Motor, fan and dirt separation means arrangement
First Claim
1. A motor, fan and dirt separating means arrangement for a vacuum cleaner, the arrangement comprising:
- a motor with a drive shaft;
a fan coupled to the motor for generating air flow; and
a dirt separating means located in a cleaning path of the air flow generated by the fan, the cleaning path being between a dirty air inlet and the fan,wherein the motor is located in a cooling path of the air flow generated by the fan, the cooling path being between a clean air inlet and the fan, wherein the air flow through the cleaning path is substantially greater than through the cooling path in normal operating conditions and wherein the cleaning path and the cooling path of the air flow combine where the cleaning path is downstream of the dirt separating means and upstream of the fan and the cooling path is downstream of the motor and upstream of the fan;
wherein the motor is nested within an inner wall of the dirt separating means; and
wherein the clean air inlet and the exhaust of the combined cleaning path and cooling path are located on a same side of the dirt separating means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A motor, fan and dirt separating means arrangement for a vacuum cleaner, the arrangement comprising: a motor with a drive shaft; a fan coupled to the motor for generating air flow; and a dirt separating means located in a cleaning path of the air flow, the cleaning path being between a dirty air inlet and the fan, wherein the motor is located in a cooling path of the air flow, the cooling path being between a clean air inlet and the fan, wherein the air flow through the cleaning path is substantially greater than through the cooling path in normal operating conditions and wherein the cleaning path and the cooling path of the air flow combine substantially at the fan inlet. A vacuum cleaner comprising the motor, fan and dirt separating means arrangement.
61 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A motor, fan and dirt separating means arrangement for a vacuum cleaner, the arrangement comprising:
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a motor with a drive shaft; a fan coupled to the motor for generating air flow; and a dirt separating means located in a cleaning path of the air flow generated by the fan, the cleaning path being between a dirty air inlet and the fan, wherein the motor is located in a cooling path of the air flow generated by the fan, the cooling path being between a clean air inlet and the fan, wherein the air flow through the cleaning path is substantially greater than through the cooling path in normal operating conditions and wherein the cleaning path and the cooling path of the air flow combine where the cleaning path is downstream of the dirt separating means and upstream of the fan and the cooling path is downstream of the motor and upstream of the fan; wherein the motor is nested within an inner wall of the dirt separating means; and wherein the clean air inlet and the exhaust of the combined cleaning path and cooling path are located on a same side of the dirt separating means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A motor, fan and dirt separating means arrangement for a vacuum cleaner, the arrangement comprising:
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a motor with a drive shaft; a fan coupled to the motor for generating air flow; and a dirt separating means located in a cleaning path of the air flow generated by the fan, the cleaning path being between a dirty air inlet and the fan, wherein the motor is located in a cooling path of the air flow generated by the fan, the cooling path being between a clean air inlet and the fan, wherein the air flow through the cleaning path is substantially greater than through the cooling path in normal operating conditions and wherein the cleaning path and the cooling path of the air flow combine where the cleaning path is downstream of the dirt separating means and upstream of the fan and the cooling path is downstream of the motor and upstream of the fan; wherein the motor is nested within an inner wall of the dirt separating means; wherein the arrangement comprises supplementary means for augmenting air flow in the cooling path about an opposite end of the motor to the fan; and wherein the supplementary means for augmenting air flow in the cooling path comprises a second fan coupled to an opposite end the drive shaft to the fan.
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10. A motor, fan and dirt separating means arrangement for a vacuum cleaner, the arrangement comprising:
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a motor with a drive shaft; a fan coupled to the motor for generating air flow; and a dirt separating means located in a cleaning path of the air flow generated by the fan, the cleaning path being between a dirty air inlet and the fan, wherein the motor is located in a cooling path of the air flow generated by the fan, the cooling path being between a clean air inlet and the fan, wherein the air flow through the cleaning path is substantially greater than through the cooling path in normal operating conditions and wherein the cleaning path and the cooling path of the air flow combine where the cleaning path is downstream of the dirt separating means and upstream of the fan and the cooling path is downstream of the motor and upstream of the fan; wherein the motor is nested within an inner wall of the dirt separating means; wherein the arrangement comprises supplementary means for augmenting air flow in the cooling path about an opposite end of the motor to the fan; wherein the arrangement comprises a pre-fan filter located in the cleaning path of the air flow downstream of the dirt separating means and upstream of the fan and wherein the pre-fan filter communicates with an air outlet from the dirt separating means; wherein the motor is housed in a motor housing wherein the motor housing interposes the motor and the inner wall of the dirt separating means and wherein the cleaning path and the cooling path each permeate the motor housing; wherein the pre-fan filter has an annular cross-sectional profile normal to a central axis of the motor drive shaft, wherein the pre-fan filter is nested within the inner wall of the dirt separating means and wherein the annular cross-sectional profile surrounds the motor housing; wherein the cooling path crosses an interface of communication between the pre-fan filter and the air outlet from the dirt separating means; and wherein the cooling path crosses at four gaps in the interface of communication between the pre-fan filter and the air outlet, wherein the clean air inlet comprises four clean air inlet ports through an external wall of the dirt separating means, and wherein the four clean air inlet ports and the four gaps are axially aligned at equiangular intervals about the central axis, wherein the cooling path permeates the motor housing at four slots arranged about said opposite end of the motor and wherein the four slots in the motor housing are axially aligned with the four clean air inlet ports and the four gaps. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13)
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Specification