Patent Publication Number: US-11653800-B2

Title: Handheld vacuum cleaner

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/177,739, filed Nov. 1, 2018, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,980,379 on Apr. 20, 2021, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/920,170, filed Oct. 22, 2015, which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,117,551 on Nov. 6, 2018, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/067,308, filed on Oct. 22, 2014, the entire contents all of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The present invention relates to handheld vacuum cleaners, and more particularly, to cyclonic handheld vacuum cleaners. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one embodiment, the invention provides a handheld vacuum cleaner including a housing having a front end, a back end, a first side, and a second side, a suction nozzle, and a suction source operable to generate an airflow through vacuum cleaner from the suction nozzle through a cyclonic separator to a clean air exhaust. The cyclonic separator is operable to separate debris from the airflow. The cyclonic separator is located within the housing. The cyclonic separator includes a cylindrical wall having a first end and a second end, a first end wall located at the first end of the cylindrical wall, a dirty air inlet, a clean air outlet, a debris outlet adjacent the second end of the cylindrical wall, and a longitudinal axis along the cylindrical wall and the longitudinal axis of the cyclonic separator extends in a direction toward the first and second sides of the housing. The vacuum further includes a debris collection chamber located within the housing and in fluid communication with the debris outlet of the cyclonic separator. The housing further includes an aperture that extends through the first side. The first end wall of the cyclonic separator is removable through the aperture of the first side of the housing. 
     In another embodiment, the invention provides a handheld vacuum cleaner including a housing with a handle and a suction source operable to generate an airflow through the handheld vacuum cleaner from a suction nozzle through a cyclonic separator to a clean air exhaust. The cyclonic separator includes a cylindrical wall having a first end and a second end, a first end wall located at the first end of the cylindrical wall, a dirty air inlet, and a clean air outlet in the first end wall. The cyclonic separator is in a horizontal orientation, and the first end wall of the cyclonic separator is openable. 
     Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration of the detailed description and accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a perspective view of a handheld vacuum cleaner according to an embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG.  2    is an alternative perspective view of the vacuum cleaner of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  3    is a cross-sectional view of the vacuum cleaner of  FIG.  1    taken along lines  3 - 3  shown in  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  4    is a perspective view of a cyclonic separator of the vacuum cleaner of  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  5    is an alternative cross-sectional view of the vacuum cleaner of  FIG.  1    taken along lines  5 - 5  shown in  FIG.  1   . 
         FIG.  6    is a cross-sectional view of a cyclonic separator of the vacuum cleaner. 
     
    
    
     Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIGS.  1  and  2    illustrate a handheld vacuum cleaner  10 . The vacuum cleaner  10  includes a housing  12 , a handle  14 , and a suction nozzle  16 . The housing  12  includes a front end  18 , a back end  20 , a first side  22 , and a second side  24 . The suction nozzle  16  is located at the front end  18  of the housing  12 . The handle  14  may be located at the top of the housing  12 , and in some embodiments, the handle  14  defines a longitudinal axis  26  that extends generally in a front-to-back direction along the housing  12 . Other handle arrangements may be configured as desired for the application. 
     Referring to  FIGS.  3 - 5   , the vacuum cleaner  10  further includes a suction source  28 , a cyclonic separator  30 , and a dirt collection chamber  32 . The suction source  28  is located in the housing  12  and includes a motor  34  and a fan  36  operable to generate a suction airflow through the vacuum cleaner that is drawn from the suction nozzle  16  through the cyclonic separator  30  to a clean air exhaust  82 . The motor  34  includes a motor axis  38  ( FIG.  3   ) and the motor  34  is operable to rotate the fan  36  about the motor axis  38 . In the illustrated embodiment, the motor  34  and the fan  36  are orientated such that the motor axis  38  extends in a direction toward the first and second sides  22 ,  24  of the housing  12  and therefore, the motor axis  38  is generally horizontal when the vacuum  10  is in use. Alternatively, the motor axis may extend in a generally front-to-back direction along the housing. A premotor filter  40  is also located in the housing  12  in a filter chamber on or adjacent the first side of the housing and the filter  40  filters the airflow before traveling through the motor  34  and fan  36 . The illustrated vacuum  10  includes a battery  42  that supplies power to the suction source  28  to operate the motor  34 . Alternatively or additionally, the vacuum may include a power cord for supplying power from a household electrical outlet (not shown). 
     The cyclonic separator  30  includes a cylindrical wall  44 , a first end wall  46 , and a second end wall  48 . The cylindrical wall  44  includes a first end  50  and a second end  52 . The first end wall  46  is located at the first end  50  of the cylindrical wall  44 . In one embodiment, the first end wall  46  is removably coupled to the cylindrical wall  44  so that the cyclonic separator  30  can be cleaned, which will be discussed in more detail below. The second end wall  48  is located at the second end  52  of the cylindrical wall  44 . As shown in the illustrated embodiment, the second end wall  48  is formed by a portion  54  of the second side  24  of the housing  12 . Optionally, an access door may be provided on the second side  24  of the housing for access to the inside of the cyclone. The cyclonic separator  30  includes a longitudinal axis  58  ( FIG.  3   ) that is along or surrounded by the cylindrical wall  44 . The axis  58  extends in a direction toward the first and second sides  22 ,  24  of the housing  12 . In the illustrated embodiment, the longitudinal axis  58  of the cyclonic separator  30  is approximately parallel to the motor axis  38  and therefore, the cyclonic separator  50  is also in a generally horizontal orientation. 
     As used in the present description and claims, a generally horizontal orientation means an orientation that is tilted over such that it is not vertical or upright. The generally horizontal orientation includes in various embodiments that are approximately parallel to the ground or floor, as well as orientations that are not parallel to the ground or floor but being generally more laying over than upright, i.e. being tilted more than about 45 degrees. In the illustrated embodiment, the suction source is adjacent the cyclonic separator in generally a side-by-side arrangement. In other embodiments (not shown), the motor axis may extend in a generally front-to-back direction along the housing such that the motor axis is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the cyclonic separator. 
     The cyclonic separator  30  further includes a dirty air inlet  60 , a clean air outlet  62 , and a debris outlet  64 . The dirty air inlet  60  is adjacent the first end  50  of the cylindrical wall  44  and extends through the cylindrical wall  44 . The clean air outlet  62  is also adjacent the first end  50  of the cylindrical wall  44 . More specifically, in the illustrated embodiment, the clean air outlet  62  is formed in the first end wall  46 . The illustrated cyclonic separator  30  includes a perforated tube  66  located within the cylindrical wall  44  that forms the clean air outlet  62 . The perforated tube  66  extends from the first end wall  46 . The perforated tube  70  may be perforated using holes, slots, screen, mesh, or other perforation. In the illustrated embodiment, an airflow passageway  80  (i.e., duct) ( FIG.  3   ) is positioned along the first side  22  of the housing  12  from the clean air outlet  62  to the filter chamber. In other words, the passageway  80  fluidly communicates the clean air outlet  62  with the premotor filter  40 . The debris outlet  64  is adjacent the second end  52  of the cylindrical wall  44  between the second end  52  of the wall  44  and the second end wall  48 . In the illustrated embodiment, the wall  44  includes a notch  68  that partially defines the debris outlet  64 . 
     The vacuum cleaner  10  further includes the dirt collection chamber  32  located within the housing  12  and in fluid communication with the debris outlet  64  of the cyclonic separator  30 . The dirt collection chamber  32  is generally located adjacent the cyclonic separator  30  and may be in front of the suction source  28 . In the illustrated embodiment, the dirt collection chamber  32  is adjacent the suction source, and may be positioned so that the dirt collection chamber  32  does not extend between the first end wall  46  and the first side  22 . Additionally, in the embodiment shown in  FIG.  5   , the cyclone separator is positioned in the housing such that the debris collection chamber is bounded by the separator so that air does not circulate around the outside diameter of the cyclone. A dirt collector door  72  is removably coupled to the housing to facilitate emptying the debris collection chamber  32 . 
     Referring to the embodiment in  FIGS.  2  and  3   , the housing  12  may further include an aperture  74  located on the first side  22  of the housing  12 . A door  76  is coupled to the first side  22  of the housing  12  to cover the aperture  74 . The door  76  can be opened by the user to permit access to the suction source  28  and premotor filter  40 . Optionally, the door  76  can be opened to permit access the cyclonic separator  30 . In other embodiments, a first door may be provided to access the premotor filter  40  and a second door may be provided to permit access to the cyclonic separator  30  and the aperture  74 . In the illustrated embodiment, at least a portion of the door  76  defines the duct  80  that provides fluid communication between the cyclonic separator  30  and the filter chamber and the suction source  28 . 
     In one embodiment, referring to  FIGS.  4 - 6   , the housing  12  includes an inlet aperture  84  through the housing wall and the dirty air inlet  60  includes a passageway  86  between the inlet aperture  84  and the cylindrical wall  44  ( FIG.  6   ). The cyclonic separator  30  has a seal  88  positioned between the passageway  86  and the housing  12  around the inlet aperture  84  on an inside surface of the housing  12 . The seal  88  may be attached to the cyclonic separator  30  or the seal  88  may be attached to the wall of the housing  12 . In another embodiment, the seal  88  seals the interface between the passageway  86  and an inlet duct  78  that is between the suction nozzle  16  and the passageway  86 . 
     In operation, the power cord or battery  42  provides power to the motor  34  to rotate the fan  36  to generate a suction airflow that is drawn through the suction nozzle  16  along with debris. The airflow, entrained with debris, travels along the inlet duct  78  to the dirty air inlet  60  of the cyclonic separator  30 . The airflow and debris travel into the cylindrical wall  44  where the airflow and debris rotate about the longitudinal axis  58 . Rotation of the airflow and debris causes the debris to separate from the airflow and the debris is discharged over the cylindrical wall  44  through debris outlet  64 . The separated debris falls into the debris collection chamber  32 . The clean air travels through the perforated tube  66  forming the clean air outlet  62  of the cyclonic separator  30 . The clean airflow then travels through the duct  80  formed by the door  76  to the suction source  28 . The airflow travels through the premotor filter  40  before traveling through the suction source  28 . After traveling through the suction source  28 , the airflow is exhausted from the vacuum cleaner  10  through exhaust openings  82  in the second side  24  of the housing  12 . 
     After using the vacuum  10 , the user can open the dirt collector door  72  to empty the debris collection chamber  32 . After several uses, debris may collect on the perforated tube  66  and within the cylindrical wall  44 . If so, the user can open the door  76  and remove the first end wall  46  and perforated tube  66  from the cylindrical wall  44  through the aperture  74 . This allows the user to clean the perforated tube  66  and inside the wall  44 . Opening the door  76  also provides the user access to the premotor filter  40  and the passageway  80 , such that the user can clean or replace the premotor filter  40 . 
     Various features and advantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.