VACUUM CLEANER WITH A REMOVABLE CYCLONE ARRAY

• US 20070209337A1
• Filed: 03/08/2007
• Published: 09/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
• Original Assignee: GBD Corporation (G.B.D.)
• Inventors: Conrad, Wayne
• Granted Patent: US 7,811,345 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 55/337
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/28 Suction cleaners with handles and nozzles fixed on the casings, e.g. wheeled suction cleaners with steering handle A47L5/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1608 Cyclonic chamber constructions
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1625 for series flow
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1641 for parallel flow
• 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: A47L 9/1691 Mounting or coupling means for cyclonic chamber or dust receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/30 Arrangement of illuminating devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 45/12 by centrifugal forces centrifuges B04B; cyclones B04C
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 55/03 Vacuum cleaner

Abstract

A portable vacuum cleaner having at least first and second cleaning stages wherein the first cleaning stage has a dirt collection member and the second cleaning stage comprises a plurality of cyclones and at least one dirt collection chamber, wherein the first and second cleaning stages are emptied separately. One cleaning stage can be removably mounted from the vacuum cleaner without removing another cleaning stage.

Claims

1. A portable vacuum cleaner comprising:

(a) a dirty air inlet;

(b) a handle;

(c) at least first and second cleaning stages wherein the first cleaning stage has a dirt collection member and the second cleaning stage comprises a plurality of cyclones and at least one dirt collection chamber, wherein the first and second cleaning stages are emptied separately; and

,

(d) an air flow motor.

2. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein the second cleaning stage is removed from the first cleaning stage prior to emptying the second cleaning stage.

3. The vacuum cleaner of claim 2 wherein the second cleaning stage is removed by itself from the vacuum cleaner.

4. The vacuum cleaner of claim 3 wherein second cleaning stage includes at least one filter.

5. The vacuum cleaner of claim 2 wherein the first and second cleaning stages are each separately removable from the vacuum cleaner.

6. The vacuum cleaner of claim 5 wherein the second cleaning stage is downstream from the first cleaning stage.

7. The vacuum cleaner of claim 6 wherein the first cleaning stage comprises at least one cyclone and the dirt collection member comprises a dirt collection chamber.

8. The vacuum cleaner of claim 7 wherein the first cleaning stage has a capacity to store dirt for a predetermined number of one hour sessions of use of the vacuum cleaner for regular household cleaning and the second cleaning stage has a capacity to store dirt for at least three times the predetermined number.

9. The vacuum cleaner of claim 8 wherein the second cleaning stage has a capacity to store dirt for at least ten times the predetermined number.

10. The vacuum cleaner of claim 7 wherein each of the first and second cleaning stages has a storage volume and the storage volume of the second stage is selected such that, when the vacuum cleaner is used to collect particulate matter for which the vacuum cleaner is designed, the second cleaning stage requires emptying not more than once for every three times the first stage is emptied.

11. The vacuum cleaner of claim 7 wherein each of the first and second cleaning stages has a storage volume and the storage volume of the second stage is selected such that, when the vacuum cleaner is used to collect particulate matter for which the vacuum cleaner is designed, the second cleaning stage requires emptying not more than once for every ten times the first stage is emptied.

12. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein the second cleaning stage has a capacity to store dirt for at least one month of regular use of the vacuum cleaner.

13. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein the second cleaning stage has a capacity to store dirt for at least three months of regular use of the vacuum cleaner.

14. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein the second cleaning stage has a plurality of dirt collection chambers that are emptied concurrently.

15. The vacuum cleaner of claim 14 wherein each cyclone of the second cleaning stage has an associated dirt collection chamber and each dirt collection chamber is associated with only one cyclone and all of the dirt collection chambers of the second cleaning stage are emptied concurrently.

16. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein the plurality of cyclones and at least one dirt collection chamber are removable as a closed unit from the vacuum cleaner.

17. The vacuum cleaner of claim 16 wherein the dirt collection chamber has an openable bottom.

18. The vacuum cleaner of claim 16 wherein the second cleaning stage has a plurality of dirt collection chambers that are emptied concurrently.

19. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein second cleaning stage is sealed when removed from the vacuum cleaner other than fluid flow passages leading to and from the cyclones.

20. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein the vacuum cleaner is selected from the group consisting of an upright vacuum cleaner, a wet/dry vacuum cleaner and a canister vacuum cleaner.

21. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 further comprising a door moveable to an open position wherein the second cleaning stage is removable when the door is in the open position.

22. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein the second cleaning stage is slidably removable from the vacuum cleaner.

23. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein the second cleaning stage is removably mounted to the first cleaning stage.

24. The vacuum cleaner of claim 23 wherein the second cleaning stage is moveable upwardly from the first cleaning stage.

25. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) a dirt inlet;

(b) a handle;

(c) at least first and second cleaning stages wherein the second cleaning stage comprises a plurality of cyclones and at least one dirt collection chamber, wherein, other than fluid flow passages leading to and from the cyclones, the second cleaning stage is removable from the surface cleaning apparatus as a sealed unit for emptying; and

,

(d) an air flow motor.

26. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 25 wherein the first and second cleaning stages is each separately removable from the surface cleaning apparatus.

27. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 26 wherein the second cleaning stage is downstream from the first cleaning stage.

28. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 27 wherein the first cleaning stage comprises at least one cyclone.

29. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 28 wherein the first cleaning stage has a capacity to store dirt for a predetermined number of one hour sessions of use of the vacuum cleaner for regular household cleaning and the second cleaning stage has a capacity to store dirt for at least three times the predetermined number.

30. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 29 wherein the second cleaning stage has a capacity to store dirt for at least one month of regular use of the surface cleaning apparatus.

31. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 25 wherein the second cleaning stage has a plurality of dirt collection chambers that are emptied concurrently.

32. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 25 wherein each cyclone has an associated dirt collection chamber and each dirt collection chamber is associated with only one cyclone and all of the dirt collection chambers are emptied concurrently.

33. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 25 further comprising a door moveable to an open position wherein the second cleaning stage is removable when the door is in the open position.

34. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 25 wherein the second cleaning stage is slidably removable from the surface cleaning apparatus.

35. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 25 wherein the second cleaning stage is removably mounted to the first cleaning stage.

36. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 35 wherein the second cleaning stage is moveable upwardly from the first cleaning stage.

37. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 25 wherein each of the first and second cleaning stages has a storage volume and the storage volume of the second stage is selected such that, when the surface cleaning apparatus is used to collect particulate matter for which the surface cleaning apparatus is designed, the second cleaning stage requires emptying not more than once for every three times the first stage is emptied.

38. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 25 wherein each of the first and second cleaning stages has a storage volume and the storage volume of the second stage is selected such that, when the surface cleaning apparatus is used to collect particulate matter for which the surface cleaning apparatus is designed, the second cleaning stage requires emptying not more than once for every ten times the first stage is emptied.