MULTISTAGE CYCLONE AND SURFACE CLEANING APPARATUS HAVING SAME

• US 20180177355A1
• Filed: 12/27/2016
• Published: 06/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
• Original Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
• Inventors: Conrad, Wayne Ernest
• Granted Patent: US 10,405,709 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/24 Hand-supported suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/106 Dust removal
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1608 Cyclonic chamber constructions
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1633 Concentric cyclones
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/165 Construction of inlets
• 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 9/2878 Dual-powered vacuum cleaners, i.e. devices which can be operated with mains power supply or by batteries
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2884 Details of arrangements of batteries or their installation

Abstract

A hand vacuum cleaner has a cyclone assembly comprising a first stage cyclone and a second stage cyclone. The cyclone assembly has an openable front end moveable between a closed position and an open position wherein, when the openable front end is in the open position, the first stage cyclone, the second stage cyclone and the inlet conduit are opened.

Claims

1. A hand vacuum cleaner having, the hand vacuum cleaner comprising:

(a) an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet and including an inlet conduit;

(b) a first stage cyclone having a first stage cyclone chamber and a first stage dirt collection region;

(c) a second stage cyclone downstream from the first stage cyclone and at least partially nested in the first stage cyclone, the second stage cyclone having a second stage cyclone chamber and a second stage dirt collection region; and

,

(d) an openable front end moveable between a closed position and an open position wherein, when the openable front end is in the open position, the first stage cyclone, the second stage cyclone and the inlet conduit are opened.

2. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein the inlet conduit is positioned above the second stage cyclone chamber.

3. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 2 wherein the dirty air inlet is located at a front end of the inlet conduit.

4. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 3 wherein the inlet conduit sildeably receives a cleaning wand.

5. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 4 wherein the inlet conduit is positioned above the first stage cyclone chamber.

6. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein the first stage dirt collection region and the second stage dirt collection region have a forward most end wall, a portion of the inlet conduit is moveable with the front end, the portion of the inlet conduit having an inward end spaced inwardly from the front end, the inward end positioned further inward than the forward most end wall of at least one of the first and second dirt collection regions.

7. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein when the front end is opened, the first stage dirt collection region and the second stage dirt collection region are each opened.

8. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 6 wherein the first stage dirt collection region is external to the first stage cyclone chamber.

9. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 7 wherein the second stage dirt collection region is external to the second stage cyclone chamber.

10. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein when the front end is opened, the first stage cyclone chamber, the first stage dirt collection region and the second stage dirt collection region are each opened.

11. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein when the front end is opened, the first stage cyclone chamber, the first stage dirt collection region, the second stage cyclone chamber and the second stage dirt collection region are each opened.

12. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein the second stage dirt collection region is external to the second stage cyclone chamber, the openable front end has at least one wall that extends inwardly from a proximal end located at the front openable end to a distal end spaced inwardly from the proximal end, wherein when the distal end is open, the at least one wall defines an open volume that comprises the second stage dirt collection region and the open end sealingly abuts a sidewall of the second stage cyclone when the front openable end is closed.

13. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 12 wherein a portion of the second stage cyclone positioned towards the openable end is conical in shape.

14. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 12 wherein when the front end is opened, the second stage cyclone chamber and the second stage dirt collection region are each opened.

15. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein an upper end of the openable front end is pivotally mounted to the hand vacuum cleaner.

16. A hand vacuum cleaner having, the hand vacuum cleaner comprising:

(a) an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet and including an inlet conduit;

(b) a cyclone stage having a cyclone chamber and a dirt collection region; and

,

(c) an openable front end moveable between a closed position and an open position wherein, when the openable front end is in the open position, the cyclone and the inlet conduit are opened,

wherein the inlet conduit is positioned above the cyclone chamber.

17. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 16 wherein the dirty air inlet is located at a front end of the inlet conduit.

18. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 17 wherein the inlet conduit sildeably receives a cleaning wand.

19. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 16 wherein the dirt collection region has a forward most end wall, a portion of the inlet conduit is moveable with the front end, the portion of the inlet conduit having an inward end spaced inwardly from the front end, the inward end positioned further inward than the forward most end wall of the dirt collection regions.

20. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 16 wherein the cyclone chamber has an openable end wall that is mounted to the openable front end wall wherein the cyclone chamber is opened when the openable front end is opened.

21. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 16 further comprising an additional cyclonic stage having a cyclone chamber and a dirt collection region wherein, when the front end is opened, the dirt collection region of the cyclone stage and the dirt collection region of the additional cyclone stage are each opened.

22. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 21 wherein the dirt collection region of the cyclone stage is external to the cyclone chamber of the cyclone stage.

23. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 22 wherein the dirt collection region of the additional cyclone stage is external to the cyclone chamber of the additional cyclone stage.

24. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 16 further comprising an additional cyclonic stage having a dirt collection region wherein, when the front end is opened, the cyclone chamber of the cyclone stage, the dirt collection region of the cyclone stage and the dirt collection region of the additional cyclonic stage are each opened.

25. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 16 further comprising an additional cyclonic stage having a cyclone chamber and a dirt collection region wherein, when the front end is opened, the cyclone chamber of the cyclone stage, the dirt collection region of the cyclone stage, the cyclone chamber of the additional cyclonic stage and the dirt collection region of the additional cyclonic stage are each opened.

26. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 16 wherein the dirt collection region is external to the cyclone chamber, the openable front end has at least one wall that extends inwardly from a proximal end located at the front openable end to a distal end spaced inwardly from the proximal end, wherein the distal end is open, the at least one wall defines an open volume that comprises the dirt collection region and the open end sealingly abuts a sidewall of the cyclone when the front openable end is closed.

27. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 26 wherein a portion of the cyclone positioned towards the openable end is conical in shape.

28. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 26 wherein when the front end is opened, the cyclone chamber and the dirt collection region are each opened.

29. The hand vacuum cleaner of claim 16 wherein an upper end of the openable front end is pivotally mounted to the hand vacuum cleaner.