Bagless canister vacuum cleaner

• US 6,484,350 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2001
• Issued: 11/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Shell Electric Mfg. (Holdings) Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Shell Electric Mfg. (Holdings) Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yung, Billy
• Primary Examiner(s): MOORE, CHRISTOPHER K
• Application Number:
  US09/991,146
• Publication Number:
  US 20020069476A1
• Time in Patent Office: 378 Days
• Field of Search: 153/271, 153/277, 153/52, 153/53, 553/37
• US Class Current: 15/327.1
• 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 9/122 flat
• 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

Abstract

A bagless canister vacuum cleaner having a chasse, an air blower and a dust extraction and collection unit is provided. The dust extraction and collection unit has an easily removable inlet chamber and an easily removable outlet chamber. The inlet chamber is substantially cylindrical, and the outlet chamber is disposed concentrically within the upper portion of the inlet chamber. Duct work within the chasse conducts air from the air inlet and into the inlet chamber in tangential fashion, such that air swirls about the inside walls of the inlet chamber. Air within the inlet chamber is then allowed to escape from the inlet chamber into the outlet chamber via a plurality of small holes disposed in the side walls of the outlet chamber. Air within the outlet chamber is exhausted to the blower via a top wall opening in the outlet chamber. The outlet chamber contains a vertical, cylindrical filter disposed concentrically within the outlet chamber and a second, planar filter disposed across the top wall opening of the outlet chamber.

Claims

1. A canister vacuum cleaner comprising:

(a) a chassis having a housing unit, the housing unit having an air inlet and roller means for moving the chassis;

(b) an air blower disposed within the housing unit;

(c) a dust extraction and collection unit disposed within the housing unit, the dust extraction and collection unit comprising;

(i) an enclosed inlet chamber, the inlet chamber being substantially cylindrical in shape with an internal diameter between about 130 mm and about 200 mm, the inlet chamber comprising a bottom wall, at least one generally vertical sidewall, an upper section, and a lower section, the sidewall having an interior height between about 200 mm and about 250 mm, the upper section of the inlet chamber having an air inlet opening through the sidewall; and

(ii) an enclosed outlet chamber disposed concentrically within the upper section of the inlet chamber, the outlet chamber having a bottom wall, a top wall and at least one generally vertical sidewall, the bottom wall of the outlet chamber being disposed spaced apart from the bottom wall of the inlet chamber, the top wall having a top wall opening, the sidewall having an interior height between about 50 mm and about 100 mm, the sidewall also having between about 1000 and about 1500 inlet apertures, each inlet aperture defining an area between about 3 mm² and about 30 mm², the inlet apertures being disposed in a band around the sidewall of the outlet chamber, the band having a width between about 20 mm and about 50 mm and a median line disposed between about 30 mm and about 100 mm above the bottom wall, the outlet chamber further having an upper section, a lower section and a circular exterior perimeter edge member disposed around the sidewall in the lower section of the outlet chamber, the exterior edge member having a diameter between about 10 mm and about 60 mm less than the internal diameter of the inlet chamber; and

(d) duct work for serially connecting in fluid communication the air inlet in the housing unit, the inlet chamber, the outlet chamber and the air blower.

2. The canister vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein a cylindrical filter is disposed vertically and concentrically within the outlet chamber.

3. The canister vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein a planar filter is disposed across the top wall opening of the outlet chamber.

4. The canister vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein a filter is operatively disposed upstream of the air blower.

5. The canister vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein a blower filter is operatively disposed downstream of the air blower.

6. The canister vacuum cleaner of claim 5 wherein the blower filter is a HEPA filter.

7. The canister vacuum cleaner of claim 1 wherein the inlet chamber is reversibly installable within the chassis with a press-fit connection.

8. A canister vacuum cleaner comprising:

(a) a chassis having a housing unit, the housing unit having an air inlet and wheels for moving the chassis;

(b) an air blower disposed within the housing unit;

(c) a dust extraction and collection unit disposed within the housing unit, the dust extraction and collection unit comprising;

(i) an enclosed inlet chamber, the inlet chamber being substantially cylindrical in shape with an internal diameter between about 130 mm and about 200 mm, the inlet chamber comprising a bottom wall, at least one generally vertical sidewall, an upper section, and a lower section, the sidewall having an interior height between about 200 mm and about 250 mm, the upper section of the inlet chamber having an air inlet opening through the sidewall; and

(ii) an enclosed outlet chamber disposed concentrically within the upper section of the inlet chamber, the outlet chamber having a bottom wall, a top wall and at least one generally vertical sidewall, the bottom wall of the outlet chamber being disposed spaced apart from the bottom wall of the inlet chamber, the top wall having a top wall opening, the sidewall having an interior height between about 50 mm and about 100 mm, the sidewall also having between about 1000 and about 1500 inlet apertures, each inlet aperture defining an area between about 3 mm² and about 30 mm², the inlet apertures being disposed in a band around the sidewall of the outlet chamber, the band having a width between about 20 mm and about 50 mm and a median line disposed between about 30 mm and about 100 mm above the bottom wall, the outlet chamber further having an upper section, a lower section and a circular exterior perimeter edge member disposed around the sidewall in the lower section of the outlet chamber, the exterior edge member having a diameter between about 10 mm and about 60 mm less than the internal diameter of the inlet chamber;

(d) a cylindrical filter disposed vertically and concentrically within the outlet chamber;

(e) a planar filter disposed across the top wall opening of the outlet chamber; and

(f) duct work for serially connecting in fluid communication the air inlet in the housing unit, the inlet chamber, the outlet chamber and the air blower.

9. The canister vacuum cleaner of claim 8 wherein a filter is operatively disposed upstream of the air blower.

10. The canister vacuum cleaner of claim 8 wherein a blower filter is operatively disposed downstream of the air blower.

11. The canister vacuum cleaner of claim 10 wherein the blower filter is a HEPA filter.