Separation vessel for a vacuum cleaner
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cyclonic separating vacuum cleaners face challenges in completely separating dust particles, as they tend to flow back into the separating chamber during pressure pulses or flow changes, leading to reduced separation efficiency and potential clogging of pre-filters.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of a return flow area with numerous small flow openings, arranged downstream of the ejection opening, provides an additional fluidic connection between the separating and receiving spaces, acting as a filter to prevent backflow and enhance separation efficiency by channeling air and particles effectively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single ejection opening connects the separating space and receiving space, then the structure is simple, but particles flow back into the separating chamber during pressure pulses
Solution Approach 1:
The single ejection opening is segmented into multiple small flow openings arranged in a return flow area. This segmentation creates numerous narrow pathways that allow air to pass while blocking particles from flowing back into the separating chamber, thereby maintaining separation efficiency while managing backflow prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The return flow area is given a distinct local structure with multiple small openings different from the main ejection opening. This local quality change creates a selective permeability where air can return but particles are filtered out, resolving the contradiction between maintaining simple structure and preventing particle backflow.
2Reliability
If the flow cross section of the return flow area is made smaller than the ejection opening, then particle backflow is prevented, but air flow resistance increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of a single large opening, the return flow area is segmented into multiple small openings. While each individual opening has small cross-section for backflow prevention, the collective area of all openings provides sufficient total flow capacity to minimize air flow resistance and energy loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The return flow area with multiple small openings is nested within or adjacent to the ejection opening structure. This nesting allows the system to maintain the primary ejection function while incorporating the fine-filtering return flow path, achieving both backflow prevention and acceptable air flow characteristics.
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 prevents the backflow of particles into the separating space, maintaining separation efficiency and reducing clogging of pre-filters, thereby extending the operating time between cleaning cycles.
Implementation Method 1
the air flowing in through the supply air duct is accelerated along a spiral path, so that dust particles contained in the air flow collide against the wall of the separation space and/or are thrown in the direction of the receiving space as a result of centrifugal force
Implementation Method 2
the flow within the separator tank can be better channeled in the event of pressure fluctuations. If, for example, there is a sudden negative pressure in the supply air duct (vacuuming on a carpet), then there is a flow impulse from the receiving space back into the separation space.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a separating container (1, 13, 15) for a vacuum cleaner, in particular a cyclonic separating vacuum cleaner, with a separating space (2) and a receiving space (4) structurally separate therefrom, the separating space (2) and the receiving space (4) being separated by an ejection opening (3, 19) are fluidically connected to one another. In order to improve the separating performance of a generic separating container (1), in particular to prevent a backflow (12) of already separated particles in the event of pressure pulses or flow changes, the invention proposes that the separating space (2) and the receiving space (4) be additionally a return flow area (5) are fluidically connected to one another, with a large number of flow openings (6) being arranged in the return flow area (5), the flow cross section of each of which is smaller than the flow cross section of the ejection opening (3, 19).