Cyclonic surface cleaning apparatus

• US 9,949,601 B2
• Filed: 08/28/2014
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
• Original Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
• Inventors: Conrad, Wayne Ernest
• Primary Examiner(s): REDDING, DAVID A
• Application Number:
  US14/472,086
• Publication Number:
  US 20140366313A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,335 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/24 Hand-supported suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/122 flat
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1608 Cyclonic chamber constructions
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1625 for series flow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/165 Construction of inlets
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1658 Construction of outlets
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1666 with filtering means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1683 Dust collecting chambers; Dust collecting receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/20 Means for cleaning filters
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/342 comprising at least a single wire, e.g. in the form of a winding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/3432 comprising several wires, e.g. in the form of several independent windings B29C65/3436, B29C65/344 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/3476 being metallic
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1122 Single lap to lap joints, i.e. overlap joints B29C66/45, B29C66/472, B29C66/52272 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/12441 being a single wall
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/1312 Single flange to flange joints, the parts to be joined being rigid the parts to be joined being flexible B29C66/133
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/244 said joint lines being non-straight, e.g. forming non-closed contours
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/54 Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-shells, to form hollow articles, e.g. for making balls, containers; Joining several hollow-preforms, e.g. half-cylinders, to form tubular articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73921 characterised by the materials of both parts being thermoplastics
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/949 characterised by specific time values or ranges
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/06 : PE, i.e. polyethylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2023/12 : PP, i.e. polypropylene
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2055/02 : ABS polymers, i.e. acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene polymers
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2069/00 : Use of PC, i.e. polycarbonates or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3481 : Housings or casings incorporating or embedding electric or electronic elements
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/7406 : Sponges; Cleaning equipment
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/749 : Motors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1158 : Electromagnetic radiation applied to work for delamination [e.g., microwave, uv, ir, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/17 : Three or more coplanar interfitted sections with securing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/19 : Sheets or webs edge spliced or joined
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24488 : Differential nonuniformity at margin

Abstract

A surface cleaning apparatus, which in one embodiment is a hand held vacuum cleaner, comprises a cyclone and a suction motor wherein the cyclone air outlet and the suction motor inlet are positioned towards the same end of the surface cleaning apparatus whereby air exiting the cyclone travels laterally and then axially to the suction motor inlet. A surface cleaning apparatus comprises a cyclone and a suction motor wherein the suction motor is positioned rearward of the cyclone and the cyclone air outlet is positioned at a lower end of the cyclone whereby air exiting the cyclone travels laterally and then axially towards the suction motor inlet.

Claims

1. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) a dirty air inlet;

(b) a filtration apparatus comprising a cyclone downstream from the dirty air inlet, the cyclone having an upper end, a lower end, a cyclone axis, a dirt outlet, a cyclone air inlet and a cyclone air outlet, wherein the cyclone air outlet comprises a passage that is positioned at the lower end of the cyclone;

(c) a cyclone dirt collection chamber exterior to the cyclone and having a lower openable a dirt collection surface;

(d) a suction motor having a suction motor axis, an upper end, a lower end, a suction motor inlet positioned at the lower end of the suction motor;

(e) an air flow passage extending from the cyclone air outlet to the suction motor inlet and comprising a transversely extending portion; and

,

(f) a clean air outlet downstream from the suction motor.

2. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein air exiting the cyclone outlet travels transversely through the transversely extending portion of the air flow passage and upwardly to the suction motor inlet.

3. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cyclone and the dirt collection chamber are concurrently openable.

4. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the dirt collection chamber is positioned around at least a portion of the cyclone.

5. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cyclone is inverted.

6. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein a pre-motor filter is positioned laterally from the cyclone and below the suction motor.

7. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the suction motor axis and the cyclone axis are parallel and the suction motor is laterally spaced from the cyclone.

8. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the surface cleaning apparatus comprises a hand held vacuum cleaner.

9. A surface cleaning apparatus having a first end and a second spaced apart end, the surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) a dirty air inlet;

(b) a filtration apparatus comprising a cyclone downstream from the dirty air inlet, the cyclone having a cyclone axis, a dirt outlet, a cyclone air inlet and a cyclone air outlet, wherein the cyclone air outlet comprises a passage that is positioned towards the second end;

(c) a cyclone dirt collection chamber exterior to the cyclone and having an openable a dirt collection surface positioned towards the second end;

(d) a suction motor having a suction motor axis, an inlet end, an outlet end, a suction motor inlet positioned towards the second end;

(e) an air flow passage extending from the cyclone air outlet to the suction motor inlet and comprising a transversely extending portion; and

,

(f) a clean air outlet downstream from the suction motor.

10. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 9 wherein air exiting the cyclone outlet travels transversely through the transversely extending portion of the air flow passage and axially to the suction motor inlet.

11. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 9 wherein the cyclone and the dirt collection chamber are concurrently openable.

12. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 9 wherein a pre-motor filter is positioned laterally from the cyclone and upstream from the suction motor.

13. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 9 wherein the suction motor axis and the cyclone axis are parallel and the suction motor is laterally spaced from the cyclone.

14. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 9 wherein the surface cleaning apparatus comprises a hand held vacuum cleaner.

15. A surface cleaning apparatus having a front end and a rear end, the surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) a dirty air inlet;

(b) a filtration apparatus comprising a cyclone downstream from the dirty air inlet, the cyclone having an upper end, a lower end, a cyclone axis, a dirt outlet, a cyclone air inlet and a cyclone air outlet, wherein the cyclone air outlet comprises a passage that is positioned at the lower end of the cyclone;

(c) a cyclone dirt collection chamber exterior to the cyclone and having a lower openable a dirt collection surface;

(d) a suction motor having a suction motor axis, the suction motor is positioned rearward of the cyclone;

(e) an air flow passage extending from the cyclone air outlet to the suction motor and comprising a transversely extending portion; and

,

(f) a clean air outlet downstream from the suction motor

wherein air exiting the cyclone outlet travels transversely through the transversely extending portion of the air flow passage and upwardly towards the suction motor.

16. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 15 wherein the cyclone and the dirt collection chamber are concurrently openable.

17. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 15 wherein the cyclone is inverted.

18. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 15 wherein a pre-motor filter is positioned laterally from the cyclone and below the suction motor.

19. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 15 wherein the suction motor axis and the cyclone axis are parallel and the suction motor is laterally spaced from the cyclone.

20. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 15 wherein the surface cleaning apparatus comprises a hand held vacuum cleaner.