Multistage cyclone and surface cleaning apparatus having same
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional hand vacuum cleaners with cyclonic cleaning stages are bulky and difficult to maneuver, limiting their ability to clean tight spaces and corners effectively.
Innovation Solution
A hand vacuum cleaner design featuring a multistage cyclone system with a first stage cyclone and a second stage cyclone nested within the first, along with a screen surrounding the second stage to enhance air flow and reduce back pressure, allowing for a more compact and maneuverable device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a conventional cyclonic cleaning stage is used in a hand vacuum cleaner, then cleaning function is provided, but the device becomes bulky and difficult to maneuver
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a nested cyclone configuration where a second-stage cyclone is positioned inside the first-stage cyclone chamber. This nesting arrangement allows two cyclonic cleaning stages to be integrated into a compact form factor, reducing the overall device volume while maintaining effective cleaning function. The inner cyclone utilizes the space within the outer cyclone's chamber, achieving space-efficient design that improves maneuverability without sacrificing cleaning capability.
2Volume of moving object
If the cyclone chamber length is reduced to make the device more compact, then maneuverability improves, but air flow efficiency and separation performance may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes pneumatic principles by designing a two-stage cyclone system where air flow is sequentially processed through nested cyclonic chambers. The pneumatic design allows compact chamber dimensions while maintaining efficient air flow paths that preserve separation performance. The nested configuration optimizes air flow dynamics within reduced volume, ensuring that productivity and air flow efficiency are maintained despite the compact size.
3Volume of moving object
If a nested cyclone design is implemented to reduce size, then device compactness improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the two cyclone stages into a single integrated nested structure, combining what could be separate components into one unified assembly. This merging approach reduces the number of separate parts and simplifies the overall structure, making the nested design more manufacturable and easier to assemble while achieving the desired compact volume.
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 compact design enables better access to corners and tight spaces while maintaining efficient air flow and separation efficiency, improving the overall cleaning experience.
Implementation Method 1
a first stage cyclone having a first stage cyclone chamber, a first stage cyclone air inlet, a first stage cyclone air outlet and a first stage longitudinal cyclone axis about which the air rotates in the first stage cyclone chamber
Implementation Method 2
about which the air rotates in the first stage cyclone chamber
Implementation Method 3
a screen surrounding the second stage to enhance air flow and reduce back pressure
Data Source
AI summary
A surface cleaning apparatus includes a cyclone having a plurality of tangential air inlets. Each tangential air inlet is formed of a sidewall and an end wall. The tangential air inlet has an inlet port which is positioned to face a wall of the cyclone chamber. The tangential air inlets have a flow straightener provided on a radial inner or outer side.