Patent Publication Number: US-2009229230-A1

Title: Automatic dust debris clearing apparatus for a filter drum in a dust collector

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a dust debris clearing apparatus and particularly to an automatic dust debris clearing apparatus for a filter drum in a dust collector. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     What is shown in  FIG. 1  is a conventional dust collector. The dust collector  10  comprises a pedestal  11  on which an air blower  12  and a dust collection stand  13  are provided, in which the dust collection stand  13  is connected to the air blower  12  through an air duct  14 ; further, a bottom end of the dust collection stand  13  is covered with a dust collection bag  15  and a top end is covered with a well ventilated filter drum  16 . When the air blower  12  runs, a pipeline connected to the air blower  12  is made to generate a vacuum suction that sucks the dust debris into the air blower  12 , and then the dust debris fall into the lower dust collection bag  15  sequentially through the air duct  14  and the dust collection stand  13  for collection. The filter drum  16  set above the dust collection stand  13  is used to mainly exhaust in the process of dust collection, so the quantity and smooth of air displacement is vitally related to the performance of dust collection. 
     Refer to  FIG. 2  as a sectional view illustrating the filter drum  16  used for increasing the performance of exhaust. The filter drum  16  is structured with a filterable paper  162  provided in a cylindrical outer frame  161 . The filter paper  162  is formed into several jagged and curved wall fringes arranged perpendicularly, and encircles a surrounding wall inside the filter drum  16  so that the fold filter drum  16  with a plurality of vertical coned grooves  163  are formed in the inner wall of the filter drum  10  and a surface area of the filter drum  16  that contacts the outside is made to increase for heightening the quantity of exhaust. Generally, a ventilation hole of the filterable paper is small so that small dust debris may also be prevented from being vented out of the ventilation hole for the performance of dust collection. However, after the function of vacuum suction is used for a period of time, the coned groove  163  of the filterable paper  162  is constantly stained with very small dust and particles and thus blocked, thereby being necessarily cleaned regularly. No dust debris clearing apparatus is provided in the filter drum  16 , so the filter drum  16  must be fully taken apart and an air blow gun or a brush is used to clean out the filter drum. 
     In consideration of the defects above, an apparatus clearing the dust debris in the filter drum that is provided in this invention, as shown in  FIG. 3 , is provided with a clearing device  20  axially pivoted in the filter drum  16 . The clearing device  20  mainly comprises a guidance support  21  on which a brush base  22  is provided, and a large deal of brush  23  is distributed around the outside of brush base  22  and may exactly be arranged in each of the curved grooves  163 . A traction unit  24  is provided on an outer frame  161  of the filter drum  16  and provided with several pulley stands  241  above which a traction rope  242  is wound, and handles  25  are connectively provided above two sections of the traction rope  242  outside the filter drum  16 . The two sections of traction rope  242  link to the brush base  22 , and the handles  25  may be manually pulled downwards in turn to affect the brush base  22  to slip upwards or downwards so that the bush  23  may vertically scrape to clear the dust on the inner walls of each of the curved grooves  163 , thereby being apparent that the dust in the filter drum  16  that is not necessarily taken apart may be easily cleared even. 
     The clearing device used for the filter drum  16  may manually not only affect the brush base  22  to slip upwards and downwards, but also turn the guidance support  21 . However, if the brush base  22  is manually affected with an uneven force and unstable operation, it is poor to clear the dust in part of the filter drum  16 ; further, if it is affected with an excessive force, because the brush  23  contacts and rubs against the filterable paper  162 , the filterable paper  162  is damaged and thus the service life of filter drum  16  is shortened. An effective solution to the issue mentioned above is necessary for the better effect of clearing of the dust in the filter drum  16 . 
