Filterless and bagless vacuum cleaner incorporating a sling shot separator

Abstract

A vacuum cleaner includes a body having a nozzle assembly including a suction inlet and a control assembly. A suction generator and a dirt collection vessel are both carried on the body. The dirt collection vessel includes a fine particle separator unit having at least one sling shot separator. Each sling shot separator includes a flow channel having an inlet, a debris discharge port and a clean air discharge port. The flow channel has a radius of curvature of between about 12 mm and about 25 mm and extends in an arc of less than 360° from the inlet to the clean air discharge outlet.

1 . A vacuum cleaner, comprising:
 a body including (a) a nozzle assembly including a suction inlet and (b) a control assembly;   a suction generator carried on said body; and   a dirt collection vessel carried on said body;   said dirt collection vessel including a fine particle separator unit having at least one sling shot separator, said at least one sling shot separator including a flow channel having an inlet, a debris discharge port and a clean air discharge port, said flow channel having a radius of curvature of between about 12 mm and about 25 mm and extending in an arc of less than 360° from said inlet to said clean air discharge outlet.   
     
     
         2 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein said flow channel extends in an arc of less than 270°. 
     
     
         3 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein said flow channel extends in an arc of about 180°. 
     
     
         4 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein said flow channel has a radius of curvature of between about 12 mm and about 16 mm. 
     
     
         5 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein said fine particle separator unit includes between 6 and 16 sling shot separators. 
     
     
         6 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 5 , wherein said fine particle separator unit is substantially disc shaped and has an overall diameter to height ratio of between about 12 and about 1. 
     
     
         7 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein (a) said flow channel has a cross sectional area of between about 78 mm 2  and about 314 mm 2 , (b) said inlet has a cross sectional area of between about 78 mm 2  and about 314 mm 2 , (c) said debris discharge port has a cross sectional area of between about 36 mm 2  and about 154 mm 2  and (d) said clean air discharge port has a cross sectional area of between about 36 mm 2  and about 154 mm 2 . 
     
     
         8 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein (a) said flow channel has a cross sectional area of between about 78 mm 2  and about 176 mm 2 , (b) said inlet has a cross sectional area of between about 78 mm 2  and about 176 mm 2 , (c) said debris discharge port has a cross sectional area of between about 36 mm 2  and about 85 mm 2  and (d) said clean air discharge port has a cross sectional area of between about 36 mm 2  and about 85 mm 2 . 
     
     
         9 . A vacuum cleaner comprising:
 a body including (a) a nozzle assembly including a suction inlet and (b) a control assembly;   a suction generator carried on said body; and   a dirt collection vessel carried on said body;   said dirt collection vessel including (a) a primary separator including a cylindrical dirt cup, a tangentially directed inlet and an axially directed outlet and (b) a fine particle separator unit downstream from said primary separator, said fine particle separator unit including at least one sling shot separator, said at least one sling shot separator including a flow channel having an inlet, a debris discharge port and a clean air discharge port, said flow channel having a radius of curvature of between about 12 mm and about 25 mm and extending in an arc of less than 360° from said inlet to said clean air discharge outlet.   
     
     
         10 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 9 , wherein said flow channel extends in an arc of less than 270°. 
     
     
         11 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 9 , wherein said flow channel extends in an arc of about 180°. 
     
     
         12 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 9 , wherein said flow channel has a radius of curvature of between about 12 mm and about 16 mm. 
     
     
         13 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 9 , wherein said fine particle separator unit includes between 6 and 16 sling shot separators. 
     
     
         14 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 13 , wherein said fine particle separator unit is substantially disc shaped and has an overall diameter to height ratio of between, about 12 and about 1. 
     
     
         15 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 9 , wherein (a) said flow channel has a cross sectional area of between about 78 mm 2  and about 314 mm 2 , (b) said inlet has a cross sectional area of between about 78 mm 2  and about 314 mm 2 , (c) said debris discharge port has a cross sectional area of between about 36 mm 2  and about 154 mm 2  and (d) said clean air discharge port has a cross sectional area of between about 36 mm 2  and about 154 mm 2 . 
     
     
         16 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 9 , wherein (a) said flow channel has a cross sectional area of between about 78 mm 2  and about 176 mm 2 , (b) said inlet has a cross sectional area of between about 78 mm 2  and about 176 mm 2 , (c) said debris discharge port has a cross sectional area of between about 36 mm 2  and about 85 mm 2  and (d) said clean air discharge port has a cross sectional area of between about 36 mm 2  and about 85 mm 2 . 
     
     
         17 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 9  further including a second fine particle separator unit downstream from said fine particle separator unit. 
     
     
         18 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 17 , wherein said second fine particle separator unit includes at least one sling shot separator having one second flow channel having a second inlet, a second debris discharge port and a second clean air discharge port, said second flow channel extends in an arc of less than 270°. 
     
     
         19 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 17 , wherein said second fine particle separator unit includes at least one sling shot separator having one second flow channel having a second inlet, a second debris discharge port and a second clean air discharge port, said second flow channel extends in an arc of about 180°. 
     
     
         20 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 18 , wherein said second flow channel has a radius of curvature of between about 12 mm and about 16 mm. 
     
     
         21 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 17 , wherein said second fine particle separator unit includes between 6 and 16 sling shot separators. 
     
     
         22 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 21 , wherein said second fine particle separator unit is substantially disc shaped and has an overall diameter to height ratio of between about 12 and about 1. 
     
     
         23 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 18 , wherein (a) said second flow channel has a cross sectional area of between about 78 mm 2  and about 314 mm 2 , (b) said second inlet has a cross sectional area of between about 78 mm 2  and about 314 mm 2 , (c) said second debris discharge port has a cross sectional area of between about 36 mm 2  and about 154 mm 2  and (d) said second clean air discharge port has a cross sectional area of between about 36 mm 2  and about 154 mm 2 . 
     
     
         24 . The vacuum cleaner of  claim 18 , wherein (a) said second flow channel has a cross sectional area of between about 78 mm 2  and about 176 mm 2 , (b) said second inlet has a cross sectional area of between about 78 mm 2  and about 176 mm 2 , (c) said second debris discharge port has a cross sectional area of between about 36 mm 2  and about 85 mm 2  and (d) said second clean air discharge port has a cross sectional area of between about 36 mm 2  and about 85 mm 2 .