Upright vacuum cleaner with cyclonic airflow pathway

Abstract

An upright vacuum cleaner includes an upright housing section and a nozzle base section. A cyclonic airflow dirt and dust separating chamber is defined in the upright housing section. A suction source pulls air and entrained dirt, dust, and other contaminants through a main suction opening formed in the underside of the nozzle base section and into the cyclonic airflow chamber. The cyclonic airflow chamber causes the suction airstream to travel in a cyclonic path such that the entrained contaminants are separated therefrom and deposited into a dirt container that defines the chamber. A main filter element filters residual contaminants from the suction airstream between the chamber and the suction source. An exhaust filter housing includes an airstream suction duct in fluid communication with an outlet of the airflow chamber and an inlet of the suction source. An outlet of the suction source is in fluid communication with an exhaust plenum of the exhaust filter housing. An exhaust filter is positioned radially outward of the exhaust plenum such that exhaust air is forcedly radially outward through the exhaust filter from the exhaust plenum to ensure that the air discharged into the atmosphere is contaminant free, including those contaminants introduced into the airstream by the suction source itself.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to the vacuum cleaner arts. More particularly, the present invention relates to upright vacuum cleaners that are used for suctioning dirt and debris from carpets and floors.[0002]Upright vacuum cleaners are well known in the art. Two types of upright vacuum cleaners are a soft bag-type vacuum cleaner and a hard shell-type vacuum cleaner. In a conventional soft bag-type vacuum cleaner, a vacuum source generates the suction required to pull dirt from the carpet or floor being vacuumed through a suction opening, through a motor / fan housing, and into a filter bag housed within a soft bag secured to a handle portion of the vacuum cleaner. The cleaned air is then exhausted through the porous walls of the filter bag and soft bag. In a conventional hard shell-type vacuum cleaner, a vacuum source generates the suction required to pull dirt from the carpet or floor being vacuumed through a suction opening and into a filter bag hou...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0010]One advantage of the present invention is the provision of a new and improved vacuum cleaner.

[0011]Another advantage of the invention is found in the provision of the vacuum cleaner with a cyclonic airflow chamber through which the suction airstream flows for separating dust and dirt from the airstream and for depositing the separated dust and dirt into an easily and conveniently emptied dirt cup.

[0012]Still another advantage of the present invention resides in the provision of a cyclonic airflow upright vacuum cleaner with a main filter that effectively filters residual contaminants from the suction airstream between the cyclonic airflow chamber an the motor assembly without unduly restricting airflow and without premature clogging.

[0013]Yet another advantage of the present invention is the provision of a cyclonic airflow upright vacuum cleaner in which a direct air path is provided between an airflow outlet from a main filter chamber and a vacuum source. Preferably, the vacuum source is positioned beneath the suction airflow outlet.

[0014]Still yet another advantage of the present invention is the provision of an upright vacuum cleaner with an approximately annular exhaust filter located downstream from the suction motor assembly for filtering the exhaust airstream immediately prior to its exhaustion into the atmosphere.

[0015]A further advantage of the present invention is the provision of a vacuum cleaner with a radial dirty air inlet into a dust separation chamber and an axial cleaner air outlet from the dust separation chamber, wherein the outlet is separated from the inlet by a filter. Preferably, the dirty air inlet is located at an upper end of the dust separation chamber and includes a diverter for directing the inlet air along a tangential course within the chamber.

Problems solved by technology

For many of the known cyclonic airflow-type vacuum cleaners, the process of emptying a dirt collection container is inconvenient and often results in the spillage of the container contents.

Further, in some cyclonic airflow-type vacuum cleaners, the exhaust air is not sufficiently free of residual contaminants.

Such cyclonic airflow-type vacuum cleaners incorporating cartridge-type exhaust filters tend to have profiles that are bulky and less maneuverable for the user.

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