Vacuum Cleaner Separator Shielding for Heavy Particle Impact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vacuum cleaners face damage from relatively heavy particles at high rotational speeds due to insufficient separation efficiency, leading to unbalance and performance issues.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating air-guide means that create a column of rotating air around the separator, with a minimum distance from the separator's edge to its axis larger than the air entrance opening, preventing particles from hitting the separator and guiding them radially away, thus preventing damage and maintaining performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the separator rotates at a relatively high rotational speed to remove light particles, then the separation efficiency for light particles is improved, but the heavier particles may be moved towards the separator and hit it with a relatively large force, causing damage and unbalance
Solution Approach 1:
The air-guide means acts as an intermediary protective structure between the particles and the separator. It provides a shield that particles must pass through or deflect around before reaching the separator, thereby reducing the direct impact force on the separator while maintaining the high rotational speed needed for effective particle separation
Solution Approach 2:
The air-guide means serves as a pre-protective barrier that cushions the impact of heavy particles before they can reach the separator. By positioning the air-guide means between the particle source and the separator, it absorbs and distributes the impact forces in advance, preventing damage to the separator
2Reliability
If a water bath filter is used to catch particles before they impact the separator, then the separator is protected from damage, but the filter becomes clogged and the flow of air is blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the protective function from the air flow path by using the air-guide means as a shield that does not obstruct air flow. Instead of placing a filtering element in the air path (which would block flow), the air-guide means is positioned to deflect particles away from the separator while allowing air to flow freely around it
Solution Approach 2:
The air-guide means utilizes air flow dynamics to achieve particle separation and protection. The shaped air-guide means creates specific air flow patterns that carry particles away from the separator while maintaining efficient air flow through the system, avoiding the clogging issues associated with physical filters
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 air-guide means effectively shields the separator from heavy particles, minimizing damage and ensuring efficient air flow, even at high speeds, by redirecting particles radially and tangentially, ensuring the separator remains undamaged and the vacuum cleaner performs optimally.
Implementation Method 1
When rotating the separator, centrifugal forces are exerted on the airborne particles due to which the airborne particles are being moved away from the separator
Implementation Method 2
By rotating the separator a column of rotating air will be formed around the separator. Since the dimension of the air-guide means in radial direction is larger than the dimension of the separator, air with the airborne particles will be forced to be moved around the air-guide means towards the separator in a more or less radial direction
Implementation Method 3
The air-guide means which also shields the separator prevents the particles from hitting the separator in axial direction, so damage to the separator is being avoided to a large extent
Data Source
AI summary
A vacuum cleaner (1, 21, 31) comprises an air inlet opening (3), an air outlet opening (6) and a rotatable separator (9) for separating air and airborne particles. The separator (9) comprises at least one air entrance opening (109) located between the air inlet opening (3) and the air outlet opening (6). The vacuum cleaner (1, 21, 31) is provided with air-guide means (15, 22, 37) for guiding at least part of the air towards the separator (9). In use, the air-guide means (15, 22, 37) provides an at least partially closed boundary in axial direction for a column of rotating air (17) around the separator (9). The minimum distance (Rag) of an edge (115, 122) of the air-guide means (15, 22, 37) to the rotating axis (11) of the separator (9) is larger than a distance (Rs) of the air entrance opening (109) of the separator (9) to the rotating axis (11) of the separator (9).