Cyclone Cleaner Inlet Guide and Flap for Smoother Airflow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cleaners suffer from reduced suction performance due to bent airflow paths and collisions of fluids within the cyclone unit, leading to clogging issues.
Innovation Solution
The cleaner incorporates a suction guide and rotatable flap in the connection pipe to align air flow with the cyclone unit, reducing flow path bending and collisions, thereby improving suction performance without altering the external design.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the suction port direction and inlet connection direction do not coincide, then the external design is simplified, but the flow path bends inside the cyclone causing deteriorated suction performance
Solution Approach 1:
The suction inlet assembly is divided into separate functional components: the connection pipe for air intake, the suction guide for flow direction control, and the cyclone unit for separation. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the connection pipe can be positioned for simplified external design while the suction guide internally redirects flow to align with the cyclone tangent direction, resolving the contradiction between external simplicity and internal flow efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The suction guide acts as an intermediary component between the connection pipe and the cyclone unit. It receives air from the connection pipe and redirects it along the tangential direction of the cyclone, serving as a flow mediator that eliminates the need for the connection pipe to be directly aligned with the cyclone inlet. This intermediary structure enables simplified external design while maintaining optimal suction performance.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the flow path is bent inside the upstream cyclone, then the structural arrangement is flexible, but fluids collide and block the inlet causing deteriorated suction performance
Solution Approach 1:
The suction guide employs curved surfaces and smooth transitions to guide air flow from the connection pipe into the tangential direction of the cyclone. Instead of sharp bends that cause fluid collision, the curved geometry of the suction guide creates smooth flow paths that maintain laminar flow conditions, preventing fluid collision and inlet blockage while preserving structural flexibility.
3Manufacturing precision
If foreign substances collide within the cyclone unit, then separation may be enhanced, but the inlet becomes blocked causing deteriorated suction performance
Solution Approach 1:
The suction guide performs preliminary flow conditioning before air enters the cyclone unit. By pre-aligning the flow in the tangential direction and creating smooth flow patterns, the suction guide prepares the air stream for efficient cyclonic separation without causing turbulent collision at the inlet. This preliminary action ensures both high separation efficiency and sustained inlet patency during operation.
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
This configuration enhances suction efficiency by minimizing flow loss and clogging, resulting in improved cleaning performance.
Implementation Method 1
a suction motor provided in the main body to generate a suction force
Implementation Method 2
a cyclone unit that separates dust from air using a cyclone flow
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
A cleaner, according to the present invention, comprises: a main body for separating dust from air suctioned in through an opening part; a suction motor provided to the main body and generating suction force; and a suction part coupled to the opening part and having a connection pipe for guiding the air to the main body. The main body comprises a suction guide coupled to one side of the connection pipe so as to guide the air suctioned in through the connection pipe to the inner circumferential surface of the main body. The connection pipe comprises a guide duct having a rotatable flap provided thereto. The suction guide is connected to the guide duct. A suction duct comprises: a first surface, which is a surface where the flap is installed; and a second surface facing the first surface. A second extension line of the second surface forms a first angle with a first extension line of one surface, of the suction guide, connected to the second surface. The first extension line and a third extension line of the flap form a second angle, wherein the second angle is equivalent to or smaller than the first angle.