Debris suctioning and separating apparatus for use in a surface cleaning vehicle having a recirculating type debris suctioning system

A debris suctioning and separating apparatus for use in a surface cleaning vehicle, said debris suctioning and separating apparatus comprising:

• a regenerative type debris auctioning system, including a debris suction head, a debris receiving and retaining hopper in fluid communication with said debris suction head to receive debris-laden air therefrom, and a main fan in fluid communication with said debris suction head to provide a stream of air thereto;
• debris separator means mounted on said surface cleaning vehicle exteriorly to said hopper and having an air inlet for receiving debris-laden air into said debris separator means, an air outlet for exhausting separated air from said debris separator means, and a debris release outlet for selectively releasing separated debris from said debris separator means;
• wherein said air inlet of said debris separator means is connected in fluid communication with said debris receiving and retaining hopper and said air outlet of said debris separator means is connected in fluid communication with said main fan, to thereby draw debris-laden air, through said hopper, through said air inlet, and into said debris separator means, and to exhaust separated air from said debris separator means to said main fan;
• valve means operatively mounted on the debris separator means at said debris release outlet, to effect the controlled flow-restricted release from said debris separator means of the separated and captured debris into a debris receptacle, and to preclude the ingress of air and debris into said debris separator means through said debris release outlet;
• wherein debris is separated from said debris-laden air drawn through said air inlet and into said debris separator means, during the operation of the regenerative type debris suctioning system.