Removable gas/liquid separator for a motor

Abstract

A motor-driven blower, particularly suited for carpet cleaners and other wet vacuuming appliances, includes a rotating separator cup to impede water droplets and foam from being drawn into the blower. The separator cup is removably connected to a spider bracket that is mounted more permanently to one end of the motor shaft. Since the separator cup is not directly connected to the motor shaft, the cup can be removed without disturbing the rest of the blower. Thus, the blower can be run either with or without the separator cup. Moreover, by not attaching the separator cup directly to the motor shaft, the shaft can be made shorter to minimize vibration and noise at high rpm's.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]The subject invention generally pertains to motors for vacuum equipment and more specifically to a gas / liquid separator for such a motor.[0003]2. Description of Related Art[0004]Motor-driven fans for creating a vacuum in equipment known as wet / dry shop vacs, wet carpet cleaners, water filtration units, water extractor units, etc., are exposed to a significant amount of moisture-laden air or foam. To reduce the amount of moisture drawn into the fan and / or motor, a rotating separator can be attached to the end of the motor shaft at the fan's inlet. A typical separator includes a series of peripheral fins that centrifugally sling water droplets outward away from the fan's inlet while allowing the air, which is lighter than the droplets, to enter the fan by passing between the fins.[0005]Examples of such separators are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,391,101; 6,174,350; 6,162,287; 5,902,386; 5,096,475; 5,090,974; 5,030,257; 2...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011]One object of some embodiments of the invention is to provide a separator design that accommodates separator cups of various shapes without having to change the motor shaft to which the separator cup attaches.

[0012]Another object of some embodiments is to provide a motor with a rotatable separator cup that can be removed without tools or without having to remove additional parts such as a nut.

[0013]Another object of some embodiments is to minimize a motor shaft's extension beyond its support bearings by not having the very end of the shaft directly connected to the separator cup.

Problems solved by technology

Since many vacuum motors run at over 20,000 rpm, such an overextended shaft is more easily bent and may tend to vibrate, especially when the end of the shaft carries the weight of a separator.

Although that may not seem like a significant problem, the nut is a relatively small part that may be accidentally dropped and lost in the dirt / water receptacle of the vacuum equipment.

Not being able to run the motor without the separator can be a disadvantage in dry vacuum applications where the separator is not needed.

Four, having a motor shaft with a fixed length extension for holding a separator of a particular size limits a motor manufacturer's freedom to vary the design of the separator to meet the particular needs of their customers (e.g., vacuum equipment manufacturers).

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