Nested Cyclone Assembly for Compact Hand Vacuum Maneuverability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing 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, providing a compact assembly that includes multiple air inlets and a screen to enhance airflow and separation efficiency, allowing for better maneuverability and cleaning in tight spaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a traditional single-stage cyclone design is used in a hand vacuum cleaner, then the cyclone can effectively separate dirt from air, but the vacuum cleaner becomes bulky and difficult to maneuver
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies nesting by placing the second stage cyclone inside the first stage cyclone, with the second stage cyclone positioned concentrically within the first stage cyclone chamber. This nested configuration allows both cyclone stages to occupy the same spatial envelope, dramatically reducing the overall volume of the cyclone assembly while maintaining effective two-stage separation functionality.
2Ease of operation
If a compact cyclone assembly is designed to improve maneuverability, then the vacuum cleaner becomes easier to handle, but the airflow efficiency and separation performance may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the cyclone separation process into two distinct stages: the first stage cyclone handles the primary separation of larger particles, while the second stage cyclone performs secondary separation of finer particles. Each stage has its own inlet, chamber, and outlet, allowing optimized airflow paths and separation mechanisms in each stage while maintaining compact overall dimensions through their nested arrangement.
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 improved cleaning in tight spaces and corners, reduces the weight of the vacuum, and enhances airflow efficiency, making it more user-friendly and effective.
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
Data Source
AI summary
A hand vacuum cleaner has a cyclone assembly comprising a first stage cyclone and a second stage cyclone. The cyclone assembly has an openable end moveable between a closed position and an open position, the openable end comprising a portion of the second stage dirt collection chamber. When the openable end is in the open position, the second stage dirt collection chamber is opened and when the openable end is the closed positon, the openable end contacts a sidewall of the second stage cyclone chamber and the second stage dirt collection region is closed.