Airflow system for bagless vacuum cleaner

Abstract

A bagless vacuum cleaner includes a nozzle assembly having a suction nozzle for picking up dirt and debris from a surface to be cleaned and a canister assembly including a cavity. A dust collection assembly is received and held in that cavity. The dust collection assembly includes a filtering subassembly and a dust container. The dust container has an open top, a bottom wall, a first cylindrical sidewall, an inlet, and a downwardly directed outlet extending through the bottom wall. An airstream conduit is provided for conveying a vacuum airstream between the suction nozzle and the inlet. A suction fan and suction fan drive motor carried on either the nozzle assembly or the canister assembly generates the vacuum airstream for drawing dirt and debris through the suction nozzle, the airstream conduit and the dust container.

1 .) An upright vacuum cleaner, comprising 
 a nozzle assembly including a suction nozzle for picking up dirt and debris from a surface to be cleaned;    a canister assembly pivotally mounted to said nozzle assembly and including a control handle;    a bagless means for collecting dirt and debris cleaned from said surface, said bagless means including a washable dust container;    an agitator held in said nozzle assembly;    a beltless agitator drive motor carried on one of said nozzle assembly and said canister assembly for driving said agitator and lifting dirt and debris from said surface; and    a suction fan and beltless suction fan drive motor carried on one of said nozzle assembly and said canister assembly for generating a vacuum airstream for drawing dirt and debris through said suction nozzle into said dust container.    
   
   
       2 .) An upright vacuum cleaner, comprising: 
 a nozzle assembly including a suction nozzle;    a canister assembly pivotally mounted to said nozzle assembly and including a control handle;    a dirt collection assembly including a bagless dust container held in a cavity on said canister assembly;    an agitator held in said nozzle assembly;    a beltless agitator drive motor carried on one of said nozzle assembly and said canister assembly; and    a suction fan and beltless suction fan drive motor carried on one of said nozzle assembly and said canister assembly for generating a vacuum airstream for drawing dirt and debris through said suction nozzle into said bagless dust container.    
   
   
       3 .) The vacuum cleaner of  claim 2 , wherein said bagless dust container includes a bottom wall and a cylindrical sidewall.  
   
   
       4 .) The vacuum cleaner of  claim 3 , wherein said bagless dust container includes a tangentially directed inlet.  
   
   
       5 .) The vacuum cleaner of  claim 4 , wherein said bagless dust container includes an outlet extending through said bottom wall.  
   
   
       6 .) The vacuum cleaner of  claim 5 , wherein at least a portion of said bagless dust container is annular.  
   
   
       7 .) The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein said dust collection assembly further includes a filtering subassembly.  
   
   
       8 .) The vacuum cleaner of  claim 7 , wherein said filtering subassembly includes a main body and a cooperating cover defining a primary filter cavity.  
   
   
       9 .) The vacuum cleaner of  claim 8 , further including a primary filter positioned in said primary filter cavity and dividing said primary filter cavity into an intake chamber and a discharge chamber.  
   
   
       10 .) The vacuum cleaner of  claim 9 , wherein said primary filter is an annular corrugated material filter.  
   
   
       11 .) The vacuum cleaner of  claim 10 , wherein said main body includes a frustoconical wall around said intake chamber.  
   
   
       12 .) The vacuum cleaner of  claim 11 , further including a prefilter carried on said main body.  
   
   
       13 .) A method of making an upright vacuum cleaner having a nozzle assembly, a canister assembly, a suction generator and a dirt collection vessel, comprising: 
 equipping said upright vacuum cleaner with a bagless dirt collection vessel; and    driving a fan of said suction generator and said agitator with a beltless drive mechanism.    
   
   
       14 .) The method of  claim 13 , further including providing said dirt collection vessel with a cylindrical sidewall and a tangentially directed inlet so as to produce air flow in a cyclonic path around said dirt collection vessel.