Patent ID: 6926749

Claim:
A cyclone separator, comprising: a cyclone body wall having a top and a bottom and defining a central vertical axis, said cyclone body wall forming a chamber having a circular cross-section, with the cyclone body wall having a larger first radius at the top and tapering to a smaller second radius at the bottom; said cyclone body wall defining an outlet opening at the bottom; and inner, outer, upper, and lower walls defining an inlet path into said cyclone chamber adjacent the top of said cyclone body wall, said inlet path defining an outer opening and an inner opening and extending from said outer opening to said inner opening, wherein said inner wall of said inlet path has a constant radius that is substantially the same as the radius of said cyclone body wall adjacent the top of said cyclone body wall; wherein said inner wall of said inlet path is a separate wall from said cyclone body wall and is centered on a different vertical axis from the central vertical axis of the cyclone body wall; and wherein the angular distance along said inner side wall from said outer opening to said inner opening is in the range of 600 to 120°.