Separating apparatus

• US 8,257,457 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2012
• Issued: 09/04/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited (Beeswax Holdings UK Limited)
• Original Assignee: Dyson Technology Limited (Beeswax Holdings UK Limited)
• Inventors: Horne, Lucas, Jupe, Matthew Robert, Worker, David Colin, Steadman, Guillaume Kristian
• Primary Examiner(s): Greene, Jason M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bui, Dung H
• Application Number:
  US13/414,556
• Publication Number:
  US 20120167337A1
• Time in Patent Office: 181 Days
• Field of Search: 553/37, 554/28, 554/29, 553/43, 553/45, 554/82, 555/28, 554/24, 554/26, 153/47, 153/52, 153/53, 96/15, 96/54, 96/57
• US Class Current: 55/337
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/127 tube- or sleeve-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1633 Concentric cyclones
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1641 for parallel flow
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 45/12 by centrifugal forces centrifuges B04B; cyclones B04C
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/0032 using electrostatic forces to remove particles, e.g. electret filters
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 46/106 Ring-shaped filtering elements
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 50/20 Combinations of devices covered by groups B01D45/00 and B01D46/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 55/03 Vacuum cleaner

Abstract

The present invention relates to a separating apparatus for separating particles from a fluid flow. Particularly, but not exclusively, the invention relates to a vacuum cleaner having such a separating apparatus for removing dust particles from a dust laden airstream. The separating apparatus includes a first cyclonic cleaning stage, a second cyclonic cleaning stage arranged downstream from the first cyclonic cleaning stage, and an elongate filter arranged downstream from the second cyclonic cleaning stage, wherein the filter is at least partially surrounded by the first cyclonic cleaning stage.

Claims

1. A separating apparatus comprising,

a first cyclonic cleaning stage,

a second cyclonic cleaning stage comprising a plurality of secondary cyclones, arranged downstream from the first cyclonic cleaning stage, and

an elongate filter arranged downstream from the second cyclonic cleaning stage, wherein the filter is at least partially surrounded by the first cyclonic cleaning stage.

2. A separating apparatus according to claim 1 wherein, the secondary cyclones are formed in a ring at least partially above the first cyclonic cleaning stage.

3. A separating apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein, the plurality of secondary cyclones arranged in parallel.

4. A separating apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2 having a longitudinal axis wherein the longitudinal axis of the filter is in line with the longitudinal axis of the separating apparatus.

5. A separating apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the filter is a sock filter.

6. A separating apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the filter comprises a first filter member and a second filter member.

7. A separating apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the second cyclonic cleaning stage comprises a dust collecting bin.

8. A separating apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the dust collecting bin of the second cyclonic cleaning stage is surrounded by the first cyclonic cleaning stage.

9. A separating apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the first cyclonic cleaning stage, the second cyclonic cleaning stage and the filter are arranged concentrically about a common central axis of the separating apparatus.

12. A vacuum cleaner comprising a separating apparatus according to claim 1.

13. A vacuum cleaner according to claim 12 wherein the separating apparatus is removably mounted to a main body of the vacuum cleaner.

10. A separating apparatus comprising,

a first cyclonic cleaning stage having a fluid outlet comprising a wall having a number of perforations,

a second cyclonic cleaning stage, arranged downstream from the first cyclonic cleaning stage, and

an elongate filter arranged downstream from the second cyclonic cleaning stage, wherein the filter is at least partially surrounded by the first cyclonic cleaning stage.

11. A separating apparatus comprising,

a first cyclonic cleaning stage,

a second cyclonic cleaning stage, arranged downstream from the first cyclonic cleaning stage, and

an elongate filter arranged downstream from the second cyclonic cleaning stage, wherein the filter is at least partially surrounded by the first cyclonic cleaning stage and wherein, the filter comprises a first filter member and a second filter member.