CN212261266U

CN212261266U - Vacuum cleaner with a vacuum cleaner head

Info

Publication number: CN212261266U
Application number: CN201890000994.9U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 布兰德利·胡利; 肖恩·M·惠茨通; 凯瑟琳·M·摩根; 迈克尔·D·杨; 斯蒂文·P·马蒂斯
Original assignee: TTI Macao Commercial Offshore Ltd
Current assignee: TTI Macao Commercial Offshore Ltd
Priority date: 2017-07-05
Filing date: 2018-06-25
Publication date: 2021-01-01
Anticipated expiration: 2028-06-25
Also published as: US20200093339A1; WO2019010026A1

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner includes a suction inlet and a suction source. The vacuum cleaner also includes a dirt cup in fluid communication with the suction inlet and the suction source. The dust cup comprises a first stage cyclone separator and a dust collection bin. The housing of the dirt cup includes a first end, a second end, and a neck between the first end and the second end. The housing has an outer dimension that decreases from the first end toward the neck and an outer dimension that decreases from the second end toward the neck. The dirt cup includes a shroud located within the housing and the shroud includes a flange that separates the housing at the neck. At least a portion of the dust bin and the shroud are located between the second end of the housing and the flange.

Description

Vacuum cleaner with a vacuum cleaner head

Cross reference to related applications

This application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application No. 62/528,815 filed on 5.7.2017, and the entire contents of this prior application are incorporated herein by reference.

Background

The present invention relates to vacuum cleaners, and in particular to cyclonic vacuum cleaners.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

In one embodiment, a vacuum cleaner includes a suction inlet and a suction source in fluid communication with the suction inlet. The suction source includes a motor and a fan. The vacuum cleaner also includes a dirt cup in fluid communication with the suction inlet and the suction source. The dust cup comprises a first stage cyclone separator and a dust collection bin. The housing of the dirt cup includes a first end, a second end, and a neck between the first end and the second end. The housing has an outer dimension that decreases from the first end toward the neck and an outer dimension that decreases from the second end toward the neck. The dirt cup includes a shroud within the housing that includes a flange that separates the housing at the neck. At least a portion of the dust bin and the shroud are located between the second end of the housing and the flange.

Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by reference to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner including a dirt cup and a shroud according to one embodiment.

Figure 2 is an enlarged side view of the vacuum cleaner shown in figure 1.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the vacuum cleaner shown in figure 1, taken along line 3-3.

Figure 4 is a side view of the dirt cup shown in figure 1.

Figure 5 is another side view of the dirt cup shown in figure 1.

Figure 6 is a view from the first end of the dirt cup shown in figure 1.

Figure 7 is a view from the second end of the dirt cup shown in figure 1.

Fig. 8 is a side view of the cover shown in fig. 1.

Figure 9 is a side view of the cyclonic separator located within the shroud shown in figure 1.

Fig. 10 is a view of the first end of the cyclone separator shown in fig. 9.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the cyclone separator shown in FIG. 9, taken along line 11- -11.

Detailed Description

Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The present invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in various ways.

Figure 1 shows a vacuum cleaner 10. The illustrated vacuum cleaner 10 includes a handle 12, a base 14, a suction source 16, and a dirt cup 18. The handle 12 is pivotally connected to the base 14, and the handle 12 includes a support structure 20 extending generally perpendicularly or upwardly from the base 14. The base 14 includes a suction nozzle 22 and wheels 24 to facilitate movement of the base 14 along a surface to be cleaned. The suction source 16 includes a purge gas exhaust 26. Although the illustrated embodiment is an upright-type vacuum cleaner, other embodiments may include canister vacuum cleaners, stick-type vacuum cleaners, handheld vacuum cleaners, and the like.

