Cyclone chamber and dirt collection assembly for a surface cleaning apparatus

• US 8,763,202 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2011
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
• Original Assignee: GBD Corporation (G.B.D.)
• Inventors: Conrad, Wayne Ernest
• Primary Examiner(s): Carter, Monica
• Assistant Examiner(s): BERRY, STEPHANIE R
• Application Number:
  US13/039,891
• Publication Number:
  US 20120222245A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,216 Days
• Field of Search: 154/12, 15347-353, 553/37, 554/28, 554/29, 55D/IG.3, 554/67, 554/71
• US Class Current: 15/353
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/362 of the horizontal type, e.g. canister or sledge type
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1658 Construction of outlets
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1683 Dust collecting chambers; Dust collecting receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 45/16 generated by the winding course of the gas stream , the centrifugal forces being generated solely or partly by mechanical means, e.g. fixed swirl vanes

Abstract

A cyclone bin assembly comprises a cyclone chamber having an air inlet, an air outlet, a dirt outlet and first and second opposed ends. The cyclone bin assembly may comprise a dirt collection chamber in communication with the dirt outlet. The dirt bin may surround at least a portion of the cyclone chamber and comprising first and second portions. The first and second portions may comprise discrete chambers that are separated from each other by a passage extending between the dirt outlet and a wall of the dirt collection chamber. The dirt outlet may have an angular extent around the cyclone chamber and a larger portion of the angular extent of the slot may face the first portion.

Claims

1. A cyclone bin assembly comprising:

(a) a cyclone chamber having an air inlet, an air outlet, a dirt outlet first and second opposed ends and a cyclone chamber sidewall; and

,

(b) a dirt collection chamber in communication with the dirt outlet, surrounding at least a portion of the cyclone chamber sidewall and comprising first and second portions, the first and second portions comprising discrete chambers that are separated from each other by a passage extending between the dirt outlet and a wall of the dirt collection chamber,

wherein the dirt outlet comprises a slot having an angular extent around the cyclone chamber, the slot having a first end in communication with the first portion and a second end in communication with the second portion, and a larger portion of the angular extent of the slot faces the first portion.

2. The cyclone bin assembly of claim 1 wherein the cyclone chamber has a direction of rotation and the first portion is angularly positioned upstream of the second portion in the direction of rotation.

3. The cyclone bin assembly of claim 2 wherein the dirt collection chamber comprises first and second opposed ends, the dirt outlet is positioned adjacent the second end of the dirt collection chamber, the first and second portions have first and second sides, the first side positioned adjacent the passage and the second side angularly spaced from the passage, the second portion has a divider wall that extends inwardly towards the second end of the dirt collection chamber from the first end of the dirt collection chamber and the divider wall is spaced from the second side.

4. The cyclone bin assembly of claim 3 wherein the divider wall is positioned adjacent the first side.

5. The cyclone bin assembly of claim 1 wherein a portion of the wall of the dirt collection chamber facing the dirt outlet extends inwardly towards the dirt outlet.

6. The cyclone bin assembly of claim 1 wherein a portion of the wall of the dirt collection chamber facing the dirt outlet extends convexly inwardly towards the dirt outlet.

7. The cyclone bin assembly of claim 5 wherein the cyclone chamber has a longitudinal axis, the dirt outlet has a dirt outlet height in a direction of the longitudinal axis and the portion of the wall has a height so as to extend along the dirt outlet height.

8. The cyclone bin assembly of claim 7 wherein the portion of the wall of the dirt collection chamber extends away from the dirt outlet along at least a portion of a length of the cyclone chamber.

9. The cyclone bin assembly of claim 8 wherein the dirt collection chamber comprises first and second opposed ends, the dirt outlet is positioned adjacent the second end of the dirt collection chamber and the passage terminates prior to the first end of the dirt collection chamber.

10. A vacuum cleaner comprising an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet, the air flow path including a suction motor in a suction motor housing and the cyclone bin assembly of claim 5, wherein the portion of the wall is configured to seat on a portion of the suction motor housing.

11. A vacuum cleaner comprising an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet, the air flow path including a suction motor in a suction motor housing and the cyclone bin assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second portions are configured to be positioned on opposed sides of the suction motor.

12. The cyclone bin assembly of claim 1 wherein the air inlet and the air outlet are at the first end of the cyclone chamber.

13. The cyclone bin assembly of claim 12 wherein the dirt outlet is spaced from the first end.

14. The cyclone bin assembly of claim 13 wherein the dirt outlet is at the second end of the cyclone chamber.

15. The cyclone bin assembly of claim 1 wherein the slot is provided in the cyclone chamber sidewall adjacent the second end.

16. The cyclone bin assembly of claim 15 wherein a portion of the cyclone chamber sidewall terminates prior to the second end and defines a terminal end of the sidewall, the terminal end extending part way around the cyclone chamber.

17. The cyclone bin assembly of claim 1 wherein the cyclone chamber has a longitudinal axis that is essentially horizontal.

18. The cyclone bin assembly of claim 17 wherein the dirt outlet is provided in a lower portion of the cyclone chamber and has a portion that is positioned at an upper end of the dirt collection chamber.

19. The cyclone bin assembly of claim 17 wherein the dirt outlet has a portion that is positioned at an upper end of one of the first and second portions.

20. The cyclone bin assembly of claim 19 wherein the dirt outlet has a portion that is positioned at an upper end of the first portion.

21. The cyclone bin assembly of claim 1 wherein a portion of the dirt collection chamber wall is configured to produce an airstream traveling through the passage between the first and second portions, the air stream travelling at a first velocity when travelling through the passage, travelling at a second velocity immediately upstream of the passage and travelling at a third velocity immediately downstream of the passage, and the first velocity is greater than the second and third velocities.

22. The cyclone bin assembly of claim 1 wherein the cyclone chamber has a direction of rotation and the first portion is angularly positioned upstream of the second portion in the direction of rotation.

23. The cyclone bin assembly of claim 22 wherein the dirt collection chamber comprises first and second opposed ends, the dirt outlet is positioned adjacent the second end of the dirt collection chamber, the first and second portions have first and second sides, the first side positioned adjacent the passage and the second side angularly spaced from the passage, the second portion has a divider wall that extends inwardly towards the second end of the dirt collection chamber from the first end of the dirt collection chamber and the divider wall is spaced from the second side.

24. The cyclone bin assembly of claim 23 wherein the divider wall is positioned adjacent the first side.