Cyclonic vacuum cleaner and dirt separator
First Claim
1. A vacuum cleaner operable to separate debris from an air stream, the vacuum cleaner comprising:
- a first housing having an upper end, a lower end, a first longitudinal axis, and an inner wall that surrounds the first longitudinal axis, and the inner wall at least partially defines a first cyclonic separator having an inlet configured to receive the air stream;
a second housing located at least partially within the first housing, the second housing including a second longitudinal axis and an inner wall that surrounds the second longitudinal axis, and the inner wall of the second housing at least partially defines a second cyclonic separator having an inlet configured to receive the air stream from the first cyclonic separator, the inlet of the second cyclonic separator having opposed upper and lower ends along the second longitudinal axis;
a dirt cup in fluid communication with the first and second cyclonic separators, the dirt cup configured to receive the debris separated from the air stream by the first and second cyclonic separators; and
a vane that extends around the second longitudinal axis located within the inlet of the second cyclonic separator,wherein the inlet of the second cyclonic separator directs the air steam in an inlet flow direction from the upper end of the first housing toward the lower end of the first housing and along the second longitudinal axis into the second cyclonic separator,wherein the inlet of the second cyclonic separator has an inlet cross-sectional area for flow of the air stream measured normal to the second longitudinal axis that gradually decreases in a direction from the upper end of the inlet to the lower end of the inlet,wherein the inlet of the second cyclonic separator includes an inner wall that direct the air stream in the inlet flow direction and surrounds the second longitudinal axis and an outer wall that directs the air steam in the inlet flow direction and surrounds the inner wall of the inlet for the second cyclonic separator, wherein the inlet cross-sectional area extends from the inner wall of the inlet to the outer wall of the inlet such that the inlet cross-sectional area is an annular area, andwherein the vane is a first vane, the vacuum cleaner further comprising a second vane that extends around the second longitudinal axis and in the inlet flow direction located within the inlet of the second cyclonic separator adjacent the first vane, and wherein a thickness of the first vane is measured around the second longitudinal axis and normal to the second longitudinal axis, and wherein the thickness of the first vane increases in the inlet flow direction to decrease the inlet cross-sectional area for the flow of the air stream in the inlet flow direction.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A vacuum cleaner operable to separate debris from an air stream. The vacuum cleaner includes a first cyclonic separator and a second cyclonic separator having an inlet configured to receive the air stream from the first cyclonic separator. The inlet of the second cyclonic separator directs the air steam in an inlet flow direction from an upper end of the first housing toward a lower end of the first housing and along a longitudinal axis into the second cyclonic separator. The inlet of the second cyclonic separator has an inlet cross-sectional area for flow of the air stream measured normal to the longitudinal axis that decreases in the inlet flow direction.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1. A vacuum cleaner operable to separate debris from an air stream, the vacuum cleaner comprising:
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a first housing having an upper end, a lower end, a first longitudinal axis, and an inner wall that surrounds the first longitudinal axis, and the inner wall at least partially defines a first cyclonic separator having an inlet configured to receive the air stream; a second housing located at least partially within the first housing, the second housing including a second longitudinal axis and an inner wall that surrounds the second longitudinal axis, and the inner wall of the second housing at least partially defines a second cyclonic separator having an inlet configured to receive the air stream from the first cyclonic separator, the inlet of the second cyclonic separator having opposed upper and lower ends along the second longitudinal axis; a dirt cup in fluid communication with the first and second cyclonic separators, the dirt cup configured to receive the debris separated from the air stream by the first and second cyclonic separators; and a vane that extends around the second longitudinal axis located within the inlet of the second cyclonic separator, wherein the inlet of the second cyclonic separator directs the air steam in an inlet flow direction from the upper end of the first housing toward the lower end of the first housing and along the second longitudinal axis into the second cyclonic separator, wherein the inlet of the second cyclonic separator has an inlet cross-sectional area for flow of the air stream measured normal to the second longitudinal axis that gradually decreases in a direction from the upper end of the inlet to the lower end of the inlet, wherein the inlet of the second cyclonic separator includes an inner wall that direct the air stream in the inlet flow direction and surrounds the second longitudinal axis and an outer wall that directs the air steam in the inlet flow direction and surrounds the inner wall of the inlet for the second cyclonic separator, wherein the inlet cross-sectional area extends from the inner wall of the inlet to the outer wall of the inlet such that the inlet cross-sectional area is an annular area, and wherein the vane is a first vane, the vacuum cleaner further comprising a second vane that extends around the second longitudinal axis and in the inlet flow direction located within the inlet of the second cyclonic separator adjacent the first vane, and wherein a thickness of the first vane is measured around the second longitudinal axis and normal to the second longitudinal axis, and wherein the thickness of the first vane increases in the inlet flow direction to decrease the inlet cross-sectional area for the flow of the air stream in the inlet flow direction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A vacuum cleaner operable to separate debris from an air stream, the vacuum cleaner comprising:
