Hand Vacuum Cyclone Cooling for Battery Temperature Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hand vacuum cleaners face challenges in efficiently cooling energy storage members like batteries during use, leading to potential overheating, and in achieving a compact and balanced design that reduces user fatigue.
Innovation Solution
The hand vacuum cleaner incorporates an airflow path that directs high-velocity air from the cyclone chamber to impinge on the energy storage chamber wall, and positions the suction motor and energy storage members in a way that distributes weight and reduces the overall size, with the energy storage members often being inclined to overlap with the dirt collection region.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the battery is positioned to optimize weight distribution, then user fatigue is reduced, but the device size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the battery in the handle portion of the vacuum cleaner, utilizing the vertical dimension and longitudinal space of the handle rather than expanding the main body volume. This allows weight optimization for user comfort while maintaining a compact overall device size by using previously underutilized spatial dimensions.
2Temperature
If the battery is cooled by airflow, then overheating is prevented, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the existing airflow path generated by the cyclone chamber and motor operation to cool the battery. The high-velocity air stream naturally flows through or over the battery housing, providing passive cooling without requiring additional fans, heat sinks, or active thermal management systems. The battery cooling function is achieved by integrating it into the existing operational airflow of the vacuum cleaner.
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 design effectively cools the energy storage members, enhances the compactness of the vacuum, and improves user ergonomics by balancing the weight distribution, thereby reducing user fatigue and maintaining performance.
Implementation Method 1
By directing relatively high-velocity airflow directly against a wall of such a chamber, cooling of an energy storage member (e.g. battery) located in the chamber may be promoted
Data Source
AI summary
A hand vacuum cleaner has a cyclone unit having a cyclone with a horizontal cyclone axis of rotation. The front end of the cyclone unit comprises a front door that is moveable between a closed position and an open position. A lock secures the front door in the closed position, the lock comprising an actuator, wherein the actuator is spaced towards the rear end of the cyclone.