Cyclone such as for use in a surface cleaning apparatus

• US 9,227,151 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2013
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
• Original Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
• Inventors: Conrad, Wayne Ernest
• Primary Examiner(s): Bui, Dung H
• Application Number:
  US13/780,231
• Publication Number:
  US 20140237964A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,041 Days
• Field of Search: 553/37, 554/47, 554/591, 55D/IG.3, 554/67, 554/56, 153/47, 153/53
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/30 with driven dust-loosening tools, e.g. rotating brushes
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/32 with means for connecting a hose hose couplings for suction cleaners A47L9/24
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/10 Filters in general B01D; cyclones B04C; Dust separators; Dust removal; Automatic exchange of filters for machines for cleaning floors A47L11/40
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1608 Cyclonic chamber constructions
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/165 Construction of inlets
• 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 2279/55 for cleaning appliances, e.g. suction cleaners suction cleaners comprising filters A47L9/10
• 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 comprises a cyclone chamber having an air inlet, a vortex finder, a first end wall, a second end wall and a sidewall, the air inlet has an inlet end having a shape and a cross sectional area in a plane transverse to a direction of airflow through the air inlet, and the air inlet is provided at a first juncture of the sidewall and the first end wall, the vortex finder has a wall that meets one of the first and second end walls at a second juncture, wherein the second juncture extends at an angle to both the wall of the vortex finder and the end wall on which the vortex finder is provided.

Claims

1. A cyclone comprising a cyclone chamber having an air inlet, a vortex finder, a first end wall, a second end wall spaced from and facing the first end wall and a sidewall, wherein a distance from an inner surface of the first end wall to an inner surface of the second end wall is constant around the inner surface of the first end wall, the air inlet comprises a curved passage provided inside the cyclone chamber, the passage has an inlet end having a shape and a cross sectional area in a plane transverse to a direction of airflow through the air inlet, and the air inlet is provided at a first juncture surface of the sidewall and the first end wall and is located on the first end wall, the vortex finder has a wall that meets the first end wall at a second juncture surface, wherein the second juncture surface extends at an angle to both the wall of the vortex finder and the first end wall and wherein the air inlet comprises an enclosed passage in the cyclone chamber that is spaced from the vortex finder such that a portion of the inner surface of the first end wall extends around all of the vortex finder such that the portion of the inner surface of the first end wall is also positioned between the air inlet and the vortex finder.

2. The cyclone of claim 1 wherein the second juncture surface is rounded.

3. The cyclone of claim 2 wherein the second juncture surface has a radius that is proximate a radius of the air inlet.

4. The cyclone of claim 1 wherein the air inlet is spaced from the vortex finder.

5. The cyclone of claim 4 wherein cyclone chamber has a diameter and the air inlet is spaced from the vortex finder by a distance that is up to 10% of the diameter.

6. The cyclone of claim 4 wherein the portion of the first end wall is rounded.

7. The cyclone of claim 4 wherein the portion of the first end wall is flat.

8. The cyclone of claim 1 wherein the vortex finder extends into the cyclone chamber a first distance and the air inlet has an inner end that extends into the cyclone chamber a distance less than the first distance.

9. The cyclone of claim 1 wherein the first juncture surface extends at an angle to the sidewall and the first end wall, between which it is positioned.

10. The cyclone of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and second juncture surfaces is rounded.

11. The cyclone of claim 1 wherein the first juncture surface downstream of the air inlet has the same shape as a portion of the inlet end that is adjacent the first juncture surface.

12. The cyclone of claim 11 wherein the first juncture surface extends at an angle to both the sidewall and the first end wall.

13. The cyclone of claim 12 wherein the first juncture surface is rounded.

14. The cyclone of claim 13 wherein the first juncture surface has a radius that is proximate a radius of the air inlet and the second juncture surface has a radius that is proximate the radius of the first juncture surface.

15. The cyclone of claim 12 wherein the first end wall is openable and at least a portion of the first juncture surface is part of the openable first end wall.

16. The cyclone of claim 1 further comprising a central insert member extending away from a center of the second end wall into the cyclone chamber, the central insert member comprises a central member wall extending away from the second end wall, and the central member wall and the second end wall meet at a third juncture surface that extends at an angle to both the central member wall and the second end wall.

17. The cyclone of claim 16 wherein the third juncture surface is rounded.

18. The cyclone of claim 15 wherein a central insert member is provided at the second end wall and extends into the cyclone chamber and the cyclone further comprises a dirt collection chamber external to the cyclone chamber and in communication with the cyclone chamber via a dirt outlet, the sidewall extends to the second end wall and the dirt outlet is provided in the sidewall adjacent the second end wall.

19. The cyclone of claim 16 wherein each of the vortex finder and the central insert member has an inner end and a screen extends between the inner ends.

20. The cyclone of claim 1 wherein the vortex finder comprises a screen, wherein the screen has an inner end, the inner end has a cross sectional area in a plane transverse to a direction of airflow through the vortex finder and the cross sectional area of the inner end is less than the cross sectional area of the air inlet.