Dirt cup with secondary cyclonic cleaning chambers

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner includes a housing having a nozzle assembly and a canister assembly. A suction inlet is carried on the nozzle assembly. A dirt cup receiver is carried on the canister assembly. A suction generator is carried on the housing. The vacuum cleaner also includes a dirt cup assembly including (1) a dirt collection chamber having a first cylindrical sidewall and a tangentially directed inlet, (2) a first axially directed outlet, (3) a primary filter covering that outlet, (4) an air spreader, (5) a first feed passageway extending between the outlet and the spreader and (6) a secondary fine particle filter including multiple vortex chambers.

1 . A vacuum cleaner comprising:
 a housing including a nozzle assembly and a canister assembly;   a suction inlet carried on said nozzle assembly;   a dirt cup receiver carried on said canister assembly;   a suction generator carried on said housing; and   a dirt cup assembly including a dirt collection chamber having a first cylindrical sidewall, a first tangentially directed inlet, a first axially directed outlet, a primary filter covering said axially directed outlet, an air spreader, a first feed passageway extending between said outlet and said air spreader, a secondary fine particle filter including multiple vortex chambers downstream from and fed by said air spreader, each said vortex chamber including a second cylindrical sidewall, a second tangentially directed inlet and a second axially directed outlet, a fine particle outlet, a second feed passageway, a fine particle trap provided in said dirt collection chamber and a discharge outlet connected to each said second axially directed outlet of said secondary fine particle filter, said discharge outlet leading to said suction generator.   
   
   
       2 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1  further including an air guide at a bottom of each of said multiple vortex chambers and projecting upwardly toward said second axially directed outlet. 
   
   
       3 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 2 , wherein said air guide is substantially conical in shape. 
   
   
       4 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 3 , wherein said air guide is concentrically received within said second cylindrical sidewall of said vortex chamber and said fine particle outlet is provided between said air guide and said second cylindrical sidewall. 
   
   
       5 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 4 , wherein said fine particle trap comprises a cylindrical element concentrically received in said first sidewall of said dirt collection chamber. 
   
   
       6 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein said multiple vortex chambers of said secondary fine particle filter have a total volume of between about 400 cc and about 500 cc. 
   
   
       7 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 6 , wherein said dirt collection chamber has a total volume of between about 800 cc and about 1600 cc. 
   
   
       8 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 7 , wherein said fine particle trap has a total volume of between about 500 cc and about 800 cc. 
   
   
       9 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 8 , wherein said secondary fine particle filter includes five vortex chambers. 
   
   
       10 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein said collection chamber includes an access door that is opened to empty dirt from said dirt collection chamber and said fine particle trap. 
   
   
       11 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 10 , wherein said door forms a bottom wall of said dirt collection chamber. 
   
   
       12 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 11 , wherein said door is connected to said first sidewall by a hinge. 
   
   
       13 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein said canister assembly is pivotally connected to said nozzle assembly. 
   
   
       14 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 13 , further including a rotary agitator carried on said nozzle assembly adjacent said suction inlet. 
   
   
       15 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein said air spreader includes an upstream end having a first diameter D 1  and a downstream end having a second diameter D 2  where D 1 <D 2 . 
   
   
       16 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 15 , wherein said spreader includes a sidewall diverging from said upstream end toward said downstream end.