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a first housing having an upper end, a lower end, a first longitudinal axis, and an inner wall that surrounds the first longitudinal axis, and the inner wall at least partially defines a first cyclonic separator having an inlet configured to receive the air stream; a second housing located at least partially within the first housing, the second housing including a second longitudinal axis and an inner wall that surrounds the second longitudinal axis, and the inner wall of the second housing at least partially defines a second cyclonic separator having an inlet configured to receive the air stream from the first cyclonic separator, the inlet of the second cyclonic separator having opposed upper and lower ends along the second longitudinal axis; a dirt cup in fluid communication with the first and second cyclonic separators, the dirt cup configured to receive the debris separated from the air stream by the first and second cyclonic separators; a vane that extends at least partially around and along the second longitudinal axis and located at least partially within the inlet of the second cyclonic separator, the vane configured to rotate the air stream about the second longitudinal axis; an air outlet duct in fluid communication with the second cyclonic separator to transport the air stream from the second cyclonic separator, wherein the inlet of the second cyclonic separator directs the air steam in an inlet flow direction from the upper end of the first housing toward the lower end of the first housing along the second longitudinal axis and into the second cyclonic separator, wherein the air outlet duct transports the air stream from the second cyclonic separator in an outlet flow direction that is opposite to the inlet flow direction, wherein the inlet of the second cyclonic separator has an inlet cross-sectional area for flow of the air stream measured normal to the second longitudinal axis that gradually decreases in a direction from the upper end of the inlet to the lower end of the inlet, and wherein a thickness of the vane is measured around the second longitudinal axis and normal to the second longitudinal axis, such that the thickness of the vane increases to decrease the inlet cross-sectional area for the flow of the air. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A vacuum cleaner operable to separate debris from an air stream, the vacuum cleaner comprising:
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a housing including a longitudinal axis and a cyclonic separator having an axial inlet configured to receive the air stream, the axial inlet having opposed upper and lower ends along the longitudinal axis; a dirt cup in fluid communication with the cyclonic separator, the dirt cup configured to receive the debris separated from the air stream by the cyclonic separator; a vane that extends at least partially around the longitudinal axis and in the inlet flow direction located within the axial inlet of the cyclonic separator, wherein the axial inlet of the cyclonic separator directs the air steam in an inlet flow direction along the longitudinal axis into the cyclonic separator, wherein the axial inlet of the cyclonic separator has an inlet cross-sectional area for flow of the air stream measured normal to the longitudinal axis that gradually decreases in in a direction from the upper end of the inlet to the lower end of the inlet, wherein the axial inlet of the cyclonic separator includes an inner wall that direct the air stream in the inlet flow direction and surrounds the longitudinal axis and an outer wall that directs the air steam in the inlet flow direction and surrounds the inner wall of the axial inlet for the cyclonic separator, wherein the inlet cross-sectional area extends from the inner wall of the axial inlet to the outer wall of the axial inlet such that the inlet cross-sectional area is an annular area, wherein the vane extends from the inner wall of the axial inlet of the cyclonic separator to the outer wall of the axial inlet, and wherein the vane is a first vane, the vacuum cleaner further comprising a second vane that extends around the longitudinal axis and in the inlet flow direction located within the axial inlet of the cyclonic separator adjacent the first vane, and wherein a thickness of the first vane is measured around the longitudinal axis and normal to the longitudinal axis, and wherein the thickness of the first vane increases in the inlet flow direction to decrease the inlet cross-sectional area for the flow of the air stream in the inlet flow direction. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A vacuum cleaner operable to separate debris from an air stream, the vacuum cleaner comprising:
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a housing including a longitudinal axis and a cyclonic separator having an inlet configured to receive the air stream, wherein the inlet of the cyclonic separator directs the air steam in an inlet flow direction along the longitudinal axis and into the cyclonic separator; a dirt cup in fluid communication with the cyclonic separator, the dirt cup configured to receive the debris separated from the air stream by the cyclonic separator; and a plurality of vanes, wherein each of the plurality of vanes extends at least partially around and along the longitudinal axis and located at least partially within the inlet of the cyclonic separator, the plurality of vanes configured to rotate the air stream about the longitudinal axis, wherein portions of at least two adjacent vanes of the plurality of vanes overlap with each other in the longitudinal direction, wherein the inlet of the cyclonic separator has an inlet cross-sectional area for flow of the air stream measured normal to the longitudinal axis, wherein the inlet cross-sectional area gradually decreases in the inlet flow direction, and wherein a thickness of at least one of the plurality of vanes is measured around the longitudinal axis and normal to the longitudinal axis, and wherein the thickness of the at least one of the plurality of vanes increases in the inlet flow direction to decrease the inlet cross-sectional area for the flow of the air stream in the inlet flow direction. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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Specification