Cyclone Dirt Outlet Segmentation for Variable Gap Separation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In surface cleaning apparatuses with cyclone chambers, larger dirt particles can accumulate in the cyclone chamber, reducing separation efficiency. Increasing the size of the dirt outlet to allow these particles to exit also reduces separation efficiency.
Innovation Solution
The dirt outlet is designed with a stepped plate at the cyclone chamber's dirt outlet end, creating a gap between the plate and the cyclone chamber sidewall. This gap has varying sizes, allowing larger dirt particles to exit while maintaining separation efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If the size of the dirt outlet is increased to allow larger dirt particles to exit, then larger dirt particles can exit the cyclone chamber, but the dirt separation efficiency of the cyclone chamber is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The plate at the dirt outlet end is divided into multiple portions with different axial positions, creating a segmented structure. This segmentation allows different regions of the plate to define different outlet gap sizes, enabling the system to accommodate both small and large dirt particles while maintaining separation efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the plate are positioned at different axial distances from the reference plane, creating local variations in the outlet gap size. This local quality variation allows the dirt outlet to have both small gaps (for maintaining separation efficiency) and large gaps (for allowing larger particles to exit) in different locations.
2Reliability
If larger dirt particles accumulate in the cyclone chamber, then separation efficiency is reduced, but increasing the dirt outlet size reduces separation efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The segmented plate structure creates multiple outlet paths with different sizes, allowing the cyclone chamber to effectively discharge both small and large dirt particles. This prevents accumulation of larger particles that would otherwise reduce separation efficiency, while the overall structure maintains high separation efficiency through the varied gap configurations.
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
The variable-sized dirt outlet enables larger dirt particles to exit the cyclone chamber, preventing accumulation and maintaining high separation efficiency, while allowing smaller particles to be retained effectively.
Implementation Method 1
a cyclone chamber, a dirt collection chamber exterior to the cyclone chamber. During operation of a surface cleaning apparatus that uses a cyclone chamber with a dirt collection chamber exterior to the cyclone chamber, dirt particles that are entrained in an air stream entering a surface cleaning apparatus and which are disentrained during the passage of air through the cyclone chamber
Implementation Method 2
dirt particles that are larger than the size of the dirt outlet (e.g., popcorn) may tend to accumulate in the cyclone chamber
Data Source
AI summary
A surface cleaning apparatus has a cyclone chamber having a longitudinal cyclone axis of rotation wherein the dirt outlet is defined by a gap between the sidewall of the cyclone and a plate positioned at the dirt outlet end of the cyclone.