Vacuum cleaner
AssigneeFantom Technologies Inc.
InventorsWayne Conrad, Helmut Gerhard Conrad
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for filtering a dirty air stream in a vacuum cleaner to obtain a clean air stream comprises subjecting the dirty air stream to a first cyclonic separation stage to obtain a partially cleaned air stream and subjecting the partially cleaned air stream to an electronic filtration stage and optionally a second cyclonic separation stage to obtain the clean air stream. The electronic filtration stage is optionally removable with a cyclonic cleaning stage from the vacuum cleaner. The electronic filtration stage is optionally an electrostatic precipitator which utilizes air flow through the vacuum cleaner to generate the voltage used by the electrostatic precipitator.
Claims18
1-22. (cancelled)
A canister or upright vacuum cleaner comprising:
- a) a vacuum cleaner head having a dirty air inlet;
- b) a first cyclonic stage in fluid flow communication with the dirty air inlet and with a source of suction, the first cyclonic stage having at least one upstream cyclone which has an associated upstream particle collector;
- c) a second cyclonic cleaning stage comprising a plurality of downstream cyclones in parallel which have an associated downstream particle collector, each downstream cyclone having an air exit;
- and,
- d) a filter positioned downstream from the second cyclonic cleaning stage and in fluid flow communication with each downstream cyclone air exit.
A canister or upright vacuum cleaner comprising:
- a) a vacuum cleaner head having a dirty air inlet;
- b) a first cyclonic stage in fluid flow communication with the dirty air inlet and with a source of suction, the first cyclonic stage having at least one upstream cyclone which has an associated upstream particle collector and an air exit;
- c) a second cyclonic cleaning stage comprising an air inlet and a plurality of downstream cyclones in parallel which have an associated downstream particle collector, the downstream cyclones each having an air exit;
- and,
- d) a passage extending from the first cyclonic stage air exit to the second cyclonic stage air inlet wherein a filter is not positioned in the passage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.