     Consequently, because of the technical defects of described above, the applicant keeps on carving unflaggingly through wholehearted experience and research to develop the present invention, which can effectively improve the defects described above. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An automatic dust debris clearing apparatus for a filter drum in a dust collector is provided in this invention. A guidance support is provided in the center of filter drum. At least two dust clearing elements are provided at a side of the guidance support. The dust clearing elements are arranged at an equal interval of distance, in which each of the dust clearing elements is provided with a vertically arranged mount on which a large deal of brush is formed, and a drive element is provided at the top edge of the outside of filter drum. The drive element is mainly provided with a barometric vat provided with a function rod of which one end is pivoted to a drive connecting rod that is bent at a predetermined angle, and the other end is pivoted to a top end of a guide rod; the barometric vat is used to inlet and outlet air and the drive connecting rod is used in the principle of lever to drive the dust clearing elements to turn synchronously, thereby full automatically scraping the dust debris on the filterable paper for achievement of stable operation, scrape with the even force, and long service life of filter drum. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a view of the appearance of a conventional dust collection machine; 
         FIG. 2  is a sectional view of a conventional filter drum; 
         FIG. 3  is a 3D sectional view of a conventional partial dust debris clearing apparatus for a filter drum; 
         FIG. 4  is a schematic 3D view illustrating a preferred embodiment of this invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a partial 3D view of the preferred embodiment of this invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a bottom view of the preferred embodiment of this invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a sectional assembly view of the preferred embodiment of this invention; 
         FIG. 8  is a view of the appearance of the apparatus in the preferred embodiment of this invention; 
         FIG. 9  is a partial sectional 3D view of another embodiment of this invention; and 
         FIG. 10  is a 3D view of dust clearing elements in a further embodiment of this invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Now, the present invention will be described more specifically with reference to the following embodiments. It is to be noted that the following descriptions of preferred embodiments of this invention are presented herein for purpose of illustration and description only; it is not intended to be exhaustive or to be limited to the precise form disclosed. 
     Refer to  FIGS. 4 and 5  respectively as a semblance view and a partial sectional 3D view that illustrate an automatic dust debris clearing apparatus for a filter drum in a dust collection machine. The filter drum according to this invention is the same as that described above, of which reference numbers follow those in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . A joint seat  164  is provided to join the bottom of an outer frame  161  of the filter drum  16 , allowing the clearing apparatus to be axially arranged in the filter drum  16 . The clearing apparatus comprises a guidance support  30 ,  3  dust clearing elements  40 , and a drive element  50 . 
     The guidance support  30  mainly comprises an annular base  31  combined with the bottom of joint seat  164 , in which a bottom support  32  is provided transversally across the base  31  and on which a central guide rod  33  is pivoted axially toward the inside of filter drum  16 . The central guide rod  33  lies on a central axis a of the filter drum  16  and is fixed onto the bottom support  32  with a stationary joint pedestal  34 , and a top end of the central guide rod  33  is a quadrangular sleeve  331  joint to a top wall of the filter drum  16 . 
     Each of the  3  dust clearing elements  40  is provided at a side of the central guide rod  33  between the central axis a and the filterable paper  162 . The dust clearing elements are arranged at an equal interval of distance. In the embodiment, the dust clearing elements  40  are adjacent to each other at the angle of  120 , in which each of the dust clearing elements  40  is provided with an L-shaped fixing base  41  formed into a rectangular plate that is transversally arranged. Transversal connecting rods  411  and  412  are separately fixed at an adequate distance to upper and lower ends of the fixing base  41 . Further, with round sheaths  42  and  43 , each of the connecting rods  411  and  412  of the dust clearing elements  40  stretches transversally and joints the upper and lower ends of the central guide rod  33 . A slot  413  is formed at the buckling front side of the fixing base  41  for a large deal of brush  44  to be transversally inserted. Refer to  FIG. 7  as a sectional view illustrating the preferred embodiment of this invention. The brush  44  may be dismantled for displacement, of which the front end may exactly get into each of the curved grooves  163  and is kept from each of the curved grooves  163  with a gap b to reduce the frictional resistance to the dust clearing elements  40  that scrape in the curved grooves  163 . 
     With reference to  FIGS. 5 and 7 , the top element  50  is provided at the top of the outside of filter drum  16  and connected to one end of the dust clearing element  40 . The drive element  50  is provided with a fixed plate  51  across the top of filter drum  16 , and an axial rod  52  is provided in the center of fixed plate  51  that is corresponding to the central guide rod  33 . The axial rod  52  passes through the filter drum  16  inside which a quadrangular rod  521  is provided to joint to the quadrangular sleeve  331  at the top of central guide rod  33 . A transversally arranged barometric vat  53  is provided adjacent to a right side of the fixed plate  51 . One end of the barometric vat  53  is fixed to one side of the fixed plate  51 , thereby a pivot point c being formed. A function rod  54  is axially provided in the barometric vat  53 . The function rod  54  may function to axially forwards stretch out and return through an air inlet  531  and an air outlet  532  at two ends of the barometric vat  53 . Meanwhile, the barometric vat  53  shifts toward the fixed plate  51  along the pivot point c. A front end of the function rod  54  is pivoted to a drive connecting rod  55  that is bent inwards at the angle of approximately 90, and the other end of the drive connecting rod  55  is pivoted to the top end of axial rod  52 . 
     In order to further make apparent the structural features, applied skill and manners, and expected effects according to this invention, what are applied in this invention are in detail described, and it is thus believed that this invention is thoroughly and concretely apparent, as described below. 
