Patent Publication Number: US-7210195-B2

Title: Integrated spider separator

Description:
This application claims priority to a provisional patent application having a Ser. No. of 60/418,062 filed on Oct. 11, 2002. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a vacuum cleaner of the type for household use, and more particularly to a separator with a spider coupled to an output shaft for generating centrifugal force within the separator and to prevent liquid from entering into an area between the spider and a blower housing. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Vacuum cleaners of various designs are used in residential and commercial applications for cleaning. These vacuum cleaners create a suction airflow that picks up dirt and dust particulates from a surface to be cleaned. The vacuum cleaner separates these particulates from an ingested air for later disposal. 
     One type of vacuum cleaner design is a canister style vacuum cleaner with a water bath. Water bath vacuum cleaners typically include a main housing with a removably attached water bath pan. The ingested particulates are directed into a water bath that absorbs most of the particulates. The particulates are directed through an inlet in the main housing of the vacuum cleaner to an intake opening in the water bath pan. 
     The water bath vacuum cleaners typically include a separator assembly that is used to further separate the particulates from the ingested air that escapes entrapment within the water bath. Additionally, the separator can separate the particulates that are entrained within water droplets that are ingested into the separator. The separator provides additional filtration by centrifugation. To prevent the liquid particulates from entering the area between the separator and the output shaft of the motor disposed within the housing of the vacuum cleaner, the separator includes a spider. During vacuum cleaning process, the spider rotates with the separator and generates a counter airflow that helps to prevent the water droplets and the dust and dirt particulates from penetrating through the separator and entering inside the motor. 
     Numerous designs of a separator having a spider member, incorporated therewithin, are presently known in the art and shown, for example, in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,974 to Kasper et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,902,386 to Gustafson et al. featuring the spider removably attached to a housing of a separator. While prior art patents, cited above, disclose different designs of the separator including the spider incorporated therewithin, these prior art designs do not disclose a spider that may reduce a part count. The prior art separators do not provide for improved balancing during rotation of the separator, and do not provide an effective seal to prevent the liquid particulates from entering the area between the spider and the blower housing of the vacuum cleaner. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     The present invention is aimed at one or more of the problems identified above. In one aspect of the present invention, a vacuum cleaner assembly comprises a body, a motor disposed within the body and having an output shaft for rotating about an axis, a fan coupled to the output shaft for generating a vacuum airflow through an air intake port in the body, and a separator coupled to the output shaft for separating dust and dirt particulates. The separator includes a cup shaped body having a bottom and a plurality of vanes extending upwardly from the bottom about the bottom axis to an open top. The separator comprises a flange extending radially from the open top to an outer periphery and a wall integral with and extending from the flange above the open top. The invention includes a spider defined by a hub portion surrounding the shaft and extending upwardly from the bottom to an upper end disposed above the wall. 
     In another aspect of the present invention an integrated spider separator for use in a vacuum cleaner assembly that has a body, a motor disposed within the body having an output shaft for rotating about an axis, a fan coupled to the output shaft for generating a vacuum airflow through an air intake port in the housing comprises a separator that includes a body having a bottom surrounded by a wall to expose an open top and coupled to the output shaft for separating dust and dirt particles. The separator includes a flange integral with the open top of the body of the separator and extending radially from the open top to an outer periphery and a spider integral with the flange and extending upwardly from the bottom to the open top. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Other advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the vacuum cleaner assembly, partially broken away and in cross section; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the integrated separator with spider; 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of the separator of  FIG. 2  showing the beveled bottom edge portions; 
         FIG. 4  is an overhead view of the integrated separator of  FIG. 2  showing the blades and the beveled edges of the vanes; 
         FIG. 5  is a cross section along lines  5 — 5  of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a cross-section along lines  6 — 6  of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 7 , is an enlarged cross-section of a single vane from  FIG. 6 ; and 
         FIG. 8  is an overhead view of an alternative embodiment of the integrated separator of  FIG. 2  showing the blades and the beveled edges of the vanes. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring to the Figures, wherein like numerals indicate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views a vacuum cleaner assembly is generally shown at  10 . The vacuum cleaner assembly  10  comprises a body  12  having an intake port  14  and an outlet  16 . A motor  18  is disposed within the body  12  between the intake port  14  and the outlet  16  wherein the motor  18  includes an output shaft  20  for rotating about an axis. The assembly  10  includes a cooling fan  22 , mounted within the body  12  above the motor  18  and coupled to the output shaft  20  for generating a vacuum airflow through the intake port  14  in the body  12  and to circulate cooling air around the motor  18 . The assembly comprises a cooling air filter  26  surrounding the motor  18  wherein the cooling air filter  26  directs the cooling air around the motor  18  and filters the cooling air prior to being exhausted. The assembly  10  includes a blower  24  that is mounted within the body  12  below the motor  18 . The blower  24  provides for drawing air into the intake port  14  and exhausting air outwardly through the outlet  16 . 