As shown in FIGS. 1-2 and 4-7, the dirt cup 18 includes a housing 30, the housing 30 having a first or upper end 34, a second or lower end 38, and a neck between the first and second ends 34, 38And a portion 42. The housing 30 defines a longitudinal axis A, the housing 30 having a varying outer dimension D₁. In the illustrated embodiment, the outer dimension D₁Is the diameter of the housing 30 because the cross-section of the housing 30 is generally circular. In other embodiments, the cross-section of the housing 30 may have other shapes and corresponding outer dimensions (e.g., the cross-section may be oval, elliptical, or any other suitable shape). In the illustrated embodiment, the outer dimension D₁(fig. 4) tapers from the upper end 34 toward the neck 42 and from the lower end 38 toward the neck 42. The neck 42 defines the minimum outer dimension of the housing 30. Accordingly, the housing 30 of the dirt cup 18 is hourglass shaped. The dirt cup 18 includes a dirty air inlet 46, the dirty air inlet 46 being generally tangential to the perimeter of the housing 30 and located between the lower end 38 and the neck 42. In particular, the dirty air inlet 46 has a wall 50 that is substantially tangential to the perimeter of the housing 30. The dirty air inlet 46 is in fluid communication with the suction nozzle 22 via a duct 54 (fig. 1 and 2). In addition, the dirt cup 18 includes an air outlet 196, the air outlet 196 extending through the aperture 58 of the housing 30 and being located between the upper end 34 and the neck 42. The dirt cup 18 can include a handle 62 connected to the housing 30, and a cover 66 is movably (i.e., hingedly) connected to the lower end 38 of the housing 30. Optionally, the cover 66 may include one or more ridges or protrusions 70. One or more ridges or protrusions 70 are located within the housing 30 when the cover 60 is in the closed position (fig. 1 and 2).

Fig. 1 and 2 illustrate a shroud 100 positioned in the housing 30, the shroud 100 including a plurality of apertures 104, the plurality of apertures 104 forming an air passageway. The shroud 100 includes a flange 108, the flange 108 being disposed adjacent the neck, dividing the housing 30 into an upper portion 112 and a lower portion 116. The neck 42 is positioned such that at least a portion of the cap 100 is positioned between the second end 38 of the housing and the flange 108. The shroud 100 may be cylindrical, conical, or otherwise shaped and have corresponding outer dimensions. The plurality of apertures 104 may be holes formed in the cover 100 or holes formed through openings in the screen or mesh. The cover 100 may include one or more imperforate areas 124. Skirt 128 may be connected to mask 100. Optionally, one or more ridges or protrusions 132 may be provided adjacent the skirt.

Referring to fig. 3 and 8, flange 108 includes a first flange member 144 and a second flange member 148, flange 108 having a seal 140, seal 140 forming a seal against housing 30 at neck 42 preventing air flow along the wall of housing 30 between upper portion 11 and lower portion 116. In the illustrated embodiment, the seal 140 is positioned between a first flange member 144 and a second flange member 148 of the flange 108.

With continued reference to FIG. 3, the lower portion 116 between the lower end 38 of the housing 30 and the flange 108 includes a first stage cyclonic separator 152 and a dirt collection bin 156. As shown in fig. 1 and 2, at least a portion of the shroud 100 is located within the first stage cyclonic separator 152. In addition, the dirty air inlet 46 of the housing 30 is located adjacent the imperforate section 124 and allows communication between the first stage cyclonic separator 152 and the suction nozzle 22.

In the illustrated embodiment, the second stage separator assembly 160 is disposed within the shroud 100, with at least a portion of the second stage separator assembly 160 being located between the first end 34 of the housing and the flange 108. The second stage separator assembly includes an inner housing 168, the inner housing 168 having a first or upper end 172 and a second or lower end 176. One or more second stage cyclones 184 are disposed within the inner housing 168, and each cyclone 184 defines a perimeter and a longitudinal axis B (fig. 3). Each of the second stage cyclones 184 includes one or more outlets 186 generally along the axis B towards the upper end 172. Each of the second stage cyclones 184 comprises one or more inlets 180 which are substantially tangential to the perimeter of the respective cyclone 184. In particular, each inlet 180 has a wall 188 that is generally tangential to the perimeter of the corresponding cyclone 184. The intermediate housing 190 is connected to the shroud 100 and defines an air passageway along the inner housing 168 between the shroud aperture 104 and the cyclone inlet 180.

A tube 192 forming a dust bin is connected to the inner housing 168 and extends between the lower end 176 of the inner housing 168 and the lower end 38 of the outer housing 30. The cyclone outlet 186 communicates with the dirt cup outlet 196 to provide fluid communication between the shroud 100 and the suction source 16 through an outlet duct (not shown) in or adjacent the support structure 20.

In the illustrated embodiment, there are five cyclones 184 (fig. 10). In other embodiments there may be fewer or more cyclones. In one embodiment, the second stage separator assembly 160 includes one second stage cyclone 184, wherein at least a portion of the inner housing 168 forms part of a cyclonic separator.