     When the dust collection machine is assembled, firstly, the dust clearing elements  40  are installed on the central guide rod  33  and placed from the bottom of filter drum  16  through the central guide rod  33  so that the quadrangular sleeve  331  at the top end may be put around the drive element  50  to pass through the quadrangular rod  521  at the top end of filter drum  16 , and the base  31  is arranged against the bottom of joint seat  164  at the bottom of outer frame  161 . The bottom of base  31  joints a flexible rubber ringed seat  60  made of a rubber, in which a fixing portion  61  annularly protrudes in the center of the inner wall of rubber ringed seat  60 , and a wedge slot  611  is concave annularly in the center of the fixing portion  61  to separate the rubber ringed seat  60  provided with an upper space and a lower space. The upper space may be wedged to the bottom of outer frame  161  of the filter drum  16 , the wedge slot  611  may be put around the base  31 , and the lower space may be put around a dust collection barrel  70 . With the flexible rubber ringed seat  60 , the dust collection machine may be well assembled and stable. 
     With reference to  FIG. 4  and cross reference to  FIGS. 7 and 8  respectively as a state view and a semblance view that illustrate the service of apparatus in the preferred embodiment of this invention, when the dust collection machine is enabled, the function rod  54  in the barometric vat  53 , through the air inlet and outlet  531  and  532 , axially stretches forward. Meanwhile, the barometric vat  53  shifts toward the fixed plate  51 , and the function rod  54  drives the drive connecting rod  55  to transversally shift toward a left side of the fixed plate  51  for driving the central guide rod  33  to pivot back and forth at an adequate angle. When the function rod  54  returns, the drive connecting rod  55  returns. Thus, with the function rod  54  of barometric vat  53  that shifts back and forth and in the principle of lever, the dust clearing elements  40  are driven to synchronously shift back and forth, thereby full automatically scraping the dust on the filterable paper  162 . Further, the brush  44  of the dust clearing elements  40  may transversally scrape to clear the dust on the inner wall of each of the curved grooves  163 , and the count of air inlet to the barometric vat  53  may be set to control the number of times of dust clearing. 
     After the dust clearing elements  40  are used for a period of time, the front end of the brush  44  on the elements  40  is easily damaged and dirty because the brush  44  contacts and causes friction with the filterable paper  162 . When the brush  44  is replaced, the dust collection barrel  70  set onto the bottom of rubber ringed seat  60  is firstly removed and then the rubber ringed seat  60  may be pulled out from the base  31 . At this time, the central guide rod  33  set onto the quadrangular rod  521  may be fully removed to replace the brush of dust clearing element  40 . Afterwards, the central guide rod  33  is again installed in the filter drum  16 . 
     Refer to  FIG. 9  illustrating another preferred embodiment of this invention. The structure and function in the preferred embodiment is the same as that in the previous embodiment, so unnecessary details are not given here, and what is different is that parts of the brush  44  on the fixing base  41  of each of the dust clearing elements  40  stretches to the inside of each of the curved grooves  163 , parts of brush  44  stretch to the top of each of the curved grooves  163 , and the brush  44  is inserted into and crosses on each of the grooves  413  to reduce the frictional resistance caused by the dust clearing element  40  scraping each of the curved grooves  163  so that the drive element  50  may drive the dust clearing elements  40  to shift with less energy. 
     Refer to  FIG. 10  as a 3D view illustrating the dust clearing elements in a further embodiment of this invention. The structure and function in the preferred embodiment is the same as that in the previous embodiment, so unnecessary details are not given here, and what is different is that  4  dust clearing elements  80  are arranged around central guide rod  33 . The dust clearing elements  80  are adjacent to each other at the angle of 90, in which the adjacent angle of each couple of dust clearing elements  80  is smaller than a setting angle of the dust clearing element  40  in the preferred embodiment of this invention. Thus, the drive element  50  drives the 4 dust clearing elements  40  to turn at a short distance, thereby less power of energy being consumed. Here, the features and attainable expected effects of this invention are described again below:
         1. In this invention, the barometric vat is used to inlet and outlet air and the drive connecting rod is used in the principle of lever to drive the dust clearing elements to turn synchronously, thereby full automatically scraping the dust debris on the filterable paper for achievement of stable operation, scrape with the even force, long service life of filter drum, and equipment cost down.   2. Many groups of dust clearing elements according to this invention may be provided, the quadrangular sleeve at the top of guidance support is used to put around the quadrangular rod of drive element, and the base is fixed with the rubber ringed seat, thereby the assembly being finished; before the brush of dust clearing element is dismantled for displacement, the quadrangular rod may be removed from the guidance support for easy removal and installation.       

     While the invention has been described in terms of what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention needs not be limited to the disclosed embodiment. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims which are to be accorded with the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar structures.