     The assembly  10  includes a separator, generally shown at  28 , coupled to the output shaft  20  to separate dust and dirt particulates. The separator  28  is mounted below the blower  24  and is designed to circulate the air and a water bath  30  within a water bath pan  32 . A combination of the water bath pan  32  and the water bath  30  is used as a primary filter for filtering particulates, generally indicated at  34 , from the air prior to exhausting the air outwardly through the outlet  16 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the separator  28  includes a cup shaped body, generally indicated at  36 , having a bottom, generally indicated at  38 , and a wall, generally indicated at  39 , further defined by a plurality of vanes  40  extending upwardly from the bottom  38  about the bottom axis  42  to an open top  44 . The vanes  40  comprise a curved flow surface for increased particulate separation and reductions in aerodynamic losses as the body  36  rotates about the axis  42 . The vanes  40  extend longitudinally with respect to the body  36  and are generally tapered radially relative to the axis of rotation, i.e., like an air foil. The curved flow surface extends along the length of each of the vanes  40 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the bottom  38  of the separator  28  comprises a truncated portion, generally indicated at  46 , extending axially from a lower bottom  48  toward the open top  44  and then to an upper bottom  50 . The upper bottom  50  defines an aperture  52  therein on the axis  42 . 
     The longitudinally extending vanes  40  define a plurality of longitudinal gaps or openings  54 , formed therebetween. The fluid and p articulates  34  are drawn into the exterior of the separator  28  via the gaps  54 . As the particulates  34  are drawn in, separator body  28 , which rotates at a high angular velocity, applies a centrifugal force to the particulates  34  and the air and water. The particulates  34  are forced outwardly against an outer surface  56  of the separator body  36  where they can be expelled back into the water bath  30  below. The cleaned air is then exhausted from the separator  28  and out through the outlet  16 . 
     Referring back to  FIGS. 2 through 5 , the longitudinally extending vanes  40  include a beveled bottom edge portion  60  that extends outwardly beyond the bottom portion  38 . This beveled bottom edge portion  60  significantly reduces foaming that occurs due to the addition of cleaning chemicals or fragrances to the water bath  30 . The beveled bottom edge portions  60  on each of the vanes  40  reduces a propeller or churning effect created by rotation of the separator  28  and thus reduces foaming. Preferably, the separator  28  is formed from a rigid material such as glass filled polystyrene material, and the like, and is injection molded. 
     The separator  28  includes a flange  62  extending radially from the open top  44  to an outer periphery  64  and an annular ridge  66  integral with and extending axially from the flange  62  between the periphery  64  and the open top  44 . The separator  28  includes a flange wall  70  integral with and extending from the flange  62  above the open top  44 . The wall  70  further comprises an annular lip  68  integral with and disposed on the flange wall  70 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2 through 5 , the separator  28  comprises a spider, generally indicated at  72 , being integral with the flange  62 . The spider  72  includes a hub portion  74  surrounding the shaft  20  and extending upwardly from the upper bottom  50  to an upper end  76  disposed above the flange wall  70 . The hub portion  74  has a bore  78  aligned with the aperture  52  wherein the bore  78  is designed to receive a bolt (not shown) when the separator  28  is coupled with the output shaft  20 . The spider  72  includes a plurality of blades  80  integral with and extending radially and outwardly from the hub portion  74  in a helical configuration to the vanes  40  and integral with the wall  70 . As best shown in  FIG. 4 , each blade  80  comprises a top  82  and a bottom  84  ends wherein each bottom end  84  of the blade  80  defines a groove, generally indicated at  86 , to engage the truncated portion  46  defined by the upper  50  and lower  48  bottoms. Although the illustrated embodiment shows the blades  80  integral with and extending radially and outwardly from the hub portion  74  in a helical configuration to the vanes  40 , other blade designs may be used. For example, in one alternative embodiment, shown in  FIG. 8 , blades  90  are straight and extend diagonally from the hub portion  74  of the spider  72 . 
     The spider  72  rotates with the separator  28  and generates a counter airflow that helps to prevent the water droplets (not shown) and the dirt and dust particulates  30  from penetrating through the separator  28  and entering inside the motor  18 . In addition, the spider  72  provides a seal that prevents dirt-entrained liquid from entering between the spider  72  and the blower  24 . Preferably, the spider  72 , the flange  62 , and the wall  70  are integrally formed from a rigid material such as glass filled polystyrene material, and the like, and are injection molded. 
     The invention has been described in an illustrative manner, and it is to be understood that the terminology, which has been used, is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. 
     Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, wherein reference numerals are merely for convenience and are not to be in any way limiting, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.