Handheld Vacuum Cyclone Assembly for Dust Clog Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Hand-held vacuum cleaners often experience air channel clogging due to inadequate dust-air separation, particularly with single-stage cyclone structures, leading to inefficiencies in filtration and cleaning effectiveness.

Innovation Solution

A hand-held vacuum cleaner design featuring a dust cup with a first cyclone and multiple second cyclones arranged in parallel, along with an air guiding pipe and filtration member, which enhances dust-air separation by prolonging airflow residence time and improving cleaning efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If a single stage cyclone structure is adopted for dust-air separation, then the device complexity is reduced, but the dust throwing effect is not significant and causes clogging of filtration member

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecyclone structure complexityVSAvoiddust-air separation effectiveness
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The dust cup is divided into multiple functional zones: a first cyclone for preliminary separation, a second cyclone for further separation, and a filtration member for final filtration. This multi-stage segmentation approach progressively separates dust from air, preventing clogging while maintaining structural organization.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The second cyclone is positioned inside the first cyclone, creating a nested configuration where the smaller cyclone is contained within the larger one. This nested arrangement allows both cyclones to function simultaneously in series, improving separation effectiveness without significantly increasing external device dimensions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Productivity

If airflow residence time in cyclone is shortened, then the productivity is improved, but the cleaning efficiency of airflow is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveairflow processing speedVSAvoidairflow cleaning efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The separation process is divided into multiple stages with the first cyclone performing preliminary separation and the second cyclone performing further separation. This segmentation allows airflow to be processed quickly in each stage while achieving thorough cleaning overall, balancing productivity and cleaning efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The multiple cyclones and filtration member are arranged in series to create a continuous separation process. Airflow continuously passes through each stage without interruption, maintaining high productivity while ensuring thorough dust removal at each step, preventing any single stage from becoming a bottleneck.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

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 design achieves a superior dust-air separation effect, reducing clogging risks and enhancing cleaning performance by utilizing a two-stage cyclone separation system and air guiding mechanisms.

Implementation Method 1

the cyclone assembly comprises a plurality of second cyclones arranged in parallel along a circumferential direction of the first cyclone

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCyclone separation: Cyclone Separation

Implementation Method 2

an airflow is guided to an outer circumference of the cyclone assembly along a tangent line to a circumferential wall of the second cyclone adjacent to the guiding channel

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCentrifugal force: Centrifugal Force

Implementation Method 3

the filtration member is disposed along the outer circumference of the cyclone assembly, the airflow in the outer circumference of the cyclone assembly tangentially enters the second cyclone through the filtration member

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhysical filtration: Filter (physical)

Data Source

PatentEP3406173B1Hand-held vacuum cleaner
Publication Date: 2022.09.07 JIANGSU MIDEA CLEANING APPLIANCES
  • EP3406173B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3406173B1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP3406173B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

A hand-held vacuum cleaner (100) is provided, including a dust cup (2), the dust cup includes a first cyclone, a cyclone assembly, and a filtration member. The cyclone assembly includes a plurality of second cyclones (22), a guiding channel (23) is defined between two of the plurality of the second cyclones (22), the guiding channel (23) is in communication with the first air vent and an airflow is guided to an outer circumference of the cyclone assembly by the guiding channel (23) along a tangent line to a circumferential wall of the second cyclone (22) adjacent to the guiding channel (23), each second cyclone (22) has an air inducing notch (222), each second cyclone (22) is provided with an air guiding pipe (221), the filtration member is disposed along the outer circumference of the cyclone assembly, and the airflow in the outer circumference of the cyclone assembly tangentially enters the second cyclone (22) through the filtration member and the air inducing notch (222).