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US 10,791,896 B2Granted
Surface cleaning apparatus
AssigneeOmachron Intellectual Property Inc.
InventorWayne Ernest Conrad
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A surface cleaning apparatus has a first air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet with a suction motor and a cyclone positioned in the first air flow path. The cyclone has a cyclone chamber, a first airflow passage, and a second airflow passage. The first airflow passage and second airflow passage are isolated from each other. The first airflow passage defines a first tangential air inlet to the cyclone chamber and the second airflow passage defines a second tangential air inlet to the cyclone chamber. The second tangential air inlet is positioned around the perimeter of the cyclone chamber sidewall downstream from the first tangential air inlet in the direction of rotation of air in the cyclone chamber.
Claims20
A vacuum cleaner comprising:
- (a) an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet with a suction motor positioned in the air flow path;
- and,
- (b) a cyclone positioned in the air flow path, the cyclone having a cyclone chamber, a cyclone chamber sidewall, a first airflow passage having an inlet end and a downstream outlet end, which comprises a first tangential air inlet, wherein the first airflow passage has a non-tangential upstream portion that is upstream of the first tangential air inlet, a second airflow passage having an inlet end and a downstream outlet end, which comprises a second tangential air inlet, wherein the second airflow passage has a non-tangential upstream portion that is upstream of the second tangential air inlet, a cyclone air outlet and a longitudinal cyclone axis about which the air rotates in the cyclone chamber in a direction of rotation of air in the cyclone chamber,
- wherein the first tangential air inlet has an upstream edge that is upstream from a downstream edge of the first tangential air inlet in the direction of rotation of air in the cyclone chamber and the second tangential air inlet has an upstream edge that is upstream from a downstream edge of the second tangential air inlet in the direction of rotation of air in the cyclone chamber, and
- wherein the upstream portions of the first and second airflow passages are isolated from each other and
- wherein the second tangential air inlet is positioned around a perimeter of the cyclone chamber sidewall downstream from the first tangential air inlet in the direction of rotation of air in the cyclone chamber.
3 more elements
A vacuum cleaner comprising:
- (a) an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet with a suction motor positioned in the air flow path;
- and,
- (b) a cyclone positioned in the air flow path, the cyclone having a cyclone chamber, a cyclone chamber sidewall, a first airflow passage having an inlet end and a downstream outlet end wherein the downstream outlet end comprises a first tangential air inlet, a second airflow passage having an inlet end and a downstream outlet end wherein the downstream outlet end comprises a second tangential air inlet, a cyclone air outlet and a longitudinal cyclone axis about which the air rotates in the cyclone chamber in a direction of rotation of air in the cyclone chamber,
- wherein the air flow path comprises a common airflow passage upstream of the first and second airflow passages, wherein a divider is located at a downstream end of the common airflow, and
- wherein the second tangential air inlet is positioned around a perimeter of the cyclone chamber sidewall downstream from the first tangential air inlet in the direction of rotation of air in the cyclone chamber, and
- wherein the divider is positioned between the inlet end of the first airflow passage and the inlet end of the second airflow passage.
3 more elements
A vacuum cleaner comprising:
- (a) an air flow path extending from a dirty air inlet to a clean air outlet with a suction motor positioned in the air flow path;
- and,
- (b) a cyclone positioned in the air flow path, the cyclone having a cyclone chamber, a cyclone chamber sidewall, a first airflow passage having an inlet end and a downstream outlet end wherein the downstream outlet end comprises a first tangential air inlet, a second airflow passage having an inlet end and a downstream outlet end wherein the downstream outlet end comprises a second tangential air inlet, a cyclone air outlet and a longitudinal cyclone axis about which the air rotates in the cyclone chamber in a direction of rotation of air in the cyclone chamber,
- wherein the air flow path comprises a common airflow passage upstream of the first and second airflow passages, and
- wherein the second tangential air inlet is positioned around a perimeter of the cyclone chamber sidewall downstream from the first tangential air inlet in the direction of rotation of air in the cyclone chamber, and
- wherein a divider is located at a downstream end of the common airflow, and the divider is positioned to divide the air from the common airflow passage into the first airflow passage and second airflow passage.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.