Surface cleaning apparatus

• US 9,326,652 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2013
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
• Original Assignee: Omachron Intellectual Property Inc.
• Inventors: Conrad, Wayne Ernest
• Primary Examiner(s): Hail, Joseph J
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCDONALD, SHANTESE L
• Application Number:
  US13/780,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20140237766A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,160 Days
• Field of Search: 153/47, 153/50, 153/52, 153/53
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/225 Convertible suction cleaners, i.e. convertible between different types thereof, e.g. from upright suction cleaners to sledge-type suction cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 5/36 Suction cleaners with hose between nozzle and casing; Suction cleaners for fixing on staircases; Suction cleaners for carrying on the back
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/009 Carrying-vehicles; Arrangements of trollies or wheels; Means for avoiding mechanical obstacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/0411 driven by electric motor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/106 Dust removal
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/122 flat
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1608 Cyclonic chamber constructions
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1666 with filtering means
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/1691 Mounting or coupling means for cyclonic chamber or dust receptacles
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/19 Means for monitoring filtering operation
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/242 Hose or pipe couplings
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/248 Parts, details or accessories of hoses or pipes nozzles A47L9/02
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2826 the condition of the floor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 9/2857 User input or output elements for control, e.g. buttons, switches or displays

Abstract

A surface cleaning apparatus is provided wherein a uniflow cyclone comprises a cyclone chamber defined by a longitudinal axis, the cyclone chamber having a dirt outlet that has a variable length in the direction of the longitudinal axis. A cyclone chamber having a barrier wall facing the dirt outlet of the cyclone chamber is also provided.

Claims

1. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) an air flow passage extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet;

(b) a suction motor positioned in the air flow passage;

(c) a cyclone chamber comprising a first end, an opposed second end, a longitudinal axis, a sidewall, an air inlet at the first end, an air outlet, and a dirt outlet at the second end, the dirt outlet having an outlet length in the longitudinal direction;

(d) a dirt collection chamber in flow communication with the dirt outlet; and

,

(e) a barrier wall positioned in the dirt collection chamber or a passage communication with the dirt collection chamber, the barrier wall having a first face that faces and is spaced from the dirt outlet and an opposed face that is spaced from and faces a wall of the passage or the dirt collection chamber in which the barrier wall is positioned, and wherein the barrier wall has a barrier length in the longitudinal direction that is larger than the outlet length.

2. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the outlet length varies in the longitudinal direction.

3. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the dirt outlet has a radial extent and has an upstream sidewall and a downstream sidewall based on the direction of airflow in the cyclone chamber and the downstream sidewall has a greater height than the upstream sidewall.

4. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 3 wherein the dirt outlet has a radially extending wall spaced from the second end and extending between the upstream sidewall and the downstream sidewall, the radially extending wall being curved in the longitudinal direction.

5. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the barrier wall has a variable height in the longitudinal direction.

6. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the barrier wall is generally parallel to the dirt outlet.

7. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the barrier wall has an upstream end and a downstream end based on the direction of airflow in the cyclone chamber and the downstream end is spaced further from the dirt outlet than the upstream end.

8. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 7 wherein the upstream end extends outwardly from the sidewall of the cyclone chamber.

9. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 7 wherein the upstream end extends outwardly from the sidewall of the cyclone chamber upstream of the dirt outlet.

10. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 1 wherein the dirt outlet has an upstream end and a downstream end based on the direction of airflow in the cyclone chamber and the upstream end is located from 10-50°

downstream from the air inlet.

11. A surface cleaning apparatus comprising:

(a) an air flow passage extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet;

(b) a suction motor positioned in the air flow passage;

(c) a cyclone chamber comprising a first end, an opposed second end, a longitudinal axis, a cyclone chamber sidewall, an air inlet at the first end, an air outlet, and a dirt outlet at the second end;

(d) a dirt collection chamber comprising a first end wall, a second end wall longitudinally spaced apart from the first end wall and a dirt collection chamber side wall, and being in flow communication with the dirt outlet; and

,

(e) a barrier wall extending from at least one of the first end wall and the second end wall of the dirt collection chamber, the barrier wall having a first face that faces and is spaced from the dirt outlet and an opposed face that is spaced from and faces a wall of the dirt collection chamber or a passage in communication with the dirt collection chamber in which the barrier wall is positioned.

12. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 11 wherein the dirt outlet has a variable length in the direction of the longitudinal axis.

13. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 11 wherein the dirt outlet has a radial extent and has an upstream sidewall and a downstream sidewall based on the direction of airflow in the cyclone chamber and the downstream sidewall has a greater height than the upstream sidewall.

14. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 13 wherein the dirt outlet has a radially extending wall spaced from the second end and extending between the upstream sidewall and the downstream sidewall, the radially extending wall being curved in the longitudinal direction.

15. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 11 wherein the barrier wall has a variable height in the longitudinal direction.

16. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 11 wherein the barrier wall is generally parallel to the dirt outlet.

17. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 11 wherein the barrier wall has an upstream end and a downstream end based on the direction of airflow in the cyclone chamber and the downstream end is spaced further from the dirt outlet than the upstream end.

18. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 11 wherein the dirt outlet has an upstream end and a downstream end based on the direction of airflow in the cyclone chamber and the upstream end is located from 10-50°

downstream from the air inlet.

19. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 11, wherein the barrier wall has a first end connected to the first end wall of the dirt collection chamber and a second end connected to the second end wall of the dirt collection chamber.

20. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 11, wherein the barrier wall is only connected to the first end wall of the dirt collection chamber.

21. The surface cleaning apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first end wall of the dirt collection chamber is openable to empty the dirt collection chamber and wherein the barrier wall has a first end that is connected to the first end wall of the dirt collection chamber and the barrier wall is movable with the first end wall.