The intermediate shell 190 may be coupled to the shroud 100 and/or the flange 108. In the illustrated embodiment, the intermediate shell 190 is integrally constructed with the cover 100 and the flange 108. At least a portion of the intermediate shell 190 may be integrally formed with the cover 100. In the illustrated embodiment, the intermediate shell 190 forms a trim panel 200 in at least a portion of the upper portion 112, the trim panel 200 being visible through the housing 30 between the first end 34 and the flange 108 when the housing 30 comprises a transparent or translucent material. The seal 140 forms a seal against the housing 30 at the neck 42, preventing dust from the first stage cyclone 144 from flowing along the wall of the housing 30 and contacting the trim panel 200.

Optionally, the air path between the hood 100 and the suction source 16 includes a filter (not shown). In the illustrated embodiment, the filter is disposed adjacent to the suction source 16. Alternatively, the filter may be disposed within the inner housing 168 adjacent the upper end 172 between the cyclone outlet 186 and the dirt cup outlet 196.

In another embodiment, the second stage separator assembly 160 is not used, and the dirt cup comprises a single stage separator. In this embodiment, the filter may be disposed within the intermediate housing between the shroud 100 and the dirt cup outlet 196. Alternatively, the filter may be disposed adjacent the suction source 16.

In operation, referring to FIG. 1, the suction source 16 generates an airflow that draws debris and the airflow in through the suction nozzle 22. The airflow and its entrained debris pass through the duct 54 (fig. 1 and 2) to the dirty air inlet 46 of the housing 30. Specifically, the airflow and its entrained debris is directed into the first stage cyclonic separator 152. The airflow and debris rotate between the flange 108 and the skirt 128 about the longitudinal axis a of the housing 30, thereby separating the debris from the airflow. The debris falls into the dirt bin 156 (i.e., to the lower end 38 of the dirt cup 18) and the airflow enters the shroud 100 through the aperture 104. The airflow and any remaining debris carried thereby enters the second stage cyclone 184. More specifically, the airflow and any remaining debris carried thereby enters the inlet 180 of the cyclone 184. The airflow and debris rotate about the longitudinal axis B of the respective cyclone 184, which separates any remaining debris from the airflow. The debris falls into the dirt cup tube 192, which directs the debris to the lower end 38 of the dirt cup 18. The net airflow then passes through the outlet cyclone outlet 186 and the outlet 196. The clean air flow then passes through an outlet duct in or adjacent the support structure 20 to the suction source 16 and is exhausted from the vacuum cleaner 10 through a clean air exhaust 26.

The embodiment of the invention shown and described is a vacuum cleaner with a multi-stage cyclone. In other embodiments, the vacuum cleaner may have a single stage cyclonic separator. Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. Vacuum cleaner, characterized in that the vacuum cleaner comprises:

a suction inlet;

a suction source in fluid communication with the suction inlet, the suction source comprising a motor and a fan; and

a dirt cup in fluid communication with the suction inlet and the suction source, the dirt cup comprising:

the cyclone separator in the first stage is provided with a cyclone,

a dust collection bin is arranged at the bottom of the dust collection bin,

a housing comprising a first end, a second end, and a neck between the first end and the second end, the housing having an outer dimension that decreases from the first end toward the neck and an outer dimension that decreases from the second end toward the neck, an

A cover positioned within the housing, the cover including a flange separating the housing at a neck, wherein the dust bin and at least a portion of the cover are positioned between the second end of the housing and the flange.

2. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the housing is hourglass shaped.

3. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the housing is transparent or translucent and the dirt cup further includes a decorative panel visible through the housing between the first end and the flange.

4. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, further comprising a second stage separator assembly, wherein at least a portion of the second stage separator assembly is located between the first end of the housing and the flange.

5. The vacuum cleaner of claim 4, wherein the second stage separator assembly further comprises one or more cyclones, each of the one or more cyclones defining a perimeter and including an inlet that is substantially tangential to the perimeter of the corresponding cyclone.

6. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the shroud is disposed within the first stage cyclonic separator and includes a plurality of apertures.

7. The vacuum cleaner of claim 1, wherein the flange includes a seal that forms a seal against the housing at the neck.

8. The vacuum cleaner of claim 7, wherein the flange comprises a first flange member and a second flange member, the seal being located between the first flange member and the second flange member.