  US11/959,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20080148694A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,266 Days
• Field of Search: 553/43, 553/45, 553/46, 553/49, 554/28, 554/29, 554/591, 55D/IG.3, 964/15, 964/16, 153/53, 153/47
• US Class Current: 55/345
• 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: B04C 5/12 Construction of the overflow ducting, e.g. diffusing or spiral exits
• CPC Class Codes: B04C 5/14 Construction of the underflow ducting; Apex constructions; Discharge arrangements ; discharge through sidewall provided with a few slits or perforations provided with a great number of slits or perforations B04C5/10
• CPC Class Codes: B04C 5/28 for parallel flow

Abstract

A cyclonic vacuum cleaner comprises a first stage 10 comprising a single cyclone separator for separating heavier dirt and dust particles and a second stage 11 comprising a plurality of cyclone separators 25 arranged in parallel in a plurality of groups, each group of cyclone separators 25 comprising a respective inlet duct 24, each inlet duct 24 being connected at its upstream end to the first stage 10 and at its downstream end to the cyclone separators 25 of its respective group.

Claims

1. Cyclonic separation apparatus, comprising:

an upstream cyclone separator having a longitudinal axis and an outlet;

a body disposed axially of said upstream cyclone;

a plurality of downstream cyclone separators arranged side-by-side relative to one another in said body in a plurality of groups having respective inlets, each group including at least two cyclone separators; and

a plurality of inlet ducts extending through the body, each inlet duct corresponding to a respective one of the groups of downstream cyclone separators and extending fluidly in parallel from said outlet of said upstream cyclone separator to the inlet of the corresponding group of downstream cycle separators, said downstream cyclone separators in each group being arranged in the body around the corresponding inlet duct.

2. Cyclonic separation apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the inlet duct corresponding to a given group of downstream cyclone separators extends parallel to the rotational axis of each downstream cyclone separator of the given group.

3. Cyclonic separation apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the radial distance between the longitudinal axis of the inlet duct corresponding to a given group of downstream cyclone separators and each downstream cyclone separator of the given group is substantially equal.

4. Cyclonic separation apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the inlet duct corresponding to a given group of downstream cyclone separators extends alongside the downstream cyclone separators of the given group.

5. Cyclonic separation apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the inlet ducts are disposed at selected circumferentially-spaced points on a circular line.

6. Cyclonic separation apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the inlets are open on opposite sides of the body, and the apparatus includes a cover adapted to fit to one side of the body to close the downstream end of the inlets.

7. Cyclonic separation apparatus as claimed in claim 6, in which the inlets are connected at their downstream ends to respective radially-extending passages leading to the downstream cyclone separators of a respective group.

8. Cyclonic separation apparatus as claimed in claim 7, in which the radially-extending passages are formed in the body.

9. Cyclonic separation apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the downstream cyclone separators of each group are disposed at selected positions along an arcuate line centered about the longitudinal axis of the inlet duct of the group.

10. Cyclonic separation apparatus as claimed in claim 9, in which the arcuate line of adjacent groups are interleaved.

11. Cyclonic separation apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the groups of downstream cyclone separators are grouped around the longitudinal axis of the upstream cyclone separator.

12. Cyclonic separation apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which the upstream cyclone separator comprises an annular or circular outlet chamber, the ducts of each group extending from said outlet chamber.