Arcuate Filter Assembly Surrounding Suction Motor for Even Loading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vacuum cleaners often have filters that are either too small for effective filtration or too large, impacting the device's size, and arcuate filter designs lead to uneven air distribution and increased frequency of filter replacement due to poor loading.
Innovation Solution
A filter assembly that surrounds the suction motor with an arcuate passageway, where air enters at different ends and flows in clockwise and counter-clockwise directions, ensuring a progressive decrease in passageway size from ends to midpoint for even pressure and loading, and a frame with ducts connecting to the inlet simplifies ducting and sealing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a large filter is used to achieve good filtration, then filtration quality is improved, but the size of the vacuum cleaner increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The filter assembly is nested around the suction motor, with the filter medium arranged in an arcuate configuration that surrounds at least part of the motor. This allows the filter to utilize the space around the motor rather than occupying additional external space, achieving good filtration in a compact arrangement.
Solution Approach 2:
The filter medium is arranged in an arcuate configuration around the suction motor, transitioning from a linear or planar filter arrangement to a three-dimensional curved configuration. This dimensional change allows the filter to wrap around the motor, increasing the effective filter surface area within the same footprint.
2Volume of moving object
If an arcuate filter medium is used to achieve compact filtration, then device size is reduced, but air distribution over the filter medium becomes uneven
Solution Approach 1:
The air passage is divided into multiple segments or zones along the arcuate path of the filter medium. Air enters at one end of the arcuate passage and progresses through sequential zones, ensuring that air is distributed more uniformly across the entire filter surface area rather than concentrating at specific locations.
Solution Approach 2:
The air passage cross-sectional area varies along the arcuate path, with the passage being larger at the inlet end and progressively smaller toward the outlet end. This local variation in passage dimensions compensates for the natural pressure drop along the flow path, maintaining more uniform air distribution across the filter medium.
3Ease of manufacture
If the passageway size is constant along its length, then manufacturing is simplified, but pressure decreases progressively causing uneven filter loading
Solution Approach 1:
The passageway cross-sectional dimensions are varied along its length, with the passage being larger at the inlet end and progressively smaller toward the outlet end. This local variation in passage geometry compensates for the natural pressure drop that occurs as air flows through the system, maintaining more uniform pressure and air distribution across the filter medium.
Solution Approach 2:
The cross-sectional area of the air passage is changed along its length to optimize air distribution. By progressively reducing the passage size from inlet to outlet, the system compensates for pressure losses and maintains more uniform flow distribution across the arcuate filter medium, improving loading uniformity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Achieves good filtration in a compact form with more even loading of the filter medium, reducing the need for frequent replacement and maintaining filtration efficiency while minimizing size increases.
Implementation Method 1
air within the passageway passes through the filter medium
Data Source
AI summary
A vacuum cleaner that includes a suction motor and a filter assembly. The filter assembly surrounds at least part of the suction motor and has a frame to which a filter medium is attached. The filter medium is spaced from a wall of the frame such that an arcuate passageway is defined between the filter medium and the frame. A part of the air expelled by the suction motor enters a first end of the passageway and moves around the passageway in a clockwise direction. A further part of the air expelled by the suction motor enters a second end of the passageway and moves around the passageway in a counter-clockwise direction. Air within the passageway then passes through the filter medium.