Dirt separation apparatus for a surface cleaning apparatus
First Claim
1. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:
- (a) an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet and including a suction motor;
(b) a cyclone chamber provided in the air flow path and comprising a cyclone air inlet, a cyclone air outlet, a cyclone axis, a first cyclone end, a second cyclone end axially spaced apart from the first cyclone end in a first direction, a cyclone chamber endwall at the second cyclone end, a cyclone dirt outlet and a cyclone chamber wall wherein air circulates in the cyclone chamber in a direction of rotation and the cyclone dirt outlet comprises a slot in the cyclone chamber wall that extends part way around the cyclone chamber wall from a first slot end wall to a second slot end wall that is downstream from the first end wall in the direction of rotation;
(c) a fine particle separator comprising an annular flow channel positioned radially laterally with respect to the cyclone chamber, the annular flow channel comprising inner and outer fine particle separator opposed sidewalls, the outer fine particle separator sidewall has a dirt outlet facing portion that is positioned radially outwardly from the dirt outlet and faces the dirt outlet, the annular flow channel having a first portion facing the dirt outlet and a second portion that extends around the cyclone and defines a flow path extending from a fine particle separator inlet that is located at one end of the first portion to a fine particle separator outlet that is located at a second opposed end of the first portion, the first portion comprising an open volume extending between the dirt outlet facing portion and the dirt outlet, whereby the open volume has an absence of walls positioned between the dirt outlet facing portion and the dirt outlet; and
,(d) a dirt collection chamber in communication with the fine particle separator and comprising a dirt collection chamber sidewall, wherein the dirt collection chamber comprises a portion positioned axially from the cyclone chamber and having a dirt collection chamber end wall that is axially spaced from the cyclone chamber endwall in the first direction and faces towards the cyclone chamber endwall.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A surface cleaning apparatus may comprise an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet and a suction motor. The surface cleaning apparatus may also comprise a cyclone chamber provided in the air flow path. The cyclone chamber may comprise a cyclone air inlet, a cyclone air outlet, a dirt outlet and a cyclone chamber wall. The surface cleaning apparatus may also comprise a fine particle separator. The fine particle separator may comprise an annular flow channel, a fine particle separator inlet in communication with the cyclone chamber via the cyclone dirt outlet, a fine particle separator dirt outlet and a fine particle separator sidewall. The surface cleaning apparatus may also comprise a dirt collection chamber in communication with the fine particle separator dirt outlet. The dirt collection chamber may comprise a dirt collection chamber sidewall.
71 Citations
23 Claims
-
1. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:
-
(a) an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet and including a suction motor; (b) a cyclone chamber provided in the air flow path and comprising a cyclone air inlet, a cyclone air outlet, a cyclone axis, a first cyclone end, a second cyclone end axially spaced apart from the first cyclone end in a first direction, a cyclone chamber endwall at the second cyclone end, a cyclone dirt outlet and a cyclone chamber wall wherein air circulates in the cyclone chamber in a direction of rotation and the cyclone dirt outlet comprises a slot in the cyclone chamber wall that extends part way around the cyclone chamber wall from a first slot end wall to a second slot end wall that is downstream from the first end wall in the direction of rotation; (c) a fine particle separator comprising an annular flow channel positioned radially laterally with respect to the cyclone chamber, the annular flow channel comprising inner and outer fine particle separator opposed sidewalls, the outer fine particle separator sidewall has a dirt outlet facing portion that is positioned radially outwardly from the dirt outlet and faces the dirt outlet, the annular flow channel having a first portion facing the dirt outlet and a second portion that extends around the cyclone and defines a flow path extending from a fine particle separator inlet that is located at one end of the first portion to a fine particle separator outlet that is located at a second opposed end of the first portion, the first portion comprising an open volume extending between the dirt outlet facing portion and the dirt outlet, whereby the open volume has an absence of walls positioned between the dirt outlet facing portion and the dirt outlet; and
,(d) a dirt collection chamber in communication with the fine particle separator and comprising a dirt collection chamber sidewall, wherein the dirt collection chamber comprises a portion positioned axially from the cyclone chamber and having a dirt collection chamber end wall that is axially spaced from the cyclone chamber endwall in the first direction and faces towards the cyclone chamber endwall. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:
-
(a) an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet and including a suction motor; (b) a cyclone chamber provided in the air flow path and comprising a cyclone air inlet, a cyclone air outlet, a cyclone axis, a first cyclone end, a second cyclone end axially spaced apart from the first cyclone end in a first direction, a cyclone chamber endwall at the second cyclone end, a cyclone dirt outlet and a cyclone chamber wall; (c) a fine particle separator comprising an annular flow channel positioned radially laterally with respect to the cyclone chamber, the annular flow channel comprising inner and outer fine particle separator opposed sidewalls, the annular flow channel having a first portion facing the dirt outlet and a second portion that extends around the cyclone and defines a flow path extending from a fine particle separator inlet that is located at one end of the first portion to a fine particle separator outlet that is located at a second opposed end of the first portion, the second portion of the annular flow channel has first and second opposed end walls each of which extends between the inner and outer fine particle separator opposed sidewalls, whereby the second portion of the annular flow channel comprises a volume that is closed other than the fine particle separator inlet and the fine particle separator outlet; and
,(d) a dirt collection chamber in communication with the first portion of the fine particle separator, the dirt collection chamber comprising a portion positioned axially from the cyclone chamber and having a dirt collection chamber end wall that is axially spaced from the cyclone chamber endwall in the first direction and faces towards the cyclone chamber endwall. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
-
Specification